Costa Rica Packing List for First-Timers: What to Bring and What to Leave Home

By Lapa Trips. Last verified: October 9, 2026.

Pack light, pack for rain and pack for two climates. Costa Rica is warm and humid at the coasts and around Arenal, but Monteverde and the mountains are cool and misty. The list below covers what first-time visitors actually use on a route through La Fortuna, Monteverde and Manuel Antonio, and what you can leave at home.

Quick answers

• Bag: one carry-on plus a small daypack works for most trips. Quick-drying layers beat heavy items.
• Rain jacket: bring a light, hooded one in every season.
• Shoes: two pairs. Sneakers or light hiking shoes with closed toes, plus sandals or water shoes.
• Outlets: the same as in the US, so no adapter is needed for US travelers.
• Water: tap water is safe in most of the country. Bring a reusable bottle.
• Cash: carry small US dollar bills, under 20 dollars each, plus a Visa or Mastercard.

The core list

Category	What to bring	Why
Clothing	4 to 5 light, quick-drying tops, 2 shorts or light pants, 1 long-sleeve layer, swimsuit, underwear for the trip	Clothes dry slowly in humid air, so quick-dry fabric saves you from wearing damp clothes. You can wash a few items in a sink or at a hotel.
Warm layer	A light fleece or sweater	Monteverde averages about 18 °C (64 °F) and is often misty. Evenings feel cool even when days are warm.
Rain gear	Light hooded rain jacket or poncho, dry bag or waterproof phone pouch	Showers can come at any time of year, and the cloud forest is wet all year.
Shoes	Closed-toe sneakers or light hiking shoes, plus sandals or water shoes	Trails are muddy and tours often require closed shoes. Water shoes help at waterfalls and rivers.
Sun	Reef-safe sunscreen, brimmed hat, sunglasses	The sun is strong at the beach and on exposed trails, and sunburn happens fast.
Bugs	Insect repellent, light long sleeves for dawn and dusk	Mosquitoes can carry dengue and Zika, so cover up at dawn and dusk.
Health	Prescription medicines in original labeled bottles, a copy of each prescription, basic first-aid items, motion sickness tablets if you are prone to it	The mountain roads between La Fortuna, Monteverde and the coast are winding.
Documents	Passport, return flight details, hotel and tour confirmations	You need your passport for national park entry, for example at Manuel Antonio.
Money	Small US dollar bills, a Visa or Mastercard, a backup card	Dollars are widely accepted, and small bills make change easier. Some places do not take other card brands.
Phone	Charger, power bank, offline maps, eSIM or an international plan	Signal drops on mountain roads and in remote areas.
Water	Reusable bottle	Refill stations can be far apart, so fill up before you head out.

Rain gear and layers

Plan for rain even in the dry season, and plan on a cool day or two. A light jacket with a hood handles both. In hot, steady rain many travelers prefer a poncho or umbrella, because a jacket gets sweaty. If you are traveling May through November, our guide to the best time to visit Costa Rica shows how the rain usually falls in the afternoon, so mornings are the time for outdoor plans.

For Monteverde, bring a warm layer and a rain jacket. The area averages about 18 °C (64 °F) and gets roughly 3,000 mm (118 inches) of rain a year. The Monteverde guide has the details.

Shoes

You need two pairs and no more. Closed-toe sneakers or light hiking shoes cover trails, wildlife walks and zip-line tours. Sandals or water shoes cover beaches, waterfalls and hot springs. Heavy boots are only worth the space if you plan serious hiking. If you are visiting La Fortuna Waterfall, wear shoes with good grip, because the path is 530 steps (see the La Fortuna Waterfall guide).

Sun, bugs and health

• Sunscreen: the Costa Rica Tourism Board recommends reef-safe sunscreen for the beach. Bring enough for the whole trip.
• Insect repellent: pack it for rainforest walks and for dawn and dusk. Bring your own, because it can be expensive locally. Check the liquid rules at your airport before you pack it in a carry-on, or choose wipes.
• Mosquito-borne illness: the CDC lists dengue and Zika as spread by mosquito bites in Costa Rica, and avoiding bites is the main protection. At the time we checked, it listed no active travel health notice for the country.
• Vaccines and medicines: the CDC lists routine vaccines and several recommended travel vaccines, including hepatitis A and typhoid, and advises seeing a doctor at least one month before you go. We are not medical professionals, so ask your doctor or a travel clinic what fits you.
• Prescriptions: the Costa Rica Tourism Board advises bringing any medicine you need, with a copy of your prescription, because some medications require a certified prescription in Costa Rica.

Electricity, phone and connectivity

Outlets use about 110 to 120 volts with standard two-prong US plugs, and three-prong plugs also work. US phones, laptops and cameras plug in without an adapter. A power bank is still worth carrying for long days and drives.

Download offline maps before you leave your hotel for any long drive, because coverage is weak in mountain and remote areas. For data, an eSIM is the easiest option for most visitors, and many hotels have Wi-Fi. If you are renting a car, read our guides to driving in Costa Rica and rental car insurance, and bring a phone mount from home.

Water

The Costa Rica Tourism Board says tap water is safe to drink in most of the country and recommends bottled water only in a few rural areas. If you are unsure, ask your hotel. Be more careful after heavy rain, in remote lodges and with water from streams, which you should treat or avoid. Bring a reusable bottle. Costa Rica’s protected areas ban single-use plastics, including disposable plastic bottles, so a reusable bottle also works better when you visit parks.

Money

The colon is the local currency, and US dollars are widely accepted. Carry small bills, under 20 dollars each, to make change easier. A Visa or Mastercard is the safest card choice. Small towns may have no ATM, so withdraw cash in a city before you head to the countryside. Keep valuables in the hotel safe, never leave anything in a parked rental car, and do not leave your things unattended on the beach.

What to leave at home

• Heavy clothing: jeans, wool and bulky jackets dry slowly in humid air.
• Dressy outfits and high heels: most restaurants are casual.
• Heavy hiking boots: unless you plan serious hikes.
• Expensive jewelry and watches.
• Paper books: an e-reader weighs less.
• A big suitcase: moving between three bases is easier with one carry-on and a daypack.

By season

Travel period	Add to the core list	Skip
Dry season (mid-December to April)	Extra sunscreen, hat, light long sleeves for the sun	Heavy rain gear (keep the light jacket)
Green season (May to November)	Dry bag, waterproof phone pouch, extra socks, quick-dry towel	Dressy shoes that cannot get wet
Monteverde in any month	Fleece or sweater, rain jacket	Nothing

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a plug adapter for Costa Rica? Not from the US. Outlets use standard US plugs and similar voltage.

Is the tap water safe to drink? In most of the country, according to the Costa Rica Tourism Board. Ask your hotel if you are unsure, and be careful in remote areas and after heavy rain.

What should I wear in Costa Rica? Light, quick-drying clothes, a warm layer for Monteverde, a light rain jacket and comfortable closed-toe shoes.

Do I need hiking boots? Usually not. Light hiking shoes or sneakers are enough for most park trails.

Should I bring US dollars or colones? US dollars are widely accepted, so carry small bills. Colones are useful for small purchases outside tourist areas.

Do I need vaccines for Costa Rica? The CDC lists routine and recommended travel vaccines for Costa Rica, such as hepatitis A and typhoid. Talk to your doctor or a travel clinic about a month before you go.

Related

• Best time to visit Costa Rica, month by month
• 7-day Costa Rica itinerary for first-timers
• 10-day Costa Rica itinerary
• Driving in Costa Rica: what first-timers need to know

Gear and health guidance change. Check the Costa Rica Tourism Board (visitcostarica.com) and the CDC travelers’ health page for Costa Rica before you travel. This is general travel information, not medical advice.