Liberia to San Juan del Sur Shuttle, Bus or Private: Prices 2026

Comparison table, as of November 3, 2026

Option	Price	Duration	What is included	Pros	Cons
Public bus, border on foot, bus to Rivas and San Juan del Sur	Peñas Blancas to Rivas US$1 or C$37; Rivas to San Juan del Sur C$40; Liberia to the border by public bus (fare not confirmed here)	No fixed total: buses from 5:00 about every 45 minutes, about 1 hour at the border, then two more buses	A seat	Lowest cost	Three vehicles, waiting time, bags and paperwork on your own
Caribe Shuttle, shared shuttle	from US$50 per seat	about 3 hours; pickup 9:15 at LIR or 9:30 at Plaza Santa Rosa; hotel arrival 12:30 to 13:00	Shared van, drop-off at your San Juan del Sur hotel	Fixed schedule, low price per seat	Change of van at the border; fees billed apart (US$9 exit and US$13 entry; US$15 on another listing); one departure time; no private option
Pura Vida Traveling, shared shuttle	about US$69 to 70 per adult plus taxes; children US$35	Not stated in the data we checked	Shared shuttle	Child fare	Taxes added on top; shared vehicle
12Go, Easy Ride shared van	from US$68	about 4 hours	Shared van	Online booking	Shared vehicle; fixed times
Daytrip, private car	from US$32 per person, as shown on its page	2 hours 10 minutes of driving plus the border	Private car, door to door	Private car	Platform booking; confirm with them how the border stop works
Pura Vida Traveling, private minibus	US$288 for 1 to 4; US$348 for 5 to 9	Not stated in the data we checked	Private minibus	Private; up to 9 people	Highest price for 1 to 4 travelers
Bus Costa Rica, private to the border only	from US$220	1.5 to 2 hours to the Costa Rican side	Private vehicle to Peñas Blancas, Costa Rican side	Private on the Costa Rican leg	You cross on foot, do the paperwork alone and find transport on the Nicaraguan side
Monkeys, private transfer that crosses	from US$45 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$80 solo	3 to 4 hours door to door	Private vehicle for your group only, pickup at any hour, help at the border, stops on request, door to door	Same vehicle on both sides; the driver accompanies the paperwork; any destination in Nicaragua	Immigration fees, meals, tips and insurance not included; per-person price depends on group size

Option by option

Public bus and the border on foot

Transportes Liberianos del Norte runs Liberia to Peñas Blancas from the municipal bus terminal; the timetable Along Dusty Roads saw started at 5:00 with departures about every 45 minutes, and the post does not give a last departure. At the border you pay the US$8 exit tax at a Banco de Costa Rica kiosk, get stamped out, walk about 5 minutes to the Nicaraguan post, pay the entry fee and have your bags scanned. On the other side, the bus to Rivas is US$1 or 37 córdobas and the bus from Rivas to San Juan del Sur is 40 córdobas, per Destinationless Travel.

It is the cheapest option in cash and the most expensive in time. It fits a solo traveler with a light bag, daylight hours and no fixed check-in. Canada's advice notes that "Criminal gangs are more active in the border areas with Costa Rica and Honduras"; we cover what that means in our guide to the travel advisories.

Shared shuttles: Caribe Shuttle, Pura Vida Traveling and 12Go

Caribe Shuttle lists Liberia to San Juan del Sur from US$50, about 3 hours, with pickup at 9:15 at LIR or 9:30 at Plaza Santa Rosa and arrival at your hotel between 12:30 and 13:00. You change vans at the border. Immigration fees are not included; the listing bills them apart. Its website states: "we are unable to offer private transfers at this time".

Pura Vida Traveling lists the shared shuttle at about US$69 to 70 per adult plus taxes, with a child fare of US$35. On 12Go, the Easy Ride shared van starts at US$68 and takes about 4 hours. Shared shuttles make sense when you travel alone or as a couple, your flight lands before the pickup time, and San Juan del Sur is your final stop.

Private car on a platform: Daytrip

Daytrip lists a private car between LIR and San Juan del Sur from US$32 per person, over 132 km and about 2 hours 10 minutes of driving, border time excluded (page seen November 3, 2026). On that basis a couple pays from about US$64 and four travelers from about US$128, below our US$120 and US$180. We say that plainly; the differences are in who stands with you at the windows, whether the same vehicle continues past the border and where it can take you afterwards. Confirm the border procedure with the platform when you book.

Private only to the border: Bus Costa Rica

Bus Costa Rica sells a private ride from LIR to Peñas Blancas, Costa Rican side only, from US$220, in 1.5 to 2 hours depending on traffic. You then walk across, do both sets of paperwork alone and find transport on the Nicaraguan side. It fits travelers who already have someone waiting for them past the border.

Monkeys: private, crosses with you, any destination

Our Liberia Airport to Nicaragua transfer is a private vehicle for your group only, listed at 3 to 4 hours door to door. The driver crosses with your group and accompanies the paperwork at both posts, and you ride in the same vehicle from the airport curb to your door in San Juan del Sur, Rivas, the San Jorge pier for Ometepe, Granada, Managua or anywhere else in Nicaragua. We pick you up at any hour and stop along the way when you ask. Immigration fees, meals, tips and travel insurance are not included.

If you fly into San José instead, the San José to Nicaragua transfer takes 5 to 7 hours and runs from US$65 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$130 solo. If you land in Managua, the Managua Airport to San Juan del Sur transfer runs from US$30 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$55 solo.

Monkeys price by group size

Travelers	Per person	Vehicle total
1	US$80	US$80
2 to 3	US$60	US$120 to US$180
4 to 6	US$45	US$180 to US$270
7 to 10	US$40	US$280 to US$400
11 to 15	US$35	US$385 to US$525
16 or more	Quote	Quote

How to choose

• Alone, light bag, no fixed arrival time: the public bus is the lowest cash outlay.
• Alone or a couple, landing before 9:15, staying in San Juan del Sur: Caribe Shuttle from US$50 per seat, 12Go from US$68 or Pura Vida from about US$69 to 70.
• A couple: Daytrip from about US$64 for two against US$120 for two with us. We add the driver at the windows and delivery to any town in Nicaragua.
• Four to six people: Daytrip from about US$128 for four, Pura Vida's private minibus at US$288, ours at US$180 to US$270. We are not the lowest per vehicle at four; we are below the private minibus and well below the US$220 that only reaches the Costa Rican side.
• Seven or more: our rate drops to US$40 and then US$35 per person; Pura Vida's minibus is US$348 for 5 to 9.
• Going past San Juan del Sur, to Ometepe, Granada or León: the shared shuttles compared here end in San Juan del Sur; our transfer continues in the same vehicle. For a longer trip, see the 5-day Nicaragua itinerary from Costa Rica.

What Monkeys does

• Private vehicle, only your group, with airport pickup at any hour.
• The driver accompanies the paperwork at Peñas Blancas; same vehicle on both sides of the border.
• Any destination in Nicaragua, door to door, with stops along the way when you ask.
• Price from US$45 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$80 solo, with the tiers above.
• Price and inclusions confirmed in writing. Free cancellation up to 48 hours before.
• WhatsApp +505 8506 1173, every day from 7:00 to 20:00, replies in under 1 hour.