The Ultimate 7 day Puerto Rico Itinerary

I’ve been to Puerto Rico a few times but the last time I went was when I fell head over heels in love. The locals are incredibly nice, the food is out of this world, and there’s just so much to see and do! Keep reading for the ultimate 7 day Puerto Rico itinerary. This itinerary is the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation.

Tips to Make the Most Out of One Week in Puerto Rico

You’ll need to rent a car

Book this as far in advance as possible since there are a shortage of cars on the island. Be sure to read the reviews of whichever company you go with. Some companies are notorious for adding in extra fees. Remember, always check your credit card benefits to see if insurance is already covered.

I highly recommend the Capital One Venture x credit card. In my opinion, it’s the best premium travel credit card out there right now. You get 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 in purchases for the first 6 months. If you don’t have the card yet, consider applying through my link. It’s a great way to help support the blog!

Consider where you want to base yourself for this Puerto Rico itinerary

I did this trip with my family so in order to not have to pack up and move multiple times, we based ourselves in Condado in San Juan. You can of course choose to spend the night closer to each of the destinations listed in this 7-Day Puerto Rico itinerary.

Re arrange this itinerary as you see fit

This Puerto Rico itinerary can easily be re arranged. As we stayed in Condado the whole time, it really doesn’t matter in which order you do this.

There is so much to see in one week in Puerto Rico. This 7 day Puerto Rico itinerary gives you a good overview and balance of adventure and leisure (including one of the best adventure tours in Puerto Rico!).

Best Times to Visit Puerto Rico

Of course, before you plan a trip you might be asking yourself when is the best time of year to visit Puerto Rico. I honestly think it’s a destination you can visit all year round but to avoid crowds, visit during the shoulder seasons, September to mid-December and mid-April to May. We visited in mid-December and had no problem finding a place to stay and getting a rental car.

7 Day Puerto Rico Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in San Juan

Land in San Juan and make your way to your hotel or AirBnb. We chose to stay in Condado but Old San Juan is another wonderful option especially for your first time in Puerto Rico.

Day 2: Explore Old San Juan

Old San Juan is such a treat. The colored buildings and the cobblestoned roads will make you feel like you’ve been transported back in time. The best things to do in Old San Juan are really to walk around and explore. There are plenty of great photo opportunities along the way. If you’re not staying in Old San Juan, there are plenty of parking garages otherwise if you prefer to Uber, I recommend getting dropped off at Plaza Colon. It’s a great base from which to start exploring the town.

Old San Juan is really compact so you can easily spend a day getting a great feel of this part of town.

Things to do in Old San Juan

Stroll through the brightly colored streets and take some memorable photos. Here’s a map of my favorite photo spots
Have a piña colada at the place where the piña colada was invented, Barrachina. Normally I do not recommend things like this but the place itself is gorgeous, the drinks are fantastic, and they’re well priced
Grab a drink at Antiguo 26 or La Factoria. Both are worth a stop but Antiguo 26 was definitely my favorite cocktail bar of the trip
Head to Raices to try their monfongo (deep-fried green plantains mashed together with other ingredients

Head back to Condado (if that’s where you’re staying otherwise it’s a short drive away) and grab dinner at Cocina Abierta. It’s a pricier meal but the inventive dishes are well worth it.

Day 3: Beach Day

There are plenty of stunning beaches in Puerto Rico. It really just depends on how much you want to drive today. If you don’t mind a bit of a journey to get there, Culebra or Isla de Caja de Muertos are some of Puerto Rico’s gems. However, this may be harder to do in just a day so you may have to factor that in.

For us, we were happy doing a beach day close by. We chose to head to Isla Verde for the day. Given its proximity to Condado, this made the most sense. If you’re looking for an itinerary that balances adventure and relaxation, I suggest you do the same.

Before you head to the beach, I highly recommend grabbing coffee at Barista Squared in Condado. It was the best coffee we had on the trip (minus during our coffee tour) and we went there every single day.

Spend your day on Isla Verde. We found some parking in a side street. If you get bored of laying out, you can try a surf lesson (you’ll find plenty of options) or check out Ocean Lab Brewing for some delicious local craft beers. Their Double IPA was excellent!

Wrap up your evening with dinner at Burrito Social if you’re craving Mexican or Orozco if you’re looking for more authentic food.

Day 4: El Yunque Tour

This tour we did in the El Yunque National Forest was so much freaking fun. If you’re looking for adventure tours in Puerto Rico, this is a must do. You will get muddy (possibly even slip and fall) and get very wet. We had an absolute blast and I can’t recommend the tour enough!

You’ll have the option of doing a water slide which I highly recommend but just note that it is a bit of a hike and some climbing to get there. The guide was amazing and helped us through it but I wouldn’t recommend that portion unless you’re relatively physically fit.

If you don’t do the water slide you can still jump off the cliff and/or do a rope swing into the water!

Seriously, this was one of my favorite days in the whole Puerto Rico itinerary!

For clothes, be sure to wear whatever you don’t mind getting muddy (it rinses out pretty easily) and some shoes with great traction. I thought it would be difficult swimming in my sneakers but I was really happy I had them for the rock climbing.

This tour does pick you up so no need to use the rental car today. Once you return to San Juan, the rest of the afternoon / evening is yours. Consider heading back into Old San Juan or exploring Condado.

Day 5: Ponce

Sleep in a little if you’re worn out from your adventure tour and then make your way to Ponce, a perfect addition to your Puerto Rico itinerary. This beautiful and historic town is well worth the visit. It’s about an hour and a half from San Juan so it is an easy day trip. Plus, the drive is beautiful!

First head to the Museo Castillo Serralles, home of the family who started the Don Q rum. The house itself is such a work of art and I highly recommend doing the tour. Take some time afterwards to explore the gardens and, of course, taste some rum!

Next head into the center, and take a walk around (parking was easy to find on the street). I recommend stopping to look at Parque de Bombas, which is an old fire station.

The most important thing to do, however, is to have ice cream at King’s Cream. This is a non negotiable (they have dairy free options too) and this ice cream is definitely some of the best you will ever have! I know bold statement but it’s true.

You can either have dinner in Ponce or head back to San Juan. I personally recommend driving back to San Juan during daylight hours just to be on the safe side as the roads aren’t the greatest.

Day 6: Sandra Farms Coffee Tour

Another absolute favorite part of our one week in Puerto Rico. I knew I wanted to do a coffee tour but I wanted to find one a little off the beaten path. I stumbled across Sandra Farms and I couldn’t be happier that I did!

To book this tour, make sure you call or email them because you have to have reservations in advance.

They are about a two hour drive from San Juan though it can take a little longer as the last few miles are pretty steep. You can make the drive in a normal sedan but you’d probably feel more comfortable in a 4×4. I’m not going to lie, it’s a very steep drive and the road is narrow but trust me it is all so worth it once you get to the top.

First of all, the views from the farm are absolutely stunning. Our tour was conducted by Israel, Sandra’s husband, and he is extremely knowledgeable about the farm as well as coffee history in Puerto Rico. The farm is also eco-friendly and they are working on an initiative to help increase the number of coffee farmers in Puerto Rico.

After the tour, we headed to the porch of their house for the tasting. The coffee is out of this world. Plus, we had a chance to meet Sandra who shared more of their personal story. They also produce chocolate covered coffee beans (in partnership with a local chocolatier). Trust me, you will want to bring some of these home. I ended up leaving with a couple bags of coffee and chocolate.

I loved getting a chance to learn Israel’s and Sandra’s story, support an eco-friendly coffee farm, and of course, spend the afternoon in pure heaven.

If you need lunch recs, ask Sandra and she’ll take care of you!

Day 7: Time to Head Home!

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, including this amazing one week in Puerto Rico. If you’re lucky, get an evening flight out and enjoy your morning in San Juan.

Bottom Line

There is so much to see in one week in Puerto Rico. This 7 day Puerto Rico itinerary gives you a good overview and balance of adventure and leisure (including one of the best adventure tours in Puerto Rico!). I highly recommend following this. You’ll get off the beaten path and see more of the island than just San Juan.