Ciudad Quesada is about 80 kilometres north of San José by road, a journey of around 2 hours via the Route 141 mountain road through Zarcero — a scenic drive through agricultural highlands — or slightly faster via the Ciudad Quesada road through San Ramón. Buses from San José's Terminal Atlántico Norte run frequently throughout the day and take around 2.5 hours.
From La Fortuna, the drive south takes about an hour on Route 702, passing through the northern lowlands. The town has a bus terminal with connections to La Fortuna, San José, and other towns in the Zona Norte.