15 Guided Tours in Costa Rica Worth Booking

1.La Leona Waterfall Guided Tour+Transportation

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 124 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $140Our pick

From Tamarindo, you’ll ride with a guide such as Alberto, Verny, Anthony, or Nacho to La Leona Waterfall. Expect a two-hour route through caves, rivers, rocks, and canyon walls formed by Rincon de la Vieja volcano. You’ll swim, use ropes, and finish with a waterfall plunge. Lunch in Liberia is extra.

“Verny was our tour guy and let me tell you something... He was amazing, funny, helpful, well-known about history of Costa Rica. He make sure that we are all enjoying, safe, well-protected and he treated us like family. I highly recommend this company and request Verny”

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2.Monteverde Night Tour with a Certified Tour Guide (6 PM or 8 PM)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 112 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $54

Walk Monteverde’s El Refugio after dark with a local guide and a small group of up to 10 people. Choose a 6 PM or 8 PM start, use the included flashlight, and search for frogs, snakes, tarantulas, leafcutter ants, birds, opossums, porcupines, and olingos. Guides such as Dio and Sergio are praised for sharp spotting skills and patient photo help.

“Dio and his son were great. We saw lots of animals and critters and the walk was super cool. Highly recommend!”

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3.Bogarin Trail Sloth Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 110 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $55

Walk the easy Bogarin Trail in La Fortuna with guides such as Alex, Mar, William, or Randall, who use a telescope to find sloths, frogs, birds, bats, and lizards high in the trees. The two-hour outing ends with fresh pineapple and time to relax in rocking chairs. It is close to town, mostly flat, and best for wildlife spotting rather than a strenuous hike.

“We had a wonderful tour with our guide Mar! Her English was great, which was a relief since our Spanish isn’t great. She told us all about the birds, plants, trees, bugs, and sloths!! It was wonderful. She had a tripod and scope and used them to take some great shots with our iPhones.”

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4.Corcovado and Drake Bay 2-Day Small-Group Safari Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 102 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $460

Travel from Drake Bay to Sirena Ranger Station with a maximum of eight people, then spend two days tracking wildlife through Corcovado National Park. Guides such as Jorge, Erick, Brayner, Andre, and Richie have led trips here. Expect early starts, simple open-air bunk beds, fresh meals, wet boat landings, and serious jungle walking.

“Such a great experience! We thought 1 night (2 days) was a great amount of time! The ranger station we stayed at was a lot cleaner than we were originally expecting and our guide, Jorge, was amazing! He was so passionate about wildlife and it was contagious! The boat ride to the park was really bumpy so if you’re one to get motion sick, make sure to take meds beforehand. We do wish we had gotten a packing list sooner than the day before our trip so here are some things I would recommend packing. Keep in mind, everything you bring should be able to go in your backpack since…”

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5.Guided Butterfly Conservatory Tour in Costa Rica

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 85 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $29

At the Butterfly Conservatory in Upper El Castillo, you’ll learn how butterflies, frogs, insects, and rainforest plants are raised and protected around Arenal. A volunteer guide leads part of the visit, followed by self-guided exhibits and optional short or long trails. Allow two to three hours.

“This was a beautiful property. The staff were friendly and doing their best though it appears they were all recently arrived volunteers, so the depth of knowledge about the animals and Costa Rica were more limited than the professional tour guides we found at other experiences in the area. Still it was beautiful and the staff were pleasant and did appear to really enjoy the work. The back hike was nice and more natural than some others in area, and lower traffic. Personally I would recommend this experience after you've done the following, which are in the area: Arenal volcano hike Mystico hanging bridges hike / Zip Line Experience Floating…”

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6.Arenal Hanging Bridges, Guided Walk, Hot Springs Optional

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $87

Walk 3 kilometers through Arenal’s forest with a local guide such as Andreas or Gustavo. Cross 10 fixed bridges and 6 hanging bridges, including one 100 meters long and 55 meters high. The trail has gentle slopes, no steps, safety rails, and non-slip concrete. Morning or afternoon departures are available, with optional hot springs.

“Andreas was a great tour guide! Very knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna. Didn’t hesitate to stop the group to look for animals. We saw lots of snakes and frogs!”

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7.The Discovery Adventures ATV Guided Experience in La Fortuna, Arenal Volcano

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 3 hours (approx.)

Drive an automatic 4x4 ATV through the forest near La Fortuna with a guide such as Nelson, stopping for Arenal Volcano views, wildlife sightings, river time, and local culture. The three-hour outing suits families and first-time riders, though it focuses more on safe exploration than high-speed thrills.

“My husband and I had the best time on this tour. It was so much fun and we also got to see a sloth and some monkeys! Would recommend!!”

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8.Guided Walking Street Art & Graffiti Tour in Jaco Costa Rica

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 68 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $39

Walk through Jacó with guide Josue to see large murals, graffiti, beachside art, and works tied to Costa Rican culture. The two to three hour tour visits Central Park, Jacó Beach, and the commercial center, with a maximum of 10 people. It costs $39 and ends near Green Room Cafe Bar, where a drink may be included.

“This was a great way to learn more about the town of Jaco. Not only the downtown artwork but also its history and culture.”

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9.Private Guided Walking Tour in Hacienda Baru TICKET NOT included

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 68 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $88

Walk Hacienda Barú near Quepos with a private bilingual guide such as Freddy or Pedro. Over two to three hours, you may spot monkeys, sloths, toucans, agoutis, peccaries, coatis, and forest birds. Your guide carries an HD telescope that attaches to your phone, making distant wildlife easier to photograph. Park admission costs $17 extra.

“The tour guide, Freddy, did an excellent job, explaining the flora and fauna, and spotting several animals. In a two hour hike we were able to see agouti, peccary, coati mundi, white face monkeys, and several birds, among others. Great tour and value, and we avoided the crowds in Manuel Antonio.”

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10.Monteverde Cloud Forest Guided Night Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 67 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $65

Walk Monteverde’s forest after dark for about two hours with a professional guide, flashlight, and viewing equipment. Guides such as Justin, Kendall, Denis, and Christian have helped visitors spot sleeping toucans, sloths, frogs, tarantulas, scorpions, armadillos, porcupines, and other night creatures. Pickup and drop-off are included from Monteverde and Santa Elena.

“We loved the night hike in Monteverde Cloud Forest. There are so many amazing animals to see at night, big and small. And night time photos turn out beautiful, especially of frogs! We saw different varieties of Toucans, tarantula, coatis, frogs and so many neat little creatures. Advise to take your own flashlight if possible. It was pouring rain on our walk but that didn’t affect it. Rain poncho would have been good to have but we stayed somewhat dry under the canopy. My son loved this and we definitely recommend it. Our guide Justin was great, local, and very knowledgeable. Pura Vida!”

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11.El Tigre Waterfalls Hiking Tour with Lunch and Nature Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $140

Start at 7 a.m. for a guided 5-kilometer hike through El Tigre’s misty cloud forest. See four main waterfalls, smaller cascades, hanging bridges, birds, and plants, then return by horseback or 4x4 for lunch. Guides such as Jean Carlo, Steven Rojas, and Melvin are known for sharp nature spotting and friendly help.

“This is a light to moderate hiking tour. Our guide, Steven Rojas, was excellent! He was very knowledgeable and easy going. The scenery is beautiful and it was great to have a great lunch waiting for us afterwards. We highly recommend it!”

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12.PRIVATE Guided Walk to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $68

Spend about three hours walking Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve with a certified naturalist guide such as Jason, José, Marvin, or Rodiber. Your guide can help spot quetzals, tarantulas, vipers, butterflies, hummingbirds, and monkeys, and may use a telescope to help you take better phone photos. Transport and park admission cost extra.

“José was a fun, knowledgeable, and passionate tour guide. I recommend going to the cloud forest with a guide because he had an eye for spotting wildlife. His telescope helped me take detailed pics of the animals, better than my binoculars. I learned a lot and have a deeper respect for the cloud forest thanks to Jose! Rodiber was also great at communication about the logistics of my tour.”

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13.Manuel Antonio National Park guided tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $28Best value

Join Diego Nature Tours for a two-hour walk through Manuel Antonio National Park with an official English- or Spanish-speaking guide. Guides such as Diego and Gustavo use telescopes to spot sloths, monkeys, birds, iguanas, lizards, frogs, and other wildlife, then help you take close-up phone photos through the scope. The tour begins and ends at Restaurante Donde AlexBeach Trail.

“Our guide was great - without him I wouldn’t have spotted any of the animals! He used the scope so we could zoom is and let everyone take pictures through the scope to get some amazing close up shots. You can then stay in the park after the tour to spend time hiking or at the beaches. The park is busy - there’s no avoiding that. it’s the main attraction in the area but it’s worth it and the money generated is used in a positive way.”

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14.Sunset And Night Walk Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 41 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $50

Start at 5:30 pm for a 2.5-hour guided walk near Monteverde. You’ll watch the sunset over the Gulf of Nicoya, then search for sleeping birds, frogs, snakes, mammals, and insects with a flashlight. Guide Donald is known for his sharp eye and ecology background. The family-owned property has marked trails, tea, cookies, and a maximum of 10 people.

“The private walk enabled us to go at our own pace. Be advised that part of this walk is a steep incline. We are in our 70s, so our guide, Donald, made sure the pace was gentle. Donald was an exceptional nature guide. He is a teacher of ecology in a high school and his passion for the flora and fauna of Monteverde is apparent. And what an eye he has! He found a black sleeping monkey against the black sky. Found a sloth slowly creeping on a branch as well as insects and frogs. Nice tour. Informative. The tea and cookies before we began the tour was a nice…”

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15.Hanging Bridges of Arenal – Guided Nature Walk with Nature

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 40 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $85

Walk two miles through primary jungle near La Fortuna, crossing six suspension bridges and 10 rigid bridges. A bilingual naturalist guide such as Alex, Kevin, Samuel, or Joshua helps you spot birds, monkeys, reptiles, insects, and snakes, often with a telescope. Transport and entry are included, but food and bottled water are not.

“I traveled solo and did the hanging bridges group tour. Alex was our guide, and he was wonderful! He found soooo much wildlife for us that we would have never found on our own. He was so knowledgeable, kind and we had a lot of fun with him! It was a great tour and Alex was a great guide!”

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