The 12 Best National Park Visits in Costa Rica

1.All Inclusive National Park Manuel Antonio with Binoculars

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 134 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $80Our pick

Join a small group of up to 12 for a 2.5-hour guided walk through Manuel Antonio National Park. A certified naturalist guide, including Ariel when scheduled, helps you spot three monkey species, two sloth species, and other wildlife before you relax on the park beach or return by shuttle to Quepos.

“Ariell was incredible!!! He was so knowledgeable and passionate about the rainforest. We were able to see so many animals that we would have never seen if we had gone on our own! Best excursion we did while in Costa Rica!”

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2.Manuel Antonio National Park from San José

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 131 reviews · 12 to 13 hours (approx.) · from $155

Leave San José at 6:00 am for Manuel Antonio National Park, with hotel pickup, breakfast, lunch, park admission, a guide, and an air-conditioned vehicle. Walk forest trails to a beautiful beach, look for monkeys, sloths, iguanas, birds, and raccoons, and consider the Punta Catedral viewpoint. Expect a very long day on the road.

“My trip to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica was incredible. The scenery and wildlife were breathtaking, and our guide was knowledgeable. However, I was disappointed when the guide wouldn't drop me off at my hotel just 1 km away from the scheduled stop.”

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3.Customized Nature Walk in Manuel Antonio National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 125 reviews · 1 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $25

Meet your certified English-speaking guide at Manuel Antonio National Park for a 1 to 3-hour wildlife walk. Javier uses a telescope and quality viewing equipment to help you find sloths, monkeys, birds, and reptiles you could easily miss alone. Park admission, transport, food, and drinks cost extra.

“It was very informative and we saw many animals including sloth, stick birds, toucans . Without Javier we could not find any! We enjoyed tour a lot.”

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4.Irazú Volcano National Park (Half Day)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 104 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $99

Leave San José early for Irazú Volcano National Park at 3,432 meters, where you can walk around the main crater and look for views across Costa Rica’s Central Valley. Guides such as Hayro, Donald, and Raquel add local stories in English and Spanish. The trip also includes Cartago’s Basilica of the Angels, snacks, WiFi, and round-trip hotel transport.

“This trip was great! Not only the crater/vulcano was beautiful, but also the way up was worth this trip. Hayro was an amazing guide who shared a lot of his knowledge, not only about the flora/fauna of the area, but also about Costa Rica/San José. He told very vivid stories, but also gave some practical tips, which were very helpful for the rest of our holiday. Definitely recommend!!”

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5.Manuel Antonio National Park Hiking Tour from Jacó

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 93 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $135

Leave Jacó at 6:30 am for Manuel Antonio National Park with a bilingual guide such as Jeremy, Ronald, or Sylvia. Walk mostly flat rainforest trails, use a guide’s scope to spot sloths, monkeys, birds, and reptiles, then swim at Manuel Antonio Beach before lunch and the ride home.

“This was our last excursion in Costa Rica before heading home on Sunday after two weeks in country. As my wife told our guide Jeremy, it was the best day ever. Our driver and Jeremy picked us up on time and made our trip from Jaco to the park an educational one. We learned all about the history of the area as well as a couple of stops for a great breakfast (not mentioned in the description) and to see a few animals along the road. Guillermo our driver spotted a red macaw and a sloth after breakfast and before the park. At the park we saw all the monkeys,…”

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6.Small-Group Tortuguero National Park Night Walk in Costa Rica

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $28

Meet at 6:30 pm near Tortuguero’s main wharf for a two-hour forest walk with a naturalist guide and flashlight. Guides such as Warren and Diego are praised for spotting sleeping sloths, snakes, frogs, toucans, and iguanas. The group is capped at seven, but routes can be busy with other night walks.

“Warren was our guide during the night tour, and it was unbelievable the amount of animals he spotted. Next to all the animals we saw, we learned a lot and not to forget, the fun facts he was able to tell us about the animals. The best end of our visit of Torteguero we could think of.”

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7.Tortuguero National Park and Canals Day Trip from San Jose

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 81 reviews · 12 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $230

Leave San Jose at 5:30 a.m. for Tortuguero National Park, passing coffee farms and Braulio Carrillo cloud forest. Your day includes breakfast, a Caribbean lunch, a guided canal boat ride, wildlife spotting, Tortuguero Village, and a possible climb to a mountain viewpoint. Guides such as Al, Jerry, Edgar, and Arturo are praised for sharp eyes and lively nature talks.

“This was one of our best tours we experienced while visiting Costa Rica. It was a long day but we saw so much wild life it was awesome. The guide was absolutely amazing with his knowledge and experience.”

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8.Kayak to the Heart of the National Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 79 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $65

Set out from Pangas Beach Club with guide Luis or Tom for a tide-timed kayak trip into Las Baulas National Marine Park. You’ll learn basic paddling, watch for monkeys, crocodiles, and birds, then leave the kayaks for a guided forest walk and climb to an indigenous archaeological site. Expect heat, mud, and moderate physical effort.

“Paddle was very cool up the estuary. We were taken into the park and on a short hike to see local flora and fauna. Would recommend to any nature enthusiasts. Luis was very knowledgeable.”

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9.Poas Volcano National Park Half Day tour from San Jose

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 69 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $135

This six-hour Poas Volcano tour leaves San Jose at 6:00 am, with hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, breakfast, and a guide such as Arturo, Edgar, Ricardo, or Ronny. You walk the volcano trails, learn about Poas geology, and may stop at a coffee plantation or strawberry stand. The group is limited to 15 people.

“Got a private tour with my brother on accident so that was fun. The tour guide was really knowledgeable and a funny guy.”

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10.3-hour canoe tour through Tortuguero National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 68 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $24Best value

Join PabloToursTortuguero for a three-hour canoe trip through Tortuguero National Park. Guides such as Pablo and Abel paddle with you through quiet channels, pointing out birds, American crocodiles, caimans, monkeys, snakes, trees, and plants. The group has no more than eight people, and the tour returns to its starting point.

“Excelente día con Pablo. Se ha esforzado en darnos a conocer el entorno y mostrarnos la fauna y flora local explicando sus interacciones. Ha estado en contacto y pendiente de nosotros incluso antes de llegar a Tortuguero ofreciendo su ayuda para cualquier cosa que pudiéramos necesitar. Gracias Pablo por la fabulosa experiencia que nos has ofrecido.”

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11.Sirena Station, Corcovado National Park Day Trip from Quepos.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 63 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $395

Leave Quepos at 5:00 am for a full-day trip to Sirena Ranger Station. After breakfast in Sierpe, travel by boat to Corcovado for two guided rainforest hikes with bilingual naturalists. Manuel and Carlos may guide your group, using Swarovski scopes to spot monkeys, tapirs, macaws, sloths, and more. Expect heat, mud, rough seas, and a long but memorable day.

“Amazing experience! Saw whales, tapirs, crocodiles, sloth, birds incl. toucan and all 4 types of monkeys! 2 hr drive to Sierpa and then another 2 hr boat drive just to arrive so it’s a long day but completely worth it!”

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12.Day Trip from San Jose to Irazu Volcano National Park, Cartago City and Orosi Valley

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 47 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $149

Leave San Jose early for Irazú Volcano, where you walk among the craters at high altitude. Continue to Cartago’s Basilica and the Orosi Valley for a lakeside lunch at La Casona del Cafetal. Guides such as Augustine, Ricardo, Ronny, and Mario have been praised for history, geology, and flexible pacing. Lankester Gardens may also be included.

“By accident we ended up being the only people on the tour, so it ended up being a private tour. Ronny was excellent. He provided us with historical information, cultural information and some insights into what was happening regionally. The tour of the volcano was excellent. E we had just the right amount of time to explore the area. We stopped at a botanical garden which was outstanding. Lunch was provided at a local restaurant and was very good.”

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