The 14 Tortuguero Tours That Earn Their Price

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

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

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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2.Canoe tour dentro del Parque

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 86 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $28

Start at 6:00 am with Tortuguero Adventures for a three-hour canoe ride through Tortuguero National Park. Your multilingual guide points out caimans, howler monkeys, and tropical birds while you paddle quiet canals. Binoculars, ponchos, and paddles are included. The group is limited to 10 people.

“Die Tour war von Anfang bis Schluss perfekt. Sehr einfache und freundliche Kommunikation mit Carmen. Die Tour startete pünktlich um 6.00 Uhr - davor gab es noch Kaffee und Tee. Der Guide war perfekt - er erklärte uns alles im Detail und nahm sich die Zeit alle Fragen zu beantworten. Wir sahen super viele Tiere.”

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3.Adventure Canoe Tour in Tortuguero

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 78 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $25

Paddle a canoe through Tortuguero National Park with an accredited guide such as Leroy, Norton, or Eric. The roughly 2-hour-15-minute outing is limited to six people and focuses on wildlife, including monkeys, sloths, toucans, basilisk lizards, otters, caimans, and more. Bring rain gear: the canoe has no motor, and you will paddle.

“We had a great boattrip watching birds, monkeys and caimans. Our Guide Norton was very nice and helpful to see this animals in the canals of Tortuguero.”

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4.Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $45

Start at 6:00 am in Tortuguero for about three hours of guided kayaking through the national park. Christian and other guides point out monkeys, caiman, sloths, turtles, snakes, and birds while you paddle quietly through narrow waterways. Kayak gear is supplied, but the park entrance fee is extra.

“Great trip, very knowledgeable guide, Christian. Saw howler monkeys, lots of cayman, black turtle, snake bird and lots of others. Everything very safe and plenty of time to take photos and soak it all in.”

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5.Canoe tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $35

Start at 6:00 am in Tortuguero National Park for a 2.5-hour canoe or kayak trip through the park’s canals. A licensed guide, including Hugo on some departures, helps you look for caimans, crocodiles, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and birds. Groups are limited to eight, while park admission costs extra.

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6.Turtle Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · from $33

Join a night walk in Tortuguero National Park from July through October to watch sea turtles arrive, lay eggs, cover their nests, and return to the sea. Guides such as Carlos, Bernie, and Luis explain the process and help protect the turtles. Expect darkness, mosquitoes, rain, a long walk, and park-controlled viewing times.

“Das Nesting selbst war sehr beeindruckend. Unsre Gruppe allerdings sehr groß und unser Guide Carlos hat wenig übe die Schildkrötn erzáhlt. Man musste konkrete Fragn an ihn richten, von sich aus hat er nicht erzählt. Vor Ort kreisen dann 5Read more”

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7.Turtle Nesting night Tour in Tortuguero

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 71 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $37

Walk into Tortuguero National Park after dark with a bilingual guide such as Leonardo, Manuel, or Luis. In an assigned beach sector, you may watch a turtle lay eggs, compact them, hide the nest, and return to the sea. The tour lasts about two hours, costs $37, and follows strict no-photo rules to protect the turtles.

“Finalmente no hicimos la ruta de las tortugas, si no la de animales nocturnos, porque se estaba acabando la época del desove, y no había ya muchas tortugas. El tour fue genial, vinos ranas, iguanas, monos, perezoso, serpientes...y lo pasamos muy bien con nuestro guía. Muy recomendable!!”

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8.3-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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9.Observation of Turtles in their Natural Habitat in Tortuguero

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $40

Join Don Chico Tours in Tortuguero for a 1 to 2 hour night walk to the beach, where guides such as Carmen and Luis help you watch sea turtles nest without disturbing them. Expect dark clothing, no phones or cameras on the beach, a mandatory decal or peganita, and groups capped at 10 people.

“Una muy buena experiencia. Uno no se puede ir de Tortuguero sin hacer la actividad de avistamiento de tortugas”

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10.Canoe Boat Tour in Tortuguero Canal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $35

Explore Tortuguero’s rainforest canals with Sunbittern Nature Tours in a group of no more than eight. Your guide helps you spot camouflaged wildlife, reach narrow waterways, and understand the forest’s sounds and species. Adrian is a guide worth requesting if available. The tour lasts about three and a half hours and costs $35, plus the $16.95 national park ticket.

“Fantastic time seeing the canals and the nature of Tortuguero! Adrian was an amazing guide. Very knowledgeable of the area and its nature and helped us to get through narrow canals to see the best nature and hidden spots. He had a great sense of humour as well. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone going to Tortuguero… ask for Adrian!”

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11.Canoe experience exploring Tortuguero National Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $30

Join Andrew for about two and a half hours on Tortuguero’s waterways, using a canoe or small boat, oars and a life jacket. Expect close views of wildlife, fresh air, and clear explanations of local nature, culture and history. Groups are capped at six, and the SINAC park ticket costs about $15 to $17 extra.

“Andrew est LE guide parfait ! Nous avons passé une matinée juste parfaite, il a prit le temps de nous montrer un maximum d'animaux en nous donnant toutes les explications. Andrew est un amoureux de la nature et de sa ville et sait le faire sentir à ses clients. Un moment juste unique ! Si vous souhaitez faire la sortie surTortuguero vous devez la faire avec Andrew. Il a rendu l'excursion juste incroyable !!! Merci Andrew Pascaline”

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12.Small Group Tortuguero National Park Canoe Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $35

Meet at 5:30am for coffee, tea, biscuits, and fruit before paddling Tortuguero National Park’s canals. Your guide, including Kevin on some outings, points out birds, caimans, monkeys, and aquatic life. The canoe tour lasts about two hours, carries no more than 10 people, and includes binoculars and a dry-bag.

“Heel gaaf om in een kano op de vroege ochtend het water op te gaan. Kevin, onze gids, heeft ons met veel enthousiasme vertelt over het regenwoud. Meest bijzondere was de kaaiman van 1,5 meter naast onze boot. Aanrader!”

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13.Relaxing Canoe Tour in Tortuguero

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 48 reviews · 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $30

Join Green Tours for a quiet, eco-friendly canoe ride through Tortuguero National Park. Your local guide, possibly Johnatan, also called John, handles the route while you watch for wildlife along the creeks and lagoons. The tour lasts about two to two and a half hours, runs in the early morning, and limits the group to seven people.

“great canoe tour in the early morning. we saw beautifull animals and out guide Johnatan or John was very Professional”

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14.The best of Tortuguero: Canoe, hike and night tour (turtle in Jul-Oct)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 42 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $101

Start near Roxana at 5:30 a.m. for a canoe ride through Tortuguero National Park, a daytime forest walk, and an evening wildlife tour. During turtle season, the final outing shifts to a 8 or 10 p.m. turtle tour. Guides such as Andre, Juancito, Cloied, Norton, and Israel have earned praise, though guide experience can vary.

“LA mas interesante estuvo el tour de canoa cuando vimos un serpiente que estaba comiendo un pajaro .”

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