The 15 Best Costa Rica National Park Tours

1.Catamaran Ocean King Manuel Antonio

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 281 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $86Our pick

Board Ocean King at Marina Pez Vela in Quepos for a 3.5-hour coastal cruise near Manuel Antonio. Expect music, dolphin and whale watching, snacks, dinner, four alcoholic drinks, swimming, snorkeling, water slides, and sunset views. Hotel pickup is available from selected Quepos and Manuel Antonio locations.

“What an awesome way to see the coast around Manuel Antonio and spend the day on the ocean. We had fun in the ocean with diving and swimming, nice cocktails lunch and plenty of music. The crew made the day extra special. Muchas Garcias a Emilio y los otros amigos!”

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2.Pacheco Tours – 2 Days 1 Night in Corcovado Sirena From Drake Bay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 172 reviews · 2 days (approx.) · from $365Top rated

Join Pacheco Tours for a two-day, one-night stay at Sirena Ranger Station in Corcovado National Park. You’ll travel by boat from Drake Bay, hike with a guide such as Marlon, José, Ayder, or Alejandra, and search for tapirs, monkeys, macaws, crocodiles, and rare birds.

“This is a very interesting tour to a wonderful part of costa rica. Although it was raining quite a lot, we saw a lot if monkeys, crocodiles, snakes and on the morning walk a tapirus mum with her kid just walked by about 5 meters from us. Jose was a very knowledgeable guide and we had a very interesting time in corcovado np.”

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3.All Inclusive National Park Manuel Antonio with Binoculars

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

Join a small group of up to 12 for a 2.5-hour guided walk in Manuel Antonio National Park. Guide Ariel helps you spot monkeys, sloths, birds, and other wildlife before you finish at the park beach, with a shuttle back to Quepos or time to swim.

“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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4.Manuel Antonio National Park from San José

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

Leave San José at 6 a.m. for Manuel Antonio National Park, with hotel pickup, breakfast in Orotina, park entry, a guided rainforest walk, beach time, lunch, and a return drive. Guides such as Arturo, Roberto, and Victor have earned praise, but guide quality and drop-off service can vary.

“It's been mentioned here before, but I'll repeat it: it's absolutely unclear why you would pay $90 to get to the National Park and *not* enter the National Park. The economic option makes little sense. I booked it because I read that you should always buy tickets with the park directly. Of course I had no idea that you needed to book them weeks in advance - my bad, though a notice would have been nice. So I got a ticket on the day for $40 in cash with one of the 'vendors' in front of the park. I should also mention that all people who booked the economic option…”

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5.Customized Nature Walk in Manuel Antonio National Park

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

Walk Manuel Antonio National Park with certified English-speaking guide Javier, who uses a telescope and quality wildlife equipment to help you spot sloths, monkeys, toucans, and other animals. The tour lasts about one to three hours, costs $25 per person, and accepts up to 12 people.

“This was a very nice tour of the Manuel Antonio National Park. Javier was friendly, very informative and gave us a lot of information about the park and the wildlife that live there. He has a great eye for finding those critters that are hidden in the trees. Highly recommended!”

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6.Corcovado National Park: Sirena Day Tour From Puerto Jimenez

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 106 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $190

Leave Puerto Jiménez at 5:30 a.m. for a boat ride to Sirena Station, then hike Corcovado with a certified bilingual guide. Small groups, lunch, park entry, breakfast, and wildlife spotting equipment are included. Bring sandals or water shoes for the wet landing, plus hiking shoes for the forest.

“Mel is a birdwatcher’s dream guide — an incredibly talented and keen observer who is the physical equivalent of Merlin Bird ID for the region. From hundreds of meters away Mel could audio ID and shortly thereafter spot birds in the thick of the jungle. To say we had a good experience is an understatement. You will not believe how well he can mimic dozens of species. Not to mention, he has top of the line equipment for a crystal clear view and photo of birds and other fauna. Birds aside, he has excellent knowledge of the forest and ecology of Corcovado — breaking down complex symbiotic relationships in a…”

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7.Irazú Volcano National Park (Half Day)

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

Leave San José early for Irazú Volcano’s crater and 3,432-meter summit, then visit Cartago’s Basilica of the Angels. Air-conditioned private transport, WiFi, snacks, and hotel pickup are included. Guides such as Hayro, Raquel, and Donald add history, nature, and local stories along the way.

“Guide was really knowledgeable, but didn’t respond very warmly when I asked a question, a kinder explanation would’ve helped. Went in early July; it was rainy and cloudy the whole time, but we caught brief glimpses of the crater when it cleared for a few seconds. Hike to the highest viewpoint is worth it, would’ve been amazing with better weather. Quick stop at the church, but a service was on, so it was difficult to explore.”

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8.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 sloths, toucans, snakes, frogs, and iguanas. Bring boots or hiking shoes and rain protection.

“The guide was superb. We went slowly away from other groups and he found an amazing range of animals - the best night walk we have done”

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9.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, traveling through coffee country and Braulio Carrillo cloud forest before a canal boat ride. Breakfast, Caribbean lunch, park fees, and air-conditioned transport are included. Guides such as Al, Jerry, Edgar, and Arturo are praised for spotting wildlife.

“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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10.Adventure Canoe Tour in Tortuguero

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

Paddle through Tortuguero National Park with an accredited guide in a canoe for up to six people. Guides such as Leroy, Norton, and Eric point out monkeys, sloths, toucans, caimans, basilisk lizards, and more. Expect a quiet, paddle-powered outing that can get wet in poor weather.

“We had a good time with Leroy and saw quite a few different birds and two caymans despite the bad weather. Overall it was a nice tour that I don't regret, but I do have to dock at least 1 star: all the other passengers spoke Spanish, so Leroy was switching between Spanish and English, but clearly said a lot more in Spanish — it was practice for me but still a bit annoying at times. Other than that, all of us paddled since the boat had no motor — I think it was a nice experience, but it's definitely not for everyone and I got quite wet due to…”

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11.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 and watch a sea turtle lay eggs, cover her nest, and return to the sea. Guides including Manuel, Luis, and Leonardo have led this small-group outing, which lasts about two hours and allows no photos or personal lights on the beach.

“We saw a turtle while laying eggs. That was amazing! Unfortunately we saw only one, but it‘s hard to spot more in the given amount of time.”

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

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

Start early from San Jose for Poas Volcano with hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, breakfast, and a professional guide. Expect crater trails, changing mountain weather, and possible coffee or strawberry stops. Guides such as Edgar, Arturo, Ricardo, and Ronny are praised for clear explanations and flexible timing.

“Ricardo was the consummate guide. Seasoned, professional. Years of experience show through. Much knowledge of local botany, geology, history, volcanology.”

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13.3-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, Abel, and Rafa point out birds, crocodiles, caimans, monkeys, snakes, trees, and plants. The group is limited to eight, with a canoe, paddles, life vest, and nature information included.

“Abel was a great guide. Very knowledgable, excited to show us the amazing wildlife. We saw an American crocodile, caiman, many birds, a vine snake, white faced capuchin monkeys and much more. Fantastic experience.”

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

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

Leave Quepos before dawn for Sierpe, breakfast, and a boat ride to Sirena Ranger Station. Manuel’s Tours provides two bilingual naturalist guides, park entry, lunch, and wildlife photos and videos through Swarovski scopes. Expect wet trails, beaches, heat, and a very long day.

“There is a huge sense of adventure about taking a boat and winding our way through mangrove lined waters of the Sierpe River and then heading out into the Pacific Ocean - this apparently is the only way to reach Corcovado forest! How unique is that! On the way we got to see lots of dolphins, one of the dolphins pirouetted straight out of the water right in front of our very eyes. At the forest, we walked on the beach and deep into the forest to experience a wide spectrum of flora and fauna - tapir and its baby resting amongst the trees, ant eater, curasaw, black guan, spider…”

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15.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 José early for Irazú Volcano’s high craters, Cartago’s Basilica, and the coffee-growing Orosi Valley. Guides such as Ricardo, Mario, Ronny, Augustine, and Roger have led highly praised departures, with local lunch and occasional stops at Lankester Botanical Gardens.

“I do wish we had been able to explore more of Cartago City and it's ruins, but this was still a great tour and lucky me - I got a private guide because I was the only person who signed up from south San Jose that day! Unfortunately the dry season has been so hot and dry that there was no water in the crater, but it's still a beautiful and interesting area. Again, I wish I had been able to go to the viewpoint but the guide's car was not a 4x4. Orosi Valley was the highlight - the beautiful damn, hanging bridge, spectacular views, and gorgeous greenery.”

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