Top Costa Rica Eco Tours

Get an early start for a full-day tour from Playa Langosta that visits the wildlife refuge at Finca Verde Lodge and a waterfall in the rain forest. Your guide leads an educational walk that showcases the birds, sloths, frogs, snakes, insects, and tropical plants of Finca Verde. Then have lunch and stop for a dip in the natural pool at the base of Llanos del Cortez Waterfall.

Combine two great experiences into one with this convenient small-group tour of the Manuel Antonio area. Begin the trip by visiting a cacao plantation to learn about the process of making chocolate, as well as its place in Costa Rica’s culture. Once night falls, it’s time for a walking tour in the jungle to try and spot various wildlife, such as tree frogs, snakes, and other nocturnal creatures.

With a guided tour, a leisurely walk in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve or Curi Cancha Reserve is transformed into an educational outing with plenty of opportunities to see plants, birds, and other wildlife you might miss on your own. This tour is led by a naturalist guide who can answer any of your questions about the cloud forest, animals, or Costa Rica in general—a small-group tour means you’ll have lots of chances to ask.

Just 90 minutes from San Jose lies a world of fiery, steaming, white-hot adventure, and with this private tour, you’ll walk into it yourself. Picked up from your hotel, you’ll make the drive to Poas Volcano National Park, where you’ll literally step into the volcanic crater. After getting your fill of this lava land, you’ll cool down with stops at a bucolic farm, coffee plantation, or other Alajuela attractions.

Explore a jungle river that flows alongside Palo Verde National park with a 5-hour wildlife tour and riverboat cruise from Tamarindo. Watch for crocodiles, iguanas, monkeys and dozens of birds as you navigate the slow-moving Tempisque River, spend two hours on the water spotting animals in their natural habitats, then come to shore for a traditional Costa Rican lunch. Learn the history of this once-bustling river that’s among the region’s most important bird sanctuaries, and finish your day with a return transfer to Tamarindo.

Venture near the Nicaraguan border and cruise through the extraordinary wetlands of the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge on this full-day tour from La Fortuna. As you float down the Río Frío with a guide, observe migratory birds like herons and cormorants, and keep an eye out for monkeys and sloths lurking in the trees and caimans lounging on the riverbanks. Chat about your wildlife sightings with fellow travelers over a delicious lunch on the way back to your hotel.

Hiking Monteverde with a private guide means you can go where you want, when you want—and get undivided attention from your guide along the way. As you hike, your guide helps you spot wildlife like birds, sloths, and monkeys that you might miss on your own and provides tons of information about the local ecosystem.

Experience the best of Costa Rica’s adventure in one action-packed day at a private 850-acre river valley near Jaco. Ride horseback through lush jungle, soar across zip lines, rappel beside waterfalls, and rev up on an ATV ride—all led by expert English-speaking guides. Watch for monkeys and macaws, then enjoy an authentic Costa Rican lunch in a Jurassic Park-like setting.

If you've been eyeing Costa Rica's national parks like Manuel Antonio, don't skip Rainmaker Conservation Park. 1,500 uncrowded acres, Rainmaker sits in the heart of the Quepos Biological Corridor, with lush views and epic wildlife around every turn. On this guided tour, you'll spot hard-to-find creatures, walk in the treetops, cross suspension bridges, and take a dip in a natural pool, swimming in Costa Rica's unparalleled beauty.

When it comes to your perfect Costa Rican adventure, this tour from Manuel Antonio to Quebrada de Arroyo, has it all. Ride a 4x4 into the Costa Rican rain forest,visit a waterfall, walk across a swinging bridge, and swim in natural pools, all on a hassle-free guided excursion. Complete the tour with a fresh lunch at a farm in the countryside before returning to your hotel.

Irazú Volcano National Park is one of Costa Rica’s most scenic natural destinations, but given its size, it can be hard to know where to start. Streamline your visit with a guided tour from San José, joining a local guide to tackle the park’s trails. Venture up to a viewpoint where, on a clear day, you can see both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Ride a horse into the jungle on this guided small-group tour near Jaco to a towering waterfall, ancient groves of trees and a remote valley ranch. Watch for white-faced monkeys, toucans, and macaws as you ride your Costa Rican stepping horse along the trail and enjoy the cool spray from the 180-foot (55-meter) El Encanto waterfall. Take in stunning views of the thickly forested landscape, then finish your tour with fresh fruit and juice at the scenic ranch.

Get a different perspective on Costa Rica's popular EcoGarden Arenal by exploring the ecological park at night. Follow the trails through a lush and incredibly biodiverse forest to see the wildlife that is most active after night falls. Learn all about the sloths, caiman, frogs, birds, cicadas, and other creatures that you spot from your guide.

Increase your odds of seeing sloths in the wild with this sloth-spotting tour from Puerto Limon. Head to two natural environments known for their large sloth populations: Cahuita National park and the Tortuguero Canals. Traveling with a guide also provides the benefit of commentary so you can learn about local wildlife as you go.

Explore Tortuguero National Park in depth during a 3-day tour from San Jose that includes accommodation and transportation to this remote wilderness destination on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Travel by car and boat with a guide who shows you through the canals and rivers of Toruguero, and where you might spot Atlantic green turtles, monkeys, and other wildlife. This all-inclusive tour takes care of the logisitcs so you can have fun.

Put a pause on sedate sightseeing and add a little adrenaline to your vacation plans with this group whitewater rafting experience. Kit-up after your safety briefing, and take to Class III and IV rapids as your guide navigates the route. Well-suited for travelers looking to explore the Costa Rican rainforest in a different way.

If you want to see sloths in Costa Rica, maximize your chances at the Spring Paradise Bijagua, where the adorable furry creatures can often be seen in their natural habitat. Plus, take a guided hike through the rainforest to the Blue River waterfall, and cool off with cliff jumping and swimming in a jungle lagoon. It's a great way to take a break from the beaches and do something different in Tamarindo.

Explore the forests of Arenal Volcano National Park on a half-day walking tour, with the option to soak away the afternoon in the park’s nearby thermal springs. Follow your guide between towering trees, and discover the devastation left by the powerful lava slides and volcanic activity. Enjoy views of Arenal volcano and the Tilarán Range, and learn about the area’s nature, wildlife, and history. Return to your hotel or visit the hot pools of your choice, where Costa Rica’s simmering geology creates a stunning natural spa.

Join the rain forest’s late night crowd on this nocturnal wildlife tour at Arenal Mundo Aventura. Use lanterns to light your way down a trail and catch sight of animals like the red-eyed tree frog, pit vipers, and mottled owls—your guide points them out along the way so you don’t miss a thing.

Most tours of Manuel Antonio National Park take place during the day, but this small-group nighttime tour allows you to see a different side of the park and the creatures that come out after dark. Your guide will lead you around the park in search of the tree frogs, shy snakes, colorful insects, mammals, and other rainforest creatures that only come out at night.

Discover what nature has to show you in the dark, the night tour will be the best option for you to go in search of amphibians, reptiles, mammals, insects, arachnids and the fact of being in the forest surrounded by the darkness makes it even more special.

deal for travelers short on time, this full-day tour visits both Manuel Antonio National Park and a chocolate plantation in one day from Quepos—and has the added bonus of including a break for lunch (own expense) or beach time in between. Check out wildlife and resident sloths at the national park in the morning, take a scheduled break, and learn all about the process of transforming cacao beans to chocolate in the afternoon.

Explore one of the most serene spots in Tenorio Volcano National Park: Rio Celeste. You’ll receive hotel pickup and private transportation to the park and hike alongside a bilingual guide. Venture into the park to see two craters, walk across suspension bridges, and see where the Rio Celeste’s waters originate. After the visit, enjoy a Costa Rican lunch at a restaurant then swim in a nearby river.

Get closer to nature while still experiencing thrills during a fun-filled day in the jungle at the Rainforest Adventures Costa Rica Atlantic eco-reserve. Your multi-pass gives you access to six different activities, so you can ride an aerial tram, encounter native critters at a butterfly and frog garden, cross a hanging bridge, and explore the jungle on a nature hike at your own pace. Get your adrenaline pumping as you soar through the treetops on ziplines, including one of the longest and fastest in the country.