Natural History Tour at Curi Cancha Reserve in Monteverde
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Monteverde, Costa Rica
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Like much of the rainforest in central Costa Rica, the private Curi Cancha Wildlife Refuge is home to special plants and wild animals—if you’re able to find them. With this small-group tour, explore the reserve with a guide who knows intimately where to find the best flora and fauna, and carries a professional spotting scope to help you see them. The tour is offered in English and Spanish to accommodate more travelers.
- A nature hike in the Curi Cancha Wildlife Refuge
- Explore with a guide: Increase your chances of spotting wildlife
- Use of a professional spotting scope to see flora and fauna up-close
- Small group ensures more personalized attention from your guide
What's Included
- Guide Carrie's powerful spotting scope for your enjoyment
- Transportation is NOT included
- Admission Fee - Curi-Cancha Reserve$25.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Reserva Curi Cancha300 m noroeste Fabrica de Quesos Monteverde, Provincia de Puntarenas, Monteverde, 60109, Costa Rica
We'll meet the the Curi Cancha reception or entrance.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Curi-Cancha Reserve
3 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Kate_C
This is one of the few tours that I could sign up as a solo traveler, and it turned out to be one of the highlight of my Costa Rican trip.
Steven, our tour guide was EXTREMELY phenomenal. He went above and beyond for our group and kept us engaged. He was also very knowledgeable and we were lucky to see so many different kind of animals (though it would be nice to see some mammals 😆) . I high recommend him if he happens to be your your guide!
Second, my group was amazing. Everyone was so nive and friendly and it was such a good vibe.
Reviews
4.8
based on 47 reviews
Tom_D, Apr 2026
Fascinating variety of birds, animals and insects. Our guide, Roy, was very knowledgeable about all the different species. The rainforest canopy is dense so it’s very difficult to see many creatures without a good guide. The hummingbird garden and seeing 3 Spider Monkeys was a big bonus.
Kelly_B, Apr 2026
If you want to be able to see some of the more beautiful birds like the Toucan… guided tour way to go
Bryce_F, Mar 2026
Thank you Roy for a great morning in Curi Cancha!
We did not see a ton of wildlife, but Roy still made the morning interesting by sharing history and insights into what we were seeing. At times we wished we could move along a bit quicker but otherwise very enjoyable!
Shelley_D, Mar 2026
Take clothes for all weather conditions even if it looks sunny when you start! Hiking boots are useful.
Kate_C, Jan 2026
This is one of the few tours that I could sign up as a solo traveler, and it turned out to be one of the highlight of my Costa Rican trip.
Steven, our tour guide was EXTREMELY phenomenal. He went above and beyond for our group and kept us engaged. He was also very knowledgeable and we were lucky to see so many different kind of animals (though it would be nice to see some mammals 😆) . I high recommend him if he happens to be your your guide!
Second, my group was amazing. Everyone was so nive and friendly and it was such a good vibe.
JimP_S, Jan 2026
Tour confirmed on the day at 0100. When I showed up at 1330, no guide. No notice of cancellation. But later they said tour cancelled on account of weather (rain had stopped at 1100 as forecast). Very disappointed in operator and Viator
Amanda_W, Mar 2025
Wow. What a blast. The grounds are beautiful, and the birds are loud and active! A guide for this Reserve is a MUST. We saw so many beautiful birds and animals, and learned about the forest's history. We were able to see and/or photograph about 10 different types of birds and mammals. Although the quetzal did not grace us with his presence, all the other animals made up for it- and all the guides communicate with each other so everyone can see as much as possible. Christian, our guide, was absolutely incredible. He was excited to help us find all the birds/animals and share his knowledge. This was my favorite activity in Costa Rica so far, and I had already been to Mistico, La Fortuna Waterfall, Arenal National Park, and Rio Celeste. Christian- thank you for a wonderful experience!
Sondra_M, May 2024
We saw a variety of birds and animals to include a bellbird, saberwing hummingbird, several toucans, trogons, a mama and baby owl, tarantula, coatis with their young and an agouti. We so enjoyed Chris’ vast knowledge of rainforest ecology and how it is so intertwined with geography and human behavior. We even met George Powell along the trail! We have learned so much about Costa Rica on all of our tours! Worthwhile!
Carl_P, Aug 2023
Sergio was excellent and we had a fantastic tour. Would highly recommend to anyone in Monteverde as this was fab
Response from Host, Oct 2023
All our guide are excellent( 15+ years of experience) so we know they will do a wonderful work
Lauren_H, Mar 2023
My holiday in Costa Rica was the best I've ever had, Curi-Cancha and Sergio stand out as the best tour and guide we had among many brilliant tours.
Sergio spoke perfect English, above that he cared so dearly for the nature reserve. He explained he'd been attending there since school. We felt incredibly lucky to have seen a collared peccary. Seconds later we would witness a mother collared peccary feeding her young. You could see how happy and excited this made Sergio, it was a wonderful experience. Sergio had an excellent eye for the wildlife and took us down some quieter trails which made the experience more encapsulating.
Sergio's care for the wildlife and the park came across very quickly. He had a great knowledge and was so open about his upbringing and how this had influenced his love for biodiversity, environmentalism and his job within this. Sergio explained that he had grown up in Monteverde, and that visits to the reserve during school were weekly, you could see how much Curi-Cancha meant to him.
You couldn't have asked for a more immersive tour or a better tour guide. This tour stands out as my favourite. I cannot thank Sergio enough for this tour. It was excellent.
Eric_D, Jan 2026
I had booked by Viator a guided tour of Curi Cancha Park.
Pretty happy with this visit although we did not see any large animals outside of a coati and an agouti. Lots of birds. Very disappointed to see no monkeys or toucans. Thanks to Steven for his explanations and positive attitude
Auto-translated
SARAIGOMEZ_T, Jul 2025
Despite the weather that day, José kept the tour running perfectly. He told us many interesting things about the country, the plants, and of course, we saw animals. The reserve is spectacular and thanks to our guide we were able to make the most of it.
Auto-translated
Dorothee_A, Jan 2025
Nous avons passé un excellent moment accompagné de notre guide Oscar. Nous avons pu voir de nombreux oiseaux dont le fameux quetzal flamboyant. Et également appris pleins de choses sur la faune et flore de Monteverde. Nous laissant un souvenir merveilleux.
Je recommande fortement.
Eva_D, Aug 2024
Une de mes meilleurs expériences du Costa Rica. Notre guide était fabuleux, nous avons beaucoup appris sur les animaux, les fleurs, les arbres. Je vous le recommande à 100% !!
David_M, Jul 2023
Somos una familia con 2 chicos (8 y 12 años). Nuestro guía Oscar fue muy atento.cinlos chicos, nos mostro muchas especies animales y vegetales, nos contó datos sobre la reserva y sobre la Costa Rica de ahora y de antes. Ah casi vimos un quetzal... si lo hubieramos visto hubiera sido perfecto. Vimos colibris, coatis, orquideas en miniatruara, arboles huecos, monos arañas, monos carablanca...
From $43.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Natural History Tour at Curi Cancha Reserve in Monteverde
47
3 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$43.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
More attractions near Monteverde, Costa Rica