Esquipulas Rainforest - Private Birding - Fully Customizable Tour
Badge of Excellence
Quepos, Costa Rica
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Get into the Manuel Antonio National Park to observe the scarlet macaws and toucans with your private group and naturalist guide. Get picked up from your hotel early in the morning and head to the. Esquipulas Rainforest, where you can look for the birds with provided spotting scopes. Tours can be adjusted to the group where you want to focus on bird photography or beginner bird watching,
- A track list of observed species is provided for you
- Observe birds in a rural area away from crowds
- All are welcome, from beginner birders to ornithologists
- A private tour means a more personalized experience
What's Included
- Local bilingual guide, birding specialized (Certified by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off from your selected accommodation (Manuel Antonio and Quepos hotels ONLY)
- One-day entrance pass to Esquipulas Private Reserve (use of its facilities, bird feeders and trails)
- Breakfast: A delicious Costa Rican breakfast, tropical fruits and premium coffee included.
- Swarovski Optik: Get a closer, HD detailed view, videos/photographs of the species spotted on tour.
- Bottled waterPlease bring your own REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE
- Binoculars
- Transportation from accommodations outside Quepos and Manuel Antonio areas.
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.5:00 am
What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- A light cotton t-shirt, tanktop, leggings or shorts are ideal to wear during the walk, comfortable clothing is recommended (long-sleeved shirts and long pants are not necessary) Dress in muted colors (brown, green, etc.) Think blending in!
- Closed-toe footwear (sneakers, hiking boots, Keens or Tevas) is required to participate in the tour (No beach sandals or flip flops allowed)
- Pack sunscreen, and bug repellent, (try to find an organic one)
- Please bring rain protective gear for your camera and optics, rain jacket, and umbrella (early May to late December)
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Channa_J
A day of great birding from Manuel Antonio. We were two bird enthusiasts and our guide Dylan Serrano was excellent. He had known a few spots to look for some interesting birds on the way to Esquipulas rainforest. Enjoyed looking for birds at the reserve and photographing some colourful species at the feeder as well. Very much recommended for any nature and birdlovers visiting Manuel Antonio.
Reviews
4.4
based on 33 reviews
Brian_B, Feb 2026
Would like to leave zero stars! Tour operator did not show up, did not respond to messages. Waited over an hour and nothing. Do not book this tour as they will waste your time!
Amy_W, Jan 2026
No response from the tour operator the days before or on the day of. When we found the tour company, it was closed and there wasnt anyone there. We texted and called and still have not received a call from the company. We have also not been issued a refund yet from Viator. We were sad to miss this experience.
aaron_r, Mar 2025
Great tour! I am a wildlife biologist and birding enthusiast so this was a must for me. Manuel is a very knowledgable guide who put us on a lot of great birds and shows a lot of pride in all the flora, fauna, and natural beauty that Costa Rica has to offer. He and the driver Carlos were very friendly and accommodating. Highly recommend!
Ed_S, Feb 2025
Dylan, our guide was amazing and very enthusiatic about his job.
He persevered several times in finding/locating different species of birds. We finally saw the Michael Jackson bird in action (red capp!ed manakin). Highly recommend doing this tour!!!!
Channa_J, Aug 2024
A day of great birding from Manuel Antonio. We were two bird enthusiasts and our guide Dylan Serrano was excellent. He had known a few spots to look for some interesting birds on the way to Esquipulas rainforest. Enjoyed looking for birds at the reserve and photographing some colourful species at the feeder as well. Very much recommended for any nature and birdlovers visiting Manuel Antonio.
Sarah_R, Aug 2024
We were scheduled for 5:00 am and at 5:30 he still hadn't shown up. We called and he was very honest and apologetic and said it just hadn't made it into the calendar. He scrambled and picked us up at 8. Other than that, we had a great experience. Manuel is extremely knowledgeable about birds, plants, and other animals. With his guidance we were able to say a large number of birds, including some really fascinating ones like the sickle-billed hummingbird. He took photos through his scope and sent them to him (the attached are his photos). Unfortunately he then promised a log of the names of the birds we had seen and despite repeated messages he never sent it.
Angela_K, Apr 2024
My husband, daughter and I really enjoyed the private birding tour in the Esquipulas Rainforest. Our guide Dylan was very knowledgeable about the birds we saw and shared a lot of interesting information. Our driver Carlos was also excellent at spotting birds even along the drive up and back down from the rain forest. We were picked up promptly at our hotel at the 5am pick-up time. Getting up early was totally worth it to get to see so many amazing birds. We saw so many cool birds and were able to view them through Dylan's telescope and also take close up photos using our phone's camera through the telescope. We also brought our own binoculars and regular cameras. The reserve was beautiful with a shaded viewing area to bird-watch while waiting for breakfast, which was delicious. The hike on the reserve was also amazing with beautiful views. There were steep areas so make sure to wear sturdy shoes. We really enjoyed the day and would highly recommend the experience to anyone wanting a personalized, private tour away from the more crowded attractions. Thank you Dylan and Carlos for a great adventure!
Anna_P, Jan 2024
Ive had the best time birdwtaching with Manuel! He is so passionate about birds, knows all the good spots to see them. We went to a cool ecolodge, had delicious breakfast and coffee there and went onto various trails to look for birds! I got so many great pictures, learned a lot from him and overall very very happy with this experience! Pura vida!
Celie_K, Jan 2024
Manuel was AMAZING. We saw birds I never could have even hoped to see. We got up early, saw birds, had a fantastic breakfast at a paradise-like hotel/restaurant in a gorgeous campground, and then continued on seeing more birds in Esquipulas. If you are a birder, I cannot recommend this enough for some absolute GEMS (common potoo, turquoise cotinga!!!!! Insane!!! King vulture, hummingbirds, parrots, trogons, etc) but if you are new to birding it was amazing. Beautiful views the whole way, great conversation, a lovely time. Advice: keep your own list of species you see, wear close-toed shoes, bring water.
Nancy_R, Oct 2023
Manuel was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about finding the birds we were looking for. He took us all over. By the end of the morning we saw at least 58 different species. A shout out to his driver, Rodney, who is also a great spotter. The two of them were a great team.
Carolyn_B, Sep 2023
Well what a day! Both Manuel and Johann were delightfully interesting birding hosts. Can't even guess how many different species Johann located and identified. Several hours of birding fun and a delicious, traditional breakfast and fruit! So informative! Happy to see a scarlet macaw, several yellow throated toucans, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, hawks, and so many others!
amanda_l, Jan 2023
Our tour guide Berny Sanchez was so fantastic. He is knowledgeable and has a passion for birding and nature that is truly contagious. I got so many amazing pictures on the hike but unfortunately this site only lets you post ten pics. Observing the tiny Ferruginous Pygmy Owl and the Gartered Trogon were truly life sightings. We also saw a male and female black-throated Trogon and took a video of the male displaying himself to get the females attention which was an amazing site to see. You can see from the pics that we really had an incredible day. At the end of the best birding tour of my life, Berny took us for an authentic Costa Rican meal and I can honestly say it was the most delicious meal I had the entire trip and I did eat at some fantastic places. After the tour, we booked Berny for a private tour of Manuel Antonio. When you are with Berny, you really feel like you are with the best and you will get too see the most during your time with him. Definitely request him if you can.
From $135.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Esquipulas Rainforest - Private Birding - Fully Customizable Tour
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