Customizable guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park
Quepos, Costa Rica
Customizable guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Quepos, Costa Rica
- 2 to 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
A private tour of Manuel Antonio National Park gives you a personalized look at the park’s many attractions. As you make your way through the forests, your guide shares information about the local ecosystem that you might miss on your own, and helps you spot wildlife like sloths, toucans, and monkeys using high-tech scopes—not included on most Manuel Antonio tours. This tour includes all transportation and your admission ticket, plus the option of extra beach time.
- Go beyond the tourist highlights at Manuel Antonio National Park
- Private tour allows for a more personalized experience
- Extra beach time offered for a customized day trip
- Hotel pickup and drop-off to optimize your time
What's Included
Meeting and Pickup
Itinerary
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 591 reviews
Lauren_D, Mar 2026
We booked the Manuel's Tours Costa, customizable guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park. They didn't even show to pick us up at our hotel! We called and they didn't answer. We had our hotel try to get a hold of him and no answer. This was heartbreaking as it was our first official day in Manuel Antonio and we have two little girls who had been waiting for this for months. The hotel let us know the park was sold out for the day so we never got to go. :( I have reached out to Viator for a full refund and haven't head back yet. DO NOT book this tour as it is a scam!!!
Jessica_C, Mar 2026
Tour Guide Never Showed Up at the meeting point of parking lot. We waited for 30 mins - 1 hour to see if they showed up. Might be in collusion with the salesmen outside the park trying to upsell tickets for double the price.
Christopher_R, Feb 2026
Avoid and if you have booked already, cancel. Guide didnt show up and also did not communicate at all. Zero support from booking company either on the day. Unfortunately this led to a lot of stress on the day because then the MA park was fully sold out (this private tour was supposed to buy tickets too). I basically had to scramble and beg an official tour to let us join in. Thankfully they did but it was only because we had a car to get there and we're able to gain sympathy from others. Totally humiliating and disorganised in hot humid weather with a three year old. I read somewhere afterwards the guide had an accident, whilst I hope they are fine, they really should stop taking bookings during this time. For that reason, and for the huge inconvenience it caused, you should avoid this person at all costs to make sure you dont have a similar experience.. even if some positive reviews come flowing back, it just isn't worth the risk when you have limited time to do what you want to do. Avoid and minus stars if I could. Cancel your bookings with this company if you have it.
Cameron_B, Feb 2026
Do not book this it is a scam no one shows up and there is no tour. We reached out to the tour guide and got no response.
Tim_H, Jan 2026
!!**SCAM**!! The guide never showed up, the phone number was disconnected, and all messages thru Viator were ignored!
Eric_J, Jan 2026
ZERO star for this “Private Tour” This was a NO SHOW - lost our tickets to the park and all tickets sold out. Could not go to the park.
According to the parking attendant this happens several times a week with this company.
They are not responding to messages or picking up the phone. Viator cannot get ahold of them either.
Why Viator has this company on this website??
BE AWARE
Keri_L, Dec 2025
Stay as far away as possible. We arrived 25 minutes early to the designated spot. The guide never showed up. I tried contacting him and Viator but to no avail. We waited over an hour with a crying child. Victor’s only response was they will contact him to request a refund. Will cancel all future reservations with Viator and had to dispute with credit card company to get a resolution!
tony_j, Aug 2025
The Tour Operator did not show for pick up and did not respond to communications at the day of service. We set up pick up time and location the day prior using WhatsApp on the day of service they did not respond or show up. I do not recommend, working with Viator for a refund.
Norha_D, Jun 2025
Small group excursion made the experience more enjoyable. Our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and could spot we would have never seen by ourselves. The telescope they use to help you see made all the difference too. Even my not so excited to be there teenager was happy to see the animals. We ended up having great family time.
Max_R, Jun 2025
Manuel gave us a wonderful, informative guide through the National Park. He took his time and explained everything. He was great with the kids and went out of his way to find all the animals we asked about.
Jainusa_K, Jun 2025
DO NOT BOOK THIS TOUR!! I should have listened to all the other negative reviews. The tour guide messaged and notified us a day prior to our tour only after we reached out, claiming they arranged to pick us up from our hotel at 7:15 am. The day of tour at 7:21 a.m., while we were packed and waiting, I got a message from Manuel telling me they couldn't do it and at the last minute and canceled on us. They were supposed to buy us the entrance tickets as well, which is included in the tour, but he told us we needed to buy our own tickets now. What was the point of providing them with our passport information!? Trust the negative reviews with this tour and save yourselves the trouble by booking with someone else!! We scrambled at the last minute and rebooked this tour with our hotel.
Stephanie_N, Jun 2025
Manuel was an amazing guide! He picked out animals we never even knew were there, set up the binoculars perfectly so everyone could see, and created a photo album for us of all the sights and animals we found. He was fantastic with our kids, very knowledgable, and gave us some really helpful tips for enjoying the rest of our time in Manuel Antonio. We highly recommend this tour, you will regret not booking it!
muskratz28, May 2025
We paid for a private customizable tour. I received confirmation messages from host and was told to meet in our hotel lobby at 7:15. They were late but there was no phone number provided - just the option to message the tour company. I messaged them and got no reply. When no one had shown by 7:45, I went to my Hotel staff to see if they could help. They ended up tracking down the company & they were told that they were running late and would pick us up at 8:00. At 8:15, someone finally showed up. The trip was completely disorganized and it was clear that they were scrambling to take care of us. Instead of adjusting our tour end time, they instead rushed us through the park. Our guide apparently had another tour, so he was sticking to the original schedule. Our guide, Wilbur, did a great job, I just wish we could have had the full time we paid for. The tour company failed in customer service - they did not reach out to tell us they would be late, didn't answer our messages, and did not reach out afterwards to apologize. The park is incredible but you really need an experienced guide with a scope to see the majority of wildlife. I highly recommend a private tour but suggest you book with a different company.
Cory_E, Apr 2025
Transportation never showed up, and we contacted the tour and they instructed us to get ourselves to the park but would still do the tour. Upon arrival to the park, there was no one from Manuel’s Tours but there were other people who booked the exact same tour and also got stood up. It took three phone calls to the tour company to even get a refund. Would not reccommend at all. Our kids ages 10, 13 and 14 were severely disappointed.
Paul_K, Mar 2025
Dylan was our tour guide and was fantastic. Very knowledgeable and make this a wonderful experience. Highly recommend.
Merideth_H, Mar 2025
Great experience with our guide! Dillon has an amazing eye and was able to point out wildlife we would never have seen on our own. He knows the park well therefore was about to route us to minimize the crowds too. We would definitely recommend him!
Michael_K, Mar 2025
Raphael was an amazing guide! Beautiful place and well worth the guided tour!! Go early before it gets hot. Better animal viewing.
Susan_S, Mar 2025
The national park was amazing. What absolutely made it the most incredible experience was our guide Dylan. While being very enthusiastic about his job, that was accompanied with an eye like a hawk. With Dylan’s expertise and experience we were able to see so many joys and wonders of the wildlife in Costa Rica. He took amazing photos on my phone, photos that I will be able to show anyone and be able to reflect on a great experience. I highly recommend this tour but not just to do it, to have Dylan be your guide so you can experience what I was able to. Dylan is your guy!
Greg_S, Mar 2025
We booked a private tour and had an incredible time. Our guide, Rafael, was knowledgeable, funny, and quite the photographer. He tailored the tour to what we wanted it to be (seeing any/all animals and lots of learning!), teaching us so much about the many plants, animals and insects we saw and helped us take amazing pictures. Somehow he managed to keep talking/teaching all while scanning for the next incredible thing. We truly can't recommend this tour and Rafael enough! If you have a chance to book a private tour and request Rafael, you won't be disappointed!
Drew_O, Mar 2025
The tour was wonderful and so was our guide. Highly recommend! We would have seen almost none of the wildlife without a guide to help point it out and use their scope.
Thomas_S, Mar 2025
Eduardo was an amazing guide. Quickly pointing out howler monkeys, sloths, birds, crabs, snakes, and more. We wouldn’t have seen a fraction of what he pointed out if we didn’t have him.
Heather_H, Feb 2025
You should expect to see a lot of wildlife, monkeys, crabs, sloths, as well as education about the botanical life. The lookout points of the ocean was spectacular. Manuel was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed our tour
patricia_d, Feb 2025
Our guide Dylan was amazing!! He knew exactly where to look for a wide variety of animals (monkeys, sloths, poisonous snakes, and birds birds birds). He made us feel like we were part of the adventure! He obviously cares immensely about the entire ecosystem! A wonderful guide and I wonderful person! Pura Vida!
James_C, Feb 2025
Manuel was an excellent guide, pointing out all kinds of wildlife we would never have seen if we were just exploring on our own. His knowledge of the park and the plants and animals (and bugs) within it were exceptional. And his ability to hear things ibn the distance and then find them with his scope and show them to us up close was amazing. Also got a nice break to relax on the beautiful beach midway through our tour.
Linda_S, Feb 2025
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY
Through Viator, we hired Manuel Tours of Cost Rica for a private tour of Manuel Antonio Park months before we left Canada, as we were told that pre-booking is a must. We paid $506.84 Canadian dollars for 4 people.
Our guide, Manuel, the owner of the company, was to meet us at our hotel at 7:30. Our hotel is located steps away from the park entrance. At 7:40, our guide was not there, so we called him and he was on his way. We were to meet him at the cafe close to the park entrance. He arrived, greeted us and then told us he was getting a coffee. So, we waited. He then instructed us to get in line for the park, so we did. While in line, he said he had our tickets for the park, but he didn’t have one for himself. He then took us to another line, and he argued with the cashier. (We don’t speak Spanish, so we are unaware of what was said.)
We were told to enter the park. We did, and he left and said he would be back. We waited, we called again. We couldn’t leave the park at this point. We went to the gate and talked to him. He said he could not get into the park and he was trying to find another guide. He said he would refund our tour money, less the price of the park entrance.($100.00 US)
AT 8:30, an hour after our scheduled departure time, a young guide came. He was extremely nice, but inexperienced and we felt we did not get a lot of information from him. We definitely did not get the private tour from an “experienced guide” that we paid for.
We have not heard from Manuel, nor have we had any money refunded. We have contacted him, but he will not answer any of our texts or calls.
I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY!!
We were okay with him being late. We realize traffic is unpredictable. However, after arriving late, his priority was to get coffee, over getting the tour started. We’re unclear as to why he did not have a ticket for himself, but he didn’t seem concerned about it at all. His entire demeanour suggested he did not want to do the tour and he tricked us into entering the park without him. Viator should be doing a better job of vetting their tour operators.
sue_H, Feb 2025
Manuel was a wonderful guide and very informative and personable. We saw lots of animals we would never have seen if not pointed out.
Kathleen_R, Feb 2025
My husband and I did a private guided tour and it exceeded our expectations! We told Dylan that we were interested in seeing birds, and he amazed us with his knowledge of bird calls and his skill at finding them. Don’t worry, if birds aren’t your thing, we saw plenty of mammals like sloths and monkeys too. I highly recommend choosing a private tour because we were able to see so much because we didn’t have to wait for a large group to take turns looking through the binoculars.
Bethany_S, Feb 2025
We went without a guide the day before. We saw some things, but nothing like when we went with Dylan. Dylan is studying biology, so he knew all about the plants, animals, insects, birds, and landforms around us. He was funny too!
Tamara_V, Feb 2025
Dylan S. was our guide and was a spectacular one. As we ventured into the park, Dylan took his time pointing out birds, animals, and insects. He has great eyes for capturing things we would have not seen because of the foliage and camouflage. We highly recommend the private tour, well worth the money.
Helle_H, Feb 2025
Got picked up by taxi on time and met the guide at the entrance. Ivan was fantastic at spotting wildlife and explaining along the way, all at a good pace and without getting bothered by crowds. We would never have seen so many animals without him. We also enjoyed staying longer at the fantastic beach at the end and easily found a taxi to take us back ourselves.
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