Manuel Antonio Park Nature Guided Tour with a Nature Specialist

Recommended by 95% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Quepos, Costa Rica

Popular pick

Booked 10+ times last week!

+16

4 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8

· Meredith_D ·

Jun 2026

Fantastic tour with Kenneth. He knew a lot about the animals and the park. We saw 2 kinds of sloths, 2 kinds of monkeys - including being the first to spot some so we were alone with them which was special because this park is very crowded with people. A few frogs, iguanas, agoutis, bats, crickets, and more. We went early and it was worth it.

· Kelly_F ·

Aug 2026

Our guide, Anderson, was very knowledgeable, polite, and very patient and helpful. We had an issue with the park tickets and he helped us get logged in to take care of things. He identified a number of animals and plants and also helped with taking photos of them.

Overview

Make the most of limited time in Costa Rica with a guided half-day nature walk through Manuel Antonio National Park. Don’t waste time wondering what to see next; instead, head straight to the park’s highlights in the company of a naturalist guide and benefit from their animal spotting expertise and spotting scope to see creatures you might otherwise have missed.

Take a half-day tour of the Manuel Antonio National Park
Benefit from the animal-spotting expertise of a naturalist guide
Small group capped at 10 guarantees a personalized experience
Round-trip transportation from all Manuel Antonio and Quepos accommodations

What's Included

Snacks
Spotting Scope
Air-conditioned vehicle

Park Ticket
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

* Pickup is included only within the Manuel Antonio and Quepos areas. * Please give us the name of the place, hotel, or house where you'll be staying so we can provide the proper pickup time.

Meeting point

9VR3+CVC, Puntarenas Province, Quepos, Costa Rica
Please ask for Jade Tours right at the Park entrance gate

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Your day begins at the park entrance, or with optional pickup at selected locations. After you purchase Manuel Antonio National Park entrance tickets (own expense), you’ll continue into the nature reserve with a naturalist guide.

Exploring this wildlife hotspot with a naturalist makes the most of every minute, as their trained eyes are quick to spot animals such as monkeys, sloths, toucans, and more. And, this tour’s small-group format means more personalized attention from the guide. You can also use the group’s spotting scope to observe wildlife and take photos. A flexible itinerary, meanwhile, is tailored to guest preferences, whether you’re all about jungle or interested in a beach walk.

In between stops enjoy provided snacks, as well as the climate-controlled comfort of a tour vehicle. While this tour concludes at the park entrance, you’ll also have the option to stay on inside the park.

Manuel Antonio National Park

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Transportation is wheelchair accessible

Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 140 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Faithe_J

1-7 -26 It was amazing. Our guide was so knowledgeable and interesting as he pointed out so much on our tour. I had a wish list of "want to see" and we saw each one including a sloth (plus a lot more). Everyone in our group was so engaged based on his interaction and humorous presentation. His patience with us was wonderful - making sure each person was able to view and made sure we all had pictures - not to mention, answering all of our questions. We had an amazing experience and would highly recommend our guide to others wanting to visit Manuel Antonio Park. Thanks for the memories.

Reviews

4.8

based on 4,576 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Amazing - even with suboptimal weather

Nicolas_W, Aug 2026

Great experience, something to do for anyone that visits Costa Rica. The tour guide, in my case Rodolfo, will teach you a lot about the Costa Rican wildlife and its plants. You will get to see various monkeys in their natural habitat. Iguanas and other lizards are also plenty around. Sloths are a bit harder to find, but if you are lucky, you will also see some of them. Others are hummingbirds, bats, termites (especially their nests), spiders, and much more. There is also one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen there, but I would recommend to do this on your own time (don't really need a guide to hang out the beach) and use the guide to show you more about the park. Overall, a great experience. Maybe make sure to visit during dry season (December-April) to enjoy it to the fullest.

Our guide, Anderson, was...

Kelly_F, Aug 2026

Our adventure at Manual Antonio National park

Ali_S, Aug 2026

When we booked the ticket on Viator's website, they provided us with the meeting point 9VR3+CVC, Quepos, Puntarenas Province. We used this information to organize our arrival with Waze. When we arrived we found a coffee and breakfast restaurant that had a huge historic airplane inside. We asked a few people, including the cashier, about the area. They said it was a meeting location for a lot of national park tour guides. Then we asked one of the tour guides waiting for her passengers about the Jake tour. To our surprise she told us Jake would not be meeting us here. It was a stressful day, trying to locate the right place. But the tour guide was nice and knew a lot. We were a little confused at first but the whole tour was great.

Response from Host, Aug 2026

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience. We are pleased to hear that, despite the initial confusion, you ultimately had a great tour and enjoyed the knowledge and service provided by your guide. We are sorry to hear about the stressful experience you had while trying to locate the meeting point. After reviewing the information associated with the reservation, we would like to clarify that the meeting-point location provided with the booking was correct. Unfortunately, it appears that the navigation led you to a different location in the Manuel Antonio area that is commonly used as a meeting point by several other tour operators. We completely understand how confusing this must have been, particularly because there were other guides and visitors gathering at that location, which understandably made it appear that you had arrived at the correct meeting point. We always encourage guests who experience any difficulty locating their meeting or pickup point to contact us directly using the contact information provided with the reservation. Our team is available to assist with directions and help guests connect with their guide as quickly as possible. Most importantly, we are very happy to know that once the initial confusion was resolved, you found your guide knowledgeable and enjoyed the tour overall. Thank you for choosing us for your experience in Manuel Antonio and for giving us the opportunity to clarify what occurred. Warm regards, Costa Rica Jade Tours Tour Operations & Customer Support Department

Manage your expectation accordingly

chris_z, Aug 2026

Majority of the tour is looking at about a dozen different animals (sloths, crabs, bats, birds, etc) through spotting scope because they are too far to see with naked eyes. Feels disconnected from nature. Our guide was also eager to get the tour over with, so not very enthusiastic.

Response from Host, Aug 2026

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear that the experience did not meet your expectations, particularly regarding your interaction with the guide. We would like to provide some context regarding wildlife observation in Manuel Antonio National Park. This is a natural, protected rainforest environment, not a wildlife enclosure, so animals move freely and their location and distance from the trails cannot be controlled. Many species—including sloths, bats, birds, reptiles, and other wildlife—are naturally found high in the canopy, hidden among vegetation, or resting at a considerable distance from the trails. For this reason, professional spotting scopes are an important part of a naturalist-guided experience in Manuel Antonio. They allow visitors to observe animals closely without approaching, disturbing, feeding, or interfering with them. In many cases, animals that would otherwise be extremely difficult to see with the naked eye can be observed in remarkable detail through the scope. We understand, however, that guests looking for closer wildlife encounters may experience this differently. We are pleased that you were able to observe a variety of wildlife during your visit, but we are concerned by your impression that your guide seemed eager to finish the tour. Our guides are expected not only to locate wildlife but also to enthusiastically interpret the rainforest, explain animal behavior and ecology, and help guests connect with the natural environment. Feeling rushed is not the experience we want to provide, and we will take your comment seriously when reviewing the quality of our guided tours. Thank you again for your feedback. Wildlife encounters will always vary in a natural environment, but the enthusiasm, professionalism, and dedication of our team are aspects of the experience that we can and should consistently deliver. Kind regards!! Jade Tours Team

Manuel Antonio guided tour

Jasmine_L, Aug 2026

Really worth having the guide who knows so much about the animals in the park. Best part was that he could spot the animals and using his telescope could show us a close up look of them. Our guide's name was Kevin who was a young, well educated young man. His English was impeccable and his knowledge of the animals endless. He was very down to earth and approachable. His photography skills were amazing and he graciously shared his pictures with us after the tour.

Not Worth the Price

Stavroula_A, Aug 2026

The tour started at 7:30 rather than the advertised 7:00. It also seemed that several tours started at around the same time, resulting in very crowded paths and gathering at the same animals. Our group was small, and the guide was clearly dedicated and made a genuine effort to find the animals. However, from our experience, we did not feel the tour offered anything particularly exceptional compared with other tours. Having multiple groups gathered around the same animals at all times made the experience feel quite overwhelming. Considering the price, we did not feel the tour offered good value for money and would recommend considering other tour options instead. There was also some confusion regarding parking. We were told beforehand that assistance with parking would be provided at the meeting point, but when we arrived, the guide was nowhere to be found. Due to the heavy traffic, we ended up having to park at the lot directly at the meeting point. With clearer information in advance, we could have made different arrangements. Overall, the guide was committed, but the organization, crowds, and overall value did not meet our expectations.

Response from Host, Aug 2026

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are pleased to hear that you found your guide dedicated and genuinely committed to finding and showing wildlife during the tour. At the same time, we would like to clarify a few points regarding the schedule, crowds, and parking. Our 7:00 a.m. tour begins with hotel pickup at approximately 7:00 a.m., with the goal of arriving at Manuel Antonio National Park at around 7:20 a.m. The park itself opens at 7:00 a.m. Unfortunately, even before opening time, it is very common for a considerable line of visitors to already be waiting at the entrance. Manuel Antonio is one of Costa Rica's most visited national parks, and the number of visitors and independent tour groups inside the park is outside our control. Early morning is also the most popular time for guided tours, so several groups may encounter the same wildlife along the trails. Since animals move freely in their natural habitat, guides often stop at the same locations when wildlife is spotted. We completely understand that this can sometimes make certain areas feel crowded, particularly when an animal attracts the attention of several groups at once. We are nevertheless sorry that the overall experience did not represent good value for you. Our guides work hard to provide much more than simply locating animals, including interpretation of the rainforest ecosystem, wildlife behavior, natural history, and assistance spotting species that can be extremely difficult to see without trained eyes and professional optical equipment. However, we recognize that every visitor has different expectations, and we respect your assessment of the experience. Regarding parking, we are particularly sorry about the confusion. The Manuel Antonio National Park does not operate an official visitor parking lot, and the parking areas near the entrance are independently operated. While our team can provide guidance and assistance, clearer communication about where to park and exactly where to meet the guide would have helped avoid the uncertainty you experienced upon arrival. We will take your feedback into consideration when reviewing the information provided to guests who choose to drive themselves. Thank you again for recognizing the commitment of your guide and for providing detailed feedback. Comments like yours help us identify areas where communication and coordination can be improved, even when circumstances such as park attendance and wildlife viewing conditions are beyond our direct control. Kind regards! Jade Tours Team

Nice to do

Shayani_J, Jul 2026

Easy hike, lots to see but would have not been possible without the guide. We had a sweet tour guide !

Great organisation and...

Mona_W, Jul 2026

Great organisation and communication from Jade Tours side! Our tour guide Kevin was really motivated, knowledgeable and helped us spot many animals, like monkeys, sloths, different birds, snakes and insects. We were in a group of 5 people which was amazing! In total, the tour was a bit shorter than expected. We finished after 2 1/2 hours, expecting a tour of 4 hours. I think it could have been because of the smaller group, since we could move relatively fast after everyone saw the animals our guide spotted. We stayed in the park after the tour, hung out by the beach and did one more trail on our own, so it was still definitely worth it!

Great tour and guide

Karen_R, Jun 2026

It was my family’s first time in Costa Rica. Visiting the national park was top of our list of things to do/see. Our tour guide Javier was so nice, knowledgeable, and had a sharp eye for spotting even the smallest animals. He was quick to set up his scope and share scientific information on each animal and their importance to the country. Thanks to him we were able to see both species of sloths, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, different butterflies, bats, different birds, tadpoles hanging from a leaf, hummingbirds, iguana, land crabs, aracari, stick bugs. We also spent some time on the Manuel Antonio beach and he even educated us about the poisonous Manchineal tree that is often found on Costa Rican beaches. The only negative about the excursion, that is no fault of Javier the tour guide, is there’s a lot of walking. Might not be ideal for young children unless you have a stroller. We had an 8 and 10 year old with us and it was hard for them because of the heat and humidity. We would still highly recommend this tour and Javier. Pura vida!

Amazing Journey through...

Pedro_F, Jun 2026

Amazing Journey through the Manuel Antonio Park, and thanks to our guide Emerson we spotted lots of animals

Great your and guide!

Meredith_D, Jun 2026

Poor communication on logistical details; wonderful wildlife sightings

Gabrielle_L, Jun 2026

The organization of this tour left something to be desired. The meeting time was unclear: the tickets said 7am entry, but the tour guide Javier messaged me to meet at 7:30am. Because of latecomers, we didn't enter the park until 8:15am, which made a difference in terms of how crowded it was. The tour booking also said approx. 2 hours, but the tour ended up lasting until 11:30am (so 4.5 hours from the 7am start). Our tour had 12 people, which was a lot - it took awhile for everyone to get the chance to see each animal through the scope, so I was very glad that my partner and I brought our own binoculars. That said, Javier was skilled at finding, identifying, and taking incredible photos and videos of amazing animals - we saw sloths, capuchins, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, a frog, and many iguanas and basilisk lizards.

Anderson was a great tour...

Brenda_C, May 2026

Anderson was a great tour guide! Very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna, friendly, and helped us see many plants and animals we would have missed without him.

Great visit to Manuel Antonio National Park

Mitch_A, May 2026

Nice slow walk through the rainforest and then along the beach. Saw sloths, monkeys, lizards, snakes and more. Guide was excellent at finding thi gs we never would have seen.

Costa Rica 2026

Andrea_H, May 2026

If I had to do again I would have done the private tour. Our guide Johnny was so knowledgeable and interactive. I really appreciated all his education. Going on a group delays and slows things down so toward the end i got to the point where u wanted to just go off on my own. Johnny was the highlight of our experience.

Guillermo was Great!

Sarah_M, Apr 2026

This tour was amazing and the tour guides (ours was Guillermo and he was great!) are incredibly knowledgeable. We saw both kinds of sloth, a fruit bat, so many cool birds, a coati and Howler and Capuchin monkeys in the wild! Highly recommend :)

Naturalist tour of Manuel Antonio

Vickie_S, Apr 2026

Easy walk and the naturalist sees animals we would definitely have missed walking by ourselves. And he got pictures of everything and air dropped them to us.

Not great

Sandra_B, Apr 2026

I believe Manuel Antonio park is much too crowded and we could hardly move for most of the tour without running into other groups and their spotting scopes. This isn’t the fault of the tour guide but I wish I’d known. I had no idea what madness it would be. I’d never recommend it to someone else. The tour guide was a great guy but his accent was so hard to understand we all only got about 50% of what he said and the kids didn’t get anything out of it! I also paid for what I thought was a 4 hr tour, with snacks, and it was really 2-2 1/2 hrs without snacks! And we were so hot and tired of the crowds that we were thrilled he was done with us. But is that fair? We paid a high price and our tickets didn’t cover admission to the park, so I feel like we got ripped off. I wish I had chosen differently. I would not really recommend this tour, or I’d request a guide that we could understand. I’m glad I went, and yes, he did take pictures with his phone through the scope that he sent to us, so we have that, but overall it was a bit of a disappointment to all of us. And Manuel Antonio needs to fix the problem of way too many people all starting at the same time at the same place. It’s crazy! Oh, the other thing is that we hardly touched a large part of the park, so why does every tour guy stick in the same spot and not spread out? Is ALL the wildlife in just that one 1/4 mile stretch? The rest of the park holds nothing? It was weird and not what we expected.

I had an incredible...

Vasilios_N, Apr 2026

I had an incredible experience birding with a local guide! He was knowledgeable, patient, and literally gave me and my friend a glimpse through his eyes with his binoculars! He had a bird encyclopedia on hand that allowed him to show us the many different stunning bird species we encountered along the way. Highly recommend this to any nature enthusiasts and ornithologists!

Kenneth was able to spot...

Rebecca_W, Apr 2026

Kenneth was able to spot animals along the trail and was very knowledgeable about everything we saw in the park

Thank you Javier! Amazing tour!

Deborah_S, Apr 2026

Javier was an amazing guide! Incredible ability to find animals that we otherwise would not have seen. He was really knowledgeable and smart. We saw 3 sloths (1 baby), a snake, many Capuchin Monkeys throughout the park and several bats. Thank you Javier for an exceptional tour!

Great time

Eva_K, Apr 2026

We had a great time! Our guide found lots of animals for us and told us interesting details about them. It was very hot a humid but we walked at a leisurely pace. Overall, a fantastic experience, would recommend!

Amazing

Claudia_S, Apr 2026

We had an amazing morning tour with Edgar, a nature specialist who was knowledgeable and patient to answer many questions. He spotted many animals: sloths, lizards, purple crab, monkeys, bats, deers. Highly recommended.

Very unprofessional did...

Stephen_V, Apr 2026

Very unprofessional did not do a good job. Were very rude during communications. Would not recommend.

Bring a swimsuit.

Juliet_J, Apr 2026

A nice excursion with some interesting animals. We were lucky enough to spot a sloth with her baby, and a poisonous viper. The weather was unfortunately not great - the guide said the animals retreat somewhat in the rain. I also wish that we had been told to bring swimsuits because you do have the option to visit a lovely beach and we would have loved a swim.

The Guide Jonny was great...

Helen_K, Apr 2026

The Guide Jonny was great and we spotted a couple of animals. However, I booked the tour for 7am to be ahead of the crowds, but we only started 7:30am. Also we finished at 9:30am, after only walking the main walk (2km max). We did not do any of the other walks, also there were no snacks included as said in the itinerary. After 9:30 we could either return with the guide to the gate (direct way) or stay in the park by ourselves. I did the latter and enjoyed all other walks for an additional 2,5h spotting many more monkeys and sloths.

Incredible Tour with Havier

Denny_L, Apr 2026

We had an amazing experience at Manuel Antonio Park with Havier. As a nature specialist, he was professional, friendly, and incredibly patient in answering all our questions. Thanks to his expert eyes, we spotted many animals we never would have seen on our own. He made our first trip to Costa Rica truly special. Highly recommended!

Wonderful

Nicola_F, Apr 2026

Haviere was incredible at spotting animals and the. Getting us away from the crowds when they formed around us. We seemed to be on our own in a very busy place. He’s so informative and pleasant to be with. Amazing photos with his clever telescope adapter. We saw so many things that we couldn’t see with the naked eye.

Perfecto

Jerry_C, Apr 2026

Excellent tour!! Highly recommend. We got to see so many things including monkeys and sloths. Our guide was Dariel.

Our guide Edgar is so...

You_W, Apr 2026

Our guide Edgar is so knowledgeable and we saw so many animals! He was able to spot the smallest insect on a tall tree far away. Without him I would’ve missed so many things. Totally recommend!

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