Monteverde Hanging Bridges Day Trip from San Jose
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
San Jose, Costa Rica
- 13 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Visiting Monteverde from San Jose in just one day can be challenging on your own, but this guided tour streamlines transportation to make the trip a cinch. Arrive at Monteverde in the morning and head straight to a canopy tour: hike on hanging bridges and learn about the rich cloud forest environment before heading back to San Jose.
- Monteverde Cloud Forest tour from San Jose
- Hanging bridges tour included for a chance to see wildlife
- Stop for an included lunch along the way
- All transportation with hotel pickup and drop-off included
What's Included
- Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (most San Jose area hotels)
- Professional bilingual guide
- Lunch
- Visits to the Monkeys’ observation place, the largest fruit stand of the country and a look-out point to take pictures
- Entrance Fees
- Gratuities
- Services not specified
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.6:30 am
Itinerary
1
Orotina
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Puerto Caldera
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Coyolar
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Selvatura
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Minimum age to participate is 5 years
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- The total tour duration includes the travel time and lunch
- Drop off at Monteverde-Santa Elena centrally located hotels are available
- Not recommended for participants with knee problems or other walking problems
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Vira_B
The Monteverde tour was great. We saw a sloth, two quetzals and a couple of other birds. The walk on the ground and then on hanging bridges with two guides (instead of one!) was very interesting and informative. We saw what the wild orchid looked like as well as the wild avocado. The nature was amazing! The lunch at the coffee plantation was delicious. We were lucky - it was sunny and warm, no rain at all. The whole tour was like a fairy tale. Great!
Reviews
4.8
based on 210 reviews
Maria_S, Nov 2025
This tour exceeded my expectations! The experience was fantastic, and I highly recommend it to others.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you once again for sharing your great feedback about the Monteverde Hanging Bridges Day Trip from San Jose. We’re thrilled to hear that the tour exceeded your expectations and that you found the experience fantastic. Walking through the famous hanging bridges in the Monteverde cloud forest is a unique way to explore Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity, lush rainforest landscapes, and incredible natural beauty. This tour is ideal for travelers seeking eco-tourism, nature, and unforgettable scenery in Costa Rica. We look forward to helping you with your next Costa Rica adventure!
Vira_B, Mar 2025
The Monteverde tour was great. We saw a sloth, two quetzals and a couple of other birds. The walk on the ground and then on hanging bridges with two guides (instead of one!) was very interesting and informative. We saw what the wild orchid looked like as well as the wild avocado. The nature was amazing! The lunch at the coffee plantation was delicious. We were lucky - it was sunny and warm, no rain at all. The whole tour was like a fairy tale. Great!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
We appreciate your review of this tour to the Monteverde Cloud Forest from San Jose. It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the nature walk, the hanging bridges, and the incredible wildlife, including the sloth and quetzals. We’re glad the weather was perfect for your visit and that the experience felt like a fairy tale in Costa Rica’s cloud forest. Also, it’s great to know you liked the delicious lunch at the coffee plantation and the informative guidance provided by our team.
We would be delighted to assist you with your next Costa Rica travel plans!
Glynnis_P, Feb 2025
Monteverde is a beautiful place. The cloud forest is amazing with a lot of plants and wildlife. Bring a rain jacket just in case!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience on the Monteverde Hanging Bridges Day Trip from San Jose! We’re so glad you enjoyed the breathtaking cloud forest and its incredible biodiversity, from lush plants to fascinating wildlife. Monteverde truly is a must-see destination for nature lovers visiting Costa Rica. We are excited to support your upcoming journey to Costa Rica!
Ganesh_K, Jun 2024
Wonderful experience
The guide should have taken us there in the morning as it rained throughout the afternoon when we were there
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for sharing your feedback about this one day tour in the Hanging Bridges of the Cloud Forest of Monteverde. We’re happy to hear you enjoyed the overall experience and appreciate your note about the timing and weather. We hope to improve the scheduling in the future to enhance guest satisfaction.
We look forward to helping you with your next trip to Costa Rica.
Alex_W, May 2024
Wonderful trip, the guide on route to the cloud forest was very informative and happy to give you space as its an early start. The guide at the cloud forest was excellent at spotting hidden animals, which would likely be impossible without guidance as they're so well hidden! Monteverde feels like such a unique setting, with its bridges that take you across the tree tops. Bear in mind this is a very long trip (left at 6:30am and got home at 7:00pm) but well worth it to see Monteverde.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your thoughtful review of the Monteverde Hanging Bridges Day Trip from San Jose! We're so glad you had a wonderful experience exploring the cloud forest. It's true—having a knowledgeable guide makes all the difference in spotting Costa Rica’s hidden wildlife and appreciating the magic of Monteverde’s treetop bridges. While it's a long day, we’re happy to hear you felt it was well worth the journey.
We would be delighted to assist you with your next Costa Rica travel plans. Don’t hesitate to reach out for more unforgettable adventures from San Jose!
Deborah_B, Feb 2024
The whole trip was great. It was a long day but very interesting. The driver and guide -Alex, was very good, very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful all day. We stopped off to see monkeys in there own environment, stopped off to look at lovely views and an amazing lunch, with lots of choices.The guide Carlos at the montverde bridges was also great, he was very knowledgeable and helpful too.
A great trip all round. 🙂
Response from Host, May 2025
Thank you so much for your excellent review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had a great full day of experiences on the Monteverde Hanging Bridges Day Trip. Alex's friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful nature really helps make the day memorable, and we’re happy that you enjoyed the stops to see monkeys, the beautiful views, and the delicious lunch. Carlos at the hanging bridges also sounds like he added great value to the experience!
We would love to assist you on your next Costa Rican adventure!
Julie_J, Dec 2023
It was a great tour, the hike in the forest and the hanging bridges was beautiful (I’m not comfortable in heights so didn’t look down much but still), only thing is that you spend more time in the bus going to the location than actually doing the activity (it’s 2h long in the forest so it’s still good though), but if you want to stay in San Jose and want to do the cloud forest, then it’s a great option
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Monteverde Hanging Bridges day tour from San Jose!
We’re glad you enjoyed the forest hike and the experience of walking through the hanging bridges, even if heights aren’t your thing! This one-day tour to Monteverde offers travelers based in San Jose the opportunity to explore Costa Rica’s incredible cloud forest, even if the travel time is long. We appreciate you highlighting that it’s still a great option for those who want to discover Monteverde without relocating.
We would love to support you on your next journey to Costa Rica.
Elena_M, May 2023
The tour was fantastic Juan Carlos is amazing as a tour guid and bird whisperer. He was able to mimic bird sounds and attract them to the view sights. Unforgettable experience!! Highly recommended!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such a memorable experience on the Monteverde Hanging Bridges Day Trip from San Jose. Juan Carlos truly has a unique talent for connecting with nature, and we’re glad he made your experience even more special with his bird-watching skills. It’s wonderful to know that you had such an unforgettable time! If you ever come back to Costa Rica, please don’t hesitate to contact us, and we will be glad to assist you with more of our amazing tours from San Jose.
MihaelaRuxandra_M, May 2023
The park deserves 5 stars, but i rated overall experience with the driver.
We had the trip on April 28, just me and my mother, there was no other turists as it was already end of dry season.
Although we were only us in the trip, the driver was not flexible at all: we started the trip at 6.20 and at 11:30 we were already at lunch, although I mentioned several times that it’s too early and we would prefer to have it after we visit the park.
Lunch was ok, food was fresh, but location is poor, so lame - he said we are on a coffee plantation, but it looked like abandon bushes, low quality, felt like a joke.
We saw a REAL coffee plantation on the trip to Arenal, there is no comparison between the 2. The one we visited in this trip was awfull, the guide barely found 2 green beans to show us!!!! Remove it from your trips, it’s not worth it, people should see real coffee plantations, not dry bushes!!!
The trip ended at 15:30 (very early, although we still wanted to see some more).
The guide drove back to San Jose thinking maybe that he was in formula 1 competition, like a mad man.
He wanted to get back in San Jose as fast as possible and he abandon the main road, instead he drive on a mountain ( he called it Avocado mountain, don’t know if it’s true), with many serpentines and the mini bus felt like flying! I was really convinced that we will fly off the mountain to earch curve he took with maximum speed! And it was foggy!!!!!! Who hired him??? I should have reported him to the police, but it was our last day!
I think his name was Fernando, but not sure, but this can be easily checked with the provider!!!!
Awfull experience, hate it every minute of the trip and could’t wait to finish it!
Fire that mad driver, you put turists lives in his hands!
Response from Host, Sep 2024
We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed the park included in the Monteverde Hanging Bridges Day Trip from San Jose, but we regret to learn that your experience with our representative was not satisfactory.
Regarding your comments about lunch, please note that the tour follows a fixed schedule. If you did not have lunch upon arrival, your only option was to wait until 1 p.m., which was the designated time for entry to the hanging bridges park.
Concerning the coffee plantation, please be aware that this tour does not include a visit to a coffee plantation. The visit to a small family-owned coffee plantation was an additional feature of your trip. While you might have preferred to see a larger plantation, we include this small one to provide a unique experience for all guests, as not everyone participates in the larger plantation tour. The representative found only two coffee beans because the end of the dry season coincides with the end of the harvest; most beans had been harvested in the preceding days or weeks.
Regarding Fernando, we have received numerous positive comments about him from other people who travel to Costa Rica, particularly praising his careful driving. If his behavior was as you described, we will certainly investigate. However, most feedback we receive is complimentary, and some customers specifically request him as their tour guide. If there were any issues, they might have been isolated incidents or related to circumstances on that particular day. We will monitor the situation to ensure all guests have a pleasant experience in Costa Rica.
Vivek_M, Apr 2023
As advertised but not worth it for the price, you are only essentially paying for a private shuttle to Monte Verde. You are sitting in the van for nearly 10-12 hours so be prepared. We got to Monteverde by about 11am and for some reason we kept driving to a place 2 towns over (45 mins) for lunch, instead of just eating in Monteverde. This was a 1.5hr round trip waste of time. You only get 2 hours in the cloud forest on a guided tour. Also the roads back down from the mountain are extremely bumpy, not good for anyone with a bad back. Really not worth the price as they only pay for an average lunch, a guided tour of the cloud forest and your transport there.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
We respect your opinion, but we disagree with some of your comments.
First, regarding the driving time, we believe you may be exaggerating. The non-stop drive from San José to Monteverde is approximately 3 hours each way. Anyone can confirm this using widely available apps like Google Maps or Waze. If you enter San José as point A and Monteverde as point B, the estimated driving time is consistently around 3 hours when departing at 5:30 a.m. It's possible the journey took longer on the day of your tour, but that would likely be due to the stops that many of our guests find interesting, such as the visit to the country’s largest fruit market and the stop at the "Monkey Lady’s house." During this stop, I'm sure you saw many white-faced capuchin monkeys in their natural habitat. For some guests, this stop alone is worth the cost of the tour, although, of course, whether the price is “worth it” is a matter of personal perception and individual interests.
Regarding the lunch stop, the reason we chose this particular location is not only for the meal but also for the additional walk through the local farm owned by the restaurant proprietors. You did not mention this in your review, but many of our guests appreciate the opportunity to visit this small, local farm, learn about the products they cultivate, and see other attractions, such as the massive hollow ficus tree and the observation point with stunning views of the Nicoya Gulf and surrounding landscapes.
Finally, regarding the condition of the road to the lunch stop, please note that the road is not always in such condition, and unfortunately, road repairs fall under the responsibility of local governments. We are not in control of when or how repairs are made.
Robert_S, Feb 2023
Our guide Fernando was simply amazing and made this excursion even more enjoyable. A trip to Costa Rica would not be complete without walking through the rain forest at Monte Verde.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience on the Monteverde Hanging Bridges Day Trip from San Jose. We're thrilled to hear that Fernando made your experience even more enjoyable and that you had the chance to explore the beautiful rainforests of Monteverde. We look forward to helping you with your next Costa Rica adventure.
Taly_G, Apr 2022
The tour guide Juan was amazing! Al thought the trip was not in monteverde. Out of the 13h, we spend only 2h in MV!
I would had liked to see that on the description as I’m not coming back any time soon to go again to MV.
I wouldn’t do it again, the timings where off and we had to wait 2h in the bus for other people to finish their trip instead of enjoying the place.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you for sharing your comments; we are pleased to hear that your tour guide Juan was amazing.
With regards to your comments about the time spent in Monteverde, it is also important to mention that the place for lunch is also located in Monteverde, as well as the walk that we do has added value for this tour, at the property where lunch takes place, where you can learn about the agricultural products of the area, enjoy of the amazing lookout point with views of the Nicoya Gulf, the big-fun hollow Ficus tree where you can take memorable pictures, etc.
It is also important to understand that even though it takes time to get to this particular part of the country, other interesting stops were made in route, like the stop at the “monkey lady house”, where all of our customers enjoy the playful white-faced monkeys. If we were to go directly to Monteverde, you would have missed this incredible experience. Or, the biggest fruit stand in the country, if we go directly to Monteverde, people will not have the chance to learn and taste our huge variety of tropical fruits; the fact that you didn’t consider these other stops as relevant, doesn’t mean that other people don’t enjoy them, we get compliments all the time about the multiple stops on route.
All of this being said, we spent about 9-10 hours doing the interesting stops on the route, doing the walk at the farm in Monteverde, having lunch in Monteverde, and doing the Cloud Forest Hanging Bridges Walk in Monteverde.
Victor_H, Jan 2022
Good and sympathic guide (oscar)and very rich excursion. The first stop (fruits) is not the better stop to do (even for bathroom!) but then, all was good and interesting : the lunch, good, near a coffe plantation that we visited with Oscar and his explainations. The cloud foret, with a long hike with alocal guide very concerned.
Jimmy_D, Dec 2021
The most relaxing tour I have taken. Oscar was our driver and he lots of experiences and culture to share at every stop. Food was great and each stop has activities. This was a full immersion into the Costa Rican forest and mountains along with an understanding of life from those who live there. Plenty of nature, culture and wildlife.
Beverly_E, Dec 2021
Good tour! Oscar was careful to see that we all had a great time! We saw two different kinds of monkeys! And had a great 2 hour walk through the Monteverde rain Forrest well worth the long drive from San Jose. I would recommend this tour!
Glynnis_P, Jun 2021
This was an amazing tour! It had a lot of information about Costa Rica and many sights to see. It was so cool interacting with the wild monkeys! The hanging bridges were also beautiful, our guide on the hike was so knowledgeable about the ecosystem. Make sure you ask for Juan for this tour, he’s awesome!!
Georgia_L, Jun 2021
Our guide/driver Kenneth was amazing and caring, we enjoyed our day with him very much!
The best part of the trip is definitely the Selvatura experience, walking through the forest and crossing hanging bridges while enjoying the beautiful nature and changing weather!
The only downside is that we found it too expensive for what it's included. (Only lunch and no other entries except for Selvatura, so we feel it's overpriced.)
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Monteverde Hanging Bridges Day Trip from San Jose.
It is gratifying for us to know that Kenneth did a good job for you and that you enjoyed your experience at Selvatura Park, as you walked on the hanging bridges through the beautiful Cloud Forests of Monteverde.
With regards to the cost of this excursion, please note that overall, Costa Rica is a very expensive country, therefore, the total cost of the trip has to do a lot with the high cost of transportation, from fuel to the cost of the vehicle itself (much much expensive than anywhere else because of the ridiculous government’s import tax) and the cost of having the permits to have a vehicle for the transport of tourists. On top of all this Selvatura, as most touristic parks in Costa Rica, is probably breaking records with the number of tourists using their services (very high demand), and they keep raising the cost of their tickets as more people visit their park.
We are very glad that enjoyed our tour and we will be more than glad to assist you during your next trip to Costa Rica.
Christy_S, Mar 2020
The hanging bridges day trip was absolutely beautiful! Our driver, Carlos, picked us up in San José and did an excellent job entertaining us along the way. He was able to point out interesting little parts of Costa Rica that we didn't get in any of our other tours. He really made this trip absolutely perfect.
Valeriya, Feb 2020
It was an exciting tour with an excellent guide. We were only 4 persons for this tour, almost a private one. Tour over the bridges was interesting and informative, we also saw some sloths, spiders and birds. Our guide, Augustin, told us many interesting things about Costa Rica on the way. He was very kind, disponible and he knows a lot about the Costa rica and is an expert in humming birds :)! We recommend you at 100% this tour (particularly this guide:))
stefwithaf, Oct 2019
the bridges were nice but it was a very long and bumpy ride, not worth it in my opinion. was in the van for 8 hours and at the bridges for 1-2 hours. it also rained so we were soaking wet the whole ride back to SJ. great driver/tour guide, but I wouldn't recommend this excursion.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you so much for your feedback! We're thrilled to hear that our driver and tour guide provided a great experience and that you enjoyed the hanging bridges walk.
Regarding the journey to Monteverde, the current roadwork is causing some delays, but once completed, the drive should return to the usual 2.5 to 3 hours. In the meantime, we make fun stops along the way to break up the drive—visiting the largest fruit stand in the country, observing white-faced capuchin monkeys, and enjoying a meal at a local farm, which feels like a tour.
As for your comment about being wet on the ride back to San Jose, we do include " raincoat or poncho and change of clothes" in our list of recommendations in case it rains during the hanging bridges tour, as well as a note before you book that says: “Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately”.
Christie_F, Sep 2019
The views are worth the bumpy ride up. Lunch was great and in a beautiful restaurant. I love their style of Aguas Naturales. This was an easy walk through the reserve.
Cecilia_S, Feb 2023
Excelente tour sobre todo mis felicitaciones al guía Harlem y chofer. Hermoso paisaje de Monteverde. L
Response from Host, Jan 2025
¡Muchas gracias por su excelente reseña! Nos alegra mucho saber que disfrutó del tour de Monteverde desde San José. Harlem es un guía excepcional, y nos complace saber que tanto él como el chofer contribuyeron a hacer su experiencia aún más memorable. El paisaje de Monteverde es realmente hermoso, y nos encanta que haya podido disfrutarlo al máximo. ¡Esperamos tener el placer de asistirle en su próxima aventura en Costa Rica!
Giselle_G, Feb 2022
La experiencia totalmente recomendada. Aunque es un viaje largo y distante de San José, se van haciendo paradas durante el camino en distintos puntos. Además, Francisco (guía), estuvo en todo momento al pendiente del grupo y sus necesidades, es una persona muy amable. Ya en el Parque Monteverde, todo hermoso y los guías del parque te ayudan a identificar los animales que a simple vista no podrías reconocer. También, explican la flora y clima distintivos de este lugar.
Ana_I, Jan 2022
Preciosa caminata por la selva entre puentes con un estupendo guía. Muchas gracias a la agencia Go tours que nos arregló la excursion la noche anterior ya q otras nos dejaron tirados. Qué suerte tuvimos porque el tour es espectacular
Anita_J, Oct 2019
Da wir unseren Aufenthalt in der Nebensaison (Regenzeit) in San José verbrachten, waren wir nur zu zweit mit dem Führer unterwegs. Wir hatten riesiges Wetterglück. Hermann, der Führer und Chauffeur, ging ausgezeichnet auf unsere Interessen ein und wir hatten gute Gespräche. So erlebten wir einen sehr persönlichen, prallvollen Tag. Über das Land Costa Rica mit seinen Einwohnern und der Natur sahen und erfuhren wir weit mehr als erwartet. Wir waren am Meer, sahen dampfende Vulkane aus der Ferne und waren in den Bergen. Auf der sehr gemütlich geführten Tour im Nebelwald des Naturreservats staunten wir über die Vielfalt und Schönheit der Pflanzen und Tieren. Weil eine solche Tour, wie wir gehört haben, oft zwei Tage dauert, war die Fahrt von etwa 300 km, mit einem ansehnlichen Teil von Naturstrassen wohl interessant, aber sehr weit. Der Führer fuhr uns sicher durch den Tag. Abends kamen wir sehr zufrieden, aber auch müde, jedoch voll mit neuem Wissen und fabelhaften Eindrücken zurück nach San José.
Diesen Ausflug mit Hermann können wir allen sehr empfehlen, die in kurzer Zeit möglichst viel erleben und erfahren wollen.
Jacqueline, Schweiz
From $229.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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