Canoe Tour in Tortuguero National Park
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Tortuguero, Costa Rica
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Take a canoe tour through the Tortuguero wetlands, home to a wide variety of local wildlife, with this small-group tour, led by a professional guide. While it's hard to predict what kind of animals you might see on any given day, monkeys, sloths, alligators, and birds are all possibilities.
- See wild animals in their natural habitats
- Three different departure times are available
- Group sizes capped at eight participants
- Snacks will be provided, free of charge
What's Included
- SnacksRefreshment before the tour (coffee, juice and fruit)
- Entrance to National Park
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Tortuguero, Limón Province, Costa Rica
Tuanis Tour Office; Our office is located 50 meters south of Tortuguero main dock, at the right side.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Arranged start time
Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.
- 07/06/2020 - 05/19/2027
Monday - Sunday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Itinerary
1
Tortuguero National Park
3 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 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
Lotte_W
Andy was our guide during our trip. We really enjoyed his expertise and knowledge about the animals. We would recommend a tour through the canals for sure!
Reviews
4.9
based on 338 reviews
Guido_M, Feb 2026
Gabriel was an awesome guide who knew a lot about the fauna and flora around Tortuguero. He made the experience very good, even with a little bit of rain.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
We're so glad the rain didn't get in the way of a great tour! Thank you for highlighting Gabriel's expertise; it’s a pleasure for us to share the magic of Tortuguero.
Lotte_W, Dec 2025
Andy was our guide during our trip. We really enjoyed his expertise and knowledge about the animals. We would recommend a tour through the canals for sure!
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for your lovely review. We're so glad you had a great time with Andy; he truly loves sharing his knowledge about our wildlife! The canal tour is definitely a favorite, and we’re thrilled you enjoyed it. We’ll be sure to give Andy a huge high-five for you. Hope to see you again for more adventures!
Sean_P, Jul 2025
Our guide (Kendrick) was phenomenal. We loved that they had breakfast and coffee available before and they had high quality ponchos available for us which were necessary due to the rain. Without our guide, we never would have seen anything, but Kendrick found a caiman, multiple birds, monkeys, and sloths. The experience was great and required a bit of paddling from us too. The benefit of paddling is that we were able to go in inlets and areas inaccessable to boats with motors and saw areas of the National Park that were unique.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
We’re really happy to hear you enjoyed the tour, even with a bit of rain! and specially happy to hear how much you appreciated Kendrick’s guidance. It's great to know that the little details like the breakfast, coffee, and ponchos helped start your morning off right and kept you comfortable along the way.
Also the paddling part definitely adds to the experience, doesn’t it? It’s one of the best ways to explore the quiet, hidden corners of the National Park that motorboats simply can’t reach.
It means a lot to us that you took the time to write. We'd love to have you back for another adventure anytime!
Daniele_S, Apr 2025
Tour was great! Daniel explained a lot about everything and was super friendly with the whole group. Also indicated a great restaurant for us to eat after the tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
We are glad you enjoyed this activity. Thank you very much for your comment and best regards from Tortuguero.
Sara_V, Mar 2025
Very knowledgeable guide, incredible natural surroundings, and the chance to see wild animals in their natural habitat. Top notch tour and company!
Alice_C, Feb 2025
Very early start but was awesome! We had some coffee and bananas and crackers for breakfast, and then seven of us plus a guide were put into a small canoe. It was optional to row, so you can. Have whatever experience you want. We saw a ton of birds and animals, including monkeys and. Even an anteater! We even saw a very small baby crocodile. Our guide spoke pretty perfect English, especially because he had spent a lot of time in the US growing up. And the tour was very diverse, with lots of people from different places. It rained a little bit during the tour, and they promised they would. Give us ponchos. If it was raining, But since the rain started halfway through, most people didn't have rain gear. It's probably a good idea to bring your own.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
We are very happy that you enjoyed the activity and that despite the rain you had a great experience. Thank you very much for your fabulous review
Rick_d, Jan 2025
Great experience! We left at 6am for the kano tour by paddle. It is very nice to go over the water with the paddles instead of a motorized boat. Als better for the environment!
The guide was very knowledgeable and took us the see several beautiful animals. We saw some birds, leguanas and a caiman to tol it of. Thank you for the tour!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
We are very glad that you got to know a little of the biodiversity that can be found in Tortuguero and that you enjoy this activity very much. Thank you very much for choosing us
Janne_B, Dec 2024
Fun activity to see some animals from the water! Our guide was super informed about the environment!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
We are very glad you enjoyed this activity. Best regards from Tortuguero
Floor_E, Nov 2024
We had a flexible guide, it was pouring rain when we were supposed to leave at 6am. Our guide, Diego, proposed to leave at 9am, by then it had stopped raining. We did our tour completely dry. We saw some great animals, like a Cayman, howler monkeys, ara's, sloths, different kinds of birds and iguana's.
Definitely recommend this tour, we would not have been able to spot these animals on our own.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
We are very happy that you enjoyed this activity in spite of the rain. Thank you very much for choosing us, Diego sends you best regards.
Anastasia_G, Feb 2024
This was a great experience. Our guide was very friendly and gave us a lot info about Tortuguero and the fauna living there. The tour was approx 2 hours and it was a very nice ride spotting a few animals and admiring the landscape. Take a raincoat (although they also provide one) - highly possible to get wet as this is in the rainforest. Recommended.
Shayna_B, Dec 2023
Fantastic !
Our guide Juani was kind and very knowledgeable (he studied biology !) , and he gave us so much fantastic information. He also helped us spot many many animals, such as iguanas, birds, caimans … it was truely special.
We were lucky with the weather, and had an amazing time !
Thank you Juani, this will be an experience we will never forget !
Shirley_W, Dec 2023
Lots of rain, Carlos was a great guide he was very informative . Would probably bring cushions to sit on lol
Aileen_D, Oct 2023
The guide was very knowledgeable about the animals and their habitat, which was great. We saw a lot of animals, and they even had monoculars for us such that we could see them better. Highly recommend the morning tour!
MariaElena_S, Aug 2023
This tour is a great if you want to spot diurnal animals in their habitat along the canals of the National Park. You can see lots of birds, sloths, monkeys, alligators and more. Our guide Yewuison was very friendly and explained a lot of interesting facts.
Ruben_S, Aug 2023
Nice tour with good guide. Lot of info and funny stories as well. Saw a lot of animals (incl. Caimans :))
Moumita_R, Jul 2023
The tour was really unique and interesting. Never thought I’d be able to paddle through the small canals of the rainforest. It rained for the majority of our tour which made it a bit harder to see the wildlife, however we still many birds, some monkeys, a caiman, a sloth, and an iguana. Definitely a must do tour.
Johan_W, Apr 2023
Loved to go slowly through the inundated part of the rain forest. The silence, the noises of the jungle, no noise of the boat engine.
Michelle_B, Feb 2023
Extraordinary canoe tour with Jarrison! He was clearly well versed on Costa Rican wildlife and was extremely helpful and interesting on the tour. We saw several caimen, sloths, and monkeys, not to mention the abundance of amazing birds! Aside from the animals, the scenery was extraordinary. Definitely would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Tortuguero, but especially for photographers and bird enthusiasts.
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Excellent company with you all. Thanks for choosing us!
Simona_P, Feb 2023
Unique experience with a guide who made us observe leguans, turtles, little caymans, monkeys etc. Very beautiful Natural area of tropical forest. With the canoe, you work yourself and you are rather slow, but the tour feels private and very rewarding.
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Thanks a million for this beautiful comment
Chryzos, Oct 2022
Boa gave us a great tour with many insights and incredible knowledge. The tour was also very pleasent on a personal level. We spotted many Animals and learned a lot
Iordan_N, Mar 2022
We booked a canoe tour in Tortuguero. It's a must when you visit Costa Rica. Our guide was Vernie and he was the best. Thanks again and happy birthday!
Dick_S, Mar 2026
The canoe trip through the Canales de Tortuguero was very nice. Guide Warren knows a lot to tell iced the flora and fauna and has a good nose for spotting animals. We have mainly seen a lot of birds, but also a crocodile and caiman. Fascinating trip!
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Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your review! We’re thrilled to hear you had a fun time and that Warren’s keen eye helped you spot so many birds, along with the crocodile and caiman. It’s always a thrill to see such a variety of wildlife in the canals. We appreciate you choosing us and sharing your experience! Pura vida!
CHARLOTTE_M, Jan 2026
It’s a great experience, thanks to Andy for this complete tour of the fauna and flora. And who took the time to take us off the beaten track.
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Karina_J, Jan 2026
Spectacular walk very beautiful, we saw several animals and if we get into some mangroves is very good
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Johan_M, Dec 2025
Great Guide, fantastic tour.
You can't miss this. We were able to get very close to the animals.
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Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you very much for your kind words! It's wonderful to hear that you thought our guide and tour were fantastic.
Our team strives to provide you with unforgettable moments, and it's great that you were able to experience the animals up close.
We hope to see you again soon!
Javier_C, Oct 2025
Tour 100% recommended. A great privilege to enjoy Tortuguero National Park with guides Jairo, Andy and Gabriel for their knowledge of the biology of the place and, above all, for their passion for nature.
We were able to observe from the kayak a lot of fauna: spider monkey, howler monkey, capuchin monkey, alligators, yellow-headed martinet, tepesquimple, emerald basilisk, green iguana, boatbill heron, blue heron, aninga, jacana, gatusa...
An experience not to be missed when visiting Tortuguero
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Response from Host, Oct 2025
¡Muchísimas gracias por tu comentario tan bonito!
Nos alegra muchísimo saber que disfrutaste del tour y que pudiste vivir la magia del Parque Nacional Tortuguero junto a Jairo, Andy y Gabriel.
Nos llena de alegría que pudieran observar tanta fauna y conectar con la vida del bosque desde el kayak. ¡Gracias por recomendarnos y por ser parte de esta aventura!
Fabian_R, Aug 2025
Very friendly guide. Nice to get nature from the water. We have seen a boa constrictor, caimans, a sloth and many species of birds
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Response from Host, Sep 2025
We are glad you enjoyed the experience from the water and had so many incredible sightings. Thank you for your review!
Pim_K, Jul 2025
Nice canoe trip. We were warmly welcomed with coffee and bananas. During the canoe trip it rained at our place, but ponchos were provided. The guide knew all about all the animals we have seen. Great!
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Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the canoe trip, even in the rain. We hope to see you again for another adventure in nature!
Veronique_B, Jul 2025
We had a very nice canoe trip. Marco has taught us a lot about the fauna and flora. During the trip we were also able to spot many animals.
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Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you very much for your kind words! We're glad to hear you enjoyed the canoe trip and that Marco could share his knowledge with you. It’s always special to spot wildlife up close. We hope to welcome you again in the future!
LUCA_Z, Mar 2025
Fue un tour interesante, viendo muchos animales salvajes y el guía era una persona encantadora y muy amable
From $28.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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