The 12 Costa Rica Birdwatching Tours to Book First

1.Birdwatching Tour at Mistico Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 79 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $66Our pick

Review of Mistico Park’s early birdwatching tour in La Fortuna, with hanging bridges, expert guides, wildlife, price, access, and practical tips.

“We had an amazing tour!! We would not have seen most of the birds & wildlife without our guide Gabriel- he is extremely knowledgeable about all the species of birds as well as the other wildlife, plants & trees, mushrooms, snakes, bugs etc. We also had the whole park nearly to ourselves for almost the whole tour. A few highlights were motmots, coati, spider monkeys were in the trees right over our heads, eyelash viper, and many many species of birds. We walked with pauses to look at various birds etc for about 3 hours. The paths were mostly smooth & easy to walk on. We walked about 8000 steps…”

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2.Monteverde Birdwatching Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 68 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $80Top rated

Explore Monteverde’s Curi-Cancha Reserve with a skilled naturalist, spotting quetzals, toucans, hummingbirds, and more on a four-hour walk.

“Jason was an absolute gem of a guide! He was incredibly knowledgeable & eager to show/teach us all he could. He would go out of his way to try to find us wildlife...we were even lucky enough to see the quetzal & the rare sunbittern! I would highly recommend this experience! The cloud forest is an unforgettable experience!”

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3.Jaco Birdwatching and Photography with Sergio

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $101

A practical review of Sergio’s private Jaco birdwatching tour, with Carara National Park, macaws, toucans, wildlife, transport, and photo tips.

“What a great experience! We went from the beach to the river to the rainforest! Sergio was absolutely incredible. He went above and beyond finding the birds and animals that we really were hoping to see! He even found a toucan! The macaws were beautiful. My husband had always wanted to be able to get a photograph of an owl and on this trip it happened. Sergio knew just where to look. While I loved the birds, the highlight for me was seeing the monkeys. We saw white faced monkeys, spider monkeys, and heard howler monkeys. In addition to being a very accomplished photographer, Sergio is also very informative on…”

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4.Monteverde Wildlife Walk & Hummingbird Encounter

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 52 reviews · from $45Best value

Explore Monteverde cloud forest with a local guide, telescope, wildlife sightings, and a close look at hummingbirds for $45.

“George is incredibly knowledgeable, patient and kind. We saw a quetzal, many other birds, and a bat, all while learning so much information about the environment and animals. This was a highlight of our trip! He went over and above and even let us take his SUV for a slight medical emergency for a child. Book with George- you will not regret it!”

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5.Resplendent Quetzal-Tucans- Tropical Birdwatching Tour Monteverde

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $100

Early-morning Monteverde birding with expert local guides, chances for quetzals and toucans, hotel transfers, and small-group attention.

“We went out on a misty, rainy morning but still had a really great time with Olman. He’s a super knowledgeable birder who knew both the habits and standard habitats of all local birds as well as the calls and songs for most. On our tour with him I added 19 new birds to my life list and my partner added 26 to his. We were very happy with the experience and had a great time with Olman.”

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6.Birdwatching Tour: unlock the wonder, whether beginner or advanced

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · from $175

Explore Monteverde’s cloud forest with a private naturalist guide, seeking quetzals, hummingbirds, plants, and wildlife on easy trails.

“Felix our tour guide was awesome. We trudged through torrential rains. He was eager to show us different types of plants and flowers. The views were fabulous. Thank you Felix!”

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7.Tamarindo Birdwatching Crocodiles and Monkey Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $50

Explore Tamarindo’s mangroves by boat with local guides, spotting crocodiles, monkeys, birds, iguanas, and crabs for $50.

“What a fantastic tour and an incredible guide! Juan-Carlos has a genuinely impressive, deep, and passionate knowledge of the wildlife, the environment, and how it all fits into the larger world. We saw several crocodiles, a troop of monkeys, termite colonies, various insects, at least a dozen birds, several types of mangroves, and other various flora too, and Juan-Carlos seemed to know everything about all of them. Nearly forgot the osprey we saw dive for a fish and carry it right toward us! Can you spot the bats in the third photo? Juan-Carlos could from at least 10m away. I've had college courses that weren't nearly as informative, and of…”

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8.Slothies and Birds Sightseeing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $89

See sloths and rainforest birds near La Fortuna on a family-friendly trail with expert guides, hotel transfers, and flexible morning or afternoon departures.

“This is a great way to see sloths, learn about their environment and be educated in other animals found in the rainforest while walking on a level trail. Melanie was a great guide, informative and patient.”

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9.Birdwatching tour at the Cloud Forest -Monteverde Wild-

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 39 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $80

Review of Monteverde Wild’s Curi-Cancha birdwatching tour, with quetzals, breakfast, costs, timing, group size, and booking advice.

“Even though the day started out pretty rainy we had an awesome time with Oscar learning about the different bird species in Costa Rica. He found the male and female quetzal for us along with many other beautiful birds. I highly recommend this tour if you enjoy seeing birds in their natural habitat.”

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10.Birding in the Rainforest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 38 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $75

Spot colorful birds and rainforest wildlife near Uvita with expert guide Greivin, hotel pickup, gear, and a private three-hour morning tour.

“I was lucky enough to go out with Pure Birding while in Uvita, and had the best bird sightings during any of my trips to Costa Rica. We found several owl species, and a huge group of Scarlet Macaws, as well as myriad other species that can be seen in the area! The guides, Greivin and Andrea were so nice and knowledgeable, and knew exactly where to go to find our target species, which made the tour so much fun. I highly recommend booking with them to enjoy the best of what Uvita has to offer.”

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11.ATV and Snorkel from Playa Flamingo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $110

Ride an ATV from Playa Flamingo to Playa Minas, snorkel with tropical fish, and enjoy hotel pickup for $110 per person.

“The ATV ride through all the communities was awesome. The beach was amazing. The snorkeling was soooo cool. Our guide is as totally Pura Vida!”

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12.Esquipulas Rainforest – Private Birding – Fully Customizable Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 33 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $135

Review of a private Esquipulas Rainforest birding tour from Quepos, with rare species, breakfast, guide tips, costs, and practical advice.

“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.”

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