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Compare guided walks through Manuel Antonio National Park with certified bilingual guides, spotting scopes for up-close wildlife viewing, and ticket-included options. Tours range from quick 2-hour walks to a full-day trip from San Jose, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Free Cancellation 4-hour small-group nature walk (8-10 people) in Manuel Antonio park with a specialist guide and spotting scope.
Free Cancellation 2-hour guided walk in Manuel Antonio NP with a certified local guide, spotting scope, and beach time after.
Free Cancellation 12-hour day tour from San Jose to Manuel Antonio with stops at Crocodile Bridge, Tarcoles, and Jaco look-out.
Free Cancellation 2-hour guided walk on the park's main trails with a bilingual guide; park ticket included; 7:00 a.m. slot available.
Free Cancellation 4-hour guided wildlife walk in Manuel Antonio park, with sloths, monkeys and a beach stop, snacks and entrance ticket included.
Free Cancellation 2.5-hour guided walk on the park's easy 2.2 km trail, with a spotting scope for wildlife close-ups.
Free Cancellation Slow-paced 2-hour guided wildlife hike through Manuel Antonio park with a spotting scope, ending at the beach.
Free Cancellation 2-hour guided walk in Manuel Antonio with park entrance ticket included, plus beach time and photos.
Free Cancellation 2-hour guided walk with a bilingual guide and telescope, plus round-trip transport from Quepos and Manuel Antonio.
Free Cancellation Guided nature walk in Manuel Antonio Park with a professional English-speaking guide, snacks, and hotel pickup included.
Read what travelers share about their experience visiting Manuel Antonio National Park — from practical tips to personal highlights.
Nearly every tour here is a two- to four-hour guided walk built around one job: finding animals you'd walk straight past on your own. A certified guide carries a professional spotting scope, leads you down the flat, paved Sendero El Perezoso, and stops the group cold whenever a sloth, toucan or monkey turns up in the canopy. Most tours finish at Playa Manuel Antonio, where you can stay and swim after the guide heads back.
Sendero El Perezoso runs about 1.1 km from the entrance through cecropia trees where both two-toed and three-toed sloths feed. Guides know the individual animals and set up the scope so the 'lump that doesn't match the branch' becomes a frame-filling view. The trail is paved and flat, so nobody in the group gets left behind.
In a few hours you can realistically see white-faced capuchins, mantled howlers and the endangered mono tití (Central American squirrel monkey), which lives only here and in Corcovado. Keep your bag zipped regardless — capuchins can unzip a backpack in seconds and they've learned that tourists carry food.
The 1.4 km circuit climbs around a former island attached to the mainland by a sand tombolo, passing five viewpoints over Pacific islands that hold seabird rookeries. At low tide your guide may point out La Trampa, a circle of pre-Columbian Quepoa stonework once used to trap turtles and fish. It's the only part of a typical visit with a real incline.
Tours end at an ~800 m crescent of white sand backed by rainforest, with calm, sheltered water and lifeguards on duty. Snorkeling works along the rocky sides. Showers and changing rooms sit nearby, so bring your suit under your clothes.
Digiscoping is the standard trick here: you hold your phone against the guide's spotting scope and get close-up shots of hummingbirds, sloths and tiny bats you'd never capture handheld. Several operators also send you HD photos and video of everything the group found, taken by the guide's own camera.
An elevated 20–30 minute loop runs through the park's ~18-hectare mangrove of red, piñuela and caballero mangroves — a different ecosystem from the main forest, with herons, kingfishers and occasional deer. It's quietest, and best, in the first hours after the 7:00 a.m. opening.
Two things trip up more bookings than anything else: the park's 1,120-visitor daily cap and the fact that most tour prices don't include your SINAC entrance ticket. Sort both before you confirm anything.
The bulk of options are guided group walks of 2–4 hours with a certified bilingual guide and spotting scope, priced $25.60–$49. Longer 4-hour specialist walks cap groups at 10 people, usually 8. There's also a 12-hour day trip from San José ($169) that adds the Tarcoles crocodile bridge, breakfast and lunch. Private tours with hotel pickup exist at every price level.
Yes, and it's usually the park ticket, not the tour, that runs out first. Entry is capped at 1,120 people per day with 15-minute arrival slots, and operators report tickets selling out up to 15 days ahead between December and August — 20 days for Christmas, New Year and Easter. Book 1–2 weeks ahead in dry season; some operators hold prebooked tickets for last-minute guests, so message them before giving up.
Read the fine print. Most $27–$49 walks exclude the SINAC entrance fee, which you buy yourself at serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr ($18.08 foreign adult, $5.65 child 2–12). Several operators sell a 'ticket included' option for a few dollars more where they purchase entry for you — those require your full name, passport number and nationality sent in advance. The San José day trip includes the entrance fee in the $169 price.
The park closes every Tuesday for trail maintenance, Wednesday–Monday 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. This is the single most common planning mistake. If a tour is bookable for a Tuesday, the operator will move you or refund — but check your date before you book anything.
Tours based in Manuel Antonio and Quepos generally include pickup from accommodations between the two — you'll need to send your hotel name so they can time it. Tours from elsewhere charge extra. If you're staying in town, the local bus along Route 618 runs every 15–30 minutes and costs ₡315.
Most listed tours are wheelchair and stroller accessible, because the core route (Sendero El Perezoso plus the beach boardwalks) is flat and paved. Service animals are allowed on several tours. The Punta Catedral loop is not accessible — ask the operator to route around it.
The gate checks the physical passport against your SINAC ticket — a phone photo is not accepted, per park rules, though some operators report a photo sufficing; carry the real thing to be safe. Also pack a reusable water bottle (single-use plastics are confiscated at bag check), reef-safe sunscreen and closed walking shoes. Sandals are what SINAC tells you not to wear.
Every tour on this page offers a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. Since rain is normal here, note that tours operate in all weather — the San José day trip runs rain or shine, so dress for it. In the wettest months (September–October) trails get muddy but the animals don't leave.
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| Short Guided Walk (2h) | Small-Group Specialist Walk (4h) | Ticket-Included Tour (2h) | San José Day Trip (12h) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 2 hours | 4 hours | 2 hours | 12 hours door-to-door |
| Price from | $25.60–$28 | $49 | $25.60 | $169 |
| Park ticket | Usually separate ($18.08 adult); 'ticket included' options available | Not included — buy at serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr | Included — send passport details via WhatsApp after booking | Included, plus breakfast, lunch and crocodile bridge stop |
| Best for | Couples and short-stay visitors who want the animals without giving up the whole morning | Wildlife lovers who want a nature specialist, max 10 people (usually 8), and time on the deeper trails | Anyone who doesn't want to fight the SINAC website; guided in English, Spanish or Portuguese | Travelers based in San José (minimum age 5) who can't otherwise reach the coast |
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Wednesday–Monday, 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Closed every Tuesday. Entry is regulated by 15-minute arrival slots tied to your ticket, so plan to arrive at your slot time, not hours later.
Concession services run slightly longer than the gates: the cafeteria and artisan shop 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., locker rental 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., and certified guide service at the entrance 7:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
From November to April, special afternoon tours run at 3:30 p.m. Saturday–Monday, and night tours at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday–Friday — the only way to see the forest after dark.
Take the 7:00 a.m. slot if you can. Wildlife is most active in the first two hours, temperatures are lower, and the main beach fills up by 10 a.m.
The park entrance sits 7 km southeast of Quepos and 157 km from San José. There is no official parking — private lots near the entrance charge ₡3,000–5,000 (about $6–10) per day.
December to April is dry season: low-to-mid 30s °C, minimal rain, and the busiest trails of the year. Book tickets 1–2 weeks ahead; book months ahead for Christmas–New Year and Easter week.
Shoulder months November and May give you greener forest and thinner crowds without peak-season pricing.
September and October are the wettest months — afternoon downpours, muddy trails, and the park's lowest visitation. The upside: the seasonal waterfall only flows now, and you can sometimes buy same-day tickets.
Offshore, humpback whales pass close to the coast August–November, a real bonus if you're pairing a park walk with a catamaran trip. Dolphins are around year-round.
Whatever the month, go early. The 7:00–9:00 a.m. window is when birds, monkeys and sloths are most active and the Sloth Trail is still quiet.
The trail network is explicitly adapted for wheelchair users, with universal-accessibility facilities, rest areas and scenic overlooks. Sendero El Perezoso (Sloth Trail) is the core route: flat, paved, and suitable for wheelchairs and strollers over its 1.1 km length.
Sand areas and the 1.4 km Punta Catedral loop are not accessible — the loop has a real incline. Most guided tours listed on this page are wheelchair accessible because they stick to the paved route; confirm with the operator if your group wants to skip the loop.
Older visitors will find most trails flat and well maintained, with benches along the way. SINAC recommends closed walking shoes over sandals, and early starts to avoid midday heat on exposed stretches.
Service dogs are admitted only with a permit from the entrance guard station — arrange this before arrival.
A concession cafeteria and artisan shop operate inside the park 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. — the only place you're allowed to eat, and drinks there cost premium prices. Lockers rent from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
ICT-certified guides from the Association of Certified Tour Guides of Quepos (tel. 8671-1813) can be hired at the entrance without a booking, 7:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., for roughly $40–70 per person.
Restrooms and changing rooms sit by the beaches, with showers nearby — soap and shampoo are banned in them. Potable-water refill fountains are located on Sendero El Perezoso and near Playas Manuel Antonio and Espadilla Sur, so bring a reusable bottle (single-use plastic is turned away at bag check).
Lifeguards patrol the beaches, but rip currents still occur — swim in the calmer Playa Manuel Antonio bay and keep children close.
No food or drinks except reusable bottles. Bags are scanned at the entrance; packaged snacks and single-use plastic bottles are turned away. Refill fountains are inside.
Banned items: pets, alcohol, drugs and smoking materials, firearms and fishing gear, umbrellas, balls, tents, hammocks, Bluetooth speakers, and commercial posters. Collecting shells, plants, rocks or sand is prohibited — leave the beach as you found it.
No drones without a special SINAC permit. Recreational flying in Costa Rican national parks is illegal, and commercial filming needs separate authorization.
Don't feed or touch wildlife — it carries fines, and it's why capuchins and raccoons have become aggressive bag-raiders. Eat only in the cafeteria area.
Learn to recognize the manzanillo trees lining the beaches: their sap and apple-like fruit are toxic, and rain dripping from them can blister skin. Don't sit in their shade.
Tickets are sold online only at serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr — anyone in uniform selling tickets near the entrance is running a scam. Rangers wear SINAC logos and work only inside the park.
Usually not. Most 2–4 hour guided walks price the SINAC ticket separately — you buy it yourself at serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr for $18.08 (foreign adult) or $5.65 (child 2–12). Several operators offer a 'ticket included' option for a few dollars more, where they buy entry on your behalf after you send your passport details. The 12-hour San José day trip includes the entrance fee in its $169 price.
Self-guided visits are allowed, but sloths, snakes and half the birds are nearly invisible without a spotting scope. Certified guides with scopes work at the park entrance 7:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. for roughly $40–70 per person, and prebooked tours run $25.60–$49. If wildlife is the reason you came, take the guide — it's the difference between a forest walk and actually seeing the animals.
Book 1–2 weeks ahead in dry season (December–April), because park tickets sell out before tour slots do — operators report entry selling out up to 15 days ahead between December and August. Christmas, New Year and Easter week need 20+ days. In September–November you can sometimes buy same-day. Some tour companies hold prebooked tickets for last-minute bookings, so message them before assuming it's full.
Every Tuesday, for trail maintenance. The park runs Wednesday–Monday, 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., year-round including holidays. Arriving on a Tuesday is the single most common planning mistake here — double-check your tour date before booking, and note that tours bookable for a Tuesday will be rescheduled.
Yes, most of them. The core route — the flat, paved 1.1 km Sendero El Perezoso plus the beach boardwalks — works for wheelchairs and strollers, and tour listings confirm wheelchair-accessible transport for several options. The 1.4 km Punta Catedral loop is the exception: it has an incline and isn't accessible. Service dogs are allowed on some tours and enter the park only with a permit from the entrance guard station.
A reusable water bottle (single-use plastic is confiscated at bag check; refill fountains are on the Sloth Trail and near the beaches), swimwear under quick-dry clothes, reef-safe sunscreen, insect repellent and closed walking shoes — SINAC specifically advises against sandals. Bring the physical passport matching your ticket; the gate doesn't accept a phone photo. And keep your bag zipped: capuchin monkeys unzip backpacks in seconds.
Yes, and most tours are built for exactly that — they finish at Playa Manuel Antonio, an ~800 m crescent of calm, sheltered water with lifeguards, showers and changing rooms. Several operators list beach time after the walk as an inclusion. Snorkeling is best along the rocky sides of the bay. Just remember the park closes at 3:00 p.m., so you'll have the afternoon, not the evening.
For tours based in the area, yes — pickup is included from accommodations between Quepos and Manuel Antonio, and you'll need to send your hotel name so the operator can time it. Some private tour options also include transport. If you're coming from outside the area, the 12-hour San José day trip ($169) covers hotel pickup and drop-off from most San José hotels, or you can take the local bus (₡315, every 15–30 minutes from Quepos).
Tours run in all weather — this is a rainforest, and afternoon downpours are normal from May to November. The animals don't leave; September and October are the wettest months and trails get muddy, so wear closed shoes and bring a rain jacket. If you want to cancel anyway, every tour on this page refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure.
In a few hours you can realistically see three of Costa Rica's four monkey species — white-faced capuchins, mantled howlers and the endangered Central American squirrel monkey, which lives only here and in Corcovado — plus both sloth species, coatis, agoutis, green iguanas and a slice of the park's 352 recorded bird species. The guide's spotting scope turns canopy blobs into close-up views, and digiscoping lets you shoot photos through it with your phone.
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Four hours with a nature specialist and no more than 10 people — usually 8 — walking the park's trails in English or Spanish. The guide carries a professional spotting scope, which is what sets this tour apart from going in alone: sloths and tiny hummingbirds turn into frame-filling views, and you can shoot photos through the scope with your own phone or camera. The walk itself runs about two hours inside the park. Snacks, air-conditioned transport, and the scope are included; the park entrance ticket is not, so buy it at the gate or ahead of time. Gratuities aren't included either. Pickup covers Manuel Antonio and Quepos only — give the operator your hotel or house name when booking so they can set your pickup time. If you want to swim at the beach inside the park afterward, bring a swimsuit. And leave the plastic bottle at home: commercial plastic bottles aren't allowed in, so bring a personal water container. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Spanish
Two hours inside the park with a guide certified by the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT), walking in English or Spanish and watching wildlife through an HD spotting scope. Your guide brings a camera too — you get HD photos and videos of whatever the group finds. Before the tour, they send meeting instructions and recommendations by message. The meeting point is a 2-minute walk from the park entrance; there's no hotel pickup. After the guided portion you can stay: swim at the beach or keep walking the trails on your own. Check your tour option carefully. The regular and premium options include SINAC park tickets; the beach option does not — you'll have to buy those yourself on the SINAC site (serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr), and the operator emails instructions, so watch your inbox. No food is included, though there's a cafeteria inside the park. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Spanish
This is a 12-hour day trip that starts with morning pickup from most San Jose area hotels in an air-conditioned vehicle and heads straight to the coast. The drive itself is part of the tour: you'll stop for 15 minutes at the crocodile bridge over the Tarcoles River, another 15 at Tarcoles Beach to look for scarlet macaws, and 15 more at the Jaco Beach look-out point before reaching the park. At Manuel Antonio, a professional bilingual guide (English and Spanish) leads a one-hour hike on the rainforest trails, with the rest of the park time free — about three hours total inside. Howler monkeys, sloths, iguanas, and birds are the usual sightings. Lunch follows in the early afternoon at a restaurant with ocean and jungle views. Breakfast and lunch, the national park entrance fee, and hotel drop-off in San Jose are all included; gratuities are not. There's also an option to be dropped off at centrally located Manuel Antonio or Quepos hotels instead of returning to San Jose — request it at booking. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Spanish
A two-hour guided walk along the main trails of Manuel Antonio National Park, moving slowly enough to actually spot wildlife — monkeys, sloths, birds — with a bilingual guide (English and Spanish) who does the finding and explaining. Your entrance ticket is included in the price. The 7:00 a.m. departure is the one to take if you can. The park is quieter and animals are more active before the heat and crowds arrive. Later departures run on the same trails. Logistics depend on which option you book. Private tours include hotel pickup anywhere in the Manuel Antonio area; group options (Economic, Family, and Regular) meet at the office 50 meters before the park entrance. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Spanish
This is a 4-hour guided walk through Manuel Antonio National Park, with about 3 hours on the trail. The focus is spotting animals with a guide who knows where they hang out: sloths, monkeys, reptiles and insects, plus the flora along the route. The walk ends at one of the park's beaches, so bring or wear swimwear if you want to get in the water. A certified naturalist guide leads every group, in English or Spanish. Park entrance is included in the price, along with snacks and air-conditioned transport. Alcohol isn't included. Pickup covers any accommodation between Quepos and Manuel Antonio. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Spanish
A slow, easy 2.5-hour walk covering about 2.2 kilometers on gravel and sandy trail near the beach, with the whole focus on spotting wildlife. The animals are there but camouflaged, so a guide makes the difference — this tour runs with a certified local guide in English or Spanish who finds sloths, monkeys, birds and insects you'd walk right past on your own. Each guide carries a spotting scope and sets it up on every animal found. You can look through the lens and take photos through it with your own smartphone — the digiscoping setup is included, along with the guide and scope. The first stop, the park trail itself, runs about 25 minutes at a wildlife-spotting pace before the walk continues along the beach-side path. Park entrance is not included. You must buy your ticket online in advance at serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr before booking this tour — if tickets are sold out, the tour can't run. No need to print anything. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Spanish
This is a slow-paced, roughly two-hour wildlife walk with a certified bilingual guide (English and Spanish), built around stopping whenever an animal turns up rather than covering distance. The guide carries a high-definition spotting scope, so you get close-up views of canopy wildlife — sloths, monkeys, birds, reptiles — and can shoot photos through it. You also get a wildlife photo album and insurance is covered. The guided portion ends at Manuel Antonio Beach inside the park, and from there you're free to stay and swim or relax on your own before exiting. Meeting point is Joseph supermarket outside the park entrance — no hotel pickup. Park admission depends on the option you book: either the ticket is included, or you buy it yourself through the government site (serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr) and the operator can help if needed. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund. Be on time at the supermarket; the group doesn't wait.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Spanish
This is the ticket-included option: the operator buys your park entrance in advance, so you need to send your full name, passport number, and nationality via WhatsApp (+506 70952337) as soon as you book. The walk itself runs about two hours with a certified local guide, offered in Spanish, English, or Portuguese. The tour starts with a short briefing on park rules and what's allowed inside. Guides carry optical gear — a spotting scope — so the group can watch wildlife up close rather than squinting at distant branches. Along the route you can detour to the waterfalls inside the park, and at the end there are viewpoints and mangrove areas if you want more walking. Beach time wraps up the tour. Photos and videos from the walk are included. Transportation is not, though the operator can coordinate it on request; if you're staying in Quepos or Manuel Antonio, public buses run frequently to the park entrance. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Portuguese, English, Spanish
This is a 2-hour guided walk inside the park, run by a family outfit, with a certified bilingual guide (English or Spanish) who carries a telescope so you can actually see the animals rather than squint at blobs in the canopy. Expect sloths, monkeys, birds, tiny bats and green forest frogs — the guide spots them and sets up the scope for the group. The walk itself is easy. Once it ends, you're free to stay in the park: relax on the beach or keep walking the trails on your own. Total listed tour time is about 3 hours including transport. Round-trip transport from Quepos and Manuel Antonio is included, along with the park entrance fee, fruit, water and snacks, and air conditioning in the vehicle. Pickup outside those two areas costs extra — ask the operator for your location. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English, Spanish
This tour is a 3-hour guided nature walk through Manuel Antonio Park, led by a professional English-speaking guide. The walk ends at the park's white-sand beach, where you can stay and swim before heading back. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included from any hotel in Quepos or Manuel Antonio. Departures run between 7:00am and 11:00am; pickups outside the Quepos and Manuel Antonio area carry an extra fee. The meeting point for independent arrivals is the Iguana Tours office. Snacks are provided. Gratuities aren't included, and the park entrance fee isn't listed among the inclusions — confirm at booking. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English