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So you’ve heard of La Fortuna’s iconic hanging bridges and want to experience them for yourself, have you? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
Having climbed across these bridges a time or two before, we can confidently say that the best way to experience them is on a guided tour. From leisurely birdwatching walks to ziplining through the rainforest, there are many hanging bridge tours for every type of traveler!
But finding the best tour for you can be challenging sometimes, especially because there are different hanging bridge parks near La Fortuna and different activities are offered at each. That’s why we’ve narrowed it down and created a list of the absolute best tours of the hanging bridges available so that you can feel confident that you’re booking the right one!
Quick Pick: Our Favorite Tour
If you don’t have time to read the full article, don’t worry! You can’t go wrong with booking this full-day tour that visits the hanging bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, and the Arenal Volcano!
These 3 activities are all absolute must-do activities while visiting La Fortuna, and this tour conveniently combines them into one fantastic experience. You get to hike around the base of the Arenal Volcano, relax beneath a refreshing 75-meter (246 ft) waterfall, and adventure through the beautiful Mistico Park hanging bridges. If this sounds a bit too active for you, keep on reading! There are many more great options below.
This 5-star tour (check out the glowing reviews here) costs $172 USD per person which we think is a good deal for the full day of adventure that you get. It includes transportation, hotel pick-up/drop-off, a knowledgeable guide, and even lunch!
Book our favorite La Fortuna hanging bridges tour here and enjoy free 24-hour cancellation!
The BEST La Fortuna Hanging Bridges Tours
1. Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall & Arenal Volcano Combo Tour
One of the most recognizable landmarks in La Fortuna is the stunning Arenal Volcano. I mean, it’s an entire volcano, so it’s hard to miss! On this active full-day tour, you’ll get to visit the volcano along with the La Fortuna waterfall and the Mistico Arenal hanging bridges – talk about the perfect day for any adventurous nature lover!
The day starts early to go hiking around the base of Arenal Volcano. This 2.5-hour hike is actually easier than it sounds, as the hike is relatively flat. The trail led us to a dry lava field from the 1968 eruption, which had a devastating impact on the surrounding villages, crops, and ecosystems. But don’t worry, it’s no longer active, so you’re safe to explore!
Next, we took a 30-minute drive to the La Fortuna Waterfall, another must-visit spot in La Fortuna. We spent the next 2 hours relaxing, taking in the views of the 75-meter (246 ft) falls, and swimming in the refreshing water before heading to our final stop, the hanging bridges!
The Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges have 6 hanging bridges and 10 regular bridges that wind through the rainforest. We had so much fun navigating the park and crossing them all! What’s great is that you’ll have about 2.5 hours here to hike at a nice, relaxed place, taking in the beauty of the rainforest with your guide.
We loved that this tour had a maximum of only 12 people, making it easy to meet people and keep a good pace on the hikes. It costs $172 USD per person which is a pretty great deal when you consider it includes hotel pick-up and drop-off, transportation, your guide, lunch, and bottled water. If you need some more convincing to book this tour, just check out the 100’s of 5-star reviews here!
Secure your spot on this popular nature tour online here!
2. Half-Day Sky Walk Canopy Tour
If you want to experience the hanging bridges while going on an in-depth guided journey of the rainforest, then this half-day Sky Walk canopy tour is for you!
Over the course of 3 hours, you will walk 3.6 km (2.2 m) through the rainforest learning all about the flora, fauna, and wildlife around you. You will get to cross 4 hanging bridges and 4 regular bridges during your journey and will even see 3 beautiful waterfalls. I loved that we got to stop for a swim at one of the falls, it was a refreshing break after all that walking!
With a maximum of 20 people, this tour felt super intimate and we were able to ask all of our questions. We highly recommend this guided tour instead of going on your own, because there’s no way we would have seen all of the birds and animals that our guide pointed out!
We think this is a great tour option for families with children 6 years or older. The hanging bridges are so unique and fun, and since it is only 3 hours long, you can get back to the hotel before the little ones get too tired which is always a plus.
This tour includes roundtrip transportation from your hotel in La Fortuna/Arenal, making it a super convenient choice where you don’t have to worry about any planning or logistics. It only costs $81 USD per person, which includes transportation, the entrance fee to the park, and your expert tour guide. And with multiple departure times throughout the day, this tour is super simple to fit into your travel itinerary.
Check the schedule and book your tour here!
3. Mistico Park Hanging Bridges Tour
One of our favorite places in La Fortuna is the Mistico Park hanging bridges. This is a separate set of hanging bridges from the Sky Walk ones we mentioned above, but honestly, both are fantastic and you can’t go wrong visiting either one (or just do both!).
This 2.5-hour Mistico walking tour. takes you through the park with a professional naturalist guide who will teach you all about the biodiversity of the rainforest around you. Keep your eyes peeled because there is the chance to spot some seriously awesome wildlife along the way such as birds, monkeys, and reptiles – we saw a huge snake when we went!
The main trail is a 2-mile (3.2-km) route that will take you over the park’s 6 hanging bridges and 10 regular bridges. There is also a shorter accessible trail in the park almost 1 mile (1.5 km) long, making this the perfect tour option for those with mobility issues. There are even strollers and electric scooters available to rent if needed!
The cost of this tour is $48 USD per adult, which is a pretty great deal when you consider that entrance alone without a guide is $32 USD per person. This price doesn’t include transportation though, so you’ll have to find your way to the park for your scheduled time slot. We recommend going in the morning before it gets too hot and staying in the park to have lunch. There is a lovely restaurant there with stunning views of the Arenal volcano.
This is a popular activity (check out all of the glowing reviews here!) so make sure to secure your spot in advance. We love booking with Viator, because we can book in advance and then cancel if we need to up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund!
Book your guided hanging bridges tour in advance here!
4. Hanging Bridges with Gondola Ride & Ziplining Combo Tour
If you’re looking to visit the hanging bridges and get your adrenaline pumping then this half-day combo tour is for you. Ziplining is a must-do activity in Costa Rica, and this tour lets you do just that!
The tour starts with the guided Sky Walk hanging bridges experience, a 3-hour walk through the rainforest to learn all about its biodiversity and spot a variety of wildlife. Next, you’ll get to go on the Sky Tram, an open-air gondola cart that brings you high up over the treetops. You’ll get amazing 360-degree views while on your way up the highest mountain in the Arenal Reserve!
Once at the top, you can enjoy the view of the volcano and take a photo with the iconic “Hand of Arenal” – a giant sculpture of a hand coming out from the earth that you can stand in to take an epic photo with Lake Arenal in the background.
The best is saved for last on this fun tour! You get to zipline over 2.7 km (1.7 miles) all the way back down the mountain over the course of 7 different zipline cables. The longest zipline spans 750 m (2460 ft) and is 201 m (660 ft) above the ground – so this tour isn’t for the faint of heart!
For only $162 USD per adult, you get roundtrip transportation from your La Fortuna hotel, entrance to the park, all 3 activities, and a professional guide included. We had so much fun on this tour and think it’s a great day out that covers some of the best activities in La Fortuna. Just note that children must be 8 years or older to participate. It departs at multiple times throughout the morning and lasts about 5 hours in total.
Book this adventure combo tour here in advance!
Related Read: Learn about the best places to go ziplining in Costa Rica here!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
5. Hanging Bridges Birdwatching Tour
You know what they say, “the early bird gets the worm”, or in this case “the early bird spots the other birds”!
This nature lover’s birdwatching tour starts bright and early at 6 am so that you get to Mistico Hanging Bridges Park before anyone else at the best birdwatching time. This area is home to over 450 different species of birds and you are sure to spot a few with the help of your knowledgable guide!
You will go on a leisurely 2.5-hour long walk through the park over the hanging bridges in search of birds and other wildlife. Make sure to bring your binoculars if you have them! And if you require some assistance with the walk, you can rent an electric scooter for $12 USD to make the experience more enjoyable.
I loved how peaceful it was walking through the park in the early morning before the crowds and other tours arrived. We learned so much along the way from our guide, and with only 8 people in our group, the experience felt very personalized.
The experience costs $61 USD per person which includes entrance to the park and your guide. It doesn’t include transportation though, so you will need to get to the park by yourself. There is lots of parking if you are renting a car, or you can always take a taxi.
Secure your spot here and don’t pay a thing until just before your tour date!
6. Hanging Bridges Night Walk
If you’re looking for a unique way to experience the hanging bridges, why not try this nighttime hanging bridges tour?
I was a bit hesitant to try this at first, especially after I heard that the snakes and tarantulas come out at night – but Dan convinced me to go, and I was happy he did!
What I thought would be a terrifying experience turned out to be one of the coolest experiences I had in the country. Our guide was calm and knowledgeable and turned all my fear into excitement as he pointed out all the animals moving around Mistico Park. We saw flowers that only bloom at nighttime and learned about all the butterflies that are awake in the dark (spoiler alert: it’s twice the amount you can see in the day!).
Going across the hanging bridges in the dark added an additional level of excitement, luckily we had our provided flashlights so we could see where we were going! Even if you’ve done the hanging bridges in the daytime, I recommend also doing this nighttime tour. It’s a completely different experience after dark!
This highly-rated tour (check out the reviews here) starts around 6 pm and costs $61 USD. This includes round-trip transportation from your hotel in La Fortuna, park entrance fees, and your guide. We think it’s a great experience for anyone over the age of 10.
Click here to book your hanging bridges nighttime tour!
What hanging bridges are there in La Fortuna?
La Fortuna has two different hanging bridge experiences. All of the tours we mentioned above visit one of the 2 parks below:
The first is Mistico Park Arenal Hanging Bridges which is the larger of the two parks. The trails through Mistico are well maintained with wider paths that are flat and easier to access. This is ideal for those with strollers or mobility issues. It is a great choice for families with young children.
Sky Adventures, home of the Sky Walk, is the original hanging bridge park in Costa Rica. The rustic charm of Sky Adventures will have you weaving through narrow pathways built into the forest. Navigating the tree stumps and wandering up steep sections make this a great option for those looking for a bit more adventure. For this reason, it is a good choice for families with older children.
Related Read: Check out the best free and cheap things to do in La Fortuna while you’re in town!
Do you need to book hanging bridge tours in advance?
The hanging bridges in La Fortuna are one of the most popular experiences in all of Costa Rica. Especially in peak seasons, they can get quite busy and the most popular tours (such as the ones we mentioned above) tend to book up quickly! For this reason, we highly recommend booking in advance so that you can secure a spot on the tour of your choice.
All of the tours on our list have a 24-hour cancellation policy meaning that you can cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours before your departure time! One of our favorite parts of booking with Viator, and why we always recommend Viator tours, is because they have a buy now pay later option. You can reserve your spot on tours ahead of time to help you better plan your vacation and then pay later, closer to your trip time. And with their lowest price guarantee, you know you are getting the best deal out there!
Click here to learn more about our favorite La Fortuna hanging bridges tour!
Other Things to do While You’re in La Fortuna
Of course, going whitewater rafting is one of the best experiences, but there are so many other things to do in La Fortuna you won’t want to miss! These are just a few of our top picks:
- Hot springs – If your tour doesn’t include hot springs, we definitely suggest visiting some! The Free Natural Hot Spring River is a public river running through the Tabacon Hot Springs Resort. It’s only 15 minutes outside La Fortuna and feels amazing after a day of hiking! If you don’t mind paying for a soak, there are tons of other amazing hot springs in La Fortuna to choose from too.
- Go on a night walk – Since rafting is a daytime thing, go on this night walk and dinner tour for a fun evening experience. Guides lead you on an easy hike through the rainforest, spotting all the critters that come out after dark. To finish it off, you’ll enjoy a traditional Costa Rican dinner prepared on a wood-burning stove.
- Visit a rope swing – El Salto, or “the rope swing,” is a hidden paradise with a swimming hole, waterfalls, and a local vibe – you’ll actually get a sneak peek as you drive by here on the whitewater rafting tours. This is one of the best free things to do in La Fortuna! You can easily walk to El Salto and swing into the refreshing waters – or ask the locals where it’s safe to jump!
- Drink great coffee – It’s no secret some of the best coffee in the world comes from Costa Rica! You can grab a cup of coffee at one of the restaurants in La Fortuna or take it a step further with a coffee tour. We had the freshest cup of coffee and tasted amazing homemade chocolate on this Costa Rican coffee and chocolate experience that takes place on a small family-owned plantation.
- Arenal Volcano – Arenal Volcano is the centerpiece of La Fortuna! You can wander the trails at Arenal Volcano National Park on your own or as part of a hiking tour. For more unique volcano views, take to the sky aboard the Sky Tram, fly by on an ATV ride, or take a leisurely sunset cruise on Lake Arenal.
Related Read: If you’re flying into San Jose, read our guide on how to get from San Jose to La Fortuna.
Getting Around Costa Rica
How you choose to get around Costa Rica is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make when planning your holiday here! How you do it depends on your budget, travel style, and comfort level.
Renting a Car
Without a doubt, the number one way to explore Costa Rica is in a rental car. We book rental cars on the Discover Cars website as we have had good experiences with them in the past.
One of the things you need to watch for when renting a car in Costa Rica is the mandatory insurance that the government requires you to have. There are a lot of very cheap rentals that don’t include this mandatory insurance (TPL) in the original booking price, but there are also ones that do. To avoid additional surprise charges when you pick up your rental car, be sure to rent a car that includes the mandatory insurance when you book.
Thankfully, on Discover Cars it’s easy to tell apart the companies that include the mandatory insurance and those that don’t. The trick is you can’t pick any car on their website. In the picture below, you can see this rental car, with pick up in Jaco, includes the TPL. That means the mandatory insurance is included in the price. Any cover you get above that is extra.
Of course, I still suggest getting the full coverage offered by Discover Cars, which covers you even more.
You can browse cars on Discover Cars here.
Book Shuttles
If renting a car isn’t in your budget, you don’t feel comfortable driving in Costa Rica, or you just don’t like driving, shuttles are the next best option. There are hundreds of shuttle routes available all over the country, and they are very affordable.
Shuttles in Costa Rica are specifically for tourists and often include pick up and drop off at your selected hotels and airports. The drivers also speak some English, and the vehicles have air conditioning. You’ll also be guaranteed a seat when you book a shuttle (which isn’t the case with the public bus system.)
To get the best price, use the website Bookaway. They compare all the offers and prices of shuttle companies in Costa Rica so you get the best price! Honestly, we have saved so much money using Bookaway!
You can search for shuttles online on Bookaway here.
Public Bus
Lastly, you can use the public bus system. On short journeys, such as from San Jose to La Fortuna or Uvita to Manuel Antonio, this system is great. However, the longer the journey the more hassle and time spent on a bus. It’s undoubtedly best to save the public bus in Costa Rica for short and straightforward trips!
The public buses are definitely the cheapest way to get around Costa Rica, but they are not always very reliable and schedules often change without notice and delays are to be expected. The buses can also be very crowded and hot – so just be prepared!
It’s also good to speak some Spanish if you plan on riding the public bus since most drivers and ticket booth operators don’t speak English.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
If you’re looking to save money on travel insurance, we currently use and recommend SafetyWing. We’ve been using their coverage since 2018 and they’ve had our backs when we needed emergency flights and got sick overseas.
SafetyWing is one of the cheapest providers out there and covers everything from medical costs to lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency flights. A huge difference we’ve found between them and other companies is that they let you take out a policy AFTER leaving your home country. We’ve also found it handy that it’s a monthly payment rather than a lump sum, and you can get a refund for unused time.
SafetyWing has helped us out in some scary situations before and their affordable coverage has given us peace of mind.
Pura Vida!
Exploring the La Fortuna hanging bridges may just turn out to be one of your favorite things to do in Costa Rica! Walking along the bridges through the rainforest is an activity you won’t soon forget. Regardless of which park you visit and tour you choose, I’m sure you will have a great time!
I hope you love your time in La Fortuna as much as we did. While you’re planning your trip here, check out our travel inspiration blogs so you can fill up your Costa Rica bucket list!
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