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If you’re looking to immerse yourself in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, you’ve come to the right place!
We’re huge wildlife lovers, so we’ve visited the Cloud Forest many times while living in Costa Rica. You can visit without a tour, but we highly recommend going with a guide, especially if it’s your first time. It’s the best way to get the most out of your visit and spot more animals!
After our visits, we know what makes a good tour and which companies you can rely on. Keep reading to learn about each one and find a tour that calls your name!
Quick Pick: Our Favorite Tour
Don’t have time to read the full article?
We loved this highly-rated walking tour of the Cloud Forest. With an expert guide and spotting scope in hand, you’ll explore this magnificent forest in search of wildlife.
You can choose between a small group tour or a private experience. Both are well-rated – just check out the hundreds of 5-star reviews here!
Tip: Book this popular tour early to guarantee your spot and get FREE cancellation!
The Best Monteverde Cloud Forest Tours
1. Monteverde Cloud Forest Walking Tour
This walking tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest is our favorite for a reason! We spotted so many creatures on this tour like resplendent quetzals, poison dart frogs, capybaras, hummingbirds, and more.
Our guide, Roy, knew the Monteverde Cloud Forest like the back of his hand. He taught us all about the epic wildlife in the reserve and he had a spotting scope that we got to use which provided amazing views of wildlife high up in the trees. As an added bonus, Roy even took pictures throughout the experience and sent them to everyone after the tour!
We love that this tour provides the option between a private tour or a shared group experience. There’s a maximum of 9 people on the group option, so it’s still a nice, close-knit experience. No matter what option you choose, we know you’ll have an amazing time with Roy!
This tour is top-rated (check out the hundreds of 5-star reviews here!). It costs $35 USD for the group experience, which is an amazing deal – just note that this option doesn’t include transport to the forest. There’s also a private tour option.
Secure your spot on this 5-star cloud forest tour here and you can pay later!
2. Zipline and Hanging Bridges Combo Tour in Monteverde Cloud Forest
If you’re looking for a more adventurous experience in the Monteverde Cloud Forest, you can’t beat this full-day tour that combines two of the best things to do in Costa Rica – ziplining and spotting wildlife!
This fun tour lets you tackle the reserve’s amazing 15-cable zipline course. We always love ziplining, but doing it in one of the most biodiverse forests in the world takes it to the next level. Plus, one of the ziplines is 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) long – in fact, it’s the longest in Costa Rica. There’s also a giant Tarzan swing you can ride!
After the thrilling zipline adventure, you get a typical Costa Rican lunch inside the reserve. Then, in the afternoon, your guide will take you on a tour of the park’s suspension bridges. You get to enjoy some fantastic views while your guide helps you spot amazing creatures like resplendent quetzals, anteaters, kinkajous, and red-eyed tree frogs.
Whether you require transport from the Monteverde area or want to drive yourself, the tour costs $160 USD. If you are staying elsewhere in Guanacaste, you can get included shared round-trip transportation or private transport for an additional fee.
Book your Zipline and Hanging Bridges Combo Tour here and get FREE cancellation!
3. Private Day and Night Wildlife Tour
If you love wildlife, then this private tour promises an epic full-day experience. You get to visit multiple wildlife reserves throughout the day – and even at night!
We did this tour the last time we were in Monteverde and can’t recommend it enough. Our fantastic guide, Kenneth, picked us up around 7:30 am and we started the day with a guided walk through the Monteverde Cloud Forest. I loved exploring the suspension bridges as the animals woke up – the whole place really felt alive at this time of day.
Next, we were off to the Curi-Cancha Reserve. This is an amazing place to go bird-watching, and it tends to be way less crowded than Monteverde Cloud Forest, especially during peak tourist season. It’s actually a bit of a local hidden gem, and you can spot some of Costa Rica’s famous birds such as the rare resplendent quetzal.
Afterward, Kenneth dropped us back off at our hotel for a little rest while we waited for the sun to go down. Around 6 pm he picked us up again and we headed to the Monteverde Wildlife Refuge for a night tour! This is a chance to see a totally different set of animals and birds from the ones you can spot during the daytime, including owls, ocelots, snakes, and so much more.
This tour costs $225 USD per person, not including lunch or reserve entry fees, which should add up to an extra $45 USD or so. However, it does include roundtrip transportation and a private guide. You also get to use equipment to help you spot all of the animals, such as telescopes and flashlights for the night hike.
For a combo day and night tour, reserve your spot here!
4. Customizable Private Cloud Forest Tour
This private walking tour is top-rated, thanks to the amazing guides! On this nature walk, you’ll explore the Cloud Forest with an expert guide who has spent years studying the natural world. Since it’s a private tour, you get to choose which trails you’d like to explore.
You can choose the daytime tour to be at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Curi-Cancha Reserve, Santa Elena Reserve, or the SkyWalk series of hanging bridges. You also get to choose your departure time. We love how customizable this tour is, they can even make it wheelchair accessible if needed!
The daytime-only tour costs between $26-$158 USD per person depending on the size of your group, and there is a maximum of 8 people. This price doesn’t include transportation or park fees so make sure to budget accordingly.
You can also opt to do a daytime and nighttime combo tour to see even more wildlife because a lot of Monteverde’s most fascinating creatures are nocturnal! If you have the time and budget, we recommend doing the night tour as well, since it provides such a unique experience!
For a flexible, private experience, book this tour online in advance!
5. Monteverde Bird Watching Tour
Did you know the Monteverde Cloud Forest is home to around 450 species of birds? It really is a bird lover’s paradise!
Early morning is the best time to go bird watching in Monteverde Cloud Forest since it’s when the birdlife is most active. That’s exactly why this bird-watching tour has an early start of 6 am. The guides do a great job of helping you see as many birds as possible on a 2.5-hour guided walk to spot some of the rarest and most fascinating birds that Costa Rica has to offer!
You’ll have a spotting scope to help you get close-up views of the treetops, but you’ll also see lots of interesting mammals along the way, including coatis and deer.
This is a perfect tour for keen birdwatchers. But it doesn’t matter if it’s your first time, as the guides are super helpful. Ultimately, this tour is designed for bird watchers of all abilities.
One thing that we love about this tour is that you’ll be in a really small group of no more than 8 people, so you’ll get a personal experience. This is especially awesome if you’re a beginner or a recreational birder because your guide will be on hand to help you identify all of the new species you see! Plus, they can take lots of pictures for you, so that you can concentrate on enjoying your tour.
This highly rated tour (check out the reviews here!) costs $100 USD per person, including hotel pickup and dropoff in the Santa Elena-Monteverde area, your guide, and park entrance fees. Just be aware you need a minimum of 2 people to book this tour.
Grab a friend and book this incredible Bird Watching Tour in Monteverde here!
Other EPIC Activities to do in Monteverde
While enjoying the Monteverde Cloud Forest is definitely a must-do, don’t forget to explore the rest of this area. There are so many fun activities in Monteverde that you could spend your entire vacation here! These are just a few of our favorites:
- Take a coffee tour – Costa Rica is famous for its coffee, and Monteverde is actually one of the best places to do a coffee tour. The Don Juan plantation is our favorite spot to learn about the coffee-making process and taste loads of samples, and you can book their coffee tour easily online.
- Selvatura Park – Selvatura Park is a nature and adventure park located inside 850 acres of protected rainforest. This park has a network of hanging bridges above the tree canopy that give you incredible aerial views of the rainforest. Get the chance to explore all the bridges, go ziplining across 15 different lines, and try out the thrilling Tarzan swing on this Selvatura Park Combo Tour!
- Go bungy jumping – Bungy jumping is one of the fun Monteverde attractions you have to try … if you’re brave enough! The Extreme Bungee Jumping in Monteverde Tour has a daring jump from over 460 feet/140 meters. That’s the highest in Costa Rica and all of Central America!
- Horseback riding – This is a great way to give your feet a break and explore the Monteverde Cloud Forest on horseback! This Monteverde Cloud Forest horseback riding tour lets you cover a lot of ground as you trek through the farmland and surrounding landscape in Monteverde. Keep an eye out for toucans, parrots, monkeys, and other critters as you experience the rural side of Costa Rica.
- Enjoy local cuisine – We love Costa Rican food and were happy to learn that Monteverde has some great restaurants! Our personal favorite restaurant in Monteverde/Santa Elena is Taco Taco Taqueria. And the San Lucas Treetop Dining Experience reminds me of a fancy treehouse paired with an amazing meal.
Where to Stay in Monteverde, Costa Rica
Monteverde may be a small tourist town, but there are a surprisingly large amount of great hotels in all budget ranges. To help you pick a favorite, here are our top recommendations:
Chira Glamping Monteverde – $$$
If you’re a luxury traveler, I highly suggest choosing what we call a “destination hotel”. These hotels are an attraction in themselves because of the unique experience they offer. In Monteverde one of the best is Chira Glamping Monteverde which offers luxury camping with the option to have your own private hot tub surrounded by nature.
The view from the property is incredible! Rates begin at $439 USD/night. You can check availability and book online with Booking.com.
Camino Verde B&B Monteverde – $$
For those well past their backpacking days who can spend a little more, I love Camino Verde B&B Monteverde Costa Rica. This boutique hotel has beautiful rooms, a deck with magnificent views, and includes breakfast. It’s a comfortable hotel that comes at a great price.
Rates dip as low as under $100 USD/night. You can check availability and book a room online here.
Selina Monteverde – $
If you’re a budget traveler or backpacker, there are lots of nice hostels in Monteverde. If you like modern features and outstanding facilities, Selina Monteverde is the best option. The hostel is beautiful, has great reviews, and lots of activities including yoga.
Prices begin at $97 USD for a private room or $25 USD for a bunk in a dorm. You can book Selina on Booking.com or here on Hostelworld.
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!
Taking a tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest absolutely deserves a spot on your Costa Rica itinerary! Whether you want a tranquil afternoon birdwatching or want to combine your visit with a thrilling zipline adventure, you now know all the best options.
If you liked this post, make sure you check out the rest of our blog, which is full of ideas and inspiration for traveling around Costa Rica. The country captured my heart while living here and visiting often, so I want to make sure you get to enjoy it as much as I do!
ULTIMATE Guide to Planning Your Romantic Honeymoon in Costa Rica
9 BEST Tours of Costa Rica (Multi-Day Guided Tours) & How to Pick One