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Looking for the best tour of Manuel Antonio National Park?
Well, you’re in luck! We absolutely love this national park, which is teeming with wildlife, adventure, and amazing beaches. It basically sums up everything that’s great about Costa Rica, and after traveling all over Costa Rica (and even living here!) we know what makes a good tour.
If you’ve only got a day to see the park, booking a tour is the best way to make the most of your time. So in this blog post, we’ve rounded up our top five picks to help you decide!
Quick Pick: Our Favorite Tour
Don’t have time to read the full article?
Our personal FAVORITE tour is this guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park that pairs you with a wildlife specialist. We saw so many creatures hiding in the rainforest, visited a beautiful beach, and got lots of great photos. Check out all the 5-star reviews and book this tour here.
Tip: Reserve this tour early to guarantee your spot and get FREE cancellation 24 hours before you go!
1. Half-Day Guided Tour of Manuel Antonio National Park
- Price: $45 USD
- Duration: 4 hours
- Time: 7 am or 12:30 pm
- Highlights: Wildlife walks, beach visits, lots of photos
- Inclusions: Hotel pickup, spotting scopes, naturalist guide,
- Rating: 5 Stars (Check 2,300+ reviews here!)
- Free cancellation: Yes
We had a fantastic time on this guided tour of Manuel Antonio, thanks in large part to our guide, Armando, who was just incredible. He had a real knack for spotting wildlife and even used the spotting scopes to help us take amazing photos on our phones.
We saw so much on the guided nature walk through the jungle, including crazy-looking True Crabs, toucans, chameleons, sloths, and monkeys!
Our group was pretty large (hence the affordable price tag), but Armando was a great leader so this really wasn’t an issue for us. We also had time to enjoy the beaches and paddle in the water.
The tour offers complimentary pickup from certain locations, but we drove ourselves. This meant that after our morning tour, we were able to stay in the park and enjoy the beaches for a few more hours, so we highly recommend doing the tour this way if you can.
We’re so glad that we did this tour, as Armando helped us spot so many more creatures than we would have done on our own. Plus, it was nice to have a local to show us around the park, as it’s easy to get lost in the dense rainforest! We will absolutely do this tour again the next time friends or family come to visit us in Costa Rica.
Book our FAVORITE tour of Manuel Antonio National Park here!
2. Small Group Guided Tour of Manuel Antonio National Park
- Price: $29 USD
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Time: 7 am, 8 am, 9 am, 10 am, 1 pm
- Highlights: Nature walks, local coffee shop, beaches
- Inclusions: Local guide, spotting scope
- Rating: 5 Stars (Check 300+ reviews here!)
- Free cancellation: Yes
We think that this specific tour is perfect for budget travelers! It’s a self-drive tour, so you get to do an in-depth nature walk with a guide, and then you can stay in the park after the tour to enjoy the beautiful beaches by yourself.
Our guide, Alvin, was so knowledgeable about wildlife, and his enthusiasm made hiking through the rainforest so much fun. He also gave us some great recommendations for which beaches and beautiful spots to check out in the park after.
We loved exploring as part of a small group tour, as we got to ask a ton of questions, and we saw lots of wildlife, from white-faced howler monkeys to lots of exotic birds.
The price of the tour includes spotting scopes, which help you to get close-up views of the creatures you spot – and for $29 USD, you really can’t go wrong! We also really appreciated the coffee stop after two hours of hiking through the rainforest.
Overall, we feel like we got a lot of bang for our buck with this tour. It’s ideal for those who want a guide to help them navigate the park and discover wildlife, but don’t want to spend a ton of money. Due to the competitive price, this tour books up fast in peak season, so don’t hesitate to book.
Guarantee your spot on this popular tour by booking here!
Related Read: For more tips on visiting, check out our full guide on Manuel Antonio National Park!
3. Manuel Antonio National Park Wildlife Tour
- Price: $65 USD
- Duration: 4 hours
- Time: 7:20 am or 12 pm
- Highlights: Guided wildlife hike, beach time
- Inclusions: Naturalist guide, snacks, hotel pickup, spotting scopes
- Rating: 5 Stars (Check 400+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: Yes
This tour is ideal for nature lovers, especially those who don’t have their own wheels! It’s a small group tour that focuses on the park’s rare wildlife, so this is a fantastic chance to spot some of the most interesting creatures in Costa Rica – which is really saying something.
We thought that this tour was really well-organized and it was totally stress-free! Our guide, Jacob, really knew his stuff and had a real knack for spotting reptiles that were very well-camouflaged in the jungle; we would never have seen them on our own. We saw tons of iguanas, lizards, and snakes thanks to him! He was also such an upbeat, positive person, and his energy was infectious.
We would recommend booking this tour for the morning. Manuel Antonio National Park closes at 3 pm, so going in the morning means a more relaxed pace and more time to take in the beauty of this stunning park!
After our nature walk, we got to go swimming at one of the park’s gorgeous, remote beaches, which was a real treat. Honestly, if you love wildlife as much as we do and want everything taken care of for you, then this tour is an excellent choice.
Book this tour here to access free cancellation!
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.
4. Private Tour of Manuel Antonio National Park
- Price: $79 – $129 USD
- Duration: 3-4 hours
- Time: Between 7 am and 12:30 pm
- Highlights: Nature walks, juice and fruit snacks, hotel pickup and drop off, beach time, extra guided hike for the customizable private tour option
- Inclusions: Photos and videos, spotting scopes, guide, park entrance
- Rating: 5 Stars (Check 500+ reviews here)
- Free cancellation: Yes
If you’re looking for a private, all-inclusive tour of Manuel Antonio National Park, then this amazing tour has got you covered. What we like about this tour is that there are a few different tiers to choose from, so you can opt for a semi-private experience to save money, a fully private tour, or a customizable private tour which includes an extra hike of your choosing at the end.
Either way, all of these options include the park entrance fee, which most tours don’t! We actually find this to be the most generous tour in terms of inclusions. Plus, our guide, Raphael, took a ton of photos for us and catered the experience exactly to our liking.
We really got the VIP treatment with this one, so if you’re happy to spend a bit more to get a personalized experience, we’d highly recommend booking this tour.
Everything was so well-organized and Raphael knew exactly where to take us to avoid the crowds and maximize our chances of spotting wildlife. We also think that this would be a great option for families, because it’s a private tour so it can be customized to suit kids’ needs and abilities.
Book your VIP private tour here to customize your visit to the national park!
Related Read: Since the park closes at 3 pm, if you need evening plans, check out our favorite night tours in Manuel Antonio! You’ll spot a whole new set of critters after dark.
5. Manuel Antonio National Park Wildlife and Beaches Tour
- Price: $30 – $65 USD
- Duration: 2 hours
- Time: 7 am – 2 pm
- Highlights: Certified local guide nature walks, beach visit, and swim
- Inclusions: Certified local guide, HD spotting scopes
- Rating: 5 Stars (Check 850+ reviews here!)
- Free cancellation: Yes
Last, but certainly not least, this tour is perfect for groups of friends traveling together!
There were around 20 people in our group, and our guide, Andre, created a fun and friendly atmosphere. This is a self-drive tour, so you can either drive or take a taxi to the park, and again, we suggest going in the morning. This way, we got to do the hike before it got too hot and then hang around on the gorgeous beaches until the park closed at 3 pm – in fact, the tour actually ends on the beach.
Quite a few people in our group remarked that they wouldn’t have seen anything without Andre to help us spot wildlife! The spotting scopes he provided were very high quality, which really helped the experience, We got to see so much, from toucans and butterflies to sloths and hard-to-spot snakes. In fact, we actually got to see baby sloths, which upped the cute factor!
If you prefer, you can also opt to make this tour a private one when you book through Viator. We were happy to do the group tour, but we think that both options are very competitively priced, especially given the quality of the tour and the glowing reviews!
Book this highly-rated tour easily here!
Other Must-Do Activities While You’re in Manuel Antonio
Once you arrive in Manuel Antonio, there’s so much to see and do! You can check out our full guide on Manuel Antonio or browse our favorite activities below!
- Ziplining – Did you know that Manuel Antonio is home to the longest twin zipline in Costa Rica? Well, on this ziplining tour, you’ll get to zoom through the treetops on a huge tandem zipline! You can race with your friends and enjoy the experience together!
- Coffee and chocolate tour – Coffee and chocolate are two of my favorite things. So, it should come as no surprise I just had to join this top-rated coffee and chocolate tour in Manuel Antonio! The tour teaches you about the historical importance of cacao as well as the entire process of making chocolate. It’s a fantastic experience!
- Sunset Sail – The sunset or daytime sail in Manuel Antonio was my favorite tour I have done in town. It’s a fun and relaxing tour with spectacular views, lots of drinks, snorkeling, and food.
- ATVing – This ATV tour is so much fun and takes you into the jungle to explore at high speed and then refresh in a natural waterfall. You’ll get wet and dirty, but have a fantastic time! A traditional Costa Rica lunch is also included.
Where to Stay in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
There are tons of different hotels to choose from when deciding where to stay in Manuel Antonio. Here are a few of our favorites for all budgets:
Parador Resort and Spa – $$$
Those who enjoy staying in a beautiful hotel and don’t mind paying for it, have to check out Parador Resort and Spa. This place does tick a lot of boxes! It’s only a short walk to the beach, has fantastic panoramic views thanks to its elevated location, and has two infinity pools.
The hotel is surrounded by rainforest, so there’s tons of wildlife around too. It’s more around the $350 USD+ per night mark, but is great for a luxury getaway! You can check availability and book online here.
Hotel Villas Lirio – $$
For the medium-budget traveler, my top choice is Hotel Villas Lirio (pictured above). This gorgeous hotel is reasonably priced but has some very luxurious features such as an outdoor pool, tropical manicured gardens, an included breakfast, and a restaurant.
The hotel is also located in the heart of Manuel Antonio and is only meters from the main road where the bus down to the beach and national park goes (it’s a 1-minute drive or a short walk). Be sure to book it in advance as it is often fully booked. You can book Hotel Villas Lirio here.
Selina – $
One of the best budget-friendly places to stay in Manuel Antonio is Selina. Selina has hostels all over Costa Rica and the world. They always offer an ideal place to stay with clean rooms, a great bar, and a social atmosphere. In Manuel Antonio, Selina is no different, and the hostel comes with a huge pool, restaurant and bar, private rooms, and dorm rooms.
Rates begin at $57 USD per night. You can book Selina here on Hostelworld or here on Booking.com.
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 Manuel Antonio National Park is one of our favorite things to do when we’re in this part of Costa Rica. While it’s doable to explore on your own, I think these guided tours help you get a feel for what the park has to offer and pair you up with an expert to help you spot wildlife. Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to see baby sloths like we did!
For more travel guides and advice, have a look at our blog about visiting Costa Rica. Or if you’re planning to stick around the Manuel Antonio area for a few days, I put a couple blogs below that may be helpful!
3 BEST Ziplining Tours in Manuel Antonio