Discover the Best Tours in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is one of those places that sounds almost too good to be true. Rainforests packed with wildlife. Volcanoes rising above the clouds. Coastlines where sea turtles come ashore at night. Adventure, wildlife, and sandy beaches all packed into a country smaller than West Virginia.

For travelers who want a culturally immersive experience, the must-do Costa Rica tours are the ones that go deep. Into remote national parks and along canopy trails alive with birdsong. In short, into places most tourists never find. But with the right tour operator, top rated Costa Rica tours are easy to find.

The Osa Peninsula: As Wild as It Gets

If there is one place that defines what the best tours in Costa Rica are all about, it's the Osa Peninsula. Located in the remote southwest corner of the country, the Osa is home to Corcovado National Park. This is one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth, with rare species of both flora and fauna to discover.

Getting to the Osa Peninsula takes effort. It is one of the last great stretches of lowland tropical rainforest in Central America, and is only accessible by small planes or along bumpy roads. However, it’s remote location is exactly what keeps it wild.

Inside Corcovado, full-day guided hikes take visitors deep into the forest. Wildlife here is extraordinary:

• Scarlet macaws: The brilliant red, yellow, and blue feathers of these birds are impossible to miss against the green canopy of the rainforest. Most tourists will hearing the birds before they see them; their calls carry far through the forest.
• Monkeys: Four species of monkeys make their home in Corcovado. These include howler monkeys, spider monkeys, white-faced capuchins, and squirrel monkeys.
• Tapirs: These unique mammals are one of the most prehistoric-looking animals in the Americas. They look something like a cross between a pig and a small horse, with a short flexible snout that helps them browse on leaves and fruit.
• White-lipped peccaries: Great herds of these animals move through the rainforest constantly. These animals are social, noisy, and surprisingly bold. The sound of a herd crashing through the undergrowth is something guides listen for long before the animals come into view.
• Jaguars: Corcovado is one of the last strongholds for jaguars in Central America, and the population here is healthy. Although they are difficult to spot, sometimes - on a quiet trail with a patient guide - one crosses into view.

The Osa Peninsula also offers boat tours around nearby Caño Island, a protected biological reserve. Dolphins and whales are commonly spotted in these waters, and the snorkeling around the island is some of the best in the country, which only adds to the list of must-do Costa Rica tours for intrepid travelers!

Arenal Volcano: Wildlife in the Shadow of a Giant

Arenal is Costa Rica's most iconic landmark. The volcano towers over a landscape of rainforest, rivers, and lava fields. But visitors who come only for the view miss the bigger story.

The forests around Arenal are alive. Howler monkeys announce the dawn from the treetops. Toucans and hummingbirds feed along the forest edge. Hiking trails wind through thick vegetation toward waterfalls that drop into clear pools.

The Arenal region is also where many of the best tours in Costa Rica stop to slow down. The area's natural hot springs sit at the edge of the forest, fed by geothermal activity from the volcano itself. After a day of hiking and wildlife watching, there is no better place to relax and take in the view.

For birdwatchers, the forests between Arenal and the Pacific coast offer some of the richest birding in the country, with hundreds of species moving through the canopy at different times of year.

Tortuguero: The Amazon of Costa Rica

Tortuguero National Park sits on the Caribbean coast and is only reachable by boat or small plane. There are no roads in. That isolation has protected one of the most remarkable ecosystems in the country.

The park's freshwater canals stretch for miles through dense rainforest. Guided boat tours wind quietly through the waterways, where the trees press close on both sides and wildlife is everywhere:

• Green iguanas sun on low branches along the water's edge. These reptiles rely on warmth from the sun to regulate their body temperature, so catching them draped motionless over a branch in the morning light is one of the more reliable wildlife sightings in Tortuguero.
• Caimans float just below the surface, nearly invisible until a guide points one out. Smaller than crocodiles but just as ancient-looking, these reptiles can be spotted in the canals of Tortuguero. The canals are some of the best places in Costa Rica to see them up close, from the safety of a boat.
• River otters slip in and out of the water with an almost playful ease. They're quick and elusive, but the narrow canals of Tortuguero give visitors a front-row seat to their hunting runs in a way that open water rarely allows.
• Toucans and kingfishers perch along the banks like they're posing for photographs. The toucan's oversized bill is even more striking in person than in pictures, and the kingfisher's electric blue plumage stands out against the jungle trees.
• Monkeys and sloths move through the canopy at completely opposite speeds. Howler and spider monkeys shake branches and announce themselves loudly, while two and three-toed sloths creep so slowly through the treetops that spotting one requires an expert guide.

Tortuguero is also one of the world's most important sea turtle nesting sites. Depending on the season, visitors may witness sea turtles coming ashore at night to lay their eggs, or baby turtles making their first scramble toward the ocean. It is one of the most moving wildlife experiences anywhere on the planet, and is often icluded in top rated Costa Rica tours.

The Cloud Forests of Monteverde

High in the mountains above the Pacific coast, the cloud forests of Monteverde exist in a world of their own. Mist drifts through the trees, orchids grow from every branch, and the air is cool even at midday.

Monteverde is famous for birdwatching. The resplendent quetzal, one of the most spectacular birds in the Americas, nests in these forests during the early months of the year. Seeing one is a bucket-list moment for birders around the world.

Guided walks through the cloud forest also turn up bellbirds, motmots, emerald toucanets, and dozens of other species. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and the Santa Elena Reserve both offer excellent top-rated Costa Rica tours focused on birds and forest ecology.

Night walks here reveal a completely different world. Red-eyed tree frogs, glass frogs, and stick insects appear once the sun goes down, led by guides who know exactly where to look on must-do Costa Rica tours.

The Coffee Highlands: Where Culture and Nature Meet

Costa Rica's interior highlands are blanketed in coffee farms, small villages, and protected forest fragments. This is where the country's agricultural story lives, and it is a deeply meaningful part of any wildlife-focused visit.

Organic coffee plantation tours offer a window into how land is managed in harmony with the forest. Many farms here maintain shade canopy specifically to protect birds and other wildlife, making the farms themselves excellent spots for birdwatching.

The highlands also connect travelers with local Ticos, Costa Ricans who share a quiet pride in their country's conservation achievements. Conversations here about land, sustainability, and the meaning of Pura Vida stay with visitors long after they've returned home.

What Makes Must-Do Costa Rica Tours Worth Booking

Costa Rica has no shortage of tour options. The top-rated Costa Rica tours that stand out tend to share a few qualities.

#1: Small groups

Larger groups mean more noise, more waiting, and fewer wildlife sightings. The best wildlife experiences happen quietly and with fewer people.

#2: Expert local guides

Local guides know the land in ways no guidebook can capture. They know the trails, the animal habits, and where to stand still and wait.

#3: Eco-friendly lodges

Where travelers stay matters. Wilderness lodges that sit inside or adjacent to protected areas put guests closer to wildlife from the moment they wake up. The best ones support local conservation efforts directly.

#4: Remote access

The most memorable experiences in Costa Rica tend to happen far from the main roads. Tours that reach Corcovado, Tortuguero, or the Osa Peninsula's outer coast take more planning, but deliver encounters that are genuinely rare.

What Travelers Can Expect to See

Costa Rica's biodiversity means every day on the road brings something new. The country is home to an estimated 500,000 species. Which is roughly 5% of all life on Earth. A general wildlife watchlist includes:

• Birds: Toucans, scarlet macaws, resplendent quetzals, hummingbirds, and over 900 total species. Costa Rica is one of the top birdwatching destinations in the Western Hemisphere.
• Mammals: Two and three-toed sloths, four monkey species, tapirs, coatis, and jaguars. Most travelers spot sloths and monkeys daily. Tapirs and jaguars are rarer, but Corcovado National Park offers one of the best chances of encountering both in the wild.
• Reptiles: Caimans, basilisk lizards, and red-eyed tree frogs on night tours. The basilisk lizard, nicknamed the "Jesus Christ lizard" for its ability to run across water, is a crowd favorite, and night walks in the rainforest reveal a completely different cast of characters than daytime hikes.
• Marine life: Humpback whales, dolphins, sea turtles, and manta rays along both coasts. Costa Rica's Pacific coast is one of the few places in the world where humpback whales from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres visit in the same year.

The key to seeing as much as possible on the best tours in Costa Rica is time in the field with someone who knows where to look. A skilled local guide doesn't just find animals — they explain what's happening, why it matters, and how everything in the forest connects to everything else.

The Pura Vida Way of Traveling

Costa Ricans live by a phrase: Pura Vida. Pure life. It is an outlook that shows up in daily interactions, in the way the country cares for its forests, and in the warmth of the people travelers meet along the way.

Top-rated Costa Rica tours lean into that philosophy. They move at a pace that allows for real encounters, not rushed checklists. They make room for sitting quietly in the forest, for talking with a farmer, for watching the light change on the volcano at dusk. That kind of travel is harder to plan but easier to remember.

So, if you are looking for genuine encounters with wild animals in natural habitats, prefer small groups and knowledgeable guides, and care about traveling responsibly, this type of tour is for you. Must-do Costa Rica tours are the ones that take curiosity seriously, and deliver something truly wild for the traveler in return.

To uncover more insights about our trip through Costa Rica’s incredibly diverse landscapes, please download our travel brochure here.