Monteverde Nature Tour: A Guided Natural History Walk
Group & Private
24-hour booking cutoff · admission refundable up to 48 hours before the tour · rain or shine: 50% of the guide service and purchased entrance fees are non-refundable · 2-person minimum, solo guests get 50% of the second-person charge refunded.
- Start time
- Starts 7:30 am
- Modality
- Private or shared
- Where
- Curi-Cancha Reserve or Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
Photos from this tour
8 photos by our guidesOverview
If you are passionate about understanding the inner workings of nature rather than just checking things off a list, the Natural History Tour is the perfect experience for you. On this immersive journey, we step onto the quiet trails of either the vibrant Curi-Cancha Reserve or the world-renowned Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve. You are welcome to choose your preferred reserve, or you can rely on our daily field expertise to recommend the one experiencing the highest wildlife activity on the morning of your trek. During our walk, the forest comes alive as your guide translates the complex, symbiotic relationships between the region's unique plants and animals. You won't just look at the scenery — you will learn how the cloud forest functions as a single, living organism. Keeping our eyes peeled for local wildlife is a massive part of the adventure, offering frequent opportunities to cross paths with Monteverde's most iconic resident species. Iconic wildlife we look for: the legendary Resplendent Quetzal and exotic toucanets, white-faced capuchin and howler monkeys moving through the branches, and rare orchids and ancient strangler figs unique to cloud forest ecosystems.
Guided by Nasua Tours' certified naturalist guides, led by founder Oscar Castillo Mejía (license #1090) — read more about the team. Still comparing options? The Monteverde planning guide explains how this tour differs from the others. Travelling for birds? Check the quetzal, bellbird and manakin seasons.
Itinerary
Meet your guide
We gather at the reserve entrance and choose the trail with the best activity that morning.
Natural history walk
Guided interpretation of plants, insects, birds and mammals along the trails.
Scope time
Telescope views and photos of every wildlife encounter.
What to expect
Reserve admission can be included in your tour price or purchased separately — choose your admission option when requesting the tour.
What's included
- Professional bilingual guide, officially certified by the Costa Rican Tourism Board
- High-end spotting telescope shared among your party for crystal-clear wildlife observation and smartphone photography
What to bring
- Reliable waterproof jacket or poncho
- Sturdy hiking shoes or trail sneakers
- Fully charged camera or smartphone for telescope-magnified photos
- A reusable water bottle and insect repellent
Optional or not included
- Transportation
- Meals
Not a mass-market tour
This is an exclusive experience run in small groups or fully private — never a large commercial departure. You walk with one of our certified naturalist guides, led by Oscar Castillo Mejía, at your pace, with professional optical equipment on the trail and your reserve admission confirmed for you when you choose the all-inclusive option.
- Small groups or fully private — no crowded buses
- Personal attention from a certified naturalist guide
- Professional spotting scope and quality optics included
- Reserve admission confirmed for you when included
What guests said about this tour
Read all reviews“We took a private day tour with Oscar, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. Oscar conveyed boundless enthusiasm about all the nature we saw, making it an unforgettable day.”
Jaymee CoonjobeeharryGoogle · 2 years ago“We hired several wildlife guides during our three weeks in Costa Rica, but Christian from Nasua Tours was the best — an excellent eye for wildlife and impressive knowledge. If you book only one guided tour in Costa Rica, make it this one.”
Jim LTripadvisor “This was one of the best eco-tours I've taken to date. A first-rate guide, highly knowledgeable about indigenous wildlife and flora of Costa Rica and Monteverde, and about the specific preserves where you might find the species you hope to see.”
Josh Pelta-HellerFacebook
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Booking & cancellation policies
These terms apply to every Nasua Tours booking and you accept them before your request is sent.
Booking cutoff: 24 hours
Requests close 24 hours before the tour starts, so admission and guiding can be arranged in time.
Reserve admission is refundable up to 48 hours before the tour
Cancel at least 48 hours before the tour starts and the reserve admission (entrance tickets) is refunded. With less than 48 hours' notice the entrance tickets are no longer refundable.
Rain or shine — 50% of the guide service is non-refundable
Monteverde weather is unpredictable, so tours run rain or shine. If the tour is cancelled, 50% of the guided-service charge is non-refundable, and entrance fees already purchased are non-refundable.
Minimum booking: 2 people (solo guests welcome)
Every tour is sold from a 2-person minimum, so a solo guest books the service for 2. If only one guest travels, Nasua Tours refunds 50% of the extra charge for the second person.
Questions about this tour
- How long is the nature tour and when does it start?
- The walk begins at 7:30 am and lasts about three hours.
- How is it different from the birdwatching tour?
- The nature tour is a natural history walk: your guide interprets how flora and fauna are intertwined, with wildlife sightings along the way. The birdwatching tour starts earlier and is built specifically around finding and scoping birds.
- Can I choose the reserve?
- Yes. You can pick Curi-Cancha or the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, or ask Nasua Tours to recommend one for your interests.
- Are reserve entrance fees included?
- You choose. "Tour with admission included" covers the guided service plus the applicable reserve or activity admission with 13% tax, so there is nothing to buy at the gate. "Tour without admission" covers the guided service with 13% tax only, and you pay the reserve entrance yourself. Infants 0–3 are free on both options.
- How much does the tour cost?
- Both options show a live total in the request panel, with 13% tax already included. Prices per guest depend on group size, whether the tour is private or shared, and — for the all-inclusive option — which reserve you visit, since admission differs by reserve and age. Children 4–10 have their own rate and infants 0–3 are free. You confirm the exact total with Nasua Tours before anything is booked.
- Is a guided nature tour better than walking the reserve alone?
- You can walk the trails alone, but most wildlife is quiet, camouflaged or high in the canopy. A certified naturalist guide interprets what you are seeing and uses a spotting telescope to show details you would otherwise walk past.
- Do I need any experience or special fitness?
- No experience is needed and the pace is relaxed on maintained reserve trails. Tell Nasua Tours about mobility or pace concerns in your request so the route can be adjusted.
Continue your Monteverde experience
You can combine tours to see different sides of Monteverde. These pair well with this one:
Night Walk Tour
The walk finishes late morning, so the 5:30 pm night walk can work that same evening — the same forest with an entirely nocturnal cast.
Private Full Day Tour
Travellers who want more time on the trails often move up to the nine-hour private day across two reserves.
Build a multi-tour itinerary
Send us the tours you like and the dates you are in Monteverde. Oscar sequences them realistically around start times and reserves, then replies with the current rates and one combined plan.
About 3 hours
With or without admission