Private Bird Watching 5 Hours
Guided service only
For a better experience, the reserve to visit is agreed with you and our professional bird watching team at the Stella's meeting point, according to the season, activity and conditions. Admission is not included or quoted in the tour price and is paid on arrival at the reserve selected together.
Private
24-hour booking cutoff · 100% refund (guide service and admission) if you cancel at least 48 hours before the tour · tours run rain or shine: entrance fees are non-refundable with less than 48 hours' notice · 2-person minimum, solo guests book via manual request.
- Start time
- 6:10 am – 10:00/10:30 am
- Modality
- Private only
- Where
- Reserve selected at Stella's meeting pointMap: Stella's Monteverde
Requests close 24 hours before the tour. Cancel at least 48 hours in advance for a reserve-admission refund — cancellation policy
Photos from this tour
8 photos by our guidesOverview
This private five-hour bird watching tour begins at the Stella's meeting point. Your guide recommends the reserve with the best current conditions for finding the Resplendent Quetzal, Three-wattled Bellbird, guans and hummingbirds.
Your certified guide sets a quiet pace around current bird activity and uses a professional spotting scope for close views and phone photography. Sightings remain wild and are never guaranteed.
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 at Stella's Monteverde
Meet your guide at Stella's at dawn and select the reserve together according to the season and current bird activity.
Private birding on the reserve trails
Walk slowly and quietly through forest and open-edge habitat, with the scope set on each standout sighting.
Species recap
Review the morning's species list and receive recommendations for the rest of your stay.
What to expect
For a better experience, the reserve to visit is agreed with you and our professional bird watching team at the Stella's meeting point, according to the season, activity and conditions. Admission is not included or quoted in the tour price and is paid on arrival at the reserve selected together.
What's included
- Professional bilingual naturalist guide, certified by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT)
- Shared use of a high-end professional spotting telescope for close-up viewing and smartphone photography
What to bring
- Rain jacket or waterproof poncho
- Sturdy hiking shoes or trail sneakers
- Fully charged camera or smartphone for telescope photos
- Binoculars, if you have a preferred personal pair
Optional or not included
- Transportation
- Meals
Good to know
The essentials before your tour: what to bring, what to wear, where we meet and whether the reserve entrance is included.
What to bring
- Insect repellent — mandatory, the cloud forest has insects all year round
- Closed walking shoes — sandals or socks alone are not allowed
- A rain poncho or waterproof jacket, plus a warm layer for the cool, damp cloud-forest air
What to wear
- Long, quick-dry trousers and a light long-sleeve top are the most comfortable choice on the trail
- Dress in layers: mornings and nights are cool and the cloud forest is humid
- Comfortable clothes you don't mind getting damp from mist or light rain
Meeting point
- Map: Stella's MonteverdeMeet at Stella's — the reserve you visit is decided there with your guide, according to the activity and the conditions.
Is the reserve entrance included?
No — the reserve entrance is not included in this guided tour. It is agreed with your guide at the meeting point (Stella's), according to the activity and our team's advice, and you pay it when you arrive.
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.
- Small groups or fully private — no crowded buses
- Personal attention from a certified naturalist guide
- Professional spotting scope and quality optics included
- Reserve admission quoted separately and settled on the day of the tour
What guests said about this tour
Read all reviews“We did a night walk and private birdwatching tour and it was absolutely amazing. We managed to see so many animals that we would not have spotted by ourselves.”
Simone KamiesGoogle · 3 weeks ago“Oscar was kind, polite and patient. The best guide we ever had. We enjoyed the night tour and the bird watching tour with him.”
Lavinia LeeGoogle · 8 months ago“My wife and I had an early morning private tour with Oscar. We were both blown away with Oscar and his broad knowledge of animals, insects and plants. His ability to spot birds, insects and animals was nothing short of astounding.”
Bob EhlmanGoogle · 6 months ago
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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.
Full refund if you cancel at least 48 hours before the tour
Cancel at least 48 hours before the tour starts and both the guide service and the reserve admission (entrance tickets) are refunded 100%. With less than 48 hours' notice, the entrance tickets are no longer refundable.
Tours run rain or shine
Monteverde weather is unpredictable, so tours run rain or shine. Entrance fees already purchased are non-refundable.
Minimum booking: 2 people (solo guests welcome)
Shared groups open with a 2-person minimum, and the booking system is already set that way. Traveling solo? Send us a manual tour request and we'll do our best to add you to an existing group.
Questions about this tour
- Can we stay in the reserve after the tour ends?
- It depends on the reserve. In the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve you leave the reserve when the tour ends — staying on afterwards is not allowed. In Curi-Cancha Reserve you are welcome to stay on your own after the tour; the reserve closes at 4:30 pm.
- What time does the birdwatching tour start and how long is it?
- The private tour begins at 6:10 am and finishes between 10:00 and 10:30 am — the early start is when bird activity in Monteverde is highest.
- Which reserve will we bird?
- The reserve is selected with your guide at Stella's meeting point according to the season, activity and current conditions, so the itinerary is not tied to one reserve in advance.
- Will we see a Resplendent Quetzal?
- Sightings are never guaranteed with wild birds. Your guide knows which trees are fruiting and where birds have been nesting, so those areas are prioritised — Quetzals, Bellbirds and Guans feed on fruiting Lauraceae trees in the area.
- Is a spotting scope provided?
- Yes. A professional bilingual naturalist guide certified by Costa Rica's tourism chamber and a spotting telescope are included.
- Are reserve entrance fees included?
- No. The five-hour bird watching tour covers the guided service only, with 15% tax included. The reserve is selected at the Stella's meeting point according to the season, activity and conditions; admission is then coordinated and paid separately. Infants 0–3 are free.
- How much does the tour cost?
- The request panel shows a live total with 15% tax already included. That total covers the guided service only; the reserve entrance is quoted separately and paid on the day of the tour. Prices per guest depend on group size. 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 birdwatching tour in Monteverde worth it?
- If you enjoy wildlife, yes. Monteverde's cloud forest holds a high diversity of birds, and a guide who knows where birds are currently feeding and holding territory finds far more than most visitors spot on their own. Nothing is guaranteed with wild birds, but the tour is built around the early hours when activity is highest.
- Do I need previous birdwatching experience?
- No. The tour is guided in English or Spanish and works for complete beginners as well as experienced birders — your guide adjusts pace, explanations and target species to the group.
- Do I need to bring binoculars?
- A professional spotting telescope is included so everyone gets a clear view. Bring your own binoculars if you have them; if you do not, mention it in your request and Nasua Tours will confirm what can be arranged.
- How many bird species will we see?
- It varies with season, weather and reserve, so no number is promised. The early start and your guide's knowledge of current activity are what make the list as long as conditions allow on the day.
Continue your Monteverde experience
You can combine tours to see different sides of Monteverde. These pair well with this one:
Night Walk Tour
Birding ends around midday, so a night walk on another evening adds the nocturnal half of the forest — snakes, insects, tarantulas and sleeping birds.
Private Full Day Birding Tour
If one morning is not enough, the full-day tour covers both Curi-Cancha and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in a single day.
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 5 hours
Guided service only