Private Nature Tour in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
Prefer the other option? See the version with the reserve entrance fee included
Reserve entrance tickets
This page is for the guided tour only — the reserve entrance fee is not included. You have two easy ways to sort it out:
- Buy your tickets directly from the reserve (online or at the gate), or
- Let us get them for you — just mention it when you request your tour and we add them to your booking.
Tickets purchased through us can be changed or refunded with at least 48 hours' notice before the tour.
So everything runs smoothly, the walk starts with the participants who already hold their entrance tickets; on a private tour we always have more flexibility to wait or adjust for you. Trails and schedules remain subject to the tickets available at the time.
Private departure · guided service only
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
- Per admission time; 7:30 am when available
- Modality
- Private only
- Where
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological ReserveMap: Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve
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
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve is the reserve that made this region famous: tall primary forest on the continental divide, trunks buried under moss and bromeliads, and cloud pushing across the ridge from the Caribbean slope for most of the year. It feels different from every other trail in Monteverde — enclosed, dripping and quiet.
A private walk here is mostly about interpretation. Wildlife in a closed, mature canopy takes patience to find, so your guide works with sound, movement and knowledge of which trees are in fruit, and uses the spotting scope to bring the canopy down to eye level. With no other guests in the group, the guide can hold a stop for as long as something is happening.
Start times in this reserve depend on the admission slot available for the day — when it can be arranged the walk also begins at 7:30 am. Reserve rules require groups to leave the reserve when the guided tour ends, so this is a self-contained morning rather than an all-day visit.
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 the reserve entrance
Your guide meets you at the Cloud Forest Reserve entrance at the confirmed admission time and outlines the trail plan for the morning.
Primary cloud forest trails
Walking under the tall canopy: epiphyte loads, tree ferns, hanging gardens and how so much life survives on almost no soil.
The continental divide
Where the trails reach the ridge, the wind and cloud from the Caribbean slope explain the shape of every tree around you.
Scope work and departure
Telescope views of canopy birds and any wildlife found, then the group leaves the reserve as the guided tour closes.
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
Did you join this tour? Leave a review
Your review is about the Nature Tour only. We read every review before publishing it on this page.
You can also review us on:
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
- Why is the start time not fixed in this reserve?
- The Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve releases admission slots, so your walk starts at the time confirmed for your date. When a 7:30 am slot is available, that is the start we use.
- Can we keep walking after the tour ends?
- No. In the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve you leave the reserve when the guided tour ends — staying on afterwards is not permitted. If you want to continue on your own, Curi-Cancha is the reserve to choose.
- Is admission included here?
- This product covers the guided service only: you can buy the reserve entrance yourself (online or at the gate) or we can arrange it for you when you request your tour. Tickets purchased through us can be changed or refunded with at least 48 hours' notice. On the day, the walk starts with the participants who already hold their entrance tickets — shared groups keep this strict so no one is delayed, while private tours allow more flexibility — and trails remain subject to the tickets available at the time. You can also book the version of this page that already includes the entrance.
- 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.
- How long is the nature tour and when does it start?
- In Curi-Cancha the walk runs 7:30 am to 10:00–10:30 am. In the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve the start depends on the admission time available; when possible we also start at 7:30 am.
- 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
Guided service only