Shared Small-Group 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 the shared group starts on time and everyone enjoys the full experience, the walk begins with the participants who already hold their entrance tickets. Trails and schedules remain subject to the tickets available at the time.
Shared departure · max 6 guests per guide
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
- Shared small group (max 6 per guide)
- 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 Cloud Forest Reserve is the classic Monteverde walk, and on a shared departure you do it with a naturalist guide and at most five other guests. In tall, dense primary forest a small group matters more than anywhere else: everyone can gather around one scope view of a bird in the canopy, which simply does not work with a large group.
Expect enclosed trails, moss-heavy trunks, tree ferns and epiphyte gardens, plus the ridge of the continental divide where cloud pushes over from the Caribbean slope. Sightings here reward patience and a guide who knows which trees are fruiting; the interpretation of the forest itself is a constant.
Start times follow the admission slot released for your date; when a 7:30 am slot is available, the walk starts then. Reserve rules require the group to leave when the guided tour ends.
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
Group meets at the entrance
Up to six guests meet the guide at the Cloud Forest Reserve entrance for the confirmed admission time.
Trails under primary forest
Shared interpretation of the cloud forest — epiphytes, tree ferns, figs and the water cycle that keeps everything dripping.
Continental divide viewpoint
Where the trails reach the ridge, the group sees how wind and cloud shape the two slopes differently.
Scope views and departure
Everyone takes a turn on the spotting scope, 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
- Shared groups are capped at 6 guests per guide
- 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
- Why does a small group matter so much in this reserve?
- The forest is tall and dense, so most sightings come through a spotting scope pointed into the canopy. With a maximum of six guests per guide everyone gets that view; in a big group most people would miss it.
- Can we stay in the reserve afterwards?
- No. In the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve the group leaves when the guided walk ends. Curi-Cancha is the reserve where you may stay on your own.
- Is the entrance fee part of this price?
- 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.
- Can I book this same walk as a private tour instead?
- Yes. The private version follows your own pace and schedule; choose the private Nature Tour if you prefer exclusivity.
- 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.
Continue your Monteverde experience
You can combine tours to see different sides of Monteverde. These pair well with this one:
Nature Tour
Prefer your own pace and a guide just for your party? The private version of this walk is available.
Night Walk — Small Group
The walk finishes late morning, so the shared 5:30 pm night walk can work that same evening at a friendly per-person rate.
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