Shared Small-Group Night Walk in the Monteverde Wildlife Refuge
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
- 5:30–7:30 pm or 8:00–9:30 pm
- Modality
- Shared small group (max 6 per guide)
- Where
- Monteverde Wildlife RefugeMap: Monteverde Wildlife Refuge
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
7 photos by our guidesOverview
The shared night walk is the affordable way to see the refuge after dark, and the six-guests-per-guide cap is what makes it work. Night spotting is a huddle activity: the guide finds something small on a leaf, and everyone needs to get close enough to see it. Beyond six people that stops being possible.
You will be looking for the animals that only appear after sunset — katydids, stick insects, tarantulas, tree frogs, sleeping birds, occasional snakes and small mammals. Flashlights are provided for every guest, and the guide carries a spotting scope set up for night range.
Departures are at 5:30 pm (through the dusk changeover) and 8:00 pm (fully dark). Wear long trousers and closed shoes, and bring a warm or rainproof layer — Monteverde evenings are cool and often wet.
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.
Itinerary
Group briefing at the refuge
Up to six guests meet the guide, collect flashlights and hear how to move and look on a night trail.
First finds
The group works the trail edges together, where insects and amphibians are usually the first sightings of the evening.
Deeper into the refuge
Slow scanning for snakes, sleeping birds and mammals, with the guide explaining each species the group finds.
Shared scope views
Everybody gets a turn on the night-range scope before the group walks back to the entrance.
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 naturalist guide, certified by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT)
- Shared use of a professional spotting telescope equipped for night-range viewing
- A flashlight provided for every guest
What to bring
- A reliable waterproof jacket or windbreaker — cloud forest nights get chilly and misty
- Closed-toe hiking shoes or sturdy trail sneakers (mandatory for night safety)
- Fully charged smartphone or camera
- Long pants for comfort and protection on night trails
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 had an excellent experience on the Nasua Tours night walk in Monteverde with Oscar as our naturalist guide.”
Andrea PeñaGoogle · 2 months ago“We had an amazing experience on this night walk! The guide was fantastic and honestly made all the difference.”
Natasha AntonyGoogle · 3 weeks ago“I did my tour with Oscar, and I could tell he is very knowledgeable and passionate about the wildlife in Monteverde and Costa Rica. I was by myself, and I had a lot of fun with him! We got to see a glass frog during the day. This is a very special memory of my trip :) I hope to take another tour again with him soon!”
Irisa D.Google · 11 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.
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
- Do we pay the refuge entrance separately?
- 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.
- Is a private night walk available?
- Yes. The same walk can be booked fully private for your party only.
- 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:
Night Walk Tour
Want the trail to yourselves? The private night walk follows your party's pace only.
Nature Tour — Small Group
Pair the evening walk with a shared morning nature walk — the same ecosystem on two completely different shifts.
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 2 hours
Guided service only