Things to do in Monteverde Costa Rica
Monteverde is famous for a reason: its cloud forests are brimming with plants and animals, some of which are most active at night. Monteverde's zip lines and suspension bridges are among the longest in the country, and there are a few coffee farms of note.
12 tours ranked by our Local Insiders
| Experience | Duration | When | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | ~2.5 hrs (guided) or self-guided | Morning & afternoon (7:30 AM, 1:30 PM) | A first cloud-forest walk with a naturalist guide, or self-guided with the trail booklet |
| 2. Sky Trek Monteverde Canopy Tour | 2 hours | Morning–afternoon (8:00 AM–3:00 PM) | The gondola-plus-zip-line combo, for first-time canopy riders |
| 3. Café Monteverde Coffee Tour | 2 hrs 50 min | Morning & afternoon (8:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:30 PM) | Coffee lovers who want the full bean-to-cup story |
| 4. Tree Climbing Tour | 2 hours | Morning–afternoon (8:00 AM–2:30 PM) | Climbers and thrill-seekers who want to scale into the canopy itself |
| 5. Curi-Cancha Reserve Night Tour | 2 hours | Evening (5:30 PM) | Nocturnal wildlife: about 60% of tropical species are active after dark |
| 6. Curi-Cancha Reserve Tour | 3 hours | Morning & afternoon (7:30 AM, 1:30 PM) | Birders (200+ species) in a smaller, less-crowded reserve |
| 7. Waterfall Canyoning | 3 hours | Morning–afternoon (8:00, 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM) | Adventure seekers ready to rappel a waterfall |
| 8. Horseback Riding | 2 hours | Morning–afternoon (8:30 AM–3:40 PM) | A lower-key way to cover more ground and sights |
| 9. Don Juan Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Tour | 2 hours | Morning–afternoon (every 15 min, 8 AM–3 PM) | Culture and tasting: coffee, chocolate, sugar cane and an ox-cart ride |
| 10. Cloud Forest Bird Watching Tour | 4 hours | Early morning (7:00 AM) | Dedicated birders willing to start early |
| 11. Bat Jungle Exhibit | 1 hour | Morning–evening (every 15 min, 9 AM–7:15 PM) | Families and anyone wanting an easy, indoor, evening-friendly stop |
| 12. Climb a Giant Fig Tree | 3 hours | Morning (every 15 min, 8 AM–12:45 PM) | A one-of-a-kind climb up a hollow strangler fig, for small groups |
Durations and departure times are each tour's own published details.
Featured Tours
Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is full of life. Observe verdant and colourful flora, and a vast assortment of fauna in their natural habitat
Enjoy a literal Sky Trek through Monteverde, Costa Rica's cloud forest as you soar on zip lines, cross suspended bridges, and gaze from an observation tower
Treat yourself to an educational tour and a mighty fine cup of coffee when you go from bean to brew at Monteverde's premier coffee plantation and cafe
This isn't the tree climbing you did as a child. Explore Costa Rica's rainforest on this unique Monteverde tree climbing tour, where you scale tree trunks
Explore Monteverde, Costa Rica's Curi-Cancha Reserve on this night tour. Discover all of the nocturnal creatures you didn't get to see during your daytime trek
Need a destination that offers activities for everyone. Look no further than Monteverde's Selvatura Adventure Park, home of adventure, beauty, and education
Beauty and adventure combine while rappelling down 6 waterfalls in the Cloud Forest. Pure thrills for couples and families.
You're on top of the world with this Selvatura Park Canopy Tour in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Soar across a thrilling 2 miles (3 km) of cables
Explore Monteverde by horseback and see Costa Rica the old-fashioned way. The country's diverse landscape includes mountains, farm land, forests, and sea views
A little culture can be delicious. Learn about Monteverde's agriculture and the production on the Don Juan Coffee, Chocolate, and Sugar Cane Tour
Choose your own adventure on this Monteverde, Costa Rica birdwatching tour: enjoy birdwatching, hiking, and rainforest exploration from a selection of 3 forests
Make some unlikely animal friends when you learn all about bats. Discover how these amazing and misunderstood creatures are important to the environment
Hoping to see animals during your Costa Rica vacation. You won't want to miss the Curi-Cancha Reserve. This guided tour will have you spotting birds and more
Whiz, zoom What dainty little jewel was that The hummingbirds of Monteverde's Selvatura Adventure Park the Selvatura Hummingbird Garden has 14 species
Make the arduous trip between Monteverde and Arenal, Costa Rica easier with these enjoyable transportation options, which include a boat and horseback
A vacation in Monteverde, Costa Rica isn't complete without a visit to Arenal Volcano. Your transportation options even include public transit and horseback
Butterfly garden in Monteverde at Selvatura Park: a guided 1–1.5 hr walk in a 300-ft climate-controlled dome with 50 species. Open 9:15am–3:15pm.
Ribbit. The Monteverde Frog Pond or Ranario is waiting to teach you about 25 species of frogs, toads, and other Costa Rican amphibians
The intoxicating sweet scent of nature is amplified on this Monteverde Orchid Garden Tour. An expert guide will help you find and identify orchids of all sizes
A sweet world of 460 miniature, large, and hybrid orchid species are waiting for you in 3 different sections of Costa Rica's Monteverde Orchid Garden
Learn about the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, then create your personalized Costa Rican getaway and see its plants and animals in real life
Peek inside oversized terrariums at the Selvatura Herpetarium in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Learn about a variety of amphibians and reptiles
Glide along the rainforest canopy at a leisurely pace in the Sky Tram aerial gondola. This Monteverde, Costa Rica tour spans 570 ft (175 m) in one hour
Sky Walk - a spectacular complex of suspension bridges and trails in the majestic Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica
Selvatura's Treetop Walkways take you across a series of suspended bridges where you will explore the top of the rainforest canopy and see its inhabitants
Selvatura canopy tour and suspended bridges walk in the Cloud. Selvatura booking quickly online or toll free with friendly locals.
Wish you could explore a tree hollow. Satisfy your curiosity on this Monteverde treetop climbing tour. Scale the inside of a fig tree and rappel down
Build your Monteverde days
1 day: the essentials
Morning: a guided Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve walk (~2.5 hours). Afternoon: the Café Monteverde Coffee Tour (2 hrs 50 min) or the shorter Don Juan Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane Tour (2 hours). Evening: the Curi-Cancha night tour (5:30 PM, 2 hours).
2 days: add the canopy
Add a second morning on the Sky Trek gondola and zip-line combo (2 hours), then an afternoon Tree Climbing Tour or the giant fig tree climb (both 2–3 hours). The Bat Jungle Exhibit (1 hour, open into the evening) is an easy add-on if you have a spare hour.
3 days: add wildlife and a second reserve
Start day 3 early with the 4-hour Cloud Forest Bird Watching Tour (7:00 AM), then spend the afternoon at the Curi-Cancha Reserve (3 hours) or head into Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve. Finish with waterfall canyoning or horseback riding if you want one more adventure before you go.
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