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Manuel Antonio · Quepos · Costa Rica

★★★★★4.99 · 4,850+ reviews across Airbnb, TripAdvisor, GetYourGuide & Viator

Manuel Antonio National Park
Guided Classic Group Tour

Enter the rainforest with an ICT-certified bilingual naturalist, a Swarovski spotting scope and the time to notice what others walk right past.

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Duration

2 hours

Group

Small Groups 8/10

Languages

English · Spanish

Park schedule

Closed Tuesdays

Included in every tour

Swarovski scope · free 4K photos

01

About this tour

What you see on the Manuel Antonio tour.
And how the guide finds it.

Discover Costa Rica’s most famous national park with an ICT-certified bilingual naturalist guide. Where the rainforest meets the Pacific, you’ll spot sloths, white-faced capuchin and squirrel monkeys, toucans, iguanas, coatis and more, all through our top-of-the-line Swarovski spotting scope, with free 4K photos and videos of your favorite animals.

Without a guide it’s easy to walk right past the camouflaged wildlife. Our guides know exactly where to look, turning a simple walk into an unforgettable wildlife experience that ends at one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica.

16+

years in the field

4K

photos & videos included

ICT

certified guides

Tour options

What is included in the Classic Group tour?

Review the inclusions for this option, then check availability.

01

Shared · Essential

Classic Group

For travelers with their own transport who just want the guide, the scope and the photos. Park ticket bought separately online.

Format
  • Small Groups 8/10
Guided experience
  • 2 hours
ICT-certified bilingual guide
  • Included
Swarovski scope + 4K photos
  • Included
National Park ticket
  • Not included
Round-trip hotel transport
  • Not included
Fresh fruit snack
  • Not included
Costa Rican lunch
  • Not included
From
$30
/ person
Book now
Compare tour options
✓ Included in the listed price
— Must be arranged or purchased separately

Prices are per person. Park entrance is $18.30 per adult and $5.65 per child; tickets are not sold at the gate—for Classic options you must reserve and pay yours online before the tour. Parking is about $10 on the day. The park caps entry at 2,500 visitors per day, closes every Tuesday and requires a passport number for every guest. Book ahead to guarantee your spot.

What the forest may reveal

Which animals can you see
in Manuel Antonio National Park?

No wildlife sighting is staged or guaranteed—that is what makes a real encounter meaningful. Your guide reads the canopy, the calls and the quiet signals of the forest, and adapts the route to conditions, recent activity and your interests.

Two-toed sloth
Three-toed sloth
White-faced capuchins
Squirrel monkeys
Howler monkeys
Yellow-throated toucans
Iguanas
Coatis
White sand beach in Manuel Antonio National Park with a forested rock outcrop rising from turquoise water
Two-toed sloth resting close-up in Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
White-faced capuchin monkey in the rainforest of Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
Yellow-throated toucan perched in the jungle of Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Red-eyed tree frog with orange feet resting on a green leaf in Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
Three-toed sloth hanging from a branch against a blue sky in Manuel Antonio National Park
Owl butterfly resting under a stem, showing the large eyespot on its wing, Manuel Antonio National Park
Happy Wakoo Tours group taking a selfie at the Manuel Antonio National Park entrance sign
Guest watching wildlife through a Swarovski scope on the Manuel Antonio National Park guided tour
Guest holding a phone to a Swarovski spotting scope to photograph wildlife in the Manuel Antonio rainforest
Wakoo Tours naturalist guide explaining a wildlife sighting to guests around a spotting scope in Manuel Antonio National Park
Small group of guests with their naturalist guide on a forest trail inside Manuel Antonio National Park
Family with young children at the Manuel Antonio National Park sign on a Wakoo Tours guided tour

Before you go

How the tour works,
from booking to your 4K photos.

01

Book and get your welcome message

After booking you receive a welcome message with every instruction: meeting point, starting time and park requirements. A passport number is required for every guest.

02

Your park ticket

Tickets are not sold at the gate. Premium and VIP include it. For Classic Group and Classic Private you must reserve and pay yours online before the tour—$18.30 adults, $5.65 kids. If you arrive without a valid ticket the tour cannot run and is non-refundable.

03

Choose your starting time

Classic: 7:00, 7:30 or 8:00 AM (about 2 hours). Private: 10:00 AM, 12:30 PM or 1:00 PM. Premium and VIP visits can extend up to 4 hours with beach time.

04

What to bring

Closed shoes (no sandals), towel, swimsuit, sunblock, sunglasses, camera and a reusable water bottle. No food is allowed inside the park.

05

Keep the discoveries

After the tour, receive the 4K photographs and videos of your favorite animals captured through the scope during your experience.

06

Private tour or group tour?

Classic Group is $30 per person (adults and children), up to 10 guests, moving at the group’s pace. If you want your own guide, your own pace and more time for birds or photography, choose the Classic Private tour (from $69) or the VIP Private tour ($100, entrance, transport and lunch included). All four options are compared on the Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour page.

07

Food inside the park, tickets and parking

No food is allowed inside Manuel Antonio National Park; water in a reusable bottle is fine, and there are restaurants outside the entrance. The park ticket ($18.30 adults / $5.65 children) is not sold at the gate: reserve it online in advance through SINAC, or pick an option that includes it. Parking near the entrance is about $10. The park is closed on Tuesdays. More answers on the FAQ and Park Information pages, and the animals you can expect on the Manuel Antonio wildlife guide.

08

Questions travelers ask before booking

Is a guide worth it in Manuel Antonio National Park? On your own you will see the beaches, trees, probably an iguana, and that's it. A naturalist guide helps you discover what is easy to miss: wildlife hidden in the canopy, tiny animals beside the trail, bird calls and signs of life all around you. With trained eyes and a Swarovski spotting scope, your guide helps you observe the details, understand animal behavior and connect what you see with the rainforest around you. You also keep the 4K photos and videos taken through the scope. Wildlife sightings vary, but a guided walk adds context, discovery and a much deeper experience than simply following the trail.

How much does a guide cost at the park entrance? Our Classic Group tour is $30 per person, booked online. Guides at the gate charge a similar price but without a scope, without photos and without a guaranteed start time.

Is the park closed on Tuesdays? Yes. Manuel Antonio National Park is open Wednesday to Monday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and closed every Tuesday.

How long does the tour last? About 2 hours inside the park with the guide. Afterwards you can stay on the beaches on your own until the park closes.

What is the best time to start? The earliest slot, at the 7 a.m. opening: animals are active, the temperature is lower and the trails are still quiet.

Do I need to buy the park ticket in advance? Yes. Tickets are not sold at the gate. Reserve and pay online through SINAC ($18.30 adults / $5.65 children) for the same date and time as your tour, or choose Premium or VIP Private, which include the ticket.

Are December 2026 and January 2027 dates available? Yes — see day-by-day availability, park Tuesday closures and current pricing on our December 2026 booking page.

Can children do the tour? Yes. The main trail is mostly paved and flat, and children pay the same $30 in the Classic Group. Tell us their ages when booking so the guide adapts the pace.

What animals can we see? Three-toed and two-toed sloths, white-faced capuchin, howler and squirrel monkeys, toucans, iguanas, agoutis, coatis and many birds. Animals are wild, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Is transportation included? Not in the Classic Group: you arrange your own ride to the park entrance. Premium and VIP Private include round-trip hotel transport.

Can I bring food into the park? No. Food is not allowed inside; water in a reusable bottle is fine.

SELECTED FIVE-STAR GUEST STORIES

What travelers
remember most.

4.96 ratings

Guest reviews for Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour.

261 five-star reviews

Angie_M

★★★★★

Tour guide Eiderson was amazing. Shows us lots of animals i would not have seen otherwise. Super nice and informative....would recommend him in a heartbeat. The park itself was a bit crowded but our tour guide did a good job of getting us through as a group and making sure we enjoyed it. The beach at the end is beautiful but many rocks in the water that cant be seen made it difficult to enjoy.....came out bleeding from being smashed on the boulders underneath. As warm and beautiful the water was, I got out because it was hard to enjoy.

Jyoti_S

★★★★★

it was good!but we faced some problems! we bought tickets through this company and guide was included he was vey knowledgeable only the problem was entry ticket was not include and we thought we can buy in the gate but you have go throw online. our internet wasn't working and couldn't find our group and guide. car parking was vey shady and we missed more then 20 min tour.well so please go buy ticket alway ahed and comunnication with your tour guide meeting point.

Nicole_S

★★★★★

Jason was a great guide. He helped us spot many animals and went at a great pace for the kids. Would recommend.

AnnaLena_H

★★★★★

Jeremias war ein toller Guide und hat viel entdeckt und erklärt. Die Bilder und Videos, die er mit seinem Fernrohr gemacht hat, sind super geworden. Es ist erstaunlich, was die gut miteinander vernetzen Guides alles sehen. Vieles hätte ich niemals alleine entdeckt.

Christine S

★★★★★

My husband and I had a great time learning more about the animals and biodiversity of Costa Rica. Jason was an excellent and fun guide and answered all of our questions. He’s very knowledgeable and has an eye for spotting the wildlife around us. We would recommend him to friends and family

kenhX4190NA

★★★★★

Our guide Jason was fantastic. He was personable, attentive, and knowledgeable. He spotted many animals and insects for us and helped capture amazing photos and videos which he shared at the end of the tour. We especially enjoyed how he shared information about the behaviors and scientific facts about the animals, as well as insights about Costa Rica's culture and history. Jason was also funny and shared stories. We felt that the tour was a great value. And, had we not hired a guide, we probably would have mostly seen plants and trees.
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Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tour · Guest story

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This tour is guided by Jason Solano Zamora, Costa Rica Wakoo Tours.