Despite being a pretty small country in terms of landmass, Costa Rica is packed full of natural beauty, adventure, and an appreciation for life that lives up to its “Pura Vida” slogan.
With that being said, it can still be hard to narrow down the activities that are worth partaking in, as there’s so much to do! Located in central CR, Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the best options, combining lush rainforest, white-sand beaches, diverse wildlife, and much more.
I’ve gone ahead and curated the 5 top Manuel Antonio guided tours available, so you don’t waste your time with a subpar experience. Let’s jump right in!
Be sure to see our reviews of Costa Rica Horseback Riding, Surfing Lessons and White Water Rafting Tours.
Best Guided Tours of Manuel Antonio Park
| Manuel Antonio National Park Tour | Jungle Night Tour Manuel Antonio | Manuel Antonio National Park Hiking Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 |  |  | |
| Location: | Hotel pickup and drop-off included | Hotel pickup and drop-off included | Hotel pickup and drop-off included |
| Start: | 7:00, 10:00 AM or 12:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 7:30 AM or 12:30 PM |
| Duration: | 3 to 4 hours | 2 hours | 4 hours |
| Includes: | All transportation, snacks, professional guide | Flashlights, air-conditioned vehicle, tour guide | Transportation, snacks, beverages, professional guide |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Manuel Antonio Guided Tours For 2024
- Manuel Antonio National Park Tour
- Jungle Night Tour Manuel Antonio
- Manuel Antonio National Park Hiking Tour
- Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tours
- Manuel Antonio National Park Wildlife Tour
Manuel Antonio Guided Tour Reviews
1. Manuel Antonio National Park Tour
- Duration: 3 to 4 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 7:00, 10:00 AM or 12:30 PM
- Includes: All transportation, snacks, professional guide
There are tons of beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, but you’ll find some of the most breathtaking right in Manual Antonio National Park.
The tropical rainforests the park consists of is ready to be explored, and you’ll get to learn all about the complex yet perfectly tailored ecosystem as you hike or walk around this magnificent place.
The Manuel Antonio National Park Tour is one of the most educational, and well-organized of its kind, with a small group tour size for a more intimate experience!
The tour starts out with your guide picking you up right from your hotel lobby, so you don’t have to worry about figuring out transportation to the park on your own.
The guide/driver was so wonderful, I can’t say enough good things about his personality and safe driving skills! As we drove along, he shared plenty of interesting stories and facts about the rainforest so we already had a good knowledge base upon arrival!
The group gets to decide where to go – whether you’d like to focus more on hiking up into the hills or go for a casual stroll. Regardless of the option you select, you can count on seeing plenty of exotic plants and animals as your guide shares all kinds of fun info about them!
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The biodiversity here seems almost impossibly varied, and I saw so many critters I’d never thought I’d see out in the wild like this!
Our guide pointed out wild monkeys to us, many birds and reptiles, as well as probably my favorite: the sloth!
The exploration ends up at the famous white sand beach Manuel Antonio, which offers prime swimming and sunbathing, soft sands, lots of monkeys and sloths, and beautiful views.
Overall, it’s a great tour to really learn about the nature found in Costa Rica, in a way that feels like an expert friend is showing you around.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
Other Experiences You May Enjoy:
2. Jungle Night Tour Manuel Antonio
- Duration: 2 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 5:00 PM
- Includes: Flashlights, air-conditioned vehicle, tour guide
While Manuel Antonio is certainly beautiful in the daytime, with its full spectrum of colors on display, there’s something special about navigating it in the dark.
The Jungle Night Tour Manuel Antonio offers the unique opportunity to witness the jungle come alive under the cloak of night, with an experienced guide there to lead the way. If you’re looking for some potentially thrilling encounters, this is just the place!
The tour, like every other on this guide, comes with a convenient hotel pickup in an air-conditioned vehicle to make the drive out to the park nice and comfortable. The pickup takes place around 5 pm so it’s nice and dark by the time you arrive!
However, it’s just a couple of hours long, making it still very easy to fit into even the busiest of itineraries. We were then outfitted with all necessary gear that we needed before heading into the rainforest, including flashlights for safety and spotting critters!
Our guide did a wonderful job at spotting the different animals, including scorpions, frogs, cayman, snakes, and even some mammals!
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As I’d already gone on day tours through Manual Antonio National Park, I did have a good comparison to refer to. The night tour had a totally different vibe to it – not to mention, it seemed much noisier, with the sounds of bugs and frogs keeping us company.
Thanks to the small group setting, it was much easier to stay safe and close together, which is ideal for this type of tour.
One thing I will say is that it can rain with very little notice out there, so I’d recommend bringing some shoes with a nice tread and a jacket to keep you warm and dry. This adventure is undoubtedly ideal for nature lovers and thrill-seekers, alike!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. Manuel Antonio National Park Hiking Tour
- Duration: 4 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 7:30 AM or 12:30 PM
- Includes: Transportation, snacks, beverages, professional guide
If you’re on the hunt for the perfect family outing activity in Costa Rica, look no further than our next tour! The Manuel Antonio National Park Hiking Tour is a wonderful way to spend a morning, and is perfect for all ages!
However, even if it’s just you and other adults, you’ll surely enjoy all the “little things” that are taken care of, like snacks, drinks, and fun commentary!
After being picked up at your hotel, you’ll head straight to the rainforest, which is a surprisingly fast drive with the guide there to share interesting stories along the way.
My group did have a couple of kids along for the ride, and they were surprisingly interested in the guide’s stories and were looking out the window the entire time at the beautiful scenery outside.
Starting out at 7:30 am, we practically had the place to ourselves (well, at least human-wise), taking little hikes up to enjoy the panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and the park’s rugged coastline.
The wide array of wildlife included seeing monkeys, sloths, colorful birds, and much more, including biodiverse plants that I’d never seen before. We learned all about the park’s interesting ecosystems, their conservation efforts, and the amazing natural history of this gorgeous country.
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It was by no means a challenging hike, though it was a great opportunity to get in some fresh air and a bit of exercise.
We then took a nice little break at the third beach we came across, which was simply pristine and made it feel like I was stepping into some kind of postcard!
This was the tour where I saw the most wildlife, including white-tailed deer, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and plenty of exotic plants like the Garrobos!
I can’t believe we got to see and explore so much beauty in just a couple of hours!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tours
- Duration: 3 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: Contact tour operator
- Includes: Air-conditioned vehicle, snacks, telescope
This tour is a slightly shorter one than the previous one, but still allows for plenty of time to learn about this magical place and its residents in-depth.
The Manuel Antonio National Park Guided Tours made me feel like Dora the Explorer, venturing through this magnificent forest to see things I couldn’t even imagine!
Thanks to the small group setting, we also got quite a bit of say in what we did and where we spent our time, rather than having another cookie-cutter group tour experience.
I do recommend bringing some comfy walking shoes, swimwear if you’d like to take a dip in the water, and a jacket as it can sometimes get chilly inside the rainforest.
The pickup from our hotel was convenient and the organization was on-point, so moving around was a breeze. The air-conditioned vehicle was nice and comfortable, with large windows making for unobstructed viewing of the breathtaking scenery around us.
I found that out of any of these tours, this one was where we really got to see the animals the best. If you’re a passionate nature lover and want to see the critters up close in a way that’s not usually possible, this is the one to sign up for.
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Our guide brought along a telescope to spot all kinds of amazing animals from varying distances – I don’t even know how they were able to spot them so well!
We saw plenty of sloths, as well as neon-green frogs, brightly-colored birds, deer, and so much more.
Afterward, he took us to a picturesque beach for us to relax, take a dip in the water, and munch on some tasty snacks they brought for us.
This was such a fun, educational day, and our guide took amazing photos to take back with us.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Manuel Antonio National Park Wildlife Tour
- Duration: 4 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: 7:20 AM or 12:00 PM
- Includes: Snacks, all transportation
Last, but certainly not least, is the Manuel Antonio National Park Wildlife Tour, bursting at the seams with adventure and excitement! I can’t think of a person who wouldn’t have a wonderful time on this 4-hour excursion into the heart of the Costa Rican rainforest!
With a small group setting limited to a max of only 12 participants, you won’t risk disturbing the wildlife with noise that would definitely come from a larger group.
If you’re short on time but really want to see all that Costa Rica has to offer, I can’t recommend this tour enough. While it does clock in at around 4 hours, there are plenty of start times available to make it more convenient for your schedule.
They also pick you up right from your hotel, so you don’t have to waste time or money trying to get to a different meet-up point.
The drive was smooth and went by fast, thanks to the engaging way our guide spoke to us, telling us interesting stories about the history of Costa Rica, conservation of the rainforests, and so much more!
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When we got to the park, I was so excited, and upon entering we literally came across a bunch of howler monkeys which almost made it feel like they were welcoming us in!
Aside from monkeys (various species), we also got to see tons of different birds, sloths, crabs, iguanas, and so many other beautiful creatures.
Our guide was amazing at spotting animals and pointing them out to us, explaining some of their different habits and traits, which was so cool!
I also really appreciated how much they focused on protecting and preserving the flora and fauna, giving me confidence that this part of the world is in good hands.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
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The Manuel Antonio National Park Tour is our Editors Choice for the best Manuel Antonio guided tour
