Add dates

Things to do in Monteverde

Our most recommended things to do in Monteverde

Santa Elena or Monteverde: Cloud Forest Night Walking Tour

1. Santa Elena or Monteverde: Cloud Forest Night Walking Tour

Take a guided walking tour through the rich biodiversity of the Monteverde Cloud Forest as nocturnal mammals, birds, insects, reptiles, and amphibians wake up for the night. Be picked up and dropped off at your doorstep in Santa Elena or Monteverde.  Hop aboard an air-conditioned coach and sit back and relax on the drive into the Cloud Forest area. Find out for yourself how busy the forest can be at night as most animals are active in the evening and around 80 percent are nocturnal.  Follow your guide through paths lined with lush vegetation. Spot critters that are not seen during the day on a 2-hour walk. Look for animals like raccoons, sloths, armadillos, olingos, and kinkajous that are active at night.  Follow your guide on a magical journey through a beautiful forest as well as a sustainable coffee, banana, and sugar cane area. Return to your accommodation in Santa Elena or Monteverde by coach at the end of your tour. 

Montevede: Jungle Zipline & Rappel Experience with Transfer

2. Montevede: Jungle Zipline & Rappel Experience with Transfer

What you'll do Zip line through one of the most breath taking views in Monteverde, this extreme experience offers views to a waterfall, 14 cables of zip line, 5 of them are extremely long: 467 mts, 425 mts, 600 mts, 750 mts, 1 kilometer and height between 75 mts and 150 mts. Total distance 4KM For no additional cost you will also enjoy: -Rappel (30 mts) -Tarzan Swing -Superman cable of 1 km -Subterranean Superman:175 mts long -21 platforms. -Insurance. DON"T MISS THIS BREATHTAKING EXPERIENCE

Monteverde: Zip Line, Bridges, and Butterfly Garden Tour

3. Monteverde: Zip Line, Bridges, and Butterfly Garden Tour

Treat yourself to a day of fun in Monteverde park. Zip line through the tree canopy, walk across the impressive self-guided suspension bridges, and wander around the extensive butterfly gardens with a guide. Experience the Monteverde Cloud Forest by zip line. Then head to the tree-top walkway, the ideal experience for those who want to explore the beauty of the canopy at their own pace and appreciate the region's incredible array of vegetation and exotic bird life. The walkway is made up of eight suspension bridges linked by 1.9 miles of trails. The bridges range in length from 150 feet to 500 feet and are suspended at heights ranging from 36 feet to 180 feet. The bridge system is the widest and strongest in Costa Rica. The stunning butterfly garden in Monteverde is one of the largest on the continent. Discover the giant garden that is 300 feet long and 90 feet wide, with a massive 50-foot dome ceiling and 50 species of butterflies. Temperature control that is precise and sensitive allows species to survive across a wide range of altitudes and climate conditions in Costa Rica. Take a guided tour of this fascinating live exhibit to learn about the life cycle, special behaviors, and evolution of these extraordinary creatures.

La Fortuna or Monteverde: One-Way Boat Transfer

4. La Fortuna or Monteverde: One-Way Boat Transfer

Add a little adventure to your transportation needs between Monteverde and La Fortuna and avail of a transfer that includes an informative boat tour across Lake Arenal. Get spectacular views of Arenal Volcano and the cloud forests of Monteverde as you travel by van and boat. Choose from a morning or afternoon departure in either direction to suit your schedule, and relax in the knowledge that your luggage will be taken care of on every step of the journey. Depart La Fortuna and travel to Lake Arenal by van. Then, take a 30-minute boat ride to the town of Río Chiquito before continuing to Monteverde by van. For departures from Monteverde, travel to Lake Arenal by van. Cross Lake Arenal on an enlightening 30-minute boat ride to the earthen dam, and then continue to La Fortuna by van for drop off at your hotel.

Monteverde: Curi-Cancha Reserve Tour with Entry Ticket

5. Monteverde: Curi-Cancha Reserve Tour with Entry Ticket

Go on a tour of the Curi-Cancha reserve in Monteverde. Get picked up from your hotel, and drive to the 83-hectare reserve. Start your tour with a local guide and see a variety of rare birds and unusual animals. Marvel at the views and take lots of photos. Get dropped back at your hotel at the end. Begin your hike and listen to your guide tell you all about the wildlife in the area. Keep your eyes peeled for rare birds, including the Resplendent Quetzal, the Three-Wattled Bellbird, the Blue-Crowned Motmot, and the Orange-bellied Trogon. Continue along 7 kilometers of natural trails and get to see the flora and fauna of the tropical forest. See if you can spot unusual wild animals, such as armadillos, coatis, and two-toed sloths and use the opportunity to take photos. Learn about the sustainable practices of the reserve. Marvel at impressive views of the mountains surrounding you. Get taken back to your hotel at the end of the tour.

From San José: Monteverde Hanging Bridges Day Trip

6. From San José: Monteverde Hanging Bridges Day Trip

Your tour begins in the morning with pickup in the San José area. Then travel towards the northern part of the country on a very scenic drive, with great views of beautiful mountain ranges, local towns and farms, and the Pacific coast. On the way to Monteverde, enjoy multiple stops. Learn about local fruits at the largest fruit stand of the country. Explore a place where several monkeys are normally observed in the wild at a very close range. Photograph amazing landscapes from a lookout point. Once in Monteverde, savor a delicious lunch and then proceed to do the amazing hanging bridges tour in the cloud forest. Hike with your guide for two to three hours, admiring the beauties of this rare ecosystem and searching for the local wildlife, including monkeys, emerald toucans, coatimundis, and the rare resplendent quetzal, the most beautiful bird of Costa Rica. This hike is approximately 3km (1.9 miles) long and is mostly on flat terrain with a few mild climbs.  Late in the afternoon, return to your accommodation in San José or to your accommodation in central Monteverde. 

Monteverde: Horseback Riding Tour

7. Monteverde: Horseback Riding Tour

Explore the beautiful rural areas of Monteverde on a guided horseback riding tour. Get a sense of local life as you explore the area at a leisurely pace, with fantastic views of the Gulf of Nicoya. Enjoy a tour suitable for all levels of riding ability. Start with pickup from your hotel in Monteverde or Santa Elena. Experience traditional Cost Rican culture and way of living as you ride along the trail. Observe scenery that is typical of Costa Rican customs and culture. Admire the views of vast coffee plantations, sugar cane farms, banana trees, and grazing cattle. Enjoy the beauty of nature while riding through the forest, taking in the breathtaking views of the Gulf of Nicoya and the majestic mountains. As your tour comes to an end, enjoy a private guided tour of the horse farm. Learn a bit more about the history of the ranch and the area with your guide.

San Jose: Monteverde Sky Tram & Hanging Bridges Day Tour

8. San Jose: Monteverde Sky Tram & Hanging Bridges Day Tour

Discover the lush Cloud Forests of Monteverde on this Sky Tram and Hanging Bridges trip from San Jose. Travel to the Northern Highlands of Costa Rica on a very scenic ride where you will get great views of mountains, farms, local towns and the Coast of the Puntarenas Province. See the largest fruit stand of the country, where you will see a large variety of tropical fruits. Visit the “Monkey Lady House” and several white-faced monkeys at very close range. Once in Monteverde, savor a delicious lunch and then proceed to ride on the Sky Tram, with great views of the whole Monteverde-Santa Elena area. Spend about 15-20 minutes at the highest look-out point, and then ride the Tram down for about 15 minutes.  Then, walk on the amazing Sky Walk Hanging Bridges in the Cloud Forest, where you will hike with your expert naturalist guide for about 2-3 hours, learning interesting aspects of the flora and fauna of this rare and endangered ecosystem.

Monteverde: 3-in-1 Sky Tram, Sky Trek and Sky Walk

9. Monteverde: 3-in-1 Sky Tram, Sky Trek and Sky Walk

See the Monteverde Cloud Forest from above on a guided canopy tour. Ascend to the treetops in a sky tram, admire native wildlife as you cross suspension bridges, and soar above the cloud forest on a zip line. After being picked up from your hotel, board the aerial tram and ascend above the beautiful cloud forest, stopping along the way to observe plant and animal life. Learn about the different species and habitats from your guide. Then, arrive at the first of two observatory platforms, where you can enjoy panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and, on a clear day, the northern lowlands that stretch all the way to the Caribbean. Next, make your way across the suspension bridges, each with its own breathtaking view of the forest. Take your time to cross and admire the cloud forest's flora and fauna from a dizzying height. Finally, zip line across the canopy and get a birds-eye view of the forest. Enjoy eight zip line cables totaling nearly 1.8 miles (3 kilometers), with distances ranging from 131 to 2,460 feet (40 meters and 750 meters) and heights ranging from 49 to 328 feet (15 meters to 100 meters). At the end of your canopy tour, you will be returned to your hotel in Monteverde.

Monteverde: Sky Walk, Sky Tram & Sky Trek Ziplining Tour

10. Monteverde: Sky Walk, Sky Tram & Sky Trek Ziplining Tour

Explore Monteverde in a new way by getting a new perspective on the forest through the Sky Walk, SKy Tram, and the Sky Trek system of zip lines to admire the forest from the air. Spot different flora and fauna from the air, and admire the cloud forest, Arenal Volcano, Miravelles, and Orosi Volcanoes. Begin the tour with the Sky Walk guided tour, which combines trails and suspension bridges of varying lengths and heights above the canopy of the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Enjoy the flora and fauna of the area while being immersed in the forest's canopy, and learn from a guide specializing in the forest. Next, enjoy the Sky Tram portion of the tour, and have the opportunity to ride through the forest with short stops to observe the forest's biodiversity, and spot Arenal, Tenorio, Miravilles, and Orosi Volcanoes, and admire the Nicoya Gulf and Guanacaste Plain if the weather permits. For the final portion of the tour, enjoy the Sky Trek system of zip lines, which combined cover over 2.5 miles of distance through the forest. Enjoy a unique experience of adventure and adrenaline with speeds up to 40 miles per hour and distances ranging up to 2500 feet and heights of 524 feet. Absorb the views from five different observation towers over the cloud forest's treetops offering a panoramic view of the surroundings. Try the Sky Trek Vertigo drop, perfect for anyone looking for an adrenaline-filled activity.

Available activities

37 activities found
Sort by:
Page 1 of 3

Frequently asked questions about Monteverde

What top attractions are a must-see in Monteverde?

The must-see attractions in Monteverde are:

Other Sightseeing Options in Monteverde

Want to discover all there is to do in Monteverde? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Monteverde

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 105 reviews

We booked the tour for Sunday evening and unfortunately didn't make it to the meeting point in time. A nice lady helped us to book the same tour for the next day without asking any extra. This was not a matter of course for us and we appreciate it very much. About the tour itself: It was an incredible experience. We saw a few birds including a toucan, a tarantula, an armadillo and a few other smaller animals. Our guide was very friendly and explained everything clearly and in detail. We noticed that he would have liked to see more animals, but since the wind had been very strong the last few days and it was still going on, many of them hid. For us, what we saw was enough and we had a great experience. I can more than recommend the tour!

We had an absolutely terrific experience at the small family farm. It was very hands on with the opportunity to feed a Abby’s cow, goat, and pig. We made tortillas and cheese, which we enjoyed with coffee/tea/sugar cane water overlooking the valley and the ocean beyond. Orlando was an incredibly knowledgeable guide and gracious host. Highly recommend if you’re interested in seeing local family farming and learning organic methods.

Zipline in Costa Rica is a must do! It's not scary it all, we all felt very save. The guides are super careful and they make sure you're strapped in perfect all the time. We've seen the ocean and the jungle while zooming and there were 12 lines to go down to. Highly recommend!

It was clear our guide, Danielle, enjoyed her job very much and she was able to show us many interesting animals and tell us more about them.

Super Tour und super Guide… I would recommend it to everyone