Manuel Antonio day tours run from about three hours to a full day and cost from $75 to $165 per person with Tucanes Tours, hotel pickup and a certified bilingual guide included. This page lists 14 of them side by side with the price, total time, pickup time and effort level, then sorts them by what you actually want out of the day. Prices are from Manuel Antonio or Quepos, before Costa Rica’s 13% VAT.
All 14 day tours side by side
| Tour | From | Total time | Hotel pickup | Effort | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manuel Antonio National Park guided tour | $75 | 3.5 hours | 7:00 AM or 12:30 PM | Moderate | Sloths and monkeys through a spotting scope. The park is closed on Tuesdays. |
| Jungle night walk | $75 | 3 hours | 5:30 PM | Easy | Frogs, snakes and insects by flashlight. Pauses late September into mid-October. |
| Isla Damas mangrove boat tour | $87 | 4 hours | Set by the tide | Easy | Covered boat, any age, strong for birds and crocodiles. |
| Isla Damas mangrove kayak tour | $85 | 4 hours | Set by the tide | Light to moderate | Same estuary at water level. Ages six and up. |
| Ocean kayaking and snorkeling | $85 | About 4 hours | Confirmed at booking | Moderate to high | Paddle to Biesanz Bay and snorkel a reef. Ages eight and up. |
| Catamaran adventure | $93.75 | 5 hours | 8:00 AM or 1:00 PM | Moderate | Sail the coast, snorkel in a bay, lunch on board. |
| Horseback riding to a waterfall | $89 | 5.5 hours | Confirmed at booking | Moderate | Mountain trails to a waterfall swim, with a local meal. |
| Zipline canopy tour | $99 | 3 hours | 7:30 AM, 11:00 AM or 2:30 PM | Moderate | 12 cables, 22 platforms, a Tarzan swing and a rappel. Ages six and up. |
| Savegre River rafting | $115 | About 6 hours | Confirmed at booking | Moderate | Class II-III on a very clean river. Ages eight and up. |
| Naranjo River rafting | $95 | 4.5 hours | 8:00 AM or 11:30 AM | Difficult | Class III-IV. Runs roughly May to November. Ages 10 and up. |
| El Chorro rafting | $115 | 4 hours | 8:30 AM or 12:00 PM | High | Class IV gorge. Runs roughly January to April. Ages 16 and up. |
| Chocolate, vanilla and coffee farm tour | $89 | 5.5 hours | 8:00 AM or 2:00 PM | Easy | Bean to bar on a working farm, lunch included. |
| Local flavor cooking experience | $85 | 5.5 hours | 8:00 AM or 2:00 PM | Easy | Market, garden, then cook and eat with a local family. |
| Whale watching at Marino Ballena | $165 | 6 hours | 7:00 AM | Moderate | Humpbacks roughly mid-July to mid-October. |
Total time is door to door from a Manuel Antonio or Quepos hotel. Most tours need a minimum of two guests.
If you came for the wildlife
Start with the guided Manuel Antonio National Park tour. A naturalist with a spotting scope finds the sloths, monkeys, iguanas and toucans most people walk straight past, and the trail ends at the beach. Go at 7:00 AM if you can: it is cooler and the animals are more active. The park is closed every Tuesday.
The jungle night walk shows you a different cast after dark, and the two pair well on the same day because one ends before lunch and the other starts at 5:30 PM. For birds and crocodiles, add the mangroves: the Isla Damas mangrove boat tour is the easy option and the mangrove kayak tour puts you at water level.
If you want to be on the water
The catamaran tour from Manuel Antonio is the relaxed option: five hours along the coast with a snorkel stop and a barbecue lunch on board. Ocean kayaking and snorkeling is the active version: you paddle past small islands to Biesanz Bay and snorkel a reef.
From roughly mid-July to mid-October there is also whale watching at Marino Ballena, a six-hour trip south to Uvita for the humpback season.
If you want your heart rate up
There are three rafting trips and they are not interchangeable. The Savegre River is Class II-III, scenic, and fine for first-timers and children from eight. The Naranjo River is a half day of Class III-IV that runs in the rainy months, roughly May to November. El Chorro is a technical Class IV gorge for fit adults, and it only runs in the dry season, roughly January to April. Our rafting guide compares the three in detail.
Off the river, the zipline canopy tour is three hours, runs three times a day and takes children from six.
If you want food and culture
Both of these include lunch. On the chocolate, vanilla and coffee tour you roast coffee, grind cacao and taste spices on a working farm in the hills above Quepos. On the local flavor cooking experience you shop a farmers market, pick from an organic garden and cook a Costa Rican meal with a local family. Horseback riding belongs here too: mountain trails, a waterfall swim and a meal at the end.
With young children or older travelers
The easiest days are the mangrove boat tour, the chocolate farm, the cooking experience and the catamaran. The national park is a slow guided walk and works for most ages. Minimum ages to know before you plan: six for the mangrove kayak and the zipline, eight for ocean kayaking and the Savegre, 10 for the Naranjo and 16 for El Chorro.
What the season changes
- January to April (dry season): El Chorro is running. The Naranjo usually is not.
- May to November (green season): the Naranjo is running and mornings are normally clear. Plan outdoor tours early and keep afternoons loose.
- Mid-July to mid-October: humpback whales at Marino Ballena.
- Late September into mid-October: the night walk takes a short seasonal break.
- Every Tuesday, all year: the national park is closed.
Fitting two tours into one day
It works when one tour is short and has a fixed morning start. The national park at 7:00 AM leaves the afternoon free for the zipline at 2:30 PM, a 1:00 PM catamaran, or the night walk at 5:30 PM. The mangrove tours are harder to pair because the tide sets their time, so ask us for the pickup time before you book anything around them.
If you would rather have it arranged, there are ready-made combinations: the park and chocolate combo, the horseback and chocolate combo and the horseback and rafting day.
How booking works
Every tour on this page includes round-trip pickup from hotels in Manuel Antonio and Quepos and a certified bilingual guide. You can reserve online and pay later. Prices shown are per person before 13% VAT.
Staying in Jacó? Most of these tours also pick up there at a higher price that covers the drive. Each tour page has a departure switch that shows it. See everything in one place on our Manuel Antonio tours page, or go back to Tucanes Tours for the full list across Costa Rica.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best day tours in Manuel Antonio?
It depends on what you want from the day. For wildlife, the guided national park tour and the mangrove boat tour. For time on the water, the catamaran. For adventure, Savegre rafting or the zipline. For food and culture, the chocolate farm tour. The table on this page compares 14 of them.
How much do Manuel Antonio tours cost?
With Tucanes Tours, day tours from Manuel Antonio run from $75 per person for the guided national park tour or the night walk up to $165 for whale watching at Marino Ballena, before 13% VAT. Hotel pickup and a bilingual guide are included.
Can you do two tours in one day in Manuel Antonio?
Yes, if one of them is short with a fixed start. A 7:00 AM national park tour pairs well with an afternoon zipline, a 1:00 PM catamaran or the 5:30 PM night walk. Tide-based tours such as the mangroves are harder to pair, so confirm the pickup time first.
Which Manuel Antonio tours are good for kids?
The mangrove boat tour, the chocolate farm tour, the cooking experience, the catamaran and the national park suit most ages. Minimum ages are six for the zipline and mangrove kayak, eight for ocean kayaking and Savegre rafting, 10 for the Naranjo and 16 for El Chorro.
What day is Manuel Antonio National Park closed?
The park is closed every Tuesday. Guided tours run on all the other days, with hotel pickups at 7:00 AM and 12:30 PM.
Do Manuel Antonio tours include hotel pickup?
Yes. Every tour listed here includes round-trip pickup from hotels in the Manuel Antonio and Quepos area, plus a certified bilingual guide. Most also pick up in Jacó at a higher price that covers the drive.
Which tours run in the rainy season?
Almost all of them. Green season, roughly May to November, is when the Naranjo River runs and when the humpback whales arrive. Mornings are usually clear, so book early departures. El Chorro rafting is the main exception: it needs dry-season water levels.
Keep planning
Still deciding? Five reasons to hire a guide for Manuel Antonio explains what the park tour adds over walking in alone, the best spots to see sloths in Manuel Antonio covers the animal everyone asks about, and how to get to Quepos and Manuel Antonio from San José sorts out the arrival. All of our guides are on the blog.
