Manuel Antonio National Park tickets are sold online only, through SINAC, Costa Rica’s national park service, and cost about $18 for adults. The park limits how many people can enter each day, and from December to April that limit fills up, sometimes weeks ahead around Christmas, New Year and Easter week. This guide covers how to buy, what to bring, and what to do when your date is gone. The short version: buy the day your plans are set, or book a guided tour that includes the ticket.
The quick facts
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | About $18 for adults, tax included. About $6 for children 2 to 12. Under 2 free. Costa Rican residents pay less, in colones. |
| Where to buy | Online only, on SINAC’s official ticket site. Nothing is sold at the gate. |
| Open | Wednesday to Monday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Closed every Tuesday. |
| Entry time | Each ticket has a time slot. Arrive at the time you chose. |
| At the gate | Your ticket, on paper or on your phone, and the passport or ID that matches the name on it. |
| Refunds | None, and the name on a ticket cannot be changed. |
| Busiest dates | December to April, above all Christmas, New Year and Easter week. |
| With a Tucanes tour | Ticket included, with guide and hotel pickup, from $75 per person. |
How to buy tickets on the SINAC site
SINAC sells tickets for Manuel Antonio and ten other national parks through one site. It works, but it is fussy, so set aside fifteen minutes and do it on a computer.
- Check the date first. The site has a public availability page. Look before you plan the rest of the day, and remember the park is closed on Tuesdays.
- Create an account. Register with your email. SINAC sends the password to that address, so check your spam folder.
- Have everyone’s details ready. Full name, passport or ID number and country for each person, plus your card. Tickets are personal, and the name must match the ID you show at the gate.
- Pick the date and the entry time. Each ticket carries a time slot. Choose one you can actually make with your drive or shuttle.
- Pay in Chrome or Edge, in a private window. That is SINAC’s own advice. Allow pop-ups, because your bank’s card check opens in one.
Two limits catch groups out. One account can buy up to six tickets, and Manuel Antonio allows only one purchase per account per day. A family of seven needs two people to buy, each from their own account.
When tickets sell out
High season on the Pacific coast runs from December to April, when the dry weather brings the most visitors of the year. Weekdays outside the holidays are usually fine with a little notice. Christmas week, New Year and Easter week are different: the best morning times can go weeks ahead.
If the date you want shows sold out, you have three options:
- Move your park day. Swap it with a beach day or another tour, because a different morning is often still open.
- Take an afternoon slot. Mornings usually go first. The animals are quieter later in the day, but a good guide still finds plenty.
- Ask a tour operator. Operators buy tickets for their guests as part of the tour. Before you give up on a date, send us a WhatsApp message and we will tell you right away whether we can still get your group in.
Be careful with anyone selling tickets on the road near the entrance. Tickets are personal and checked against your ID, so a resold ticket can leave you outside the gate.
Ticket only, or a guided tour?
A ticket gets you through the gate. What you see once inside depends on who is looking. Sloths hang still and high, and most visitors walk right under them. A naturalist guide with a spotting scope finds them, plus the monkeys, birds, frogs and snakes, and lines up the scope so you can photograph them through your phone.
| Ticket only | Tucanes guided tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About $18 | From $75 per person |
| Park ticket | You buy it on SINAC | Included, we buy it |
| Getting there | Your own transport and parking | Hotel pickup in Manuel Antonio and Quepos |
| Finding animals | On your own | Certified bilingual naturalist with a spotting scope |
| Time | As long as you like until 4:00 PM | About 3.5 hours, then stay on the beach if you want |
The Manuel Antonio National Park guided tour runs every day the park is open, with hotel pickup at 7:00 AM or 12:30 PM. It costs $75 per person from Manuel Antonio and $119 from Jacó, with the ticket, guide, scope and snacks included. Because park tickets are limited, changes or cancellations between seven days and 48 hours before the tour carry a $20 per person fee plus tax.
Before you go
- Go early. The first entry times are cooler, and the animals are most active.
- Pack light. Bags are checked at the entrance. Bring water in a reusable bottle, sunscreen and a swimsuit for the beaches inside the park. Leave pets, single-use plastic and alcohol behind.
- Keep food sealed and never feed the monkeys. The capuchins know how to open a backpack.
- Bring a light rain jacket. Tickets are not refunded for weather, and the park stays open in the rain.
- Carry the passport or ID that matches the name on your ticket.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Manuel Antonio National Park tickets?
About $18 for adults, tax included, and about $6 for children ages 2 to 12. Children under 2 enter free. Costa Rican residents pay a lower rate in colones. The SINAC site shows the final total before you pay.
Can I buy Manuel Antonio tickets at the entrance?
No. Tickets are sold online only, through SINAC, Costa Rica's national park service. There is no window at the gate that sells same-day entry, so buy before you go or book a guided tour that includes the ticket.
How far ahead should I buy tickets in high season?
As soon as your dates are set. From December to April, and above all around Christmas, New Year and Easter week, popular dates can sell out weeks ahead. In the rainy season a few days ahead is usually enough.
What day is Manuel Antonio National Park closed?
Every Tuesday. The park opens Wednesday to Monday from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, including public holidays unless SINAC announces a closure.
Can I get a refund if it rains or my plans change?
No. SINAC tickets are personal and non-refundable, and the name cannot be changed later. If the park closes for an emergency, SINAC lets you change the date by email.
Does the Tucanes park tour include the entrance ticket?
Yes. The guided tour from Manuel Antonio is $75 per person and includes the park ticket, round-trip hotel pickup, a certified bilingual naturalist guide, a spotting scope and snacks. We buy the tickets for your group.
Keep planning
For more on what a guide adds, read five reasons to hire a guide for Manuel Antonio. If you are trying to fit the park in with everything else, Manuel Antonio day tours compared lays out 14 tours side by side. Staying in Jacó? See Manuel Antonio Park as a day trip from Jacó. And for the animal everyone asks about, here are the best spots to see sloths in Manuel Antonio. Planning several days? See our 3 and 5 day Manuel Antonio itineraries. All of our guides are on the blog.
