Manuel Antonio National Park From San José

This was an unforgettable trip to a gorgeous national park. Josel was an amazing tour guide. He was knowledgeable and hospitable with a nature loving personality. We were able to see sloths, iguanas, bats and more. The beach was delightful and both meals provided were delicious. Be prepared to be picked up in the 4am hour but it was so worth it. I highly recommend this tour.

long bus trip very cramped seats with not much to see at the park for 7 hours in bus did not turn up at pick up for correct time had to recarrange a pick up

The God was awesome you would have never thought we were on a day trip it was like we were all friends and family thank you for a great day trip

Our tour guide was not feeling well and was sleeping on the way to our destination. While in the rainforest he did not have the energy to really spot out the animals and make the effort to help us find them or give us facts about the location. Furthermore, we had to take an Uber to and from our meeting point, which was an additional cost. We also had to purchase ponchos because of the heavy rains. However, the rainforest all in all was absolutely beautiful.

This is a superb national park which combines nature trails with some very nice beaches. We spent the morning walking the various trails and were lucky enough to spot a sloth way up in the trees. It does make sense to hire a guide as it is very difficult to spot these elusive creatures. In the afternoon, we spent some time on one of the beaches accessible from within the park (Playa Manuel Antonio has a protected area which is great for swimming too). We recommend that you get to the park at opening time for the nature trails as it does get very busy later in the day. That said, there are quieter areas where people do not venture to, such as the Punta Catedral trail.

The beach, national park and the ride, the road all was so great! I enjoyed it the entire time. I didn’t give 1 star because of the tour guide, she was a joke, she probably said 3 sentences in english and mostly ignored english speakers!

The tour got off to a slow start with a late guide. It’s a long drive from San José, and you only get about 3 hours in the park, which isn’t much. The place is stunning, though, I’d recommend staying overnight to explore more. Breakfast was great, lunch was just okay. I was hoping for a bird’s-eye view of the park, but you'd need more time to find the right spots for that.

This was a great tour. The guide, Marcela, was excellent, very knowledgeable, and accommodating. We saw many animals, including a rare tree climbing anteater.

Signed up for the trip, but no contact and communication received from the company. I have to proactively check with them about trip and realized that they have cancelled my trip. What even more frustrating is I was told that I have to follow up with the TripAdvisor Customer Support for the refund. It is not a responsible behavior and a waste of time to book this trip. I do not recommend this.

The tour was on time when picking up, very clear on instructions, and the views were amazing. This is something you defiantly need to try. The warm water and beach views with palm trees. Unforgettable.

On February 22 we visited Manuel Antonio Park With Simbiosawild Costa Rica it was a Great Experience thanks to the Guide Bruce.

This was an exceptionally bad experience. The local tour company screwed up the pickup location and did not respond to calls or email communication. Via Tour did NOTING other than send a few Emails, their calls also went unanswered by the local Tour Operator. There was NO good resolution by either VIA TOUR or the local operator.

I was very apprehensive when booking this tour, specifically with the pick up and drop off horror stories. Happy to report had no issues with ours. The Holiday Inn by the airport stop is probably the most ideal since it’s last pick up/first drop off on most full day excursions. Had no issues with transport other than them being very strict (no windows open, no food), but it was a very new van with chargers on the side and individual reading lights. A very comfortable ride. The tour description doesn’t really prep you well compared to other reviewers- so paying it forward by adding more info. Pack: in general: good walking shoes (I survived with water shoes the entire time but there’s a couple trails sneakers/hiking shoes can save you); sunblock; hat/sunglasses; bug repellant; portable charger ; refillable water bottle; cash if you want extra food/drinks/tip (most stores also take card); wipes are handy to wipe off grime. If you plan to hit the beaches: beach bag; change of clothes; towel; snorkel gear/goggles if you want to see coral (no umbrellas allowed) *note, there’s a public beach right outside the national park that is also very nice that you can explore if you allocate time. Manuel Antonio National Park does not allow candy, mints/gum, single use plastic bottles, or bags in efforts to conserve and protect the wild life. They do a bag check prior to entry and will do an id check (the tour group will give it with the info you provide upon booking)- highly recommend still having a copy or photo of your passport on you just in case something is off. Our day: pick up; 1 hr drive to breakfast buffet + rest stop (eggs, rice, vegetables, coffee/juice/tea, pay extra for meat/snacks); 2 hr drive to national park; enter park; 45 min guided walk to coffee shop inside park; apex 3-4 hours free time (hike, swim, look for animals); meet outside park at restaurant for lunch; 2 hr drive to rest stop; 1 hr drive to drop offs Marcela was our guide and she was nice. She did her best with our group to share as much info as possible but there was much to be desired due to a slight language barrier. Additionally other tour guides have telescope devices that allow their groups to see animals/put their phone up to the scope to snap pics. We had to do our best with our eyes and following the crowds huddling for sloths. It’s a pretty independent excursion otherwise- if you’re in good physical health you can definitely explore the entire park and beaches with the allotted time. We got chased by monkeys and saw two sloths, it was a good time.

I nearly always leave five-star reviews as you can see from my many reviews. In this case, although I loved the visit to the beach, I really need to leave a review to warn others about this tour company. They promise to drop you off at the same location you were picked up at. For me, they didn't do this and didn't tell me about it in advance. I was asked "Where are you staying?" and then was dropped off at some alternate location near a bus stop, which was great for people riding the bus, but for me it was very challenging using Uber. I had only been in town for a couple days so I hadn't learned the bus system. The drop off was on a dark street at night somewhere near the airport (didn't know which way), so I couldn't pull out my phone. I had to hustle to find the airport and the places I had to walk were not meant for pedestrians, only cars. At the airport, Uber is not the usual method of transport, so the Uber driver couldn't find me. It was so loud there, I couldn't have a conversation over the phone. I had to call the driver and speak Spanish as quickly and loudly as possible to help him find me. I made it back to my hotel, but very late. Trying to call the tour guide during your trip is impossible. The number associated with the tour company is not manned with a 48 hour promise to return calls. If you had an emergency while on the tour, they would never know. It was nerve-racking. The tour company hasn't been in business long, so I think they are inexperienced.

We had a great time enjoying the nature here, this is one of my favorite national Park in Costa Rica You can enjoy watching so many animals in their habitat

We went on this tour with Arthuro. He is very funny and knowledgeable. We were laughing all the way to the destination and back to hotel. He has more than 35 years of experience in this business which is very valuable. He is fluent in both spanish and english. I hope we would get more chance with different tours guided by arthuro.

We are family of 4 with 2 teenage kids. Pickup at our hotel was on time. Guide Arthur was very friendly and interactive. Process was seamless. Food stops were neat and clean. We didn’t feel rushed at the stops. Overall had a best experience and would recommend to anyone!

Our tour is cancelled due to an accident happened on our route. We only had breakfast and had 2.5 hours more to on our way and the tour operator suggested us two options either to go Tortuga island or get paid 50% of the tour. The options were not equitably selectable, ofc everyone selected to go Tortuga island and the tour operator charges us for the park fee of Manuel Antonio and the breakfast we had in our way. Accident was not our fault either but we had to pay the price and the tour operator had not done anything for customer satisfaction. In Tortuga island the experience was not good either, there were no free sunbeds even and the breakfast we had on our way to Manuel Antonio was bad. I dont recommend this tour at all.

I loved the experience m, I would go again. The tour guide was kind and knowledgeable. I love Costa Rica, will go again. ☺️☺️

Let me start out by saying the tour itself was fine. Our driver and our guide did a good job. The problem lies with the tour company. We booked this tour in part because the website said they would pick up at our hotel. Several pickup sites were listed and our hotel was one of them. Two days before the tour I got an email saying we had to go to another hotel for pickup. The hotel was close by - less than half a mile away - but on the other side of a major highway making walking not an option. I contacted TripAdvisor and they tried to contact the tour company but no one answered and the voice mailbox was full. TripAdvisor sent them an email but the tour company refused to accommodate us. The night before the tour, at around 8:00 pm, I got a message through WhatsApp telling me pickup was at 4:45 am. The website had said 6:00 am. Now it was too late to cancel. Even worse, I had just downloaded WhatsApp and set it up that day. If I hadn’t I never would have received their message. They did NOT email or try to inform me in any other way about the extremely early pickup time. I had a rental car, so I drove to the pickup location. My friend and I were the only two being picked up at that location — so there was absolutely no reason for them refusing to pick us up at our hotel. To make matters even worse, the parking at the pickup hotel cost us $35. The only reason I gave them two stars was because our driver and guide were good. But STAY AWAY FROM THIS TOUR COMPANY.

Love it. Just make more of your tours available for solo travelers NOT just some. Thanks. Very Exciting

every things incredible especially the tour guide she very knowledgeable and very hospitable and responsible,

Our guide was Marianela, she was great and took time to give us information in our tour. She was very helpful and did as in the guide. Will defiantly do it again. The beach was omg and water was great. Yes, obey the rules of the park. They are very strict and don’t bring food or plastic; no gum/snacks/shells One little issue was that she was not given the right code for our group ticket to the park but the time we waited she compensated. It was not her fault it happens plus again our time was not taken off. We got to stop to see the 🐊 that was exciting. Take money to buy gifts to take home. Bring extra bag to put your wet clothes.

Need WhatsApp to communicate with Inside Tours, if your tour is cancelled you will be notified by WhatsApp only and may not know.

What a wonderful experience. The ride was long but broken down by breakfast and shopping. At Manuel Antonio it was amazing seeing animals in their environment. The beach was breath taking and we had a beautiful day!

I try not to leave bad reviews because it can potentially take food out someones mouth, but at the same time people work hard for their money and should be able to get its worth. This tour is guided by an older gentleman who swears he is the king of tours (just wait) and knows everythingggggg. He promised to stop for fresh fruit and coconuts. They stop for breakfast at El Jardin which is a hugeeeeee tourist trap. You are rushed to eat then shoved back on bus. Longgggg drive to manuel antonio. He DID NOT POINT OUT ANY ANIMALS. if it wasn’t for the prepared guides with binoculars/scopes we wouldn’t have been alerted anything was in area. When you ask to stop to see what people are looking at, he tells you no hurry the beach will be crowded. Is this a nature walk or no???? Anyways, saw lots of monkeys to the point you walk past them like a stray cat. A couple sloths observed. The beach area is awesome. you spend about 3 hours and then leave. We stop for lunch at this sub par restaurant called “villa bosque” which was dead ( I understood why). Your lunch consists of a dry piece of mahi with no rice. Or spaghetti (who orders spaghetti in CR??) or chicken fried rice. The meal was 2 out of 10. Lastly it was time to leave and a female reminded him about the coconuts and which he got upset and said he never said! The driver (bless his heart) said he would stop for us. I recommend you do this tour with someone who actually cares about nature and history. If you have time to take the bus to quepos and find your way here, DO THAT. Its $163 of being in the car 80% of the trip. Not worth it

My trip to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica was incredible. The scenery and wildlife were breathtaking, and our guide was knowledgeable. However, I was disappointed when the guide wouldn't drop me off at my hotel just 1 km away from the scheduled stop.

A nice excursion from San Jose. We saw beautiful birds, a sloth and a coatis, but no monkeys. The beach is stunning and the water is perfect. The guide was knowledgeable and generous, he did a great job pointing out animals during the first part of the park. We had expected the guide to join us on the second part, but we hiked alone and did not see animals. Lunch after the tour at a nearby hotel restaurant was delicious. The tour is recommend but keep your expectations of seeing animals well-managed.

Nela, our tour guide, was delightful and incredibly knowledgeable. I'm grateful for Inside Tours' flexibility in accommodating my last-minute request to reschedule the tour due to a flight delay that caused us to miss our connecting flight. While the flying experience to Costa Rica wasn't ideal, the communication from the company provided reassurance. I'd also like to note that this rescheduling request was made close to the typical 24-hour cancellation window, ensuring it wasn't within 3-4 hours of the activity just for clarification. As the company does have to purchase the admission tickets to the National Park ahead of time. Overall, I highly recommend!!!!!! Enjoy!!!

We had a great time on the way to, at and back from the park. Our guide Arthur was amazing. He was very informative and attentive. On the way there he provide so many interesting facts and pointed lots of things out. The breakfast and lunch were tasty too. We saw lots of animals and the beach is gorgeous!

The tour was ok, nice beach. Be mindful - They will not drop off off at your pick up point. I was dropped off at the airport and had to take an expensive red taxi to where my hotel was. It’s unfortunately.

Beautiful parc and beaches. The drive itself was very pretty but the driving was terrible, too fast and furious. The Guide was very nice but didn’t give us much information about the city/country/places, we had to ask for some in the van. In the parc (no food and no plastic bottles allowed) all the other guides had a small telescope, our Guide just had binoculars, this company should really invest in one. On the way to the beach we saw a few animals from a distance (1 monkey, 1 coati, 1 sloth). After the 3 hours of free time on the beach we walked our way back too fast to even spot anything (except deers), even if I said that people saw 2 sloths on this path in the morning. The place for breakfast was great but the one for lunch wasn’t. I had a good day overall but was also a bit disappointed at the same time for such an expensive tour.

My friend and I had a great time on this trip! We were only in Costa Rica for a long weekend, and since we stayed close to the airport, this was the perfect way to be comfortably transported to Manuel Antonio - and we saw a ton of wildlife! Our only wish is that we would have been recommended more things to do in the park. Besides that, the beach was lovely, the sloths were precious, and the food was great!

Victor did an awesome job on our tour!!! The beach was beautiful and the monkeys were sneaky!!! Beautiful day and had a great time!!

Long trip, long hours in the car totally not worth it. 30 minutes walk around the park, rest of the time we were supposed to spend on the beach. More animals you can see just casually walking in the costa rica roads than there. Totally overrated

The tour was alright; we barely encountered any animals at the park. However, the food and the beach were enjoyable.

Great day on the beach. Do make sure to bring recycling bottle of water as it is forbidden inside the park.

This tour is oversold - you do not see jaguars, snakes or anything exotic as the tour guides would lead you to believe. You’ll see an iguana and have a brief, short, “manufactured” pseudo-walk through what is tantamount to a man made plastic rainforest . Don’t believe the hype.

The tour was really good. Amazing guide and driver. The beach is beautiful and the tour people are amazing. I highly recommend it.

The park at Manuel Antonio was great but did not have very many animals since so many people. We did see a couple of sloths, blue crabs and many lizards but was hoping for more. And the paths at park were really nice along with beautiful water to cool off in. A nice part of trip was stopping at a beach on way back because our guide saw macaws. The macaws were amazing and gave a great show of how fun they are. The bus was not very comfortable and we were on it for a really long time. And the food was just okay. The guide was polite and kept everyone on track but had limited time for everyone since such a full group of people on tour.

Manuel Antonio is a beautiful park, and I got to see some amazing animals and sights during this day tour. We spent 3.5 hours at the park and I felt like this was about perfect. Unfortunately, the other 10+ hours of this day tour was not enjoyable. The breakfast and lunch were average quality and nothing made them an authentic Costa Rican experience. We spent way too much time at rest stops and food stops. This tour needs to lower the price so that we don’t feel obligated to eat average food, lessen the amount time spent at rest/food stops, and/or add another attraction to break up the long driving day.

The guides were very helpful and guided us great. I really enjoyed this trip a lot. Learned about Costa Rica

Tour guide Alex was amazing. Driver Victor was fantastic. Amazing adventure. Need to know: don’t attempt to bring disposable water bottles or food into the park. Reusable bottles only. There are filling stations to use. Bring towels, comfortable shoes and beach shoes. Pay for the all inclusive for access to the better beaches and amazing tour guide who will teach you about, and show you the animals you’d never see on your own. The breakfast and lunch were excellent.

We were so excited to see the number one national park in Costa Rica but we ended up being very disappointed with this tour to say the least. We paid for a guided tour through the national park so that we can get the full experience of the nature and animals but our guide was not prepared. According to him, he was not informed that he was going to be our guide so he did failed to bring his telescope which made spotting animals extremely difficult. We relied on only what our eyes could see and where the crowd was and even then, we barely saw much. The food provided was okay, nothing fantastic. The drive is lengthy from San Jose so be prepared. The park itself is beautiful with amazing views but I’m sure the experience would have been a thousand times better had the tour guide been prepared.

This tour had some highlights, but was also full of unexpected disappointments. About a week before I planned to go, I tried contacting Inside Tours to ask several questions. First, I could only see the "Economic tour" for $90 dollars on Trip Advisor, and wanted to know how to access and sign up for the all-inclusive tour. Second, I wanted to know if I could buy park tickets to Manuel Antonio the day of the tour (if I went with the economic tour, that is). Third, I wanted to know if lunch was included, since the website and the reviews gave contradictory answers. Even after contacting several numbers (calling and texting through WhatsApp), I received no answers to any of my questions. Running out of time, I signed up for the economic tour. One frustrating thing about this company which I found before on the Tortuga Island tour (which is excellent, by the way), is that they do not tell you your departure time from the hotel until the night before. After you have already payed for the tour, it would be nice to know that someone anticipates your arrival, giving you time to so call and fix any mixups in your booking if necessary. But no, they will not respond to texts until the night before your trip. I left from the Gran Hotel Costa Rica at 5:15 am. We made three stops at other hotels and were on our way. Breakfast was included in the $90 tour, and was delicious: Gallo pinto with two sides (I got plantains and bread) and coffee or juice. There is also an amazing souvenir shop attached to the restaurant (El Jardín). Next, we made our way to Manuel Antonio. Upon arrival, I asked the tour guide about acquiring tickets into the park. Although our tour guide was very friendly, she had no idea where to get tickets or how much they cost. I found the ticket booth myself, only to discover that all tickets were sold out until Wednesday (my tour was on Sunday). I was so disappointed because the primary reason I came to Manuel Antonio was to see the animals in the park and to hike the trails. This could have been resolved if only Inside Tours had responded to my messages and calls and answered my question about how to enter the park. My recommendation would be to figure out how to buy tickets beforehand online, or to buy the all-inclusive tour (which I never found). Unable to enter the park, I spent the day at the adjacent beach which is absolutely stunning. This was certainly the highlight of the trip. It turned out lunch was not included. Although I survived off of coconuts from the beach, there are several restaurants in the area that are easily accessible for lunch. I saw a cara blanca (white-faced) monkey right before I left, which was memorable. We left around 2:30 pm (around 4 1/2 hours at Manuel Antonio). We stopped at Cocodrilos on our way back to San Jose. Around 6pm, we made it back to the Gran Hotel in downtown San Jose. I will admit that the tour provides transportation to and from Manuel Antonio for an incredible rate. Ninety dollars is dirt cheep compared to trying to get an uber, taxi, or private van. I would recommend that people choosing the economic tour would think of the tour as their breakfast ticket and transportation, nothing else. YOU are responsible for figuring out how to get into the park, which activities to do while there, where to eat lunch, etc. I hope this review gives future visitors a realistic understanding of what this tour does and does not include. While I am very frustrated with Inside Tours' complete lack of communication before the tour, I admit that they do provide clients with a pleasant experience, and would especially recommend their trip to Tortuga Island.

I met many great people on the tour. We did the hike and enjoyed the beach afterwards. Breakfast, lunch and evening beverages are provided. Special shout out to Roberto . He is very knowledgeable about the area.

The meals were great and the beach was fantastic. I would just suggest that if anyone is booking this tour you’ll want to make sure you pay for the inclusive tour. If you do that you’ll have a great time. 👍

The park is 3h drive from San Jose, BUT it is soooo worth it. We had a group of monkeys playing in front of us on the trail, so close, we saw iguanas and other animals. But the beach is beyond amazing. It is picture perfect. I am glad this company provides these tours, they are doing great job, especially when you travel solo. Recommend!

Excellent tour! It was a great day to explore the beach and park, and the tour was wonderful. The breakfast and lunch was also very good!