La Paz Waterfall Gardens Day Trip: Waterfalls & Wildlife

Hand-feed toucans and hummingbirds in a cloud forest full of waterfalls

La Paz Waterfall Gardens is a wildlife refuge and botanical park near San Jose where you walk a 3-kilometer paved trail through cloud forest to five waterfalls, then tour ten animal exhibits housing over 100 species. The tour includes hotel pickup, a professional guide in English or Spanish, lunch, and guaranteed skip-the-line entry to the gardens. Eight to nine hours total, with moderate hiking on established paths.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit La Paz Waterfall Gardens

• Meet guide at hotel lobby
• Transfer to La Paz Waterfall Gardens
• Visit ten animal exhibitions
• Hike 3 km paved trail
• Reach base of La Paz waterfall
• Enjoy wildlife and plant species
• Take photographs of natural beauty

The experience

Your guide picks you up at your San Jose hotel and drives you to the gardens, which sit between 1,200 and 1,500 meters elevation in the Central Valley's cloud forest. Once there, you walk the main 3-kilometer paved trail at a moderate pace, descending through dense green canopy to the base of La Paz Waterfall: the centerpiece of the park and the reason most visitors come. The trail is wide and well-maintained, so families with children and people of varying fitness levels manage it comfortably. Along the way, you pass through different forest zones where the air changes and the bird calls shift.

Before or after the waterfall hike, you move through ten animal exhibits spread across the gardens. The aviary holds 40 bird species, and in the mornings and afternoons you can hand-feed hummingbirds: more than 26 species are documented here. The butterfly garden includes a working laboratory where you watch the insects develop. You'll see titi monkeys, capuchin monkeys, spider monkeys, 2-toed sloths, and a serpentarium with snakes. The feline house displays jaguars, pumas, ocelots and tigrillos. There's also a frog display, orchid collection, and a section with domestic animals and an oxen cart. The pace through the exhibits is self-directed within the time your guide allows, so you can linger where the animals are active or move quickly through sections that don't hold your attention.

Lunch is a buffet served at the gardens, and you can request a vegetarian option when you book. Bottled water is provided throughout the day. Your guide handles all entry logistics (you skip the lines at the gate), and the air-conditioned minivan transports you between San Jose and the park. The whole outing runs eight to nine hours from pickup to drop-off, which accounts for the drive, the hike, the animal exhibits and the meal.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from your San Jose accommodation.
• professional guide fluent in English or Spanish.
• entry to all ten animal exhibits and the waterfall trail.
• buffet lunch with vegetarian options available.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• skip-the-line entry to the gardens.
• transport by air-conditioned minivan.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00 and 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (11 to 65 years) · Senior (66 to 90 years) · Child (3 to 10 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Destiny Travel Costa Rica

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a guided walk on paved trails with stops to see five waterfalls and hand-feed toucans, rather than navigating the reserve solo: the guide points out wildlife across the sanctuary's 100+ species while you stay on maintained paths.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 10 years); Infant (under 3).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How far is the hike to La Paz Waterfall itself?

The paved trail to the waterfall base is 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) one way, and it's a moderate-intensity walk through cloud forest. You descend as you go, and the path is wide and well-maintained, so it's manageable for most fitness levels.

Can I hand-feed the animals, or just look at them?

You can hand-feed both toucans and hummingbirds at La Paz Waterfall Gardens. The hummingbird feeding happens in the mornings and afternoons, and toucans are part of the aviary experience where direct contact is part of the visit.

What animals will I actually see on this tour?

The gardens house over 100 species across ten exhibits. You'll encounter monkeys (titi, capuchin, spider), 2-toed sloths, jaguars, pumas, ocelots, tigrillos, snakes, frogs, 40 bird species including toucans, 26+ hummingbird species, butterflies in a working laboratory, and domestic animals in a separate section.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to pay extra for?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, the guide, park entry, a buffet lunch, bottled water, and all taxes and fees are included. Gratuities for the guide are not included and are left to your discretion.

How early does the tour start, and when will I be back at my hotel?

The tour is eight to nine hours total, including the drive from San Jose. Your guide picks you up at your hotel in the morning. The exact time depends on which hotel you're staying at and the operator's pickup schedule for that day.