Monteverde Night Tour: Wildlife with Guide & Spotting Scope

Search the forest at night for sleeping birds, tree frogs and nocturnal mammals

A two-hour guided night tour through Monteverde's tropical forest where you walk with a live guide and flashlights to spot nocturnal wildlife (frogs, snakes, tarantulas, insects, porcupines, sloths, armadillos, kinkajous and opossums) plus sleeping toucans and hummingbirds. The guide helps you photograph sightings through a spotting scope, and parking and all gear are included. Children from age one are welcome.

The experience

Two hours in Monteverde's forest at night is when the animals move. Your guide leads you through different spots looking for the species that come alive after dark: tree frogs calling from branches, tarantulas on the ground, nocturnal mammals like kinkajous and sloths. Because nature is unpredictable, every tour finds something different. You'll learn the natural and cultural history of what you're seeing as you walk, and the guide points out where the best activity is happening.

Flashlights come with you, and if you want to photograph what you find, the guide helps you use the spotting scope to frame the shot. The scope brings distant animals into focus so you can see detail (a sleeping toucan in the canopy, a hummingbird roosting on a branch) without disturbing them. Parking is included, and the tour suits all ages and fitness levels.

What’s included

• Live guide in English or Spanish.
• flashlights for each participant.
• spotting scope for viewing and photographing wildlife.
• parking.
• all gear needed for the night walk.

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in English or Spanish17:30 and 20:00

Guide in English17:30 and 20:00

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 17:30 and 20:00

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (1 to 11 years)

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “Wildlife Refuge Monteverde, Calle Los Camachos, Provincia de Puntarenas, Monteverde, Costa Rica.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Olingo Expeditions Monteverde

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a guide handling spotting equipment and navigation while you focus on photographing nocturnal wildlife, rather than managing gear yourself in the dark.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (1 to 11 years).

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 24h before the start.

What kind of animals will I actually see on a Monteverde night tour?

Nocturnal species like tree frogs, snakes, tarantulas, insects, porcupines, sloths, armadillos, kinkajous and opossums are common sightings. You'll also see diurnal animals sleeping in the trees: toucans and hummingbirds roosting for the night. The guide knows where activity concentrates and takes you to those spots, though what appears changes with each tour because wildlife is unpredictable.

How does the spotting scope work during the night tour?

The guide uses the spotting scope to help you photograph wildlife you spot during the walk. It magnifies distant animals so you can see them clearly and frame a shot without getting close enough to disturb them. Using the scope is optional. You can walk and observe without it.

What's included in the Monteverde night tour price?

The tour includes a live guide in English or Spanish, flashlights, parking, and the spotting scope for wildlife viewing and photography. You bring comfortable walking shoes and clothes for the forest at night.

How far do you walk during the two-hour night tour?

The tour stays within Monteverde's tropical forest, moving between different spots where nocturnal activity is concentrated. The guide chooses the route based on where animals are most active that night, so the exact path changes with each departure.