Manuel Antonio National Park Day Trip from San Jose
Description
Manuel Antonio National Park is considered one of the most beautiful parks in Costa Rica. This tour you will have the opportunity to see pristine beaches with coral reefs, bordered by exhuberant vegetation and the natural wonders of the tropical rainforest.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This excursion begins when we pick you up the your Hotel early in the morning and head to the pacific coast. We will make a stop on the way for a delicious typical breakfast that includes gallo pinto, eggs to taste, meat, sausage, ripe banana, cheese, custard, omelette, fruit, coffee and juice . On the way to Manuel Antonio National Park, you will travel along the coastline enjoying scenic views, including African palm plantations. You will also travel past small villages along the Pacific Coast, until you reach the port of Quepos and the ultimately the National Park. Once in the park, you can simply relax and enjoy the beach, sunbathe, or hike through the park’s trails, which will allow you to observe Manuel Antonio’s abundant flora and fauna. Several species of monkeys, iguanas, birds and possibly even the three-toed sloth can be seen.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up all travellers at the Hotel lobby in (San jose downtown, Alajuela downtown and Heredia downtown )
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- We require to get complete name and passport number from every person going in this tour. This is necessary for registering every person to the park ticket's system, otherwise it wouldn't be possible to enter the park. Please add your names plus nationality and passport number. We highly appreciate you to send us this information as soon as possible to avoid eventual troubles like missing the chance to visit the park, as there are limited tickets available everyday
- Be aware that you cannot bring inside the park (water in single-use bottles or food)
- You must bring your own towel if you are willing to swim inside the national park
- The normal duration of this tour is 13 hours, but sometimes it could take longer becuase of the traffic on the way back.
Reviews(103)
Phenomenal time. Was blessed to have what felt like a private tour since there was only one other individual - shoutout to Javier from Spain. Guide Harlem and Driver Herbert are a one of a kind duo. Seen snakes, sloths, toucans, bats, etc. and swam in the Pacific. Food was also great with a breathtaking view on the 6th floor of the resort.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your fantastic experience with us! We are absolutely thrilled to hear that you had such a phenomenal time and that your tour felt like a special, intimate experience. It's always great when our guests connect, so shoutout to Javier from Spain as well! Thank you for choosing Destiny Travel Costa Rica. We truly hope to welcome you back in the future for more wonderful adventures!
Maurice was wonderful. We had a great time.
Thank you so much for your feedback! We are delighted to hear that you had a great time and that Maurice’s service made your experience wonderful. We hope to see you again soon in Costa Rica. Pura Vida!
It was an amazing experience. Seen sloths, monkeys, iguanas, and birds. Food was great. Beach was amazing. Don’t forget to bring a towel because you do get free time which everyone stayed on the beach to play. The only thing that I would add is having a Wi-Fi connection in the vehicle since it is 3 hrs both ways, not including the traffic.
Thank you so much for your detailed review! We are glad you enjoyed the wildlife, the food, and the beach. We also appreciate your suggestion regarding the Wi-Fi in our vehicles; we are always looking for ways to improve our service for those long drives. It was a pleasure hosting you. Pura Vida!🌿🌿
Highway 34 currently has a bridge under repair. This causes a huge traffic delay. Our tour left Manuel Antonio at 4:30 pm. It took 5 1/2 hours to cross the bridge. Then another 3 to reach San Jose. So we were stuck in the micro-bus for 8 1/2 hours getting from Manuel Antonio to San Jose. For me, the traffic mess cancels out any reason to go to the park. My suggestion is to stay away until that bridge is fully functional.
Thank you for sharing your experience. We sincerely apologize for the unexpected traffic delay caused by the bridge repairs on Highway 34. Unfortunately, this situation is beyond our control, but we completely understand how frustrating such a long journey must have been. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope we can provide you with a smoother experience on your next visit to Costa Rica.
You will drive 4hrs, have 4hrs there and then 4hrs back. But the animals are so worth it. Nice beach too.
Thank you for your review! We’re happy to hear that despite the long drive, the wildlife and the beautiful beach made the experience worthwhile.
Our guide and driver were very nice, but guide should have had binoculars and viewfinder for park, to see animals better. Also, towels should be provided for beach. Breakfast and lunch were good. Beach nice too.
Thank you very much for sharing your feedback with us. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the beach, the meals, and the attention from both the guide and the driver. We sincerely appreciate your suggestions regarding the binoculars/viewfinder and the availability of towels for the beach. These comments are very valuable, and we will share them with our operations team to continue improving the experience for our future passengers. Thank you again for choosing Destiny Travel Costa Rica. If you return to our country, it will be a pleasure to serve you again.
Unique opportunity to experience walking in a tropical forest and seeing monkeys, coatis, Sloths, etc. Enjoy beautiful beaches. Tour guide explained well the local culture and geography. Very humid, you will sweat. Long drive with traffic from and return to San Jose.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the tropical forest, the wildlife, and the beautiful beaches. It’s great to know that the guide’s explanations about local culture and geography were helpful. The humidity and the long drive with traffic can definitely be challenging, but we’re happy it was still a memorable adventure for you. We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again in the future!
Manuel Antonio National Park was a lovely experience. It’s an all day experience that included breakfast and lunch. It was a sunny clear day that allowed us to enjoy the long drive from San Jose. Traffic was a problem. Much time was consumed on the road, because of traffic. Our guide explained that traffic is a national problem and the current administration is trying to get a bill passed to widen the roads and highways. Once at the park, we enjoyed walking on the trail and seeing the wildlife, plants, trees, and beaches. Our guide, Ricardo, was very experienced finding wildlife. It’s not easy to spot the animals because they’re so well camouflaged. The beach was the highlight of the trip. The water and sand were prestine. We stayed at the beach until it was time to leave. The beach looked like it was from a scene of Jurassic Park, with thick trees and vegetation, and waves crashing against volcanic looking bolders. Our driver, Cristian, was an excellent driver. He did everything possible to workaround the heavy traffic. I booked the trip through Viator. Viator’s website was easy to navigate. I called Customer Support with questions. The agent was very helpful. If you’re in Costa Rica, it’s worth adding the Manuel Antonio National Park to your agenda and to book it through Viator.
Thank you so much for sharing your detailed and wonderful experience! We’re delighted to hear that your visit to Manuel Antonio National Park was memorable, from the scenic drive to the beautiful beaches. Despite the traffic challenges, we're glad that both Ricardo and Cristian helped make your day enjoyable with their expertise and dedication. Manuel Antonio truly is a magical place, and your description captures its beauty perfectly. We’re also happy to know that your booking experience through Viator was smooth and helpful. Thank you for recommending the tour your feedback means a lot. We hope to welcome you back to Costa Rica for more unforgettable adventures! PURA VIDA !!!
The journey one-way can be three hours or more. The communication around pick up times can be confusing. The guides are very average - lack humor and storytelling you see from other tours. This advert doesn’t include enough information about how to prepare for the trip. It is essentially a van ride to the beach. There is a rainforest walk where the guide points out animals and lets you see through his magnifier. The best part was just meeting other people, good conversation and a long swim on the beach.
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sorry to hear that some aspects of the experience did not meet your expectations. The starting times for the tours are communicated properly and in advance, one day before the tour, and it is important to respect the schedule to avoid affecting the timing of the activities. We truly value your comments. We are glad to know that you enjoyed meeting new people and spending time at the beach. We hope to offer you a more complete and pleasant experience in the future.
Wow wow wow! Yes this is worth it! Wish I could stay in Manuel Antonio longer! This place is great, guide is great! He spoke Spanish and English and was helpful! The beaches were lovely! Wanted more time there honestly! But what an amazing trip! And my god the food was amazing! I have dietary needs so I said for food that I could have something else for the lunch and yes they adhered to it. Would say though that it’s best to discuss this prior in case your dietary needs are very specific! The view from the hotel where we had lunch was AMAZING! This one is organised!
Thank you so much for your amazing feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such a great time in Manuel Antonio and that everything from the guide to the food and the stunning views met your expectations. It’s wonderful to know that your dietary needs were taken into account, and yes, we always recommend mentioning any special requirements ahead of time to make sure everything goes smoothly. We’d love to welcome you back anytime for more beach time and unforgettable moments!
