Day 1 · 1 night
San José
Autentico, San José
Autentico. The first night, near the airport.
- Day 1San JoséOur greeter meets you at arrivals with your welcome pack; a short transfer to Autentico for the night.
Birding trip · 16 nights · Arrive San José (SJO)
Arenal, the Pacific and the Quetzal Valley
- Since 2004, based in Costa Rica
- Over 25,000 clients
- 1,200+ five-star reviews
- ICT licensed
No Caribbean on this one. Three nights at the volcano, three in the Monteverde cloud forest, then down to the Pacific for the Scarlet Macaws at Carara and the national park at Manuel Antonio, and up into the Talamanca at the end for the Resplendent Quetzal. Three nights at every stop, which is the pace people thank us for on a long trip.
- Length
- 16 nights
- Stops
- 5 birding stops: Arenal, Monteverde, Carara and the Tárcoles, Manuel Antonio, San Gerardo de Dota
- Fly into
- San José, SJO
- Getting around
- Private driver; jeep, boat and jeep across Lake Arenal; one boat morning
- Great for
- Small groups of friends, couples, a birder travelling with a non-birder
- Zones
- Caribbean Lowlands (Arenal), Highlands, Central and Southern Pacific
- Pace
- Easy: three nights at every stop
- Reviewed
- November 2026
The route
North to Arenal, across the lake to Monteverde, down to the Pacific at Carara, south along the coast to Manuel Antonio, then up into the Talamanca, an hour and a half from the airport on the last morning.
- San JoséArrive SJO, 1 night at Autentico in San José
- Arenalwith La Paz Waterfall Gardens on the way · 3 nightsArenal Lodge
- Monteverdejeep, boat and jeep across Lake Arenal · · 3 nightsTrapp Family Lodge
- Tárcoles and Carara3 nightsHotel Punta Leona
- Manuel Antonio3 nightsCosta Verde
- San Gerardo de Dota3 nightsDantica Cloud Forest Lodge
- Fly home from SJOabout 2½ hours from San Gerardo de Dota, timed to your flight
The route between the numbered stops, the run back to the airport (dashed); lodges as small red pins.Every stop and lodge on this route is in the numbered list.
Why we built it this way
This is the route for the birder who does not want the Caribbean rain. We have built it three times since 2023, and every version ended in the quetzal valley.
Three nights at every stop is deliberate. Nobody packs a bag two mornings running, and there is always a second dawn if the first one is quiet.
I like San Gerardo de Dota last on this route. After Manuel Antonio the road climbs into cold oak forest, the quetzal is the finale, and the airport is only an hour and a half away when it is over.
Jason Bateman, Costa Rica Specialist
Day by day
Days 2 to 4 · 3 nights
Arenal
Arenal Lodge, Arenal
Arenal Lodge. The three Arenal nights on this route.
- Day 2To ArenalNorth with La Paz Waterfall Gardens on the way, to Arenal Lodge for three nights.
- Day 3The hanging bridgesA guided morning on the bridges through the canopy, tanagers and hummingbirds at eye level.
- Day 4Caño NegroAbout 2 hours to the wetland for a guided morning on the water.
At Arenal, the Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Lovely Cotinga, Yellow-eared Toucanet and Great Curassow; tanagers, hummingbirds and trogons from the bridges. At Caño Negro, Roseate Spoonbill, Northern Jacana and Anhinga from the boat.
Days 5 to 7 · 3 nights
Monteverde
Trapp Family Lodge, Monteverde
Trapp Family Lodge. The closest hotel to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, in the green mountains above Santa Elena.
- Day 5To MonteverdeJeep, boat and jeep across Lake Arenal to Trapp Family Lodge.
- Day 6MonteverdeA guided cloud forest birding morning.
- Day 7A second cloud forest morningAnother dawn in the cloud forest. The afternoon is yours.
At Monteverde, Three-wattled Bellbird, Resplendent Quetzal, Lesson's Motmot, Collared Trogon and Keel-billed Toucan at Curi-Cancha.
Days 8 to 10 · 3 nights
Tárcoles and Carara
Hotel Punta Leona, Punta Leona
Hotel Punta Leona. A beach resort in one of the country's last transition forests, where the wet Pacific forest meets the dry, with Carara and the Tárcoles river a short drive away.
- Day 8To the PacificDown to Hotel Punta Leona, near Carara and the Tárcoles.
- Day 9Carara National ParkA guided morning in the park with a local birding guide.
- Day 10The Tárcoles mangrove by boatA guided boat morning through the channels for the water birds.
At Carara and on the Tárcoles, the Scarlet Macaw and Collared Aracari in the park, Boat-billed Heron from the mangrove boat.
Days 11 to 13 · 3 nights
Manuel Antonio
Costa Verde, Manuel Antonio
Costa Verde. The coast nights on this route.
- Day 11To Manuel AntonioSouth along the coast to Costa Verde.
- Day 12Manuel Antonio National ParkA guided park morning, planned around the Tuesday closure.
- Day 13A second coast morningA guided birding morning near Manuel Antonio. The afternoon is yours.
At Manuel Antonio, the Scarlet Macaw and a motmot in the park, and at Naranjito Yellow-throated Toucan, White-throated Shrike-Tanager and Short-tailed Hawk.
Days 14 to 16 · 3 nights
San Gerardo de Dota
Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge, San Gerardo de Dota
Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge. Bungalows with fireplaces on a hillside above San Gerardo de Dota, close to Los Quetzales National Park, with trails through the lodge's own forest.
- Day 14To San Gerardo de DotaUp into the Talamanca to Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge.
- Day 15The quetzal morningBefore dawn with a local guide, then the valley birding.
- Day 16A last highland morningOne more dawn in the oaks for whatever the first one missed.
At San Gerardo de Dota, the Resplendent Quetzal, with Fiery-throated Hummingbird at the feeders, Black Guan in the oaks and Northern Emerald-Toucanet.
17
Day 17 · Fly home. About 2½ hours to San José airport, timed to your flight.
Birds to look for
At Arenal, the Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Lovely Cotinga, Yellow-eared Toucanet and Great Curassow; tanagers, hummingbirds and trogons from the bridges. At Caño Negro, Roseate Spoonbill, Northern Jacana and Anhinga from the boat.
At Monteverde, Three-wattled Bellbird, Resplendent Quetzal, Lesson's Motmot, Collared Trogon and Keel-billed Toucan at Curi-Cancha.
At Carara and on the Tárcoles, the Scarlet Macaw and Collared Aracari in the park, Boat-billed Heron from the mangrove boat.
At Manuel Antonio, the Scarlet Macaw and a motmot in the park, and at Naranjito Yellow-throated Toucan, White-throated Shrike-Tanager and Short-tailed Hawk.
At San Gerardo de Dota, the Resplendent Quetzal, with Fiery-throated Hummingbird at the feeders, Black Guan in the oaks and Northern Emerald-Toucanet.
Know before you go
- Season. All year. Northern migrants from August to December and January to May; December to April is driest on the Pacific.
- Manuel Antonio National Park is closed on Tuesdays. We plan the park morning around it.
- The lake crossing. Jeep, boat and jeep across Lake Arenal, bags with you.
- Cool at Monteverde, cold at San Gerardo de Dota, hot on the coast. A fleece for the mountains, sun cover for Carara and Manuel Antonio.
What every trip includes
- A greeter at arrivals. One of our team outside the airport with your welcome pack and documents.
- Private transfers. A modern air-conditioned van and a Costa Rican driver for every leg, on your schedule, early included.
- 24/7 team in Costa Rica. Our concierge desk in San José, reachable day and night for the whole trip.
- Tours we have tested. Guides and operators our team works with year after year, booked for your days.
- A local birding guide. For the mornings that matter, the person who birds that place every week.
Every trip is a custom quote built around your dates and your list.
Reviews
“The Scarlett Macaw and the Resplendent Quetzal were 2 of our target birds and we got both along with 182 species and 118 new birds to add to our life list!”
“Our guide, Carlos, kept in touch with his son, also a guide, looking for quetzals and we found our elusive Resplendent Quetzal due to Carlos's diligence.”
“They also understand birding travel versus other types of travel and found lodges that catered to birding.”
Questions travellers ask
Can it be shorter?
Yes. Our shortest version was ten nights, with the quetzal first and Arenal last: San Gerardo de Dota, Manuel Antonio, then Arenal, Monteverde left out.
Why no Caribbean?
Because some birders want drier mornings. If you want it, Sarapiquí slots in after Arenal for two nights.
Are international flights included?
No. Everything from landing to check-in for the flight home is ours; the flights are yours, and we advise on times.
Can we change it?
Yes. Arenal Observatory Lodge for the Arenal nights, Trogon Lodge or Savegre at San Gerardo de Dota, or Río Celeste added from Arenal.
Is this a group tour?
No. Private, for your party only, on your dates; we run no fixed-date group tours.
Keep exploring
This route birds two of our five birding zones: Highlands and Central and Southern Pacific Lowlands. Each zone page has its parks, its birds and every lodge we use there.
Trips like this one
- Best of Birding in Costa Ricathe Central Valley, San Gerardo de Dota and the Central Pacific in ten nightsSee that itinerary
- Nature Birding Tourfor the birder travelling with someone who is not oneSee that itinerary
- Carara, the Osa and the QuetzalScarlet Macaws at Carara, four nights at Drake Bay, then up to the quetzalSee that itinerary
Or see all twenty-three birding trips, or every lodge we use, on one map.
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