The TL;DR: Worth It, Skip It, Best Value
- ✅ Worth the money: night hikes, ATVs, sunset catamaran
- 👌 Do once, but not twice: zip lining, coffee/chocolate tours
- ❌ Skip the splurge: large-group kayak tours, crowded hot springs
- ☑ Best value: self-rented kayaks, beach time, surf lessons
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| Night Hike Lizard |
Activities We’d Absolutely Do Again
✅Night Hikes (100% Get the Guide)
Time needed: 1.5–2 hours | Best for: Everyone | Worth it? Yes
Night hikes were one of our favorite experiences and a guide is essential. Without one, you’d basically be 'in the dark'. With one, you’re suddenly seeing frogs, insects, snakes, and nocturnal wildlife everywhere.
In La Fortuna, we did Night Hike La Fortuna. We saw a TON! A Kinkaju, lots of frogs, a snake, bullet ants, wolf spider, a sloth, and MORE!!! The guide was great and really took his time. Book this La Fortuna Night Hike.
In Monteverde, we went to this night hike. It was a bit more touristy and had lots of concurrent tours in the same time slots. That said, we were spread out enough from other groups, our guide was super sweet, and we still saw some cool things. HOT TAKE: If there are 6pm & 8pm options, go for the 8pm because the guides already know where the animals are located! Reserving here means 24 hour free cancellation.
🌿 PRO TIP: DON'T WALK ALONE IN THE DARK
Night hikes are 100% better with a pro and a flash light! We recommend booking this top-rated tour in La Fortuna:
Night hikes, for us, are an easy yes!! We did these in both Green & Dry season - both were great! Read this post about Green vs. Dry season travel.
✅Manuel Antonio National Park - Book the Guide
Time needed: 4-5 hours | Best for: Everyone | Worth it? Yes
In Manuel Antonio, we booked a guide last minute (it was green season so we could), and it completely changed the experience. We saw far more wildlife, learned what we were actually looking at, and didn’t waste time wandering past things we would have totally missed on our own.
We learned this lesson the day before at Mistico Hanging Bridges, where we didn’t book a guide. We were barely seeing anything, until we noticed another guided group stopping constantly and spotting wildlife everywhere. We quietly followed along behind them for a bit and instantly saw more than we had the entire first half of the walk. While we booked independently through the Mistico website, you can book the tour and guide here with reserve now and pay later.
Takeaway:
For wildlife-heavy parks, especially Manuel Antonio, reserve Manuel Antonio Guided Tour here. With Manuel Antonio you will almost always need to purchase the park passes separate from the guide on Costa Rica's SINAC website.
(Sinac is Costa Rica's government agency that manages all the national parks. You can get tickets to all parks on-line here. Check your tours to see which tickets are or are not included.)
✅Kayaking to Isla Chora (Rent It Yourself, Skip the Tour)
Time needed: 1-2 hours | Best for: Families, those who love water | Worth it? Yes
We loved kayaking out to Isla Chora, and we saved money by renting the kayak and snorkels ourselves instead of joining a group tour. We didn’t really see the benefit of paying extra to go in a group, and being able to move at our own pace was part of what made it fun.
The one thing that really matters here is timing: check the tide table and go at low tide. It makes the paddle easier and the snorkeling better.
✅Catamaran from Playa Flamingo
Time needed: 4 hours | Best for: Families, Couples, Sunset & Water Lovers | Worth it? Yes
The catamaran trip from Playa Flamingo was so fun and a great way to spend an afternoon. There are lots of different providers, and honestly, they all felt pretty similar to us. We went with this one that was $2 cheaper through Planet Dolphin, and it was super fun! Conga lines, sunset, tons of dolphins.
Most operators offer nearly identical routes, so price and timing matter more than brand - we booked based on departure time and cost.
✅ATV Tours: Every Trip for Us
Time needed: 4 hours | Best for: Families, Singles, Adventure Lovers | Worth it? Yes
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| Coming through the Monkey Trail |
ATV tours are one activity we would do on every trip!
You come back dirty after a couple hours of adventure, laughs, and a sense that you really did something that day.
We especially had fun on the Manuel Antonio Off-Road Rainforest & Waterfall Tour. Let's just say we earned our lunch and our shower!! Booking here means you can reserve now and pay later.
Good to know:
If we were cutting activities to save time or money, ATV tours would stay on the list.
🏎️ TEEN-APPROVED ADVENTURE
This was the highlight for our teens. Be sure to book a tour that includes safety gear and a guide who knows the backtrails.
So Glad We Did It Once (But Won't Do Again)
Time needed: 3-4 hours | Best for: Adventure Lovers, Anyone 3+ | Worth it? Yes
👌Zip Lining (Sky Adventures)
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Flying through the rain forest is genuinely fun and memorable. If it's your first trip and you want to experience the heights, Sky Adventures was SO fun and very professional.
We also took the aerial tram - it's chill and especially fun for kids.
That said, there’s a reality check: there is a lot of waiting. On peak days especially, you’ll spend a lot of time standing between lines - often in the hot sun.
For us, this landed firmly in the “so glad we did it once, don’t need to do it again” category. Worth experiencing, but not something we feel compelled to repeat. Book your zip line adventure here.
👌Don Juan Coffee & Chocolate Tour (La Fortuna)
Time needed: 2 hours | Best for: 7+, Curious Minds, Foodies | Worth it? Yes
We really enjoyed the Don Juan Coffee and Chocolate Tour in La Fortuna. It was fun, informative, and interactive, and we learned a lot about both coffee and chocolate production. The highlight was getting to make our own chocolate bar straight from the bean - even if the final product wasn’t exactly delicious. You can book the tour here.
This was a great experience and a nice change of pace, but definitely a one-and-done for us.
Activities We’d Skip Next Time
❌Hot Springs Near Rincón de la Vieja (Thermomania)
After a lot of research, we chose Thermomania, thinking we’d go the cheaper, more local (tico) route. In reality, it didn’t quite land.
The swimming pool area was very crowded, while the actual hot springs were mostly empty. The springs themselves weren’t particularly special, and overall the experience didn’t feel worth repeating.
✨ BETTER ALTERNATIVE: DO THIS INSTEAD
If you’re looking for a hot springs experience that actually feels like a resort, Baldi Hot Springs is our top pick for families. With 25 different pools and several massive water slides, it’s worth the upgrade to keep teens and families entertained for hours.
❌White Water Rafting
We haven’t done white water rafting in Costa Rica and that’s intentional. After watching a few too many YouTube videos of people falling out of rafts, it crossed the line from fun adventure into too high-adventure for us.
Plenty of people love it. It just wasn’t for us and skipping it felt like the right decision.
When Guides Were Not the Right Fit
❌Santa Elena Cloud Forest
At Santa Elena, we did book a guide — and it wasn’t the right call for our family. Our guide spent about 45 minutes talking about orchid varieties. Which is fascinating if you’re deeply into orchids. For us (and especially for teens), it was way too slow and honestly pretty boring.
This was a good reminder that guides can be incredible, but the fit really matters.
☑ Easy, Low-Cost Wins
Lessons cost more, but with lots of competition, prices are still very reasonable
Final Takeaway
My general advice: book 2–3 paid activities you are genuinely excited about, book guides where they clearly help you see more, and leave plenty of room for beaches, wildlife, and downtime.
You don’t need to do everything. You just need to choose the right things for you. Learn more about creating your perfect Costa Rica itinerary.
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