Costa Rica Herping Tour: Discover and Learn about Reptiles and Amphibians
4.8
32 Ratings
Join our Costa Rica Herping Tour and discover the fascinating world of reptiles and amphibians. Explore protected national parks and nature reserves while learning from expert guides. Perfect for nature photographers, students, and eco-friendly travelers.
Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Manuel Antonio National Park - Your Herpetological adventure is designed to seriously explore the surroundings areas of Manuel Antonio National Park and Quepos with the intentions of finding every local species of reptiles and amphibians. We will spend the entire 3 hours researching at Playa Espadilla Hotel Private Nature Reserve for mostly Viper Snakes (Fer-de-Lance and Eye-Lash Pit Vipers), colorful Tree Frogs (Red-eyed Tree Frogs, Masked Tree Frogs, Gladiator Tree Frogs) or any other interesting herpetological species. We will provide rubber boots, professional snake hooks, powerful flashlights and bottled water for the hike.
What's Included
  • Rubber boots provided during rainy season
  • Private Certified Naturalist Tour Guide
  • All pictures and videos taken during the tour included
  • Powerful flashlights available for the tour
What's Not Included
  • Dinner
  • Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off from outside Quepos-Manuel Antonio local areas.
  • Bottled water
Additional Information

Costa Rica is home to around 147 species of snakes and nearly as many species of frogs and toads, making it a magnificent and sought-after destination for those passionate about herpetology. With over one-fourth of its territory designated as protected national parks and wildlife reserves, Costa Rica maintains some of the healthiest and most varied animal populations in Central America. Tailored for intimate group tours (6 participants maximum), our focus is to exclusively seek out herpetofauna. Ideal for nature and wildlife photography aficionados, herpetology scholars, tropical biology educators, or any eco-conscious travelers, our expedition is a comprehensive and enjoyable learning experience. Throughout the journey, we invite an array of inquiries and aim to cultivate a deeper understanding of these nocturnal creatures. Our mission is to ensure you have an insightful and enjoyable experience in one of the world’s most unique environments.

  • A light cotton T-shirt and pants are ideal for the tour. Comfortable clothes are recommended (Long sleeve shirts are not necessary)
  • Closed-toed shoes (tennis shoes or hiking boots) are required to participate on the tour. (Please, no sandals or Tevas)
  • Important Pickup Information: Our meeting point will be right at your hotel lobby or front desk (Sharp Time please, NOT Costa Rican Sloth Time) Whether you are booking a group or private activity, please be an ethical traveler, it’s not respectful make other enthusiastic participants wait in the car or van, if you are having a delay situation (breakfast, electrical, mechanical, etc) Do not hesitate contacting us, we will be more than happy to help you and make sure you have the most pleasant and satisfactory experience with our company.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(32 Ratings)
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Alexandr_f
Apr 14, 2024
If you want to see Costa Rican animals, this is your tour! - We had the most amazing time with Fabio showing us the awesome animals Manuel Antonio has to offer. He is very knowledgeable about all parts of nature, particularly with reptiles, and even if we wouldn’t have found animals (which we found a lot of!) it would have been worthwhile. Highly recommend if you are in town
Review provided by Viator
Allison_s
Apr 12, 2024
Incredible jungle hike! - Had a great experience with Alan as our guide! He was very knowledgeable and friendly. We saw snakes - even a Fer-de-lance pit viper. Other animals we saw were frogs, tarantulas, a skunk, an opposum, Jesus Christ lizards, and a kinkajou. We even saw a two-toed sloth climbing on a tree branch very close to the ground..our faces were within mere feet of it! It was super special to see one up close! This is my second time going on a tour with Manuel’s company. Highly recommend them!
Review provided by Viator
Sophieps9097wm
Mar 16, 2024
Amazing night walk - My partner and I had the most amazing night time herpetology tour with our guide Dylan. We saw several snakes, including fer-de-lance, geckos, spiders, and frogs. Dylan is super knowledgeable, helped us take great quality videos, and also was just a blast to hang out with! One of the best experiences we had in Costa Rica.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marci_g
Mar 15, 2024
Amazing experience! - We specifically booked this tour because our oldest son (age 17) is studying herpetology and was eager to see snakes. Manuel arranged a private night hike for us and our guide Danny was amazing! He was very knowledgeable, took great care to emphasize safety on the trails and his passion was infectious. Definitely book with Manuel’s Tours and you will not be disappointed!
Review provided by Viator
Poppy_a
Feb 4, 2024
Fast paced, informative, fantastic guide! - Incredible tour, very friendly and enthusiastic guide. We were lucky enough for it just to be the two of us and the guide was incredibly informative and fast paced. We saw sloths, monkeys, crocodiles, scorpions, tarantulas, two different types of frogs and snakes. We couldn’t be happier, so far our best tour in Costa Rica and we have been travelling for two weeks. Would definitly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Vidya_m
Dec 26, 2023
Best eco tour in Costa Rica and Manuel Antonio - Manuels tours was probably the best tour we have done in Costa Rica. He respects nature and took great pains to show us some exciting animals. We had more than 2 hrs of exploring in the dark, and were very safe. He also took great pictures . We saw some scorpions, snakes, basilisk, several spots and frogs.
Review provided by Viator
Jennifer_l
Dec 16, 2023
Best tour guide - Our guide with deadlocks was absolutely AMAZING! He had so much passion for nature, photography and his country. It made us that much more excited about the tour and our vacation. Everything he did beforehand and during was to ensure we had the best time possible - and he didn’t disappoint. We saw everything we wanted to and got such great photos.
Review provided by Viator
Lori_w
Jun 12, 2023
Guide was awesome; night is totally different - Andrew was our guide and he was fantastic! We were the only people in our group (off-season) and he was so friendly, entertaining, and informative -- and tailored his tour to our interests. The nighttime experience is totally different than the daytime wildlife tours; highly recommend doing both if you possibly can.
Review provided by Viator
Jackje5530eq
May 10, 2023
Awesome to try- amazing guides - Really excellent tour with amazing photos and the best guide ever! Totally worth doing especially if it’s your first time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
E3690lfeduardos
Aug 12, 2023
Cheated by a better offer - Honestly, I'm still surprised with this. We booked a herping tour with Manuel one month in advance. I had been chatting with him the day before. He wrote me confirming everything was perfect, we share even pictures of previous spots in other areas. We were in the parking place at the agreed time. We started to write him by WhatsApp 5 minutes later saying there was no problem with the delay, but no answer received...until I received directly a confirmation of the cancellation. No answer to the chat we used before, no explanation. We had avoid other activities because of this. My children were obviously sad. We expected an explanation. My son said maybe something happens to him(what could be understood), but if he was able to cancel the visit, he was able to send a short message. I spoken with people in Manuel Antonio that confirmed that this is his modus operandi: if he received later a better offer, he cancel the tour with the previous people with no advise. Indeed, in Monteverde(long distance from Manuel Antonio), another person confirmed me this. I waited some days an explanation, but he never do it. Very disappointed
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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