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Monteverde Overview: Getting There, Weather and Costs

Santa Elena is the main village in Monteverde, with the bus stop, the restaurants and most tour pickups. The road then climbs around 5 km through Cerro Plano to the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

Getting around takes a little planning, because many tours don’t include transport. Selvatura adds a free hotel transfer to its tickets, but 100% Aventura and Curi-Cancha don’t offer one. Taxis are easy to find in Santa Elena.

Many private parks quote prices before the 13% tax, so your final bill can be a little higher. The reserves and the night walks have small daily limits, so book those first.

Monteverde is cool and damp, at around 15 to 25 °C (59 to 77 °F). Most rooms have fans, not air conditioning, and you won’t need it. Pack a rain jacket, long pants, closed shoes, and a warm layer for the evenings.

From San José, you can take a shared shuttle or the public bus on the San José to Monteverde route. Coming from the volcano, the jeep-boat-jeep transfer is the easiest way and takes around 3 to 3.5 hours. Most hotels in Monteverde sit in Santa Elena or along the road up to Cerro Plano.

15 Best Things to Do in Monteverde

1. Walk the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is the reason most people come up the mountain. It’s an old, mossy forest, and resplendent quetzals live in it. The reserve is open every day, 7:30 AM until 4 PM.

Tickets are sold for one trail circuit at a time. Each one costs $29, and kids aged 6 to 11 pay $16. A circuit takes 1 to 3 hours, depending on which one you pick:

• Essence: 1.4 km, the short and easy loop.
• Heart of the Forest: 2.8 km, a good middle choice.
• Continental Divide: 4.1 km, the longest loop.

You park at the main building, around 1.5 km below the entrance. A free shuttle takes you up at your ticket time, so arrive 15 minutes early. Being late can cost you your slot.

Book on the reserve’s official site, because there’s a daily limit. You get a full refund up to 48 hours ahead. Umbrellas aren’t allowed on the trails, so pack a rain jacket. For more wildlife, a guided natural history walk takes around 2.5 hours, with up to 10 people.

Arrive 15 minutes before your slot, because that time is when the free shuttle leaves the parking area. Umbrellas aren’t allowed on the trails, so bring a rain jacket instead.

2. Join a Night Walk in the Cloud Forest

A night walk is one of the best things to do in Monteverde. A guide leads a small group along the trails with a flashlight, looking for animals that only come out after dark. Tarantulas, frogs, sleeping birds, sloths, kinkajous and vipers are all possible.

Most night walks cost around $30 to $35. These are the main ones:

• Curi-Cancha: $35 with entry, 5:30 PM until 7:30 PM. Groups are capped at 9 people, and you need to reserve ahead.
• Bajo del Tigre: $30 plus tax, every day at 5:30 PM. Hotel pickup costs $8, and there’s a minimum of 2 people.
• Kinkajou Night Walk: On a private farm with fruit trees, at 6 PM or 8:20 PM. The walk takes around 1.5 hours, and flash photos aren’t allowed.

The 5:30 PM walks start at dusk. That way, you see the day birds going to sleep and the first frogs on the same walk. Long pants and closed shoes are a must.

Book the night walk for your first evening. If it rains, you still have a second night to try again. This Kinkajou night walk is an easy one to reserve ahead.

The 5:30 PM walks start at dusk, so you catch day birds going to roost and the first frogs in one outing. Wear long pants and closed shoes.

3. Cross the Hanging Bridges at Selvatura Park

Selvatura Park has 8 hanging bridges on a 3 km trail through the treetops. The bridges are 55 to 157 meters long, and some hang high above the canopy. On your own, the walk takes 1 to 1.5 hours.

A ticket costs around $56, and kids aged 4 to 11 pay less. Our pick adds a naturalist guide for around $24, with the ticket paid on top. The park is open every day of the year, 7 AM until 4 PM. Guided walks leave at 8:30 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM and 2:30 PM.

Selvatura is 20 to 30 minutes north of Santa Elena on a gravel road. A hotel transfer is included with a bridge ticket, so you don’t need a car. You get a full refund if you cancel 48 hours ahead.

Go early or in the last slot for more birds and fewer groups. Please don’t jump on or rock the bridges, as the park doesn’t allow it. For a guide who points out the wildlife, this small-group hanging bridges tour is easy to book.

Go early or in the last afternoon slot for fewer groups and better bird activity. Don’t jump on or rock the bridges; the park bans it.

4. Look for Quetzals at Curi-Cancha Reserve

Curi-Cancha is a private reserve with forest and open clearings. It may be the easiest place in Monteverde to see a resplendent quetzal. There are almost 8 km of trails. The entrance is 300 meters northeast of the Monteverde Cheese Factory, around 15 minutes from Santa Elena.

Entry costs $25, or $15 for ages 5 to 20, and kids under 5 go free. It’s open every day, 7 AM until 3 PM. You don’t need to book a visit on your own, but you’ll sign a waiver at reception, so bring a photo ID.

A guide helps a lot here. The 3-hour natural history tour costs $55 with entry, and it starts at 8 AM or 1 PM. Guided tours need a reservation, and transport isn’t included.

Quetzal season is around February to June, and March and April are the best months. In season, wait 15 to 20 minutes by the wild avocado tree near the Alondra trail.

You don’t need a book for a self-guided tour. Just bring photo ID and sign a waiver at reception. Binoculars rent for around $10 at the gate.

5. Go Ziplining Over the Cloud Forest

Ziplining in Monteverde costs around $60 to $100. There are four main parks, and each tour feels a bit different:

• 100% Aventura: $72, or $60 for ages 6 to 12. Its longest line is around 1,590 meters, and the tour ends on a big Tarzan swing. Tours leave at 8 AM, 11 AM and 2 PM and take around 3 hours.
• Treetopia Sky Trek: Around $99, plus tax, for 7 ziplines. A ride up on the Tree Tram is included, and the tour takes around 2.5 hours.
• Selvatura canopy: $80, plus 13% tax and fees, for 13 cables.
• Monteverde Extremo: Superman lines and a Tarzan swing, with transport for around $11.30 extra.

Book a morning start. Fog and rain are more common in the afternoon, and the parks stop the lines in thunderstorms and strong wind. Wear closed shoes, and leave loose items in the car.

Transport to 100% Aventura isn’t included, so plan a taxi there. This 100% Aventura zipline tour can be reserved online ahead of time.

Book a morning start. Afternoon fog and rain are more common up here, and parks pause the lines for thunderstorms and strong wind.

6. Visit the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve

The Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve is a quieter choice, and it’s owned by the local high school. It’s higher and wetter than the Monteverde reserve, with a 13-meter observation tower and an orchid garden.

A visit on your own costs ₡10,000, or around $22, and you don’t need to book. The reserve is open 7 AM until 4 PM, and the last entry to the Youth Challenge trail is 3 PM. It’s around 7 km north of Santa Elena village, and parking is free.

A 2.5-hour guided walk costs ₡20,000, or around $44, with coffee or tea included. Our pick is a 2.5-hour walk with a private guide for around $35, plus the $20 entry. Groups are capped at 10, and they leave at 7:30 AM, 9:15 AM, 11:30 AM and 1 PM. Book a guided walk at least one day ahead.

On days when the Monteverde reserve is sold out, this is the place to go. This small-group cloud forest walk is another easy option.

Self-guided visits need no booking, and parking is free. It’s the quieter backup when the Monteverde reserve’s timed slots are sold out.

7. Take a Coffee, Chocolate and Sugarcane Tour

A farm tour is a fun break from the forest. A guide walks you through the fields and shows how coffee, cacao and sugarcane are grown and harvested. Then you follow each crop through the old-style process, and you taste as you go: fresh sugarcane, coffee and chocolate.

Two family farms are the classic picks:

• Don Juan: Around $45, or $20 for kids. The tour takes 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours, in groups of up to 15. There’s secure parking, and transport costs a little extra.
• El Trapiche: $44, or $16 for kids under 12. It takes 1 hour 45 minutes on a 1.1 km path, with tours at 10 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM. Groups are capped at 14.

Our pick costs around $64, and transport costs $6 extra per person. Part of the walk is outdoors, so bring comfortable shoes and a light rain jacket. An afternoon farm tour fits well after a morning in the reserve. This Don Juan farm tour is simple to book online.

Ask if transport is included when you book, because both main farms usually charge the hotel pickup as an extra.

8. Walk Bajo del Tigre in the Children’s Eternal Rainforest

The Children’s Eternal Rainforest is the largest private reserve in Costa Rica. It was bought with money raised by schoolchildren, and Bajo del Tigre is the part you can walk. You’ll find it on the road between Santa Elena and the Monteverde reserve.

Bajo del Tigre is lower and drier than the cloud forest. The trails are easy, so it’s a good walk with kids. It opens every day at 7 AM, and you don’t need to book a walk on your own.

Entry costs $18 plus tax, or $10.80 for kids aged 6 to 12, and kids under 6 go free. A guided day walk costs $43 plus tax, with a minimum of 2 people. You can pay in cash or by card.

For a full evening, arrive at 5 PM and walk the trails in daylight. Then join the 5:30 PM night walk without moving.

Come around 5 PM, walk the trails in daylight, then join the 5:30 PM night walk without changing parks.

9. Ride the Treetopia Tree Tram

Treetopia Park has the only cable car in Monteverde’s cloud forest. The open Tree Tram carries you over the treetops to a viewpoint at around 5,700 feet. On a clear morning, you may see Arenal Volcano in the distance.

A single ride costs $59, and rides leave every hour through the morning and early afternoon. The round trip takes 20 minutes, or around 1 hour with time at the top. There’s a café up there with pastries and hot drinks.

There are no age, weight or height limits, so it suits grandparents and small kids. Skip it if you have a fear of heights. Our pick is the 3-in-1 package, for around $190 with round-trip transport. It adds the Sky Trek ziplines and the Sky Walk bridges. It takes around 4.5 hours.

For a guide along the way, this guided canopy tour with ziplining is a good fit.

Tours leave every hour from 7 AM to 3 PM. If you want the tram and the zipline on one ticket, you can combine it with Sky Trek.

10. See the Monteverde Butterfly Gardens

The Monteverde Butterfly Gardens are in Cerro Plano, between Santa Elena and the reserve. A guide takes you through it all in around 1 hour. You start with an intro to Costa Rica’s insects and spiders, then see the room where new butterflies hatch. The tour ends with a walk through 3 butterfly gardens.

Entry costs $20 for adults, $14 for students and $12 for ages 7 to 18. Tours start every day, 9 AM until 3:30 PM, and you don’t need a reservation. You can pay by card, in colones or in dollars.

Your ticket stays valid for the rest of your stay, so you can come back on a sunnier day. The butterflies fly most when the sun is out.

No reservation is needed. Late morning on a sunny spell is when the butterflies fly most.

11. Learn About Bats at the Bat Jungle

The Bat Jungle is a small live exhibit in the old part of Monteverde. A bat biologist designed it. More than 90 bats of 8 species live in a 17-meter enclosure built like a forest at night. You can watch fruit bats eat and nectar bats hover over flowers.

Special microphones turn the bats’ calls into sounds you can hear. The guided visit takes around 45 minutes, and entry costs $15. You can usually walk in without booking.

Opening and tour times change, so check them when you plan your day. Flash photos aren’t allowed inside. It’s a good stop for families, since kids get close to the bats behind the glass.

The visit takes around 45 minutes and stays indoors, so it works well on a rainy afternoon with kids.

12. Meet the Sloths at Selvatura

Selvatura Park also has a Sloth Habitat. Around a dozen sloths move freely through the trees. Many were rescued from poaching or lost habitat and can’t go back to the wild.

A guide helps you find them and explains how they live. The visit takes 30 to 40 minutes, and tours start every 1 hour 15 minutes, 8:15 AM until 3:15 PM. It costs $40 plus tax, or $28 for kids aged 4 to 11.

You can’t touch the sloths or bring food, and you stay on the path with the guide. It’s warm and humid inside, so bring a cloth for your camera lens. There’s a butterfly garden on the same site, for $25 plus tax and fees.

Seeing sloths in the wild takes more patience, but there are good places to spot sloths in Costa Rica outside the park.

It’s an easy add-on after the hanging bridges, since you’re already at Selvatura Park.

13. Watch the Hummingbirds at Café Colibrí

Café Colibrí is a small café right next to the Monteverde reserve entrance. Its feeders draw more than 10 kinds of hummingbirds. Look for violet sabrewings, green hermits and coppery-headed emeralds, which are only found in Costa Rica.

Watching the birds costs nothing, but it’s kind to buy a coffee or a pastry. There are tables inside and out. The birds come within a meter or two, so a phone camera is enough for good photos.

It’s a good stop right after your walk in the reserve, when you’ll be ready for a snack. Give yourself 20 to 30 minutes, since the birds come and go in waves.

Buy a coffee or pastry and watch the feeders; it’s right by the Monteverde Reserve entrance, so stop after your morning walk.

14. Go on a Guided Birding Walk

Monteverde is one of the best places in Costa Rica for birds. A good guide with a scope finds far more than you would alone. Most people hope to see the resplendent quetzal, the three-wattled bellbird and the emerald toucanet, a small bright green toucan.

There are a few ways to go:

• Quetzal walks: A 2.5-hour walk focused on quetzals costs around $45, with up to 6 people. Reserve entry is extra.
• Independent guide: A local guide offers a 2.5-hour small-group walk for around $40, with hotel pickup.
• Santa Elena reserve: The reserve’s own guided walk costs ₡20,000.

Dawn is the best time, so book the first slot. Bring binoculars if you have them, and wear muted colors.

Dawn is the best window, especially from February through June when quetzals are most active. A guide with a scope finds far more than a solo walk.

15. Watch the Sunset and Eat a Casado in Santa Elena

When the clouds clear in the evening, the sunset is a nice free thing to watch from the ridge. Sunset is around 5:15 to 6 PM, depending on the month.

After that, head into Santa Elena for dinner. A casado is the classic local plate, with rice, beans, salad, sweet plantain and your choice of chicken, beef, pork or fish. A casado at a small soda costs far less than a meal at the tourist restaurants. Two popular places in the village are:

• Tree House Restaurant: Built around a big living tree, in front of the church. It’s open daily for lunch and dinner.
• Tramonti: An Italian restaurant known for wood-fired pizza and pasta, open daily for lunch and dinner.

A casado with rice, beans and a drink usually costs around $8 to $12. If you eat early, you can still make the night walk.

The sun sets around 5:15 to 6 PM, depending on the month. Grab a table a little early on busy nights in Santa Elena.

Monteverde FAQ

How Many Days Do You Need in Monteverde?

Two full days is the right amount of time for most people. Start with the Monteverde reserve in the morning, spend the afternoon on a farm tour, then join a night walk after dark.

On day two of a 2-day Monteverde itinerary, pick the hanging bridges or a zipline for the morning. Birders should add a third day for an early bird walk.

When Is the Best Time of Year to Visit Monteverde?

December to April is the drier season, and it’s the busiest time on the ridge. December to February can be very windy, though.

September and October are the wettest months. Trails get muddy, and the views close in more often. The rest of the year mixes sunny mornings with afternoon showers.

Is Monteverde Good for Kids?

Yes, Monteverde is a great place for families. Most parks and gardens have lower prices for kids, and some ziplines take kids from age 6.

The Tree Tram has no age limits, and the Bajo del Tigre trails are short and easy. Pack extra warm clothes for small kids, as evenings feel chilly.

How Do You Get to Monteverde From San José?

The drive from San José takes around 3.5 hours, and the last part climbs a winding mountain road. Public buses leave the capital at 6:30 AM and 2:30 PM.

Shared shuttles cost around $54 to $70 and pick you up at your hotel, while the public bus is the cheaper option on the San José to Monteverde route.

How Do You Get to Monteverde From La Fortuna?

The easiest way is the jeep-boat-jeep transfer. A van takes you to Lake Arenal, and a boat carries you across the lake. Then a second van drives you up the mountain to Monteverde.

The jeep-boat-jeep transfer from La Fortuna costs around $35 to $45 and takes 3 to 3.5 hours on the La Fortuna to Monteverde route.

Is Monteverde Worth Visiting?

Yes, Monteverde feels very different from the beaches and the volcano. The cool air, the mossy forest and the night walks are a big change after the coast.

It takes some effort to get up the mountain, so plan at least two nights. Short on money? A reserve walk and a night walk give you the best of the cloud forest for around $60 to $65.