Costa Rica
Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans
Program No. 22443RJ
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Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans
Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans
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Participant Reviews
Based on 85 Reviews
SHOWING
We saw lots of birds and a very nice group of people.
— Review left February 20, 2026
There just aren't enough superlatives to describe how fantastic this Birding in Northern Costa Rica trip was. Our guide Ivan was extraordinary, our driver (also a birder!) was great, the other group members were wonderful. And of course--the BIRDS. Wow. But make no mistake: this trip is as described, it's about the birds! You'll almost certainly see other interesting wildlife (we saw howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, coatamundis, peccaries, and a sloth, among other things) but those sightings are incidental, you won't be specifically looking for them. Lodgings are clean and comfortable, but not luxury. And yep, there's a lot of time on the bus (a small, but proper bus, not a passenger van) often bumping along unpaved roads. But we had fun "birding by bus" while in transit between locations and stopped frequently to look at things we saw en route. I'll be back next year on the southern Costa Rica trip!
— Review left February 16, 2026
Our birdwatching trip to Northern Costa Rica met and exceeded our expectations. The pre-trip info was super. The travel arrangements were without a hitch. The accommodations were fantastic. The food was super. The guide, Erick Guzman was out of this world and the birds we saw were mind-blowingly gorgeous. How can you beat that? I am so grateful that we decided to celebrate our 50th anniversary and my retirement in this way!
— Review left February 10, 2026
Great program and a great guide! So many beautiful birds in such a beautiful country.
— Review left February 7, 2026
I went on this trip with no prior birdwatching experience but wanted to experience Costa Rica for the first time in a setting that would teach me about the ecologic environment of the country. I learned a lot and had so much fun doing it. I loved that the trip was conducted outside surrounded by nature and we could learn about a variety of ecosystems while seeing the most spectacular birds in the world. The guide was marvelous and the small group really clicked. I highly recommend this trip whether you are a birder or not.
— Review left January 28, 2026
It was a wonderful trip! We visited a variety of ecosystems and habitats, which yielded an impressive number of species: 290 birds, 13 mammals, 9 reptiles and 5 frogs, as well as an in-depth understanding of Costa Rica's ecology. Our guide was highly skilled and enthusiastic, and the lodging, food and other participants were all top-notch.
— Review left January 8, 2026
Another fabulous birding trip under my belt with Roads Scholar. The highlight of this trip was visiting the many different areas in Costa Rica, each with its own inhabitants and ecosystem. The diversity was wonderful.
— Review left October 26, 2025
What an amazing adventure! I learned so much about Costa Rica -- the people, the land, and the birds. Well-organized days with an expert guide, safe driver, local naturalists, and enthusiastic co-travelers. Thank you Road Scholar for this opportunity to experience an authentic eco-tourism trip.
— Review left August 6, 2025
Complementing my excellent southern C R trip a year earlier , I thoroughly enjoyed the northern excursion with 249 bird species and numerous other wildlife (monkeys/sloths/ reptiles etc)
Very experienced and knowledgable leader Luis V and driver Rodrigo were a great team complemented with local expert guides along the way.
Highlights included the Cano Negro boat rides (particularly five Kingfisher species , boat-billed heron, raptors, caimans and the potoo); La Ensenada's morning mangrove swamp boat ride and afternoon cart ride ; Arenal's Sky Walk hanging bridges (hawk-eagle, manakin, motmots) but more particularly the incredible hummingbird, tanager, flycatcher, toucan and owl species that we observed at stops en route.
Accommodation and food was high quality at each location
— Review left June 27, 2025
Absolutely fantastic trip; we found 300 species of birds - 2 out of every 3 was a lifer. Loved the pace; we were up early birding before breakfast and after dinner. Our guide Jimmy was an incredible birder and travel guide. His ability to see and hear the birds while remaining calm among the chaos of the birding group was impressive.
This trip included a lot of firsts for us: trip with Road Scholar, visit to Costa Rica, travel with a group, birding internationally.
https://ebird.org/tripreport/329381
— Review left April 26, 2025
We had a wonderful time and saw 249 species of birds, including many of our targets - trogons, boat-billed heron, sun grebe, keel- billed toucan, jabiru, sun bittern, great potoo, crested owl, great green macaw, mot mots, spectacled owl, tanagers, euphonias, and flycatchers. I mentioned that trogons are my favorites during our first night introductions, and our guide took care to find them for me, as did other members of our group. Our guide Roger Rocha took great care of us, was excellent at spotting the birds and helping us see them, and shared his very broad knowledge of Costa Rica, especially agricultural practices. The talks were fascinating and eye-opening. It was inspirational to meet Costa Ricans who are committed to protecting their wonderful biodiversity, and generously shared their knowledge with us. Our driver was also a sharp birder, and kept the bus spotless, and kept us safe. Our group developed a wonderful sense of community. Each of the resorts we visited is worthy of a return trip. The food was fantastic. Each of the stops was unique in terms of style, climate, landscape, and bird species. Roger went the extra mile to get us looks at special birds, including side trips to see the crested owl, great potoo, and spectacled owl. We loved the hikes through different ecosystems as well as the boat rides, which were highly productive for bird sightings. The tractor ride to an overlook at sunset at La Ensenada was a special experience. Another highlight was a homemade lunch while feeder-watching at Donde Cope, La Union de Guapiles, with spectacular hummingbirds, followed by hikes to see the owls. Finally, our last hotel in Alajuela, Villa San Ignacio, was unexpectedly gorgeous, with beautiful grounds full of birds, and great food.
— Review left April 14, 2025
We thoroughly enjoyed our recent birding trip with Road Scholar to Northern Costa Rica. Here is a video of our experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4enhBML1b8
— Review left April 13, 2025
My first Road Scholar experience and I'm already planning the next one! A rich combination of instruction, shared experiences with the other participants, a truly remarkable tour leader and fun made this a remarkably rewarding experience! I have plans to do many more in the future!
— Review left April 10, 2025
Luis was an adequate guide. He has alot of knowledge about the country and culture and shared it with pride. It was very interesting and educational. He made several changes that were helpful.
This was our 5th Road Scholar trip. As a birding guide, he has a few areas that could use improvement. We really like the use of the whisper devices on these trips. He often forget his, brought the receiver and not transponder 1 time and struggled with a defective microphone. When the device was not used the group wandered, became incohesive, and made birding more difficult. This resulted in some friction, and the loss of bird sightings by some.
A couple participants (photographers) often went too close to the birds and scared them. Luis did attempt many times to resolve this but they ignored him. He was in a difficult situation and had no other recourse. RS needs to address this at time of booking.
His knowledge of birds and ability to find them was sporadic and a bit frustrating. Often naming a bird and then changing it. Our bus driver, Rodriguez, was very helpful and found about 30% of the birds. Especially the difficult ones.
On the day we visited La Selva, we were supposed to have a local guide but were told none were available. We were looking forward to the local guide explaining about habitats, research, and the birds at the station, and were disappointed to discover that would not happen. This was a problem as we saw very little and the one rare bird we saw was found with the help of another guide.
— Review left March 31, 2025
WOW! What. fantastic trip and experience. Lenin Durarte was the most superlative guide. Lenin shared everything about each species he found for the group. He had an amazing ability to find an incredible number of species. He made sure once he found a bird each and every one of us could see it.
Lenin made sure the group was safe in hiking and going about hiking and birding. I don't have the strongest legs now at my age but Lenin made sure that I was safe. He held onto me at times and ensured I stayed upright. Also, our driver Enrique did the same for me. Lenin was a wealth of information about Costa Rica. He told us about culture, government, and history on our bus rides to and from birding sites. Lenin had a great sense of humor as well.
Lenin deserves 5 stars or 10 or whatever. The highest ranking is definitely the correct ranking.
— Review left March 25, 2025
The Birdng in Northern Costa Rica program is a fascinating way to explore a range of ecosystems and see a wealth of birds, all while enjoying the friendly people and beautiful scenery of Costa Rica!
— Review left March 17, 2025
If you are interested in spending time in nature in a variety of ecosystems seeing magnificent birds and other species,this trip is for you! It was the perfect remedy for my winter blues!
— Review left March 10, 2025
Road Scholar's program, Birding in Northern Costa Rica, allowed me to observe and learn about 100 new species of birds on this trip as well as repeat views of over 100 species that I had seen before. The itinerary covered many diverse habitats, allowing for the possibility of many different bird species. The skill of our guide, Roger Melendez, was also a significant contribution to the success of this trip. Roger is remarkably easy going, adaptable and comfortable to be around. His bird ID skills are extremely high.
The other participants were wonderful. We had fun together and helped each other learn and view birds.
I loved the visits to feeder locations!!!
— Review left March 6, 2025
This is a fabulous trip, going to five different environmental zones with completely different birds. Very knowledgeable leaders who can help you find that elusive bird in the lush undergrowth. Became familiar with birds I never expected to see in my entire life.
— Review left February 26, 2025
The Roads Scholar program Birding In Costa Rica: Toucans to Tanagers was thrilling. Our expert guide was passionate about the birds, and did an amazing job of identifying and sharing their sights and sounds. The field trips whether by boat, roadside or along the trails were very satisfying. The lectures and visits to local conservation sites were informative, and a very special immersion into the biodiversity of Cost Rica.
— Review left February 26, 2025
We saw 275 birds with 194 lifers including 3 Costa Rican rarities-what are you waiting for? The trip was all inclusive. All you had to do was get off the bus and bird by foot, boat, tractor, and bottoms (sitting by fruit feeders or beautiful views) with 11 friends. It was a fun adventure.
— Review left February 19, 2025
Wonderful experience seeing lots of beautiful birds, enjoying the culture, a variety of wildlife and plant life.
— Review left February 9, 2025
Lunch in Fortuna at the Rana Roja was a horrible experience and if I am ever on a trip that stops there I will not participate! Our guide made sure to get our orders in to them in plenty of time yet we still had to wait 45 minutes and the food came out disgusting. The staff hung out with no one else in the restaurant looking at us and not doing a thing. I ended up having to buy my own lunch that day when we got to the hotel.
Rest of trip was great. Guide was excellent.
— Review left February 1, 2025
For us, this was an introduction to birding. Every location is different. We saw water birds, forest birds, and migrating birds. We were kept very busy bird watching, and there was very little down time. Our guide Luis and driver Enrique are EXCELLENT and so knowledgable! This tour is entirely dedicated to bird watching, which began almost every day with a pre-breakfast walk at 6AM, and averaged a total of at least six hours every day. The only times during the days when we were not engaged in bird watching were meals or transfers from one hotel to another. We also saw some additional wildlife, including the green and red poisonous frogs thanks to Luis’s skills. We enjoyed the three, very different lectures and the visits to the two private homes (Cope Arte Garden with feeders and the last day’s visit at the finca). We did most, but did not take all the walks. The small group was very knowledgeable and agreeable. Everyone was willing to share information, pictures, and experiences. Several were clearly experienced birders and photographers. They, Luis and Enrique made us feel welcome from the outset.
— Review left January 25, 2025
This was a spectacular trip - we stayed at some of the best places in this beautiful country, and Luis, our guide, helped us find a huge variety of birds in several different environmental zones. I would highly recommend this trip to birders with a life list or to anyone else who simply likes to experience the beauty of Costa Rica and its fantastic wildlife.
— Review left January 23, 2025
The experience was top quality from beginning to end. Customer service was excellent, quality of lodgings and transportation was great but most of all the people, our tour guide was phenomenal. His knowledge of birds and ability to find and identify them was superhuman. Our driver was also excellent. They both took excellent care of us from beginning to end.
— Review left January 17, 2025
I finally got to finish the trip I first took in March of 2020 that was aborted by Covid. It was a great trip led by our group leader Lenin Duarte. Lenin was very knowledgeable and attentive which led to some unique sightings under his guidance. He was also able to resolve any problems we had with rooms and other issues. Our driver was also excellent. I look forward to my next trip with Road Scholar.
Walter
— Review left November 5, 2024
This was my fourth Road Scholar trip to Costa Rica and they all have been wonderful!
— Review left October 22, 2024
A superb program which enriched my life.
— Review left April 4, 2024
On this birding trip we saw 272 bird species. I adde 64 birds to my life list. My favorite birds were a sun grebe, great potoo, green ibis and a speckled tanager. The accommodations were all in natural settings and the food was great. If you are an avid birder, I recommend it. Also, last March I did the Southern CR birding trip that was equally as good.
— Review left April 1, 2024
Very well organized program; great guide and fellow participants; gained an understanding of Costa Rica's history, culture, climate and its influence on crops and vegetation, not to mention the country's economy. Not used to birding at 5:30AM, but managed. Not ideal for someone who craves a lot of regular vigorous activity, but there indeed was a reasonable amount of walking at a birder's pace. Highly recommend this trip to those wanting to see and hear some amazing birds, regardless of one's level of experience.
— Review left March 24, 2024
Wonderful Guide & Driver, varied ecosystem explorations, great birding, new friends, nice accommodations, terrific meals, AWESOME TRIP!!
— Review left March 12, 2024
Well planned and executed program lead by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide who inspired us all with his passions for birds.
— Review left March 3, 2024
I had a wonderful trip. Everyday was unique and fun. We saw over 250 species of birds even though it poured rain for two straight days in the rain forest! We had a friendly group of people who got along well. I came home with so many good memories of the everything!
— Review left February 26, 2024
Birding in Northern Costa Rica was fantastic. Roger Menendez was an outstanding guide, pleasant, and always professional. I was especially pleased with how he handled the group by setting the expectations of this birding trip on the first day, describing how people should behave so we could have the best birding experience. And we did. The trip was so well planned. He led us through many varied habitats and elevations and helped us see over 300 bird species. I'm slow at spotting birds. Roger was great at spotting and directing us to the birds and finding them in his scope. He worked hard to attend to all members of the group. I couldn't have asked for a better guide. Louis, our driver, was also outstanding. Always pleasant, always greeted us with a smile and helped me get on and off the bus. He was a safe careful driver.
I loved that we had so much variety in the activities: 3 boat rides, a tractor pull, a beautiful sunset watch from an overlook, a full day of slowly floating on a river and a lagoon, walking in wading boots in the mud, crossing several hanging bridges, eating meals overlooking bird feeders, and of course lots of hiking and standing.
The food and accommodations for the most part were very good. I loved eating all the fresh fruit and vegetables and Costa Rica cuisine.
They saved the best place for last, the Arenal Observatory, which had great food and plush accommodations.
Just two complaints.
I loved birding at La Ensenada Lodge on days 2 & 3.
I was disappointed in the accommodations because there were ants in the cabin, both the bathroom and sleeping area. The towels were also very rough. Otherwise it was a lovely place to stay. The staff were excellent, pleasant, and very accommodating.
My only other complaint was with Wyndham San Jose. The accommodations were nice except for the lack of hot water in the shower. The plumbing needs attention. The bathroom sink needed a new filter. The filter was clogged so water flowed very slowly.
— Review left February 19, 2024
It was a great 10 days with a knowledgeable and personable leader, great accommodations, and great fellow-travelers to make for a very enriching and fun experience
— Review left February 16, 2024
Birding in Northern Costa Rica offers the adventure of a lifetime. It invited our intrepid birding group made to greet each day with a child's sense of wonder. Call it eco-therapy! Warm, fun participants, expert presenters, an amazing driver, and a passionate, skilled, congenial guide/naturalist. Did I mention approximately 300 bird species?!!!
— Review left February 7, 2024
This s a really great program - the small group size stimulates interaction with the other participants - the leader (our's anyway) was excellent - the birds are incredible - incredible. The exposure to different zones of foliage, moisture, altitude etc and the people of Costa Rica that we were met - these all together made for a totally enjoyable and enlightening trip.
— Review left February 7, 2024
Fantastic trip which thrilled new bird-watchers like me and also very experienced birders.
— Review left January 25, 2024
The trip exceeded all my expectations. Our guide Lenin Duarte was outstanding and seem to have superhuman bird-finding skills. What a wonderful tour!
— Review left January 22, 2024
I am new to birding and I had never been to Costa Rica, so I didn't know what to expect. I was beyond pleased with everything about the trip. Our guide was excellent and the birds and countryside were beautiful. Our guide was always helpful and accommodating and made sure we saw so many of the birds on our list. This was also my first trip with Road Scholar, but it will not be the last. Wonderful trip!!
— Review left January 22, 2024
I highly recommend this trip, and don’t let your lack of knowledge about birding keep you from trying it. Everyone helped everyone else, as is so common with Road Scholar participants.
— Review left December 30, 2023
This program exceeded my expectations for birding and acquiring local knowledge of the people and areas we visited. Thanks to the Road Scholar program and particularly the group leader, Jorge Monge, I came back a better person for it.
— Review left December 22, 2023
If you are a birder or aspiring birder, this is an ideal program for you. It covers multiple habitats in delightful places, provides opportunities to see birds you will see nowhere else, and is fun and inspiring. Along the way, you will have chances to learn a lot about Costa Rica and its culture and meet delightful people.
— Review left November 24, 2023
It was a true vacation with wonderful people and a wonderful experience every day of our birding adventure!
I went to dinner every night and slept like a baby each night to wake in the morning excited to get out and find the birds.
— Review left November 22, 2023
The Road Scholar birding trip to Northern Costa Rica was perfect! Everyday went beyond expectations. Our Group Leader, Lenin, was amazing in his abilities to spot and point out the birds. Our group of seven saw a total of 264 species. This trip was very well organized and all of the accommodations were special. The meals at the lodges were great. The country of Costa Rica is beautiful and should be visited by everyone.
— Review left November 20, 2023
Saw lots of new birds, though not all of the ones that others saw, and a fair number I had seen in the US. Small group size was great!
— Review left November 9, 2023
An outstanding birding experience.
— Review left April 21, 2023
This was my first Road Scholar program and I went with a friend who had more birding experience than myself and we both had a great time. Our final bird count was 292 different bird species. The birding by boat in mangroves and wetlands was excellent as were the presentations on Tropical Birding, the Cano Negro Wetlands and The Great Green Macaw. Our Group Leader was an experienced naturalist and birder and was persistent in finding birds specific to the habitat we were in at each different location. The lodges were excellent and by chance our group was all women. We enjoyed our program together so much we decided to come back to do Birding in Southern Costa Rica the following Spring.
— Review left March 1, 2023
This was a trip of a life time! Covered over 500 miles and saw 290 birds, most of them new to me! Very active and time is full of searching for birds! Beautiful country-side, beautiful birds, beautiful country!
— Review left February 28, 2023
The Northern Costa Rica bird tour is a wonderful journey into varied ecological zones providing myriad opportunities to discover birds while learning about unique ecosystems. Lodging and food were fantastic. Our guide Luis Vargas kept us hopping and entertained while he maximized our birding opportunities. Fantastic trip!
— Review left February 21, 2023
This is an excellent program for anyone interested in Costa Rica birds, Central American Biology, and beautiful scenery.
— Review left January 31, 2023
This is a wonderful crash course on tropical birds in northern Costa Rica. If you aren’t a birder and want to learn fast, here you go.
— Review left January 30, 2023
Excellent program: well designed and well led.
— Review left January 25, 2023
First bird trip on my own, saw 19 birds
Second trip with Road Scholar and Roger 251 birds
Next trip-Road Scholar, Roger, no brainer
— Review left January 24, 2023
We had Roger Melendez as our guide for birding Northern Costa Rica. With his incredible keen eyes and his kind and all inclusive personality, the number and diversity of bird species I saw far exceeded my expectations. Look for him with a Road Scholar program and go!
— Review left March 19, 2022
Highly recommend. Natural beauty, an abundance of unique birds and wildlife. Started a new passion for me.
— Review left March 14, 2022
This was our first 'post-pandemic' international trip, and we were a bit concerned about all the COVID rules and precautions. The Costa Ricans are very welcoming of tourists and do everything they can to keep us safe. Costa Rica is a beautiful country, and this program covers four different,major eco-systems. If you're looking for an intense birding experience, this is the program for you! Jorge is a good spotter, very knowledgeable, and worked diligently to get everyone in the group on the birds.
— Review left February 22, 2022
A Wonderful trip! Our guide, Jorge was excellent, as was our delightful driver, Antonio. We got outstanding looks at birds, which our guide skillfully located AND--best of all he knew what we were looking at, often giving our interesting details about these feathered friends. Loved staying in local lodges, and enjoyed visiting a Costa Rican family. Our small group was very compatible, which enhanced our experience. We often got up at 5:00AM to start birding at 5:45AM and some evenings were out looking for birds (owls) at night. There was no pressure to do all the excursions (several during each day), and instead one could relax or bird a couple hours on your own. ~ Barbara O
— Review left February 15, 2022
Fantastic experience. Excellent for serious birders and those of us who just enjoy seeing beautiful birds.
— Review left February 15, 2022
We had a fantastic overall experience on this trip to Northern Costa Rica. The trip exceeded all our expectations. The accommodations and the restaurants were excellent, the lectures were very interesting, the group of our co-travelers was delightful and we can't say enough good things about our guide, Erick, who is a great overall leader and an excellent birding guide. We saw many more different birds than we had expected and added about 120 birds to our life list, which was very exciting for us. We are very much considering doing the Southern Costa Rica trip in the near future.
— Review left January 27, 2022
This program was a whirlwind birding adventure of northern Costa Rica. If you have always wanted to see the birds of one of the most diverse birding locales in the world this is for you!
— Review left December 22, 2021
This is a great company to work with from start to finish! We did a birding trip to Costa Rica and had an incredible time. Our guide and driver were top notch birders and extremely entertaining. We went thinking it would be a one time trip and we left planning our next trip!
— Review left November 14, 2021
I had a wonderful birding trip to Costa Rica. I loved how everything is all planned out--RS made it so easy from start to finish. CR is beautiful, the people on the program and the program leader were nice, and we saw lots of birds! Can't wait to go on another trip.
— Review left November 7, 2021
This was an excellent birding experience. We saw 254 species of birds in 10 days. The ability of the guide to spot birds and get them in the scope was outstanding. I especially enjoyed his ability to mimic many bird songs,
— Review left March 29, 2020
A lifetime trip that delights; filled with new information about birds, economy and geography of northern Costa Rica. Our guide, Ivan and his love, enthusiasm and knowledge of birds, their habitats and songs was infectious! My birding interests have increased! Ivan was always prompt, prepared, knowledgeable, patient and kind. Our transportation and accommodations were top notch. We made new friends! So glad we took the tour!
— Review left March 26, 2020
Excellent.
Upgrade individual program goals and primary intentions
Thank you. My first road scholar event. Learned much about CR,birds, and self.
— Review left March 20, 2020
Every element of the program was at least excellent, many simply outstanding. The trip itinerary, locations, lectures, transportation and accommodations were well planned and executed. Food was good and plentiful; the fruit fantastic. Our guide, Ivan's expert qualifications, knowledge and passion for birds and nature, and all of us, was the greatest part of the tour. He is a wonderful person who knew local birders and special, almost secret, locations at every stop and in between. Ivan (I can't praise him enough) made the tour a very meaningful trip for all of us. Xavier, bus driver and great bird spotter, kept the bus clean and drove well. The bus was not full so seating was comfortable. Tour members were great colleagues. This was our (my wife and me) first RS trip and I can highly recommend it and will be on many more to come. Oh, and we saw 312 species including all the kingfishers, Jabirus on the nest, king vulture, great & common potoo, mangrove swallow, warbler & vireo, great green & scarlet macaws, pied puffbird, Nicaraguan grackle, black-collared hawk flying with a snake, white-necked puffbird eating a giant red-winged grasshopper,and more. Bird heaven.
— Review left March 20, 2020
This program exceeded my expectations. Our guide was EXCELLENT- a good birder and very good at getting information across. The locations we birded allowed us to see a great variety of birds, and our guide made sure we got to some additional areas along our route. I also loved the variety of lodging we had at the sites, often giving us great views of the area.
— Review left March 9, 2020
We were looking for a nicely paced, affordable birding tour and found this one (plus the South tour - we did a back-to-back) worked perfectly for us. Our tour leader/guide was excellent, the accommodations varied and interesting (all good), the food good and the overall experience great! You should definitely bring insect repellent (bugs weren't that bad) and rain gear (not much rain but be prepared). We consider ourselves middle of the road birders and were happy with the itinerary and the great birds we saw. We rarely walked more than 1 1/2 miles a day but did spend a lot of our time standing (more standing than walking) so you should be in reasonably good shape to handle the activity level. We loved the variety of the locations - saw a volcano, rain forests, mangrove wetlands and more. The experience was outstanding - but you need to be a birder (beginner to advanced) to really appreciate the tour.
— Review left February 18, 2020
This trip was great, a perfect pace and good companions. We visited a nice selection of locations. Good birding, around 260+ species including 13 endemics. We were so pleased that we decided to do the southern trip next year.
— Review left February 6, 2020
Jorge Monge is the BEST GUIDE ever! And this trip was spectacular! I am only a casual birder and I could not have enjoyed the trip more. Seeing 265 species of birds over a few short days was nothing less than miraculous. I loved all the non-feathered critters too. I can not recommend this program highly enough.
— Review left February 6, 2020
We just finished the Birding in Northern COsta Rica 11 day trip and it was perfect. Our guide , Gilbert Molina was the best of the best. If you're looking for quiet, out of the way lodges in a natural setting away from the touristy spots, this trip is a must. We had 261 total bird species for the 11 days.
— Review left January 29, 2020
We saw 300 species of birds. Birding guide (Roger) was amazing. Early morning bird excursions every day. Be prepared for a lot of rain in the wetlands and very hot weather on the west coast.
— Review left January 25, 2020
This was a great trip. We saw lots of beautiful scenery and over 250 species of birds, including 110 new life birds.
— Review left January 24, 2020
The Birding in Northern Costa Rica program provides a nice opportunity to see various geographical areas of Costa Rica and therefore to view a great many species of birds. We thoroughly enjoyed this program and all the exceptionally kind and knowledgeable Costa Ricans we met especially our leader.
— Review left January 24, 2020
Birds of Northern Costa Rica is a great birding experience. The diverse locales offer bird specialties from the Caribbean slope, Central Valley, mountain forests and the Pacific coast. A great trip.
— Review left January 17, 2020
I would highly recommend Road Scholar to anyone that is willing to go on an adventure and step out of his/her comfort zone.
— Review left November 15, 2019
Our tour had birders and those who were beginners.We still were able to see about 270 species including Jacanas,Toucanets and The Jabiru Stork.We also saw numerous animals like The Tamandua Three Toed Sloth and The coatis.
— Review left April 1, 2019
This program was focussed on bird-watching, and thanks to our outstanding guides, we saw an amazing 273 species. But equally enjoyable for me were the visits to diverse ecosystems. We ate most of our meals on outdoor verandas with views of the rainforest. We enjoyed boat rides into a mangrove swamp at dawn and along a tropical river at dusk. We walked on the slopes of a volcano, across two hanging bridges 23 stories above the forest floor. We saw 3-toed sloths, growler monkeys, caiman and crocodiles. Lodgings included fancy hotels but also modest accommodations in small rural area. I liked that diversity as well. This trip exceeded my expectations.
— Review left March 25, 2019
Birding experience in Costa Rica was outstanding -- our group saw 277 different species while we were there. We were all amazed and charmed every day by the beauty of the country and how kind, welcoming and helpful everyone was. Thanks, Road Scholar!
— Review left March 24, 2019
Everything about this trip was wonderful. We would highly recommend it. The country was beautiful, the people were friendly and our guide was incredible. We saw over 200 bird species and other wildlife. We loved the uncrowded locations and accommodations. We are going back next year.
— Review left March 6, 2019
This program was my introduction to birding. I was with seasoned birders who were helpful and patient with me.
I felt relaxed and safe and enjoyed the countryside and coach travel. Our guide and leader was very interesting and
Knowledgeable. The small group got along very well.
— Review left March 6, 2019
As a novice birdwatcher going into this program, I felt welcome, included, and I learned so very much from our outstanding guide Luis as well as our driver Ronaldo and the Copearte guide. I benefitted from the knowledge of other more experienced participants. Fun!!!
— Review left March 4, 2019
Wonderful program with exposure to four world-class birding site. Expert guiding and mentoring made for a seamless and extraordinary experience.
I recommend this program to serious birders.
— Review left February 8, 2019