King Vulture Venture

14-Night, 15-Day Trip

About This Bird Photography Group Tour

Focus: Bird Photography

Tour Highlights

Private photography guide throughout
Access to at least 17 premium birding locations
Varied habitats: rainforests, cloud forests, wetlands, and highlands

Trip Overview

Day 1:

Arrive San Jose

Days 2-3:

Pacific Lowlands

Days 4-5:

San Gerardo de Dota - Highlands

Days 6-7:

Turrialba - Mid-elevation

Days 8-9:

Caribbean Lowlands

Days 10-11:

Caribbean Foothills

Days 12-13:

Caribbean Lowlands / Wetlands

Day 14:

San Jose

Day 15:

Return to SJO Airport

This photographers-paced itinerary covers seven distinct regions over 14 nights, staying at the top birding and bird photography lodges in Costa Rica. The itinerary flows from the Central Pacific coast through the Talamanca highlands, the Turrialba and Caribbean foothills and finally to the Caribbean lowlands. Guests will enjoy a variety of photographic opportunities including gardens, trails, feeding stations, and blinds. 
Get a Quote

What's Included in Your 14-Night, 15-Day King Vulture Venture Tour?

  • Small Group Tour – Photography

    On a group tour with a private guide, the guide is with you from your arrival to your departure. You not only enjoy bird photography at the hotels, parks, and reserves on your itinerary, you also have the flexibility to stop with the guide at local spots, and places that only the guides know. You have an expert with you every step of the way. Guests with a Private Guide can expect to see and photograph at least 50% more species than guests using local guides.

    Pros and Cons of a Scheduled Group Trip

    Continuous expert guidance throughout the entire trip

    50% more species typically observed and photographed

    Access to off-the-beaten-track locations

    Flexibility for impromptu stops

    Daily species recap with guide

    Photo identification from your guide during and after your trip.

    Fixed travel dates

    Less individual flexibility

      Ideal for

    • Serious bird photographers aiming to maximize species sightings

    • First-time visitors wanting constant expert guidance

    • Photographers interested in off-the-beaten-path locations

    • Travelers who value having all meals and services included

    • Photographers who enjoy shared experiences with like-minded travelers

    • Travelers looking for an easy, seamless travel experience

    • King Vulture Venture Itinerary Details

      Day 1: Welcome to Costa Rica

      Upon arrival at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in San José, you will be greeted by your private driver and transferred to your hotel.  Enjoy the hotel gardens and later this evening meet your fellow travelers and your private guide for a welcome dinner and introduction to your tour. This evening, your guide will provide an overview of the exciting journey ahead.

      Day 2: Central Pacific – Tarcoles River Estuary

      Depart San José for the Central Pacific region. In the afternoon, embark on a photography tour along the Tarcoles River Estuary, famous for its mangrove habitats, diverse bird species, and the iconic crocodiles of the river. The lighting and scenery provide excellent conditions for capturing dramatic images. Overnight near Carara National Park.

      Day 3: Carara National Park

      Spend the day exploring Carara National Park, a transitional forest where dry and humid ecosystems meet. This area boasts incredible biodiversity and provides an ideal setting to photograph vibrant wildlife, including Scarlet Macaws. In the afternoon, explore the surrounding landscapes to capture more stunning images of the region’s flora and fauna. Overnight near Carara National Park.

      Day 2: Journey to the Talamanca Mountains

      Leave the warm Pacific lowlands and ascend into the cool, misty heights of the Talamanca Mountains. Known as “Quetzal country,” this area is renowned for its highland cloud forests, endemic species and abundant hummingbirds. Prepare for cooler temperatures as you settle into your accommodations. Overnight in the Talamanca Mountains.

      Day 5: Savegre Reserve and Batsu Gardens

      Explore the Savegre Reserve, a pristine highland habitat home to an array of bird species. In the afternoon, visit Batsu Gardens, a photographer’s paradise with well-maintained feeders and vibrant native plants that attract hummingbirds, tanagers, and other species. Overnight in the Talamanca Mountains.

      Day 6: Mid-Elevation Hills of Turrialba

      Descend from the mountains to the lush mid-elevation hills of Turrialba. Arrive at Rancho Naturalista, a charming lodge known for its exceptional gardens and birding terraces. Spend the afternoon photographing birds visiting the feeders from the comfort of the lodge’s terrace. 

      Day 7: Turrialba Foothills and Surroundings

      Spend a full day exploring Rancho Naturalista’s gardens, trails, and feeders. Highlights include visits to La Mina, the Tuis River Valley, and El Silencio Trail, offering diverse photo opportunities in a range of habitats. Overnight at Rancho Naturalista.

      Day 8: Caribbean Lowlands – Cope’s Gardens and Tirimbina Reserve

      Travel to the Caribbean Lowlands, stopping at Cope’s Gardens for a unique photography experience in these lush tropical gardens.  In the afternoon, you arrive at your lodge and spend the afternoon exploring the reserve and gardens.  Overnight in the Caribbean Lowlands.

      Day 9: Alvaro’s Macaws and Pierella Gardens

      Begin the day with a visit to Alvaro’s Macaws, a private refuge where Scarlet and Great Green Macaws can be photographed at close range in a natural setting. In the afternoon, continue to Pierella Ecological Garden, a family-run conservation site known for its butterflies, frogs, and excellent bird photography opportunities. Overnight in the Caribbean Lowlands.

      Day 10: Cinchona Feeders and Laguna del Lagarto Platforms

      After breakfast, make a stop at the Cinchona hummingbird feeders, a favorite spot for photographing species like the Red Headed Barbet and Northern Emerald Toucanet at close range. Then continue north to Laguna del Lagarto Lodge, arriving in time to spend the afternoon at the lodge’s elevated photo platform, where your private guide will assist in capturing toucans, aracaris, and other lowland rainforest species.

      Day 11: King Vulture Blind and Photography Platforms

      Dedicate the morning to photographing from the King Vulture blind and capturing your top images of this incredible bird.  At the lodge’s photography platforms, continue getting your best shots.  This location is a favorite among professional photographers due to its exceptional opportunities for capturing rare and colorful species. Overnight at Laguna del Lagarto Lodge.

      Day 12: Bogarin Gardens and Observatory Lodge Gardens

      Depart Laguna del Lagarto after breakfast and travel south toward Arenal, stopping en route to visit the Bogarin Trails and feeders, a well-known spot for close-up views of sloths, honeycreepers, and colorful tanagers. Arrive at Arenal Observatory Lodge in time to explore the gardens and enjoy an afternoon session on the lodge’s observation deck, where your private guide will help you photograph toucans, motmots, and a variety of hummingbirds with the Arenal Volcano as a dramatic backdrop.

      Day 13: Caribbean Foothills - Observatory Lodge Reserve

      Spend a full day exploring the reserve’s gardens, trails, feeders, and observation platforms. The diverse habitats provide excellent opportunities to photograph both rainforest species and panoramic landscapes.

      Day 14: San Luis Tanagers and Hotel Bougainvillea Gardens

      Travel back to San José with your private guide, making a stop at the San Luis feeders, where colorful tanagers and hummingbirds provide excellent opportunities for photographs. In the afternoon, check in at Hotel Bougainvillea, and enjoy a relaxing walk through the hotel’s expansive tropical gardens, a peaceful spot for one last round of bird photography before your journey home.

      Day 15: Departure

      Private transfer to Juan Santamaría International Airport for your return flight home. Farewell, and thank you for joining this unforgettable bird photography adventure in Costa Rica.

        "Simply the best!"

        We can’t say enough about how pleased we were that we went with Costa Rica Focus, and thoroughly recommend them in every respect … As for our guide and driver Andres, what can we say? If a review sheet had a plus and minus column, we would request a third plus-plus column. He was absolutely amazing in every respect.  We arrived to meet Andres as a stranger only to leave two weeks later feeling like we just left our best friend behind. He was the most knowledgeable guide, an extremely careful and diligent driver, plus a delightfully thoughtful fellow in every respect. Nothing was too much trouble and any questions or requests were answered or taken care of immediately.  …

        Richard B

        San Diego, CA

        "Costa Rica Focus made our first Costa Rica experience perfect."

        What a vacation this turned out to be. I’ve had the best vacation of my life, and a big part of this is down to Costa Rica Focus. Thanks a lot, and I want to recommend this company to everyone with a wish to visit Costa Rica. A thoroughly professional company, which gave my first-time birding experience with the American continent another dimension.

        The drivers brought us safely between the sites. The local birding guides did an excellent job, and I were satisfied to discover the guides were equally nerdy as me. The guides knew bird-ID, song/calls and sites very well. I ended up with a species list of nearly 300, but would certainly have struggled reaching 220-230 without the help by the local birders from Costa Rica Focus. They also included my not-so-nerdy wife in a brilliant way, which made her happy as well.

        I can’t praise the company enough, and the money was well spent. The standards of our hotels were around 3 (4) stars, and all breakfast included. About two weeks before our tour started, Costa Rica gave us a must-do-list, which included connecting to a Whatsapp-group, to download an app (Axis) which kept an overview of our schedule and name of the guides for the trip, and a list to remind us of what to pack. These were all useful to us. The contact with Costa Rica Focus during our trip was quick and easy, and through the WhatsApp-group the company always responded quickly to our questions. …

        Jørn Helge M

        Norway

        "Another home run by Costa Rica Focus"

        A 10-day birding trip with a photography focus. Great birding and photography with our fabulous guide Sr. Minor H. despite occasionally iffy weather. Locations were great, accomodations ranged from luxurious to very basic, food from merely very good to excellent, including some pleasant surprises like Pizzeria Los Colibries, on the road to Savegre where we ended up when our destination restaurant turned out to be closed due to a medical emergency in the owner’s family – really good pizza with near-perfect crust and hyper-local ingredients like local mushrooms, herbs from their own gardens, lettuce from their hydroponic gardens, etc. It’s the first pizza place on the right on the road down to San Gerardo de Dota from National Route 2. You can’t miss it:). Logistics were perfect, including arrival and departure.

        Not a lot ot add to the overwhelmingly positive reviews of Costa Rica Focus. This is the fifth trip I’ve taken with them in four years, including one to Ecuador in collaboration with Ecuador Birds Tours, and if I go again to a destination they offer, I can’t think why I would look elsewhere.

        rfichera

        Boston, MA

      Additional Tour Info

      This itinerary requires a moderate to intermediate level of physical activity. Guests will traverse a variety of environments, including well-established trails, narrow forest paths, gardens, feeders, and observation platforms. Participants should be comfortable walking at least 2 miles at a steady, relaxed pace without the need for frequent stops or rest.

      Weather

      Weather in Costa Rica varies significantly by region and elevation. Expect different temperatures and rainfall patterns as you travel through the country. While some areas experience brief morning mist or afternoon showers, others may have longer periods of rain. These patterns shift throughout the year and create the perfect conditions for Costa Rica’s rich wildlife. While we plan activities around typical weather patterns, we recommend packing for both sun and rain to ensure your comfort throughout your journey. The temperatures listed below represent typical averages for each region, though daily conditions may vary.

      • Central Valley: Warm daytime temperatures from the high 70s °F to low 80s °F. Evenings pleasant in the high 60s °F to low 70s °F.
      • Pacific Lowlands: Daytime temperatures will range from the high 80s to low 90s °F. Evening temperatures will be in the high 70s – low 80s °F.
      • Highlands (Talamanca Mountains): Cooler conditions prevail here, with daytime temperatures in the mid to high 70s or low 80s °F. Evenings can drop to the high 40s or low 50s °F, so pack appropriately to stay comfortable throughout your journey. We recommend layers and a fleece or jacket. 
      • Mid-Elevation Locations (Foothills): Enjoy temperate weather with daytime highs in the low to mid-80s °F and evenings and early mornings in the low to mid 60s Mid-Elevation Locations: Enjoy temperate weather with daytime highs in the low to mid-80s °F.
      • Caribbean Lowlands: Daytime temperatures will range from the high 80s to low 90s °F. Evening temperatures will be in the high 70s – low 80s °F. Expect high humidity.

      On the Trail

      Please note that some parks and reserves lack seating or designated rest areas once inside the forest. While most trails are relatively flat, certain locations may involve inclines, steps, or uneven terrain with minor elevation changes.

      Trail conditions will vary, and guests should be prepared to navigate narrow forest paths with natural debris such as sticks, leaves, rocks, and roots. In the event of rain, trails may become muddy and slippery, adding to the challenge.This itinerary is designed for participants with an intermediate level of fitness and mobility, ensuring a rewarding experience for those prepared for the natural demands of these environments.

      All guests should be comfortable carrying their own equipment and personal items in the field. We understand that everyone’s pace and energy levels are different. If you ever feel the need for a shorter day, a morning to rest, or time to recharge, please let your guide know. This is your trip, and we’re here to ensure you enjoy it to the fullest.

      This trip would not be recommended for a person with mobility issues.

      Accommodations

      For our group trips, we select hotels based on their prime locations for birding opportunities. Accommodations will range from basic, rustic lodges to mid-range hotels with additional amenities, always with the goal of prioritizing excellent access to birding hotspots.

      It’s important to note that not all hotels will have air conditioning, but all will feature private bathrooms, hot or warm running showers, fans, and Wi-Fi (available at least in reception or dining areas, though signal strength may vary). The level of comfort will align with the descriptions provided in the itinerary.

      In some locations, rooms may be a 5–15 minute walk from the reception or dining areas. If you have physical needs and would prefer a room closer to these facilities, please inform us in advance, and we will do our best to accommodate your request.