Designed specifically for bird photographers, this 13-day privately guided tour showcases Costa Rica's remarkable bird life through five distinct ecological zones. From the cloud forests of San Gerardo de Dota to the pristine rainforests of the Osa Peninsula, you'll photograph iconic species in carefully selected locations that optimize opportunities for the top species of each region. The journey includes specialized photography sites like Batsu Gardens and Villa Tica, complemented by exploration of wild habitats in renowned locations such as Corcovado National Park and the Tarcoles River estuary. Throughout your adventure, your experienced private guide will ensure access to top photography spots while providing expert assistance with both bird identification and photography set up. With comfortable accommodations positioned strategically throughout the country and all logistics seamlessly arranged, you can focus entirely on capturing stunning images of Costa Rica's spectacular birds.
What's Included in Your Costa Rican Birds through the Lens?
Privately Guided Tour
Features and Inclusions
‘Meet & Greet’: Your private guide meets you at your arrival airport.
Airport pick up: Included
Guide Services: Full-time expert birding guide
Birding Flexibility: Unlimited, including impromptu stops
Transportation: Private vehicle
Meals: All meals included, more flexibility for top local dining
Species Observation: Up to 50% more species observed
Official Checklist: Included
Daily Species Recap: Included
In-country Assistance: Included
Ideal for
Serious birders aiming to maximize species sightings
Target list birders in need of specific species
Those seeking a comprehensive, all-inclusive experience
Photographers needing flexibility and local expertise for optimal shooting conditions
First-time visitors wanting constant expert guidance throughout their trip
Birders interested in visiting off-the-beaten-path locations
Travelers who prefer local experiences with expert guidance
Costa Rican Birds through the Lens Itinerary Details
Day 1: Welcome to Costa Rica!
Arrive at San José International Airport where your private guide will meet you. Transfer to your hotel in the Central Valley, surrounded by coffee plantations and mountain views. Spend the afternoon exploring the hotel’s magnificent gardens, a perfect introduction to Costa Rica’s birdlife. Practice your photography skills on colorful tanagers, mot-mots, and hummingbirds that frequent the lush gardens.
After breakfast, journey into the highlands of the Talamanca Mountain Range. En route, visit the unique Paramo ecosystem at over 9,800 feet elevation, where specialized highland birds like the Volcano Junco and Timberline Wren create distinctive photo opportunities against the dramatic mountain landscape. Afternoon arrival at your mountain lodge, nestled in a valley famous for Resplendent Quetzals.
Morning visit to Batsu Gardens, a photographer’s paradise with specially designed setups for capturing hummingbirds in flight and perched songbirds against natural backgrounds. The afternoon brings exploration of Savegre’s private reserve, where pristine cloud forest trails offer opportunities to photograph the dazzling Resplendent Quetzal and other highland specialties.
Travel to the less-visited southern mountains in the Rivas region. This transitional zone between highlands and lowlands offers unique photographic opportunities of species from both ecosystems. The afternoon is spent exploring the hotel grounds, where fruit feeders attract an array of colorful birds against the backdrop of forested mountains.
Full day visit to Villa Tica, a private property with exceptional bird photography setups. Multiple feeding stations and water features have been strategically placed to facilitate stunning shots of tanagers, euphonias, and toucans. The property’s varying elevations provide diverse shooting environments throughout the day.
Morning departure to San Vito with a fascinating stop at PINDECO, a pineapple plantation where open fields attract raptors and edge habitat harbors specialties like the elusive Rosy-Thrush Tanager. Afternoon arrival at Las Cruces Biological Station to begin exploring the world-famous Wilson Botanical Gardens and its rich bird diversity.
Full day immersed in the station’s remarkable blend of botanical gardens and forest. The maintained gardens offer unobstructed views for photographing fiery-billed Aracaris and Golden-hooded Tanagers, while forest trails provide opportunities for capturing understory specialties like the Orange-collared Manakin in their natural habitat.
Morning transfer to Sierpe, followed by a scenic boat journey through mangroves and then on to the Pacific Ocean to reach the remote Osa Peninsula. This region represents one of Central America’s most pristine primary rainforest regions. Settle into your wilderness lodge and spend the afternoon photographing trogons, toucans, and macaws around the property.
Experience Costa Rica’s crown jewel of biodiversity with a full-day excursion into Corcovado National Park. This lush wilderness offers unparalleled opportunities to photograph scarlet macaws, four species of monkeys, and with luck, rare mammals like tayras or tapirs. The varied landscapes from beach to rainforest provide diverse lighting conditions throughout the day.
Today brings a change of pace with a boat trip to Caño Island. While the morning focuses on snorkeling in crystal-clear waters among tropical fish, the journey itself offers excellent opportunities to photograph seabirds and possibly marine mammals like dolphins or seasonal whales.
Return by boat to Sierpe and continue to the Central Pacific region. This transitional zone between dry and wet forest creates a unique intersection of bird species. Spend the late afternoon photographing birds around your lodge, which features feeders attracting toucans and aracaris and much more.
Morning visit to Carara National Park, a critical habitat where northern and southern species converge. The forest trails offer opportunities to photograph Scarlet Macaws, trogons, and antbirds. In the afternoon, board a private boat tour of the Tarcoles River estuary to photograph water birds including roseate spoonbills, herons, and the massive American crocodiles that inhabit the river.
After breakfast, transfer to San José International Airport for your international departure, with memory cards full of stunning images from Costa Rica’s remarkable biodiversity.
"Amazing, could not have been better!"
When we booked this we knew nothing about the company and we were a little nervous about what we would be getting. We put some preliminary questions, like “will meals be a fixed menu, or free choice a la carte”. We also worried about whether the guide would be personable, knowledgeable, and with good language ability, etc.
It turned out that not only were these worries unfounded, but we had lucked into a far more generous, efficient, knowledgeable, and exciting company than we could have possibly imagined.
Every last part of this tour was super, and we don’t say that lightly. To begin, of course, the locations were mind blowing, and the birding was great. But then there was the personality, knowledge, and language ability of our guide and of the driver – both great people, and we fell in love with them immediately. And they and the company behind them had really thought of everything. There was never the slightest glitch or problem. To boot, the accommodations were to us first rate, and the food wonderful, and basically unlimited. …
Now, as we are going through our photos, we are impressed over again with every single last bit of this experience. It’s a cliché to say we could not recommend Costa Rica Focus highly enough, but that is exactly the case.
A special parting word about our guide, Alex C. Costa Rica Focus has many guides, but of course we only know about Alex. If in life you can meet a kung fu master or a violin master, or someone who has mastered any field, then it is inspiring. Alex is one of these. He could look in a forest and identify birds we could not even see, often even when he indicated them with his laser pointer. In addition he had a great knowledge of Costa Rican history, geography, culture, and politics, that he shared with great clarity. If Alex is any indication, then the guide you get with Costa Rica Focus is going to be good.
"I would recommend this company to all"
This company designed a fabulous Costa Rica bird trip. There were a variety of habitats to maximize the types of birds we saw. The accommodations were first rate. The hired drivers and bird guides were dependable and first rate. We enjoyed the food everywhere we went. The company stayed in touch and were able to make minor adjustments if necessary. We were very pleased with the trip.
"An amazing birding experience in Costa Rica"
Costa Rica Focus went above & beyond in every way. From the very beginning when I had a few questions before I made my decision to book this trip to the end in traveling home. I felt very safe because we had the ability to be in constant contact with the team if we needed them.
The trip itself was just amazing! I added over 200 new life birds to my list! The scenery was spectacular! Our guide was so helpful, knowledgeable & personable. Each lodge was unique in it’s own way; from larger to quite small. The staff at each place were super. Food was plentiful & tasty. Different birds and experiences at each location. I don’t think a single thing could be improved upon. Thanks again for a most memorable experience!
"Amazing Experience"
My wife and I joined a small group, we were 5 in total. Everything was perfectly well organized. Our guide, Minor, was fantastic. He was always ready to help and accomodate us. He also has a fantastic knowledge of wildlife and where to find it. We went to the mountains, Tortuguero in the rain forest and to the slopes of the Arenal volcano. Exotic places, fantastic views and hundreds of species of birds. I would recommend Costa Rica focus without hesitation.
"Knowledgeable and great local connections"
Joan and company were excellent by being so responsive, attentive, cooperative with making adjustments and extremely helpful at navigating our way around the country of Costa Rica. They had great connections with the locals and we got to know the people as well as the wildlife and the countryside. Our nature guides were top notch as well as our drivers. Very knowledgeable and patient (traffic and roads can be crazy at times). We always felt remembered each day as they checked in with us and them with us. The app is fantastic for knowing what was up each day. Highly recommend!
"A Quest for the Agami Heron"
I went on the A Quest for the Agami Heron in June of 2023 and have meant to write a review since then. I am going with better late than never. My cousin talked me into going with her and insisted I take her camera. I could not get a picture for three days that I could even see but on the third day magic happened and my life changed. From the moment I walked out of the airport to the moment they dropped me back off everything was taken care of. Our guide, Minor, and our driver, Victor, took care of us and were an amazing team to get us to very unique hotels, wonderful restaurants and to birds I never knew existed. Resplendent Quetzels, Sunbitterns, and Agami Herons were some of my favorites. We saw baby turtles released into the sea and all cried together when they made it. We built friendships through our experiences that were real and lead to another one this summer and a reserved one for next year. I highly recommend Costa Rica Focus. 5+ out of 5 stars.
"A fantastic trip to Ecuador"
I’ve just returned from a fantastic 11 days’ birding in Ecuador organised by Costa Rica Focus and I couldn’t be happier. Having used them last year, I knew what to expect and they didn’t let me down. Their attention to detail is incredible and everything went exactly to plan from the moment I was greeted at Quito airport.
But what makes them special is their careful choice of guides. Both Daniel and Ivan were outstanding and helped me to see and photograph more than 300 birds, most of them lifers. Their incredible knowledge, professionalism and enthusiasm made all the difference. Toucans, hawks, cock of the rock, umbrella bird, oilbird and loads of hummingbirds – they got me up close and personal to them all.
I have no hesitation in recommending Costa Rica Focus and I look forward to my next adventure with this great company.
"“Off the beaten track” excellent trip that lived up to its name."
3rd trip with this company. Alex was an excellent guide/driver and the itinerary well organized and unique. Some locations family owned with breathtaking views, wonderful accommodation and home cooked meals. Saw 214 species of birds with 90 % “lifers”. Was a fusion of photography and forest birding. Have to admit that as a prairie person my body ached after hiking up and down slippery paths and staircases. CR is beautiful with waterfalls, lush vegetation and mountains!
We crossed the country from SanJose to the Pacific Ocean, over the highest peaks and to the southern tropical areas with stops at local restaurants and locations where we saw species rarely seen. The meals were healthy and typically CR. Given that this is nesting season without the migrant birds, Alex and the experienced birders in our small group found many unique species. It was a good learning experience for myself as I’m more of a photographer. Would highly recommend this tour and I will certainly continue to travel with Costa Rica focus.
