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Birding Station to Station

12-Night, 13-Day Trip

About This Birdwatching Group Tour

Focus: Birdwatching

Tour Highlights

Expert private guide throughout your journey
Diverse habitats from rainforest to highlands to coast
Opportunities to spot endemic and range-restricted species
Well-maintained trail systems for comfortable access to habitats
Birding by boat in the Tarcoles River Estuary
Opportunities for rare birds at off the beaten path locations

Trip Overview

Day 1:

Arrive San Jose

Days 2-3:

Caribbean Lowlands - La Selva Station

Days 4-5:

San Gerardo de Dota - Highlands

Days 6-7:

San Vito - Las Cruces Bio Station

Days 8-9:

Pacific Foothills

Days 10-11:

Coastal Pacific

Day 12:

San Jose

Day 13:

Return to SJO Airport

Overview
What's Included
Itinerary
Additional Info
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This is a private birdwatching experience in Costa Rica, home to over 900 bird species across remarkably diverse ecosystems. Our tour provides personalized access to Costa Rica's best birding locations with your expert private birdwatching guide.  He knows the optimal spots for finding the region's most interesting and wanted species.  From the lowlands to the highlands, exploring the very best of Costa Rica, this journey is a rewarding experience for all bird enthusiasts. Join us for an enriching journey through Costa Rica's landscapes, where each day brings new sightings and chances to add remarkable species to your life list.
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What's Included in Your 12-Night, 13-Day Birding Station to Station Tour?

  • Small Group Tour – Birdwatching

    On a group tour with a private guide, the guide is with you from your arrival to your departure. You not only bird 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 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

    Access to off-the-beaten-track locations

    Flexibility for impromptu stops

    Daily species recap with guide

    Species identification from your guide during and after your trip.

    Fixed travel dates

    Less individual flexibility

      Ideal for

    • Serious birders aiming to maximize species sightings

    • First-time visitors wanting constant expert guidance

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

    • Travelers who value having all meals and services included

    • Birders who enjoy shared experiences with like-minded travelers

    • Travelers looking for easy, seamless experience

      • Birding Station to Station Itinerary Details

      Day 1: Welcome to Costa Rica

      Begin your birding adventure with arrival at San José International Airport. Meet your private driver for a short drive to your hotel outside San José. This evening, join your expert birding guide for a welcome dinner where you’ll discuss the exciting days ahead and the many bird species you’ll be seeking throughout your journey.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Hotel Buena Vista Chic Trails

    • Day 2: San José to Sarapiquí

      After breakfast, depart with your guide for Sarapiquí. En route, visit the famous Cinchona Feeders, an exceptional spot for hummingbirds, tanagers, and toucans. The feeders attract many species and are excellent for toucanets and barbets. . Arrive at La Selva Biological Station in the afternoon with time for initial exploration of the grounds.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Cinchona Feeders & Trails

    • Explore

      La Selva Biological Station

    • Day 3: La Selva Biological Station

      Full day dedicated to exploring La Selva’s extensive trail system with your private guide. This premier research station offers access to primary rainforest habitats where you might spot Great Green Macaw, Snowy Cotinga, Great Curassow, and numerous antbirds and flycatchers. The station’s entrance road and river areas provide excellent open viewing areas for toucans, trogons, and parrots.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      La Selva Biological Station

    • Day 4: Sarapiquí to San Gerardo de Dota

      Morning visit to Cope’s Gardens, a private property with fantastic feeders attracting numerous species. You’ll explore the property looking for owls and other interesting creatures. Mid-morning, begin your journey to San Gerardo de Dota, climbing into the cloud forests of the Talamanca Mountains. Arrive at Savegre Lodge, nestled in a valley renowned for Resplendent Quetzal sightings.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Cope’s Gardens

    • Explore

      San Gerardo de Dota

    • Day 5: San Gerardo de Dota

      Morning visit to Batsu Gardens, an exceptional location for hummingbirds and highland species.  Return to Savegre Lodge to explore their private reserve, home to numerous cloud forest species including the Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Flame Throated Warbler and of course the Resplendent Quetzal. 

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Batsu Gardens

    • Explore

      Savegre Reserve

    • Day 6: San Gerardo de Dota to San Vito

      Early departure for San Vito.  Begin with high-elevation birding in the Paramo ecosystem, seeking specialties like the Volcano Junco and Timberline Wren. Continue south, stopping at PINDECO Pineapple Plantation where the edge habitats and fields attract raptors and open-country birds. With luck you’ll find the elusive Rosy-Thrush Tanager. Late afternoon arrival at Las Cruces Biological Station.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Pinedeco Pineapple Plantation

    • Day 7: Las Cruces Biological Station

      Full day exploring Las Cruces and the adjacent Wilson Botanical Gardens. This mid-elevation site features incredible bird diversity including Turquoise Cotinga, Fiery-billed Aracari, and Orange-collared Manakin. The botanical gardens host numerous hummingbird species, colorful tanagers and much more. 

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Las Cruces Biological Station

    • Explore

      Wilson’s Gardens

    • Day 8: San Vito to San Isidro del General

      Morning departure to San Isidro del General . After check-in at Hotel de Montaña El Pelicano, spend the afternoon birding the hotel’s extensive grounds, which feature a blend of open areas and forest patches attracting species..

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Montaña El Pelicano Trails

    • Day 9: San Isidro del General Area

      Morning excursion to Villa Tica, a private property with well-maintained trails and feeding stations. This remote location is excellent for spotting Costa Rican endemics and regional specialties. You have chances for the Green Shrike Vireo, Speckled Tanager, Snowy-Bellied Hummingbird, and many more.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Villa Tica

    • Day 10: San Isidro to Central Pacific

      Begin with early morning birding at Los Cusingos, the former home of renowned naturalist Alexander Skutch. In 1941, Dr. Skutch, a botanist and naturalist, purchased the land that is now the Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary. This preserved property hosts many southern specialties and provides opportunities to see the Golden Hooded Tanagers, Orange Collared Manakins, and so many more.  Mid-morning, depart for the Central Pacific region, with a dramatic change in ecosystems as you descend toward the coast.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Los Cusingos – San Isidro de General

    • Day 11: Central Pacific Region

      Full day exploring Carara National Park, one of Costa Rica’s birding jewels where northern and southern species converge. The park’s trails offer chances to spot Scarlet Macaws, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Royal Flycatcher, and many more. The park’s diverse habitats range from dry forest to humid rainforest, supporting tremendous bird diversity.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Carara National Park

    • Day 12: Central Pacific to San José

      Morning visit to the Tarcoles River Estuary for shorebirds, waders, and mangrove specialties including American Pygmy Kingfisher and Mangrove Hummingbird. Mid-day departure for San José). Afternoon arrival at Hotel Villa San Ignacio with time to bird the hotel gardens, which attract numerous species.

    • Lodging

    • Explore

      Villa San Ignacio Trails

    • Explore

      Tárcoles River Estuary – by boat

    • Day 13: Departure

      After breakfast, private transfer to San José International Airport for your departure flight. 

        "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.

        From the very onset, it was a pleasure working with our contact Jess. She always promptly addressed any questions or concerns we had and tailored the vacation to suit our needs and requests. The entire vacation from pick up to drop off was flawless and the various locations gave us a wonderful opportunity to experience the diversity of birds, plants and other wildlife in Costa Rica. …

        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.  Many before we even asked the question. His main concern always was that we had the best experience in every respect.

        Without hesitation we highly recommend Costa Rica Focus.

        Richard and Donna,
        San Diego, California.

        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 owe a more detailed explanation to those who want to keep up reading, to explain. I’ve been a Norwegian birder for well over 40 years, but my wife doesn’t share this hobby with me. She likes nature but is more interested in the culture part new places. With the possible conflicting interests in mind, I contacted Costa Rica Focus just to get some advice for a Costa Rica-tour we had talked about since even before we got married 27 years ago. We had an idea of which sites we were going to visit and just had a few questions of which order we should do the sites, and how to best move from between the places.

        Costa Roca Focus quickly responded, and gave us a few options, one of which was to set up a 12-days schedule. I silently asked for the 12-days-tour, and to my complete surprise, my wife accepted on the condition of getting a week on the beach after the Costa Rica Focus journey. I probably won the jackpot.
        This turned out to be the best decision we’ve made in a long time. 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 an 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. Additionally, participants should be comfortable walking in hot, humid conditions. 

      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.
      • 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.
      • 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.
      • 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.

      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.