COSTA RICA: Bird & Wildlife Photography
TOUR FOCUS
PHOTOGRAPHY
SCHEDULED TOURS
TRIP LEADERS
TOUR COST
From: $7,500 (See details)
Cost is per person, double occupancy from San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)
GROUP SIZE
4 - 8 Participants
AVAILABILITY
2025: 8 Spaces Available
PRIVATE TOUR OPTION
This tour is available as a private trip for any size group. The tour cost will vary with the number of people and any custom requests.
TESTIMONIALS
Highlights of COSTA RICA: Bird & Wildlife Photography
Description of COSTA RICA: Bird & Wildlife Photography
Photography opportunities abound in Costa Rica. The Central American country of Costa Rica has become one of the most popular birding destinations in the Americas thanks to the abundance of birds and other wildlife. So of course, photography of the birds and wildlife must also be great!
Thanks to Costa Rica’s incredible habitat diversity, and its location as part of the land-bridge between North and South America, it is home to over 800 species of birds that have been recorded within Costa Rica’s borders.
We will visit two diverse habitats… in the mountains between 7000-10000 feet we hope to find Bay-headed Tanager, Rufous Motmot, Snowcap, Black-crested Coquet, Fiery-throated Hummingbird and, of course, the revered Resplendent Quetzal. In the lower elevations we find a plethora of toucans, aracaris, parrots, tanagers and yes, more hummingbirds!
Beyond the birds that appear in front and above us, we will have up to six different sessions for macro photography, taking full advantage of the Costa Rican jungle’s plethora of smaller fauna such as red-eyed tree frogs, eyelash vipers, poison dart frogs, leaf-cutter ants, singles bees, and giant forest owl butterflies.
Length of Tour
13-days/12-nights
Day 1 – Arrival and transfer to hotel
Arrival to San Jose and shuttle to Hotel. Depending on the arrival time, bird and macro photography on the grounds of the lodge where mot-mots, owls, tree frogs, and many other species can be found.
Day 2 – Volcanic Rainforest
Drive towards Arenal Volcano, en route field photography for three-wattled bellbird. Arrive to our hotel in the mid afternoon and do some photography on the grounds and gardens.
Day 3 – Volcanic Rainforest
Morning at hotel for feeders and trail for birds and monkeys. Afternoon will be a field visit to private property for birds and a night walk for macro photography.
Day 4 – Volcanic Rainforest
After breakfast we have a controlled macro photography session with reptiles and amphibians before heading into the field for the afternoon for avian species.
Day 5 – Rio Frio Boat
After breakfast we will drive to our next destination, en route stop for a cruise on the Rio Frio for species such as kingfishers, mot-mots, caiman, and many others.
Day 6 – Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge
Photography through Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge via boat both in the morning and the afternoon. This will offer us the best opportunity to photography as many species as possible that call this area home.
Day 7 – Sarapiqui
We will make our way south again to the Sarapiqui area with en route stops for additional feeder photography opportunities.
Day 8 – King Vulture Blind
Up early, spend the morning visiting blinds for premier photography of the spectacular King Vulture. Arriving back to lodging in the afternoon we have additional sessions for macro and bird photography.
Day 9 – Cope Arte Gardens
After breakfast leave the lodge, en route visit Cope Arte Gardens, a local birder and artist’s home with very active feeders, White-collared Manakins, Montezuma and Chestnut-headed Oropendolas, Rufous-naped Wood-rail, Crowned Woodnymph and Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer and many more. Also, we will go on the field to try some of the local owl roosting places, Spectacled and Crested Owls are possible here.
Day 10 – Cloud Forest
Starting with a morning session on the grounds of our hotel, we then check out and make the drive into the highlands and cloud forest for our first session with the Resplendent Quetzal.
Day 11 – Cloud Forest and High-speed Flash Hummingbirds
We will spend our morning with the Resplendent Quetzal again. Then the afternoon will be at Batsu Gardens where we will have flower setups for high-speed flash Hummingbird photography and fruit feeders as well. Golden- browned Chlorophonias, Slaty Flowerpiercers, Chestnut-capped Brushfinches, Flame-colored Tanagers and Scintillant Hummingbirds are some of our targets today.
Day 12 – High-speed Flash Hummingbirds and Drive to San Jose
After breakfast we will have a final morning session with high-speed flash photography for highland hummingbird species such as the fiery-throated hummingbird before we start our way back to San Jose. Last evening session for macro in the hotel gardens.
Day 13 – Return Home
Shuttles to international airport
Cost
Cost is $7,500 per person, based upon double occupancy, from San Jose, Costa Rica (Airport code SJO.
This trip ends in San Jose, Costa Rica (Airport code SJO).
Laundry, drinks, souvenirs, any visa,
Single Supplement
If a single hotel room is preferred, or we are unable to find a suitable roommate for you, a single supplement fee of $800 will be assessed.
NOTE: For boat-based tours, see pricing options for single cabins. Single cabin cost includes the single hotel cost above.
Minimum Number
If fewer than the minimum number of required participants are registered, we may still be able to run the trip by adding a small-group supplement fee, per person, determined by the number of participants registered.
Deposit Requirements
A $1,000 deposit per person is required to hold each space on this tour. Deposit may be made online by clicking the "Book Your Trip Now" button and using any credit card. If you prefer, you may call us at 888-875-9453 to pay by phone. You may also mail us a check, however, remember that all space is held on a first come-first served basis as deposits are received.
How to Book
In order to hold your space, click the "Book Your Trip Now" button above and complete the deposit process, including payment of the deposit through our Paypal portal using ANY CREDIT CARD. Upon completion of deposit, please visit our secure, online CLIENT INFORMATION FORM to complete your registration.
Final Payment
For all land-based tours: full payment by check is due 120 days prior to the departure date.
For all boat-based adventure cruises of 7-days or longer: full payment by check is required 180 days prior to departure.
NOTE: If you prefer to use credit card for final payment, a 3% fee may be added to cover the credit card merchant fees we incur.
We will stay at the EcoLodges. Please note that there may or may not be air conditioning and private showers may be outdoors/roofless for a more unique experience.
Activity Level Rating: 2 (Note: 1 is easy and 5 is difficult)
Mostly easy trails, though often muddy. Some higher elevation walking (7000ft-10,000ft). Don’t worry, we move slow to see more!
Photography Gear Recommendations
The best camera is the one you have with you! That said, we will help you get great photos no matter what camera you use.
This Photo Workshop is geared toward those using DSLR or Mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses, here is what we recommend that you bring:
• Bring at least 2 camera bodies – to reduce changing lenses and just in case of accidental damage to one
Recommended Lenses for Birds & Wildside
• 100-400mm (or equivalent) for birds in flight
• 500mm lens or longer for birds and wildlife
Recommended Lenses for Landscape Opportunities
• 24-105mm (or equivalent) for landscape and general purpose
• In addition you may also want to have an ultra-wide lens equivalent to about 16-35mm which may be used for fun landscapes and night sky photography.
Recommended Lenses for Macro (Bugs, Frogs, etc.)
• 100mm Macro is fine for general purpose macro photography
• 150mm Macro is best for small, quick moving subjects like frogs
Filters (For Limited Landscape Photography)
• Circular Polarizing Filter
• Neutral Density Filter Set
Other Accessories
• Tripod for long exposures, big lenses and steady video
• Monopod
• Flash for low light, fill light and stop action
• Better Beamer
• Rain cover for camera
• Weather resistant Camera Bag (Backpack style is best)
• Batteries and chargers
• Lots of memory cards!
• Laptop or other downloading device
Recommended Field Guide:
• The Birds of Costa Rica,(2007, Cornell University Press), by – Richard Garrigues
• The Wildlife of Costa Rica by Reid, Leenders, Zook, Dean to the recommended guide section.
Purchasing Flights
Do not purchase your flights until the trip has been confirmed to go.
Detailed Trip Information
Upon notification that final payment is due (120 days prior to departure for land based tours / 180 days for boat based tours), you will receive a trip package of detailed information for your tour.
Any additional information about the trip, including lodgings, contacts, participants, meeting locations, etc., will sent about 2 weeks prior to the trip departure, or after final payment is received for late registrants.
Travel Insurance
As with all tours, we recommend purchasing Travel Insurance to help cover your investment, for covered reasons. Please see our section on Travel Insurance.
Passport & Visa
US Citizens may require a visa to enter certain foreign countries. See above for any required visa information.
Participants arriving to the USA from a foreign country may need to get a travel visa to enter the United States. Be sure to check the requirements for your country of origin.
Itinerary Changes
The trip itinerary is developed many months ahead of time. Occasionally, despite our best planning, changes may occur during the trip, or we may be forced to alter our plans. Changes may occur because of weather, road conditions, safety concerns or other circumstances. In these situations, it is the leader(s) responsibility to carefully consider and implement appropriate alternatives. Any additional costs incurred because of changes will be the responsibility of each individual participant. Refunds will not be issued as a result of itinerary changes.
