Tailor-made travel
From cloud forest to coast, plan a tailor-made Costa Rica trip around wildlife, photography and the pace that suits you.
Costa Rica can be many different journeys: a few days among cloud forests and volcanoes, time on a quiet stretch of coast, or a slower route shaped around wildlife and the people you meet along the way.
The important decisions are where to spend your time and how much ground to cover. Roads and transfers can take longer than a map suggests, so we’ll look at the regions that interest you and plan a pace that leaves room to enjoy them.
Tell us your dates, interests and the kind of trip you have in mind. Photography can be part of the journey, but you don’t need a camera to enjoy it.
A country of contrasts
Discover its main regions, then explore the places that appeal to you.
The map could not load. The regions and their places are listed beside it.
With its lush rainforests, pristine beaches, and abundant wildlife, Costa Rica is a paradise for nature lovers.
See sample journeysWelcome to Costa Rica's Northern Zone, where lush rainforests meet towering volcanoes and sprawling coffee plantations.
See journeys through this region
A cloud-forest town in Costa Rica's Tilarán Mountains and a premier birding base.
See the place See journeys including this placeWelcome to Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast (Costa Caribe), where vibrant Afro-Caribbean culture meets lush rainforests and pristine beaches.
See journeys through this region
Caribbean coastal national park protecting forest, a fine-sand beach and Costa Rica's largest coral reef, with coatis, agoutis and tropical birds.
See the place See journeys including this placeWild, untamed, and breathtakingly diverse, Costa Rica's Central Pacific Coast (Costa Pacífica Central) is where lush rainforests meet golden sands and rolling surf.
See journeys through this regionCosta Rica's Southern Zone (Zona Sur) is a wild, untamed paradise where lush rainforests meet pristine Pacific shores.
See journeys through this regionWays to spend your days
Experiences you can add to a tailor-made route, chosen for what this country does best.
6 activities
An afternoon spent at The Nest Nature Center feeders, where Crested Guan, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Keel-billed Toucan, Yellow-throated Toucan and Black-crested Coquette are regular visitors;…
Complete this focused field session at Celeste Mountain Lodge. The activity follows the source-supported habitat, route and target evidence, with time kept flexible for…
In the afternoon we photograph a nearby garden where a Cinnamon Woodpecker often feeds on coconut, while Long-billed Hermit, White-necked Jacobin and Scaly-breasted Hummingbird…
After lunch we settle in at the Paraiso Quetzal Lodge feeders in the Talamanca Highlands, where a steady stream of hummingbirds comes to the…
An early start at Refugio El Quetzal for the splendid male Resplendent Quetzal, with a rich cloud-forest cast including Azure-rumped Tanager, Blue-crowned Chlorophonia, Emerald-chinned…
No activities match these choices.
Wildlife
When to go
Costa Rica’s climate varies by coast and altitude. The Pacific has a more distinct dry season, generally December to March, while Caribbean coastal areas usually have relatively drier periods in February–March and September–October. These are broad patterns rather than forecasts; a rain layer is useful throughout the year.
A starting point for your journey
Explore Costa Rica’s regions and see how different journeys connect the places that interest you.
Flight Overland Lines are schematic
Sample itineraries
Choose a journey to see its route and stops.
Private vehicles connect the route’s widely separated regions, including winding mountain roads and occasional rough tracks to lodges. Accommodation is selected for access to habitats and may range from comfortable hotels to simpler ecolodges.
Local teams and guides contribute knowledge of trails, wildlife behaviour and the best times to visit each site. The day’s pace remains responsive to conditions and the group.
Great photography requires energy, and Costa Rica’s vibrant culinary scene delivers. You will enjoy fresh, hearty, and authentic local Tico cuisine, featuring tropical fruits, black beans, rice, sweet plantains, and fresh local meats and seafood. Because the best wildlife activity and golden morning light happen at dawn, we often head out before sit-down restaurants open. On these early mornings, we provide convenient packed breakfasts to take into the field, ensuring you are fueled up without missing the peak shooting hours.
Spotting a camouflaged sloth or a tiny colorful frog in a dense rainforest requires years of practice. You will travel with expert Costa Rican naturalist and birding guides who possess an uncanny ability to hear and locate wildlife. Our guides carry high-end spotting scopes, allowing you to easily view distant subjects, learn about their behavior, and even shoot incredible telephoto reference images directly through the scope lens.
This is not a rushed sightseeing tour. Our daily pace is slow, deliberate, and entirely optimized for camera work. We build flexible photography stops into every day. If we encounter a cooperative troop of howler monkeys or a rare hummingbird nesting near the trail, we stop and stay. You will have the time you need to adjust your settings, experiment with composition, and wait for the perfect moment without feeling rushed.
Practical essentials
Entry requirements depend on your nationality and travel history.
Costa Rica’s currency is the colón.
Consult a travel health professional before your trip about vaccinations, medicines and precautions appropriate to your route and health.
Road journeys can take longer than distances suggest, particularly in mountainous areas or heavy rain.
We start with the places and experiences that matter to you, then consider the travel time between them.
Choose a journey centred on wildlife, landscapes or time outdoors, with space for the interests you want to follow.
Share your dates, preferred comfort and budget range so we can discuss a route that makes sense for you.
Top notch photographic experience for enthusiasts of nature, culture, and portraits. Tristan is well connected to the area and the local communities with a specialty in indigenous tribes and less-visited areas. Additionally, he is an excellent teacher and will provide incredibly helpful instruction on exposure, lighting, and composition. Our tour was incredibly well organized and ran on time, with full days of photography. I fully recommend Remote Expeditions for your photographic travels!
Tristan does an amazing job at putting together a culturally rich experience. He also does a great job at adapting to his clients needs and interests. He responds well to feedback. He is both professional and personable. I feel as though I had the opportunity not only to photograph many different elements of Colombia, but that I truly experienced the country and its culture. Our adventure took us from birding in the mountains outside of Cali, to visiting remote indigenous tribes, to visiting active fishing villages, to learning about local and historical musicians and customs, to beautiful settings in the mountains and along the seashore.
I give Tristan the highest recommendation as a guide for Colombia.
I visited Colombia with Tristan of Remote Expeditions and would highly recommend him. He put together a wonderful itinerary with great knowledge of the areas and attention to details to give us a wonderful sampling of the country. He is personally very gentle and fun by nature and you will return home feeling very happy and satisfied. Whatever your special interest is, I’m sure he can make an itinerary to exceed your goals.
In March 2026, I ventured out of my comfort zone and booked an 11 day photography tour with Tristan, through Remote Expeditions.
It was amazing. Truly remote, we visited several indigenous communities in the Sierra Nevada, first to meet them and find out a little about their way of life and second lay to photograph them. Additionally there were several opportunities for photographing birds, landscape and City Scenes in Cartagena.
We were fortunate enough to to be a small group, of two , which I was more that happy to pay a premium for. This gave us an intimate experience with the people we met along the way, additionally the 1:1 attention to our personal interests in photography was incredible.
Tristan was a real treat! He has spent the last 10 years living in and exploring this region of Colombia. He has cultivated relationships with the indigenous peoples of the area, and loves to share his understanding of their culture with you.
He structured the tour perfectly. He was organized, knowledgeable (about the land, its people and photography), compassionate, passionate and eager to share his vast internal encyclopedic information with you. When he didn’t know, he would quickly get you the information.
The remote places you get to, by 4x4, hiking and boating are exceptional. You could never find these places on your own.
Knowing little about Colombia, I was initially a little hesitant to take this tour. Having just returned, I wouldn’t hesitate for a nanosecond.
What ever type of tour you take with Tristan, you won’t be disappointed. He delivered everything he he promised, and a few amazing surprises more.
I cannot believe how fortunate I am, to have discovered Remote Expeditions, with Tristan as a tour guide, and photographer extraordinaire, sharing his view of Colombia with us, through the lens.
Tristan is an incredible guide. Safe, organized, thoughtful and experienced. He truly chose the best that this mostly remote tour of Colombia has to offer. He has built strong relationships with people in remote villages and has sourced ways to shine a light on their cultural specialities. Dancing, singing, food all combined to allow for great photo opportunities.
In the land of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, you can feel the energy, experience the culture and bring home amazing photographs that capture the moments.
If Colombia is on your photographic bucket list, Tristan is your guide. I recommend him and his beautifully curated tour, without hesitation.
Tristan has been to over 40 countries in his quest for the perfect adventure. He has biked all Guatemala, trekked alone across the Triglav in Slovenia, travelled through all the Amazon by boat. He also has worked and leaded tours in Senegal, Morroco, Croatia, Greece, Cuba, Colombia, Brazil and many more. Remote Expeditions is the fruit of his love for people and travel.
No. Photography can be a central part of the trip or simply something you enjoy along the way.
Let us know what you hope to see and how much time you would like to spend observing or photographing. Sightings can never be guaranteed.
That depends on the regions you choose and how often you want to change accommodation. We can help you weigh the number of stops against the time available.
Not necessarily. We typically use private drivers on our tours, so you can enjoy the journey without having to navigate unfamiliar roads. For a slower trip or if you value more independence, we may suggest renting a vehicle instead. Depending on the itinerary, this can also be a more affordable option. We’ll discuss the alternatives with you when planning your route.
The price depends on the itinerary, duration, accommodation, transport, activities and number of travellers. The proposal should specify what is included and excluded.
How it works
You don’t need a finished itinerary to get started. Tell me what draws you to the destination, and we’ll take it from there.
Tell me where you would like to go, what you enjoy and roughly when you are thinking of travelling. It is fine if you are still figuring things out.
We will talk through your ideas and refine an itinerary together until you feel ready to move forward.
Once you are happy with the plan, I will explain the booking and payment details and arrange the services for your journey.
Before departure, you will receive the information you need to prepare, including your itinerary and practical advice.
Tell me where you would like to go, what you enjoy and roughly when you are thinking of travelling. It is fine if you are still figuring things out.
We will talk through your ideas and refine an itinerary together until you feel ready to move forward.
Once you are happy with the plan, I will explain the booking and payment details and arrange the services for your journey.
Before departure, you will receive the information you need to prepare, including your itinerary and practical advice.
Have a question about booking or payments? Ask me when we discuss your trip.
