Costa Rica Birding & Photography Tour: Quetzal & Hummingbirds

Begin with an airport to Hotel Bouganvillea transfer in San Jose, settling in at this garden-rich hotel used as the tour base. Shortly after the group gathers, take a late-afternoon walk through the grounds, a relaxed introduction with possible sightings of Lesson’s Motmot, White-eared Ground-Sparrow, Mottled Owl and Crested Caracara around the hedges and flowering trees. The easy pace makes this garden stroll a gentle warm-up before the days ahead, closing with dinner at the hotel.

A morning transfer from San Jose to the Cartago Foothills blends Central Valley and Caribbean influences, with rich birdlife. The session is target-driven, focusing on Black-bellied Hummingbird, White-bellied Mountaingem and Stripe-tailed Hummingbird in good light. On-site photography may include Montezuma Oropendola, Sunbittern, Violet Sabrewing, Green Thorntail and Green Hermit, with lodge mealtimes offering their own birding possibilities. Hotel Quelitales serves as the base for a cloud-forest birding session, including a hide where Scaled Antpitta is described as reliable. Breakfast is included; lunch and dinner are generic. Room category, meal plan and availability remain to be confirmed.

A morning photography session in the Cartago foothills focuses on local specialties including Scaled Antpitta, Green-fronted Lancebill and Sooty-faced Finch, before transferring up into the Talamanca Mountains. After lunch, an afternoon hummingbird-feeder session at Paraiso Quetzal Lodge brings White-throated Mountain-Gem, Lesser Violetear, Talamanca Hummingbird, Volcano Hummingbird and Fiery-throated Hummingbird close at hand in the highlands. The route then continues to Gema del Bosque, a mountain lodge in the Savegre Valley highlands, where dinner rounds out the day.

A pre-dawn start in the Savegre Valley heads out with coffee and snacks to search for the Resplendent Quetzal, followed by breakfast back at the hotel. Later, explore the grounds, gardens and open roads around Gema del Bosque for highland birds, then enjoy early-afternoon feeder photography with species such as Acorn Woodpecker and Northern Emerald Toucanet. Return to the quetzal as light fades, watching Band-tailed Pigeon and Barred Parakeet flocks cross the sky before dinner at the mountain lodge.

After breakfast, travel from the Talamanca Highlands to the Central Pacific, settling in at Foresta Nature Resort near the coast and Esquipulas. At Esquipulas Rainforest Reserve, search for the endemic White-crested Coquette, using recent local information to decide where to look for this sporadic garden visitor. With two flexible nights in the Central Pacific lowlands, pursue targets such as Fiery-billed Aracari, Marbled Wood-quail, Velvety Manakin, Crowned Woodnymph, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Turquoise Cotinga, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Charming Hummingbird, Thick-billed Euphonia, Spot-crowned Euphonia, Golden-naped Woodpecker and Band-tailed Barbthroat.

After breakfast, search Esquipulas Rainforest Reserve for the endemic White-crested Coquette, using recent local information to focus the flexible search. Continue into the Central Pacific lowlands for two nights, targeting Fiery-billed Aracari, Marbled Wood-quail, Velvety Manakin, Crowned Woodnymph, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Turquoise Cotinga, Violet-headed and Charming Hummingbirds, Thick-billed and Spot-crowned Euphonias, Golden-naped Woodpecker and Band-tailed Barbthroat. Lunch and dinner are included, with a stay at the garden-rich Foresta Nature Resort near the coast and the reserve.

After breakfast, a private Tarcoles River boat tour heads out with a local captain to photograph shorebirds, wading birds, kingfishers, parrots and raptors, with possible Yellow-naped Amazon, Roseate Spoonbill, Bare-throated Tiger Heron and Scarlet Macaws. The route then continues from Esquipulas Rainforest Reserve toward Monteverde, with lunch and a detour at Orotina for the Long-tailed Manakin lek, where males perform their classic lowland display. Dinner follows before settling in at Koora Lodge, a cloud-forest lodge in Monteverde.

Breakfast is followed by a morning at a family-run avitourism project downslope of Monteverde, where feeders attract Crimson-collared Tanager, Northern Emerald Toucanet, Red-headed Barbet, Yellow-throated Euphonia, Montezuma Oropendola, Blue-gray Tanager and Hoffman’s Woodpecker, with dedicated time for the male Three-wattled Bellbird. Lunch, then an afternoon feeder session at the Monteverde Reserve upslope, looking for Coppery-headed Emerald, Purple-throated Mountain-Gem, Green-crowned Brilliant, Violet Sabrewing and possibly Magenta-throated Woodstar, with White-nosed Coatimundi often visiting. Dinner and overnight at Koora Lodge, a cloud-forest lodge in Monteverde.

After an included breakfast, transfer from Monteverde to the Arenal area and settle in at Arenal Observatory Lodge, the base for private-reserve trails and garden birding. In the lodge gardens, enjoy a dedicated search for the Black-crested Coquette with volcano views as a backdrop. The flowering hedges and nearby areas offer possibilities including Green Thorntail, Lovely Cotinga, Green Hermit, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Crowned Woodnymph and Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, with no sighting guaranteed. Lunch and dinner are included.

After an included breakfast, photograph displaying White-collared Manakins from a comfortable hide at The Nest Nature Center, watching the males work their display perches in good light. Lunch precedes an afternoon at The Nest feeders, where Crested Guan, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Keel-billed Toucan, Yellow-throated Toucan and Black-crested Coquette are regular visitors, and the property also hosts roosting Spectacled and Striped Owls. Transfer from Arenal to Maquenque EcoLodge in the Northern Tropical Lowlands, followed by dinner.

At Maquenque EcoLodge in the Northern Tropical Lowlands, photograph the busy hotel restaurant feeder where Collared Aracari, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Brown-hooded Parrot, White-crowned Parrot, Shining Honeycreeper, and Golden-hooded and Scarlet-rumped Tanagers gather. Visit a King Vulture hide for close-up photography of Central America’s largest vulture, with lunch on site. In the afternoon, a nearby garden offers chances to photograph Cinnamon Woodpecker feeding on coconut, plus Long-billed Hermit, White-necked Jacobin and Scaly-breasted Hummingbird among the flowers.

Birding drive back toward San Jose brings the tour to a close, with a flexible pace shaped by any remaining target species. Breakfast is included before the journey, and a lunch stop and dinner are part of the day’s travel. The route ends at Hotel Bouganvillea, a garden-rich hotel in San Jose used as the tour base on the first and last nights, offering a relaxed finish to the birding-focused itinerary.

Enjoy a final included breakfast at Hotel Bouganvillea before your departure transfer to the airport. This closing experience wraps up your stay with a relaxed morning meal and a smooth ride to catch your flight, helping you end the journey comfortably and on time.