Monteverde Cloud Forest TourMonteverde Night Walk at the Wildlife Refuge
A Monteverde night walk is the easiest way to meet the forest after dark, when daylight animals bed down and frogs, snakes, kinkajous and insects take over. This page covers one specific listing: Nasua Tours' Small Group Night Walking Tour at the Wildlife Refuge Monteverde, rated 4.8 from 393 verified bookings. The $73 price bundles the refuge entrance ticket, a professional guide, flashlights and a spotting scope, and the walk runs a fixed 2 hours from around 5:30pm. The catch is in the fine print: transport is not included and the shared tour cap is 30 travelers despite the name. Read the detail here, then compare Monteverde cloud forest tours the full comparison of Monteverde cloud forest tours before booking.
About This Tour
Nasua Tours runs this 2-hour night walk at the Wildlife Refuge Monteverde, starting around 5:30pm once it is dark enough to spot nocturnal animals. The $73 price includes the refuge entrance ticket, which is unusual on this site: most guided walks sell the guide only and bill the reserve entry separately. The guide carries flashlights and a powerful spotting scope so the group can view animals closely and take photos through the lens with a phone.
The listing is honest about two limits. Transportation is not included, and the reserve has a large parking lot for anyone driving themselves, though the operator says transport can be arranged on request if you ask before the tour. And despite the Small Group title, Viator lists the shared tour cap at 30 travelers, which is a large group by the standards of the reserve walks that cap at 6 or 8.
$73 per person, entrance ticket included. No mandatory extras stated on top of that.
Fixed 2 hours in the refuge, starting once it is dark enough, around 5:30pm.
Wildlife Refuge Monteverde, at the reception entrance. The walk ends at the same point.
The Wildlife Refuge Monteverde entrance ticket is included in the $73 rate, per the listing's inclusions. Nothing extra to pay at the gate.
Flashlights during the tour and a spotting scope for close viewing and phone photos through the lens.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund. Inside 24 hours, nothing is refundable.
Check Dates and Availability
Night walks run daily and the start time follows nightfall, around 5:30pm. Pick your date to see live slots and the current price on the booking platform.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short answer
This Monteverde night walk costs $73 per person with the Wildlife Refuge entrance ticket included, runs a fixed 2 hours from around 5:30pm, and caps the shared group at 30 travelers.
Key takeaways
- The entrance fee is bundled, so the $73 is the full price, unlike guide-only listings where the reserve ticket is added on. See what the price covers.
- No transport is included. The refuge has a large parking lot, or ask the operator to arrange a ride before the tour.
- If 30 people on one walk sounds crowded, the Kinkajou night walk caps at 8 and includes hotel pickup from $29.
- Compare every option in the Monteverde tour comparison.
What the Price Actually Covers
Most listings on this site sell the guide alone and leave the reserve gate fee to you, so the headline number is never the full cost. This one bundles the entry ticket, which makes the $73 easier to judge.
Included and excluded, line by line
The listing's inclusions name three things beyond the ticket: flashlights during the tour, the spotting scope, and a professional guide. The exclusions list is short but real. Transportation is not included and the listing tells you to use your own vehicle, though the operator notes transport can be arranged on request if you ask before the tour. No food, drinks, gratuities or hotel pickup are stated as included, so treat all of those as at your own cost.
For context, other listings in this comparison price very differently. The Kinkajou night walk is $29 with entrance and hotel pickup included but runs only about 1.5 hours. The natural history walk at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, also by Nasua Tours, is $89 for 3 hours with the reserve ticket bundled. Guide-only day walks look cheaper at $28 to $40 but add a reserve entrance of $25 to $29 on top, which is exactly the trap this listing avoids. Figures come from the operators' own listings on Viator and GetYourGuide.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wildlife Refuge Monteverde entrance ticket | Yes | Stated in the listing's inclusions |
| Professional guide | Yes | English and Spanish guides offered per the listing's options |
| Flashlights | Yes | Provided during the tour |
| Spotting scope | Yes | Guide carries it for viewing and phone photos |
| Transportation | No | Use your own vehicle, can be arranged on request before the tour |
| Food, drinks, gratuities | No | Not stated as included |
Where the money goes
The listing does not break the $73 into guide fee and refuge ticket, so the split is not stated. What the bundle does buy you is a single payment and no queue at reception. It also removes the guesswork that plagues guide-only bookings elsewhere in this comparison, where Viator's own mandatory extras push a $28 listing to $72 once reserve fees land.
One honest note: wildlife is never guaranteed on any night walk. The scope and flashlights improve your odds, but frogs, snakes, sloths and kinkajous are luck plus a good guide, not a promise.
Sources: the operator's own listing on Viator, and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve visitor information.
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing's itinerary is simple: one 2-hour night walk on the refuge's trails, meeting and ending at the reception entrance. Here is how it unfolds.
Meeting, walking and what the guide does
You arrive at the Wildlife Refuge Monteverde reception entrance for the 5:30pm start, which happens once it is dark enough rather than at a rigid minute. The operator describes its service as personalized, and the guide's job on the trail is active: finding animals, pointing them out, teaching the group where and how to look for wildlife. The guide carries a powerful spotting scope so the group can appreciate animals far better than by flashlight alone, and you can take photos with your cellphone through the scope.
The listing does not publish a minute-by-minute route. Which trail is walked depends on what the refuge has open that day and cannot be guaranteed, because reserve changes are beyond the operator's control, and it says so plainly. Plan on roughly 2 hours on foot at an easy pace suitable for all fitness levels, per the listing, and be dressed for a cool, damp forest after dark. For what animals you might realistically see at night, see the guide to Monteverde night tours.
Wildlife Refuge Night Walk on Video
Filmed on a night tour at the Wildlife Refuge, the place this walk runs. Third-party video by Dreams Not Things. We did not shoot it and have no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing states few hard exclusions, but the practical limits matter. Here is who should look elsewhere.
Stated limits and honest warnings
No minimum age is stated, and the listing says the walk suits all physical fitness levels, so children and slower walkers are fine on paper. Booking requires an adult, with 1 to 10 travelers per booking. No wheelchair accessibility or health warnings are stated either way, so ask the operator directly if access is a concern.
The real rule-outs are practical. First, anyone without a car: transportation is not included, and while the listing says public transportation options are available nearby and the operator can arrange a ride on request, the default is your own vehicle. If that is a problem, the Kinkajou night walk includes hotel pickup from 110 lodgings around Monteverde and Santa Elena. Second, anyone who genuinely wants a small group: the 30-person shared cap makes this one of the largest groups on this site, next to the San José day trip at up to 20. Third, night-averse visitors: it is dark, wet and around 18 degrees Celsius at this altitude, so if you would rather walk in daylight, the small-group reserve walk at 6 participants is a stronger fit.
A white-nosed coati seen in Monteverde. Photo: PLAyLuXu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What to Settle Before You Book
Four things decide whether this walk works for you: the cancellation clock, what you confirm in writing, what you wear, and how you get there.
Cancellation and confirmation
Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund. Inside that window you get nothing back, so book only once your Monteverde plans are firm. The tour also runs in bad weather per the policy's terms and can be cancelled for insufficient travelers, so a rainy forecast alone is not grounds for a refund.
Because the trail depends on what the refuge has open that day and cannot be guaranteed, message the operator before booking if a specific trail matters to you, and get any transport arrangement confirmed in writing, since the listing only says it can be arranged on request.
What to wear
The refuge sits in cloud forest at Monteverde's altitude, where the mean annual temperature is 18°C and rainfall averages around 3,000 mm a year, so nights are cool and damp. Bring a rain jacket, warm layer and closed shoes with grip. The operator supplies flashlights, so you only need your own if you prefer.
Month-by-month conditions are in the guide to Monteverde weather.
Getting to the meeting point
You meet at the Wildlife Refuge Monteverde reception entrance. The listing states that transportation is not included, that the refuge has a large parking lot for self-drivers, and that public transportation options are available nearby, with a ride arrangeable on request if you ask before the tour. No walking distance from Santa Elena, taxi fare or shuttle schedule is stated for this listing, so confirm any arrangement with the operator when you book.
Daytime logistics differ at the bigger reserves, which the guide to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve covers.
Itinerary
The listing publishes a single 2-hour activity with one stated clock time.
-
5:30pm
Meet at the reception entrance
Arrive at the Wildlife Refuge Monteverde reception entrance. The tour starts as soon as it is dark enough, which the listing puts at around 5:30pm.
-
Orientation and flashlights
The guide hands out flashlights for the walk. Transportation is not included, so allow time to park in the refuge's large lot if you are driving.
-
Onto the refuge trails
The route depends on which trails the refuge has open that day and cannot be guaranteed, per the listing. The guide walks the group through the forest at an easy pace for 2 hours total.
-
Wildlife spotting
As you walk, the guide finds and points out nocturnal animals and teaches the group where and how to look. Sightings are never guaranteed.
-
Scope viewing and phone photos
At each find the guide sets up a powerful spotting scope so everyone can see the animal closely and photograph it through the lens with a cellphone.
-
Return to reception
The walk ends back at the reception entrance after the fixed 2 hours, around 7:30pm. No return time is stated separately by the listing.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of this listing against the rest of the comparison.
What we genuinely like
- The $73 price includes the refuge entrance ticket, so the number you see is the number you pay
- A spotting scope and flashlights are provided, which most cheap listings leave out or charge for
- Fixed 2-hour duration starting around 5:30pm is easy to plan an evening around
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
- The operator states transport can be arranged on request if you ask before the tour
The honest downsides
- Up to 30 travelers on the shared tour despite the Small Group title, so you may wait at sightings
- No hotel pickup or transportation included by default, you need a car or must ask in advance
- It is nearly twice the price of the $29 Kinkajou night walk, which includes hotel pickup
- Which trail is walked depends on the refuge and cannot be guaranteed
- The exact start shifts with nightfall rather than a fixed clock time
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers without a car who do not want to arrange transport in advance, and not for anyone who counts a 30-person group as small.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does this Monteverde night walk cost?
$73 per person, and the Wildlife Refuge Monteverde entrance ticket is included in that rate per the listing's inclusions, so there is no extra gate fee. Compare that bundle with guide-only listings in the Monteverde tour comparison.
Is transportation to the Wildlife Refuge included?
No. The listing excludes transportation and points self-drivers to the refuge's large parking lot, though the operator says a ride can be arranged on request if you ask before the tour. The Kinkajou night walk includes hotel pickup from 110 lodgings if transport is a dealbreaker.
How big is the group?
Despite the Small Group title, Viator lists the shared tour cap at 30 travelers, and bookings run 1 to 10 people each. For genuinely small groups, the reserve small-group walk caps at 6 participants.
What time does the night walk start?
Around 5:30pm, once it is dark enough, and the walk runs a fixed 2 hours ending back at the reception entrance. Nightfall shifts through the year, so check conditions in the guide to Monteverde weather.
What animals will I see on the night walk?
The listing does not promise species, and wildlife is never guaranteed anywhere. Guides with flashlights and a scope typically look for frogs, snakes, insects and sleeping birds at night, as covered in the guide to Monteverde cloud forest animals.
Can I cancel if my plans change?
Yes, for a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time, per the listing's policy. Inside 24 hours nothing is refundable, so read the full terms on the booking page.
Is this walk suitable for children?
No minimum age is stated and the listing says it suits all fitness levels, with an adult required for the booking. If you want a night format built around a farm visit too, the coffee tour and night walk takes children from 5 years old.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
We may earn a commission if you book through one of our links, at no extra cost to you. Full affiliate disclosure