Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens Hiking Tour

The Botanical Garden was absolutely beautiful! Edgar our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly! The hike next to the river was gorgeous and we got to stop and swim along the way. The hike is 1.5 miles and moderately difficult with steep inclines and slippery sections so bring good shoes for hiking. I would also recommend bring good bug spray because of the mosquitos. You also get to hang out at the animal sanctuary and eat at the delicious restaurant along the river.

The garden was beautiful and the hike was great. Edgar did a wonderful job touring the hike. His knowledge was exceptional.

Fun experience hiking the river. Edgar was our guide and he was fun and informative. Would recommend Veranos as a excursion. Definitely bring bathing suit / extra drinking water.

Wonderful staff, very accommodating and friendly. Would recommend to friends and family, they really took care of us!

It was a great experience! The botanical gardens were awesome and the wildlife presence such as peacocks was unbelievable. Edgar was an amazing tour guide. He showed us about all the different trees and animals that were unique to the area. He even included interactive experiences such as walking through the river instead of hiking through the trees for a section. Also getting to jump in off cliffs into the water was crazy awesome. The price was super affordable even with a large family. We got picked up on the speedboat at 9 and it was a full day adventure lasting until four. The boat was nearly packed to arrive but we got a private tour with just us and Edgar. The rest of the families went on the zip lines but once we got to the bottom we all got together. The bottom was unique with a petting zoo, it had a baby spider monkey, two baby lemurs,a snake and a toucan you could hold. It was great and I highly recommend it.

Booked this tour using capital one travel and we had a great time! Started at the botanical garden where we got a chance to view some glorious foliage before our hike began with mi amigo Edgar. He took my wife and I through a trail that was moderately difficult but he made it easy. Told us about native trees and plants, had us taste some berries and tree sap and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Edgar is the man! Finished the tour at the adventure park where we kayaked and swam and hit the water slides. Great trip!

Signed up for the botanical garden tour, but once we checked in they had us down for zip lining, which was not mentioned to us until we started to receive instructions for zip lining. We were then driven to the botanical garden and dropped off to explore on our own, although I thought it would be a guided tour but it is not. Directions and instructions aren’t clear, no one introduced themselves or gave us an itinerary. We had to keep asking questions about what was happening next. Staff is friendly and pick up and drop off were smoothed. It seemed like people who did zip lining had a better experience than those who did the botanical garden experience. I would explore other options for the botanical garden if you’re looking for a guided tour.

Edgar gave me a thorough and well-paced hike - I was alone on the hike and he made sure to match my pace, stop and highlight the flora and fauna and chit chat. He was knowledgeable and professional(I was travelling alone as a female this day and felt safe and also, that I did not miss out on any info!). We walked chest deep through a beautiful river (only a few steps) - so refreshing and a neat experience. Saw some cows resting near, banana, avocado, and other fruit trees. He also gave me plenty of options to enjoy the excursion to my liking - how long to enjoy the botanical garden alone vs. Splitting time hiking (meaning a shorter time in the botanical garden - in future I would stay longer at botanical gardens as Edgar mentioned- so much to see!! One of my favorite parts of the day!). The time to myself and with the staff was well balanced and directions were clear about where I needed to meet up and when. The hike was somewhat strenuous but totally doable as a moderate hiker. The animals at the sanctuary had fresh fruit and looked in good health and appearance. The sanctuary felt well maintained and the animal caretakers Esau and the lady caretaker (do not recall her name - she was great too and clearly knows the animals well) - both were gentle with the animals and seemed to know them well. Esau shared with me how he was along to rescue one of the animals, which was nice to hear about their bond. Waterslides, kayaks, beach swings and all the activities at the river were just perfect (use your time wisely! Limited time to enjoy it all, order immediately and play away). Servers and service at sanctuary restaurant were great too and very friendly. I felt like the staff accommodated me very well as a single traveller and chatted with me, while I also had time to wander as I pleased. Thank you to the considerate and professional staff at Los Veranos! Would love to come back again - by myself or with friends/ family.

Edgar was a treat! He had us hiking through the jungle, trekking through the river, and sampling natures gum from the gum trees. We recommend walking though the water to cool off. On your return, order food first, get pics with the animals, and then enjoy the swim and slides.

I went specifically on this excursion for the Botanical Gardens part of the trip. Not for the hike which another family member went on and liked very much. They picked up those who chose to stay the Gardens after 2 hours, which was not enough time. The driver was about 15 minutes late which wasted our precious little time there. We missed the bird feeding at the Gardens which I wanted to see very much. It attracts many beautiful tropical birds. This venue is known for it's birding along with fantastically presented gardens. After the Gardens we were brought by the bus to the river area and we had a nice snack and drink ( for a reasonable price) at the restaurant at the site. The food was homemade and very good. I then walked over the clear river and back on 2 suspension bridges. People were swimming, kayaking and zip lining below and nearby. It was my choice not to swim even though it was very sunny and hot. Then I went into the area with rescued animals. This too was a fun experience holding the cute and friendly monkeys and toucan and being photographed with my own phone. No photos to buy. There was no charge for seeing and holding the rescued animals but I made an optional donation for care of these animals. We then went to a tequila tasting bar on the property. The presenter explained about each tequila type before we had a taste. The presenter told jokes and was very entertaining. The staff for the entire excursion was very nice, helpful and friendly. If I had even 45 minutes or an hour hour more at the Gardens, I would have give this excursion 5 stars. I know that it was listed as Botanical Gardens and hiking but my choice was to spend more time at the Gardens. The pick up and leave off area at the tour operators office was only a 5 or 6 minute walk from the cruise port which is a bonus. No cabs or buses needed from my cruise ship. The bus provided for the tour was comfortable and clean. In the short 2 hours at the Gardens I did see excellent birds and a painted bunting that I hoped to see there. I would definitely recommend this trip with minor time modifications if you're interested specifically birding or seeing the beautiful gardens at the PV Botanical Gardens.