Costa Rica is the best place in the world for the observation of sea turtles! Every species of turtle except 1 can be seen in Costa Rica, North of the leatherback turtle national park we have the opportunity to see up to 3 kinds! This is one of the most intimate nature experiences one can have.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 22.
At 5:45pm you will meet our naturalist expert turtle guide at designated pick up location or hotel, and our transportation will take you to the turtle beach about 40minutes north of Tamarindo. During this experience the guide will be sharing much information about the turtles, reproduction , behavior, diets and nesting processes. 3 different species of turtles can be seen, but we don’t know which species will be out during our experience. Leatherbacks are the worlds largest turtle, Green sea turtles and Olive Ridley sea turtles are the 3 species that are in the area. During the tour we will experience the turtle activity following all guidelines given by the guide, you will be able to take pictures but without flash! You will be close to the turtle but never will you be able to touch it. The turtle nesting depends of conditions on the beach, like clear sandbars and good temperatures. Seeing the turtles lay eggs is not guaranteed as it depends of the conditions of the beach.
If you are in Tamarindo or Langosta area and your hotel is not listed, please let us know If you are outside of Tamarindo or Langosta area we can set a location to meet
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 507 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Turtle Watching Night Tours with Expert Naturalist lasts about 3–4 hours. The itinerary has 1 stop.
Prices start at $68 per person for this Tamarindo experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day.
Children aged 4–10 pay from $54, adults from $68.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Yes, pickup is offered. If you are in Tamarindo or Langosta area and your hotel is not listed, please let us know If you are outside of Tamarindo or Langosta area we can set a location to meet Pickup points include Pueblo Dorado Surf Hotel.
The experience is available in EN, ES.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 15 participants.
Specialized infant seats are available
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.6 out of 5 across 206 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Discover Tamarindo.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Christian was a great tour guide! We got there early in the night and were the only people for the first 30 minutes. It was early in turtle season and still got to see 3 turtles. Him and his wife are very knowledgeable. Highly recommend!
We didn’t do it. They never contacted us and we waited
At the end of the season on tour... Our guide drove us well and was very attentive. He gave us a lot of information about the sea turtles and their living environment on the beach. And Mother Nature meant well to us. We could see baby greenback turtles wandering to the sea. Ebeno we went/hiked to a second beach to find "mom-turtles" as the guide called them. We were rewarded after a march through forest and sandy beach. It was a fantastic experience! It would have been nice even without sightings of turtles, the starry sky and the night beach were just awesome. Thank you so much!
Our guide at the beach was enthusiastic and clearly loved the turtles and the natural environment. And it was fun to be on the beach at night in a safe environment. We saw one turtle and two baby turtles, as well as hermit crabs. However, we wished we had asked more questions before booking. For example, how long of a drive to the beach? In our case, we had to pick up other passengers and drive to a far beach, so it took much longer than we were expecting. And where are we in the turtle nesting season? In our case, we were at the very end and were lucky to see one mother turtle and two babies. There is a phone number in the booking you can call to ask these questions.
I would give the Turtle Watching experience three stars. The reason is this: my husband and I had trouble with this trip because he has low vision, and I have mild mobility problems. Neither of us was comfortable navigating the trail to and from the beach in the dark. The turtle viewing itself was amazing, and our guides were fantastic, making sure we got there and back safely. One of our friends got separated from the group, and the guides took steps to find him and make sure he was safe. My recommendation is as follows. The write up about this trip mentions that it is not suitable for those with heart or back problems. The write up should also make it clear that the tour includes a 12 to 20-minute walk to the beach in the dark using flashlights. If guests are not comfortable with that aspect, then maybe the Turtle tour is not for them. Sincerely, Colleen Isherwood (416) 844-1519
Amazing experience! We were able to see baby turtles walk to the water. We also saw a few adult turtles walk on the beach as well! Beautiful experience and amazing view of the water and the beach.
I would give the Turtle Watching experience three stars. The reason is this: my husband and I had trouble with this trip because he has low vision, and I have mild mobility problems. Neither of us was comfortable navigating the trail to and from the beach in the dark. The turtle viewing itself was amazing, and our guides were fantastic, making sure we got there and back safely. One of our friends got separated from the group, and the guides took steps to find him and make sure he was safe. My recommendation is as follows. The write up about this trip mentions that it is not suitable for those with heart or back problems. The write up should also make it clear that the tour includes a 12 to 20-minute walk to the beach in the forest in the dark using flashlights. If guests are not comfortable with that aspect, then maybe the Turtle tour is not for them. Sincerely, Colleen Isherwood (416) 844-1519
Very interesting. Wonderful!
The organizer (Discover Tamarindo) did not come to the appointment. We waited 45 minutes. We phoned him and he told us that we were not there when they passed while we were there 10 minutes in advance (with local witness). He eventually requested the refund, which was confirmed by tripadvisor (***).
Amazing! We saw a female turtle lay her eggs and we also saw baby turtles in their race to the water! Our guide Anthony was very informative, you can tell how much he cares about these turtles and he was very professional in making sure the turtles were not disturbed by us. It was a great tour.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turtle Watching Night Tours with Expert Naturalist | 3–4 hours | 4.6 (206) | $68 | |
 Night Watching of Sea Turtles from Tamarindo | 4 hours | 4.9 (30) | $75 | View |
 Turtle Watching Tour | 4 hours | 4.3 (113) | $70 | View |
 Night Turtle Nesting Tour from Tamarindo | 4 hours | 4.2 (218) | $46 | View |
 Baby Turtle Release, Night Walk, from JW Marriott Costa Elena | 3 hours | — | $220 | View |
 Night walk and bird watching | 1 day | — | $126 | View |
 Nocturnal Turtles Watching near Tamarindo Dec to April season | 4–5 hours | 3.4 (5) | $75 | View |