'The Great Costa Rican Raptor Migration'
Thousands of predatory birds in the sky at once, a mix of different species all soaring above the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. A truly magical experience, one that will be hard to forget. Almost as hard as it is to count the birds.
Outline Itinerary
Day 1 - Depart San Jose & head to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui
Day 2 - Refugio Lapa Verde, with a focus on the raptor migration
Day 3 - Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui/Refugio Lapa Verde + Riverboat Day
Day 4 - Refugio Lapa Verde, workshop on Bird ID + Migration Observation. Night walk to look for nocturnal wildlife.
Day 5 - Head to Tirimbina for some other target species.
Day 6 - Drive to San Gerardo de Dota. We stop at Casa Dowii for lunch. Afternoon Bird watching in Dota.
Day 7 - Early Morning Bird watching in Dota in search of some regional endemics - Resplendant Quetzal, Fiery throated hummingbird and many more. Then head to the pacific coast.
Day 8 - We stay in Dominical, where we will have a chance to discover the pacific coast. A whole new array of species on this side of CR.
Day 9 - Leave early morning to head out to sea to observe some pelagic birds with researchers.
Day 10 - An early morning hike before packing up and heading back to San Jose after lunch.
What's included?
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Food & Drinks (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner).
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Accommodation
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In-country Transport
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Expert guiding from Wildlife Biologists
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Workshops
* We do not include flights in our package.
Dates:
October 5th - 14th 2026
Price:
£3800
Slots Available:
10
We will only ask for the trip payment once enough slots are confirmed and we have confirmed all the details with our partners.
We start the majority of our days with some early morning birdwatching. Throughout the day we have a variety of activities and workshops planned out, all focused around the wildlife in the area. Expect some light to moderate hikes. In the evenings we will venture out on night walks in search for reptiles and amphibians.
When booking don't forget to select 'Destination Expeditions' and tell us the dates and location your interested in.
Photographed by Luke Griffiths
Photograph provided by refugio team
Photographed by Luke Griffiths
Photographed by Luke Griffiths
Highlights
- A chance to observe one of nature's most spectacular bird migrations, learn about the raptor migration from the teams who count all the birds!
- Explore the wilder side of Costa Rica, we will be travelling around the country to different biomes. You'll get to see montane cloud forests and pacific coasts, all filled with amazing biodiversity.
- Meet the people who are conserving Costa Rica's wildlife. We will be staying/visiting NGOs around the country that are focused on protecting Costa Rica's wild spaces.
- See more species than you would on any other tour! We look for everything!
All of our expeditions directly support local conservation efforts & NGOs in-country.
Curious as to what wildlife you might see?
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You can check out the ARK Expeditions iNaturalist project, you'll be able to see what previous clients & our guides have seen in locations you'll be visiting. Just click the button below.
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If you have any species specific questions, please reach out we are more than happy to help.