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Costa Rica Photo Workshop

Resplendent Quetzal (male)
10 Days
From $7,995
Interests
Birds, Wildlife
Activity Level
Easy
Group Size
6

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Amazing and exotic wildlife: monkeys, sloths, birds, reptiles, frogs, and more

Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Costa Rica’s natural wonders. Between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica boasts a diverse array of ecosystems, including rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, wetlands, and volcanoes, each supporting a unique variety of species that make it a paradise for wildlife photographers. Our carefully curated tour offers fantastic opportunities to photograph the vivid beauty and intricate behaviors of some of the world’s most spectacular wildlife and birds.

Highlights

  • Two specialist guides (birding + photography) to locate subjects fast and coach you through the moment.
  • Top Costa Rica bird and wildlife hotspots planned for light, perch angles, and clean backgrounds (not just a checklist).
  • Signature species opportunities (think quetzals, sloths, toucans, hummingbirds, macaws—conditions permitting).
  • Small group for better photography positions and more instructor time.
  • Thoughtful lodging locations so you’re close to the best morning and evening activity windows.

What You'll Learn

  • Photograph wildlife in low light with confidence – Work through the challenges of dark rainforest conditions with better settings, steadier technique, and stronger decision-making in the field.
  • Build cleaner wildlife compositions – Use angle, distance, and background awareness to create stronger images in a visually busy rainforest environment.
  • Capture motion more effectively – Respond to movement with better autofocus technique, timing, and shutter speed choices when the moment unfolds quickly.
  • Process wildlife images more beautifully – Bring out detail, color, and clarity in a way that feels refined, natural, and true to the experience. Manage noise when in low-light conditions when high ISO is necessary.

Your Guides

Activity Level

There will be short walks on paths and dirt trails of up to 2km during various activities on this tour.

This tour has an activity level of Easy. Read more about the Activity Levels for our trips.

Itinerary

  • Note, in 2027, this itinerary will run in reversed order from what is listed here.

    This tour offers opportunities to photograph wildlife. We'll maximize our chances of encountering wildlife, but we want to remind you that we don't control wildlife and cannot guarantee encounters with particular species. Itineraries for wildlife trips are subject to change based on wildlife activity.

  • Day 1: Arrive in San Jose

    Arrive at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) before 3:00 PM on this day. Air travel delays are possible, so please consider arriving early, possibly the day prior. We don't want you to miss out on trip activities. Airport transfer is included on arrival.

    Check in to our hotel in San Jose, followed by a welcome dinner with the group, where we’ll discuss our upcoming adventure, including camera settings and techniques we’ll use.

  • Day 2: Drive to the Cloud Forest & Quetzals

    After breakfast, we’ll depart for the Cloud Forest and spend half a day in pursuit of the Resplendent Quetzal.

  • Day 3: Cloud Forest & Quetzals

    We’ll resume our quest to photograph quetzals today and also visit an area with lots of hummingbirds. You can expect to photograph species such as the Talamanca Hummingbird, Golden-Browed Chlorophonias, Emerald Toucanet, Flame-throated Warbler, Acorn Woodpecker, Volcano Hummingbird, and White-throated Mountaingem.

  • Day 4: Birds in the Cloud Forest

    We’ll spend our last day in the Cloud Forest in search of other unique and colorful bird species.

  • Day 5: Depart to Osa Peninsula

    After breakfast, we’ll check out of our hotel and transfer to the Osa Peninsula, where we’ll stay at one of our favorite resorts in Costa Rica. You won’t have to go far for wildlife at the resort. The resort is in a spectacular oceanfront location, with an extensive on-site rainforest, as the grounds are home to a wealth of species.

  • Day 6: Safari in Matapalo Rainforest

    We’ll use our home in the rainforest as a base to photograph a variety of species, including spider monkeys, howler monkeys, agoutis, peccaries, toucans, anteaters, macaws, coatis, and more. We’ll look for wildlife on our resort grounds and also venture to other wildlife hotspots in the surrounding rainforest.

  • Day 7: Sloths

    Our destination is a sloth sanctuary on private property. While here, we can photograph a variety of sloths in the wild and enjoy some fabulous homemade food and drinks at this local farm.

    We’ll check out of our rainforest resort today and transfer to a beautiful resort hotel in Puerto Jimenez.

  • Day 8: La Tarde and macro photography

    We will travel to Corcovado National Park, renowned for its birds and reptiles, to photograph wildlife. Our destination is La Tarde, a nature center where we’ll hone our macro photography skills using both artificial and natural light to capture images of colorful frogs, snakes, and lizards. During the journey, we’ll also have plenty of chances to photograph various monkeys, birds, and other wildlife that inhabit this area.

  • Day 9: Sierpe River cruise

    After a picturesque drive through the rainforest, we’ll embark on a pontoon boat journey along the Sierpe River, capturing photos of birds, snakes, primates, and crocodiles.

    The boat we are using is very stable. We can walk around to get better positions and backgrounds when we encounter wildlife.

  • Day 10: Flight to San Jose and departure

    We’ll conclude our Costa Rican adventure this morning. You’ll fly back from Puerto Jiménez to San José to connect to your flights home.

    Departure from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). Book your departing flight no earlier than 12:00 PM on this day. Airport transfer is included on departure.

Accommodations

We have selected four and five-star accommodations near the best photography locations in the area. You can read about the two lodges we use in the Osa Peninsula. We stay at Botánika and Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge

Airport HotelFairfield by Marriott San Jose Airport AlajuelaBotanika in OSO Costa RicaBotanika Costa RicaBosque del Cabo Rainforest LodgeBosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge Room

Why Travel With Us

Our small-group trips are designed for photographers, with guides who know the best locations and offer instruction to help improve your photography. Read more about why you should travel with us.

Testimonials

Akari with Kevin Lisota and local expert guide Dennis provided us with excellent photo opportunities. The photography was challenging due to the low light, but I came away with many more "keepers" than I expected and am very pleased. We already have plans to travel with Akari in 2026.

Don G
Costa Rica

Akari always provides numerous photo ops all day throughout the event. We sometimes went to a good place again to make sure we got the image. It shows that you care.

Jeffrey S
Costa Rica

Dates & Prices

All of our standard Terms & Conditions apply. Be sure to read our Cancellation Policy.

What's Included
  • Double occupancy lodging. Single lodging is available with payment of a single supplement fee.
  • All transportation during the tour, including internal flights.
  • Airport transfers at arrival/departure and during the tour.
  • All meals, soft drinks, water, and snacks during the tour.
  • English-speaking local guides.
  • All permits and entry fees.
  • Instruction, guidance, and image reviews from our expert photography guides.
  • Personal pre-trip phone consultation.
What's Not Included
  • Airfare to and from destination, airport taxes, and excess baggage fees.
  • Passport and visa fees, if applicable.
  • Travel medical & evacuation insurance (required).
  • Trip cancellation insurance (optional but recommended).
  • Gratuities for local guides & crew.
  • Alcoholic beverages.
  • Any accommodations or meals before or after the tour dates.
  • Items of a personal nature.

Please review our photography travel resources, including know your camera and our camera gear list, to help you plan your trip. Before your trip, we’ll contact you with more detailed gear recommendations specific to your trip.

Also, get a head start on your workshop learning experience with our wildlife photography tutorials.

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