Monteverde Night Tour Don Rodolfo

We took Don Rodolfo's night tour after receiving a recommendation from our Airbnb host. Our guide, GERVIS, was extremely knowledgeable about the forest, and it was evident that his primary objective was to educate the tour participants about the ecosystem, wildlife, and animal behaviors. While we were aware that night tours do not guarantee sightings, we were fortunate enough to observe a variety of wildlife, including a tarantula, scorpions, sleeping birds, and several insects. Although the tour takes place in someone's backyard, this does not diminish its value or significance.

We visited Don Rodolfo's night tour following a recommendation from Infocenter Monteverde and we cannot thank them enough for the recommendation. Our guide, Ian, was so knowledgeable about the forest and it was clear his main goal was to help educate the tour participants about the ecosystem, wildlife, and habits of animals. We learned a lot. We knew that night tours have no guarantees, but we saw a lot of wildlife. We saw a tarantula, beetles, scorpions, frogs, snakes, sleeping birds, and a sloth. Don Rodolfo's daughter Maria even joined us on the tour so she could show us a pit-viper she found on a tree. Is it someone's back yard? Yes, but that doesn't mean it isn't the cloud forest and we are so glad we didn't let the negative reviews deter us or we would have missed some incredible learning and wildlife.

Really enjoyed this night tour. The guide, Ian was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour. We saw lots of animals and insects and overall learned a lot. I appreciate it, thank you (:

Ian was a very knowledgeable, friendly, and funny guide.
The walk is not hard, just remember to watch your step when you’re consistently looking up in the trees.
We saw a couple frogs, two snakes, birds, a bunch of scorpions, a tarantula, and ended the tour watching a sloth feeding in a tree with the moon behind her.
It’s important to remember that everything is wild and nothing is guaranteed, but me and others in my group where highly satisfied with the experience.
I would definitely recommend this tour!

The walk was okay..we saw sleeping birds, scorpions and a tarantula but I wouldn’t say it was good value for the money. Kinda felt like you are walking in someone’s backyard forest with a flash light. I would say $20 would be a more fair price for an experience like this one.

11 people following one guide is too many for a night walk. Was told they spotted a Motmot and an Armadillo, but both took off seconds after the first couple people in the line parked themselves in front and tried to get their iphone photo's. the guide did point out a couple other sleeping birds, but nothing really to see here. no bugs, no spiders, no cicadas making any noise, just the sound of tourists chatting.

As for the reply below from Don Rodolfo's, We were two people, paid $35 usd each, and booked this on Whattsapp, no hotel involvement. There were a few people in the group (we were placed into) that continually pushed through the line to be next to the guide. Was not an enjoyable experience.

I had a FANTASTIC time on my night hike with Braulio. No one else had signed up for the tour so I had my own hike, and it was fantastic. We saw so many insects and birds that I would NEVER have found on my own. But once Braulio found out I was more interested in the different plants and trees, we were off. I learned so much, and in a way that I actually remember a lot of it now, a day later.

Also, the biggest fireflies I have ever seen in my LIFE. They were massive and everywhere. I definitely recommend!

PS, I chose the "recommend getting tickets in advance" that google suggested only because they sent a car to pick me up and drop me off right where I was staying. Getting back in the dark would have been horrible. But I bought my tickets at around 12 PM for the tour that night. So not TOO much in advance.