Costa Rica Herping and Macro Photography Tour
Run by PhotoLior · guided by Lior Berman Fernandez
From $3,850 per person
reserve with $550 per person
- Length
- 11 days, 10 nights
- Route
- Escazú, Sarapiquí, Centro Manú, Pérez Zeledón, Sierpe
- Group
- Max 6
- Departure
- 7 to 17 Jul 2027
- Starts and ends
- San José
- Transport
- Private 4x4
What this trip is built around
The target species the itinerary is planned around. No guide can promise a sighting.
Strawberry poison frog
Oophaga pumilio
Blue jeans morph, Sarapiquí night hikes
Eleven nights of herping, lowlands to mangroves
Night walks across some of Costa Rica's best herping ground: the forest edge in the Escazú Mountains, the Caribbean lowlands of Sarapiquí, the reserve trails at Centro Manú, the highlands of Pérez Zeledón for the critically endangered variable harlequin toad, and the mangrove channels of Sierpe. Most days keep the same rhythm — a free morning to rest and review images, travel or a short drive, then a night session. Six guests or fewer.
Day by day
Day 1Arrival and the Escazú Mountains
Arrive in San José and transfer to the Escazú Mountains. Welcome briefing, then the first night walk for amphibians and reptiles on the forest edge.
Day 2To Sarapiquí
Into the Caribbean lowlands. Rest in the afternoon, then a night hike through humid lowland forest for frogs and macro subjects.
Day 3Sarapiquí
A second night session at a nearby site, building on the first: glass frogs, poison frogs, eyelash vipers and the lowland snakes.
Day 4To Centro Manú
An evening walk on the reserve's trails, targeting its frog and reptile diversity.
Day 5Centro Manú
A second night on different trails — ghost glass frog, spiny-headed tree frog, worm salamanders and helmeted basilisk.
Day 6To Pérez Zeledón
Up through Cerro de la Muerte into the Talamanca highlands.
Day 7Pérez Zeledón
The first of two night sessions for high-elevation species, including the variable harlequin toad.
Day 8Pérez Zeledón
A second highland night: Talamancan palm pitviper, Talamanca salamander and the montane lizards.
Day 9To Sierpe
Down to the Pacific coast for mangrove and river habitat, with a night session along the waterways.
Day 10Sierpe
A second night on the channels — granular and Golfo Dulce poison frogs, gladiator tree frog, caiman and crocodile.
Day 11Departure
Transfer back to San José.
Included and not included
Included
- 10 nights of lodging
- All meals
- Lior as your guide
- Private 4x4 transport
- Private access to the herping sites
Not included
- International and domestic flights
- Travel insurance
- Alcoholic drinks
- Gratuities
- Personal expenses
Your guide and who runs the trip
Lior Berman Fernandez
Founder and lead guide, PhotoLior
Based in Guanacaste · Spanish, English
Cancellation and refunds
- A $550 deposit holds your seat, and it is non-refundable.
- Cancel more than 60 days before departure and everything you paid beyond the deposit is refunded.
- Inside 60 days, payments are non-refundable.
- WeTravel shows your balance due date when you book.
Questions before you book
- Where does the trip start and end?
- San José. On day 1 you transfer to the Escazú Mountains, and on day 11 back to San José for your flight.
- What is a normal day like?
- Mornings are free to rest, review images or explore the lodge. Afternoons are for travel or rest, and the main session runs at night.
- How big is the group?
- Six guests or fewer.
- Why July?
- July is Costa Rica's green season. Regular rain keeps frogs active and calling at night, which is when the trip goes out.
- Can I book it as a private trip?
- Yes. Lior runs this tour privately as well. Send your dates and we pass them on.
$3,850 per person
$550 today per person