Costa Rica Landscapes Photo Tour
Join us for an exhilarating all-inclusive photography tour through the breathtaking landscapes of Costa Rica, a magical tropical paradise bursting with vibrant biodiversity. Get ready to capture the beauty of Sarapiquí and Bajos del Toro, using stunning La Fortuna as your home base. This isn’t just any tour - it’s an opportunity to photograph breathtaking jungle rivers, sparkling lakes, mystical cloud forests, stunning waterfalls, rustic bridges, and the incredible wildlife that calls Costa Rica home.
Enhance Your Skills
Photographers of all skill levels are welcome! Whether you’re a budding photographer or an experienced shooter, you’ll receive personalized, professional instruction that will elevate your photography game. Dive into hands-on sessions covering everything from exposure techniques and filters to advanced post-processing skills. Discover the power of focus stacking, Intentional Camera Movement (ICM), HDR processing, and engaging image reviews that will transform the way you capture the world. All you need to bring with you is a basic understanding of your DSLR or mirrorless camera.
Comfort and Adventure
Relax in award-winning hotels, savor gourmet cuisine, and travel comfortably in private transportation - all while making memories that will last a lifetime. This is a fun-filled adventure where you’ll connect with fellow photography enthusiasts and immerse yourself in the natural wonders of Costa Rica.
Learn from the Best
For the last 12 years, I have been living in, exploring, and photographing spectacular landscapes in Costa Rica and know these locations extremely well. Joining us is my good friend and professional Costa Rican nature guide who speaks perfect English and is licensed with the Costa Rica Institute of Tourism. Together, we’ll immerse you in Costa Rica's rich biodiversity, ecosystems, flora and fauna, and fascinating history.
Fitness Level
Be prepared to walk unassisted for three miles over uneven, potentially muddy and slippery trails, and up-and-down inclines with moderate altitude gain. There are hikes over a variety of terrain including pavement, gravel, and dirt trails with large roots, rocks, and stairs. Heat and humidity could be high in some locations, and daily excursions can be more challenging during inclement weather.
"I recently spent six days on a private landscape photography trip in Costa Rica with Scott and his local guide Jason. Frankly, I don't know why more photographers don't go to Costa Rica for landscape photography as it is a country with many different climatic zones and many different types of unspoiled forests, lakes, streams and waterfalls. In six days we barely scratched the surface. Scott's trips are in fact the only ones I know of that treat Costa Rica as a destination primarily for landscape rather than wildlife photography. Since Scott lives in Costa Rica six months out of the year and has many local contacts, he is very familiar with the areas and can get you to both well-known as well as off-the-beaten-track locations and he packs a lot of shooting into each day. Since I was working mostly in infrared, I spent a lot of time looking for scenes that would photograph well in IR and Scott and Jason were very patient and bent over backwards to make my days productive. They were also great traveling companions and we had a lot of fun traveling between locations. Some locations were a little physically demanding, so it does help to be in reasonably good shape but they were definitely worth the effort." ~ Jonathan S. | Massachusetts
Don’t Miss Out!
Capture stunning images, enhance your photography skills, and create unforgettable memories. Spaces are limited, so register now to secure your spot on this incredible journey through the heart of Costa Rica. Your adventure awaits!
TOUR DATES, PRICES & REGISTRATION
Registration & Final Payment Deadline: January 1, 2025
Photo Tour Price: $4,375.00 (Credit Cards) / $4,250.00 (Checks)
Photo tour price is based on double occupancy and includes professional photography and post processing instruction, professional nature guide, location expertise, all lodging and meals in Costa Rica during the tour, all ground transportation in Costa Rica during the tour including to and from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), snacks and water, and all park entrance fees. Photo tour price does NOT include airfare to and from Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), airport departure tax (currently $29.00 and may be included in the price of your airfare), travel insurance, gratuities to instructor and guide, alcoholic beverages, and laundry service.
Single Supplement: Additional $1,300.00 (Credit Cards) / $1,250.00 (Checks)
Single supplement applies to tour participants that are traveling alone and prefer their own hotel rooms rather than sharing rooms with another guest or when sharing rooms is not available.
Deposit / Payments
$1,000.00 non-refundable deposit is due with registration. Remaining balance is due on the Registration & Final Payment deadline listed above.
Availability
2 Person Minimum / 6 Person Maximum. After the registration deadline, if only one person has registered, that person will have the option of doing the tour as a private tour for an additional $2,500.00, reschedule to a different tour within 365 days, or cancel the tour with a full refund of payments, minus the deposit.
Cancellations & Refunds
Deposits are non-refundable. For refunds, we require that a cancellation request in writing be received before 11:59pm Pacific Time on the Registration & Final Payment date. If we receive your written cancellation request before the Registration & Final Payment deadline and can refill your space, we will refund all payments, minus any discounts given to refill your space. If we cannot refill your space, we will refund 50% of all payments. No refunds are given, nor cancellations allowed after the Registration & Final Payment Deadline date. No partial refunds are given for unused services. There is a $50.00 charge for all returned payments. Please see our complete Liability & Cancellation Policy.
ITINERARY
Day 1 - Arrive in Costa RicaA representative from ColorTexturePhotoTours will meet you at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) and transfer you to our first luxurious hotel. At the hotel, our tour leader will greet you and get you settled comfortably into your room. Once all tour participants have arrived at the hotel, we will have a delicious welcome dinner at one of the best restaurants in San Jose. Note: Please schedule your flight arrival between 11A - 2P CST.
Day 2 - Sarapiqui
After an early breakfast, we will depart by private transfer to photograph the raw Costa Rica landscapes in Sarapiqui. Filled with winding rivers, rustic bridges, outstanding waterfalls and wildlife, Sarapiqui is a photographer's dream come true. We will photograph Pozo Azul in the morning, have lunch and photograph tropical flowers, then head to Marsella for a peaceful, gently cascading waterfall that very few people know about. We will end the day photographing sunset at a beautiful lagoon with Volcano Congo standing in the distance. For more information about Sarapiqui, check out this blog post. After shooting, we will travel to La Fortuna, check in to our next fantastic hotel, and enjoy another mouthwatering dinner.
Day 3 - Las Gemelas / Bajos del Toro
After breakfast, we travel by private transfer to the misty cloud forest of Bajos del Toro and hike through gorgeous pastures to Las Gemelas, which translates to "The Twins". We will photograph the two stunning fraternal cascades, the beautiful stream below the falls, and a couple other hidden gems. Check out this blog post for detailed information about Las Gemelas. After shooting Las Gemelas and a typical Costa Rican lunch, we will photograph sensational Bajos del Toro (Catarata del Toro or Catarata Bajos del Toro), one of the tallest waterfalls in Costa Rica that plunges 300 feet into a colorful mineral-scarred ancient volcano crater. Along with the awe-inspiring rainforest waterfall, there are beautiful gardens packed full of elegant orchids and roses, speedy hummingbirds, vibrant butterflies, and if we're lucky, howler monkeys on the trail to the bottom of the falls. For more information about Bajos del Toro, read this blog post. After the long day of shooting, we will return to our hotel and have another great dinner.
After breakfast, we will depart by private transfer to Catarata La Fortuna, one of the most famous waterfalls in Costa Rica. After shooting away the morning and having lunch at an excellent restaurant, we will travel to a private farm and photograph vibrant poison dart frogs and sloths. Afterwards, we will travel to stunning Lake Arenal, photograph a few jungle streams, and a gorgeous tropical sunset before returning to our hotel for another delicious dinner. Check out this blog post for more information about La Fortuna.
Day 5 - Bajo Rodriquez / San Ramon
After breakfast, post processing instruction, and image reviews, we will depart by private transfer to Bajo Rodriguez and photograph a stunning meadow lake at the base of verdant rolling hills and the towering suspension bridge over Rio Peñas Blancas. Afterwards, we will continue to San Ramon for an excellent lunch, then explore and photograph a beautiful location filled with several incredible waterfalls and hiking trails. After shooting all afternoon, we will travel to our final amazing hotel and enjoy our last delicious dinner together.
Day 6 - Depart Costa Rica
After breakfast, we will travel by private transfer to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), where you will catch your flight home or continue exploring Costa Rica on your own. Note: Please schedule your flight departure no earlier than 2P CST.
