South Pacific Costa Rica Photo Tour
The all-inclusive South Pacific Costa Rica photo tour is your passport to a tropical paradise brimming with stunning scenery. Explore the breathtaking southern provinces of Puntarenas and San Jose, where you'll capture spectacular rainforest waterfalls, vibrant rivers, mesmerizing beach sunsets, and exotic wildlife, all while surrounded by the lush beauty of Pérez Zeledón, Dominical, and Uvita.
All Skill Levels are Welcome
Whether you're an aspiring photographer or a seasoned shooter, you’ll receive personalized, hands-on instruction to elevate your photography skills. Learn the secrets of exposure techniques, harness the power of filters, and discover how to enhance your compositions like never before. Dive into techniques like focus stacking, Intentional Camera Movement (ICM), and HDR processing, and take advantage of one-on-one post-processing sessions to refine your digital workflow. The only requirement is a basic understanding of your DSLR or mirrorless camera.
Expert Instructor and Guide
I’ve spent the last 13 years living in, exploring, and photographing the spectacular landscapes of Costa Rica and know these locations extremely well. We will be joined by 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.
Awesome Amenities
You’ll unwind in luxurious, award-winning, boutique hotels and savor gourmet cuisine that will delight your taste buds. You will also travel in comfort with private transportation and connect with fellow photography enthusiasts in an atmosphere filled with fun and creativity.
Fitness Level
Participants should be able to walk unassisted for two miles on uneven and potentially muddy trails with moderate inclines, and navigate a variety of terrains including pavement, gravel, dirt, and sand, with large rocks, tree roots, and stairs. Costa Rica's heat and humidity will be high in all locations, and daily excursions can be more challenging during inclement weather.
Testimonial
"I recently spent a week on a private landscape photography trip in Costa Rica with Scott and his local guide Jason. This was my second photo tour with Scott and it was even better than the first. 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. 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
Join the Fun!
Don’t miss your chance to capture the magic of Costa Rica and take your photography to the next level. Register now and make memories that will last a lifetime!
TOUR DATES, PRICES & REGISTRATION
Registration & Final Payment Deadline: November 1, 2025
Photo Tour Price: $5,475.00 (Credit Cards) / $5,325.00 (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 $975.00 (Credit Cards) / $925.00 (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 of payments, 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 Rica
A 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, and discuss all things Costa Rica. Note: Please schedule your flight arrival between 12P - 2P CST.
Day 2 - Tarcoles / Cascada Elysiana / Playa Dominicalito
After breakfast, we will travel by private transfer towards Dominical. On the way, we will stop at the famous Tarcoles bridge and photograph huge American crocodiles in the river below. Afterwards, we will continue to Dominical for lunch, then travel to lovely Cascada Elysiana. After shooting, we will travel to Playa Dominicalito for a spectacular sunset, then check into our award-winning hotel, and have another great dinner.
Day 3 - Rancho Rana Roja
After breakfast, post processing instruction and image reviews, we will travel by private transfer to Rancho Rana Roja. Upon arrival, we will have a delicious typical Costa Rican lunch, then explore and photograph the gorgeous property. Rancho Rana Roja is home to two beautiful cascades, a jungle river, colorful poison dart frogs, and a variety of tropical flowers. After shooting all afternoon, we will return to our hotel, and enjoy another savory dinner.
Day 4 - Catarata San Gabriel / Talamanca Reserve
After an early breakfast, we will depart by private transfer to San Gabriel and photograph a truly unique waterfall that spans the width of the jungle river leading to it. After shooting away the morning, we will travel to Talamanca Reserve, have a delicious typical Costa Rican lunch, and spend the afternoon shooting lush jungle streams. Afterwards, we will return to our hotel and have another delicious dinner.
Day 5 - Eco Chontales
After breakfast, post processing, and image reviews, we will travel by private transfer to Eco Chontales. Along the way, we will stop for another delicious lunch before shooting the towering 180-foot-tall waterfall and magnificent Costa Rica countryside. We'll spend the afternoon shooting, return to our hotel and get cleaned up, then enjoy another wonderful dinner.
Day 6 - Nauyaca Falls / Playa Ventanas
After an early breakfast, we will travel by private transfer to Nauyaca Falls and photograph one of the best waterfalls in Costa Rica. We will spend the morning shooting, then have an excellent lunch on location. Afterwards, we will return to our hotel for post processing and image reviews before heading to Playa Ventanas for another colorful sunset. After shooting, we'll return to the hotel for our final dinner. For more information about Nauyaca Falls, read this blog post.
Day 7 - 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 4P CST.
