Tickets and Tours

700 animals 120 Species

KIVU Restaurant

Souvenir Shop

Icecream & Coffee Shop

Playground & Picnic-Area

wheel-chair accessable

family Friendly

Book now

To make your adventure better, get your Tickets and Tours now. Join us on an unforgettable wildlife journey perfect for backpackers exploring Costa Rica, families looking for an exciting time, and couples wanting a romantic stroll. Enjoy the natural splendor and reserve your spot today for a one-of-a-kind experience with nature!

Are you representing an agency, school, university or institution?

Get special rates on Tickets and Tours.
Click here to get further information.

What is included?

General Admission

Access to 2.5km of trails through beautiful botanical gardens

The opportunity to see over 120 different species of wild animals

NA
NA

Guided Tour

2.5 hour tour with our own educated guides

Hear the stories of our Sanctuary residents and why they are here

The guides know the best hiding places, so you have a much better chance of seeing more animals.

Find out about the only hospital for wildlife in Costa Rica, and the thousands of animals that get returned back into their natural habitat

Learn about conversation, breeding programs, challenges we face, and how you can make a difference!

About the Tour

Description

There are hundreds of fascinating animals living in the Lifetime Care Sanctuary at Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center. Each one of them has a unique rescue story to tell, such as Guapo, the jaguar who was found floating on a log in a hurricane or Coco the 6-foot crocodile who was kept as a pet in someone’s backyard!


Take a guided tour of the Lifetime Care Sanctuary and learn all about the various residents who call Rescate their home. Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center’s experienced guides will not only share the stories about the various animal residents living in the sanctuary but also the thousands of animals who have been released back into the wild!
This is an highly educational tour, in which you can learn about conservation, endangered species and the Costa Rican flora and fauna.

DURATION

2.5 hours,
approx. 2 km of pathway

LANGUAGE

Our Tours can be booked

in Spanish or English.

Why is the cost of a Guided Tour so low?

There are actually 3 reasons why we really want to keep the price for a tour low, even though sometimes we have booking with only one person.
Here are the reasons why our rescate wildlife Sanctuary tour is so low:

One of our main Pilars is Education. It is important to us, that you will not only enjoy your visit, but learn something too!

So that you have a chance to learn about Costa Ricas flora, fauna and conservation efforts.

We want you to have the best experience possible, and a tour is the best way for us to have a personal experience with you. Since the Sanctuary is the only part of our projects that is open to the public, many people do not realize that have we so many other important projects going on “behind the scenes” and this gives us a chance to educate and teach you about them.

Tour Reviews

Rick
August 2023
Read More
Great experience. Rescue center was far above my expectations. Eduardo was wonderful. Easy to Uber back and forth from SJO area. If you have the opportunity to book this tour do it.
Ryan
August 2023
Read More
Amy was super informative and delightful. We learned a lot about nature and the relationship with human impact in Costa Rica. Wonderful tour with amazing animals well taken care of and cared for.
Milie
June 2023
Read More
What an amazing and educational experience. My guide was Janina and she was so knowledgeable and I could see that this was not a job for her, instead her passion. Gladly made a purchase at the souvenir shop (as the proceeds go to the rescue center) and the salesperson, Meli, was so kind and welcoming. So grateful for all they do. This is definitely a must do if you’re visiting Costa Rica.😊❤️
Silvia
May 2023
Read More
Valeria has been a fantastic guide, truly passionate and knowledgeable. Highly recommended. Do your research and support a real rescue center like this one. Forget about zoos and all the other places that are more interested in making money than saving animals.
Lara
October 2022
Read More
Wow what a amazing way to spend our first hours in Costa Rica. This is a tour that everyone should do. Costa Rica is doing some very good things for conservation and other countries should follow their example. You must take your children on this tour with Amy so that they learn the value of keeping animals in their natural habitat!! And they’ll have tons of fun too. Not to miss.
Tracy
Read More
Tracy: This place is 💯 worth stopping at! Took the family to explore and it feels like you're walking through the jungle and seeing a variety of plants and animals. Loved being able to get so close to the sloths, monkeys, ocelot, cougar and iguanas. Capybara we're running around under foot and there were wild birds flying around the enclosures of the kept ones. Animals look happy and well cared for - what an amazing place!
KM
Read More
We had an absolutely magical experience here at RWRC. We went with our 4 children ages 14/12/4/2 and they all loved it. We only saw two other people while there so it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. We booked a private tour guide, Amy, who was not only lovely and knowledgeable but very patient ( as our youngest was a bit overtired that day ) she taught us a lot and made the whole experience a day to remember. Thanks so much Amy! The passion and kindness that the staff have for these animals is incredibly heartwarming. I would highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area.
Ben
Read More
I am always skeptical about these things, but it seems like this is a real rescue center. The place is laid out well. The animals look healthy. Wikipedia states, “It is administered by a conservation nonprofit foundation called Fundación Restauración de la Naturaleza,[5] which also is responsible for the country's largest rehabilitation center in the Rescate Wildlife campus.” It looks like it started as a zoo and then they started conservation efforts. Note that the actual wildlife campus is off-limits to visitors. I absolutely loved the huge iguanas walking around everywhere along with the random other animals outside of the enclosures along the paths. The giant bamboo grove is stunning, so don’t miss that. The crocodile is huge. Finally, don’t miss some of the talking birds. They were totally amazing. It was interesting to hear birds who speak better Spanish than me.
Anonymous from Tripadvisor
Read More
Very nice! The animals are close and easy to see in the enclosures. They are very healthy and relaxed. Much to see, so many bird species, all are great, the mature trees and plants, especially bamboo, are stunning. We spent 3 relaxing hours. Nice restaurant, we had nachos, very good! VERY handicap and stroller friendly. Even has an easy access, large handicap restroom. Perfect for 80 year old Mom in wheelchair. Wide, easy, gentle grade pathways. Even parking lot is good for handicap or senior, children, unloading. Be sure to pull all the way up to the main entrance inside to unload if needed. It is important that we see these amazing animals in person to appreciate how important it is to save them and save their habitats. These animals are on display, and being wonderfully cared for, to increase the awareness of the need for their survival. They are there to be seen and loved in order to save others like them at risk in the wild. Pay, go, enjoy, share.
Anonymous from Tripadvisor
Read More
This place was a real eye-opener of how we humans miss treat our animal friends. I was very impressed with how they take care of their animals and how much room they have. All the employees who work there are very well informed about how the place is operated. I would go back hadn’t been to a place like this ever.
Previous
Next

FAQ

Frequently asked questions for our Guided Tour

The tour takes approximately 2.5 hrs.

We have a tour at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

With the guided tour you will get to hear the personal stories of the animals, why they are in the sanctuary, our behind the scenes programs that are not open to the public, and ways that you can make a difference not only on your visit to Costa Rica, but in your regular life as well. You also have a better chance of spotting the animals, as our guides know their favorite spots! With the regular entrance you will be able to explore the sanctuary on your own.

It is not included, but you are more than welcome to enjoy lunch in our onsite restaurant Kivu before or after your tour.

No transport is not included, but it is easily accessible via Uber, Taxi, or bus if you do not have your own transportation. Click HERE for more information about how to get to us.

Yes, you can bring your own food apart from alcoholic beverages, or BBQs. We ask that you not feed the animals.

Yes, there are about 2 km of paved trails, with rest stops if needed.

Yes! There are sloths within the Sanctuary and also wild ones are around if you are lucky!

We have over 700 residents in the sanctuary with over 120 different species of animals. Including sloths, felines and big cats, various monkey species, a Tapir or Danta, Macaws and many bird species, and so much more!

We have a minimum of 2 people up to 15 with the regular reservation. Though generally it is less than 10 people.

Yes, we have lockers available for 1,000 colones for the day.

You get wet! The tour will always run as long as conditions are safe. We do recommend that you bring rain gear during certain times of the year. Or we do sell ponchos at the main entrance as well.

We often have howler monkeys in our clinic and rehabilitation center, but at the moment we do not have any in our sanctuary.

Yes! This is a tour for everyone, and we hope that your little ones will enjoy it as much as you.

In general no. If you would like to check availability and schedule a private tour, please email reservations(at)rescatewildlife.org.

Yes, you do need a reservation ahead of time. We might have certain dates blocked out for big groups or schools. You need to reserve at least 24 hrs ahead of time, but it will always be subject to availability.

Yes, you can pay with any major credit card, in US Dollar, Colones, or Apple Pay.

Instagram
Follow us Social Media for more wildlife stories and behind the scenes insights.
Alajuela, COSTA RICA