Wildlife Tour + Volunteer
Tour language: English. También puede ser en Español, pero debe programarse al menos 24 horas antes, por favor contactarnos para organizar.
Description
A wildlife tour — and a real conservation experience
Most wildlife tours let you watch. Our Tour + Volunteer lets you contribute. You’ll spend up to 2.5 hours at Proyecto Asis combining an expert-guided wildlife tour with a hands-on volunteering session alongside our animal care team. You’ll leave knowing the animals by name, understanding what it actually takes to care for them, and having done something meaningful for wildlife conservation in Costa Rica.
Google Reviews and Photos from our visitors.
Part 1 — The wildlife tour
Your visit begins with an educational guided tour through our rescue sanctuary. One of our trained naturalist guides will introduce you to each animal — their species, how they arrived at Asis, and what their life looks like here. You’ll learn why conservation matters, how rescue and rehabilitation work, and what impact human activity has on Costa Rica’s wildlife. This portion follows the same itinerary as our Wildlife Regular Tour, with the same depth of storytelling and the same stunning photo opportunities.
Part 2 — The volunteer experience
After the tour, you join our team for the volunteering component. This is where it gets hands-on:
- Diet preparation — you’ll learn how to prepare the specific diets for each species, understanding the nutritional needs that support animal welfare and recovery
- Enrichment toy making — you’ll build enrichment toys designed to stimulate each animal’s natural behaviors, encourage exercise, and give them agency over their environment. Enrichment is as essential to animal welfare as proper nutrition and veterinary care
- Feeding observation — in line with Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment guidelines, only our trained staff carries out the actual feeding. You’ll observe from a respectful distance — close enough to watch the animals respond to enrichment and enjoy their meals
It’s a behind-the-scenes look at what a real wildlife sanctuary runs on every single day.
Animals you’ll work with
Proyecto Asis is home to over 30 rescued species. The animals present in the volunteer program include:
- White-faced capuchin monkey (Cebus capucinus)
- Spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)
- Scarlet macaw (Ara macao), Great green macaw (Ara ambiguus), Blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), and hybrid macaws
- Parrots and parakeets
- Collared peccary (Pecari tajacu)
- Margay (Leopardus wiedii)
- White-nosed coati (Nasua narica)
- Great curassow (Crax rubra)
- Kinkajou (Potos flavus)
- Spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus)
- Turtles and boat-billed heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)
Which animals are present on a given day may vary based on the sanctuary’s care schedule.
What to bring
Comfortable clothing you don’t mind getting dirty, closed shoes (flip flops are not permitted), and bug repellent. No prior experience or fitness level required — this program is designed for everyone.
Tour details
Duration: Up to 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Schedule: Monday to Saturday, 8:30 am & 1:30 pm.
Price: $60 USD per adult · $35 USD for kids aged 5–9.
Language: English or Spanish (groups are not mixed — please specify when booking).
Includes: Guided wildlife tour, full volunteer session, and coffee break.
Please arrive 15 minutes early to check in. We cannot wait for latecomers as it delays the experience for the whole group.
Cancellation policy: Full refund if cancelled more than 72 hours before your tour. Non-refundable after that. All cancellations must be acknowledged by Proyecto Asis.
2 reviews for Wildlife Tour + Volunteer
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Tanja Bilbija –
This was one of the highlights of our time in Costa Rica. I want to preface by saying we are very animal conscious people who do not support zoos and creatures in captivity. This is not that. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Carlos who was funny, so knowledgable, and patient answering all of our questions. He had histories and lessons for each animal and it was very eye opening. I would HIGHLY recommend signing up for the volunteering after the initial tour. It was really fun preparing the meals for the animals, learning about their eating behaviors, and even getting to deliver them and watch them enjoy. We were the only ones in our group who did that portion and it felt like a private experience. Being able to help in some small way will stay with us forever. These animals are clearly loved and cared for by all who work there and though the circumstances that brought most of them there are awful, it was incredible being that close to wild animals and we hope those who are able can return to the wild soon!
Chris L –
This was an amazing experience and one of the best things we did on our trip in Costa Rica. Carlos was an amazing guide and we learned a lot about the animals and how they do their best to rehabilitate them if possible. I highly recommend doing the volunteer option! The tour was great but we really loved that part of the visit.