FOR YOU, FOR FREE: 17 years' worth of firsthand Costa Rica trip planning and travel advice compiled into hundreds of articles, plus exclusive discounts. Created by a Costa Rican and a four-time published Costa Rica guidebook author. Welcome, amigos, and as we say in Costa Rica, pura vida!
Nikki is the CEO of Pura Vida! eh? Inc. (Costa Rica Discounts), and the author of the guidebooks Moon Costa Rica (2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions) and Moon Best of Costa Rica (2022 edition) from Moon Travel Guides. Together with her Costa Rican husband, Ricky, she operates the Costa Rica Travel Blog, created the online community DIY Costa Rica, built the Costa Rica Destination Tool, oversees the brand-new (summer 2023) Costa Rica Travel Shop, and designed the Costa Rica Trip Planning 101 E-Course. Also, Nikki wrote the Costa Rica cover feature for Wanderlust Magazine's sustainability-focused Travel Green List issue, showcased Costa Rica destinations and experiences on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel show and podcast/radio show, and served as the Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist, a luxury travel brand. Want to show your appreciation for her free article below? Thank Nikki here. ❤️️
Want to know our pick for the BEST ZIP-LINE TOUR and the BEST ZIP-LINE CABLE in Costa Rica? They are featured on DIY Costa Rica!
click on a photo in the gallery above for discount and tour information
Ricky and Nikki; at the Treetopia Park in MonteverdeSky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour equipment at the Treetopia ParkSky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour instruction at the Treetopia ParkRicky; prepping for the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining TourNikki; participating in the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining TourRicky; with a Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour guide at the Treetopia Park
Get the Costa Rica info you need by browsing our article's TABLE OF CONTENTS:
We know the Monteverde Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour well because we’ve done it more than once
As we mentioned in our related blog post Treetopia Park (formerly Sky Adventures Monteverde): Zip-lining, Hanging Bridges, And Tram Rides In The Cloud Forest, we’ve visited Montevede, and the Treetopia Park (formerly the Sky Adventures Monteverde Park) several times over the past two decades. In that article, we detailed the Treetopia Park‘s entire Monteverde operation, including their Monteverde Sky Trek canopy zip-lining tour, their Monteverde Vertigo Drop (free-fall activity), their Monteverde Tree Tram cableway (aerial tram) ride, their Monteverde Sky Walk hanging bridges, their Monteverde Arboreal obstacle course, and their on-site facilities. If you’re interested in learning about the various tours, activities, and services that are available at the Treetopia Park, please see the article linked to above. If you’re specifically interested in learning about the Treetopia Park‘s Monteverde Sky Trek canopy zip-lining tour, please continue reading below.
Monteverde Sky Trek experience
zip-lining!view of the cloud forest during the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tourzip-lining!zip-line platform among the cloud forest
Unlike some canopy zip-lining tours in Costa Rica, which cut through forest, the Treetopia Park‘s Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour takes place above the forest canopy (i.e., above the treetops). More specifically, the tour zigzags over the top of the forest and provides a bird’s eye view of the treetops, clouds, and an endless sky.
Several canopy zip-lining tours are offered in the Monteverde region, but the Treetopia Park’s Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour is the only one that utilizes a handlebar braking system. (Most other canopy tour operators use the traditional hand-braking system.) Although both braking methods are regarded as safe, the handlebar braking system requires you to jostle a set of metal handlebars back and forth to slow your speed. In contrast, the hand-braking system requires you to place gentle pressure on the zip line using a thick leather glove to slow your speed, a process that some travelers find daunting. A demonstration of how to use the handlebar braking system is provided at the start of the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour. The tour begins with one low-to-the-ground practice cable, so you can test your zip-lining technique before embarking on the full tour. If, after experiencing the practice zip-line cable, you don’t like the activity, opt out of experiencing the zip-lining tour at that time. (Note that you may not be entitled to a tour refund given the last-minute change.) There’s no turning back once you proceed beyond the practice cable.
practice cable at the Treetopia Parkpractice cable at the Treetopia Parkpractice cable at the Treetopia Parkpractice cable at the Treetopia Park
The Treetopia Park‘s Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour is also the only canopy zip-lining tour in the Monteverde area that automatically includes a complimentary cableway (aerial tram) ride. (See above for more information about the tram experience.)
Lastly, only at the Treetopia Park will you find the Vertigo Drop, a thrilling free fall that’s an included—but entirely optional—component of the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour. (Note that the Vertigo Drop is not an included component of the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour run at the Sky Adventures Arenal Park; if you want to experience it, you must reserve the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour at the Treetopia Park in Monteverde.) Participation in the Vertigo Drop requires you to jump off a tall metal structure while the tour guide slows your free fall until you gently reach a crash pad on the forest floor. The Vertigo Drop is a rush, but if you’d rather not feel it, you can reach the forest floor by descending the staircase to the side of the metal structure.
this is the metal structure you’ll jump from during the Vertigo DropVertigo Drop free fallstaircase used for descents by people who don’t want to make the Vertigo Drop free fall
Monteverde Sky Trek duration and tour times
Monteverde Sky Trek canopy zip-lining tour average duration
Monteverde Sky Trek canopy zip-lining tour cost per child (5-16 years if requested through Pura Vida! eh? Inc.; otherwise, 5-12 if requested directly through the park)
After giving zip-lining a go on the practice cable (see above for more information about that), the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour officially begins with a 10-minute Tree Tram Cableway (Aerial Tram) ride that will deliver you to a platform at the top of the cloud forest. From there, you’ll soar across nine additional zip-line cables. (The Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour at the Treetopia Park has seven cables in total, if you count the practice cable). Here’s how the various cables compare with one another according to their length, height, the average speed at which you’ll cross the cable, and the average amount of time that it takes to cross the cable:
Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour cable details for the Treetopia Park:
Cable #1 (practice cable): 40 meters long / 15 meters high / 15 seconds Cable #2: 420 meters long / 50 meters high / 35 kms per hour / 33 seconds Cable #3: 560 meters long / 38 meters high / 52 kms per hour / 38 seconds Cable #4: 320 meters long / 100 meters high / 54 kms per hour / 32 seconds Cable #5: 380 meters long / 70 meters high / 53 kms per hour / 32 seconds Cable #6: 420 meters long / 65 meters high / 64 kms per hour / 34 seconds Cable #7: 750 meters long / 60 meters high / 75 kms per hour / 41 seconds Total zip-lining distance: 2,890 meters
It’s important to note that it isn’t possible to participate in the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour without experiencing the Tree Tram Cableway (Aerial Tram). The Tree Tram ride is a required component of the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour because the tram delivers you to the zip-lining tour’s second cable. If you do not want to ride the tram, you should not reserve the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour.
The duration of the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour varies from day to day due to group size, weather conditions, and other factors, but on average, the actual zip-lining portion of the tour takes roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete. The entire tour experience, including the collection of zip-lining equipment, the instructional briefing, the one-way Tree Tram ride, and the zip-lining portion of the tour takes roughly 2-2.5 hours to complete. This estimate excludes any extra time required to travel between the Treetopia Park and downtown Santa Elena (an approximate 10-minute drive from the Treetopia Park) and/or area hotels before the tour begins and after the tour wraps up. It also excludes the buffer time of 15 minutes that you’re expected to arrive at the Treetopia Park prior to participating in any one of their tours.
Monteverde Sky Trek minimum age limit
Years ago, Sky Adventures (the operation that previously oversaw the park that’s now known as the Treetopia Park) maintained that their minimum age limit for participation in the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour was 12 years old. Then, they swapped their minimum age limit to a minimum height limit (1.2 meters tall). In 2017, Sky Adventures announced that children as young as 5 years old would be allowed to participate because they obtained equipment that was suitable for children weighing 10-40 kilograms. Despite the park changing names, 5 years old remains the current minimum age limit for Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour participants at the Treetopia Park.
Monteverde Sky Trek maximum weight limit
The current maximum weight limit for participation in the Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour is 300 lbs. Individuals who exceed the maximum weight limit will be evaluated by the Treetopia Park‘s technical staff according to their height and physical condition to determine eligibility for tour participation.
Don’t miss our Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour discounts:
Do you have questions about zip-lining in Costa Rica, want help deciding if the Treetopia Park’s Sky Trek Canopy Tour is the right zip-lining experience for you, or need help determining how to incorporate the zip-lining tour into your vacation? No problem! When you’re ready, make an appointment here to communicate with me (Nikki) privately and we can discuss these and other topics to get your questions answered fast and your Costa Rica trip poised for success. Pura vida, amigos! 🙂
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Monteverde Sky Trek Canopy Zip-lining Tour: Everything You Need To Know
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We’ve done the Monteverde Sky Trek canopy zip-lining tour a few times. Here’s everything you need to know to plan for your experience!
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Nikki Solano.
Nikki Solano.
