we actually used the itineraries from some of the tour companies that have trips to Costa Rica. The Arenal volcano area is a popular stop and there are many excursions available. We were intrigued by the hanging bridges tour and thought that we could probably do this on our own. That was indeed the case as we had our own car and were able to drive to the Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges park easily. The parking is free and all you need to do is pay your entrance fee. You have the option of going with a guided tour if you so choose or you can experience the park at your own pace as well. You will need good shoes as many of the surfaces you'll be walking on are slippery, and you probably need to be in reasonable health….although we did see plenty of overweight senior citizens that probably required the services of a guide to make sure that they got out in one piece. That was perhaps the only real drawback is that the paths are fairly narrow and when you get several guided groups along the path they can block your ability to get around them and continue on with your own tour. The hanging bridges do have a capacity limit and therefore they always functioned like construction zones on the highway, requiring you to stand around and wait all the various people made their way across the bridge. This was further slowed as everyone wants to stop in the middle of the bridge and get a picture…..just like you want to do. We were able to get through the park in a couple of hours and see everything that we wanted to see. We were glad we chose to do the park on our own without the services of a guide as this allowed us to move through the park at our own pace. The guides do point out the local flora and fauna and probably provide more information about what you're seeing but, in reality, when you see a large group of people stopped and looking at something, you can probably see it yourself and therefore get the services of the guide without having paid for it. Recommended

If you want to go there at the time you want (and I strongly recommend to take an early start as the wildlife is much more active at 6 than at 12) you need to book in advance, we did not and so had to go at 10. The website to get tickets is btw not very comfortable or user-friendly. Then there is the funny way to get the ticket. At one kiosk they give you a number which you can then turn to the real ticket at another one which you would then have to show at a third to get into the park. How many animals you see without a guide is a matter f luck, we did not see that many but the flora was very interesting as well. The hike is not that exhausting and due to the limited number of people they allow into the area at any given time you can be pretty private and even have the hanging bridges to yourself. The rule with the closed shoes is not actually enforced but they check if your food wear is suitable, ie looks stable.

Well, I am scared of heights but braved hiking through the rainforest. We did not book a tour guide, we simply strolled along the rainforest at our own leisure. The hike takes about 2.5 hours. We booked online and followed the trails. We went at around midday so it wasn't busy There are six hanging bridges which were scary but great. Some are longer than others. The park guides restrict the amount of people allowed on the bridges. It is a very beautiful rainforest. I would definitely recommend it. Please bear in mind they recommend trainers or closed toe shoes.