from Arenal to Monteverde and back again in one day?
 

Is it possible to take the three hour taxi/boat/taxi ride from Arenal to the Monteverde Sky Tram / Sky Walk and then come back again the same day? It would be a long trek I know but is there a tour that does this both ways? I can only seem to find transport one way. I realize that there is a tram closer, but it only has a half hour walking portion and we don't want to do the zip line. Any suggestions?

What about the hanging bridges in Arenal, not Sky Trek.

In my opinion, a day trip from Arenal to Monteverde is an exhausting experience for all and does not do justice to Monteverde. The roads are not good between the two places and you are looking at about 3 hours travel time each way. You would be better off to spend the night in Monteverde and enjoy yourself and what Monteverde has to offer.

We are staying at the Lost Iguana for 5 days and that is already in our plans. We are going to Cano Negro also and of course the volcano, so we just wanted to see if we could squeeze this into our plans if there is a way to do it without renting a car and driving ourselves which will take even longer.

Ok, now I understand. I would not consider this as a day trip at all. Either decrease a night at Lost Iguana and spend a night in Monteverde or just stay around Arenal. Plenty to do there.

A day trip to Monteverde is a complete waste of time. The wildlife--including the birds--would be completely inactive and invisible during the brief time you would be spending there.

You would spend 6-8 hours traveling, with only about 3 hours in Monteverde.

Don't do it.

A day trip to Monteverde is not worth it. The road is long and bumpy, and when you get there, the last thing you'll want to do is turn around and do it all over again. You wouldn't really get to enjoy the place. I wouldn't go to Monteverde unless I could spend two nights there.