Ok, is a canopy tour the same thing as a zipline tour? Since SkyTrek seems to be the most recommended place, does anyone know how close it is to Volcano Lodge? We'll have a car. And when you pay your $50 for SkyTrek, does this include the SkyTram up and then you zipline down?

Well, let me tell you I got in trouble a couple of years ago when I said that canopy tours were ziplines. One of the other posters didn't like it at all because there ARE other ways to move through the canopy! Truth is, the zips are the most popular type of canopy tour. There are also Hanging Bridges (Arenal) and aerial trams. Anything that moves you through the canopy of the forest is considered a canopy tour. Arenal Paraiso has a nice set of ziplines on their property. That would be closest to you at Volcano Lodge. SkyTrek is further away, and I don't know whether the price includes the tram or not. Someone else will know that surely. Good luck!

The terms 'canopy tour' and 'zipline tour' seem to be used interchangeably. I'm not sure if there's technically supposed to be some distinction between the 2.

I did Sky Trek/Sky Tram in December. We booked through our hotel and the price included both. I'm not sure that you can even do Trek without the Tram as you ride the tram up to the first zipline platform.

To get to Sky Trek/Sky Tram from your hotel, you will loop up around the north side of the volcano. There is a clearly marked turn off from the main road that leads to the volcano national park, Arenal Observatory Lodge and the ziplines. The main road is nicely paved, but the turn off road is bumpy and slow-going so you probably have to allow 30 minutes or so to get there from your hotel.

You can find an interactive map of the area on arenal.net. Sky Trek has some really nice views of the volcano and lake and was a lot of fun! Enjoy!

It's a little blurry but here is a video from SkyTrek that the guide did for me on the last line (even though it doesn't matter I preferred to have both hands on the handle!) As you can see, you're very high, above the trees instead of going thru them. I think it was about $60 or so. I'd ask the price difference between their transport & yours, if it's not much I'd take theirs as it was a very bumpy, narrow road. You take the tram up then you get a glimpse of the first line and then you consider taking the tram back down at that point, ha! But seriously then you take the lines all the way back down again.

oh I guess it would help if I attach it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i05GRvhCmp0

Thanks so much. Definitely more thrill than nature watching but I'll bet my kids love it.

I booked the Sky Trek/Sky Tram zip-line in Arenal for my family. The price was a little cheaper for me as I was only taking the sky tram up, and then taking the sky tram back down again. (sort of like a large gondola ride through tree canopy...) But my family took the sky tram up with me, then they zip-lined down...we all met down below where the little snack stand, office, and toilets are.

We didn't realize that when you take the sky tram up, you also have the option of taking a guided walk around up there...we didn't even know this so hadn't planned on doing it. We skipped the walk.

They loved the zip-line and I enjoyed the sky tram up and down and I got to watch them take off on the zip-line! Enjoy!