La Paz Waterfall Gardens & Coffee Plantation Tour: 8 Hours

See a coffee plantation at work, then walk behind a rainforest waterfall

An eight-hour guided tour from La Paz pairs a working coffee plantation with La Paz Waterfall Gardens, where you walk a trail to a waterfall in the rainforest and tour wildlife exhibits. Hotel pickup and buffet lunch are included, and the guide explains the coffee process from sowing to harvest. The park holds a hummingbird gallery, serpentarium, bird house, butterfly garden, frog exhibit and jungle cats that cannot be released to the wild.

Step-by-step itinerary

Coffee tour and La Paz Waterfall Gardens

• Visit coffee plantation and learn process
• Travel to La Paz Waterfall Gardens
• Walk trail to waterfall
• Tour hummingbird gallery and serpentarium
• Visit bird house and butterfly garden
• See frog exhibit and jungle cats
• Enjoy lunch at La Paz Waterfall Gardens

The Experience

Eight hours means the day starts early and ends with time left over. A driver picks you up from your hotel and takes you first to a working coffee plantation, where the guide walks you through how the crop is sown, grown and harvested — you see the process rather than read about it. From there the minivan heads to La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a park built around the waterfall itself. The River La Paz drops after running eight kilometres through volcanic terrain and rainforest on the eastern side of Poás Volcano, and a short trail leads behind the falls where a small shrine sits in the mist.

Inside the park, the day splits across several stops. You move through a hummingbird gallery, a serpentarium, a bird house, a butterfly garden and a frog exhibit. The jungle cats section holds felines that cannot be released — most are old, injured or were raised around humans too long to survive in the wild, so you watch them in the park and learn about the species native to Costa Rica. Lunch is a buffet served at the gardens, and the guide stays with you through the tour. Only part of the park is wheelchair accessible; the hike to the waterfall itself is not.

The minivan is air-conditioned and seats a small group. You skip the entry lines at the gardens — the tour handles that. Breakfast is included before you leave, and the driver brings you back to your hotel at the end of the day. Vegetarian options are available if you let the operator know when you book, and any other dietary needs can be arranged the same way.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• breakfast and buffet lunch.
• all entry fees and taxes.
• a driver and guide in English or Spanish.
• transport by air-conditioned minivan.
• skip-the-line entry to La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Destiny Travel Costa Rica

Is this one for you?The eight-hour commitment leaves the rest of your day free, which suits anyone staying in the La Paz area who wants both a working plantation and a full park tour without splitting them across two days. The minivan and fixed schedule mean you move through both stops without arranging transport or timing yourself.

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Top questions

What is the coffee plantation part of the tour like?

At a working coffee plantation, the guide explains the sowing, growing and harvesting process so you see how the crop is produced rather than just hearing about it.

Can I walk all the way to the La Paz waterfall, or just view it from a distance?

A short trail leads behind the waterfall itself, where a small shrine is located. The full park is not wheelchair accessible, but the waterfall hike is the section with the most limited access.

What animals and wildlife will I see at La Paz Waterfall Gardens?

The park holds hummingbirds, snakes in the serpentarium, birds, butterflies, frogs and jungle cats. The cats live in the park because injury, age or early human contact means they cannot survive in the wild.

Does the tour include meals?

Breakfast is included before departure, and a buffet lunch is served at La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Vegetarian options and other dietary needs can be arranged if you mention them at booking.

Will I need to arrange my own transport?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and you travel by air-conditioned minivan with the guide and driver throughout the day. Entry to La Paz Waterfall Gardens is also included, so you skip the lines at the gate.