Irazú & Turrialba Volcanoes Tour: Two Peaks in One Day
Stand atop Costa Rica’s tallest crater, then explore a hidden active volcano few visit
A full-day tour from San Jose to Irazú Volcano and Turrialba Volcano with a local guide, combining Costa Rica's tallest peak and its active counterpart. You walk the lunar landscape around Irazú's main crater, then venture into Turrialba's impact zone from the 2014 and 2016 eruptions. The route also stops at Cartago's Basilica and church ruins, plus the abandoned Sanatorio Duran on the mountainside.
Options for this experience
2 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Visit Volcanoes and Historic Cartago
- Stop at Sanatorio Duran Ruins viewpoint
- Travel through landscapes to Irazú Volcano
- Explore Irazú Volcano craters
- Visit Turrialba Volcano active slopes
- Walk impact zone of Turrialba eruptions
- Visit Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels
- See Cartago Church Ruins
What’s included
- Entrance tickets to Irazú and Turrialba Volcanoes.
- air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi on board.
- bottled water.
- photos taken at the best spots by your guide.
- local guide in English or Spanish.
Times
- Every day 08:00
Before you book
Operated by Adrian Gutierrez
Prices and times updated 14 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The day starts with a drive through agricultural fields on the volcano slopes toward Irazú, the country's highest volcano. A stop at the Sanatorio Duran viewpoint breaks the journey: a decaying 1910s tuberculosis hospital now open to visitors, sitting in the Cartago mountains. Once at Irazú Volcano National Park, you walk around the main crater and smaller craters in a landscape that looks lunar, then move on to Turrialba, where active gas and ash mark the cone.
Turrialba is the raw part of the day. You walk through the impact zone left by the 2014 and 2016 eruptions, seeing the destruction and how the vegetation and local life have changed since. This is not the polished, well-trodden path of Irazú. It is the volcano that few tourists reach. The guide (fluent in English or Spanish) carries the geology and the local stories that explain what you are standing in front of.
The return includes Cartago's Basilica, built between 1912 and 1930 in Byzantine style and the national sanctuary where hundreds of thousands of Costa Ricans make pilgrimage, and the church ruins from 1575, where only the outer walls remain after two earthquakes. Entrance tickets to both volcanoes, bottled water, air-conditioned transport and photos shot at the best spots are included. The day runs seven to nine hours depending on pace and how long you spend at each crater.
Is this one for you?Book the private service if you want to set your own pace and timing at each crater. The shared tour keeps to a fixed schedule that fits both volcanoes and Cartago's sites into one afternoon. Minimum age is 12, and the walking and elevation demand at least moderate fitness.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Spanish.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What does the Irazú crater actually look like when you get there?
Irazú's main crater and surrounding smaller craters sit in a landscape stripped of vegetation and pale. The reason it is often called lunar. The volcano is Costa Rica's highest peak, and the views from the rim stretch across the Central Valley on clear days.
Is Turrialba still actively erupting, or is it just steaming?
Turrialba shows characteristic volcanic activity in the form of gases and ash from the cone. The 2014 and 2016 eruptions left visible destruction in the impact zone where you walk, so you see both the current state and the evidence of recent activity.
How much walking is involved on this tour?
You walk around Irazú's craters and venture into Turrialba's impact zone, so moderate physical fitness is needed. The operator recommends at least a moderate level and notes the tour is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health.
What is the Sanatorio Duran, and why stop there?
Sanatorio Duran is an abandoned hospital from the 1910s–1920s built to treat tuberculosis patients, now decaying on the Cartago mountainside. The stop offers a viewpoint and a glimpse of this historical structure before the drive continues to the volcanoes.
Do I need to arrange my own lunch, or is food included?
The tour includes time for lunch, and you choose where and what to eat: the operator prefers to give you that freedom rather than set a fixed meal. If you prefer, they can stop for fruits or snacks, though a good breakfast before departure is recommended.
Irazú & Turrialba Volcanoes Tour: Two Peaks in One Day
7h–9h · EN · ES · at your hotel
from US$ 199 per person
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