Poás Volcano, Coffee & La Paz Waterfall from San Jose

Crater rim, cloud forest trail, five waterfalls and a working coffee farm in one morning and afternoon

This full-day tour from San Jose climbs Poás Volcano, tours a coffee plantation, and explores La Paz Waterfall Gardens with a professional guide, hotel pickup and buffet lunch included. You visit the active 2,708-metre volcano's main crater and hike to Botos Lagoon, learn how Costa Rican coffee is grown and roasted, then walk through rainforest trails past five waterfalls and animal exhibits. Entry lines are skipped at every stop.

Step-by-step itinerary

Poas Volcano, Coffee, and Waterfalls

• Visit coffee plantations and learn techniques
• Explore Poas Volcano National Park and hike to Botos Lagoon
• Enjoy buffet lunch at La Paz Waterfall Gardens
• Walk trails and see waterfalls and animal exhibits

The experience

The day starts at your San Jose hotel and heads to a working coffee plantation where you learn the cultivation, harvesting and roasting techniques that produce some of Costa Rica's best coffee. From there the route climbs into the cloud forest around Poás Volcano National Park, where the temperature drops and the vegetation thickens. The volcano itself is an active stratovolcano that has erupted 40 times since 1828. Its crater spans over a mile across and drops 1,050 feet. You walk to the rim to see the sulfur fumaroles and the main crater, then hike a trail through different ecosystems to Botos Lagoon.

After the volcano, the tour continues to La Paz Waterfall Gardens, where a buffet lunch of traditional Costa Rican dishes is served (rated 4 Forks by the Costa Rican Tourism Council). The rest of the afternoon is spent on walking trails through rainforest, passing five waterfalls and stopping at educational animal exhibits: an aviary, butterfly observatory, hummingbird garden, serpentarium, jungle cats and frog exhibits. The trails wind through lush vegetation where you may spot birds, butterflies, monkeys and hummingbirds. Some sections of the waterfall trails involve stairs and hiking. Those paths are not wheelchair accessible, though the wildlife area is.

Hotel pickup and drop-off, transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, a professional guide (in English or Spanish), bottled water and all taxes and fees are included. You skip the entry lines at both the volcano and the gardens. Breakfast is provided, and vegetarian or other dietary options can be arranged if you request them at booking. The full day runs 11 hours from pickup to return.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in San Jose.
• transport in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• breakfast and a buffet lunch of traditional Costa Rican dishes.
• entry to Poás Volcano National Park and La Paz Waterfall Gardens with skip-the-line access.
• a professional guide in English or Spanish.
• bottled water.
• all taxes, fees and handling charges.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (11 to 65 years) · Senior (66 to 90 years) · Child (4 to 10 years) · Infant (under 4)

GroupUp to 50

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Destiny Travel Costa Rica

Is this one for you?At 11 hours from pickup to return, this tour fills most of a day and leaves the evening free. If you want to see an active volcano, learn how Costa Rican coffee is made, and walk past five waterfalls in rainforest without arranging three separate trips, the fixed itinerary and included transport hold it together.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 10 years); Infant (under 4).

What is the Poás Volcano like when I get there?

Poás Volcano is an active stratovolcano 2,708 metres high with a crater over a mile across and 1,050 feet deep. You walk to the rim to see the sulfur fumaroles and the main crater, then hike a trail to Botos Lagoon through cloud forest and different park ecosystems. The volcano has erupted 40 times since 1828, most recently in April 2017.

How much hiking is involved in this tour?

You hike a trail from the crater rim to Botos Lagoon at Poás Volcano, and then walk multiple trails through La Paz Waterfall Gardens. The waterfall trails include stairs and can be steep. They require at least a moderate level of physical fitness. The wildlife area of the gardens is wheelchair accessible, but the waterfall trails are not.

What happens at La Paz Waterfall Gardens?

La Paz Waterfall Gardens is a rainforest park with five waterfalls, walking trails and animal exhibits. You see flowing waterfalls and wildlife including birds, butterflies, monkeys and hummingbirds. Educational exhibits include an aviary, butterfly observatory, hummingbird garden, serpentarium, jungle cats exhibit and frog exhibit. Lunch is a buffet of traditional Costa Rican dishes rated 4 Forks by the Costa Rican Tourism Council.

Does the tour include entry to both the volcano and the gardens?

Yes. Hotel pickup, transport, entry to Poás Volcano National Park and La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a professional guide, breakfast, buffet lunch, bottled water and all taxes and fees are included. You skip the entry lines at both attractions.

What do I learn at the coffee plantation?

At the working coffee plantation you learn the ancient techniques used to grow, harvest and roast Costa Rican coffee. The tour covers the careful process involved in producing some of the best coffee in Costa Rica and around the world, illustrated by experts on the farm.