Poas Volcano National Park Guided Tour

Embark on a private tour to Poas Volcano National Park from San Jose. Enjoy a scenic drive through the Costa Rican countryside, stop at local attractions, and visit the park with a guide.


Start your adventure with a pickup from your hotel in San Jose. Relax on a private drive through the Costa Rican countryside on an air-conditioned minibus. Head to Alajuela Province and then to the volcano, about a 90-minute drive from San Jose.

On the way, enjoy the beautiful scenery of the countryside with multiple Dairy Farms, Tropical Flowers Nurseries, Strawberries Plantations, Cheese Factories, picturesque souvenir stores, and small local vendors. Taste the local flavors and give yourself a chance to try a Prestiño, a very traditional tin pastry cover with a special typical syrup made in the sugar mills.

Once at the Poas Volcano National Park, the visit to the crater will be in small groups accompanied with a park ranger and for only 30 minutes per group for security reasons. Poas is an active volcano, that has erupted 40 times since 1828. It has an elevation of 2.708 meter above sea level (8.885 feet).

There are two crater lakes near the summit. The northern lake is known as the Laguna Caliente (“hot lagoon”) and is located at a height of 2,300 m in a crater approximately 1.7 km wide and 290–300 m deep. It is one of the world's most acidic lakes and possible the largest crater in the world. Lake Botos, the southern lake, fills an inactive crater, which last erupted in 7500 BC. It is cold and clear and is surrounded by a cloud forest within the National Park boundaries.

After the park visit, make short stops at different local attractions such as souvenir stores, dairy farms, and small restaurants.