Head to La Fortuna, home to the Arenal Volcano, on this guided all-day tour from San Jose. Sit back and relax as you travel through diverse plantations and cattle ranches on the roughly 3.5-hour drive. After arriving, enjoy lunch with a view of the volcano. Then, take a dip in the area’s thermal waters and indulge in an optional massage or other treatment.

Avoid driving from San Jose to La Fortuna with roundtrip transportation
Lunch and dinner is included in the tour price
Remember to bring a swimsuit for the hot springs; admission included
Hotel pickup and drop-off from select hotels is provided

What's Included

Lunch
Dinner
Tour Guide
Transportation from Hotels in San José
Tour operate with a minimum of 2 people

Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

07:00 am

Pickup details

Pick up from Hotels located in San Jose Downtown

What To Expect

Sarchi

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

La Fortuna (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not recommended for pregnant travellers
Not wheelchair accessible
Bring to your tour: ° Traje de Baño °Ropa Comoda °Zapatos para caminar °Ropa de Cambio °Bloqueador Solar
Infant seats available

Not recommended for travellers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Reviews

4.5

83 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 83 reviews

Worth the drive and the money!

Sydney_P, Mar 2023

Gary was such a knowledgeable and attentive tour guide. You can tell he really knew the history and the area. The views were breathtaking and the hot springs was enchanting. The group I was apart of was really awesome too. Also, being a solo traveler, I felt safe and was able to meet some great people.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!.Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica

Volcano and Baldi Hot Springs

Luis_A, Feb 2023

Great trip, but it was about a 3 1/2 hour car ride each way. It was an extremely long day but it was the most affordable and easiest way for me to experience Arenal and the Hot Springs. Food was great, they had vegan/vegetarian options for me. I felt safe and our guide was fun and easy going. You get near the Volcano and the stops along the way were nice. Just be sure to tell your driver to stop if you see a good photo spot. In the future, I'd stay near the Volcano overnight, but if you're like me and needed same day round trip accommodations from San Jose I'd recommend.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!.Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica

amazing day

Lauryn_S, Feb 2023

Mario was a super nice guide. Unfortunately we didn't see much of the volcano since it was super cloudy, but it was still nice to be there. The Hot Speings were amazing! we had plenty of time to relax there. I would recommend everyone this tour.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!.Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica

A long but super day!

Thomas_B, Feb 2023

A fantastic day! Graydon our tour guide was fantastic! We were never rushed and his commentary about what we were seeing and experiencing was greatly appreciated. We learned a great day from him. The Baldi mineral springs was an experience in itself. Would highly recommend this trip to all Costa Rican Visitors.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!.Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica

Good experience - overall worth the LONG day

Lee_J, Jan 2023

Visiting the cart factory was interesting and lunch was delicious in a beautiful setting. Seeing the volcano is from a distance at best and was more than half covered in clouds (nice views of the country side from the viewing area though). We did stop to see monkeys and a sloth mom & baby in the trees as we were driving. Baldi Springs was really nice and enjoyable - lots of options for swimming or just hanging out (some great for families with kids and others that were quiet adult spaces). The buffet dinner was pretty terrible though. Other than the quality of dinner, the only downside is how LONG the day is. Be prepared for 13-15 hours start to finish with a lot of time bouncing around in a marginally comfortable tourist van.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!.Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica

Good guide but not so good experience

Vinu_V, Jan 2023

I was asked to be ready for pickup at 7:20 from a hotel in San Jose downtown. There was no intimation of the delay and I was picked up 30 minutes later. When I wrote about this to Viator, I was told that it's because of traffic which is a joke as I did it on Christmas day and there was literally no vehicle on the road! I also had to spend more than 2 hours after my pick up for others to get picked up which included a stop at Hilton hotel for close to 30 minutes as folks from there were not ready yet. It felt like I am joining them on their private tour. No explanation from Viator specifically around this when I brought this up and instead was sent a generic response with no apology! Now about the day trip, the guide was good but the itenerary itself is not that interesting. You first spend time at a place where they make ox carts without electricity explained by an employee from there. There are also artists and buyable artwork at the shop nearby. After lunch finally when you make it to Arenal volcano, prepare to be disappointed as it's just a viewing point which is so far off. Poas volcano experience is much better as you get closer to it. One can even literally be on Irazu volcano crater which is a much better experience. Then you make yourself to Baldi hot springs which was nice but you don't really need a tour operator and a guide to do that. The dinner buffet was great though! Don't do it if: 1) Your pick up time is anything before 8 as you are going to spend close to 2 hours waiting for others to get picked up 2) You find it boring to just take pictures from a viewing point so far off from the actual volcano 3) You can drive or make arrangements to go to Baldi hot springs on your own

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thank you very much for your feedback! We take note of your comments to improve in the future. We hope soon your return to Costa Rica and provide an excellent experience.

Overpriced

Allison_N, Jan 2023

I was expecting to get close to the volcano and do some hiking, actually you barely walk in this tour, you spend most of the time on the van and the whole afternoon in the man-made hotspings, water is natural but not the pools itself. For me, this tour is overpriced, I paid 167USD mostly to have a picture with a volcano at the background and afternoon on the hotsprings.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thank you very much for your feedback! We take note of your comments to improve in the future. We hope soon your return to Costa Rica and provide an excellent experience.

Beautiful tour, though a bit exhausting.

Alessandro_d, Dec 2022

The tour was amazing, beautiful sights and the hot springs topped off the journey with great fun. Although it's a long drive, the roads show a fascinating landscape. But since we were the first tourists to board, we had to pick up all the passengers from their hotels, which took an exhausted hour and a half. The same thing happened at the end of the tour, with us being the last to be dropped. By the end of the day, the tour lasted over 15 hours.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!. Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica

Beautiful Experience, Memories Made!

chaniqua_c, Dec 2022

Long day, good vibes! The commute is what takes away from the experience. We only spent about 30minutes at the Arenal Volcano, but about 3 hours at Baldi Springs. Baldi Springs is beautiful, but that’s too long to sit in hot water. Lunch and dinner was great. Our tour guide and driver were amazing! I would do this again, and highly recommend it. You have to be prepared to be gone for an entire day, and to spend many hours traveling to and from La Fortuna (I think that’s where we were) . However, it was worth it. I would just suggest distributing the time more evenly amongst Arenal Volcano and Baldi Springs.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!. Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica

Long day but worth it

Partha_R, Dec 2022

I was the first person picked up and you just wait for others. We spent quite sometime as people were not ready at hotel lobby. It irritates me when people booked a group tour had to be dragged out of their hotel bed. Annoying!. Well, it’s part of the game. Our tour guide George and driver Norman seemed bit disorganized. The driver lost his way to first stop, Sarachi. It’s ridiculous that tour drivers are not good with directions or equipped with GPS to figure out quickly. The ultimate thing that got on my nerve was that they were asking driving directions from locals. So we wasted an hour. I would have given it 5 stars otherwise. We headed directly to late lunch from Sarachi. The lunch was delicious and the ambience was great. We spent an hour or so at arsenal viewpoint. By the time we headed to Baldi,it was 4.30 pm. The tour guide saved my day by arranging for an extra hour at hot springs. Really appreciate that. It was awesome experience and dinner at Baldi had options for vegetarians. We were dropped back around midnight at San Jose. Though it started rough and long day,the volcano views, hot spring and food were great and I would recommend.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!. Hope soon you come back to Costa Ric

Baldi was amazing!

Dana_W, Dec 2022

Mario was a phenomenal tour guide and driver. The ride Itself Is about 3 hours, maybe a little longer but Mario made everything delightful and fun! The springs were amazing and relaxing!

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!. Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica

So informative!

Laura_A, Dec 2022

Highly recommend booking a tour with a guide because you learn so much! Our guide, Mario, was so informative. We learned so much about Costa Rica-the culture, history, sights, etc. that would’ve taken months to learn on our own. Would definitely book another tour next time I’m in town!

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!. Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica

How good surprises come from unexpected mishaps!

Ingrid_H, Dec 2022

We started the tour with a few hiccups. Wrong excursions picked up in same tour and missing guests who had booked but changed hotels. So by the time we got going, we were running about an hour late. But Ricardo was cool and calm and between us, we kept ourselves entertained; participated in lively conversation and laughed regardless. As a result of all the administrative mishaps, I ended up on a 'private' tour with Ricardo up to Arenal Volcano, seeing great sights on the way including the Belgium metal church and the oldest horsecart. The journey through the Cloud Forest was eerie and misty, but by the time we stopped for an early lunch about 45 minutes from Arenal, the clouds parted and we watched the Volcano come into view whilst we ate a scrumptious local dish of rice & shrimps (with a side of chips - Costa Ricans LOVE their carbs!) We travelled on yo the Volcano region, but instead of booking me into the Baldi Hot Springs, I was privileged to be upgraded to the Tabacon Thermals and Spa resort, where I spent a wonderful 4 hours being pummelled, stroked and heated within the most beautiful natural surroundings. To top off the day, I shared an A La Carte dinner with Ricardo at the Tabacon restaurant, where we made new friends and great conversation with some lovely older travelling ladies (70+ and regaling us with their tales of line-zipping!!). Then it was a snoozing chauffeur driven trip down the Mountain back to San Jose. Absolutely brilliant day - Thank you Ricardo 😊

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!. Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica

Ricardo was an awesome...

Angela_N, Sept 2022

Ricardo was an awesome tour guide, this was a great tour, had such a great day. The good was amazing

Response from Host, Sept 2022

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!. Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica!!

Hot volcano, hotter springs, perfect day

Amanda_B, Sept 2022

This tour should be the standard as it was exceptional at every turn. Jesus “Chewie” was hands down the best guide I have had in Costa Rica so far. Knowledgeable, patient and was exceptionally clear on what we were doing how long we would have and ensured to deliver all communication bilingual to meet the needs of those on the tour. The hot springs were beautiful same with the Volcano, do not hesitate book this tour pronto!!

Response from Host, Sept 2022

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!. Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica!!

Must experience

Alejandra_g, Sept 2022

Amazing tour, guide, food, views! Absolute grand time at the resort, well kept, good service and plenty of pools to swim in.

Response from Host, Sept 2022

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!. Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica!!

Nice but too much van time

Garrett_N, Aug 2022

Good trip but a lot of time in the van. 10+ hours. As the first person picked up that added another 2.5 hours (there should be a first person picked up discount I think). Sites themselves were nice but not much time at them

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Thank you very much for your feedback! We hope soon your return to Costa Rica and provide an excellent experience!

15 hours tour for 3 hours in a hot Pool full of strangers

Jonas_M, Aug 2022

The thermals are pretty. But the question is, do you want to have a 15 hour trip, to stay 3 hours in a hot pool full of strangers? Nothing else is this tour. The persons are friendly and do their best. But even without the aspect of the price, it’s definitely not worth to spend 15 hours on the road.

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Thank you very much for your feedback! We take note of your comments to improve in the future. We hope soon your return to Costa Rica and provide an excellent experience!

Great excursion!

Terri_D, July 2022

The hot springs offered a variety of water options, including heat, waterfalls, and slides. Definitely get a massage at the spa. We could see the volcano but it was not really an attraction. The food was very good. The guide was flexible and responsive in meeting our needs.

Response from Host, July 2022

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!. Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica!!

Great tour!

Shane_C, July 2022

Antonio was a great tour guide always providing knowledge and history of the area, the lunch and dinners were top class with great food and ambiance

Response from Host, July 2022

Thanks so much for your feedback!, we really appreciate the time you took to write such a review!. Hope soon you come back to Costa Rica!!

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Arenal Volcano & Baldi Hot Springs From San José

From USD 167.00

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