4 in 1 : Irazu + Orosi + Lankaster + Lake Cachi with Lunch
Description
Discover the best of the Central Valley in one day with our 4-in-1 tour. Explore the towering Irazú Volcano, the highest in Costa Rica, and walk on the clouds while enjoying unique panoramic views. Continue to the picturesque Orosi Valley, birthplace of Costa Rican colonial history, surrounded by green and coffee mountains. On this tour you can visit the Lankester Gardens, a research center of the University of Costa Rica that protects more than 800 species of orchids, bromeliads and countless species of other plants, plus we have a beautiful Japanese garden ideal for photos. This tour combines nature, culture and history in a complete experience that includes transportation, professional guidance, lunch and the convenience of pickup and return to your hotel in San Jose. An ideal choice for those looking to discover the most authentic of Costa Rica in one day.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Discover the imposing Irazú Volcano, the highest active volcano in Costa Rica, on a complete and safe tour accompanied by an expert guide. Just 1 hour from San Jose, this colossus rises to 3,432 meters above sea level, offering unique landscapes and the opportunity to live an unforgettable experience. Our expert guide will share fascinating facts about the volcano’s geography, history and curiosities as we tour the National Park. We will reach the main crater, where you can admire its turquoise lagoon and fumaroles, and you will have time to take spectacular photographs. Then, you’ll enjoy free time to explore Playa Negra, a stunning volcanic formation, and if you want, you can take an optional little hike to the highest area to appreciate incomparable views of the Central Valley and even, on a clear day, both oceans at once. Access is easy and the tour is designed for all types of travelers.
We will continue towards the wonderful and scenic Orosí Valley, surrounded by beautiful mountains, diversity of crops such as coffee, sugar cane, among others, which was one of the important establishments during the colonial era, being this witness of various historical events carried out by attacks of pirates, earthquakes, floods, as well as the transcendence of the Franciscan orders entrusted with the evangelization process and pioneers in the erection of the first Catholic temples in the country. On this tour we will visit the viewpoint of the Orosi Valley, a place that will fill you with peace, good energy and beautiful views, with many places in the park to rest for a while and connect with this wonderful place.
On this tour you can visit the Lankester Gardens, a research center of the University of Costa Rica that protects more than 800 species of orchids, bromeliads and countless species of other plants, plus we have a beautiful Japanese garden ideal for photos. This stop is ideal for plant lovers, to take beautiful photos, enjoy a quiet atmosphere before continuing with our tour.
We will enjoy a delicious lunch at the Casona Del Cafetal Restaurant, located on a beautiful property overlooking the great Cachí Lake, at this stop we can walk along the property's trails and enjoy the wonderful trails that will take us to see the plantations. of coffee and different perspectives of the lake. This lake is artificial, made by the National Institute of Electricity and in order to supply hydroelectric energy to the community of Cartago.
To finish in the best way and after the delicious lunch we will have a guided visit to the most important church in Costa Rica, the Basilica of the Angels. This church is recognized for being the headquarters of the pilgrimage, and also for its history about the Virgin of the Angels, in the church our guide will tell us about the stone of the discovery, and will also explain the details of the museum, we will have a visit to the interior of the church and we will also have the opportunity to drink holy water if you wish.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up from all San Jose hotels, the exact pick up time will be notified one day before the tour.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Not recommended for travelers with breathing problems and / or problems with height.
Reviews(68)
Not sure why so many reviews rate this tour highly. Our experience was a sloppy guide, arrived late (some excuse about coming from somewhere else), zero wet weather plan (it rained at the volcano and at the botanical gardens and he expected his guests to bring their own umbrellas or ponchos, in Asia the travel guide always has umbrellas in the bus), some useful explanations but generally unfriendly towards us or maybe he has his preferred customers. Kept hurrying everyone as if his time was more important than ours. We sat out the botanical orchid gardens because of the rain and he did zilch to try and make it work for us if it was important. But that was okay, as coming from Singapore, this one had nothing to see.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We would, however, like to clarify several points regarding your review. According to our itinerary and GPS records, our guide did not arrive late. In fact, he arrived approximately four minutes before the scheduled pickup time at your hotel. The pickup time had also been communicated to you in advance. Our responsibility as a tour operator is to provide the transportation, itinerary, logistics, and visits included in the tour. While weather conditions can affect the experience, we cannot guarantee favorable weather conditions or prevent rain during the tour. Our service is the tour itself, not a guarantee of good weather. Regarding umbrellas or rain equipment, tourism logistics in Costa Rica are different from those in Asia. Providing individual rain equipment for every passenger is not part of the service advertised and is not operationally feasible for us. Guests are therefore advised to bring appropriate rain protection when traveling during the rainy season. Regarding Lankester Botanical Garden, this is a circuit-style visit, and our GPS records confirm that your group followed the planned route and spent the scheduled time at the destination. We have reviewed the timing and logistics of the tour, and our records show that the itinerary was delivered as advertised. On the same departure, 10 additional guests participated in the tour, and we received positive feedback from several of them regarding the experience. We respect that weather conditions may have affected your personal enjoyment of the day, but we believe it is important to distinguish between an experience affected by rain and a service that was not provided. In this case, the tour, transportation, itinerary, and scheduled visits were provided as advertised. Best regards,
I’m a solo traveler and I appreciated this tour company because they allowed me to book as a solo when there were several others that would only allow me to book as a couple. I also appreciated being picked up, even though I was the first stop in the early morning and the last stop at the end of a long day. Once we had collected all the guests, we made a rest stop to use baños and get something to eat before we made the drive up to the volcano. It rained along the way and the clouds were thick, but our guide told us that the clouds roll in and they roll out very quickly. He was right. There were clouds obscuring the first crater we visited and just as I was heading back to the van in disappointment, the clouds rolled out and there was a clear view of the Playa Hermosa crater. Then we drove down to where we could actually walk on the crater. The clouds rolled in and out of the main crater so you could see it clearly, but because of safety barriers you can’t see to the bottom (unless you are 25 ft tall). Other stops on this tour were the Basilica of Los Angeles in Cartago, the beautiful Lankester Botanical Garden, the ruins of Ujarrás, and a lovely viewpoint overlooking the Orosi Valley. We had a great lunch at La Casona del Cafetal with a wonderful view of the lake. Our guide Donald switches effortlessly between Spanish and English so it felt like he was talking to all of us at the same time instead of talking to one group and then another group. Marco was a safe and patient driver. It was billed as a 7-1/2 hour trip, but with the pickups and the traffic, it was a bit longer for me. Still, it was a good day and I would recommend this tour.
Thank you, Susan, for taking the time to share such a detailed review. We’re very happy to hear that you enjoyed the experience, especially the opportunity to visit Irazú Volcano as a solo traveler and explore the many highlights of Cartago and the Orosi Valley. We’re glad the clouds eventually cleared and gave you those beautiful views of the craters. We’ll also be sure to share your kind words with Donald and Marco. Their knowledge, patience, and professionalism are an important part of the experience. Thank you again for joining us and for recommending our tour. We hope to welcome you back to Costa Rica for another adventure in the future! Best regards,
Guide was polite and friendly. Hiwever he spohe mostly in Spanish. Had to be asked to translate to English, repeatedly.
Dear Vincent, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are pleased to know that you found the guide polite and friendly and enjoyed the small-group experience. Our tours may include both English- and Spanish-speaking guests, and the guide provides explanations in both languages. We appreciate your comment regarding the balance between the two languages, as it helps us reinforce the importance of keeping all participants equally informed throughout the tour. Best regards,
I had the opportunity to visit several important places on the tour, especially the Irazú Volcano and the Orosi Valley. Breakfast was good and transportation was good. However, I did not have the opportunity to spend enough time in each location as many places were included in one day. The experience would have been more enjoyable if there had been more time at some of the stops.All in all, it was a good trip, but a little slow.
Dear Vjekoslav, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed visiting the Irazú Volcano, the Orosi Valley, as well as the breakfast and transportation provided during the tour. We appreciate your comments regarding the time spent at each location. This tour is designed to showcase several of the region’s highlights in a single day, which can sometimes make the schedule feel a bit tight. Your observations are valuable and will help us continue evaluating how we can improve the overall experience for our guests. Thank you again for traveling with us, and we hope to welcome you on another adventure in the future. Best regards,
Our trip and tour guide were both amazing! Hayro was an excellent driver, patient and very knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend
Dear Guest, Thank you very much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you had an amazing experience and that Hayro made your tour so enjoyable with his safe driving, patience, and knowledge. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Best regards,
Had a great time. Driver and tour guide were both bilingual and very personable. Driver made it a point to keep the van tidy - van itself was modern and in very good condition. Every stop had excellent service. I had forgotten my phone in the van after drop off and they returned it quickly. As the locals say, pura vida.
Dear Javier, Thank you for your wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you had a great time with us. It is especially rewarding to know that both your driver and guide helped make the experience enjoyable through their professionalism, bilingual service, and friendly attitude. We also appreciate your comments about the vehicle. We take great pride in maintaining our fleet to ensure our guests travel comfortably and safely throughout their journey. Most importantly, we are pleased that we were able to quickly reunite you with your phone after it was left behind. Our team always does its best to assist our guests whenever possible. Thank you for recognizing the effort of our staff and for choosing to explore Costa Rica with us. We hope to welcome you back on another adventure soon. Pura vida! Best regards
This trip is a whole adventure... I must first say that it is completely worth it! The visit to the church, the volcano WOW! The garden was a great surprise! The food was spectacular! The day started off difficult... terrible tour companions! I acknowledge the good decision of the guide to remove them from the tour since their attitude was terrible! Hayro the guide is a 100/10!
Estimada Osvelia, Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia. Nos alegra enormemente saber que disfrutó del tour y que cada una de las paradas cumplió con sus expectativas. Comentarios como el suyo nos confirman que la combinación del Volcán Irazú, la Iglesia de Orosi, los Jardines Lankester y el almuerzo tradicional hacen de este recorrido una experiencia muy especial. También agradecemos sus palabras sobre Hayro. Nos enorgullece contar con guías comprometidos con la seguridad, el respeto y el bienestar de todos los pasajeros, y nos aseguraremos de compartir con él su excelente reconocimiento de "100/10". Gracias por elegirnos y por destacar tanto los atractivos del recorrido como la calidad del servicio recibido. Saludos cordiales,
Amazing experience made better by a great guide. Our guide Hayro provided clear instructions and explained patiently and gave plenty of interesting details about the activities.
Dear Jose, Thank you for your wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you had an amazing experience on our tour. It is especially rewarding to know that Hayro helped make your day even more enjoyable through his clear guidance, patience, and the interesting information he shared throughout the journey. Providing informative, engaging, and well-organized experiences is something we take great pride in, and your comments are greatly appreciated. Thank you for choosing to travel with us. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on another Costa Rican adventure. Best regards
It’s an activity well worth the money with an outstanding guide like Hayro! Hayro’s vast knowledge of all locations visited was truly impressive. His pride in his country and being able to so eloquently share this with tourists make him a perfect travel guide. The volcanoes were shrouded in fog at the time of visit but the visit at Lancaster and the lunch at Lake Cachi more than made up for the weather situation around the volcanoes. We can highly recommend this day trip.
Hello Alfred, Thank you very much for your thoughtful review and recommendation. We are delighted to hear that you had such a positive experience on the tour and that Hayro helped make the day especially memorable. His passion for Costa Rica and the depth of knowledge he shares with travelers truly make every experience more meaningful, and we will be very happy to pass along your kind comments to him. While weather conditions at the volcanoes can sometimes limit visibility, we’re glad to know that you still enjoyed the rest of the experience, especially Lankester Gardens and the lunch overlooking Lake Cachí. Costa Rica’s mountain weather can change quickly, but each destination offers something unique throughout the journey. We sincerely appreciate your recommendation and your trust in our team. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you again on another adventure in Costa Rica. Kind regards,
I had an absolutely fantastic time on this day trip. The overall vibe was scenic and perfectly relaxing—we never felt rushed, which allowed us to truly take in the surroundings. A huge part of what made the day so special was our guide, Eric. He was phenomenal, sharing great insights into the local history and geography. I was particularly impressed by his deep knowledge of the plants during our walk through the botanical garden. Our driver, David, was also top-notch—courteous, professional, and a very safe driver, which made for a stress-free journey. To top it all off, the included lunch was splendid. We were served a delicious, traditional Costa Rican Casado that really hit the spot. Between the excellent pacing, the brilliant staff, and the great food, this tour is complete value for money. Highly recommend!
Hello Amar, Thank you very much for your wonderful review and for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you had such a relaxing and enjoyable day exploring the area. One of our goals with this tour is to allow travelers to appreciate the scenery and destinations at a comfortable pace, so it is great to know that this stood out during your experience. We truly appreciate your kind words about Eric and David. Their professionalism, knowledge, and dedication to creating memorable experiences are qualities we value greatly, and we will be very happy to share your comments with both of them. It is especially nice to hear that Eric’s insights into the local plants, history, and geography added so much to your visit. We are also glad you enjoyed the traditional Costa Rican casado lunch. Experiencing local cuisine is an important part of discovering the country, and we are happy it helped make the day even more special. Thank you once again for your recommendation. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure in Costa Rica in the future. Kind regards,
