Felipe was a great guide and very informative. I would recommend this trip especially if you want a shorter day trip.





This great tour is ideal for people who only have half a day to make an excursion, you can make the tour and request that we drop you at SJO airport, or directly at your returned hotel. This excursion takes us to one of the highest and most active volcanoes in Costa Rica, listed as one of the most beautiful and impressive on the planet. The volcano is located just an hour from downtown San Jose. We can walk through one of the 3 main craters, and after the tour we go to the highest point of the National Park which is also the second highest point of Costa Rica, then descend from the volcano to visit the most important church in Costa Rica, we know a little about the architecture and the different constructions that the structure has had. In addition the church is famous for its pilgrimage and for the history of the Virgin of the Angels, in addition the facilities have a small museum and the holy water fountain.
We begin our tour in San José and surrounding areas at 07:00 in the morning, to take advantage of our day we begin the direct route to the volcano, on the way to the volcano we will be able to enjoy the beautiful views of the valleys, in addition our guide will be telling us information curious about the local lifestyle and traditions. Upon arrival we will have a tour of the main crater of the volcano, we will be able to see the main lagoon and the guide will explain a little about the history of this volcano. After the walk through the main crater, we headed to the highest point of the national park (3,432 meters above sea level), the second highest point in Costa Rica. This volcano is active, and is one of the most beautiful in Costa Rica, on a clear day it is possible to see the central valley in its entirety and also the central volcanic mountain range made up of 4 volcanoes, with very good weather conditions, you can even See Lake Nicaragua about 200 kilometers away in a straight line.
The Basilica of the Angels is one of the most important English basilica in Costa Rica, our tours will take us to see the pilgrimage, the church museum, and the holy water fountain, you can drink holy water, see the discovery stone and See the beautiful church inside. It is undoubtedly one of the best experiences, since this church has European architecture and a Gothic design that is very attractive to our tourists.
We pick up at all hotels in San Jose and surrounding areas. We can drop you off at SJO airport at no additional cost, you must request it in advance.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Irazú Volcano National Park (Half Day) lasts about 6 hours. The itinerary has 2 stops.
Prices start at $99 per person for this San Jose experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Yes, pickup is offered. We pick up at all hotels in San Jose and surrounding areas. We can drop you off at SJO airport at no additional cost, you must request it in advance. Pickup points include Hotel Portal Colonial, Courtyard by Marriott San Jose Escazu.
The experience is available in EN, ES.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 15 participants.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Specialized infant seats are available
Wheelchair accessible Transportation options are wheelchair accessible All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Felipe was a great guide and very informative. I would recommend this trip especially if you want a shorter day trip.
Like any magical wonder of the world the weather plays a crucial part of any experience. My daughter and I had the most incredible time up at the volcano…. Even on the way up the views were mind blowing! We adventure around the crater for hours … soaked up the sun, (take sun block!) we were mesmerised by the rolling clouds and changing sky scape.
Great packed tour with spectacular views and 2 distinct volcano craters with very different environments and nature. Great for birders too, lots of different ones around the main crater.
Dear Guest, Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the spectacular views, the unique landscapes of the two volcanic craters, and the opportunity to observe the local birdlife. It’s great to know the tour provided a memorable experience so close to the city. Thank you for choosing to travel with us. We hope to welcome you again on another adventure. Best regards,
Martin was an amazing guide and gave us great information as we drove up to the volcano. He was really interesting and made sure that everybody felt engaged.
Dear Coastal, Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had a great adventure and that Martin made the journey to the volcano both informative and engaging. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with him. Thank you for choosing to travel with us. We hope to welcome you again on another tour soon. Best regards,
I really enjoyed this trip. Heyro was a great guide, he was very local and seemed to know everybody. He was full of information and keen to share. We had an issue when the restaurant we were scheduled to have lunch at was unexpectedly closed, but this was quickly solved by the guide and tour company.
Dear Guest, Thank you for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour and that Heyro’s local knowledge and enthusiasm made your experience even more memorable. We also appreciate your understanding regarding the unexpected restaurant closure. We’re glad our guide and team were able to resolve the situation quickly so you could continue enjoying your day. Thank you for traveling with us, and we hope to welcome you again on another adventure. Best regards,
Everything was very beautiful; along the way, one can enjoy nature and the beauty of its fields.
Estimado Cristian, Muchas gracias por compartir su experiencia. Nos alegra saber que disfrutó de la visita al Volcán Irazú y de los hermosos paisajes que ofrece el recorrido. El trayecto hacia el volcán permite apreciar la belleza natural de la zona, así como los campos agrícolas y las impresionantes vistas que caracterizan esta región de Costa Rica. Agradecemos su comentario y esperamos tener el placer de acompañarle nuevamente en otra aventura por nuestro país. Saludos cordiales,
The view was beautiful but the tour was over promised and under delivered. The bus was over 20 minutes late and no one answered the phone to say whether we missed it. There were no promised snacks, instead we stopped at a convenience mart for 20 minutes soon after leaving and watched the guide eat breakfast. Contrary to the promotional photo and description of a cauldron, the crater is bone dry - the guide said the water leaked out 8 years ago. And the visit was short, though not as short as the 15 minutes given us at the basilica.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed the beautiful views at Irazú Volcano, it is truly one of the highlights of the Central Valley. This tour operates early in the morning and sometimes small delays during the pickup route can occur due to traffic or multiple hotel stops, but our goal is always to collect all guests and complete the itinerary smoothly. The brief stop during the drive is included so guests have the opportunity to use restrooms, grab coffee, or purchase breakfast if they wish before continuing up the mountain. Regarding the crater, the volcanic activity at Irazú changes naturally over time and the crater lake has appeared and disappeared multiple times over the years depending on geological conditions. Even without the lake, the volcanic landscape and views from the summit remain one of the most unique sights in Costa Rica. As this is a half day tour, the schedule is designed to visit several locations within the morning while returning to San José around midday. Time at each stop may vary slightly depending on park conditions, weather, and traffic on the mountain road. We appreciate your comments and your visit, and we hope you were still able to enjoy the impressive scenery and cultural landmarks included in the experience.
I was left feeling slightly shortchanged by this tour. The volcano itself was stunning. However, the tour guide did not provide much information and our time at the volcano was quite rushed (1 hour). The basilica was even more rushed, with us only getting 15 minutes to go around the whole area rather than the advertised hour. I wonder if the reason the tour was so rushed was due to the pick up being over 20 minutes late, and us taking a long break during the drive to the volcano. At Izarú the tour guide dropped us off, talked very briefly and then drove down the hill, while at the Basilica he simply dropped us off and left us to explore until it was time to leave. Whilst it was nice to explore at our own pace, I would’ve preferred to learn a bit more about the places we were visiting and had more time at each. The tour was advertised as 3 hours at the volcano and an hour at the Basilica so I did leave feeling shortchanged. Additionally the lake at the volcano drained away about 8 years ago. Whilst I could’ve found this out by doing a bit more googling beforehand it feels misleading for the photos provided by the tour operator to all be of the now absent lake.
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the views of the Irazú Volcano, it is truly one of the most impressive landscapes in Costa Rica. This tour is designed as a half day experience, which means the schedule must remain efficient in order to visit several locations in one morning while also returning to San José before midday traffic becomes heavy. For that reason the time at each stop can sometimes vary slightly depending on weather conditions at the volcano, traffic on the mountain road, and the operation schedule of the national park. Regarding the guide, in some parts of the visit guests are given time to explore independently so they can enjoy the viewpoints and the basilica at their own pace, which many travelers prefer. However, we always appreciate feedback like yours because it helps us continue improving the balance between guided explanation and free exploration time. About the crater lake, you are correct that the water level has changed over the years due to natural volcanic activity. This is something that unfortunately changes periodically at Irazú and is outside the control of tour operators, but the views of the crater and surrounding landscape remain spectacular. We truly appreciate your comments and hope you still had the opportunity to enjoy the unique scenery and cultural sites visited during the tour.
It started very early in the morning (double check the departure time because depending on your pickup location the tour could begin before 6am) The guide seemed all the time in a rush,he didn’t gave us time to have at least a coffee. Anyway I took my coffee but missed the information about the volcano. Later we visited “the basilica”, he just said: there you go if you want to look inside the church go ahead, with no explanation at all. Another van picked me up to take me to my hotel and it broke at the middle of the trip. 😓 finally everything ended well.
Thank you for sharing your experience. This tour starts early in the morning because the best time to visit Irazú Volcano is usually early in the day, when visibility conditions are more favorable before clouds move in. Pickup times can vary depending on the hotel location, which is why they are confirmed individually prior to the tour. The visit to the Basilica of Los Ángeles is typically a short stop that allows guests time to enter and explore the church if they wish. Some travelers prefer to walk around and observe at their own pace, which is why the stop is usually flexible. Regarding the vehicle situation during the return transfer, we are glad to hear that everything was resolved and that you were able to reach your hotel safely. We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback and hope you were still able to enjoy the unique landscapes and historical sites visited during the tour. Best regards,
SAVE A TRIP AND GO TO PAS INSTEAD AND REFRAIN FROM USING SUMMER TRAVEL COSTA RICA Summer Travel Costa Rica support needs to hire some better support staff. Here are all the issues and I would not recommend booking a trip through them. 1. In their website, they mention that they will drop you off at the airport for no additional cost. When returning from the trip, I was told I need to pay $50 USD extra, so they ended up dropping me off at San Jose hotel. I had to get shuttle to airport panicking that I might miss my flight. 2. When I contacted their customer service, first they said their boss will get back to me. After 2 days when I heard nothing, I told them, please have your boss reply within 3 business days else I will let Trip Advisor know. I got a message back saying I was THREATNING THEM AND PRESSURING THEM. 4. I ended up spending $30 USD to get to airport, of which Trip Advisor only refunded me $15 USD after discussing with Summer Travel Costa Rica. 5. There were no snacks as promised in the Trip Advisor website for half day tour. 6. No Wi-Fi either in the van as promised in the website. 7. The tour guide had a very limited things to say and repeated Cartago City like 400 times cause there was nothing else to say or see. It was torturing hearing every sentence. And here we go Cartago City. This is Cartago City, And here it is Cartago City, Cartago City it is. Might as well have kept quiet. 8. Finally this trip was an utter disappointment. You know you can't fight nature, but 95% of the time it was cloudy, the blue water pond as shown in the picture has drained, so there aren't any good pictures to take. They need to change that volcano picture, its not how you see it anymore. Pictures included below if reference needed.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We would like to clarify several important points for future travelers reading this review. Airport Drop-Off Airport drop-off is indeed available at no additional cost when it is properly selected in the booking process. During checkout, clients must choose their preferred drop-off location. In your reservation, the selected drop-off location was the original hotel. The request to be taken to the airport was made only after arrival at the hotel, at which point it was in the opposite direction of the scheduled route. Operationally, it is not possible to modify routes at that stage. Customer Service Communication We offer 24/7 operational support. However, when a reservation is made through platforms such as TripAdvisor / Viator, the contractual and communication channel must be handled directly through them. This ensures transparency and proper documentation within their system. Refund Situation Although the transportation adjustment was not part of the confirmed booking, we still worked with the platform to facilitate a partial refund as a goodwill gesture in order to improve your overall experience. Unfortunately, this did not seem to meet your expectations. Snacks and Wi-Fi Snacks were offered during the tour, as they are to all participants. Regarding Wi-Fi, it is available in several of our units, but not all vehicles are equipped with this feature. Availability may vary depending on operational logistics and vehicle assignment. Tour Guide Experience We regret that the guiding style did not match your personal expectations. However, all of our guides are licensed, trained professionals with extensive experience in Costa Rica’s history and culture. Weather and Natural Conditions Weather conditions and natural phenomena such as water levels are external factors beyond any operator’s control. When booking a tour in a tropical country, services include transportation, licensed guide, park entrance fees, coordination, and logistics. Climate conditions and visibility cannot be guaranteed. We continuously update product descriptions to reflect accurate conditions whenever applicable. We respectfully stand by the quality of our operations and the thousands of satisfied travelers we serve each year. Best regards, Summer Travel Costa Rica
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Irazú Volcano National Park (Half Day) | 6 hours | 4.3 (115) | $99 | |
Manuel Antonio National Park Sightseeing and Wildlife Day Tour from San Jose | 12 hours | 4.9 (837) | $169 | View |
Manuel Antonio National Park from San José | 12–13 hours | 4.2 (140) | $140 | View |
Irazú Volcano, Orosi Valley & Lankester Gardens from San José | 10 hours | 4.6 (48) | $137 | View |
Irazú Volcano and Mineral Hot Springs at Hacienda Orosi | 5–7 hours | 4.9 (14) | $198 | View |
San Jose: Manuel Antonio National Park and Beach Day Tour | 13 hours | 5.0 (3) | $163 | View |
Arenal Volcano Full-Day Combo Tour with Lunch and Dinner | 14 hours | 4.9 (3,727) | $185 | View |