This is a beautiful one day tour if you really want to experience the magnificent of the volcanoes in Costa Rica. This Crater Tour takes place at the foothills of the Miravalles Volcano, once here you will enjoy the unique experience of walking inside an active crater. You will have the change to observe pools of hot water coming from the veins of the volcano, bubbling mud pots, fumaroles and sulphur deposits. This is an unique place in Costa Rica where visitors can walk inside of the active crater, observe and feel the steam escaping from the boilers below. Book today and be prepared to enjoy the natural sauna, mud baths with widely proven therapeutic qualities due to the clay minerals, hot springs, suspension bridges, waterfalls and costarican typical food. We provide private AC transportation, pick up and drop off at your hotel around the (Papagayo Gulf area and surroundings), tour operated by bilingual tour guides.
Schedule & prices
Runs
Every day
Start times
3:30 AM
Next available
Sun, Oct 4
Adult (ages 10–65)
$194
Child (ages 4–9)
$194
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 3.
Tour Options
Volcano Crater Tour and Waterfalls
Itinerary
Issys Tours Costa Rica
Admission included
This is a fun and interactive volcano tour suitable for all family members.
Miravalles Volcano
Admission included480 min
This is a fun and interactive volcano tour suitable for all family members. After an estimated travel time of 2hr, you will be ready to observe the burners of this active crater with volcanic mud pots, in which temperatures range from 102 degrees to 212 degrees fahrenheit. You will watch closely the fumaroles, hot stones and crystallized sulfur. You can also make use of the mud baths in our outdoor "natural spa" as well as three thermal pools where you can take advantage of the wealth of properties that these waters of volcanic origin have.
This tour also include a visit to the Waterfalls and Muco Cabro hill, you will be taken by a tractor specially equipped, it includes crossing a 135 feet long hanging bridge with magnificent views to the waterfall. If you are in luck, you will see a variety of animals such as birds and reptiles through the primary forest trails. There are a total of two waterfalls to visit.
The bubbling mud pools are basically holes that contain clay mud, these mud pools which also have sulfurated thermal waters all with different temperatures: 175ºF, 212ºF and 392ºF. This mud is odorless and can be found in three different colors, gray, brown and yellow. This particular coloration indicates how deep the pool is. A- Brown mud indicates a depth of 6.5 feet. B- Gray mud a depth of 3.2 feet. C- Yellow mud indicates the mud is from the surface and is full of sulfur. You can choose the clay in which you want to bathe and then obtain it from the bubbling mud pool. Whilst waiting 15 or 20 minutes for the clay to cool you can enjoy one of the greatest marvels in the world. After bathing in this volcanic mud, your skin will be left feeling smooth and fresh.
The bubbling water pools are emerald green, 6.5 feet deep and 212 ºF. The bubbling water pools remain at this temperatures unless it rains. The water in these pools is from the mountains, there are two different color waters, the water with Iron and the water with sulfur.
Fumaroles are vents from which volcanic gas escapes into the atmosphere. Fumaroles may occur along tiny cracks in the soil or long fissures, in chaotic clusters or fields and on the surfaces of lava flows and thick deposits of pyroclastic flows. The fumaroles emit a mixture of steam and other gases and are fed by conduits that pass through the water table before reaching the surface of the ground. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), one of the typical gases issuing from fumaroles, readily oxidizes to sulfuric acid and native sulfur. This accounts for the intense chemical activity and brightly colored rocks in many thermal areas. This tour concludes with a drop off to your hotel. Include: lunch, waterfalls, hiking through the primary forest and volcano crater, suspension bridge, hot springs and mud baths. Suggested pick up time: 7:30 am – Estimated drop off time: 4:00 pm.
What's included
Included
Private tour
Bottled water
Lunch
Waterfalls
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Transport by private vehicle
Not included
Drinks
Gratuities
Traveller Ratings
4.8
5 reviews
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How it compares in Playa Hermosa
Starting price $194 is close to the typical $195 for tours of similar length in Playa Hermosa
Excurgo comparison of 332 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
Important Information
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Infant meals not included
Infant seats available upon request only
Please provide Lodging name
Cancellation
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
0+ days before0% refund
Frequently asked questions
How long does Volcano Crater Tour and Waterfalls take?
Volcano Crater Tour and Waterfalls lasts about 8 hours. The itinerary has 2 stops.
How much does Volcano Crater Tour and Waterfalls cost?
Prices start at $194 per person for this Playa Hermosa 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.
What days does Volcano Crater Tour and Waterfalls run?
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 3:30 AM.
How much does Volcano Crater Tour and Waterfalls cost for children?
Children aged 4–9 pay from $194, adults from $194.
Can I cancel Volcano Crater Tour and Waterfalls for free?
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Where does the tour start?
The meeting point is In the hotel lobby. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
What languages is Volcano Crater Tour and Waterfalls offered in?
The experience is available in EN.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 15 participants.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Specialized infant seats are available Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults Children must be accompanied by an adult
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Is Volcano Crater Tour and Waterfalls worth it?
Travellers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 5 verified reviews; it is run by Costa Rica Issys Tours.
Reviews(5)
V
Vacation640830
August 26, 2026
Amazing Time!!🥰🔆 Will use them again!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We are from Cabo Verde 🇨🇻
My Family and I had an amazing experience with The Issys Tour Costa Rica! We used them for round-trip transportation from the airport to our hotel, and we also booked excursions with them to Llanos de Cortés, Joy Springs, and a sloth experience. Everything was wonderful from beginning to end!
Our guide, Adolfo, was absolutely awesome! He was polite, professional, knowledgeable, and very trustworthy. We felt comfortable with him throughout the entire experience, and he made our excursions even more enjoyable with his kindness and great personality.
We truly loved our time in Costa Rica and are so happy we chose The Issys Tour. We highly recommend them to anyone visiting Costa Rica. Ask for Adolfo—you will not be disappointed! 🇨🇷❤️
S
shar24
January 12, 2023
Great time at Arenal Volcano
Our professional and knowledgeable guide, Miguel, arrived at 7 AM for the 3 hour drive to La Fortuna. We first stopped at the hot springs which was very relaxing. After a delicious lunch we went to the suspension bridges. This was tiring but well worth it. On the back we stopped at a waterfall but it closed a few minutes prior. That was fine as my son and I were tired. Instead on the way back to the hotel we stopped on Coco beach, walked around and got some souvenirs. We got back to our hotel at 6 pm. It was a great day. You will not go wrong with this tour company. Can not recommend them highly enough.
P
Patricia M
August 18, 2022
Best personalized tour experience ever.
I don’t normally write reviews, but I really have to do this!!! I just returned from a fabulous week in Costa Rica. Stayed at the W Hotel Reservation Conchal. Hired Issys Tours to pick me up from the airport to the hour drive to Guanacaste. The driver, Adolfo, was excellent. My sister and I were a bit hungry and he was nice enough to stop at a fruit stand for us to buy fresh fruit. We weren’t interested in tours but he convinced us to do one tour to Palo Verde. Michael was our driver to Palo Verde and was so knowledgeable of historical information, when he dropped us off at the hotel, we booked another tour. Michael was absolutely phenomenal. Best experience ever. We had last minute flight changes as we decided to take a flight to Panama at 5:00 am. I contacted Esteban who arranged to have a driver arrive promptly to the hotel at 3:00 am.
I highly recommend Issys tours. I will be returning to Costa Rica in June 2023 and will be making all my transportation arrangements with Issys Tours. They are flexible, professional, knowledgeable and have excellent work ethics.
Operator response
Hi Patricia,
We are pleased to hear that your experience has been pleasant with us, our team will be waiting for you in June, and we hope to see you soon thank you for your preference!!!
J
justinfP4314YG
February 27, 2020
Great spa day and friendly guide
Miravalles is a beautiful place to visit. The tour guide picked us up at the hotel and we drove to the volcano. Bill was very friendly, explaining as much as he could in English, while politely offering to stop anywhere we needed. He also frequently took pictures for us with my camera. Based on the shots the man knows good spots!
The waterfall and chasm at the Volcano was beautiful, but I'll admit the description for the event made it seem more like a long hike. The actual walking section requiring "moderate fitness" was about 5 - 10 mins of walking on a well maintained trail. I would not say "moderate fitness" is required for that section, but I guess they include it to be safe.
Otherwise the volcano crater, and the natural spa inside it, was the highlight of the day. The sauna, mud bath, and hot springs were great. Lunch was a very tasty casada, and on the ride home Bill stopped at a good spot to pick up souvenirs.
Overall a great day. My only recommendations would be to update the description of the event so that people better understand the emphasis on spa day and not on volcanic hiking. On the language side our guide's English was OK, but not that great. We worked together in English and Spanish to get by successfully. His friendly personality and considerate attitude definitely made up for it :)
G
gregbB6086SS
August 26, 2019
Volcano crater tour and waterfalls
Abraham was our guide and he is very knowledgeable, friendly, and goes the extra mile to make it memorable. I would highly recommend this excursion to anyone
1 people found this helpful
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