Costa Rica Hot Springs ToursIrazú Volcano and Hacienda Orosi Hot Springs Tour
This Irazú Volcano and Hacienda Orosi hot springs tour packs three stops into a 5-7 hour day from San Jose. You ride up to Irazu's main craters, stop at the Basilica of the Virgin of the Angels in Cartago, then finish with a soak in Hacienda Orosi's mineral thermal springs and a typical Costa Rican lunch. The listed price is $198 per person, but the $19 Irazu park fee is billed separately, so budget for that before you book. It is a shared group of up to 15 travelers with hotel pickup included from San Jose. This page breaks down what the price covers, how the day runs, and who should book a different trip from our comparison of Costa Rica hot springs tours, and it sits alongside Costa Rica Hot Springs Tours.
About This Tour
This day trip from San Jose hotels links three very different stops. First the main craters at Irazu Volcano, where the listing says you can see both the Pacific and the Caribbean on a clear day. Then the Basilica of the Virgin of the Angels in Cartago, a pilgrimage site for many believers. The day ends at Hacienda Orosi in the Orosi Valley, where naturally occurring mineral thermal water springs through rainforest at more than 65 degrees Celsius.
The springs are one stop in the day, not the whole day. The listing does not state how long you spend in the pools, and the volcano is often in cloud, so no crater view is promised. Lunch is included, the group is shared with up to 15 travelers, and the $19 park fee comes on top of the listed price.
$198 per person, plus a $19 government service fee for Irazu Volcano National Park billed separately.
5-7 hours door to door from San Jose hotel pickup.
Hacienda Orosi's naturally occurring mineral thermal springs, non-magmatic telluric water rising through rainforest, not volcano-heated river pools or slides.
Round-trip transport from San Jose hotels and a typical Costa Rican lunch. No towel, locker or drinks are stated as included.
Not stated. The springs are the final stop after the volcano and basilica.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure time, and the tour is refunded if bad weather cancels it.
Check Dates and Availability
The tour runs from San Jose with pickup included and groups capped at 15. Check live dates and the current price on the booking page.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer Price, length and what you get
This Irazú Volcano and Hacienda Orosi hot springs tour costs $198 per person plus a separate $19 Irazu park fee, runs 5-7 hours with San Jose hotel pickup, and includes lunch.
Key takeaways
- The real day cost is $217 per person once the $19 park fee is added, so plan for that before booking.
- The soak is the last stop of the day, and the listing does not state how long you get in the pools. Read what the price covers.
- Irazu is often in cloud, so treat the crater and ocean views as a bonus. See what the day is really like.
- If a shorter day focused on the water sounds better, compare the morning Arenal hike and hot springs river tour or browse all hot springs tours in Costa Rica.
What the Price Actually Covers
The headline price is $198 per person, but the listing adds a mandatory $19 government service fee for Irazu Volcano National Park billed separately. That makes the effective day cost $217 per person before gratuities.
Line by Line
The listing confirms one inclusion and several exclusions. Lunch and round-trip transport from San Jose hotels are covered. The $19 park fee is not, and neither are drinks, towels or lockers, none of which the listing states as provided. Among the listings compared on this site, this is one of the few that bills a national park entry outside the tour price.
The comparison below comes from the operator's own listing text for this tour.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tour price | $198 per person | Shared group, up to 15 travelers |
| Irazu park fee | No | $19 government service fee, billed separately |
| Hotel pickup and drop-off | Yes | From San Jose hotels, no pickup window stated |
| Typical lunch | Yes | The only inclusion the listing spells out |
| Drinks | No | Not stated as included |
| Towel or locker | No | Not stated as provided, bring your own towel |
Where the Money Goes
You are paying for a guided three-stop day with transport, not a resort day pass. The springs stop is one slice of it. If you mainly want pool time, the Hacienda Orosi venue itself sells its own day passes with seven thermal mineral pools at 34-39°C, though that booking is separate from this tour and its current walk-up price is not published here.
For travelers based in La Fortuna rather than San Jose, the La Fortuna waterfall and Arenal hot springs day at $92.40 covers a similar volcano-plus-soak shape for less money, with the soak as the final segment of an 11-hour day.
Sources: Río Negro Hot Springs, Hacienda Guachipelín, Hacienda Orosi and Rincón de la Vieja Volcano on Wikipedia.
The main crater of Irazú Volcano. Photo: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives the stop order and the overall 5-7 hour window but no clock times. Here is the sequence as the operator describes it.
Stop 1: Up to Irazu
The day starts with San Jose hotel pickup and the drive toward Irazu Volcano. At the top you observe the main craters. The listing notes that on a clear day you can see the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which means the view is weather dependent and never guaranteed.
The $19 park fee is paid separately at this stage of the day.
Stop 2: Cartago and the Basilica
On the descent into Cartago the group stops at the Basilica of the Virgin of the Angels. The listing describes it as a pilgrimage site for many believers under local religious custom. It is a short cultural stop between the volcano and the valley.
Stop 3: Hacienda Orosi and Lunch
The final leg runs into the Orosi Valley, roughly an hour southeast of San Jose by paved road. Hacienda Orosi sits in rainforest with nascent thermal mineral water. The water is described as telluric, meaning non-magmatic, filtered between layers of the earth and springing at more than 65 degrees Celsius.
A typical Costa Rican lunch is included, and the springs are the closing stop before the drive back to San Jose. The listing does not state a return time or how many minutes you get in the pools, so treat the soak as the finale of a road day rather than the main event.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing carries explicit health and fitness warnings, and the day shape itself excludes some travelers.
Health and Fitness Limits
The listing is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health, and it asks for at least a moderate level of physical fitness. The volcano stop sits at altitude and the day involves several vehicle legs, so anyone with those conditions should look at a calmer option such as the Rio Negro hot springs day pass, a self-guided 5-hour visit you drive to yourself.
Travelers Who Want a Long Soak
The listing states no fixed time at the springs and no return time. If your priority is hours in the water rather than a sampler day, a dedicated springs stay beats this tour. Travelers willing to spend 13 hours on the road for a soak with waterslides can consider the Arenal volcano and thermal hot springs day from San Jose, though it is an even longer round trip.
The Orosi hot springs guide covers independent visits to the valley.
Weather Realists
Irazu's summit is frequently in cloud. If seeing the craters matters more to you than the springs, have a backup plan and keep the free 24-hour cancellation window in reserve. The listing confirms a full refund if the operator cancels for bad weather.
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago. Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
What to Settle Before You Book
Four things decide whether this tour goes smoothly. Confirm them before you pay.
Cancellation and Weather
Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund. The listing also states the tour is refundable if bad weather cancels it. Put that deadline in your phone the day you book, because later cancellations get nothing back.
Confirm in Writing
Message the operator before the day to confirm the pickup time at your specific San Jose hotel, since the listing states hotel pickup is included but gives no pickup window or clock times. Also confirm that the $19 park fee is collected separately and how, so you carry the right cash or card.
What to Bring
Bring a swimsuit and a towel, since the listing does not state that towels are provided. Water shoes are sensible around thermal pools, and carry cash for the park fee, gratuities and any drinks, none of which are listed as included.
Getting There
You do not need to arrange transport. Round-trip pickup from San Jose hotels is included in the $198, and the meeting point is your hotel. Self-drivers are not the target here, though the listing notes public transportation options are available nearby.
If you would rather visit Hacienda Orosi on your own schedule, the guide to hot springs near San José covers the drive, roughly 35-40 km and about an hour on paved roads.
Hour by Hour
The listing gives stop order and a 5-7 hour total but no clock times, so the times below are left blank where the operator does not state them.
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San Jose hotel pickup
Air-conditioned pickup from your San Jose hotel. The listing does not state a pickup window, so confirm the time with the operator in writing.
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Drive to Irazu Volcano
The road climb to the volcano and the national park entrance. Budget the separate $19 government service fee for entry.
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Main craters viewpoint
Walk the crater area at the summit. On a clear day the listing says you can see the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, but cloud often closes the view.
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Descent to Cartago
Stop at the Basilica of the Virgin of the Angels, described in the listing as a pilgrimage site for many believers.
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Into the Orosi Valley
Continue to Hacienda Orosi, about an hour southeast of San Jose by paved road, surrounded by rainforest.
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Typical lunch
A Costa Rican lunch is included, the one meal of the day. Drinks are not stated as included.
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Mineral springs soak
The thermal mineral water at Hacienda Orosi is non-magmatic telluric water, filtered through layers of the earth and springing at more than 65 degrees Celsius. No fixed soak time is stated.
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Return to San Jose
Drop-off back at your hotel. No return time is stated in the listing.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of this listing against the alternatives on this site.
What we genuinely like
- At 5-7 hours it is one of the shortest volcano-plus-springs days available from San Jose, compared with a 13-hour Arenal round trip.
- Round-trip hotel pickup from San Jose is included in the $198 price.
- A typical Costa Rican lunch is included, so you buy only the $19 park fee and drinks on top.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, plus a refund if bad weather cancels the tour.
- The springs use naturally occurring mineral water, described by the operator as telluric and non-magmatic, springing at more than 65 degrees Celsius in rainforest.
The honest downsides
- The $19 Irazu park fee is billed separately, making the true per-person cost $217.
- The listing states no time in the springs, so the soak could be a short stop at the end of the day. Ask the operator how long you get before booking.
- No crater view is promised, since Irazu is often in cloud and the ocean view depends on clear weather.
- Towels, lockers and drinks are not stated as provided, so bring your own towel and cash.
- Not suitable for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health, and moderate fitness is required.
Who it's NOT for: Not for travelers who want a full day centered on the pools themselves, or anyone whose health rules out an altitude stop and several vehicle legs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Irazú Volcano and Hacienda Orosi hot springs tour cost?
The listed price is $198 per person, and the $19 government service fee for Irazu Volcano National Park is billed separately, so budget $217 per person before gratuities and drinks. See the line-by-line breakdown in what the price covers.
How long is the tour and how much time do I get in the hot springs?
The day runs 5-7 hours from San Jose hotel pickup, but the listing does not state a fixed time at the springs. The soak is the final stop after the volcano and the basilica, as laid out in what the day is really like.
Is lunch included and what about towels?
A typical Costa Rican lunch is included in the price. Towels, lockers and drinks are not stated as provided, so bring your own towel and some cash, as advised in what to settle before you book.
Will I see the Irazu craters and the oceans?
You visit the main craters, and the operator says both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea are visible on a clear day. No view is promised, since the summit is often in cloud, which is one of the honest cons listed here.
Is this tour suitable for children or older travelers?
Age bands run from infant 0-3 through child 4-10 to adult 11-90, so all ages can book. The listing is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health and asks for moderate fitness, as covered in who this tour rules out.
Can I cancel if the weather is bad?
Yes on two counts. Cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time for a full refund, and the listing states a full refund applies if the tour is canceled for bad weather. Full terms are in what to settle before you book.
I am staying in La Fortuna instead of San Jose. Is there an equivalent?
Yes. The La Fortuna waterfall, Arenal volcano and hot springs day at $92.40 runs 11 hours from La Fortuna with the soak as the final segment, and the morning Arenal hike and hot springs river tour offers a shorter 6-hour option from select La Fortuna hotels.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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