Irazú Volcano, Orosi Valley & Lankester Gardens from San José
Description
Embark on an unforgettable journey through Costa Rica’s natural beauty and cultural heritage with this full-day tour. Begin at Irazú Volcano National Park, where you’ll stand at the summit of the country’s highest active volcano and marvel at its dramatic crater and panoramic views. Continue into the enchanting Orosi Valley, known for its lush landscapes, colonial architecture, and tranquil charm, before visiting the historic Ujarrás Ruins, surrounded by rolling green hills and colorful gardens. Your adventure concludes at the world-renowned Lankester Botanical Garden, home to one of the finest orchid collections on the planet and a breathtaking variety of tropical plants. Ideal for nature enthusiasts, photographers, and culture lovers, this experience perfectly blends volcanoes, history, and botanical wonders into one must-do Costa Rica adventure.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The tour will begin with us trekking south along the Panamerican Highway until we reach the base of the behemoth “Iztaru” (a name of an indigenous village that was situated on the flanks of the volcano, and a likely candidate as a possible origin for the current name of the Irazu Volcano). The winding road traverses fertile lands in which all types and forms of vegetation are cultivated, all the while affording us a spectacular panoramic view of the surrounding hills and valleys. And, at the very top of the summit, on a clear day, one can be privy to an unforgettable bird’s eye view of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
A famous peregrination site for many believers, some of which travel for days or even weeks on foot, in a pilgrimage of faith, to the site. The Basilica has large vaulted ceilings and exquisite examples of stained glass windows, and is a must see.
Lankester Gardens, a University of Costa Rica Center for investigation that protects more than 800 species of orchids, bromeliads and countless species of other plants.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We will pick you up at hotels located in the San José area and near by. The pickup time will depend on your hotel's location, so we kindly ask that you specify the place where you will be staying in your request.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- What to bring? Coat - Camera - Binoculars - Comfortable walking shoes - Raincoat
- If you are travelling with children please let us know their ages, during the booking process.
Reviews(45)
I learned so much from our tour guide Jesus. He is so knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating to all guests.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such a great experience with Jesús. His knowledge, friendliness, and dedication truly make every tour special. We’ll be sure to share your comments with him—it will mean a lot! We hope to welcome you again soon for another unforgettable adventure in Costa Rica.
Our tour guide was nice, lunch was fabulous and explained everything about our tour. We also got a one-in-20+-years experience of seeing both peaks without cloud cover at Irazú!
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour, especially the delicious lunch and the detailed explanations from your guide. And how incredible to witness both peaks of Irazú completely clear—what a rare and unforgettable experience! We’re so glad you got to enjoy that special moment with us.
Our multilingual tour guide Nancy was excellent today. Friendly, informative, took loads of photos for us and generally made the day extra special. We loved the hotel pick and drop off and were glad that we made it to IRAZU before all of the crowds. Really loved this tour. Thanks guys. ❤️
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that Nancy made your day so special with her friendliness and knowledge—she’ll be so happy to hear this. We’re also glad you enjoyed the convenience of the hotel pick-up and drop-off, and that you got to experience Irazú ahead of the crowds—that truly makes a difference! It means a lot to know you loved the tour. We hope to welcome you again for another amazing experience in Costa Rica!
Excellent and very nice. Very responsible with the schedule. Both the guide and the chauffeur had a great look out for us all
¡Muchas gracias por compartir tu experiencia! Nos alegra muchísimo saber que disfrutaste del tour y que todo el equipo fue puntual, atento y pendiente de cada detalle. Agradecemos de verdad tu confianza y esperamos tener el gusto de acompañarte en otra aventura muy pronto. ¡Gracias por elegirnos!
We have visited many places during the trip and each of them was wonderful and totally different from each other. It was a great trip, we have felt that if we had some 15 minutes more on each of the stations it would have been even better.
Thank you for sharing your feedback! We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed each of the places visited during the trip and that the variety made the experience memorable. We truly appreciate your suggestion about spending a little more time at each stop. Feedback like this helps us continue improving our itineraries so future travelers can enjoy an even better experience. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again on another adventure!
The guide gave directions from the van and did not accompany us to the tours so we did not have precise details of the place. The worst part is that when the food for the customers arrived, Mr. Max took his and the driver's plates, not knowing if all the customers had our dishes. He was upset to question his unprofessionalism as he ate and customers without food. I definitely won't be rehiring with this agency.
The tour is beautiful, but the guide Max is a rude person and as he is very very overweight he hardly does the activity with the group. Everything is narrated by the bus and when you arrive at the place it just tells you: you have x time to travel it. Also at lunchtime, the man took his plate and sat before everyone else without checking that the others were being served and when Sr made the remark he was upset and continued ruder. Too bad your service deserved the tour
The volcano is a must. We got very lucky with the timing and it was clear when we arrived and we could see absolutely everything. The view is incredible. The clouds rolled in while we were there and then the view was gone. Lankester Gardens is very educational if nothing else. The incredible variety of orchids and other flora is nothing short of amazing. The basilica has a funeral going on so we were limited on what we could see but it was still very enjoyable. The lunch spot had amazing views and good food as well. The bus air conditioner worked very well and kept us comfortable.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! The Arenal Volcano truly is a must-see, and we’re thrilled you got so lucky with the perfect timing to enjoy those incredible, clear views—it’s a magical experience when the skies open up! Even when the clouds roll in, the moment you had is unforgettable, and we’re so glad you could witness it at its best. We hope to welcome you back for more Costa Rica adventures soon!
Everything about this tour was perfect from the moment our personal guide we were fortunate to get a personal tour that Day picked us up at our hotel and took us to the volcano and the valley and we were able to spend extended time as our wonderful tour guide Franklin Campos. he was so knowledgeable and educated us on so many different things involving the volcano the valley and the people of Costa Rica. We went on to tour, the beautiful Catholic Church. Just being in its presence was a religious peace. Then we went on to have a wonderful lunch nearby at a new restaurant. His tour company was trying, and it was superb and it was perfect that he was able to join us and we continued learning about the history of Costa Rica and building a friendship that will cross the ocean even after we leave. Then to top off the tour, we got to enjoy the beautiful garden of Lancaster complements of the university of Costa Rica. We were able to take our time and enjoy every plant tree bird that the garden held at one time they have 30,000 species of orchids from being planted to full bloom. I would greatly recommend this tour and if you are fortunate to have as your guide, a very fine gentleman named Franklin Campos, I assure you you’re in for a treat.
Dear Barbara, We appreciate so much your comments as we work every day to improve the quality of our services. Sincerely, Expediciones Tropicales Day Tours
This tour had a lot of great variety on the trip which is great for people with a short time in the San Jose area. I would have loved some more guidance in the history of the volcano and more guidance generally but the tour guild was enthusiastic and open to questions; the food was excellent and the views were incredible.
Dear Traveler, We appreciate so much your comments as we work every day to improve the quality of our services. Sincerely, Expediciones Tropicales Day Tours
