Volcano Hike, Waterfall Swim & Hot Springs Combo on Rincon de la Vieja
Overview
Available languages
12 hours
Mobile ticket
A full day tour exploring the flora, fauna and natural wonders of Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park. The day consists of a moderate 2-hour hike where you will see wildlife and volcanic activity. Next we will visit the Oropendola Waterfall where you can swim and play in the water. After the waterfall, it is time to eat a typical Costa Rican lunch following a trip to relax at the hot springs and enjoy a volcanic mud bath.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
Use "Special Requirements" field upon checkout to advise dietary information
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required, if you are a solo traveler please contact us
If you do not need transportation, please meet us at the entrance of the National Park at 9:00 am.
If your hotel is not listed, contact us for quoting
Due to a new requirement issued by the Ministry of Tourism and the National Park Systems of Costa Rica, we need each person to send us the following information: Full Name on Passport, Passport number, Passport issuing country. You must carry a picture of your passport with you on your tour!
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Parque Nacional Rincon de la Vieja
National Park Hike With our bilingual naturalist guide, you'll walk 3.5-km (2 miles) in Las Pailas circular path through the tropical forest to enjoy the best views of the volcano, incredible nature, volcanic activity, and wildlife. The park is home to more than 300 species of birds, and many other animals, such as armadillos, bays, iguanas, coatis and white-faced monkeys, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, toucans, turkeys, and much more. You will stop to view the volcanic activity including bubbling mud pots, fumaroles, and a mini crater. The Las Pailas sector spectacularly shows the power of the Rincon de la Vieja volcano, the most active and largest volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Steam and sulfur come from natural fumaroles of the yellow and rusty soil. Witness clay pails in various shades of brown with boiling volcanic water, fine gray volcanic mud bubbles and explosions in large pails. This volcano is like no other in Costa Rica.
Oropendola Warterfall
After the hike, take a short walk off the beaten path to Oropendola Waterfall just outside of the park, where you can jump in and swim in the blue lagoon.
What‘s Included
Hotel pickup and drop-off
National Park fees
Bottled water
Driver/guide
Lunch
Air-conditioned vehicle
Gratuities
Transportation from Andaz, Four Seasons, Planet Hollywood, Las Catalinas, Waldorf Astoria
Towel - Please bring your own
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Shared Transportation & Guide
Shared Tour - Max 15 people: Round trip Transport to/from JW Marriott, Tamarindo, Langosta, Flamingo, Potrero, RIU Hotels, Coco, Hermosa, Panama, Liberia
Pickup included
Self Drive/Meet at Park
Drive your Own Vehicle : Meet your guide at Rincon de la Vieja National Park at 9:00 am & follow our tour bus to Lunch and Hot Springs
Reviews
688 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great tour with the greatest guide
Dolomis,,Jan 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fantastic time! Hike through the volcano sites was incredible, waterfall was very impressive, we loved hot springs baths. We had an incredible experience! Our guide Boom is extremely knowledgeable in flora and fauna of Costa Rica , he is a professional biologist . He went above and beyond telling us about trees and animals we saw on the trail. We learned a whole lot. He is very punctual, friendly and fun. He made us feel relaxed and welcomed. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Our driver Miguel was very experienced, effective and friendly. We had the best of times on this tour
Great tour with an amazing guide
Irina D,,Jan 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We had an incredible experience! Our guide Boom was extremely knowledgeable, professional biologist . We went above and beyond telling us about trees and animals we saw on the trail. He is very punctual, friendly and fun. He made us feel relaxed and welcomed. Our driver Miguel was very experienced, effective and friendly. We had the best of times on this tour
Nice hike, relaxing hot springs
Voyager213813,,Jan 26, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an excellent tour and I really enjoyed it. Rincon de la Vieja was a very decent hike of around 2.5 miles. We saw monkeys and some other wildlife. The bubbling mud pits and the hot springs were interesting to see. The lunch was delicious and it was very relaxing to go over the hanging bridge to the beautiful waterfall and then soak in the hot springs afterword. I would highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.
It was AMAZING and kid friendly
Lyudmyla T,,Jan 22, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We were able to leave belongings between activities on the bus. Good idea to bring water shoes in addition to hiking shoes and extra snacks for the kids.
Fun day!
elizabeth f,,Jan 20, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00A long day but well worth it. The bus was clean and all of the people were friendly. Our guide was kind and knew a lot about Costa Rica and the tour. Plenty of bathroom breaks, which was appreciated. It was about a 12 hour day and they picked us up on time and dropped us off exactly as expected. The hike was cool, especially seeing all the monkeys and hot springs. It was fun to walk across the high bridge into the waterfall for a swim. It ended with hot springs where you could choose what temperature you wanted to go into as well as a little mud bath where you would put the mud on yourself and then shower. About 2 1/2 hours each way to drive to the destination, but like I said, it didn’t really matter. People on the bus were friendly and we met a lot of new friendly faces. The lunch they served was buffet style with a lot of choices, including meat, vegetables, salad, plantains, rice, and beans. I would recommend this tour. Don’t forget your water, shoes and bug spray. I would also recommend a hat.
Worth every minute—incredible guide and scenery
572trevorl,,Jan 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Incredible day at Rincón de la Vieja! Hiked through volcanic mud pools with steam rising all around us, spotted a whole troop of monkeys in the canopy, then cooled off swimming under a waterfall. Topped it off with hot springs and a volcanic mud bath. Our guide Boom was fantastic—pointed out details we'd have completely missed and kept things moving perfectly. Miguel was an excellent driver too: safe, punctual, and super friendly. Highly recommend!
A Tame yet Delightful Adventure
tamiw228,,Jan 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was a full day excursion broken up with activities. The van picked us up right on time from our condo entrance. Miguel is a safe and efficient friendly driver. “Boom” is a great connector, entertaining and knowledgeable about the plants, trees, and animals in the park. The hike was good exercise but not strenuous. The weather was beautiful, light mist at times, warm, overcast with some sun. The waterfall swim was refreshing cold. Mud baths and hot springs are well maintained, temperatures regulated with a choice of different degrees of heat. Beautiful River runs through the natural hot spring complex of pools. A breakfast rest stop (not included) and a buffet of typical Costa Rican dishes for lunch (included) broke up the days activities.
The best tour guide!
jasminetM4110OA,,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My friends and I did this tour on the second day of our trip to Guanacaste. We were picked up from the RIU hotel bright and early and picked up a couple more people on the way, it was a long bumpy drive to the national park and back to the resort so if you get car sick definitely bring nausea medication. We hiked around Rincon de la Vieja and saw so many things! Craters, mud pools, iguanas, monkeys, etc. it was very fun. However, some of the older people in our group were having a hard time so I would say it is not a beginner hike. The waterfall was the coolest part and definitely the favourite thing we did, however you have to go down a suspension bridge which was not easy for our friend who is scared of heights. The hot springs were also very neat, it was nice not to be rushed by our guide. The lunch was surprisingly really good! Our guide was super nice and knowledgeable. Unfortunately I forget his name but it was clear he was very focused on giving us the best experience possible. He had a lot of fun facts for us and was very charismatic, watched over us but never rushed us. We got to stop at a really cool spot for souvenirs on the way back as well. I highly recommend and thank our tour guide for his part in making it a great experience!
Great day trip from the beach!
TucsonPT,,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great day spent with Kevin. Very knowledgeable and fun. Lunch was traditional buffet and quite good. My only complaint was that there was not enough time at the hot springs considering time to change back into regular clothing afterwards. Also, “mudbath” is just getting a bowl of mud, then spreading it on your body. No time to really let it dry before needing to rinse off if you want to get in the hot springs
Excellent but very strenuous.
Aline G,,Jan 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This is a great tour, but people with musculoskeletal problems should not go. The advertising rated the level of difficulty as suitable for all ages, from 0 to 99, which is not accurate.
From US$125.00
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