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
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
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
Reviews
697 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
An incredible day!
O8484NNamyc,,Feb 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Kevin Pina was an amazing tour guide. The day was incredible! Very well organized blend of exercise, learning, excitement and beauty, all in one day! The hike was doable for our family of 6, ages 11-51. The waterfall was beautiful and refreshing. The buffet lunch was delicious! The hot springs and mud was really fun and relaxing at the end. Highly recommend!
A day of discovery for unforgettable wildlife adventure”
LittleSwissLou,,Feb 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We hired Jonatan for the day to guide us around. Was brilliant. We weren’t really that bothered about bird spotting but with Kevyn enthusiasm and knowledge, by the end of the day we were hooked! Seeing the resplendent quetzal was fabulous we loved the armadillo and coati - just brilliant. But our favourite was the night tour. Absolutely amazing. We saw scorpion, snake, birds sleeping, leaf cutter ants, stick insect, humming bird nest, tarantula and more. The day starts with two walks, it’s mainly gravelly, sandy paths but also some muddy paths. So good footwear and rain protection is needed, but that also keeps the bugs away. There is a chance for a snack, drink and bathroom break. You can get WiFi reception at the cafes. Otherwise there is no mobile service. After the two walks you have a longer break for a few hours and to get early dinner before the night walk. Strongly recommended.
A delightful day
sallien2026,,Feb 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The entire day was delightful. Learning about the flora & fauna in the park was fascinated bating & wonderful! Daphne was knowledgeable and so pleasant! And I loved a nice soak in the hot springs! Our other travelers were all fun & so engaged
Some tips to help you enjoy this wonderful tour.
dmcumming695,,Feb 11, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00A great combination of three fun experiences. Boom was an excellent guide - knowledgeable, friendly and highly attentive to our comfort and enjoyment. We recommend it! A few things to be help prepare you for a good day... No need to eat breakfast before you start out for the day. The van makes a stop at a breakfast restaurant on the way. The food is fast, cheap and tasty and the coffee is plentiful. The hike at the volcano park is very manageable. I'm in my sixties and in okay (but not great) shape and I was able to enjoy the trek. We covered a total of 15,000 steps throughout the day. You may end up changing in the van in the waterfall parking lot. I recommend wearing your swim suit under your hiking clothes. Bring a waterproof phone cover. We didn't and we missed out on taking photos of us swimming under the falls. Lunch is at the end of the three activities, at around 3 p.m. Bring snacks. The trip home coincides with rush hour and it takes around three hours to get back to Tamarindo. Make a plan to fill the time. With these tips in mind, you'll enjoy this tour greatly!
Wonderful experience
50wandag,,Feb 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Daphne and Micheal were great. Daphne was very knowledgeable and friendly. She made sure everyone knew what was going on and her instructions were so easy to follow. She was very friendly. We had a wonderful time and it was great first experience in Costa Rica for us.
We had a beautiful day...
Brian A,,Feb 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We had a beautiful day for this tour. Could have been hot but the winds cooled things down significantly. For the cold natured would recommend long sleeve or layer with windbreaker. Also lots of biting insects and mosquitoes in the forest so bring bug spray or wear cool hiking pants and sleeves. We say white faced monkeys up close and personal and many interesting trees and plants. The waterfall was beautiful and was fun to swim in the refreshing pool at the base of the waterfall. Hot springs with the mud treatment was fun too! JC was a terrific guide and Diego our driver got us around safely and timely.
This was a full day tour...
ASHLEE A,,Feb 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a full day tour that included a hike, waterfall and hot springs. I wish we had more time at the hot springs - communication about the length of time should have been stated upon arrival. But all in all it was a great day and the highlight of the trip.
Rushed
Wander636122,,Jan 30, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00The hike was a little long and started to feel boring toward the end, and it was more challenging than expected. It ended up taking up most of our time. We were not able to swim in the waterfall due to the weather, but that area with the suspension bridges was beautiful and definitely the highlight of the hike. The hot springs were amazing but felt very rushed. If we had been able to swim in the waterfall, the hot springs would have felt even more rushed. The time breakdown felt like about 70 percent hiking, 5 percent waterfall, 10 percent hot springs, 10 percent lunch, and 5 percent at the gift shop. The lunch was yucky, and the gift shop stop felt a bit unnecessary. Overall, it was still a good experience. I would have happily traded some hiking time, along with the sit down lunch and gift shop stop, for more time at the hot springs and a quick sandwich to go.
We had Daphne and...
Verdoni C,,Jan 30, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We had Daphne and Diego as guides and they were beyond our expectations. Very friendly, with all the necessary knowledge and patient with other tourists more demanding or with difficulty to complete the hike. The tour was perfect and very complete. 2h walk in the dry then wet Forest. We saw several kinds of birds, a spider venomous apes!! Walking goes well without having to be experienced or sporty and the volcano craters are impressive with smoke and mud boiling. The meal included was delicious. The fall was beautiful and the hotprings with the mud bath ended the day in style. The site is beautiful. The bus was comfortable and everything was very well organized. I recommend it without hesitation is a $200 worth it!!
Rainforest Hike and Relaxing Hot Springs
Christina K,,Jan 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00A good hike to see a beautiful rainforest with sulphuric lava pools followed by a relaxing visit to a hot springs to use volcanic mud!
From US$125.00
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Operated by Native's Way Costa Rica