Half-Day Tour with La Fortuna Waterfall and Arenal Volcano Hike
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Swim beneath a jungle waterfall and hike into Arenal Volcano National Park on a 7-hour, 2-in-1 combo tour that takes in the best of the region’s natural beauty and wildlife. Spot monkeys and bright tropical birds as you walk through the rainforest surrounding La Fortuna waterfall, then enjoy a leisurely Costa Rican lunch with locally grown coffee. Follow your guide along jagged lava flows and mountainside trails as you explore Arenal, learn the history of this iconic volcano, and earn stunning views of Arenal lake.
- Get up-close to native wildlife
- Vegetarian meal option available
- Travel by boat and see the sights from the water
- Perfect for all ages and skill level
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (La Fortuna/Arenal area)
- Bilingual naturalist guide
- Traditional Costa Rican lunch at local family ranch
- Fresh local fruit snacks and Costa Rican coffee
- All taxes and handling fees
- Gratuities for guide and driver (optional)
- Hotel pickup/drop-off outside specified Arenal zones
- Alcoholic beverages
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We pickup from all hotels in the Arenal and La Fortuna area, if you come from a different destination please let us know, we can arrange that too. Which hotel are you staying at?
Start time.10:30 am
Itinerary
1
Arenal Volcano
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
La Fortuna Waterfall
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Rain Forest Explorers
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- It is recommended that you wear tennis or hiking shoes and bring a bottle of water, raincoat, repellent, swimsuit and a camera.
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Not recommended for travelers with knee problems
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Issac was a fascinating tour guide who shared so much knowledge and perspective about Costa Rica history, wildlife, culture, and the environment. It was by far the best tour we experienced in Costa Rica. The one negative was encountering quite a bit of rain and wind on the lava trails but Issac's humor helped turned that part of the tour into a fun adventure.
Reviews
4.9
based on 108 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Rainforest Adventures provided a great guide, clean transportation, and a small group experience. The private lunch stop was at a very pretty location and the food was great. The waterfall is beautiful and therefore was a bit crowded. The volcano walk was quite peaceful and not crowded. Not sure if that is normally the case, but we enjoyed it! Lots of steps on this tour.
Our guide Francisco was very knowledgeable and friendly. We learned a lot about Costa Rican wildlife and the surrounding Arenal Volcano as well. He also kept our 7 year old engaged the whole day. The lunch provided on this excursion was also one of our favorite meals during our trip -- simple with fresh ingredients and some well. Thank you again for the experience!
Just an amazing tour. The guide Mario was extremely knowledgeable on the volcano and is very friendly. I highly recommend this tour
If you’re visiting Costa Rica, this tour is an absolute must. Our day took us to the stunning La Fortuna waterfall and the majestic Arenal Volcano, and it exceeded every expectation.
What made the experience truly special were the people behind it. Our driver Minor was warm, punctual, and made us feel completely at ease from the moment we were picked up. He was attentive throughout the day and genuinely looked out for our comfort every step of the way.
Our tour guide Francisco was an absolute gem — knowledgeable, passionate, and full of fascinating insights about the volcano, the local ecosystem, and Costa Rican culture. He had a wonderful patience with our group, answered every question thoughtfully, and never made anyone feel rushed. You could tell he genuinely loves what he does.
I really enjoyed the tour, it was lovely. I got to see the waterfall and see the volcano. The only thing I felt was that it was a little rushed and we were short on time. Around the waterfall there was a few shops and it would have been great to have some more time around that area. We got an hour to go down and up 500 steps to the waterfall. Then another half an hour to be in the waterfall water. Bring water shoes. Then my volcano hike was modified to fit my 4 year old THANK YOU! That was amazing I got to enjoy this area better because of it. I recommend being some what physically fit because it’s definitely a lot for one day especially with the heat! The lunch we had was delicious and at a great place.
This was a great experience! We started at the waterfall which due to recent rains, was incredible!! Swimming was so fun with so many fish! We had lunch which was delicious in a beautiful place. We had rain and a lot of fog at the volcano so visibility was low, but still fun. Our guide made sure we saw monkeys and sloth along the way. My husband and I had our sons 8 and 2.5 for the tour. Our 8 yr old had no issues with any activities. We had our youngest in a backpack carrier we brought for the hiking and stairs - couldn’t have done it otherwise. I requested a child car seat when booking and it was ready to go upon arrival. The timing of everything was perfect. No long van rides. Our kids also loved the lunch and they even had some games for them to enjoy. Perfectly run tour company, always thinking ahead and putting safety first. This was a great way to experience the rainforest. Highly recommend.
What an amazing trip. Mauricio (our guide) structured the trip in a way that engaged the adults and the kids. Visited the Arenal volcano first, followed by the La Fortuna waterfalls. The highlight of the tour was the lunch at their private cafe. Lunch was easily the best food we had in Costa Rica. We loved it so much that we noted down the recipe! Hopefully it comes out just as delicious at home. Thanks for helping us make some great memories on the tour.
This was a lot of fun the guides were nice, attentive, and overall everything was very fun!! All of my friends enjoyed it. Beautiful Views.
Oscar and Johane were excellent. Lunch spectacular. The constant rain and dense fog ruined the views.-no fault of the tour operator!
Issac was a fascinating tour guide who shared so much knowledge and perspective about Costa Rica history, wildlife, culture, and the environment. It was by far the best tour we experienced in Costa Rica. The one negative was encountering quite a bit of rain and wind on the lava trails but Issac's humor helped turned that part of the tour into a fun adventure.
The guide was amazing and very knowledgeable. I would highly recommend both him and the tour company. We had a great time swimming at the bottom of the biggest waterfall we’ve ever seen, and the volcano hike was a great history lesson and had beautiful views. Both hikes are at least moderate in difficulty. Be ready for lots of steps to the waterfall and lots of uphill walking and natural steps for the volcano views.
Great and informative tour. The host was super nice and fun. Picturesque views. The hike through the forest and up to the volcano was fun.
Overall, this was a good experience however it was different than what we expected. First, we traveled to the waterfall (we thought that would be later so we had to change into our suits); THAT part should be called the hike. It was 1,000 steps and the way back up was strenuous on everyone. The waterfall itself was beautiful and there are swimming areas as well. It was cold and slippery and very rainy at the bottom but totally worth it! Then we got back in the van. The guides pulled over when they spotted a sloth (no idea how they saw it!) It was hard to see with the naked eye but with their camera and scope, we got some good pictures of the sloth and a toucan. We then went to lunch which was SO good. The people were super nice and accommodating and the food was one of the best meals we’ve had so far (including fresh fruit juice and ice cream). There was also great bird sightings here and a few dogs too. Last, we went to the volcano. It was not really a hike and more of a walk with some steps; MUCH easier than the waterfall steps. The trail to the volcano was extremely muddy. Do not wear Teva type sandals as you will slide around on the mud under your toes. There wasn’t much to see on the walk but the guide did share lots of history that was mildly interesting. That made it longer; otherwise you could do the trail and back in 30 min or less. They gave us fresh pineapple at the end. Overall, it was a good experience and we got some great pictures but I think we could have done it on our own and would skip the volcano next time; it’s better from afar :)
Tour guide was very knowledgeable and great with the two young kids in our group. The lunch that was provided was one of our best meals during our whole trip and it was in a beautiful location as well. It is a smaller family operated tour company. We enjoyed everyone we met. If I had not been traveling with children I might have planned to go here without a tour guide however I was glad that I booked this trip as it was very enjoyable.
This tour was so much fun!! Edgar and his family are absolutely amazing and so nice and accommodating! We were staying in Guanacaste- which was extra far from La Fortuna and Arenal- and Edgar went out of his way to come pick us up and bring us back all in the same day. For sure a long ride if you’re coming from the Guanacaste area so be prepared but the experience and views were absolutely worth it! The lunch meal was also delicious-the best we have had in Costa Rica thus far. The hike and waterfall were great as well. I would highly recommend this tour!
We had a busy and exciting day. This tour was so much fun and informative. The lunch was absolutely delicious. Bring bug spray and sun screen since you are outside all day. Worth every cent.
We thoroughly enjoyed the waterfall and our guide was very knowledgable and friendly. The volcano hike was good but you can only go so far on the trail.
Response from Host, Aug 2019
Hello, we hope you are doing great!
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience at Rainforest Explorers. We are glad to read you enjoyed our combo tour...we know, It is a shame we cant walk further on the trails of the protected and natural reserve el Silencio! We appreciate your review and if you have anything that can improve our service, please feel free to write us at info@rainforestexplorers.com.
Regards from all Rainforest Explorers Family
AN amazing experience for our family that included an 11 and 14 yo. Carlos and Michael were fantastic, knowledgeable guides who went out of their way to not only find us a sloth but we saw a momma and baby! This was a half day 2 in 1 and I cant imagine the 4 in 1. Waterfall was beautiful and LOTS of steps to climb down and up. Family lunch on ranch took us out of town a bit, was authentic and delicious. Volcano hike to end day was pretty and we scoped toucans. A must do!
I don't even know where to start on how amazing this tour was. It was off season so as with most of the tours, the group was very small. By the last hike it was just me and the guide, Carlos. And oh man Carlos is THE BEST! He has an AMAZING eye and ear for wildlife. Since it was just the 2 of us, he took me on a few extra trails where we saw a family of monkeys, frogs, birds, and insects. I swear Carlos spotted a camouflaged lizard on a tree 50 yards away. This whole tour was a really nice balance of activity and sightseeing. Just beware that the hike to the falls is all stairs and can be a little rough going up, but the trail has been recently rebuilt and is very nice with lots of rest areas along the way. 100 this was THE highlight of my trip.
Our guide was WONDERFUL! He was so diligent in answer all of our questions, providing history and origins of not only incredible scenery, but had a keen eye for all wildlife! It was absolutely our favorite tour while in Costa Rica. Would highly recommend!
Our driver William and guide Edgar were very knowledgeable and made this trip fun for all ages. Would definitely recommend doing while in Costa Rica.
This tour far exceeded our expectations! William was top notch and a great tour guide. He was very friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about what he does. The Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna Waterfalls are both must see's when staying in the areas, so I highly recommend this tour! I believe if you are staying in any La Fortuna area hotels, they will come and pick you up directly from your hotel. They travel in very nice tourist vans, with air conditioning, which is great. In addition to the 2 in 1 tours, the tour guides will often stop in transit to point out wildlife i.e. sloths, toucans, monkeys etc... as you travel between locations. Great people!
We had a great time with Edgar and Tony. They were great guides and so knowledgeable about the plants and animals and so patient with all of our questions. The hike to the waterfall was beautiful and the swim was really fun too. We had a delicious Tico lunch and then a great hike to the lava flow and through the rainforest to end our day. What a wonderful time. This is a must do if you are in La Fortuna!!
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Half-Day Tour with La Fortuna Waterfall and Arenal Volcano Hike
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