Venado Caves Underground Experience from La Fortuna
Recommended by 94% of travelers
La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Follow underground trails into a series of remarkable grottoes and chambers on this Venado Caves tour from La Fortuna. Gear up and follow your flashlight along an ancient seabed as you explore the caves with your guide, checking out formations and bristling stalactites and stalagmites. Visit a bat colony that thrives in the cool, dark cave system, then return to the surface to enjoy a snack of tropical fruits.
- Perfect for anyone who loves nature and exploring
- Go spelunking safely with a guide to lead the way
- Travel in the comfort of an air-conditioned minivan
- Bottled water and fresh fruit will be served
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- Professional guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Exploration equipment (lanterns, flashlights, mask, helmet, rubber boots)
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan with Wi-Fi
- Towels
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.9:00 am
What To Expect
1
Venado Caves
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not wheelchair accessible
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Minimum age is 8 years
- May be operated by a multilingual guide
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 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
Freida_Z
Diego was a great guide. The caves were very interesting. Being mobile/active is a necessity. Definitely bring a complete change of clothes (shoes/socks/undies/etc) because you’ll get soaked. Good water shoes are a must. They have showers and changing rooms. Worth the price to go explore!
Reviews
4.7
based on 139 reviews
hein_S, Mar 2026
Bit more challenging then expected,but we got an amazing experience with a great giude. All the smaller holes we went through can be skipped if you want, but i d advise against it.
Laura_A, Jan 2026
This is definitely an off the road excursion. It’s insanely cool but tougher than I was expecting. Be prepared to be wet and dirty. Definitely need to be fit to do any of the side quests like the “birth canal” but would definitely recommend if you want something different than regular nature in La Fortuna.
Maureen_C, Dec 2025
It was amazing. Our guide was friendly. one of the coolest things i’ve seen. Do bring a towel and clothes to change into because you will be practically crawling in water at times! so worth it!!!!
Judith_B, Dec 2025
It was beyond what we had imagined!! The cave was challenging, exciting and incredible to experience….Mau was an excellent guide and even though there were some parts that were a tad scary, we felt safe and well cared for in such a unique environment!! Been thinking about it for days, feeling empowered and grateful for this opportunity :)
Shelby_L, Dec 2025
The driver, Rafael, was the best part! The achtual caves were a lottle sketchy, the guides just kinda had us wilding until theh realized we were nervous/lost.
Raegan_R, Nov 2025
Once in a lifetime experience. Spend the extra 24 dollars on photos. They only take cash! However, this adventure is not for those who are out of shape. Make sure you pack a change of clothes. They provide water boots, and you will definitely need them.
David_V, Nov 2025
Was lucky enough to have a private tour! Mauricio was a great guide and the caves were awesome. Just for information, the tour itself was around 1 - 1.5 hours, and the caves were quite warm
David_P, Sep 2025
Very knowledgeable guide, amazing sights within the cave. I’m a decent sized guy and it was fun having to wriggle my way through one of the tight openings, and they made me feel comfortable throughout. They even gave us the option on some parts of taking the “easy” or “adventurous” routes……always go for the adventure! Well worth it. And they took the photos so we didn’t have to bring a phone with us. Well worth it!
erin_N, Jul 2025
My son got carsick on the way up so two of us stayed on the surface during the 90 minute tour. But my wife loved it. Lesson, even with meclazine and also a drive through the clud forest under his belt with no motion sickness, make sure you keep your eyes on the front of the road when driving through CR if youre susceptible to motion sickness.
Isabel_G, Jul 2025
A very unique experience! This was a really fun and different way to experience the area. If you are okay with bugs/bats- this is a great option!
Our guide was very knowledgeable and helped us through the different options through the cave. He was very encouraging but didn’t push us too hard to try the optional activities. Be ready to get wet and do some light climbing! This cave has a river running through it so you will get wet up to your knees at least.
I particularly enjoyed crawling through tunnel that had the river running through it!
The treats offered at the end was a great touch :)
Dax_B, Apr 2025
This was a great adventure tour. Diego is the best and very knowledgeable. Tour was Very Safe. You will get wet! Bring waterproof phone case, and change of clothes. If you are scared of caving.. don't be this is a great experiance and a great opportunity to push your comfort zone. There is crawling, climbing and a bit of squeezing. Toured during the dry season. Water was up to out knees. The tour makes for a great story and experiance.
emilyhansen8697, Apr 2025
Diego was an amazing tour guide! The caves were very interesting and we appreciated that they care about safety when it came to our health and the bats! We saw a lot of wildlife and monkeys outside of the cave as well. The experience was really good! The driver was also very kind and spotted a sloth for us!
Karysa_N, Mar 2025
We had an incredible time exploring the caverns with our guide, Diego. He was very knowledgable about the caves and wildlife and we felt safe with his guidance the entire time. Prepare to get very wet to have maximum fun!
Jennifer_M, Feb 2025
The tour of Venado cave was excellent! The drive from the meetup location to the cave was about an hour and we even stopped to see a sloth on the way! Our guide and driver Andres was excellent! He was incredibly knowledgeable about the cave, as well as, plants and wildlife in the area. You walk through water in most areas of the cave. Rubber boots are available (no charge) if you want them, but water shoes worked great. You are given a disposable mask to wear in the cave to prevent breathing in bat poop. You are required to shower afterwards, so bring a change of clothes. They do provide towels.
Krissy_W, Jan 2025
So cool! I've been caving before in the states but this was the coolest cave I've seen so far! Mario was my driver and Andreas was my guide and they both were awesome! Andreas gave some background information and guided us through the cave safely. There's an optional part where you can crawl through section and climb up and it was a relaly cool experience. Awesome rock formation, caverns, some bats and giant spiders! They provide everything that you'd need to go through the cave plus snacks, drinks and a shower afterwards. Make sure to bring that extra change of clothes because you for sure will get soaked but it's totally worth it for the unique experience!!!
Katie_R, Jan 2025
The part in the cave was great! You get a nice mix of big caverns and narrower caves. However you spend a majority of your time that day picking up other people from their hotels and driving to the cave site. The guides were nice but not as friendly as some of our guides on our other excursions. It was enjoyable but overpriced for what you get
OleHelmer_S, Dec 2024
We had a really exciting, funny and a bit challenging tour in the Venado caves. The guide was excellent and we felt secure all the time.
M_D, Dec 2024
Now this tour was awesome! It was dark, there was some climbing, there was some squeezing and there was some crawling. The bats got close a couple of times but none touched us. Diego was knowledgeable and very comforting when my wife didn't think she could climb some parts but did. You will get wet so, bring spare clothes, a towel and a waterproof phone case. I wore water shoes and socks (under my wife's recommendation). Don't bother with bug repellent because they will instruct you not to use it to not disturb the delicate insects that live in the cave. This cave tour was super rewarding - we both highly recommend it.
Amber_B, Dec 2024
Our tour guide was Diego. I cannot say enough amazing things about this guy. He was supportive, encouraging, knowledgeable, and got us in and out safely. There was one point I lost my phone in one of the tight tunnels we had to crawl though and he went back on his own and FOUND it!!! I was so happy and gave him a big tip afterward. This guy is seriously incredible! Listen to him!! When he recommends to take only one phone do it! And maneuver through the cave the way he tells you too.
TIPS: You will get soaked, there is no way to avoid this. Wear a swimsuit under your clothes. I wore thin quick-dry pants, which will help you from getting scraped up on the rocks, a tank top, and I highly recommend wearing the rubber boots they offer with calf high socks if possible to help prevent rubbing. Bring a towel and full change of clothes. You can leave these on the bus during the tour. They have showers and bathrooms you can change in after the experience. Also bring a plastic trash bag to store your wet clothes in. Bring a waterproof phone case. I put mine in my pocket and lost it crawling though one of the tight spaces. I was lucky enough to have it recovered but do not take your chances!
Now to the experience itself:
First of all this has to be one of the most physically/mentally challenging, beautiful, unforgettable, primitive experiences I have ever had in Costa Rica. If you love nature, the outdoors, challenging experiences, getting wet and dirty this is the tour for you. You are given just a hard hat with a small headlamp on it. This experience combines, tight spaces, water, darkness, tailless whip scorpions, crickets, bats, and heights all in one experience. It will push you to your limits and challenge you in many ways. I am happy to say I completed the entire experience and left feeling accomplished, proud, and happy.
It is not for everyone however. If you are expecting paved paths with hand rails and a well lit area like in the US you are in for a surprise. One of the girls on our tour was miserable because she did not realize how wet and dirty we would be getting and complained the entire time.
I personally really enjoyed this primitive rugged experience and recommend it for anyone one who wants an extreme adventure. I had to squeeze through some tight spaces and scale up a two wet 7' walls without a harness or safety gear. Diego was there to help every step of the way but it's best if you are physically fit. I am 5'7" and weigh 180 lbs. I work in fisheries in Idaho and am used to rugged terrain. The temperature in the cave was warm and humid and the water was also very warm compared to water temp in Idaho. Plus with all the physical activity you will not get cold.
I would this again in a heartbeat! Huge shoutout to Diego for this incredible experience!
Jaime_G, Dec 2024
You absolutely must do this! Don’t think about that you’re in a cave and just enjoy the time! One of our coolest excursions!
Randi_F, Nov 2024
This was a great experience. You will be going through very tight spaces and climbing through the cave. We had a great guide. He spotted spiders, you will see bats, you will get wet and dirty so wear appropriate clothing. I would recommend water shoes with tread. I would also recommend maybe a thin flexible band around knees and elbows for the army type crawl you will do on course sand. It is a bit of a work out with bending, crawling, climbing...Overall it was a great experience and so glad we did it.
Michele_J, Oct 2024
What an adventure. There were even showers to wash After the Cave tour which you must do due to bat poop . Bring your extra clothes. P.S Do not let the bat poop discourage you, go for the tour.
Freida_Z, Sep 2024
Diego was a great guide. The caves were very interesting. Being mobile/active is a necessity. Definitely bring a complete change of clothes (shoes/socks/undies/etc) because you’ll get soaked. Good water shoes are a must. They have showers and changing rooms. Worth the price to go explore!
Danielle_R, Aug 2024
This was so cool! Some climbing and physical abilities needed but not too much. My 17 year old daughter loved it! Our guide was great! I'm pretty sure his name was Diego! Definitely recommend for a unique experience!!
Cynthia_C, Aug 2024
Learning the history of how the cave came to be and it’s on going ecological processes from our very knowledgable guide was really interesting. It felt like the movies moving through the cave, crawling, squeezing past tight places, and climbing up. Definitely was nervous but with our guide, everything was possible.
Enzo_R, Jul 2024
Awesome pictures! Great experience! I felt like I was in some Indiana jones movies. Going to the narrows and going down trough the hole was awesome! And our tour guide was nice!
Izaiah_P, Jun 2024
Gonzalo Guía was a very knowledgeable and amazing tour guide. It was my first time ever doing something like this. But, he made it and enjoyable and fun experience. Would definitely recommend!
Iyesha_C, May 2024
This was an absolutely fantastic experience. Definitely glad I choose to wear the rubber boots, as you can choose to use your own sneakers. I did not get as dirty as I thought I would, but still best to bring a change of clothing, just in case. The group I was in was very small, which honestly, added tremendously to my enjoyment of the experience given the tight spaces and how humid it will become in the caves.
The guide was incredibly friendly, shared his knowledge of the caves, and made sure everyone had a good time.
Katherine_S, Mar 2024
Our tour guide and driver were amazing. The guide Aaron took in to account our abilities and preferences when choosing which parts of the cave we would explore. On the ride up he was very knowledgeable about all things Costa Rican. Our driver also spotted a sloth and stopped so we could have a look and get some amazing pictures
Jessica_B, Feb 2024
I’m not sure I was actually prepared for what was in store. I read “moderate activity level” needed and thought “yea I can do that”. It was HARD! I was sweating, out of breath, scraped up. Was it worth it? Yes. Am I glad I did it? Yes. Would I have done it knowing from the start what I was getting myself into…undecided . Our tour guide was amazing and couldn’t have been more helpful or knowledgeable.
From $94.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Venado Caves Underground Experience from La Fortuna
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