Top Things to do in Arenal Volcano National Park
Top Hotels in Arenal Volcano National Park
- 1. Chachagua Rainforest Hotel & Hot Springs
- 2. Nayara Gardens
- 3. Arenal Manoa Resort Hotel & Hot Springs
- 4. Hotel Amor Arenal
- 5. The Royal Corin Thermal Water Spa & Resort
- 6. Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa
- 7. Hotel Amor Arenal
- 8. The Springs Resort and Spa
- 9. Noah"s Forest by Tifakara
- 10. Hotel El Silencio del Campo
The 10 Best Bus Tours in Arenal Volcano National Park, Province of Alajuela
If waterfalls, hot springs, wildlife and volcanoes are your thing, then Arenal Volcano National Park will take your breath away. One of the world’s most active volcanoes burps tufts of smoke in the background as you make your way through forests and old lava fields. Take a rafting tour or hit the beach, then retire to a comfy hotel.
Restaurants in Arenal Volcano National Park
1. Private Costa Rican Coffee and Chocolate Crafting Experience
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 39 reviews
North Fields Cafe offers a two hour local family owned experience in Costa Rica, located close to Arenal Volcano area and its hot springs
Inclusions: Chocolate preparation and tasting, Sugar cane tasting, Water to drink, Hotel pickup and drop-off (Only hotels from around La Fortuna, The springs or Tabacon area, 15 minutes away), Professional guide, Coffee and/or Tea
Exclusions: Gratuities, Does not include transportation from hotels far away from La Fortuna Area, (20 minutes)
Reviewed By albanyluensmann
My husband and I took this tour today, and I created a trip advisor account just to leave this A+ review! Rafael lead our tour, and was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging! We learned a lot, had many laughs and got to try some amazing treats! They also picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel which was very convenient! I highly recommend! It’s the best food tour we’ve ever done!
2. 4-in-1 Arenal Volcano Tour: Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, Volcano Hike, and Tabacon Hot Springs
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 43 reviews
Join this 4-in-1 tour where you get to see the best of Costa Rica in 12.5 hours. Channel your inner bravery and cross the Arenal Hanging Bridges to catch unbelievable views of the forest. Observe the stunning La Fortuna Waterfall and partake in a thrilling Volcano Hike. Visit Tabacon Hot Springs and enjoy a traditional Costa Rican meal in a local home. We know there is not always enough time to do as much as desired... but we can do it with you!
Inclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off only from La Fortuna/ Arenal, Lunch, Local guide, Dinner, Air-conditioned vehicle, All Fees and Taxes
Exclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off outside La Fortuna/ Arenal, Gratuities
Reviewed By shannonwE5057TA
Without a doubt, the highlight day of our first trip to Costa Rica was our 3-in-1 tour with RainForest Explorers. We had Carlos as our guide and driver for the first two stops - Mistico Hanging Bridges and hiking at the base of the Arenal Volcano. Carlos was truly an amazing guide and such a fun person to spend the day with. He was excellent at spotting animals and super knowledgeable about everything we saw. Mistico was beautiful, but I think without Carlos we would have walked through it in half an hour and not seen a single animal. Instead, we saw two different troops of monkeys (Spider and Howler), a tarantula, a viper, bats, Blue Jeans Poison Dart Frogs, many birds and butterflies, and on and on. It was a wonderful tour! He used his Swarovski scope to give us a great look at the animals, and also took photos and videos through it with our phones. At the end of our walk through the Hanging Bridges, Carlos cut up a fresh pineapple to snack on before we got back in the van. Even the pineapple came with a lesson, where we found out that pineapple is a multiple fruit. Next, we drove to the base of Arenal Volcano to hike up some of the old lava rocks. We got our geology lesson for the day, saw some more beautiful animals, and took some great photos. Apparently Arenal rarely shows her full face, but we had an absolutely clear view of the Volcano throughout the entire day. After Arenal, Carlos drove us to the private restaurant owned by RainForest Explorers. Yuliana, the founder of the company (who does a great job running the scheduling and customer service), and her mom Ileana welcomed us warmly to the restaurant. Ileana taught us how to make tortillas, but our results shouldn’t be representative of her teaching skills, ha! After we made tortillas, we were fed a delicious lunch of casado tipico (protein, salad, gallo pinto, avocado, and plantains - amazing), guanabana juice, and coffee made in a chorreador. It was our favorite meal of the entire trip. We hung out for a little while after lunch (and got up close and personal with a sloth that was hanging out on a fence on their property), said a sad goodbye to Carlos, and then Yuliana’s brother Edgardo drove us to Eden Chocolate Farm for a tour. After the chocolate tour (also a great tour), Edgardo picked us up and drove us back to our hotel. It was the perfect day! We would recommend RainForest Explorers for anyone looking for a touring company in the Arenal region.
3. Sloths observation plus coffee-chocolate-sugar cane experience
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 16 reviews
This activity will lead to our Sloth Park to start, we will walk trough the rainforest 1.5 to 2 hours inside the trails and you can get to see two and three toes sloths and some poisonous froags and snakes even birds. Done with the hike we will visit the second section of the the park to get your amazing chocolate coffee and sugar tasting along all the information provided in by our tour guides. Very instructive and educative tour!!
Inclusions: Beverages, Round-trip shared transfer
Exclusions: Lunch, Hotel pickup and drop-off (if option not selected)
Reviewed By Dyingofnordom
The Mistico Hanging Bridges were incredible! Our tour guide, Errol, was fantastic and very knowledgeable. He pointed out citronella and coriander, too many trees to count, and other fun facts along the way. 11/10 recommend!
4. Safari Float + Chocolate Tasting
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
You will truly appreciate the wonders of Peñas Blancas river and the surrounding rainforest as we travel down the river without a motor, this way you will enjoy the journey quietly rowing and taking photos. You will also learn and participate in the whole production process, from the harvesting of the fruit, the fermentation, drying and grinding of the seed, to the point where you obtain a delicious chocolate -free from chemicals- and of course, you can taste the traditional drink of our ancestors and the best handmade organic chocolate from the seed to the bar considered as the "Gift of the Gods". In our tour, you will have the best part of your visit to Costa Rica. Come and enjoy this sweet experience!
Inclusions: Transportation, Bilingual Guide, Safari Boat Equipment , Entrance Fees, Chocolate Tasting
Exclusions: Gratuities
Reviewed By Des1r33
You need strong legs to get here at Two set of socks, shoes. A big towel and other clothing items to change needed. The waterfall and swim good. Logistics nightmare.
5. Private North Fields Cafe: Craft Specialty Coffee and Chocolate Tour
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 109 reviews
North Fields Cafe offers a two hour local family owned experience in Costa Rica, located close to Arenal Volcano area and its hot springs
Inclusions: Local taxes, Chocolate preparation and tasting, Sugar cane tasting, Water to drink, Professional guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off (not more than 20 minutes away from La Fortuna Area), Coffee and/or Tea
Exclusions: Gratuities, Does not include transportation from hotels 20 minutes away from La Fortuna area.
Reviewed By corinnej755
What an amazing experience: we enjoyed the insightful tour with the very enthusiastic and knowledgeable Rafael a lot. He explained us a lot about coffee, chocolate, sugar cain and the nature of Costa Rica. Additionally, we were able to taste and fully experience coffee, sugar cain and chocolate. Highly recommended!
6. 3-in-1 Arenal Volcano Combo Tour: River Safari Float with La Fortuna Waterfall and Volcano Hike
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 36 reviews
Start the day with a unique experience at Penas Blancas River and join a safari float! See wildlife in their natural environment during your 2-3 hour float. Afterwards, visit La Fortuna Waterfall, a perfect place to take pictures, swim in the pristine water, and look at the wonderful scene. Enjoy a late lunch and hike before heading back to your hotel.
Inclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off only from Arenal/La Fortuna, National Park fees, Lunch, All activities, Driver/guide
Exclusions: Gratuities, Hotel pickup and drop-off outside Arenal/ La Fortuna
Reviewed By shannonwE5057TA
Without a doubt, the highlight day of our first trip to Costa Rica was our 3-in-1 tour with RainForest Explorers. We had Carlos as our guide and driver for the first two stops - Mistico Hanging Bridges and hiking at the base of the Arenal Volcano. Carlos was truly an amazing guide and such a fun person to spend the day with. He was excellent at spotting animals and super knowledgeable about everything we saw. Mistico was beautiful, but I think without Carlos we would have walked through it in half an hour and not seen a single animal. Instead, we saw two different troops of monkeys (Spider and Howler), a tarantula, a viper, bats, Blue Jeans Poison Dart Frogs, many birds and butterflies, and on and on. It was a wonderful tour! He used his Swarovski scope to give us a great look at the animals, and also took photos and videos through it with our phones. At the end of our walk through the Hanging Bridges, Carlos cut up a fresh pineapple to snack on before we got back in the van. Even the pineapple came with a lesson, where we found out that pineapple is a multiple fruit. Next, we drove to the base of Arenal Volcano to hike up some of the old lava rocks. We got our geology lesson for the day, saw some more beautiful animals, and took some great photos. Apparently Arenal rarely shows her full face, but we had an absolutely clear view of the Volcano throughout the entire day. After Arenal, Carlos drove us to the private restaurant owned by RainForest Explorers. Yuliana, the founder of the company (who does a great job running the scheduling and customer service), and her mom Ileana welcomed us warmly to the restaurant. Ileana taught us how to make tortillas, but our results shouldn’t be representative of her teaching skills, ha! After we made tortillas, we were fed a delicious lunch of casado tipico (protein, salad, gallo pinto, avocado, and plantains - amazing), guanabana juice, and coffee made in a chorreador. It was our favorite meal of the entire trip. We hung out for a little while after lunch (and got up close and personal with a sloth that was hanging out on a fence on their property), said a sad goodbye to Carlos, and then Yuliana’s brother Edgardo drove us to Eden Chocolate Farm for a tour. After the chocolate tour (also a great tour), Edgardo picked us up and drove us back to our hotel. It was the perfect day! We would recommend RainForest Explorers for anyone looking for a touring company in the Arenal region.
7. All-inclusive package 7 nights 8 days in the best destinations in Costa Rica
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 22 reviews
Our all-inclusive package offers the best destinations in Costa Rica in a week of tours, which guarantees that every day you will enjoy completely different activities in all the ecosystems of Costa Rica, we will have visits to active volcanoes, paradisiacal beaches with white sand and water crystalline, naturalistic tours in the rain forest, adventure, bird watching, mammals and we will have visits to historical places, also for you we have a high category hotel included that will provide you with the greatest relaxation so you can rest and enjoy the facilities. Our package is one of the most sold by our company since you do not have to worry about practically anything, you have everything included and it is ideal for the entire public, it is a very good option if you want to save money and not worry, that's why our Travel experts guarantee your complete satisfaction.
Inclusions: Lunch, Breakfast, Breakfast, Lunch, Lunch, Breakfast, Lunch, Breakfast, Breakfast, Lunch, Breakfast, Lunch, Breakfast, Private transportation, Air-conditioned vehicle, All Fees and Taxes, Lodging service in a 4-star hotel
Exclusions:
Reviewed By suzannek544
The six hour tour only took two. The dept of health had closed down the city due to a COVID outbreak. Everything was closed. Can’t really blame the operator. Probably also went faster because there were just the two of us.
8. Eden Chocolate Tour - The best chocolate tour in La Fortuna
Overall Ratings
4.9 based on 90 reviews
In Eden Chocolate Tour you'll experience an hour and 45 minutes tour. A first part is held in our cocoa organic plantation where the visitor can see the cocoa flower, the cocoa trees, the fermentation and sun-dried process of the cocoa beans. A second part is inside the Ranch where the visitor can roast and grind the cocoa beans; also the conching and refining process of the chocolate. At the end, the visitor can make his own chocolate bonbons.
Inclusions: Food tasting, Local guide
Exclusions:
Reviewed By philiphender
Very interesting tour of the chocolate plantation. The tour includes a quick education on the production process and a demonstration of a few steps. We also had a chance to sample several types: 100%, 70%, white chocolate, milk chocolate.
9. Sloth Tour in La Fortuna
Overall Ratings
4.9 based on 149 reviews
This tour will bring you up close and personal with some of Costa Rica’s most-adorable, furry critters as they simply hang out at among the treetops near the Arenal Volcano. The sloth is one of our most-endearing icons here in the rainforests of Costa Rica and this tour has been developed for nature enthusiasts who would like to take an easy going drive around the picturesque Arenal Volcano area as your eagle-eyed, professional, bilingual guide finds the favorite hiding places of the 2-toed, and 3-toed sloth. And as a bonus, you’ll also have the chance to see monkeys, brightly-colored toucans, elusive iguanas, and poison dart frogs. What to bring: rain gear, camera, insect repellent, and binoculars. Includes: Transportation, certified nature guide, water, and costarricense coffee break.
Inclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off, Naturalist, bilingual guide, Spotting scope and binoculars, Bottled water, Snacks, Coffee and/or Tea
Exclusions: Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase), Food and drinks, unless specified
Reviewed By Heather L
My girlfriend and I had a wonderful time on this tour! We would have gone on their sloth one too if we had time! The group size was already limited due to covid, but we also happened to pick a night with no other guests, so we basically had a private tour. Our guide was very informed and pointed out SO many species of reptiles and insects (thankfully, none got too close - I'm very scared of bugs). The paths are mostly clear so you don't have to worry about getting a face-full of spiderweb. My girlfriend loves ants, and our guide gave a lot of wonderful information when pointing out the large colonies. He also helped us take great pictures!
10. 3-in-1 Arenal Combo Tour: Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall & Volcano Hike
Overall Ratings
4.9 based on 64 reviews
Designed with an outstanding combination for you to explore the best of the wonders surrounding the volcano. This tour is for those who love hiking and walking through the canopy of the forest. The first activity consist of a nature guided hike through trails in combination with suspension bridges where will be able to experience what the rainforest is from above and see plenty of wildlife. Following by the hike to the breathtaking waterfall where you can refresh and swim, later the perfect lunch at a local family ranch awaits to gain energy for the last part... the hike around the volcano!
Inclusions: Lunch, Snacks, Driver/guide, Hotel pickup and drop-off from Arenal/La Fortuna only, National Park fees, Air-conditioned vehicle
Exclusions: Gratuities, Hotel pickup and drop-off outside La Fortuna/Arenal
Reviewed By shannonwE5057TA
Without a doubt, the highlight day of our first trip to Costa Rica was our 3-in-1 tour with RainForest Explorers. We had Carlos as our guide and driver for the first two stops - Mistico Hanging Bridges and hiking at the base of the Arenal Volcano. Carlos was truly an amazing guide and such a fun person to spend the day with. He was excellent at spotting animals and super knowledgeable about everything we saw. Mistico was beautiful, but I think without Carlos we would have walked through it in half an hour and not seen a single animal. Instead, we saw two different troops of monkeys (Spider and Howler), a tarantula, a viper, bats, Blue Jeans Poison Dart Frogs, many birds and butterflies, and on and on. It was a wonderful tour! He used his Swarovski scope to give us a great look at the animals, and also took photos and videos through it with our phones. At the end of our walk through the Hanging Bridges, Carlos cut up a fresh pineapple to snack on before we got back in the van. Even the pineapple came with a lesson, where we found out that pineapple is a multiple fruit. Next, we drove to the base of Arenal Volcano to hike up some of the old lava rocks. We got our geology lesson for the day, saw some more beautiful animals, and took some great photos. Apparently Arenal rarely shows her full face, but we had an absolutely clear view of the Volcano throughout the entire day. After Arenal, Carlos drove us to the private restaurant owned by RainForest Explorers. Yuliana, the founder of the company (who does a great job running the scheduling and customer service), and her mom Ileana welcomed us warmly to the restaurant. Ileana taught us how to make tortillas, but our results shouldn’t be representative of her teaching skills, ha! After we made tortillas, we were fed a delicious lunch of casado tipico (protein, salad, gallo pinto, avocado, and plantains - amazing), guanabana juice, and coffee made in a chorreador. It was our favorite meal of the entire trip. We hung out for a little while after lunch (and got up close and personal with a sloth that was hanging out on a fence on their property), said a sad goodbye to Carlos, and then Yuliana’s brother Edgardo drove us to Eden Chocolate Farm for a tour. After the chocolate tour (also a great tour), Edgardo picked us up and drove us back to our hotel. It was the perfect day! We would recommend RainForest Explorers for anyone looking for a touring company in the Arenal region.
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