La Fortuna Waterfall & Arenal Volcano Tours Compared
20 tours from a gate ticket under 30 EUR to a private day above 120 EUR. The typical price is 60 to 120 EUR, and the length of the day explains most of the price.
The cheapest of the 20 listings here is the gate ticket, under 30 EUR. The dearest is a private five-hour day, above 120 EUR. Between them, the length of the day explains the price better than anything else. The typical price is 60 to 120 EUR, but the La Fortuna waterfall and Arenal volcano tours fall into three groups: short guided trips at roughly 30 to 120 EUR, shared full days at roughly 60 to 250 EUR, and private tours at 120 to 250 EUR. This page is for choosing among them. The place itself, with the gate rules and the rain, is on the La Fortuna & Arenal page. We opened 11 of the 20 listings to see what each one includes, and the answer is not always what the title suggests.
How to read the prices. Shared tours are priced per person. The three private listings, from three operators, are listed per person like the rest, and the median counts them at that figure. The chart below plots 19 of the 20 listings, because one has no stated length. Ratings are weighted by the number of reviews, and many listings here have fewer than twenty, so a 5.0 on a short listing tells you very little. Group sizes are capped at 12 or 15 travelers per booking in the listings that state a cap.
Arenal 1968 Lava Trail, La Fortuna Waterfall, Vida Campesina Lunch and Hanging Bridges
A lava flow hike, a waterfall swim, lunch at Vida Campesina Farm and 15 hanging bridges at Mistico Park fill a ten-hour day for groups of up to ten travelers.
Arenal 1968 Trail, La Fortuna Waterfall and Mistico Hanging Bridges Small-Group Combo
Small groups start early to stay ahead of the crowds, with a casado lunch between the lava field hike and 16 bridges at Mistico. Hotel pickup is included.
Arenal Rainforest Horseback Ride to La Fortuna Waterfall, Minimum Age 7, Two-Rider Minimum
Hotel pickup, a guide and a helmet come with this ride through the rainforest to the falls. Riders must be 7 or older, and a booking needs at least two people.
Arenal Volcano, Maleku Village and La Fortuna Waterfall Day with Hot Springs Soak
One day covers the 500-step waterfall, a Maleku village visit, lunch, a volcano viewpoint and a hot spring soak, with hotel pickup in Arenal and La Fortuna.
Arenal Volcano or La Fortuna Waterfall with Baldi Hot Springs from Guanacaste
A day trip from Guanacaste where the walk is either the Arenal Volcano or a waterfall, followed by a long soak in the 25 thermal pools at Baldi Hot Springs.
Baldi Hot Springs, Arenal Volcano and Fortuna Waterfall Day Trip from San Jose
A day trip out of San Jose that pairs the Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna Waterfall walks with a long soak in the 25 thermal pools at Baldi Hot Springs.
Fortuna River Waterfall Reserve Hike from La Fortuna with Hotel Pickup and Fruit Snack
A short ride from the La Fortuna hotel starts a three-hour hike down 500 steps to a swimming pool at the base, with a fresh fruit snack waiting at the top.
Full-Day La Fortuna Waterfall, Arenal Lava Fields and Relax Termalitas Hot Springs
Lunch, a cocktail and hot spring entrance are all part of one long day linking the waterfall, butterfly atriums and a lava rock viewpoint over Arenal.
Horseback Ride on Trails Away from Roads to La Fortuna Waterfall, Entrance Included
Riders stay off the roads on this four-hour trail to the waterfall, with a certified guide, helmet, round-trip transport from select hotels and entry covered.
Horseback Ride to La Fortuna Waterfall with Hanging Bridge and Maleku Village Stop
Riders cross a hanging bridge on the way down to the 65-meter falls, swim at the base and stop at the Maleku Indigenous Village before riding back to base.
La Fortuna Waterfall and AirTime Zipline Canopy Tour with Lunch at El Perezoso
Zipline gear, waterfall entry and a lunch at Restaurante El Perezoso are bundled into one four-hour outing with views of Arenal Volcano and Cerro Chato.
La Fortuna Waterfall and Maleku Village Half-Day with Tractor Ride and Hanging Bridge
A tractor ride, a short rainforest walk over a hanging bridge, a swim below the 70-meter waterfall and a visit to the Maleku village fit into one half-day.
La Fortuna Waterfall, Arenal Ecological Park and El Choyin Hot River, Sloth Park Start
A relaxed hiking day ending in the El Choyin natural hot river, with lunch, hotel pickup within 7 km of the Central Park and park entrances all included.
La Fortuna Waterfall, Arenal Volcano Park and Tabacon Hot Springs River, Early Start
Early waterfall visit, a lava field hike to the foot of Arenal Volcano, a cool-off in the Tabacon Lagoon and a finish in the Tabacon hot springs river.
La Fortuna Waterfall Guided Hike with Farm-to-Table Lunch at La Finquita Farm
Waterfall time is followed by a tour of an organic farm and a farm-to-table lunch. Hotel pickup at select La Fortuna hotels and entry fees are included.
La Fortuna Waterfall Hike of About 530 Steps with Viewpoint and River Swim
The path to this 70-meter waterfall goes down about 530 steps through native forest, ending at a roomy viewpoint and a swimming spot in the Fortuna River.
La Fortuna Waterfall Skip-the-Line Admission Ticket with River Trail and Viewpoint Access
An entrance ticket with no guide or transfer, covering the river trail to the swimming pool, the upper viewpoint trail and on-site parking at the falls.
Private Arenal Day with Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, Volcano Hike and Lunch
A naturalist guide and private transport link the El Silencio volcano viewpoint, the hanging bridges and the waterfall, with lunch and all fees covered.
Private Day: Mistico Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, Arenal Lava Fields and Lunch
A private vehicle with a telescope, snacks and a local lunch carries the group between the six Mistico bridges, the waterfall pool and the volcano lava fields.
Private Mistico Bridges, Arenal 1968 Lava Trails, Rio Fortuna Waterfall and Hot Springs
Two hours on the Mistico bridges, a hike on the 1968 lava flow trails, lunch, the Rio Fortuna falls and an optional hot springs stop, all in a private group.
Ratings collected by Viator, Tripadvisor and Civitatis
What the 20 La Fortuna waterfall and Arenal volcano tours are
Sort the 20 by length and the three groups appear. The first is the ticket and the short guided trips: nine listings from under 30 to 120 EUR, none stated as longer than 4 hours. It holds the admission ticket under 30 EUR, a 2-hour guided hike in the 30 to 60 EUR band, a 3-hour hike with lunch at a farm in the 60 to 120 EUR band, three horseback rides in the same band, a zipline combo, a village visit and a 3-hour river excursion from Civitatis in the 30 to 60 EUR band. The second group is the shared full day, eight listings running 7 to 12 hours. The third is private, three listings from three operators. Hotel pickup is included in 75% of the 20, so the price usually covers getting to the staircase as well as walking it.
| Group | Listings | Price band | Length | Usually includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ticket and short guided trips | 9 | Under 30 to 120 EUR | 1 to 4 hours | Admission in the ones we opened; lunch on the hike and zipline listings |
| Shared full day | 8 | 60 to 250 EUR | 7 to 12 hours | Lunch, hotel pickup, hot springs on several, a shared bus |
| Private tour | 3 | 120 to 250 EUR | 5 to 9 hours | A private vehicle and lunch |
The fall as one stop: what an 11-hour day contains
The listing with the most weight on this page is Red Lava's 11-hour day, in the 60 to 120 EUR band, with 2,607 reviews at 4.8. It names four stops: the waterfall, a butterfly conservatory, a viewpoint on the lava rocks and a hot-spring resort. It adds lunch, a cocktail and entrance fees, and its description lists a dozen more things the day may include, from hanging bridges to a Maleku village. It takes groups of up to 12 who join others on a bus.
Civitatis sells a similar 11 hours in the same band: the Maleku community visit, a meal at a local restaurant, a hike toward the volcano and the hot springs. Pickup outside Arenal or La Fortuna adds a per-vehicle surcharge. Both are good value if you want to see everything once. They are poor value if the fall is the point.
A title that says "La Fortuna Waterfall" tells you the first stop, not the day.
What the admission covers, and what it doesn't
We opened 11 of the 20 listings, the ticket among them. Seven of the other 10, the guided ones, say the waterfall admission is covered: the 11-hour Red Lava day, the 8-hour walk with El Choyín hot springs in the 60 to 120 EUR band, the 2-hour hike in the 30 to 60 EUR band, the zipline day, the Civitatis excursion and day, and the 12-hour trip from San José. Three do not mention it: the 8-hour combo with hanging bridges in the 120 to 250 EUR band, which lists a guide, lunch, pickup and a vehicle; the 9-hour private combo; and the horseback ride in the 60 to 120 EUR band.
Silence in a listing is not a no, but it is not a yes either. Ask the seller whether the fall's gate fee is in the price. If it is not, add it to the total before you compare.
What the clock buys
The chart plots each listing by length and price. At the left, the short trips sit at the bottom, from under 30 to 120 EUR. Moving right, the shared days climb into the 120 to 250 EUR band at 8 hours, but two 11-hour days, both in the 60 to 120 EUR band, stay level with the short ones. The same hours bought from elsewhere cost more: the two 12-hour listings from San José and from Guanacaste, both from one operator, are in the 120 to 250 EUR band each.
The three private listings, the diamonds, sit above everything, in the 120 to 250 EUR band for 8, 9 and only 5 hours. They are listed per person like the rest, so they cost roughly two to three times the 11-hour shared full days.
Horseback, San José and private: three oddities
Three listings take you to the fall on a horse, from three operators, in the 60 to 120 EUR band. The one we opened sets a minimum age of 7, a weight limit of 220 pounds (100 kg), a minimum of two people per booking and asks for long pants. It lists a helmet, a guide and pickup, and says nothing about the admission. Two of the three run about 4 hours.
The 12-hour trips from San José and Guanacaste cost more, almost double the 11-hour days sold in town. The San José listing includes the waterfall entry, the Baldi hot springs entry, lunch and pickup. If a local blog's 3-hour drive from the capital holds, about half the day is the road. These make sense only if you sleep far from La Fortuna.
Who sells what, and where you meet them
Fifteen operators share the 20 listings, and three of them sell two each. Arenal Jungle Tours has an 8-hour hike with hot springs and a 4-hour zipline day, both in the 60 to 120 EUR band. Arenal Mundo Aventura has the horseback ride and a visit that pairs the fall with a Maleku village. AyE Tours has the two day trips from San José and Guanacaste. The two Civitatis listings name no operator at all.
Where the day starts changes what you pay. One listing meets at the reception of the 1968 lava park, the church in town or the waterfall office, three meeting points in all, and two others meet at the waterfall itself. Hotel pickup is often limited: one listing covers hotels within 7 km of the central park and charges a surcharge beyond, and Civitatis charges a per-vehicle surcharge outside Arenal and La Fortuna. Cancellation also differs. The Viator listings we opened allow a full refund up to 24 hours before; Civitatis allows 12 hours on its 11-hour day and 24 on its excursion.
How long you actually spend at the fall
Listings that time the descent are rare. A private combo says 15 minutes down the staircase, and a hotel-pickup excursion describes a descent of around 500 steps, a swim at the base and a fruit snack on the way back up, 3 hours door to door with a 5-minute transfer. The admission ticket allows 1 hour. In the long days, the fall gets what is left once the bridges, the lava trail and lunch have taken theirs. If swimming is on your list, choose a listing that says it includes time at the pool, and ask the operator how long that is.
Where the money and the attention leak
The commonest leak is paying twice: buying a combo or a ride whose inclusions do not mention the admission, then paying at the gate. The long cheap days are cheap per hour and expensive in attention, because the fall gets a slice of a day that includes a bridge walk, a village and a bath. Ratings mislead as well: the listings rated 5.0 here have between 3 and 9 reviews, while the 11-hour day has 2,607. And do not expect lava, which stopped in 2010.
If you would rather spend the day on a rope than on a bus, the neighboring page on Arenal canyoning and rappelling reads ten tours from five operators. This page has no season calendar of its own: the formats do not change by month in any way the listings state, and the rain calendar for the area sits on the destination page.
Questions about La Fortuna waterfall and Arenal volcano tours
Is the La Fortuna waterfall ticket included in the tour price?
Usually. Of the 10 guided listings we opened, seven say so. A combo with hanging bridges, a private day and a horseback ride do not mention it. If the listing is silent, ask. The gate is priced by the association that runs the fall, so check the current rate.
What is the cheapest way to visit La Fortuna Waterfall with a guide?
A 2-hour guided hike in the 30 to 60 EUR band lists admission, water and an air-conditioned vehicle. Civitatis lists a 3-hour excursion with hotel pickup, entry and snacks, also in the 30 to 60 EUR band. Both have very few reviews, 4 and 9, so their ratings tell you little.
Is a full-day Arenal tour worth it?
If you want the volcano, bridges and hot springs once, yes: 11 hours in the 60 to 120 EUR band costs about what a short guided trip does. If the fall is the reason you came, no. It is the first of four stops in the 11-hour day, and you share a bus.
Can you swim at the base of La Fortuna waterfall?
Listings say swimming is permitted when the weather allows. A 2026 local blog calls the pool under the fall too dangerous and limits swimming to zones downstream with lifeguards. Follow the staff on the day, and skip free river spots with no lifeguard.
Are the tours from San José worth it?
They cost 120 to 250 EUR for 12 hours, about double the 11-hour days sold in town, and about half the day goes on the road if the local 3-hour figure is right. They suit travelers who sleep in the capital and have a single day for the north.
Prefer a rope to a bus?
Ten canyoning tours from five operators, typically 60 to 120 EUR, with a chart of what each hour costs.
Data verified on . Tours, prices and ratings read from 20 listings on 22 October 2026; inclusions from the 11 we opened. The gate fee is set by ADIFORT, the association that runs the fall.