Poás Volcano tickets and reservations

How much does it cost to go to Poás Volcano in 2026?

US$16.95 for a foreign adult ticket on SINAC, plus parking. Tours from San José with entry included start at $105 per person.

Prices as of October 2026, from Volcano Guide and the GetYourGuide listings:

Where do you buy official Poás Volcano tickets?

Only on SINAC's online booking site, serviciosenlinea.sinac.go.cr. There are no ticket sales at the gate.

1. Open SINAC's online services, choose Poás Volcano National Park and the date.
2. Pick your time slot. Book the 8:00 or 8:30 slot if it is free.
3. Enter each visitor's name, nationality and passport number. Every person needs their own entry.
4. Pay by card. The confirmation arrives by email with a code the rangers scan.

If a payment seems to fail, check your email before trying again, or you may end up with two bookings. Bookings open about 30 days ahead, according to Vamos Rent-a-Car.

How do the time slots work?

You enter at the half-hour slot you booked. The park opens at 8 a.m. and admits the last visitors at 2 p.m.; it closes at 4 p.m.

Your slot is your entry time, not a loose window. Arrive about 15 minutes early to park and reach the checkpoint. At the top, groups of up to 56 get 20 minutes at the viewpoint, a rule in force since 28 August 2026 (Tico Times).

Early slots matter for two reasons. Cloud usually fills the crater by 10:30 or 11:00. And the first slots on dry-season weekends go first. Skip the 11 a.m. slot unless nothing else is left.

What do you need to show at the gate?

The SINAC confirmation with its code, and the passport you booked with. The names and numbers have to match.

• Passport: bring the real one. The ticket is personal and the rangers check it.
• Your confirmation: on your phone is fine. Screenshot it: mobile signal on the mountain is patchy.
• Cash or card for parking: the fee is paid at the park.
• A warm layer: 10 to 18°C at the top, often windy and damp.

Helmets are compulsory on the main trail and Sombrilla de Pobre. The ranger briefing before you walk up covers the safety rules; listen to it.

Can you get a refund if it is cloudy or the park closes?

Not for weather. SINAC tickets don't refund for fog or rain. When the park closes officially, SINAC reschedules your visit by email.

When MOPT shut the Quebrada Tigre bridge on 21 January 2026 and the park closed the same day, SINAC offered new dates rather than refunds, through [email protected]. The same pattern held during the 2025 closure. If you have only one possible day, that is a real risk.

Tours handle this differently. Most tours on this site cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before, and the operator deals with SINAC if the park shuts. That flexibility is the main thing you pay for on the resold entry ticket.

What is the difference between the GetYourGuide ticket and the SINAC ticket?

The $32 ticket on GetYourGuide is a resold entry for people who drive themselves. It costs about twice the SINAC price but cancels free up to 24 hours before.

Read the fine print on this one. The listing says the GetYourGuide voucher alone is not a park ticket: you activate your code the day before by WhatsApp or email, then queue at the gate with everyone else and hear the ranger briefing. Its "includes" list mentions a guide and transport, but the meeting point section says neither is included. Plan to drive.

Driving up and want to keep your plans loose? A resold park entry that cancels free up to 24 hours before.

★ 3.9 · 40 minutes · from $32

Explore the park entry ticket → Tour details

How far ahead should you book Poás tickets?

A few days ahead on weekdays, two to three weeks ahead for dry-season weekends and holidays. The early slots go first.

Halving the daily limit to 1,064 in August 2026 made tickets scarcer. Vamos Rent-a-Car says dry-season weekends can fill two to three weeks out, and the Tico Times warned that weekends and holidays would be harder to get. Costa Rican families come in numbers during Semana Santa and the Christmas holidays.

If the 8:00 and 8:30 slots are gone for your date, try another weekday before you settle for a late one.

Do tours include the park ticket and parking?

The day tours on this site that list park entry include it. You still give them your passport details, because SINAC tickets are personal.

• The volcano, waterfall and coffee day trip: park entry, pickup, guide and lunch included.
• The private Poás and La Paz tour: park entry and parking included; names and passport numbers 24 hours before.
• The Waterfall Gardens day: all entrance fees, lunch and gratuities included.
• The Café Doka tour: passport numbers needed at booking; tips are extra.

Getting there is the next question: how to get to Poás covers the drive, the bus and taxis.

Frequently asked questions