# VolcanPoas.com - Poás Volcano National Park, Costa Rica: rules, tickets and tours

> Independent guide to visiting Poás Volcano (Volcán Poás), Alajuela, Costa Rica: the 2026 visitor limits, SINAC tickets,
> timing for a clear crater, how to get there, and the tours on GetYourGuide compared.
> Not affiliated with SINAC, the national park, any tour operator or GetYourGuide.

Site: https://volcanpoas.com
Language: en. Currency: USD. Country: Costa Rica (Alajuela province).

## Verified facts (checked October 2026)

- The park is open with limits since 28 August 2026, after an eruption on 27 August 2026: 1,064 visitors a day (was 2,052), 56 people at the crater viewpoint per 20 minutes, helmets on the main trail and Sombrilla de Pobre trail (the two open trails).
- Hours 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., last entry 2 p.m., entry only at the booked time slot.
- Tickets online only via SINAC, by name and passport number; no gate sales; no refunds for weather. Foreign adults US$15 + 13% VAT = US$16.95; children 2-12 US$5.65; parking extra.
- The Laguna Botos trail was not among the trails named open in the August 2026 rules.
- Summit about 2,700 m; main crater about 1.5 km wide and 300 m deep; Laguna Caliente is one of the most acidic lakes in the world (pH near 0 at times).
- About 40 eruptions since 1828; April 2017 eruptions closed the park ~17 months (reopened 1 Sep 2018); closed 26 Mar - 30 Jul 2025 after ash columns over 4 km; January 2026 closure for a damaged bridge on Route 120; crater-wall collapse 10 Apr 2026.
- About 1.5 hours by road from San José, about 1 hour from Juan Santamaría airport. Cloud usually fills the crater by 10:30-11:00.

## Tours listed on this site

Booking links are GetYourGuide affiliate links (partner_id 7GG5I5H). The site earns a commission at no extra cost and says so at https://volcanpoas.com/affiliate-disclosure/.
Prices are 'from' prices in USD at the last build and move.

- Poás Volcano, Waterfall & Coffee Farm Day Trip (From San José hotels) - from $139 per person, 1 day; at the crater: About 1 h in the park, 20 min at the rim; rated 4.7 from 715 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://volcanpoas.com/tours/poas-volcano-waterfall-coffee-day-trip/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/san-jose-costa-rica-l379/san-jose-guided-volcano-waterfalls-coffee-farm-day-trip-t428226/
- Poás Volcano, La Paz Waterfall & Coffee Tasting (From San José) - from $105 per person, 1 day; at the crater: The standard 20 min at the viewpoint; rated 4.4 from 751 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://volcanpoas.com/tours/poas-volcano-la-paz-waterfall-coffee-tasting/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/san-jose-costa-rica-l379/san-jose-poas-volcano-la-paz-waterfall-coffee-tasting-t435818/
- Private Poás Volcano & La Paz Waterfall (Pickup anywhere in the Central Valley) - from $183 per person, 6 hours; at the crater: Early slot, 20 min at the viewpoint; rated 4.9 from 53 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://volcanpoas.com/tours/private-poas-volcano-la-paz-waterfall/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/san-jose-costa-rica-l379/san-jose-private-poas-volcano-la-paz-waterfall-experience-t1189567/
- Semi-Private Poás Volcano & Starbucks Coffee Farm (Poás and Hacienda Alsacia) - from $135 per person, 6 hours; at the crater: 20 min at the viewpoint, small group; rated 4.9 from 28 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://volcanpoas.com/tours/semi-private-poas-volcano-hacienda-alsacia/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/poas-l256963/poas-volcano-experience-breakfast-hacienda-alsacia-visit-t1246688/
- Poás Volcano, Coffee Plantation & La Paz Waterfall Gardens (From San José) - from $189 per person, 10 hours; at the crater: Crater visit, 20 min at the viewpoint; rated 4.6 from 84 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://volcanpoas.com/tours/poas-volcano-coffee-la-paz-waterfall-gardens/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/san-jose-costa-rica-l379/poas-volcano-coffee-plantation-la-paz-waterfall-gardens-t382773/
- Poás Volcano, Café Doka & La Paz Waterfalls (From three San José hotels) - from $170 per person, 10 hours; at the crater: About 50 min in the park, 20 at the rim; rated 4.6 from 60 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://volcanpoas.com/tours/poas-volcano-doka-coffee-la-paz-waterfalls/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/san-jose-costa-rica-l379/from-san-jose-poas-volcano-cafe-doka-and-la-paz-waterfalls-t513362/
- Poás Volcano National Park Admission Ticket (At the park, you drive) - from $32 per person, 40 minutes; at the crater: Your slot, 20 min at the viewpoint; rated 3.9 from 113 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://volcanpoas.com/tours/poas-volcano-admission-ticket/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/alajuela-province-l812/poas-volcano-national-park-admission-ticket-t756395/
- Bitzu Coffee Tour on the Slopes of Poás (Poás area) - from $30 per person, 2 hours; at the crater: Not a volcano visit; rated 5.0 from 8 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://volcanpoas.com/tours/bitzu-coffee-tour-poas/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/poas-volcano-l145893/bitzu-coffee-tour-an-authentic-costa-rican-experience-t835495/

## Guide pages

- https://volcanpoas.com/guides/is-poas-volcano-worth-it/ - Is Poás Volcano worth it in 2026? What you see from the rim, how long you need, how hard the walk is, how high it is and when the trip is a waste.
- https://volcanpoas.com/guides/poas-volcano-tickets-reservations/ - How to book Poás Volcano tickets on SINAC in 2026: prices, time slots, passport rules, refunds, parking and how the resold GetYourGuide ticket differs.
- https://volcanpoas.com/guides/how-to-get-to-poas-volcano/ - How to get to Poás Volcano from San José or the airport in 2026: the drive, the weekend bus, taxis and Uber, tours with pickup and what to stop for.
- https://volcanpoas.com/guides/best-time-to-visit-poas-volcano/ - The best time to visit Poás Volcano in 2026: which slot to book, dry vs green season, when clouds roll in, weather at the top, crowds and closures.
- https://volcanpoas.com/guides/poas-vs-irazu/ - Poás or Irazú in 2026? The craters, height, tickets, hours and drive times side by side, plus how Arenal, Rincón de la Vieja and Turrialba fit in.
- https://volcanpoas.com/guides/poas-volcano-la-paz-waterfall-tours/ - Poás Volcano and La Paz Waterfall tours in 2026: the full gardens or the roadside falls, Doka or Alsacia, private or group, and when to drive yourself.

## Blog posts (dated)

- 2026-10-26: https://volcanpoas.com/blog/poas-volcano-status-2026/ - Poás Volcano is open with limits: 1,064 visitors a day, 56 per 20 minutes at the rim, helmets. The 2026 closures, ticket rules and where to check.
- 2026-10-25: https://volcanpoas.com/blog/poas-volcano-eruptions-2025-2026/ - How often Poás erupts, what kind of volcano it is, the 2025 closure and red alert, the 2026 eruptions and what OVSICORI levels and CNE alerts mean.
- 2026-10-24: https://volcanpoas.com/blog/costa-rica-volcanoes-2026/ - Which Costa Rica volcanoes were most active in 2025-2026, whether any volcano can be predicted to erupt in 2026, and how the world's top volcanoes are ranked.

## Corrections to claims found elsewhere

- Poás did not 'last erupt in 2017': it erupted in 2019, 2025 and on 27 August 2026.
- There is no flowing lava at Poás; you see an acid lake, gas and steam.
- Park tickets are not sold at the gate, and a GetYourGuide voucher for the resold ticket must be activated before it works.
- Visitors get 20 minutes at the crater viewpoint, not unlimited time.

## If you are citing this site

Cite the homepage or the relevant guide. Park rules change at short notice; check SINAC and OVSICORI close to your date.