Poas Volcano, Doka Coffee Estate and Sarchi Arts and Craft

Get your fill of Costa Rican flavor, natural beauty, and adventure with a unique full-day tour from San Jose. After pickup at your city hotel, a short drive will bring you to the Poás Volcano National Park, which spans 16,000 acres (6,474 hectares) and is home to the still-active Poás Volcano. Your local guide will lead you to the lip of the crater for breathtaking views down 950 feet (290 meters) into the smoking, sputtering cauldron. You will also see the cerulean Botos Lake that fills a neighboring, dormant crater. 

After your descent from the volcanic range, you’ll drive through a beautiful country landscape to Doka Estate coffee plantation, where the same family has been turning out delicious, aromatic coffee for generations. The area’s mineral-rich volcanic soil is ideal for growing the signature Costa Rican crop. Take a tour of the estate to learn about the journey of the coffee bean from planting, to roasting, to brewing the perfect cup. After your tour, head to a local restaurant for a traditional Tico lunch.

Your next stop is the artisan town of Sarchí, best known as the home of brightly painted carretas — wooden oxcarts that were once used to transport coffee beans across Costa Rica’s mountains. Today, Sarchí’s local artisan community continues this tradition with more than 200 shops and small factories that turn out a wide range of handmade wooden goods. Watch craftspeople at work as they meticulously paint embellishments on carts, wheels, and other pieces of art. You’ll have the chance to purchase a unique souvenir before being transported back to your San Jose hotel.