Doka Coffee-poás Volcano & La Paz Waterfall Gardens From San José

This was amazing and so worth the price. I wish the cruise ships would learn this on their excursions. Pickup was on time, tour included breakfast, big breakfast, a tour, awesome stops along the way, the hike to the volcano, so worth it. Then lunch (not some pbj sandwich) a real lunch. Then a tour of the falls. Lots of stairs but again so worth it. Eric, our guide gave very useful knowledge and let me tell you. He spoke to all of us. In Spanish then English, word for word we didnt miss a thing. And this, his microphone worked the entire tour. Awesome job many many thanks.

Amazing value. Wish the cruise excursions would take note of this type of value. Breakfast included, easy pace, lunch included. (NOT a PBJ sandwich). And the guide... GREAT JOB everything he said was in everyone's language and word for word. Impressed! Also his microphone worked the entire tour. Highly recommend

Erik and Roy were fantastic! We were picked up exactly at the time they had communicated to us when we booked, and the transport has always been perfect. Erik gave us a lot of information about Costa Rica and the places we visited, making the tour even more meaningful. Amazing value for money. It truly was an amazing experience.

Eric was a great tour guide. He kept us entertained during the trip and was great at the locations. He was very knowledgeable and fun.

Everywad perfect except the last strawberry stop which was unnecessary.

Donald was a great tour guide — we had a great day and enjoyed all parts of the tour. The weather can be unpredictable at the volcano so we didn’t get to see the active crater but the crater lake was beautiful. Learning about commercial coffee production at Hacienda Doka was interesting and informative. The wildlife part of the La Paz Waterfall Gardens was moderately interesting but the real highlight is the walk down to the waterfalls. It was quite rainy so recommend bringing rain gear and sturdy shoes. The paths are paved but uneven in places and quite a few up and down stairs. We were on a work trip and this was our only day to do something fun and we were glad we chose this!

Excellent activities, our guide Eric was really knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Roy was our driver, felt really safe.

Tour guide was great and very knowledgeable. Explained everything clearly and was able to answer any questions. The trip was great. We were able to see the volcanoes and waterfalls from different angles. The food was great.

Overall good day and well paced. Waterfalls were amazing and guide was helpful. Just be aware that in addition to normal Costa Rica traffic if you were picked up first you will be on the bus for an additional hour. Stop for the fresh strawberries was a bonus!!

I am writing this review to provide honest feedback regarding my experience with our guide, Eric. While the itinerary itself had potential, the overall quality of the tour was significantly impacted by a lack of professionalism. Throughout our time together, Eric’s conduct did not meet the standard I expect from a professional guide. There were several instances where communication felt dismissive, and the punctuality required for a smooth experience was lacking.

This was our best day in Costa Rica. We enjoyed the sites people and animals that we saw. Our guide walked us all over and explained his culture and the animals. They took so many stops and the coffee plantation was nice for chocolate and coffee tasting.

José our tour guy was one of the best knowledgeable, caring and very well organized. I recommend him to everyone. We’re comfortable, happy , and we had so much fun.

Today we used Expediciones Tropicales Day Tours for this trip and their two representatives were outstanding and excellent. Juan Carlos was the driver, very safe and reliable and always waiting in the agreed pickup spot and Mario who was the tour guide, masterful in his obvious knowledge and strength, depth and scope of information about the Poas Volcano and Costa Rican Coffee industry during our tour ar the Doka Coffee Hacienda. Of course, I must also say that their tour bus was new and very well kept and maintained with the air conditioner excellent as well !! I strongly recommend the use of this tour operator in your travels in Costa Rica !!

Oh bro, I think the experience was very good. Also, the tour guide was super friendly, his name was Eric, in every moment he was in the disposition of helping us they waited for us and was super prepared with data, fun facts and good vibes. I speak Spanish, but the tour was both in English and Spanish and English was quite decent.

I wasn't crazy about the driving but it's the norm here lol. Edward and Donald were awesome and friendly! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about literally everything on every tour I was impressed! I recommend highly

I was there while my father was alive. It was one of the best tours I have ever taken with my both parents. They really enjoyed it,so, do I, just watching them having fun and curious of everything. What a great time we had

It was very fun seeing coffee bushes and learning about how coffee is grown and processed. Coffee has such a rich history. We missed the volcano since it is closed due to activity. La Plaz waterfalls was a great way to see a lot of the local animals, even if they were caged. Many are rescue animals. Our guide was very good, and the lunch was very pleasant. It is a great first introduction to Costa Rica

We had an excellent tour with Expediciones Tropicales. We did the Poas Volcano, La Paz & Doka full day trip which was a really nice mix of nature and cultural activities. Our guide Alejandro was fun and really informative, he had an excellent knowledge of the local area and particularly the production of coffee across the country, including the issues the recent rainy weather in dry season had caused which was really interesting. The Doka coffee plantation was very well run, clean today and the breakfast was really good. The coffee was beautiful, I definitely recommend buying your coffee here if you're looking to buy coffee in Costa Rica. The cloud forest was incredible, as we weren't visiting Monteverde it was great to see some proper cloud forest so close to San Jose. There's a stop on the trip where they feed wild hummingbirds with sugar water and younger to see lots of hummingbirds up close, which was beautiful. Overall I would definitely recommend a trip with Expediciones Tropicales!

Expediciones Tropicales was able to add my husband & I just moments before the tour departed from San Jose after another tour company canceled on us overnight while we were sleeping. Our driver was fantastic at navigating tight roads with a large van & our guide was incredibly knowledgeable as well as humorous. Despite appearing to be of "retirement age" she kept the group moving at a quick pace so that we could see everything they packed into the full day tour. She even turned us on to strawberries with chocolate sauce & condensed milk (available at the pit stop just before the volcano)....so yummy that I will now make it at home! The highlight of the trip was seeing Poas bubbling with lava...two days after our visit there was a larger eruption that closed the park temporarily - a once in a lifetime experience!!!

We got picked up around 6am at our hotel, made a few more stops for people and headed to the first location. We absolutely loved the tour!! No pressure to buy anything at the official shops. Definitely a workout at the end with the waterfalls but it was all worth it!! We did not get to see the volcano or lake, so sad it was too gloomy

The volcano was worth seeing, as were the impressive waterfalls. But be aware in the gardens you are mainly not seeing wildlife in the wild but in cages. The food was ok, beware of the shop on the way down. The volcano wine was very expensive and pretty much undrinkable after a few sips - $25 poured away. The guide was excellent and knowledgeable.

La Paz was beautiful. The coffee tour was good. Poás not recommended on rainy day. If you are not physically fit, La Paz can be challenging. Lot of steps to climb. Worth it if you can do it. Doka plantation was good. Coffee there wasn’t. Tasted old. You would think they would brew fresh pots when you arrive there. The included breakfast wasn’t veg friendly. Unless you want only gallo pinto. With a good tour guide it’s worth it for the knowledge. Poás don’t do if it’s rainy. You won’t see anything.

Jonathan, our knowledgeable and engaging guide, revved us up with a delicious shot of coffee and off we went exploring the beautiful grounds and learning all about the coffee industry of Costa Rica. I've been on other coffee tours before, so didn't have high expectations, but we were entranced by the explanations of age-old processes, and charmed by our friendly guide. The property is under-going a great deal of change, so it will be very interesting what this tour looks like in the future! Highly recommended way to spend an hour or two.

The tour was good, beautiful places to visit. However, is not appropriate for kids/toodler like the post said. Is too long and specially the waterfalls garden is not safety. We have a good time but very stressfully to make sure that our daughter complete the tour following the timing and requirements. We never get access to the stroller that we bring. So if you are traveling with Toodler think again to pick this tour.

The guide Daniel was so kind & compassionate. He did not rush us. It was a very enjoyable trip. I didn’t feel like I was being herded like cattle. I met some very nice fellow tourist. We felt like a family. Even if it was just for a day. I would recommend this tour to friends & family. I felt safe as a solo traveler.

I had an amazing experience on this tour! Adrian, our tour guide, was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable and made the tour engaging by providing insights in both English and Spanish, ensuring everyone could follow along comfortably. The tour was well-organized, and the highlights were truly memorable. I highly recommend this tour, especially with Adrian as your guide!

Recommendations for activity: - Good shoes (lots of walking) - Small backpack I went to Costa Rica with my father and decided to do this activity. This activity is an all day affair, and covers a multitude of things. We learned about coffee at the Doka Estates— drank lots of coffee in the process. We then went to the Volcano. Keep in mind you might have to hang around for an hour to see the crater (we went during the rainy season). It was hard to get a visible view of the crater. We were able to get a good view for 30 seconds and that’s it. Later we checked out the waterfalls, which I must say was gorgeous! The lunch was included— it was a buffet style lunch. I would recommend doing this tour if you want to complete several activity’s in one day. My only gripe was the tour guide was a little overwhelming. He constantly checked in on us like we were kids, other than that, the tour was good.

Martin is the best guide! He is very knowledgeable about the different flora and fauna here in Costa Rica, the volcanoes, coffee beans, etc. He is also friendly and funny and made our tour very enjoyable. 5 stars! Thank you also to Roy for taking us safely to and from our different destinations.

Its a nice full day trip. 1st stop at Doka, where we had nice buffet style breakfast, and Rachel our guide gave a full informative tour on how coffee is made. ( You learn to appreciate coffee more). You have the chance to taste different roast coffees and chocolates with coffee bean ( my favorite). 2nd stop, Poas crater. If you are lucky in those 20min you are allowed to be there, the visibility will be clear from clouds. Nice view from top. And last stop, La pas waterfalls with a tour of refugee animals, including buffet lunch on site. Take with you water/ snacks, poncho/rain jacket and walking shoes.

wonderful experience! I learned a lot about Costa Rica. Max our tour guide was wonderful! i would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Costa Rica

Woww. Excellent tour and Jesus was a top notch guide. From the start , he was nice, fun and knowledgeable. From history , to animals, coffee and volcano, he had the answers. He might be the best guide , i have ever seen. The tour includes tons of things. We had a good view of the volcano, La paz is to die for and Doka plantion was super good. The only thing i would recommend them changing is the souvenir shop. The price of the fruits i paid was 3x of the other small vendors on the way. Support small farmers

AMAZING! Rachel was the best and really went out of her way to deliver an amazing tour. I highly recommend this tour

Absolutely lovely day, from start to finish. Guide and driver were both wonderful, and we had plenty of time at each place. We were very lucky and the view into the Poas volcano crater was clear, and although cloudy in the afternoon, it didn't start to rain until 10 minutes after we left the waterfall gardens. (OMG, so many stairs to see the waterfalls!)

The coffee plantation was interesting and charming. The best part was the rainforest and the magnificent waterfalls.

Really well organised, and a fantastic tour guide and bus driver. The locations themselves are a brilliant choice for a day trip from San Jose.

It was a wonderful tour, and Max was an awesome tour guide!! His enthusiasm for the coffee plantation, volcano, and waterfall gardens was contagious. I was worried about transportation, but it was a clean, comfortable van with a lot of windows! Very happy day!!!

We were unable to see the Volcano due to a gas eruption and wind was blowing the wrong way. Doka Coffee Farm was a great experience to see the process of the coffee I love so much. La Paz Waterfall Gardens was beautiful the birds and butterflies are so neat. Great trip! Lots of stairs!!

Great full day tour.. Enjoyed the La Paz Waterfall Gardens.. The volcano was a little foggy but the clouds cleared just in time to see the crater. Donald and Roy were excellent hosts..

Driver was on time and the guide was very friendly! Coffee plantation was pretty, breakfast was good there. The walk to the volcano was easy, we had good visibility. The waterfall gardens were beautiful!

Full day activity, well organized. Tour was great in terms of flexibility and free time. Definitely recommend

Great experience. Definitely worth the money given the amount of activities for the cost of the tour. Be sure to bring enough sunscreen and a hat because it is quite sunny out there. They picked us up from our hotel then we went to the coffee plantation where we learned a great deal about the processing of coffee beans. From there we went to the Volcano which was also nice however there is a peculiar smell so we were good with the 20 minutes spent there. Next we had a quick stop at a local shop where we had delicious strawberry and chocolate smoothies. Be sure to get some Geisha coffee while you are here, as it is the top one in Costa Rica. From here we went to La Paz Waterfall which is actually a very nice place. I particularly loved this place with all the serenity it brought from the waterfalls. The breakfast and lunch are both delicious which definitely exceeded my expectations. The tour guide Max was very informative and is very knowledgeable about all the areas where you stop in the tour. He does a great job transitioning to Spanish and English while he talks which was nice. If you come to Costa Roca on a short visit I highly recommend.

As always we over think and are always worried about our safety in any country but this trip was amazing. We always felt safe and our tour guide Jose was amazing. We started this trip at 5am because our hotel Hyatt Place San Jose/Pinares was not in their route but for an extra $60, they picked us up. Then off to the next nine stops but all in an air conditioned vehicle. We finally arrived at our first stop at around 7am. We were the first group to arrive. The breakfast lacked in options but their rice with beans but what I know as Puerto Rican rice was delicious. Then off we go to start our tours. Jose thought our group a lot in the process of how Costa Ricans make coffee. Then off to the volcano. Many of us started to cough because our throat started to itch. The best way to describe it. Is like making homemade hot sauces and the peppers too spicy but it only lasted a little. They have a van, the Cruz roja that will take individuals to the top if they have knee problems or just problems climbing up to the top and then back down. Totally awesome. We are allowed 20 minutes to see the volcano, which is more than enough. Then back on the bus to reach our final destination, La Paz Waterfalls. We start with lunch in which this has various options and the food was decent. Most tables had reserved signs but our tour guide Jose. Always very attentive and got us a table very quickly. Then the nature walk followed by the beautiful waterfall. These last two required a lot of walking, lots of steps and ups/downs. Everyone made it out and at times. We hit tired but our tour guide never rushed us. He was always very attentive and we had access to all the bathroom breaks we needed. I definitely recommend this tour to anyone. Don’t let being alone stop you either. It was very safe and our tour consisted of many young travelers around the world traveling alone. Thank Jose, I truly enjoyed all the information about Costa Rica. Your are an am we some tour guide.

We really enjoyed this tour! Initially, we were apprehensive about the cost, however, we felt it was a good value in the end. Our family of four really appreciated the door-to-door service - the ride was comfortable, and our tour guide, Max, shared lots of information along the way. We enjoyed breakfast at the coffee plantation and the tour was very interesting. At Poas Volcano, we were lucky to catch a day where we were able to see into the crater and a few small eruptions! At La Paz Waterfall Gardens, we liked being free to go through the Wildlife Sanctuary and to have lunch on our own and at our own pace, before being guided around the waterfalls at the end of the tour. The views of the volcano and the waterfalls were beautiful! This was a great way to see some highlights of Costa Rica, and we highly recommend this tour!

Our guide, Donald, was well-organized and knowledgeable. The tour was also well managed. Amazing to see endemic flora and fauna from Costa Rica. Definitely a must do!

Overall, a decent tour. I enjoyed the coffee tour learning more about the process of making coffee. The volcano tour was okay but there’s not a lot to do besides look at the crater. The waterfall and gardens were not my favorite, felt like I was in a zoo and it didn’t seem like the animals were happy (jaguar was panting and pacing, ocelot was walking in circles) and I felt weird supporting that, didn’t quite feel like a rescue or rehabilitation for the animals. The waterfalls were pretty though.

Enjoyed this tour and made good use of time at coffee farm, volcano and waterfalls! There were extra precautions at the volcano due to activity, but our group felt safe and Donald, our guide, explained everything clearly along the way. At la paz, you walk through some rescue animals before seeing the waterfalls. It was a bit sad to see them in enclosures, but the tour has no control over that. Our group was friendly and our guide looked after everyone to make sure we made it safely home after a wonderful day.

A great trip, very informative, very well organized. Didn’t have to think about anything, just learn and enjoy. Highly recommend.

Knowledgeable guide(Gary), lots to see and do. Crater was clouded in, but that's the risk, no controlling Mother Nature. Coffee tour was quite informative, and the animals at La Paz were abundant and interesting, although sad they were captive. Food was decent.

The tour guide (Martin) made all the difference- he was knowledgeable, funny and made a great day out of it. The content of the tour itself is OK, however the coffee farm is very touristy, and at the Poas volcano there is only 30% chance to see something. The LaPaz gardens are stunning.