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From San Jose....how long of a trip is it out to the volcano? any one know a good tour? Can it be hiked from bottom to top or do you have to take a tour to the top. ( i know its almost 11,000 feet but its my kinda thing) Any info is greatly appreciated! Thanks guys!
DTA

Hey DTA,
I think the ride was maybe an hour and 15 minutos, a great day trip. The van will drive right up to it, then you can walk about half a mile around the crater. Take some warm clothes as it will be about 20 degrees cooler up there. We hired a van to take us there then to Sanchiri for lunch and Lankaster gardens, but it rained so we skipped the garden tour...
Here's my trip report- look at Wed.-there's a couple links in it, check them out. Lunch at the Sanchiri lodge on the way back was awesome- highly recommend that too, and you can do some other tours from Sanchiri if you have time...
https://costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3300

some more info-
https://costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=139

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I went to Irazu once and getting to the top of the hill was the best part. You'll see all kinds of beautiful scenery on your way up, including maybe some cows crossing the roads.

The top of the hill where you are actually looking into the volcano is really cool. The clouds were so close to us we could practically touch them.

Here is some advice. You could climb Irazu yourself but why bother? Its one of only 2 volcanos in CR where you can actually drive up to the top (the other being Poas). You want to get there early before the clouds move in and spoil the view and that won't happen if you plan on taking the time to hike to the top.

Also, if you can drive yourself or hire a private driver that might be your best option. The problem with all group tours to any destination is that you usually spend up to an hour each morning driving around to various hotel picking up the participants (and hoping that they didn't oversleep), unless you get lucky and wind up being the last pickup (which probably won't be the case if you are staying in the Gulch). This is particularly a problem if you are trying to get to a volcano top to beat the clouds.

Another advantage of getting there early is that you will beat the other group tourists there and have the place all to yourself. This last point is even more significant when you are going to Poas, which gets jam packed with large tour buses after 9AM.

Being on the top of Irazu feels something like being on the top of the moon, particularly while you have it to yourself. It is devoid of most plantlife and features a large caldera of volcanic rubble and gravel. Even when it is cloudy, or even more so then, it has an other worldly feel. When it is clear it is supposedly one of just a few places in Central America where one can see both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans from the same spot (the top of Mt. Chirripo, also in CR and its highest peak is another and to get there you HAVE to hike it). Personally, I've never been lucky enough to be there when it was THAT clear, so can't vouch for that.

Whether you go on a group or private tour to Irazu you should definitely work in some other nearby destinationsin with it. It doesn't really matter what tour company you use. They're all pretty much the same. But you will need to decide what other places you'll combine in. After leaving the volcano top, you might want to stop for breakfast at the restaurant that is near the top, which bills itself as the highest restaurant in the world. Many of the tour groups also stop there. Bring a business card to add to the collection on the walls. Once you get back down from the mountain, you could stop briefly in Cartago and briefly visit the church and the underground shrine to La Negrita. Lankester Gardens are just south of there near Paraiso and in my opinion are a great addition to the day's itinerary. A lot of Irazu tours add a tour of the Orosi Valley, just a little further south, which is described as the most beautiful valley in CR. Personally, IMHO YMMV, I thought it was nice but I've seen nicer places in CR. A less common tour combo is to descend from Irazu towards Turrialba instead of Cartago and visit the indian ruins at Guayabo. I found this place to be very interesting but it takes you a bit further from CR.

One last comment, if you like the active pursuits, there is no shortage of places to hike in CR. However, on Irazu there is one slightly different option. One time I went on a mountain bike tour (down Irazu and up and down Turrialba Volcano). This is certainly not for everybody and when I went I ended up being the only one on the tour, meaning no waiting for other tourists in the morning and having what amounted to a personal tour guide (at the end of the day I tipped more in accordance). The off road portion was rough and the climbs were tough on my breathing given the high altitude, but the last stretch literally flying down the road on Turrialba was the biggest rush I've ever experienced in CR (and I've done the WW raft, canopy, surfing, etc.)

I took a bus that went to the top of Irazu one Sunday(?) morning a few years ago. It left from in front of the Gran Hotel Costa Rica. I saw an ad for it in a flyer they had at el Sesteo at that time (probably '98 or '99). Is it still running? If so that is probably the cheapest way to go.

I was along with Paco on the trip he posted about and it does make a nice day trip, the views were great. The Sanchiri resaurant trip was a really nice stop,one of the best views I've seen in the country as I remember and very good and reasonable food.There is still a regular express bus up there which is very reasonable but not sure where it stops.rbc100

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Very true! I took the Poas/Sarapiqui River/La Paz Waterfall tour on
perhaps my sixth trip to CR. It was enjoyable for the most part, but
at Poas the visibility was only about 15 feet. We couldn't see the crater at all because of the fog and clouds.

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Unfortunately that is the way Poas is most of the time. You have to get there very early and the best way to do that is with a private driver. Remember to bring a jacket as the temp is a shock and it can also be very damp.

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