Hot Springs La Fortuna Costa RicaTabacón Day Pass
The Tabacón day pass is the most expensive ticket on this site at $180 per person, and it is sold on Viator with all sales final. That is the honest starting point. What the money buys is access to what the seller calls Costa Rica's largest network of naturally flowing thermal springs, inside a private rainforest reserve on the flank of Arenal Volcano. Five springs feed the Tabacón River, and the water runs through the property as an actual river, with waterfalls and riverbed pools at varying temperatures. Most other hot springs in La Fortuna are constructed pools filled with geothermally heated water. Here the river itself is the attraction. This page explains what the pass includes, what it leaves out, how the shuttle works, and who should book a different pass instead. Start with the guide to hot springs in La Fortuna, Costa Rica if you are still comparing.
About This Tour
This is a day pass listing for Tabacón Hot Springs sold by Tico Paradise Costa Rica on Viator. The ticket covers entrance to Tabacón's thermal river and pools, and all fees and taxes. The duration window runs 3 to 7 hours, which is the time you have to soak. Tabacón is the only venue in the La Fortuna area with a true natural hot spring river alongside constructed pools, fed by five natural springs heated by the volcano's geothermal system.
The listing is transport-only-if-you-ask. By default you get yourself there, roughly a 16 minute drive from La Fortuna on Route 142. A shared shuttle from La Fortuna can be arranged in advance by email or WhatsApp with the operator, and only from La Fortuna. No food, no drinks and no towel service are named in the listing's inclusions. The pass is sold with no free cancellation at all, which no other resort pass on this site does.
$180 per person on Viator, sold by Tico Paradise Costa Rica. It is the priciest day pass here.
The listing duration window is 3 to 7 hours. The resort's own day pass hours run 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
A natural thermal river with cascading waterfalls and riverbed pools of varying temperature, plus constructed pools, inside a private rainforest reserve near Arenal Volcano.
Entrance to the thermal river and pools, all fees and taxes. No meal, no drinks, no transport by default.
You set it. The 3 to 7 hour window is yours to fill, and the river stays open until 10:00 p.m. on the resort's own day pass.
All sales are final. No refund is available, and the operator treats cancellations inside 15 days as a no-show with a 100% penalty.
Check Dates and Availability
Day pass capacity at Tabacón is limited and advance reservations are recommended, especially in peak weeks. Check live dates and times for the pass below.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short answer
The Tabacón day pass costs $180 per person, covers entrance to the thermal river and pools with all fees and taxes, and allows no refund once booked.
Key takeaways
- The ticket is entrance only. No lunch, no drinks, no towel and no transport unless you arrange the La Fortuna shuttle in advance.
- Tabacón is the only venue in the area with a natural thermal river. Most alternatives are constructed pools, like the Baldi day pass.
- If a no-refund policy worries you, the Ecotermales day pass allows free cancellation up to 24 hours out.
- See how every pass and tour stacks up on the hot springs in La Fortuna, Costa Rica page.
What the Price Actually Covers
At $180 this is the most expensive ticket in our comparison, so it matters exactly where the line falls between included and not.
The Included List Is Short
The listing names one inclusion: all fees and taxes, which bundle the entrance to Tabacón's thermal river and pools. That is the whole package. There is no lunch, no dinner, no alcoholic beverages and no private transportation, and those are named explicitly as exclusions.
No towel, locker or robe service is stated in the listing either, so do not assume them. The shuttle is a separate option, not part of the base ticket.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance to thermal river and pools | Yes | The five spring-fed river and pool network is the core of the ticket |
| All fees and taxes | Yes | The only named inclusion in the listing |
| Lunch or dinner | No | Named exclusion. Eat before or after, or check the resort's own pass with meal |
| Alcoholic beverages | No | Named exclusion |
| Transport | No by default | Shared shuttle from La Fortuna only, arranged in advance by email or WhatsApp |
| Cancellation protection | No | All sales final, no refund |
Where the Money Goes
You are paying for the water, not a bundle. Tabacón's five natural springs feed the Tabacón River with thousands of gallons of thermal water every minute, and the resort sits inside a private rainforest reserve near Arenal Volcano. It is the only venue in the area where the geothermal water runs as a natural river you can sit in, with waterfalls and riverbed pools at varying temperatures.
Constructed pools surround it. If that specific river is what you want and you accept the no-refund terms, the price buys a single undiluted thing. If you mainly want warm pools for an afternoon, cheaper passes deliver that.
The Paradise Hot Springs ticket costs $47 and the Hot Springs Pura Vida river access is $29 for its own natural river section.
Sources: Tabacón hot springs, Baldi Hot Springs day pass and Arenal Volcano on Wikipedia.
The Tabacón river, warmed by Arenal Volcano. Photo: Central Intelligence Agency, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
There is no guided itinerary. You arrive, you soak, you leave when your window ends. Here is how it actually unfolds.
Getting There
Unless you booked the shuttle option, you drive yourself. Tabacón sits about 16 minutes from La Fortuna town on Route 142, the road toward the volcano and Nuevo Arenal. If you did arrange the shared shuttle, it runs from La Fortuna only and picks up only at hotels on road 142.
The operator asks you to send your hotel name as soon as possible through the contacts on your booking confirmation. Do that the day you book, not the night before.
At the Springs
The pass gives you 3 to 7 hours, and the resort's own day pass hours run 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Most of your time goes on the river path itself. Waterfalls cascade into naturally formed pools along the riverbed, each with its own temperature and flow, from gentle and shallow to rushing and deep.
Find a pool that suits you and move upstream or downstream as you like. Constructed pools sit alongside if you want easier entry. The reserve is rainforest, so wildlife and heavy greenery are part of it.
There is no guide and no schedule inside. Food is not included, so plan meals around the visit.
Tabacón Day Pass on Video
A visitor walks the Tabacón river and pools and covers what the pass buys. Third-party video by Emma Terra. We did not shoot it and have no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing states a few hard limits. Read them before paying, because there is no refund if any of them applies to you.
Health Warnings
The listing is not recommended for pregnant travelers and not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health. Hot water is the reason. If either applies to you, a hot soak is the wrong activity.
Suitability for all physical fitness levels is stated, so walking the river path is not the barrier, the heat is. Anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times per the resort's own rules.
Budget and Flexibility
At $180 with all sales final, this pass rules out anyone who might need to shift dates or who flinches at a three-figure ticket. The fix is simple. Book a pass with free cancellation.
The Ecotermales day pass at $81 allows free cancellation up to 24 hours out and runs a proper rainforest garden of its own. The Baldi day pass at $60 adds waterslides and 25 pools. If you want the volcano and a soak combined, the waterfall, volcano and hot springs tour is $95 with hotel pickup included.
Travelers Without Transport
The base ticket assumes you drive. The shared shuttle exists, but it is from La Fortuna only, picks up only at hotels on road 142, and must be arranged in advance. If you are staying outside town or want guaranteed door-to-door transport, choose a listing that includes it, such as the Arenal volcano hike with hot springs river at $54 with round-trip La Fortuna pickup.
A swim-up bar in a thermal pool at Tabacón. Photo: Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What to Settle Before You Book
With no refunds on the table, the pre-booking checklist matters more here than on any other pass on this site.
Lock the Date First
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations, and the operator treats any cancellation inside 15 days as a no-show with a 100% penalty. The resort's own payment terms tell you how seriously this is enforced.
Confirm your travel dates, your transport and everyone in your party before you pay. Day pass capacity at Tabacón is limited and advance reservations are recommended, so a same-day walk-up plan is a poor fit for this listing.
Confirm the Shuttle in Writing
If you want the shared shuttle, book the transport option and then email through the contacts on your booking confirmation with your hotel name as soon as possible. Keep the written confirmation on your phone. The shuttle runs from La Fortuna only and picks up only at hotels on road 142, so if you stay elsewhere it may not reach you.
What to Bring
The listing does not state towel or locker service, so bring a towel and assume you carry your own valuables or leave them locked in your car at your own risk. Pack a swimsuit, water shoes for the riverbed rocks, dry clothes and cash or card for food and drinks, which are not included. Note that no outside food rule is confirmed either way.
Getting There Without a Car
Without your own vehicle, the shared La Fortuna shuttle arranged in advance is the only transport in this listing. Driving yourself takes about 16 minutes from La Fortuna on Route 142. The listing states no parking cost for the resort lot.
Public transportation options are noted as available nearby in the listing, though no specific route or schedule is given, so do not count on a bus timetable you have not confirmed.
Hour by Hour
This is a pass, not a guided tour. The listing states no fixed times, so this sequence follows the day pass hours and your own 3 to 7 hour window.
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Shuttle pickup or own drive
If you booked the shuttle, it collects you at your hotel on road 142 in La Fortuna. Otherwise you drive, about 16 minutes from town on Route 142.
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Arrive at Tabacón Hot Springs
The meeting point is Tabacon Hot Springs, La Fortuna, 21007. Present your ticket at the entrance and start your 3 to 7 hour window.
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First soak on the thermal river
Head for the river path. Five natural springs feed the Tabacón River, with cascading waterfalls and riverbed pools at varying temperatures. Pick a pool and settle in.
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Work your way along the riverbed
Each pool along the river differs in temperature and flow. Move between them, or use the constructed pools for easier entry. The reserve is rainforest, with wildlife in the canopy.
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Eat on your own budget
Lunch and dinner are not included, and neither are alcoholic drinks. The resort has its own restaurants and bars if you want to eat on site, at your own cost.
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Last soak and change
The resort's day pass hours run 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Dry off, change, and allow time to meet the shuttle if you booked one.
Pros and Cons
The honest ledger for this listing, taken from the operator's own terms.
What we genuinely like
- The only true natural thermal river in the La Fortuna area, fed by five natural springs, with waterfalls and riverbed pools at varying temperatures
- A 3 to 7 hour window inside a private rainforest reserve near Arenal Volcano, with day pass hours running 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- All fees and taxes are bundled into the $180 ticket, with no extra entrance to pay at the gate
- Wheelchair accessible and suitable for all fitness levels, with a shared La Fortuna shuttle available if arranged in advance
The honest downsides
- All sales are final. No refund at all, and cancellations inside 15 days are penalized 100%
- $180 is the priciest ticket in our comparison, more than double the $81 Ecotermales pass and triple the $60 Baldi pass
- No meal, no drinks, no towel and no transport in the base ticket, so food and getting there cost extra
- The shared shuttle runs from La Fortuna only and picks up only at hotels on road 142, and only if arranged in advance
Who it's NOT for: Not for travelers who might need to cancel, who are pregnant or have poor cardiovascular health, or who want a pass with food and transport bundled in.
Tabacón Day Pass Questions
Can I cancel the Tabacón day pass if my plans change?
No. The listing states all sales are final, with no refund available for cancellations, and the operator treats cancellations inside 15 days as a no-show with a 100% penalty. If flexibility matters, the Ecotermales day pass allows free cancellation up to 24 hours out.
Does the pass include lunch or dinner?
No. Lunch and dinner are named exclusions, as are alcoholic beverages. Only entrance to the thermal river and pools, with all fees and taxes, is included. If a bundled meal matters, compare the Baldi day pass with optional meals.
How do I get to Tabacón from La Fortuna without a car?
The base ticket assumes your own transport, about a 16 minute drive on Route 142. A shared shuttle from La Fortuna only is available if arranged in advance by email or WhatsApp with the operator, and it picks up only at hotels on road 142. The waterfall, volcano and hot springs tour includes round-trip La Fortuna pickup in its $95 price.
What makes the Tabacón river different from other hot springs in La Fortuna?
It is a genuine natural hot spring river, fed by five natural springs and heated by the Arenal volcano system, with waterfalls and riverbed pools of varying temperature. Most other venues are constructed pools, and some add waterslides. The guide to the hot springs of La Fortuna Costa Rica explains which venues have river water and which have pumped pools.
Is the pass suitable for children and pregnant travelers?
Age bands run infant 0-4, child 5-11 and adult 12-75, and the resort requires children under 16 to be accompanied by an adult at all times. The listing is not recommended for pregnant travelers or those with poor cardiovascular health. For a family water park angle, see the Baldi pass with its waterslides.
How long can I stay on the day pass?
The listing's duration window runs 3 to 7 hours, and the resort's own day pass hours run 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., so you choose your block within that. If you want more than one day, the two-day pass at The Springs Resort covers two separate days for $124.
Is there a cheaper way to soak in a natural hot river?
Yes. The free river at El Choyín is the downstream continuation of the same thermal water near the Tabacón entrance, though it has no staff, no lockers, slippery rocks and reported thefts. For a ticketed river option, Hot Springs Pura Vida river access is $29 with its own thermal river section.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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