Absolutely amazing!!! We went around 10:30 and saw some amazing, clear views of the caldera before the clouds started rolling in. It’s an easy walk to the volcano caldera. The signs saying the hike to the Lagoon is strenuous aren’t lying. It’s a mile steep uphill hike.

The view was amazing and the Poas Volcano is active. We could see some activity going on. At one point we could smell the sulfur dioxide. There are shelters if there is some eruption. Then there was hike to Lagoon, it said medium difficult trail. The view of the lagoon was good. Nothing much there apart from taking photos. We took the same trails we came through as they were now down hill.

We went in November and it was completely covered by clouds to the point you couldn't see anything. I asked other tourists and they told me it is usually covered and one will be lucky to see the volcano. It felt like a tourist trap, having paid $80. Check weather and time of the year before booking.

Wow what an experience. Lots to see and so much to experience. One of life’s wonders. Short visit but well worth it. Lovely cafe and gift shop onsite and lots of great pics to take.

Visibility is by chance. We visited January 17th, 2024 and could see maybe 100 feet (so we could not see anything.) Just bad luck. We were also unprepared for the gale force winds and chill from being literally in the mist of the clouds. I failed to find a good source for weather forecasting at the park and suffered the consequences. The hike to the main viewing area is short, not steep (IMO) and on wide paved surfaces (which were quite wet but not unreasonably slippery, YMMV). We also took the short extra hike to the overlook of the inactive crater, Laguna Botos and could see; nothing. We took the alternate hiking path back down to the nature center and even it was paved (just a bit narrower.) We got tickets online ahead of time for $15 plus 13% tax each. I don't think it really matters what time you select for your pass. We were several hours later than the time listed on our passes and had no problem entering (it may have helped that we had a local driver/guide, but I can't say for sure.) We were there maybe an hour. Might have spent more time there if the weather/visibility had cooperated. This was the 2nd stop of our Doka Coffee Plantation/Poas Volcano/La Paz Waterfall Gardens tour day. Started in San Jose and ended in La Fortuna.

We visited the volcano in April with entry at 9am. All the staff were friendly. There is a video to watch in advance of the walk, about the history which is interesting. The walk to the volcano is well paved and maintained. For safety reasons, you can only be at the volcano for 20 minutes. We were lucky with the weather and got great views. I can see how frustrating it must be for people who don’t get to see anything. Like a lot of things in Costa Rica, this is heavily dependent on weather. In the 20 minutes we were there, there was quite a bit of cloud coverage coming in. Therefore, we suggest earlier the better to give a higher chance of seeing the volcano. We enjoyed ourselves and would recommend.

This is San José's best and closest volcano option, not to mention an active volcano. The are where its located is beautiful, with many restaurants and coffee places along the way. It has secure parking, bilingual staff, volcanic museum and souvenir store. Easy walk to the viewing platform where you will have a perfect view of the crater and all volcanic activity

This was a cool experience. While we were there the volcano was shooting out some stuff but wasn't bad enough to evacuate or take shelter. It is an active volcano so it might erupt. They have warning lights that monitor the air condition and shelters to take cover in for emergencies. It was a beautiful walk up to the lookout.

Five of us visited Poas Volcano. It was a little cloudy and windy the day we visited. We did not pre-book, just paid when we arrived. We all had to wear helmets and sit through a short (15 min) introduction film presentation. Then an 800 meter walk to the edge of the caldera. It was quite cloudy but we still managed to get a few pictures.

This was the most amazing experience I have ever witnessed! Now, in order to get in the park you need to make reservations ahead of time. Otherwise they would not let you in. Also, for a great view you need to make this a morning activity. Once the clouds are in the crater gets covered. We went there without reservations at around 11am and asked the guard if the crater was visible at that point. They have a monitor where they look at the current conditions and can tell you if it is worthy or not. We were lucky, there was visibility and so we used the park WiFi, to open an account with the national parks, bought the tickets on line and on we went. It takes time (about 25-30 min)to open the account and purchase the tickets. If you are not a resident, you need passport id for every visitor in order to open the account with the Costa Rica national parks and buy the tickets. This was a fantastic experience for all.