Home > Guanacaste > Nicaragua Day Trip: Catarina, Masaya Volcano and Granada from Guanacaste
USD $170.00
Nicaragua Day Trip: Catarina, Masaya Volcano and Granada from Guanacaste
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Nicaragua on this full-day trip to Catarina, Masaya Volcano and Granada with a knowledgeable guide. Learn about the cultural influences, natural landscapes and colonial architecture of this colorful country as you admire volcanic features from Catarina viewpoint, visit the Catalina, travel by horse-drawn carriage through Granada and enjoy some time at Masaya Volcano National Park.
After pickup from your hotel in Guanacaste, enjoy a typical Costa Rican breakfast at Rest Toro Negro (or similar) in Liberia, located in the northwest region of the country. Then, re-board your coach to cross the border into Nicaragua. First, stop at Catarina viewpoint, one of the highest hills surrounding the Apoyo Lagoon. Look out across the water to adjacent Lake Nicaragua and admire Mombacho Volcano, which borders the lake. Next, head to the Catarina Craft Market. It’s an interesting place to search for souvenirs, including textile and ceramic handicrafts along with goods made of leather and wood. Continue to Granada, established in 1524, and hop inside a volanta for a 45-minute horse-drawn carriage ride. Learn about the city’s colonial history and architecture as you pass the colorful homes and squares along the palm-lined streets. Pass attractions such as Parque Central, a central park popular with local residents, and admire the 12 stained-glass windows of Granada Cathedral, housed within its borders. Next, enjoy a leisurely a la carte lunch at Rest El Mariscazo (or similar) before heading to Masaya Volcano National Park, Nicaragua's first and largest National Park. You will be able to see the active volcano and the sulfuric smoke fumes spewing from its main crater, Santiago. You will have a chance to take pictures and enjoy the beautiful views of the whole area.
Your tour ends with transport back to your hotel in Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
Volcano Masaya - the volcano is hot and beautiful. We did not stay too long. Once everyone had taken their pictures we left._br/_ El corral restaurant -traditional Nicaraguan food. It was very fresh and very good._br/_ Carriage ride- the driver spoke good English and was very gentlemanly in helping us in and out of the carriage. He was very knowledgeable about the history._br/_ Tam/grayline (Juan Carlos and Gerardo) they were wonderful and very patient. They expertly navigated is through customs. And the history and future plans of the countries was very informative._br/_ Grenada city center- take only small USD bills. This is were you can buy gifts.
Review by: sarah w, November 2017
best lunch we had during our week in costa rica/nicaragua - good amount of time for shopping as well
Review by: Shannon S, November 2017
One of the best parts of our trip. It was a very long day but well worth the time and money. The tour company was amazing and take care of all the border crossing stuff for you. Also the best meal we had on our trip (lunch). The volcano was amazing! The horse carriage ride was fun as well. A must do
Review by: Terry L W, September 2017
The volcano and the boat ride on Lake Nicaraqua was outstanding. Every American should visit Nicaraqua to see how the people live. My wife and I enjoyed the trip even though it was a long day.
Review by: Alicia F, July 2017
The tour guide was amazing, enjoyed the Masaya volcano and Granada, horse carriage ride was a nice added bonus. Had a great filled day with seeing new things, great food, and shopping. Loved it!
Review by: Sonal M, July 2017
This was definitely a good trip and interesting to see Nicaragua but the reality is that most of the tour is driving and waiting at the border. The stops consists of you seeing a couple of things like a small town and a lot of souvenir shopping. Guides are excellent but all in all, a very long day.
Review by: Donna A, June 2017
It was a great day. I actually like Nicaragua better then Costa Rica.
Review by: dmgoettler, January 2017
Well the morning started out AWFUL - because NEVER WERE WE TOLD you need to have a copy of your flight information with you in order to get back into the country! HUGE problem for us because we were 30 minutes away from the meeting place and had to pay a taxi to drop us of 25 per way so when we got dropped off and then picked up by the van we were in a bind. Luckily and in data later, I was able to get the flight info on my phone. This was a pretty HUGE thing to not tell someone!
Review by: kmullane, January 2017
Bus broke down but overall the trip was good
Review by: Jeff B, November 2016
This is an excellent trip as long as you know what you are in for, so please read the description! It is a full day....like 16 hours from start to finish, but it was one of our highlights for our trip to Costa Rica! The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly and had made the border crossing multiple times so he knew how to make it as quick and painless as possible. You will spend a lot of time in the bus but each stop and each tour was unique and exciting. Highly recommend this tour if you can handle sitting for long periods of time. It was a great way to see the country both Costa Rica and Nicaragua and experience a bit of the local cuisine and shopping! I would not recommend it for children as it was a long, long day! As long as you have an adventurous spirit, this is very worthwhile!
Review by: Tina R, September 2016
This tour was very interesting. Our bilingual tour guide was very educated and professional and provided us with information about the country, volcanos, and the culture on our way to Nicaragua, which made the bus ride seem shorter than it was. The food was good, especially the lunch. Communication leading up to the day of the trip was also very good. This tour was worth the price we paid and we would highly recommend this tour. Kenny and Tina Robertson of Kansas
Review by: Samantha S, April 2016
Loved seeing the country. Granada was wonderful as well as the boat tour around Lake Nicaragua. The bus ride was very long and bumpy and the guide did not give much info about what we were seeing or doing.
Review by: Laura K, January 2016
Apparently, this tour doesn't exist. My hotel concierge called them on Friday Jan.15 to confirm our pick up time, and that's what he was told. We received no notice, email or phone call from them to let us know this. I rescheduled another Nicaragua trip for the following Tuesday through the hotel - but maybe fate was trying to tell me something, because it turned out to be the only tour I strongly DO NOT RECOMMEND. Sixteen hours of driving, long lines at the border crossings, and no dinner stop. The volcano is great, but not worth the rest of it.
Review by: Dennis Y, January 2016
Long day. Pickup schedule was incorrect. Conflicting info on the tour page:
Review by: Liliana Q, November 2015
The tour guide and drivers were excellent, they had a lot of attention with us, but because all the people in the tour were english speakers, they didn't speak any spanish at all and one of person in my party didn't speak very good english. The bus was very old and very uncomfortable for such a long trip, the driver that pick up us was there at 6:00 AM and we were told to be at the hotel lobby at 6:45 so he was angry and telling us that he was about to leave, when it was the company fault, also and the most important complaint is that they didn't told us that we needed the plane ticket reservation to enter again to costa rica, so it was difficult to get the access again in customs.
Review by: Denver H, November 2015
Guided was very informative and professional.
Review by: Jeannine C, September 2015
I was charged twice for the horse and buggy ride. However paying the extra 5 dollars didn't matter the excursion it self was wonderful.
Review by: Kelly E, August 2015
This is a very long day! On the way to Nicaragua we spent two hours at border crossing and on the way back we spent another hour. The sites are nice but not great for the amount of time you spend on the bus.
Review by: Miriam L, June 2015
I was definitely underwhelmed. Very long day and long wait times at the border. The only cool part was the active volcano but you can't really see much because of the sulphur. If you are visiting Costa Rica, I would recommend visiting other places in Costa Rica.
Review by: robert g, June 2015
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Robin W, May 2015
The highlight in my 7 days' holiday in Costa Rico.
Review by: Joshua C, March 2015
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Kay W, January 2015
After our initial issues with making our reservations, we were pleased with your transportation arrangements in that you sent a van to our location while another was traveling up to meet us in La Cruz with the other participants in our tour. The person who picked us up at the hotel did not speak english which was a challenge since we did not know that we were going to meet up with another group but were pleased with the group of 3 that met us and spoke fluent english. We enjoyed the stop at the Masaya Volcano but would have enjoyed a trip to the visitors center to better understand the volcano causes and results...Granada was beautiful. it was our understanding that the tour of the city by horse and carriage was included in our cost so we were surprised to find it would cost each carriage an additional $20.00 for the tour. The tour was very good for us as our guide spoke perfect english, but other participants did not have english speaking guides which would have been disappointing. Lunch was delicious.
Review by: Christine K, January 2015
Nicaragua is a beautiful country! Grenada was fabulous. I would recommend visiting both locations.
Review by: bigfoot6ft6, December 2014
Brian our guide was outstanding. Especially enjoyed Granada. Horse carriage ride, lunch, and souvenir shopping on the square were highpoints. Catarina scenic views were nice, and souvenir shopping at the local market was best on our trip. Masaya Volcano was picturesque. Breakfast in Liberia was delicious. Only negative is border crossing to/ from Nicaragua. Long wait and redundant checks by health and customs personnel Use the bathroom in CR as it is free. Will cost you $1-$5 to go in Nicaragua while you clear customs. Souvenir sellers in Nicaragua Customs Stop are aggressive.
Review by: Claudia D, December 2014
A long but good day, very reliable pick up with good driver and excellent tour guide. Breakfast and lunch were both better than expected and the sights were well worth the money. Very enjoyable.
Review by: tina, November 2014
the tour was great,very informative,and lots to see. we did have to pay extra for the horse and buggy ride,it was not included as it stated..i would recommend it..on the down side there could have been a few extra stops for drinks and potty.we were not gone 16 hours so we could have fit it in.
Review by: chrismortimer, November 2014
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Paul T, October 2014
This certainly was worth the long day. Looking into a volcano from the rim was most exhilarating. Our tour guide, Marco, was fantastic, knowledgeable, funny and friendly. The boat trip on Lake Nicaragua was lovely including feeding the monkeys on one of the islands. The market shopping was a great place to purchase Nicaraguan souvenirs - the leather products were beautiful. The lunch was fabulous - try the fish. The border crossing was an "experience" ...would recommend this trip to others.
Review by: Yalila M, October 2014
This tour was truly more than what my best friend and I expected. Very organized and full a little surprises. Loved our tour guide Marco. He was very knowledgable and friendly. great trip!!!
Review by: America M, September 2014
The country is enchanting to go and see, however most of the time is spent at the borders dealing with immigration and lines. The tour guide was not happy with the tips he received, (one should be careful and think before they speak, never know when someone might know the language).
Review by: mobart, September 2014
Long but amazing an very instructive trip to Nicaragua. Nicaragua is a beautiful an safe country. Beautiful nature - Lake Nicaragua and Masaya Volcano. Nice old town Granada with lot of old buildings. We could have more time to discover Granada. Lunch was tasty. I would highly recommend this tour.
Review by: Anar G, June 2014
My biggest disappointment was the cancellation of Masaya volcano and we were not informed till we got to the border.We were nowhere close to it, and they did not replace it with any other attraction. There was nothing to brag about this trip. I would not recommend this trip unless you find some other company who does deliver what was promised. Waste of money.
Review by: LINDA A, May 2014
The tour company was not as stated with Viator and the tour was slightly different than as described on the Viator site. However, the tour was excellent and the company that handled the tour did an outstanding job.
Review by: Sheriene S, April 2014
Really great experience going to Nicaragua. I took two kids and felt very safe. Harold, our guide was knowledgeable about the country. Viewpoint from Catarina was beautiful. Taking a boat ride in Lake Nicaragua was fun and we got to feed monkeys. We enjoyed going to the volcano in Masaya National Park. We did not ride in a carriage in Granada or go to to San Juan del Sur. I agree with one of the other reviewers that the description did not fit what we did. However, we did go to Granada and go inside a church that was getting ready for the Easter holiday and it was beautiful. We walked around the square. Really enjoyed this tour.
Review by: Michelle I, March 2014
Excellent day trip! The guide and driver made the border crossing very smooth. We learned some great details about Nicaragua and now want to visit again for a longer stay. The volcanoes were awe inspiring and the boat trip was very relaxing. Breakfast wasn't anything special, but lunch was delicious! My only qualm was that we were quite rushed at the market, but the tour was great other than that!
Review by: Sue L, March 2014
It was a long day but definitely worth the trip! We had David for our guide he was knowledgeable and funny, we had breakfast and a great lunch at the Masaya market. It's was nice to se the cultural differences between the Costa Rica and Nicaragua. I absolutely loved Granada and the square over looking the church.
Review by: Tiffany H, March 2014
Amazing tour, in large part due to the personality and knowledge of our guide, David. The country is beautiful and we made stops including a boat tour of Lake Nicaragua, walking through Granada, and a view of the volcano. We picked up four people who had started the tour a couple of days earlier and spent nights in Granada, then continued on to conclude the tour with our group. I strongly encourage people who have the opportunity to take advantage of this option, since Granada is beautiful and offers many things to do and see if you extend your stay. I was amazed by the enormous energy windmill field that we passed when entering and exiting Nicaragua. Overall, this was a wonderful tour and well spent excursion, in large part due to the additional information offered by David. Thank you!
Review by: Brandon H, February 2014
The tour itself was great. I agree with everything the other reviewers said. Long, but worth it. We had a 2.5 year old with us and he actually did fine with the trip. There IS a lot of driving time (especially the return... it was about 3.5-4 hours with a stop at the border in between) but the tour guide fills it with useful information and after a full day of activity our son just fell asleep. My review while 4 stars would really be 2 stars if I were rating only Viator. But I rated the tour and I'll just tell you my experience going through Viator in Costa Rica was not great. The Viator tour description included a bit more than we actually received and we found it difficult to make contact with the local operator we were supposed to call when we arrived in Costa Rica. We also found that the tour we were on was the same tour that other hotel guests booked locally for less money. All in all it was an unnecessary hassle. Some countries it's useful booking these kinds of trips with an American company but in this case it caused more confusion. The Viator agents however were very responsive and did refund us for the items promised and not delivered (carriage ride, cruise in Nicaragua). If you go with the right expectations it's an amazing experience. We were a little doubtful about the quality of our tour operator given the issues we faced in communicating with them (not 100% due to the language barrier, but poor organization, disconnected numbers, careless review of information sent etc.), but it turned out to be a great company (hotelbeds) that did the actual tour. We were pleased once we re-aligned our expectations with those of the other hotel guests on the same tour.
Review by: Maricela S, February 2014
Mark was a fantastic tour guide! Filled with information, and wow, every word in English and French, and perfect Spanish with the locals! A very long day, but sooo interesting. Lunch was fantastic. Amazing experience and 4 stamps in th passport in one day!-score!
Review by: Darville O, January 2014
Excellent guide and driver, the food at the late lunch was excellent. It is a long day, but worth it.
Review by: MARTHA W, January 2014
It was a long day, but so well worth it! The tour guide did a great job, especially getting us through border control seemlessly. The bus was comfortable, the sights were beautiful. The lunch was awesome, exceeded expectations for sure. We always felt safe and well taken care of by the drivers and guide. The carriage ride thru Granada was the highlight. The views from San Juan Del Sur's Christ statue were spectacular. Through out the entire day, we saw so much, yet never felt rushed.
Review by: lisa t, December 2013
This was a trip that quite honestly nobody wanted my son and I to go on because they were afraid that it was dangerous for us to go to Nicaragua, but I must say I am glad I went ahead anyway and did it because it was the highlight of our trip. Nicaragua was a beautiful country filled with lots of old beautiful buildings and historically has a lot for you to see and enjoy. We never felt unsafe or afraid to walk around even by ourselves and not with the group. It is definitely a place that you should see if you get the opportunity because it's very close and definitely worth the money. Hopefully you will be as lucky as we were to have marc as your tour guide. He was very personable and knowledgeable about not only Nicaragua but Costa Rica as well. We learned a lot of both of these countries history from him. Make sure you bring your cameras because there is so much that you will want to capture and share with everyone when you go home.
Review by: sandra e, September 2013
I enjoyed this trip a lot. The ride to Nicaragua wasn't bad. You have a few check points, so that breaks up the drive. Breakfast wasn't anything to brag about. But the tour guide was knowledgeable and personable. The towns we explored were beautiful. Lunch could of been better as well. They claimed to have chicken fajitas, which 13 of the 16 of us ordered. When the food came out we saw it was chicken fingers, none of us were happy with that. The tour guide said they call fingers fajitas. So be aware of that when ordering lunch. I felt safe the whole trip. And at the end they gave us a cute souvenir. Do this tour!
Review by: Annette L, September 2013
This was a fantastic day trip. Guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. All others on the trip noted their satisfaction as well. The carriage ride through Granada was beautiful. I would highly recommend this trip if you have the time._br/_
Annette Loso, Vermont
Review by: djfuzzy4eva, July 2013
My tours were amazing!!!!! I had a great time. I would definitely recommend the Nicaragua day trip!!!! Nicaragua is beautiful!!! The monkey island, Masaya volcano etc. Just beautiful!!! Ziplining in Costa Rica Awesome!! I had a blast!!!
Review by: Therese, April 2013
A great experience. Mark was a very knowledgeable guide and very personable._br/_
Very good value for money. Great Central American history lesson!
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