There are 8 ways to get from San Francisco to Arenal Volcano by plane, shuttle, train, bus, or car
Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner.
Fly San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport, shuttle
best- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane SFO - SJO
- Take a shuttle bus from Alajuela to La Fortuna
11h 12m$723–1,265Fly San Francisco International Airport to La Fortuna Arenal Airport
cheapest- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to La Fortuna Arenal Airport (FON)plane SFO - FON
13h 45m$195–627Train, bus, drive
- Take the train from Oakland to Los Angelestrain
- Take the bus from Los Angeles to Managuabus
- Take the bus from Managua Mercado Mayoreo to San Carlosbus
- Drive from San Carlos to Arenal Volcanocar
5d 3h$607–837Drive 5,842.2 km
- Drive from San Francisco to Arenal Volcanocar 5,842.2 km
2d 23h$784–1,132Fly Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport, shuttle
- Fly from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)plane OAK - SJO
- Take a shuttle bus from Alajuela to La Fortuna
13h 7m$459–961Fly San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport, bus, shuttle
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Liberia International Airport (LIR)plane SFO - LIR
- Take the bus from Terminal de Buses Municipal de Liberia to Cañasbus
- Take a shuttle bus from Cañas to La Fortuna
12h 43m$517–1,252Fly Oakland International Airport to Liberia International Airport, bus, shuttle
- Fly from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Liberia International Airport (LIR)plane OAK - LIR
- Take the bus from Terminal de Buses Municipal de Liberia to Cañasbus
- Take a shuttle bus from Cañas to La Fortuna
15h 12m$563–1,398Fly San Francisco International Airport to Managua Airport, shuttle
- Fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Managua Airport (MGA)plane SFO - MGA
- Take a shuttle bus from Granada to Peñas Blancas
- Take a shuttle bus from Peñas Blancas to La Fortuna
16h 42m$828–1,370
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) flights
Comparing Your Travel Options
The cheapest way to get from San Francisco to Arenal Volcano is to fly which costs $190 - $650 and takes 13h 45m.
The fastest way to get from San Francisco to Arenal Volcano is to fly and shuttle which takes 11h 12m and costs $700 - $1,300.
The distance between San Francisco and Arenal Volcano is 5041 km. The road distance is 5842.2 km.
It takes approximately 11h 12m to get from San Francisco to Arenal Volcano, including transfers.
Arenal Volcano is 1h ahead of San Francisco. It is currently 3:18 PM in San Francisco and 4:18 PM in Arenal Volcano.
Yes, the driving distance between San Francisco to Arenal Volcano is 5842 km. It takes approximately 2 days 23h to drive from San Francisco to Arenal Volcano.
There are 623+ hotels available in Arenal Volcano.
What companies run services between San Francisco, CA, USA and Arenal Volcano, Provincia de Alajuela, Costa Rica?
United Airlines, SANSA, and two other airlines fly from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to La Fortuna Arenal Airport (FON) once daily.
- Website
- united.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 24m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–550
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 15m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $160–650
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 15m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $180–700
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 14m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $230–950
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 10m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $250–1,000
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 48m
- When
- Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $240–950
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 30m
- When
- Monday, Thursday, and Friday
- Estimated price
- $300–1,200
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 17h 44m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $280–1,100
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Managua Airport via Houston
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 23m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $180–700
- Website
- avianca.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 3m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $260–850
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Guatemala City
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 55m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $260–850
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Managua Airport via San Salvador
- Ave. Duration
- 7h 56m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $320–1,100
- Website
- alaskaair.com
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 15m
- When
- Saturday to Sunday
- Estimated price
- $300–1,100
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 6h 10m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $420–1,600
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 14m
- When
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $420–1,600
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 42m
- When
- Thursday
- Estimated price
- $500–1,900
- Website
- aa.com
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 15m
- When
- Saturday to Sunday
- Estimated price
- $300–1,100
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 46m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $280–1,100
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Managua Airport via Miami
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 14m
- When
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday, Thursday, and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $210–800
- Website
- southwest.com
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Houston Hobby Apt
- Ave. Duration
- 8h 45m
- When
- Saturday
- Estimated price
- $170–700
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 17h 10m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $180–700
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Denver
- Ave. Duration
- 17h 5m
- When
- Friday
- Estimated price
- $300–1,200
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Liberia International Airport via Albuquerque, Houston Hobby Apt
- Ave. Duration
- 14h 55m
- When
- Thursday
- Estimated price
- $290–1,200
- Website
- flysansa.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to La Fortuna Arenal Airport via Los Angeles, Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 55m
- When
- Friday and Saturday
- Estimated price
- $130–550
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to La Fortuna Arenal Airport via San Salvador, Juan Santamaría International Airport
- Ave. Duration
- 16h 40m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $250–850
- Website
- aeromexico.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Mexico City
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 43m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $140–550
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Managua Airport via Mexico City
- Ave. Duration
- 11h 7m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $170–700
- Website
- volaris.com
Flights from Oakland International Airport to Juan Santamaría International Airport via Guadalajara
- Ave. Duration
- 9h 27m
- When
- Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday
- Estimated price
- $250–650
- Website
- copaair.com
Flights from San Francisco International Airport to Managua Airport via Panama City
- Ave. Duration
- 10h 34m
- When
- Every day
- Estimated price
- $220–850
Rome2Rio's guide to Amtrak
Contact DetailsContact Details
- Phone
- +1 800-872-7245
- Website
- Amtrak
Train from Oakland to Los Angeles
- Ave. Duration
- 12h 2m
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $250–400
- Website
- Amtrak
- Phone
- 1 800 715 1370
- [email protected]
- Website
- RIDE CR
Shuttle from Alajuela to La Fortuna
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $258
- Website
- RIDE CR
Shuttle from Alajuela to La Fortuna
- Ave. Duration
- 1h
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $258
- Website
- RIDE CR
Shuttle from Cañas to La Fortuna
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $240
- Website
- RIDE CR
Shuttle from Cañas to La Fortuna
- Ave. Duration
- 50 min
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $240
- Website
- RIDE CR
Shuttle from Peñas Blancas to La Fortuna
- Ave. Duration
- 2h
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $414
- Website
- RIDE CR
- Phone
- +1 213 368 1172
- [email protected]
- Website
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Los Angeles to Managua
- Ave. Duration
- 4d 6h
- Frequency
- Once a week
- Estimated price
- $330–400
- Schedules at
- busesusatours.com
Bus from Managua Mercado Mayoreo to San Carlos
- Ave. Duration
- 2h 30m
- Frequency
- Hourly
- Estimated price
- $6
- Schedules at
- estelibuses.web.app
- Phone
- +506 2663 1752
- [email protected]
- Website
- Reina del Campo
Bus from Terminal de Buses Municipal de Liberia to Cañas
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $4–5
- Schedules at
- Reina del Campo
Bus from Terminal de Buses Municipal de Liberia to Cañas
- Ave. Duration
- 45 min
- Frequency
- Every 30 minutes
- Estimated price
- $4–5
- Schedules at
- Reina del Campo
- Phone
- +506 2222 0610
- info@grupocaribeños.com
Bus from Terminal de Buses Municipal de Liberia to Cañas
- Ave. Duration
- 58 min
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $2–4
Bus from Terminal de Buses Municipal de Liberia to Cañas
- Ave. Duration
- 58 min
- Frequency
- Once daily
- Estimated price
- $2–4
- Phone
- +506 8812 4012
- [email protected]
- Website
- EasyRide CR
Shuttle from Granada to Peñas Blancas
- Ave. Duration
- 2h
- Frequency
- On demand
- Estimated price
- $149
- Schedules at
- EasyRide CR
Want to know more about travelling around Costa Rica
Rome2Rio's Travel Guide series provide vital information for the global traveller. Filled with useful and timely travel information, the guides answer all the hard questions - such as 'How do I buy a ticket?', 'Should I book online before I travel? ', 'How much should I expect to pay?', 'Do the trains and buses have Wifi?' - to help you get the most out of your next trip.
Related travel guides
Travelling to the US: What do I need to know?
Read the travel guide
Why you should take the train in the US
Read the travel guide










