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La Fortuna de San Carlos Tours
Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica
5

Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica

By Arenal Rafting
Recommended by 99% of travellers
99% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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This white-water rafting trip takes you through the middle of the Costa Rican rainforest while providing unbeatable adventure. Spike your adrenaline paddling down class II and III rapids, stopping to swim in secluded waters, and admire tropical scenery along the way. The tour includes all equipment, safety training, and lunch.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 5-65, max of 100 per group
Duration: 5h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More

Highlights
  • Power down the Balsa River for a look at Costa Rica’s wild side
  • Chances to see sloths, monkeys, and more
  • Guided white-water rafting trip balances adventure and safety
  • Costa Rican-style lunch is included
Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best
2024

  • Professional guide
  • Transportation from hotels located less than 6 km away from our main office
  • Bottled water
  • Towel
  • Lunch
What's not included
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase) at the end of the tour.
  • Pick up service at hotels located over 6 km away from our main office

After a handy hotel transfer from La Fortuna, head to the Balsa River. Practice a few key safety maneuvers before getting the raft on the water. This rafting trip takes you down 6 miles (10 kilometers) of class II to III white-water rapids that keep your adrenaline pumping. Work together with your group to paddle hard and navigate the water while your guide steers the raft and keeps you safe. Stop along the way to rest, swim, snack, and admire views of the surrounding rainforest, with opportunities to see animals like sloths, howler monkeys, aquatic birds, and more. The tour concludes with a traditional Costa Rican lunch at a local restaurant.

Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
  • Arenal Rafting, Av 333 y Calle 460, Provincia de Alajuela, La Fortuna, 21007, Costa Rica
    If you do not need to pick up, you can get to our office at 9:15 am. We are located 100 meters north from the police station, avenue 333 street 460. You can find us On Waze or google maps as ARENAL RAFTING COMPANY.
Pickup details
  • -Bring comfortable clothes to get wet and paddle, secure shoes for rafting (closed toed shoes are safer, flip flops or crocs are NOT RECOMMENDED), bring also changing clothes. -Make sure you show up at the reception of your hotel or pick up place at the right time. Guides and drivers only wait a maximun of 5 minutes after the pick up time. If you are not sure about your PICK UP TIME call or send a whatsapp message to +506 89342626. Please Note: "Pick up time" refers to the time we pick you up at the hotel, "Start Time" refers the time when the tour starts. Pick up service is included ONLY for hotels located 5 km around La Fortuna Central Park. We DO NOT offer pick service on Airbnb, however you can drive or take a taxi to our main office in La Fortuna, where we offer safe parking and more facilities.
Hotel pickup offered
During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.
    End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

      • Not wheelchair accessible
      • Near public transportation
      If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 36775P1

      • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
      • A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
      • Minimum age 5 years old
      • Maximum weights 220 pounds
      • Please bring changing clothes, water shoes, clothes to get wet
      • Not recommended for travellers with back problems
      • Not recommended for pregnant travellers
      • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
      • Travellers should have a strong physical fitness level
      • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
      • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travellers

      • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

      If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 36775P1

      From
      ₹5,914.65
      per adult
      Select date and travellers

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      About the operator
      Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
      • Arenal Rafting
        4,928
        Costa Rica
        Joined in January 2015
      • Paul B
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Amazing trip Alejandro was fantastic extremely professional
        Extremely professional rafting group. Would highly recommend. Alejandro was our guide and he was amazing! We would definitely give it a five out of five.
        Written 10 December 2024
      • Nadine G
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Perfect from start to finish
        The experience was perfect from start to finish! The currents were fun and the guides were experienced. Amazing views, the guides point out the wildlife and show you the nature along the way. The tour would never have been the same without our guide Chizo, which switched between guide and stand up comedian 😂
        Written 10 December 2024
      • Q6801XJryanl
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Highlight of our CR trip!
        Best raft trip ever. Imanol, the head guide, steered our boat and he was amaxing. Very fun and competent crew and exciting class 3/4 rapids! I wouldn't recommend for those who are poor swimmers, uncomfortable in water, etc. as some rapids are intense and people dis fall out of some rafts (but were quickly and safely retrieved). Go for easier rapids if you don't want this more exciting tour or have kids under maybe 11.
        Written 9 December 2024
      • Chicco_Franci
        0 contributions
        3.0 of 5 bubbles
        Not as long as promised but good experience
        Booked via Choza Inn for $60. Rafting was fun with waves, jumps, and safe thrills. However, we only got 1.5 hours on the water instead of the promised 2.5 hours, including a 15-min fruit stop. The guide was amazing, doing cool tricks while rafting, but the staff was annoying by faking animal sightings and stories to make it seem more exciting. Like we were stupid. Despite that, it was a solid and enjoyable experience overall. Not surr its worth the whole 60$ to me tho.
        Written 7 December 2024
      • mirandadI5072PE
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Incredible!
        Braulio was amazing! I felt very safe and had an incredible time. The lunch at the end was also very very good! Such an awesome experience!
        Written 6 December 2024
      • P8284POvictors
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Pura Vida Costa Rica
        It's impossible not to give them a 5 star review. The energy and professionalism of all the tour guides overpassed my expectations. It was the first time for me and my son and we had such an amazing time.
        Written 5 December 2024
      • JacquelineS385
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Most amazing, intense experience! I would do it again and again!
        Friends of ours took this tour in June and raved about it. Our family of 4 (2 adults, 2 daughters ages 14 and 17) decided to go in November. From start to finish this company has everything organized. You show up, the put everyone into busses and we drove to where our tour would start. They fit you with helmets and paddles and put you into the rafts with a guide. The guides are amazing! They know what they are doing. They do all the steering and instructions (honestly as much as we paddled I don't think we did all that much). the experience itself is NO JOKE! Those rapids are for real. We got soaked, bounced around and paddled a good amount and we had an absolute blast doing it. I always felt safe and that the guide was in control. About half way thru you stop for a little fruit break and then the second half is not nearly as intense. There were a large number of boats going at once but I truly felt we were having our own experience. Once we finished they gave us towels and water, we dried off and went back to their HQ where we had lunch waiting. Then they showed us all the pictures they took and they are amazing and worth every penny (and they were not that expensive). the have photographers go ahead of the boats and they captured so many amazing pictures. I can't stop looking at them! The 2 pics I attached were taken by Arenal Rafting. Overall this was my favorite of all the adventure activities we did in Costa Rica. I would go again in a heartbeat!
        Written 4 December 2024
      • alexpZ9418UK
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Fun and Amazing Experience
        The tour guides were amazing and made us feel safe and secure. Had an amazing time and would recommend completely! Hopefully can come back :)
        Written 3 December 2024
      • Mobile10148032030
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        FUN FUN FUN
        Organized tour and on time. It was my first time rafting and felt safe the entire time while having a great time! 10/10 would recommend. Our tour guide on the bus was Carlos and on the raft was Braulio. Thanks also to Memo, our driver, for picking us up and driving us back to the hotel.
        Written 30 November 2024
      • jlm1021
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Amazing
        Braulio was amazing!! So much fun and he made everyone feel included and safe. He was also very funny and a joy to spend half a day with. So so much fun and we’re so glad we did this. The entire tour company was friendly and welcoming. Great experience!
        Written 29 November 2024
      • Stamasexpress
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Awesome adventure!!!!
        We had an absolutely amazing day on the river. Everybody with the company was amazing from beginning to end. Our river guide Braulio was fantastic. He was so professional and so much fun. I did go in the river and he pulled me out so quickly. So very much fun. I highly recommend the experience.
        Written 26 November 2024
      • NSBFLATraveler
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Great adventure!
        Great adventure!! Lots of rapids and fun but always felt safe with excellent guides! Yummy local lunch after trip! I highly recommend!
        Written 26 November 2024
      • Ryan L
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Can’t miss adventure experience in La Fortuna
        Super exciting and fun with a very capable and experienced staff. Made friends right away with the main guide, Imanol, and others on the tour. Highly recommended!
        Written 25 November 2024
      • alishad721
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Don't wait...book it!
        A highlight of our trip! My husband and I had never been white water rafting and were admittedly a bit nervous, but the minute we got our safety training and met our AMAZING guide Andy, we knew we were in for an great experience. They took our safety so seriously as did the fun we were having along the way. An incredibly well oiled machine I'd recommend again and again. Huge thanks to Andy, Oso, Carlos, Cristian and the whole crew - you all are amazing! Can't wait to come back!
        Written 25 November 2024
      • jorgetO2209EA
        0 contributions
        5.0 of 5 bubbles
        Very fun
        this was very extreme the first hour lots of people feel off boat but if you sign up for level 3/4 you know this can happen. Experience was ammazing they have a lot of guides and rescue crew it felt very organized and secure. We were a family of 4 with two kids 9 and 14 and we all had a blast. Our guide roberto was very good no one feel of our boat
        Written 23 November 2024
      See all 4,928 reviews
      These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

      Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

      Popular mentions

      5.0
      5.0 of 5 bubbles1,266 reviews
      Excellent
      1,230
      Very good
      29
      Average
      4
      Poor
      3
      Terrible
      0

      AKG
      7 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Jan 2020
      Trying to book activities in Costa Rica was a very overwhelming process due to the number of tour companies in the area. I spent hours researching all the options and I have to say that my friend and I were more than pleased with Arenal Rafting. They were easy to communicate with, even calling to confirm our reservation. They were very timely the day of, and since we had a large group of 20+ people, they very efficiently had multiple buses and tour guides to accommodate us all. This was our first time doing anything like this before, and we were naturally very nervous once we got to the river and heard all the instructions! However, all the river guides (each raft had their own guide) were absolutely amazing. They were all knowledgeable about rafting (making us feel very safe), the area (even stopping to point out trees/animals), and absolutely hilarious. We had about an hour or so of rafting, followed up a break to enjoy some fresh fruits river side, and then continuing down the river. We experienced many different types of "waves" which were definitely all doable for first timers of any age. We ended the day with a delicious traditional lunch. This was probably one of the best tours we did during our entire trip and definitely a great value for the money.
      Written 6 February 2020
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hi, we hope you are doing well. It is an honor and a pleasure for us to know that you had a good time in our activity and we are more than happy to know that you really enjoyed it. For our company, the safety, well-being, and satisfaction of our customers is very important and each comment helps us grow and improve in order to provide customers with the best of the best. On behalf of the Arenal Rafting staff, we appreciate such an incredible comment and we are very glad to have been able to provide you with the best service. !! Thank you for sharing your experience and we hopefully will see you back in Costa Rica.
      Written 6 February 2020
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      COSteph
      Denver14 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Dec 2020
      We had a great time rafting the Balsa through Arenal Rafting in La Fortuna. Dani was super communicative ahead of the trip and answered all of our questions regarding logistics. The river guides were professional and skilled, and we felt well taken care of the entire day. The rapids were exciting but not scary, and a fun time was had by all. They take a ton of pictures, but note that you must purchase using cash ($40 USD) for all the pictures taken of your raft (quite a few), so make sure you taken some extra $$. Lunch afterward was good!
      Written 28 December 2020
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hello CObeth, Thank you so much for taking the ride with us! We are so happy to hear that you had a great time and felt safe on the river with us. We really appreciate you taking the time to post a great review for us. Best regards.
      Written 11 June 2021
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      Christina and Daniel
      3 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Our family of 5, 3 girls ages 10, 12, and 21 had a wonderful time reading the Balsa River, it was one of the finest activities over our 9 day trip. Our boat guide, Allan was great, checking in to make sure the younger girls were having fun, and ensuring that the rafting trip was exciting but not too dangerous or scary. Oso was the guide who gave safety talks and other information during the bus ride, he was sooo funny and engaging, he really added a lot to our experience. Overall we had a wonderful experience and recommend it to other families and even groups of young adults since other boats enjoyed more chaos and adventure, our guide gave us the perfect balance likely because he didn’t want to see two little girls screaming as they floated away lol
      Written 13 November 2022
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hello, thank you so much for your review, we appreciate alot you have taking time to post this for our staff, we work hard everyday to hit every customer expectations even tho it requires alot of effort, we are a staff fully organized and qualified, we are proud of been the best Rafting Company and truly greatful for your preference ! ¡Pura Vida!
      Written 23 November 2022
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      Michelle M
      Charlotte, NC37 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      My husband & I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. I’ve never been white water rafting before so I was a little nervous at first, but that quickly went away once we got into the water. The guide was super experienced & kept us safe while letting us have a ton of fun zipping through the waves. He even stopped a couple times to show us Tuscan birds that he would spot. We stopped halfway through and enjoyed some fresh fruit which was a also treat! At the end, they served us a delicious Costa Rican lunch while we watched a slide of professional photos that they took of us. You had an option of purchasing them but in no way did they pressure to do so. We usually wouldn’t purchase those types of photos but these were SO GOOD (& funny), we just had to! I would give them A+++ for their professionalism, expertise, and overall experience. We saw some other tours out there and honestly, I thought the others were overly crowded and rushed compared to ours. Highly recommend this company! Don’t hesitate to book. PS: COVID protocols were in place too so we left safe in that aspect as well.
      Written 16 February 2021
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hi Michell thank you so much for taking the time to share this 5-star review with our team! We love hearing how much you enjoyed our Rafting trip. It’s wonderful to know we did a great job. We know you have choices when it comes to your travel adventures, and it means the world to us that you’ve chosen to book an experience with our team. Thank you again for supporting our local business and we hope you’ll visit us in the future!Our priority is is that our customer have the best adventure with our team and we are ecstatic that we met that mark! Best regards.
      Written 17 December 2021
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      McKenna M
      2 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Jun 2021 • Family
      This was amazing! Our guide Roberto made everything so fun and I was amazed at his knowledge of the river. He made everyone in our group feel comfortable, even I, who was a little bit nervous. We had so much fun with him and we’re sad to leave. All of the other guides were super helpful as well. We had said we wanted to go a little crazy and ended up tipping a few times. All of the other rafts were quick to help up anyone who had fallen and even helped us find 3/4 shoes that got ripped off. The lunch provided was delicious and was the cherry on top of a fun ride. Highly recommend this company
      Written 24 June 2021
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hello, We are very happy to hear that you had a great time and felt safe in the river with us. We really appreciate and appreciate that you took the time to post an excellent review about us, here on TripAdvisor.
      Written 17 December 2021
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      C.
      Milan, Italy41 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      As we were looking for adrenaline as much as safety,we were totally fulfilled by the experience. The guides are extremely professional and it was a great first time doing rafting. The whole journey was exciting but not scary, falling in the water was safe and (as it turns out) expected ! Loved it !
      Written 14 March 2020
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hola Thanks for having booked with Arenal Rafting Company! We are very glad and proud of your feedback, also in the future, we appreciate any recommendations and amazing commentary. Best regards,
      Written 24 March 2020
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      Emilia S
      Fort Worth, TX3 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Jun 2021
      We did the White Water Rafting with Arenal Rafting during our trip and it was a highlight for sure!! We were on a raft with Roberto, and he was an amazing guide!! Our boat had so much fun together. He pointed out all the animal siting's, made us laugh and had a great spirit. We HIGHLY recommend him as a guide and Arenal Rafting as a whole.
      Written 10 June 2021
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hi Emilias, Thank you so much for taking the time to share this 5-star review with our team! We love hearing how much you enjoyed our Rafting trip. It’s wonderful to know we did a great job. We know you have choices when it comes to your travel adventures, and it means the world to us that you’ve chosen to book an experience with our team. Thank you again for supporting our local business and we hope you’ll visit us in the future!
      Written 17 December 2021
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      Judith K
      14 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      What an amazing day!!!!
      Juan R. Was the perfect host and even introduced to new fruits at the fruit stand you stop at just prior to the rapids.

      His brother Carlos R. was our on river guide. He was experienced, funny, and talented. We felt very safe and he was so kind to our son and let him ride “ cowboy” and float downstream for a bit.

      This company is beyond well organized and safe. The lunch was good and the photos they take of you on the rapids are well worth the purchase!

      I already have friends coming this week!

      Run don’t walk to Arenal Rafting!

      *****
      Written 4 April 2023
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

      Mandy Z
      Denver, CO11 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Dec 2021 • Solo
      This tour was a highlight of my entire trip. You will have a blast. The entire crew is full of energy and loads of fun. This class/level of rapids is a good introductory experience, too. You will be very lucky if you get Kevin as your guide! You can tell he loves what he does, and he's a very skilled rafting guide. Thanks, Arenal Rafting Co!
      Written 26 December 2021
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
      Hi, Thank you so much for taking the time to share this 5-star review with our team our guides love to be fun and they really enjoy giving our customers the best experience possible! We love hearing how much you enjoyed our Rafting trip. It’s wonderful to know we did a great job on our Class 3/4 trip. We know you have choices when it comes to your travel adventures, and it means the world to us that you’ve chosen to book an experience with our team. Thank you again for supporting our local business and we hope you’ll visit us in the future!
      Written 30 December 2021
      This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

      Peter S
      Sheffield, UK26 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Apr 2022
      My wife and I did the rafting in April 2022. It was our first time. Although my wife had some trepidation at the outset her concerns were assuaged by the professional nature of the operation. After booking we were picked up from our hotel. On arrival we were divided into groups for each boat and assigned a member of staff who was the coxon. Before starting we were measured for safety helmet, life jacket and paddle and received comprehensive health & safety briefing and instruction before entering the river. We a great fun experience and we both felt totally safe. Our coxon (Coco) had great energy and enthusiasm which added to ur enjoyment. At the half way point there is a stop to eat fresh melon, pineapple and papaya which was welcome before continuing. At the end end of the 12 KM trip you are transported back to the rafting base where there are facilities to change before eating a hearty lunch and reviewing the photos (available to purchase) taken by the staff during the trip. I would certainly recommend not just rafting but rafting the Arenal rafting.
      Written 16 May 2022
      This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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      *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

      Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica provided by Arenal Rafting

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