Top La Fortuna White Water Rafting

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

Upper Balsa River White Water Rafting Class 3/4 in Costa Rica

(2 058)

from US$73

Price varies by group size

(1 978)

from US$77

White Water Rafting Class II and III

Rafting the Sarapiqui River isn’t just a fun way to get an adrenaline fix; it’s also a chance to see spider monkeys, sloths, toucans, and other wildlife. As you hit a series of class III and IV rapids on a raft, your guide shares information about the river’s important history and rich wildlife. This all-inclusive tour provides hotel pickup, transportation, snacks, drinks, and lunch, so you can avoid logistical planning.

(908)

from US$65

Sarapiqui River Extreme White Water Rafting Class IV

Sarapiqui River Extreme White Water Rafting Class IV

White Water Rafting Class II & III in the Afternoon

(841)

from US$88

4 hoursFree Cancellation

White Water Rafting Class III & IV

(186)

from US$70

(1 308)

from US$85

Pure Trek Canyoning & White Water Rafting Class II & III

8 hoursFree Cancellation

Experience the thrill of rafting down Costa Rica’s Balsa River on this small-group white-water adventure. Following the lead of an experienced guide, navigate Class II and III rapids as you pass through a lush rainforest landscape for a safe and unforgettable journey. After working up an appetite paddling down the river, enjoy a delicious buffet-style lunch at our private restaurant located next to the famous El Salto swimming hole. Round-trip transport from your La Fortuna hotel is included.

(98)

from US$205

Whitewater Rafting Class 2-3 Balsa River from La Fortuna

4 hoursFree Cancellation

Rafting Class II-III and Zipline Tour from La Fortuna and Arenal

(320)

from US$93

9 hoursFree Cancellation

Combo Arenal Rafting and Canyoning Adventure

(272)

from US$149

8 hoursFree Cancellation

Rafting Class II & III + Local Farm Lunch & Cultural Tour

(68)

from US$160

White Water Rafting Adventures - La Fortuna, Costa Rica

(540)

from US$94

Combo White Water Rafting and Tubing in La Fortuna

(11)

from US$97

6 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Jungle adventure meets family fun on this canyoning and whitewater rafting tour from La Fortuna. Tour the rainforest, rappel down waterfalls, and bounce down class II and III rapids on the Balsa River, stopping along the way to swim and spot wildlife. This tour even includes a professional photographer so you can leave the camera somewhere safe, live in the moment, and purchase pictures after.

(86)

from US$90

Welcome to the Mambo Combo Rappel & Raft! — the top adventure tour for anyone seeking thrills in the environs of the mighty Arenal Volcano!

Mambo Combo Canyoning and Rafting near the Arenal Volcano

Rafting Class 2-3 Sarapiqui AFTERNOON Trip

(121)

from US$192

La Fortuna Waterfall, Hanging Bridges, Arenal Volcano Combo Tour

4.8

(37)

from US$93

8 to 9 hoursFree Cancellation

If you’re looking for an extreme adventure on the Balsa River, this white-water rafting tour is a great pick. Paddle your way down six miles (9.6 kilometers) of nearly non-stop white water—most rafting companies don’t take this extreme route on the Upper Balsa, so it’s unlikely that you’ll see any other rafts as you head through the rain forest canyon. This tour includes an extra stop at the El Salto swimming hole and lunch.

(1 853)

from US$154

White Water Rafting class V

Adventure-seeking travelers will love this combo tour that includes two of Costa Rica’s most exciting activities: a zip-lining forest canopy tour and white-water rafting. Start in the Arenal Volcano National Park, where you’ll travel between 13 platforms high up in the canopy. Jump from the Tarzan swing, if you dare. Later, splash down the river through moderate grade-3 rapids on a thrilling rafting tour, seeing areas you couldn’t otherwise access.

(77)

from US$150

Canopy Tour + Tarzan Swing + White Water Rafting

Canopy Tour + Tarzan Swing + White Water Rafting

8 hoursFree Cancellation

This Balsa River rafting experience combines adventure, nature, and local hospitality in one unforgettable tour. Unlike more intense rafting trips designed only for experienced paddlers, this experience is ideal for beginners, families, and travelers who want real excitement without feeling overwhelmed. The Balsa River offers the perfect balance of fun Class II and III rapids and peaceful stretches where travelers can enjoy the scenery, swim, and look for wildlife such as sloths, monkeys, iguanas, and tropical birds. In addition to rafting, guests enjoy fresh tropical fruit by the river, professional bilingual guides, round-trip transportation from La Fortuna, and a traditional Costa Rican lunch. It is more than a rafting trip it is a complete Arenal adventure.

(6)

from US$193

Balsa River White Water Rafting in La Fortuna & Costa Rican Lunch

Balsa River White Water Rafting in La Fortuna & Costa Rican Lunch

Rafting La Fortuna the highlight of your vacation in Costa Rica - Lunch Included

(4)

from US$78

White Water Tubin in the river BALSA

(23)

from US$73

Take a wet and wild ride down the Sarapiqui River on a thrilling white-water rafting tour. Paddle your way through Class III and IV rapids with the expert guidance of your instructor, while surrounded by the lush tropical scenery of the Costa Rican rainforest. This adventurous tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off from La Fortuna, so you don't need to worry about finding a meeting point.

(46)

from US$70

Sarapiqui River White Water Rafting Class 3-4

Whitewater Rafting Sarapiqui Class 3-4 from La Fortuna

Navigate the white water and challenging rapids of the Balsa River on a rafting trip from La Fortuna that’s suitable for all experience levels. Suit up, cast off and paddle alongside your guides, then watch for the monkeys, sloths, iguanas and birds that congregate at the water’s edge. Splash your way through Class II–III rapids, enjoy lunch on the river, and take in the serenity of flat water between the waves before finishing your day with return transfer to La Fortuna.

(136)

from US$122

White Water Rafting (Class III) with lunch - Arenal Area

White Water Rafting (Class III) with lunch - Arenal Area

The Balsa River adventure offers a perfect blend of adrenaline and natural beauty. Together with our instructors in English and Spanish will be prepared with life jacket and helmet, you will embark on a two hour descent through an impressive canyon. Halfway through, enjoy a fresh fruit snack and learn about the local flora. In addition, you will taste an organic Costa Rican lunch and have the opportunity to extract sugarcane juice. A tour full of laughter and discovery that will leave you with indelible memories.

(110)

from US$93

Rafting on the Balsa River Adventure and Nature

Rafting on the Balsa River Adventure and Nature

Pure Trek Canyoning & White Water Rafting Class II & III

from US$75

1 2

Top Attractions in La Fortuna

1 / 2

Attractions

What are people saying about La Fortuna

Audrey_M, Jul 2026

Great experience! Pure...

Great experience! Pure trek was so easy to work with, great at responding to any questions and the crew were fantastic at keeping everyone safe and having a great time! The first drop was the most intimidating because you have no idea what you're in for. Everyone in our family had a fabulous time and it's a unique experience that was a must do on our trip!

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

Shannon_d, Jul 2026

Exceptional from start to finish

From pick up to drop off it was an incredible experience. Our guide picked us up our hotel and gave us the lowdown while we drove to our drop off pint. He went over all the safety features and fitted us with a life jacket, helmet and paddle. He gave us explicit instructions on what to do and what not to do. It had been raining a lot so the rapids were moving that day. Joseth made us feel very safe and guided us down without any issues. After we finished the trip a delicious meal was waiting for us and we enjoyed looking at the pictures from our trip

Upper Balsa River White Water Rafting Class 3/4 in Costa Rica

Katherine_G, Jul 2026

Good family adventure

Well run and nicely organized. It’s a giant pack of people, but they do a good job personalizing your experience. Our guide was Julio, who did a wonderful job with our teenagers- one was a thrill seeker and the other was pretty freaked out by the rapids. He adapted his approach to both, leaving everyone happy and glad to be there.

Sarapiqui River Extreme White Water Rafting Class IV

Amy_A, Jul 2026

5⭐ Experience!

We had such an amazing experience! First of all, Oso was the best! He spoke beautiful English and Spanish and made sure all instructions were understood. The guides were fun and very knowledgeable. They helped us maneuver the rapids and got us safely back! I would HIGHLY recommend this group for your rafting needs!!

La Fortuna Waterfall, Hanging Bridges, Arenal Volcano Combo Tour

Selenalen_S, Jul 2026

Amazing experience!! 10/10.

Amazing experience!!! Our tour guide Wilber was extremely knowledgable on everything we saw and made this experience worth while. Got to see so much wildlife (monkeys, poisonous frogs, snakes, sloths, etc). Wilber even stopped the van when he spotted a sloth in a tree on our way to lunch so we got to step out of the van and take some pictures! Also got to meet/enjoy this experience with some cool people along the way :) our group was small so it felt like more of a special experience. Wilber made sure we all felt comfortable and checked in on all of us individually throughout the entire day. It may sound like a lot in one day, but by the end of the entire excursion my friend and I didn't want it to end! Book this if you're only in La Fortuna for a limited amount of days. You won't regret it!

Mambo Combo Canyoning and Rafting near the Arenal Volcano

Sean_J, Jul 2026

Made Lifetime Memories

My son and I had the most incredible experience. The canyoning was better than we thought it would be. It was a lot of fun and the guides were funny, helpful and made everyone feel safe. The whitewater was equally as fun. Our guide gave us a great experience and even when my son fell out we laughed it off. It’s hard to get a 14 year old boy to be impressed, but he has been talking about the experience ever since.

White Water Rafting Class II and III

Mariam_R, Jun 2026

Highly recommend doing this!

The trip was really well organised. We went by bus to the river, about an hour long, stopping enroute for bathroom and souvenir shop. All of the guides were great fun. Really experienced river guides so we felt very safe. It was a fantastic activity! We returned to the base after rafting and had a delicious lunch and tour of the farm. We all thoroughly enjoyed our adventure with Descents!

Rafting Class II & III + Local Farm Lunch & Cultural Tour

Chelsea_B, May 2026

Great experience! Jairo...

Great experience! Jairo was very informative of the expectations of the tour during the bus ride, and his photos of the experience came out incredible! Our raft guide was Esteban and he did a wonderful job navigating a group of English and Spanish speaking people during stressful moments. We had a scary experience in the raft where it got wedged under a rock, but navigated everyone to safety and we all enjoyed the rest of the experience! I have white water rafted before in other countries and this experience is very equivalent and fair-priced. Be warned if you don’t like long bus rides, there is a fairly long bus ride to and from the experience. However, they do provide drinks after the experience and an opportunity to change out of your wet swimsuits, which was awesome!

Whitewater Rafting Class 2-3 Balsa River from La Fortuna

Petra_F, Mar 2026

We had a great time...

We had a great time rafting! The guides were very friendly and made us feel safe in the raft. The class 2-3 were perfect for us as there were many exhilarating rapids and it ended with a relaxing float down the river where our guides pointed out various animals and birds to us. We had a small group so it ended up just being my husband and myself on the raft which was an amazing private experience! We would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for some adventure and beauty in Costa Rica

Whitewater Rafting Sarapiqui Class 3-4 from La Fortuna

Brady_W, Feb 2026

Sarapiqui River Class 3-4 whitewater rafting

We had fantastic morning of white water rafting and a nice meal included. The drive of about an hour to and from La Fortuna was comfortable. The guides were great and included safety kayakers which I’ve never seen before. The rafting was about two hours of 3-4 level rapids with short floats between and a couple of stops for swimming and fresh fruit. It was quite enjoyable!

Rafting Class II-III and Zipline Tour from La Fortuna and Arenal

Jailene_R, Dec 2025

This tour was an amazing...

This tour was an amazing experience. As someone who is afraid of both heights and water due to not being a strong swimmer, I was nervous going in, but I would absolutely recommend it. The scenery throughout the tour was stunning. The ziplining portion did feel a bit rushed, and the photo and video package for ziplining wasn’t worth the cost. However the rafting portion was incredible and truly the highlight of the day. Our guide Moi/Moises was absolutely amazing, full of energy, incredibly enthusiastic, and knowledgeable. He even pointed out wildlife along the way and let us take turns riding in the front like a bull, which was such a fun touch. He is truly a gem and I highly recommend requesting him if possible. The rafting photos were high quality, beautiful, and definitely worth purchasing.