Rio Celeste Combo: River Tubing+Blue Waterfall+Exotic Wildlife
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Alajuela, Costa Rica
- 10 to 11 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Head to the rainforest from Tamarindo on this private all-day excursion with a naturalist guide. Hike to the impressive Rio Celeste waterfall and then go tubing down the river, stopping along the way to swim and spot wildlife, including colored frogs and sloths. A local lunch is included. Plus, stop to admire the Tree of Peace, which is more than 400 years old. Hotel pickup is included for your convenience.
- Private tour offers a personalized experience
- Active travelers will enjoy this rainforest excursion
- Travel comfortably in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Convenient hotel pickup is provided ;
What's Included
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Roundtrip A/C Transportation (except the self-drive option)
- Typical lunch
- Tropical regional fruits
- Hydration
- River Tubing
- Animal Sanctuary, such as two types of sloths, colored frogs, exotic birds, and much more.
- Rio Celeste waterfall
- Certified Guide English/Spanish
- Gratuities
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Rio Celeste Aventuras
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
2
Tenorio Volcano National Park
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
3
Spring Paradise Bijagua Tours
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
4
Árbol de la Paz
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Appreciate the imposing blue waterfall in the middle of the tropical rainforest.
- We will pass through different wonderful landscapes and plans of citrus, pineapple, cashew, and many more.
- The animal sanctuary awaits you to appreciate wildlife.
- Cool off in the blue river by tubing and stopping for a swim.
- Certified tour guide.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Elyse_H
Carlos was our tour guide along with 3 amazing river tubing guides, an awesome coffee and chocolate guide, and an amazing wildlife tour guide.
They were honestly all the best. I traveled with my family to Costa Rica a few years ago and we went straight to the surf. This time I said no way unless we start with some jungle tours. These guys did not disappoint and filled my Costa Rican bucket very full! We had such a great day, they were all so knowledgeable, helpful, and kind. I cannot recommend this tour enough! Thank you guys!!!
Reviews
5.0
based on 206 reviews
William_A, Apr 2026
The overall experience was great! Coming from Tamarindo it was nice to the see the rain forest and different climate and landscape. The tubing in the river was our favorite part of the tour. Lunch was an amazing surprise!The drive back from Tamarindo is long.
Our guide Yorleny was fabulous and Gustavo was a great driver!
Lindsey_R, Apr 2026
This was absolutely one of the best experiences we had in Costa Rica. We started with water tubing where Jefferson was our guide, he was very friendly and was also very informing, he even spotted a sloth for us. Water tubing was definitely the highlight of the day. Then we went with our guide Carlos, who is very kind and friendly, where he took us to eat casados a typical Costa Rican dish, and he also was our guide for the Rio Celeste Waterfall, he also showed us a couple of animals, and was also very patient and well informed. Lastly Leima was our guide for the sloth tour, he spotted some very cool animals, like sloths, snakes, frogs. He was also very well informed and friendly. Over all they were great and would do this experience again!
Brad_D, Apr 2026
The guides were very knowledgeable. They were able to spot wildlife that we could never have even noticed.
Rio Celeste tubing is super fun, but expect a few butt bruises from the boulders in the river.
This tour was a highlight of our visit to Costa Rica!
Danielle_B, Apr 2026
Our tour guide, Obed, was amazing. We went to three different places plus lunch. We saw lots of animals, hiked to the waterfall, and did a great tubing trip. Lunch and snack of tropical fruits were great. It was a wonderful day that was perfect for our active family!
Bridget_B, Apr 2026
Michelle (Michi) and Eddy were great and we had the best time! Perfect all day trip! We would definitely do it again.
Elyse_H, Apr 2026
Carlos was our tour guide along with 3 amazing river tubing guides, an awesome coffee and chocolate guide, and an amazing wildlife tour guide.
They were honestly all the best. I traveled with my family to Costa Rica a few years ago and we went straight to the surf. This time I said no way unless we start with some jungle tours. These guys did not disappoint and filled my Costa Rican bucket very full! We had such a great day, they were all so knowledgeable, helpful, and kind. I cannot recommend this tour enough! Thank you guys!!!
Allison_P, Mar 2026
10/10 recommend!! This tour offers all that you need; Wildlife, hiking, delicious authentic food, river tubing, and last a 500 y/o peace tree. Our group opted for the private tour with Carlos—best decision! We were a group of girls and never once felt uncomfortable or unsafe. Carlos was kind, knowledgeable, fun and we were able to go at our own pace (while staying on a schedule). Thank you Carlos!!
Also, I’d like to add two things, I’m pregnant and everything you do is pregnancy safe (check with your OB obviously first). And I would recommend tennis shoes or hiking boots on the hike to Rio Celeste the terrain can be wet and rocky in some areas. Two of us did it in water shoes which was fine, but would have been more comfortable in other footwear.
Rachel_B, Mar 2026
It was our only excursion while in Costa Rica and it was well worth it! Our guide was Michele (Michie) and she was super sweet and knowledgeable about the region. They provided water for us and organized the meal so we just needed to show up and enjoy the trip! The van was clean and air conditioned and was with us the whole time so any items, extra clothes, extra shoes, sunscreen, etc were able to be stored. Overall the whole experience was amazing and tubing on the Rio Celeste was a once in a lifetime experience!
Valerie_A, Mar 2026
We had the BEST tour guide and driver-they felt like friends taking us around for the day. So friendly, went above and beyond to take pictures of us and show us small details and explain things. Loved it!
Matthew_Z, Mar 2026
Awesome way to see all the highlights of La Fortuna. Our guide Obed was extremely knowledgeable and accommodating. Would highly recommend this trip and request Obed again!
Ashlee_T, Mar 2026
We selected the private guide option and had the best time and experience. He is very knowledgeable within his occupational service and you can tell it is not just a job, but also a hobby for him, that he strives to share with others. He will do his best to show you all that nature has to offer and definitely has an eye for his job! He has a great sense of humor within and if you get the chance to book a private tour with anyone and not looking to be in such a big group you should definitely book it right here with him!
sandeepcohen, Feb 2026
Absolutely loved the River rafting experience. The river is beautiful, the color is enchanting. We also loved the hike to the waterfall. We also got to see tons of sloths, frogs, snakes, squirrels, as well as beautiful tropical foliage. The guides were amazing, attentive and accommodating.
Graham_C, Feb 2026
Great wildlife viewing with knowledgeable guide who spots things you would walk past!
Tubing is great fun too!
Lelia_C, Feb 2026
It was the best experience i think everyone should do it
Danny P was an amazing guide i would recommend him 💯
The national park was refreshing and the waterfall was beautiful
Loved the Wildlife Preserve it’s incredible we saw sloths, frogs, butterflies, snakes, and all kinds of plants trees and flowers Dezzy was an amazing guide i would definitely recommend her to everyone
Obed from blue zone tours was spectacular what a incredible experience he gave us a life time of memories
Sheilaoberaigner, Jan 2026
Michelle and Gustavo were great hosts. Obed did a great job on the sloth tour. Nano and Mercules did a great job guiding us on the tour
Anonymous, Jan 2026
Worth every penny. We did many activities on our Costa Rican trip and this was by for the fan favorite.
Charles_A, Dec 2025
Obed was a great guide and very knowledgeable of the wildlife. Expect rain and pack extra dry shoes and clothes. The final stairs to the waterfall were ruined in a mudslide a couple months ago but you are still able to get a great view.
Katrina_J, Aug 2025
My brother and I had a great time on this tour. Our guide Obed was the best - he spotted so many animals and helped us get great photos. The tubing was a lot of fun, and the nature park was incredibly beautiful. Would definitely do this tour again!
Priscilla_T, Aug 2025
This was such a great day! Allan was such a wonderful guide! He was not only kind & patient, but was also amazing at spotting wildlife for us! He is really knowledgeable about the plants and animals & helped us get great photos of the wildlife with our iPhones too! We saw 6 sloths, including a baby sloth, monkeys, toucans, beautiful frogs, a viper, etc. The lunch was delicious, the tubing so fun & adventurous, the hike to Rio Celeste was beautiful, and the animal sanctuary was awesome. It’s about a 12-13 hour day (from JW Marriot), so thanks to another reviewer’s suggestion, we packed snacks & were really glad we did. Our kids are ages 8-12 & everyone had a blast. Thank you again, Allan, for making it such an amazing day!
Erica_B, Jul 2025
We had an amazing time! Alonso was such an amazing tour guide. He was so hospitable, kind and friendly! Really made the experience so memorable 10/10 would recommend! Also, ask for Alonso! He was the best!
Sara_R, Jul 2025
This was a great trip and we got to see animals and experience the jungle in a unique way. Our guide was great and truly made it worth it with his knowledge of Costa Rica and its flore and fauna. That said, a couple FYIs -
1. You may not do the trip in the order as it’s described below. We started out with the animal sanctuary walk and ended up getting wet despite having our rain jackets. I had packed an extra change of clothes so we used them - that was a must - but we honestly could have used another change after the tubing.
2. Bring lots of snacks. My kids and myself were very hungry and we even went earlier to lunch (before the waterfall hike). We would have been miserable if we went after. And then you won’t eat again until 7/8pm at night. The van was with us the whole day so space for extra clothes, towels and snacks was no issue.
3. The waterfall itself was not super exciting - unfortunately the stairs have collapsed so you can’t get very close and can only see the water that way if you walk about another 20 minutes further. I found that worth it, but it extends the walk and may be an issue for many kids.
4. Bring a separate tip for the tubing guides!! We didn’t know that part was a separate company and only had tip money for our guide and driver originally. So we had to use the driver’s tip to pay the river tubing team. Luckily, we were able to run into our rental house and grab money for the driver when we got home.
This trip is totally worth it but definitely follow the above tips to help make the long day perfect!
JD_S, Jun 2025
The guide was fantastic and the tubing was surreal! Would highly recommend this excursion. The hike to the waterfall was closed but they replaced it right away with coffee and chocolate tour.
Jennifer_H, May 2025
This was a great day! Our guide for the day Alonso was very knowledgeable and helped guide us thru all activities. Chris was our guide for the tubing and it was spectacular! Alonso was able to point out some snakes on our hike and was very encouraging during the hike. Jess was our guide for the sanctuary and she knew all the hiding spots! We saw sloths and frogs and bats and more! She was so great with all our questions! Definitely recommend this day tour! The fresh fruit along the way was so delicious.
Julie_M, Mar 2025
This was a great experience. It was a 3 hour private van ride to location but it was worth it!! The walk to the waterfall was good and we saw an entire group of monkeys. There were 240 steps to go up and down right at the waterfall. The river rafting was so fun . Our ages ranged from 8-65 and we all loved it. At the animal sanctuary we saw a viber , frogs and sloths . Allen our guide and Mario our driver were awesome . Would do again!
Ana_R, Mar 2025
The animal sanctuary was very pleasant and the guide there was very knowledgeable. Rio Celeste was beautiful and wonderful to be able to do tubing and swim there. Pick up and lunch was great as well.
Kristen_M, Aug 2024
So worth it. The animal sanctuary could've been a little better but we were overall so pleased with the experience. Michelle was accommodating, friendly and knowledgeable. The hike was a bit difficult but well worth the view of the blue waterfall. The water rafting was so fun. 10/10!
Thomas_B, Jun 2024
Michelle and our driver were cheerful and professional, and we felt safe and taken care of at all times. Our guide at the animal sanctuary, Noah, was very knowledgeable and he ensured we all went home with amazing pictures of the wildlife. The rafting guides, including Moses, ensured we had a blast. Our lunch and setting was perfect, and the day was a great way to experience many aspects of Costa Rica!
Christina_L, Jun 2024
Great way to experience many amazing and beautiful parts of Costa Rica! Our guides Michele and Gustavo were outstanding, knowledgeable, and very friendly. Be ready for a long day. Hiking shoes and water socks are very helpful to bring along. The hike to the waterfall is short but a bit strenuous. Be prepared for the 244 stairs. We were so amazed by how many animals we saw in their natural habitat. An up close encounter with a sloth was on our CR bucket list and nature did not disappoint! The tubing in the river was a lot more fun than we expected. It’s not a lazy River! By the time we were dropped at our hotel, the tour was about 10 hours start to finish. We were exhausted at the end but very grateful to have made memories that will last a lifetime!
Jeffrey_J, Jun 2024
This was an amazing excursion. Michelle was amazing, friendly and fun to spend the day with. Jonathan was a great driver and very nice. Allen our guide at the rain forest was amazing. Super knowledgeable, friendly and took his time to take amazing pictures and videos and explain every animal and create we saw. We got within a foot of a young sloth. That made the day for us. The hike to the waterfall is moderate at least with a lot of stairs. Our calves were hurting the next day but worth it. Lastly, our guides for the tubing down the river were very friendly and made the experience great. Would highly recommend this excursion to others. Lunch was so great as well. Bring tip money for the rain forest guide, tubing guide and Michelle and Jonathan as they all work very hard and fully deserve it. Very humid out in June, sp be prepared to sweat a ton. Thank you for amazing memories.
Eric_U, Apr 2024
Michell ( our guide) and Rafael( driver) were amazing! We had a group of 12 and had a great time! Would recommend!
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per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Rio Celeste Combo: River Tubing+Blue Waterfall+Exotic Wildlife
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11 hours
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