Appleton Estate YS Falls & Black River from Montego Bay or Negril
Recommended by 90% of travelers
Montego Bay, Jamaica
- 7 to 8 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and dropoff
- Tour Bus with Knowledgeable Tour Guide
- Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience
- YS Falls with Natural Spring Pools and Relaxing Gardens
- Black River Safari with Wildlife Sightings
- Lunch included in this package
- Explore one of the longest rivers on the island via a boat tour along the swamp’s main waterway
- Cruise down the river in the midst of towering mangrove trees and lush plant life
- This trip will also have you viewing over 100 species of birds in their natural habitat
- View crocodiles sunning alongside the banks and over 100 species of birds in their natural habitat
- Lookout for whistling ducks, egrets and other wildlife as you go along
- YS boasts seven stunning waterfalls where cool, clear waters cascade into naturally forming pools
- Immerse yourself in the exclusive Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience
- Appleton Estate is the oldest and most famous sugar estate and distillery in Jamaica
- Savour your favourite Appleton Estate cocktail as well as sweet sugar cane and molasses on your tour
- Explore the rum distillery and the ageing house
- Guided tasting of three of Appleton Estate’s premium aged rums
- Shop for your original Appleton keepsakes in the gift shop
- Dig into an authentic Jamaican lunch at the beautiful full-service restaurant and bar
- Get ready to experience a deeper appreciation of Appleton Estate Rum
- Other food and beverage available for sale
- Appleton Estate Rums and other souvenirs are available for sale
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
ARRIVAL TIME Please note the time selected during checkout is your arrival time, not the hotel pickup time. Hotel pickups commence approximately 90 - 180 minutes prior to this time depending on the hotel location. HOTEL PICKUP The hotel pickup time will vary based on distance. Our reservations team will reach out to the guest to advise on their specific hotel pickup time. Please make sure to check your email for this information. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.
Operating hours.9:00 am
Itinerary
1
The Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience
3 hours • Admission Ticket Included
2
Black River
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
3
YS Falls
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Most travelers can participate
- ARRIVAL TIME Please note the time selected during checkout is your arrival time, not the hotel pickup time. Hotel pickups commence approximately 30 - 90 minutes prior to this time depending on the hotel location.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum 18 years and older to consume alcohol
- The Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience is approximately 2 hours away from Montego Bay and Negril
- There will be scheduled rest stops along the journey
- Journey may cause motion sickness
- At Appleton Estate, photos can be taken except for in the distillery
- Some areas of waterfalls are fairly rocky, as such water shoes are recommended
- Please note that this tour requires a minimum number of guests to operate. Should your this tour not be confirmed for your selected tour date, we will make contacted in advance to offer a rescheduled date, suitable alternative tour or a full refund.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers
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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
Lisa_A
Should you be fortunate to be hosted by Petal and Shipley you are guaranteed to have a memorable time . From pick up to drop off they were unbelievably attentive , knowledgable , welcoming and friendly .
One love !!
The trip was amazing value for money seeing as we visited 3 different attractions .
Firstly, we visited the black river and was lucky enough to have a great guide and spotted at least 10 friendly crocodiles and lots of wildlife . The skipper even shook hands with one . The YS falls were amazing . However, due to recent heavy rainfall the current was very strong . Great place .
Lastly, we visited Appleton Estate . We had a great lunch and the tour was hosted by Peter who was funny, knowledgeable and informative . The rum tasting was good fun .
The journey home was an experience due to a heavy downpour of rain and Shippy navigated us safely home through mainly floods and cajs 😂 Petal served some light refreshments on the way back which made the 3 hour journey back most pleasurable .
One love !!! 🇯🇲🇯🇲
Reviews
4.6
based on 87 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Kim_B, Jun 2026
It was fun but way too short at the falls. The crocodile river was fun as well and so much to see. Appleton was ok but the falls made up for any short comings.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Dear Kim_B
Thank you for sharing your feedback and for choosing this excursion.
We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Black River Safari and found YS Falls to be a highlight of your experience. It's great to know that the natural beauty of the falls helped make your day memorable.
We appreciate your comments regarding the time spent at YS Falls. Guest feedback is valuable to us, and we continually review our experiences to ensure they provide the best possible balance of activities and time at each location.
Thank you again for your review. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future.
Kind Regards,
Chukka Guest Experience Team
Thomas_P, Apr 2026
A fantastic and well-organized excursion ! The day was rich, diverse, and incredibly complete — from the peaceful Black River safari with crocodiles to the stunning YS Falls and the authentic Appleton Estate experience. Everything flowed smoothly, and the guides were knowledgeable and engaging throughout.
It is a long day with quite a bit of travel, but absolutely worth it given how much you get to see and experience in one trip. Highly recommended if you want to make the most of your time in Jamaica !
Deb_B, Oct 2025
Fun day out, was a long drive from where we were in negril ,but enjoyable all the same. Enjoyed YS falls , braved the cold water torrent. Saw some crocs on the black river tour. And enjoyed sampling the rum at Appletons.
Ashley_A, Oct 2025
The drive is sooooo long. Tour was nice, but wasnt worth the drive, bus was small and overcrowded, ride super rough. Wasnt worth the drive. About 6 hrs total driving, 12 hr excursion. Too much
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Dear Ashley,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent Appleton Triple Tour, which includes visits to Appleton Estate, Black River Safari, and YS Falls. We appreciate your comments and understand your concern regarding the long drive and transportation experience.
Please note that this tour is operated based on the number of guests booked for the day. A minimum of six guests is required to confirm the excursion, which is why a smaller bus is used when group sizes are limited. The vehicle used was able to safely accommodate all guests, and a larger bus would not typically be requested for a smaller group.
We always strive to take the safest and most suitable routes, and while the journey can be lengthy due to the distance and road conditions, we do our best to make the trip as smooth and comfortable as possible for everyone.
We truly appreciate your understanding and value your feedback, as it helps us continue enhancing the overall guest experience.
Best regards,
Guest Experience Team
Stacey_R, Sep 2025
We had a great time. Each event was unique and enjoyable. We saw a lot of crocodiles at black river. The falls were beautiful but that stop felt very rushed. The lunch, tour, tastings and Appleton guide were great!
The overall tour guide provided a lot of great history along the way but it was difficult to hear her in the backseat. She needs a mic. It would be ideal if she could layout the day in more detail upfront. The booking details said "bring your suit" which really should say wear your suit. We lost 15 minutes at the falls changing clothes.
The roads in Jamaica are terrible so the long ride was awful because we were bouncing constantly.
Three stops in one day is a lot so be prepared for a 10 hour day because the commute time is 4+ hours round trip.
.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Dear Stacey,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful review of your recent experience with Chukka Caribbean Adventures. We are delighted to hear that you had a great time and enjoyed the unique events, from the Black River safari to the beautiful falls, the delicious lunch, and the Appleton Estate experience.
We truly appreciate your feedback regarding areas that could be improved, such as the tour pacing, communication, and comfort during travel. Your comments are very helpful, and we will review them carefully to ensure we continue enhancing the overall guest experience.
Your kind words about the tour and the guides mean the world to us, and we are thrilled to know that we were able to provide you with a memorable adventure.
It was a pleasure serving you, and we look forward to welcoming you back for another amazing journey in the future.
Best regards,
Guest Experience Team
Danielle_B, Aug 2025
Bring waterproof phone case for pictures in the falls. Lunch and snacks provided. Bring a bottle of water.
Lisa_A, Aug 2025
Should you be fortunate to be hosted by Petal and Shipley you are guaranteed to have a memorable time . From pick up to drop off they were unbelievably attentive , knowledgable , welcoming and friendly .
One love !!
The trip was amazing value for money seeing as we visited 3 different attractions .
Firstly, we visited the black river and was lucky enough to have a great guide and spotted at least 10 friendly crocodiles and lots of wildlife . The skipper even shook hands with one . The YS falls were amazing . However, due to recent heavy rainfall the current was very strong . Great place .
Lastly, we visited Appleton Estate . We had a great lunch and the tour was hosted by Peter who was funny, knowledgeable and informative . The rum tasting was good fun .
The journey home was an experience due to a heavy downpour of rain and Shippy navigated us safely home through mainly floods and cajs 😂 Petal served some light refreshments on the way back which made the 3 hour journey back most pleasurable .
One love !!! 🇯🇲🇯🇲
Deterius_F, Jul 2025
The experience was nice and professional Pedal was a nice guide provided a lot useful information and insight
Catherine_W, Jul 2025
A really good day seeing all three attractions. Appleton experience is well worth doing. YS Falls are beautiful and guides are well practiced at getting pictures for you (tip: flip flops can't be worn, but crocs and other strapped sandles are ok). Picked up c8am and home c1830.
A special thank you to our driver, Alex, who located my husbands sunglasses and dropped them back to the hotel for us - very much appreciated!!
Earl_F, Jun 2025
It was amazing! My family and I got the full amount of time and experience we expected to (including the ride) out of this excursion. Everything sent smoothly. Our driver and tour guides were all phenomenal and went out of their way to make the long ride comfortable and fun for all of us. 10 stars for the excursion, all the events, and all the staff.
Eileen_B, Apr 2025
Excellent day out! Our driver Jack kept everyone amused during the long journey, Petal our guide was very knowledgeable and made sure everyone was having a good time. We added in zip line ride across the falls which was well worth the extra cost.
Sarah_A, Mar 2025
The tour was so much fun! We saw 3 crocodiles and the mangroves on the river were beautiful. The tour guide was fun and informative. YS Falls was so beautiful I’ve not seen anything like it. Despite the rain the rum tour was brilliant and Raysha our guide was the best. Petal and Jack made the journeys so much fun and well worth a long day
Natalie_L, Mar 2025
Wow what an amazing day! The day was full of good vibes, fun and knowledge. Me and my family really enjoyed each trip, the YS falls were beautiful, the Black River and Appleton Estate was fun, lots of interesting facts and breathtaking experience. Petal was friendly and great at her job. She made each trip fun and Dave the driver keep the music going and got us to each distance safety. They both made the whole experience such a magical day to remember. Thank you.
Jennifer_W, Mar 2025
Chukka adventures Black River Safari, YS Falls and Appleton Rum Factory tour
Included transportation, all entrance fees, tours, delicious lunch and rum tasting.
Truly a wonderful tour.
Our bus driver Jack and tour guide Petal were outstanding. Jack is a very skilful driver and Petal was very informative and spoke in a clear concise voice giving us interesting facts as we passed through each town.
First stop was the Black River Safari where we took a boat trip up the Black River. Our awesome Captain Cornell was truly entertaining. We saw tons of birds and 2 very large crocodiles! Such a terrific stop and well worth the trip. Next up was YS Falls where we climbed the falls and jumped into the ice cold refreshing water just under a sparkling waterfall. YS Falls is a must stop destination with lots of pools if you don’t want to climb the falls. There a safe hand rails and proper steps. Change rooms, clean bathrooms, picnic tables dot the picturesque grounds. Chukka provided snacks and water after our swim. Last stop but certainly not the least was the fun Appleton Rum Factory where we had a delicious jerk chicken and pork lunch with rice and peas, Cole slaw, and sweet potato salad. Absolutely delicious and served by Burma. Then we had 2 cocktails - a rum punch and stormy ???. Tiffany our guide led us on an informative tour and then we sampled Appleton Signature, Appleton 8 year old and Appleton 12 year old rum! Definitely worth the trip especially in this order. On the bus ride back to our resort our wonderful Chukka guide Petal plied us with more rum punch while Jack played the tunes. We made a much appreciated bathroom stop before dropping off people and their various hotels.
All in all this is probably one of the best tours I’ve ever been on and I would highly recommend it! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Karen_V, Mar 2025
This was an amazing tour! Our driver Mr Jack pick us up on time, the guide (I unfortunately don’t remember her name) it was a very sweet lady, even tho she had a terrible neck pain she was very attentive, making jokes with us the entire drive, explaining everything around us as well, our first stop was black river we got to saw a huge crocodile that the guide call over, we also got to hold little ones that keep in the nursery, second stop was YS falls, the amazing falls plus 3 pools, 2 warm termal water and 1 cold spring water, 3rd stop was Appleton, our guide at this point had already gave us water and snacks, on Appleton we got to have a delicious lunch plus a complementary cocktail and then the rum tasting of course right after they explain us the entire process of how is make, and last but not least after this our guide surprised us once again with rum punch for everyone!! This is an amazing experience specially for the price, the people is tremendously nice and friendly, we spend the entire day just laughing and having the best time!
Marcia_G, Feb 2025
What an experience !!! Very informative from our guide and it really was so much fun…Highly recommend
Douglas_M, Feb 2025
What an experience. We have done about 5 different excursions in the past 6 days. This one was more relaxing and chill but still was so amazing. Om our journey stopped at a coffee hut and authentic breakfast cooked over fire. Then off to alligator territory. Our captain was fearless. Then off to y.s. falls for a dip and rope swings. And then an amazing trip to Appleton estate where is pays to volunteer. Hint hint. An amzing lunch a tour and a tasting. We actually bottled our own rum. Worth the money. If you stay in montego bay this is an all day excursion we left at 730 came back at 545. It was amazing
Nancy_Z, Jan 2025
The roads coming back were very bad to drive on, lucky we had an excellent experienced driver. Chukka has made their billlions off of adventurers, thrill seekers and hard working Jamaicans; Chukka should step up to the plate and pay for some road repairs
Courtney_B, Jan 2025
The safari and estate were great, but we only had 35 minutes at YS Falls and a very fast bumpy transportation ride because we waited 20+ minutes at pickup for a group who were late because they wanted breakfast. I would have preferred if the bus came back for them after dropping us off so that we could still have the appropriate time (2 hrs) at the falls. We even brought up the difference in the time and they told us the itinerary isn’t accurate. Loved the Falls, but felt rushed. The Safari was fun, even held a baby croc and the Estate was educational. It was still a great value for the experience, but don’t count on the itinerary and time being accurate for each activity.
Danielle_M, Dec 2024
An amazing day, filled with incredible sights. We visited Black River first and got to see 5 or 6 crocs, a couple of which were fed by our captain. Captain made sure that everyone got a view of the crocs which was really great. The views are something I have never experienced before (like a Bob Ross painting!) - incredible. We then went on to YS Falls, it wasn't too busy when we got there but we only had an hour as had to be at Appleton for lunch before 2:15 and it took an hour to get there. Our guide at YS, Ian, was fantastic. He took great pics/videos and helped everyone in and out of the water.
Appleton was really informative, it was interesting to see how the rum is made, the volumes of alcohol and the history. Rum tasting was really good, and a lot of people in the room commented on how we are now able to taste/see the difference in the quality. Big thank you to the team, it was definitely a memorable day.
Emma_A, Nov 2024
Amazing experience, great having 3 trips in one day, all unique and enjoyable. Lovely tour guides. Air Con bus
Katrinka_A, Jun 2024
The entire tour was memorable for me and my children. The fact that I didn’t have to drive and was able to see all the beauty of Jamaica was priceless.
Jack and Tamara are by far the best driver and tour guide, and that made the tour very entertaining. Can’t wait to go in another adventure and I would wish to be lucky to get them as operators again.
Highly recommend this tour, Black River, YS Falls, and Appleton Estates
Thomas_B, Apr 2024
Great tour. It's an all day experience. Our tour guide Elliott was the best. He kept things fun and gave out great historical info along the way. I highly recommend.
staceylloyd, Apr 2024
Brilliant day out, long day but definitely worth it. Our guide was very knowledgeable and kept us occupied on route to our first stop the crocodile safari. Definitely worth doing if you're a wildlife lover. We then headed over to YS falls, beautiful place, the local guides were amazing. They kept hold of our phones and took loads of photos for us. We finished the day with lunch and rum tour at Appleton Estate. Informative and fun 😁 thanks to our guide Elliot and driver Jimmy for a fun day x!
Jerome_T, Mar 2024
All three main parts of the trip were excellent. We loved the boat trip up the river with the wildlife viewing, playing in YS Falls, and the very interesting tour of the Appleton Rum distillery. It was the only way we could have been able to do all of these, and especially not to have to hazard driving all that way. Or guide, Elliot was very attententive to everyone and made sure everyone was happy.
IanandLinda_F, Feb 2024
We enjoyed all the places we visited but the bus was very crowded! Seats were too close together for a full group!
ANDREA_S, Feb 2024
This was a fun excursion. The falls were beautiful and the guides take lots of pictures. The room tour was nice, drinks were good and lunch was good. The river tour was good, we saw a couple crocodiles and a bunch of different birds. Prepare for a very long day, the drive time from hotel and between locations is long. Ended up being a 10 hour day.
Shawna_F, Feb 2024
The appleton estate was great but the chukka company was horrible. I arranged with them weeks inadvance to meet up with by the tour at the appleton estate because I was coming from kingston. They told me to get to the appleton estate at 9am and my tour guide will meet me there. When I got there they was no tour guide and the people at the appleon estate told me there first tour don't start until 1030am. The appleton estate tour was very good experience. After tour I call the chukka company asking them where is my tour guide that suppose to meet me for black river falls and YS fall they told me there none I have to find my own transportation. I told them I don't have any transportation because person that drop off at the appleton estate won't be back for me until 4pm. They told me I have to figure it out on my own. I explained to the representative on the phone that I'm not from this country. Her respond was that not her problem. So I had to call a taxi which charge me 65 dollars to go from the apple estate to black river falls safari. When I got there and give them my reservation they ask me where is my tour guide I told them my situation they told me everyone that come from chukka company alway have a tour guide. The black river experience was great also then i had to paid 65 dollars for another taxi to take me back to appleton estate, so my driver from kingston 1 pick me up. My friend and I was terrified because of story in news lately and to know I called the chukka company for assistance and the left me stranded even though I made arrangements with them weeks in advance. This is poor customer service.i didn't he get to do the YS FALLS because I couldn't afford to so much taxi fare.
Kelsey_G, Jan 2024
The YS falls were so pretty and the guides did a great job taking pictures for everyone as we went through them all! The water was very refreshing and everything about it was beautiful! The Appleton Estate was awesome as well however I learned I’m not the biggest rum drinker but all of the history and getting to see how they make it was pretty awesome! Black river safari was also fun to see the crocodiles! The only bummer (that’s obviously uncontrollable) is the distance between all activities because you do spend a chunk of time riding in the bus to and from everywhere but the guide did a good job of pointing stuff out to us and giving us island history to make some of it less boring! Overall it was a great time
KAREN_T, Dec 2023
We did not enjoy this tour , the Appleton Rum Factory was very disorganized and lots of renovations taking place, got 3 miniscule tastings of rum, lunch was ok nothing special.
The Black River Safari was not worthing doing, there were a few birds and mangroves, and in a building at the end held captive were a few poor turtles and Alligators in small concrete enclosures with green slimey water, not cool.
The YS falls were very pretty, but again disorganized and time wasted standing around. We were hearded through them like cattle couldn't enjoy them at tour own pace..
The journey was very long from Negril to these places, there is no water provided on the bus and no rest stops.
The driver was informative on the outbound journey but on our return pretty much silent, infact at one point I thought he was falling asleep, very scary. We only had the driver on board with us as the other guide had an emergency of some sort and left the bus, the driver seemed reluctant to accompany us at the 3 stops, at one he was asleep in the bus.
On hindsight we would skip the Black River and Rum Factory hire a private driver to take us to the YS Falls and spend all day there.
From $159.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Appleton Estate YS Falls & Black River from Montego Bay or Negril
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