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

By Arenal Rafting
Recommended by 98% of travellers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
This white-water rafting trip takes you through the middle of the Costa Rican rain forest 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. Tour includes all equipment, safety training, and lunch.
from
€64.20
per adult
from
€64.20
per adult
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 5-65, max of 100 per group
Duration: 5h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
English
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 and snacks are included
  • 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
Make your own way to the rafting office to meet your guide and begin your tour. Practice a few key safety maneuvers before heading out on the Balsa River. This rafting trip takes you down six 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 rain forest, 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.
Departure details
  • Traveller pickup is offered.
  • The pick ups start from 9:00am to 9:30, it depends on where your hotel is located. DEPARTS: every day at 09:30am from LA FORTUNA. WHAT TO BRING: Changing clothes, clothes to get wet, tennis shoes or water shoes.
  • 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.
  • Hotel pickup is offered. View the hotel list on our checkout page to see if yours is included among the pickup points.
Return details
  • Returns to original departure 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.
What you can expect during your visit
  • Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
  • Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
  • Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Community
Ask a questionWrite a review
  • Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
How much is Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica?
Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica price starts from €63.81. Discover and book Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica on Tripadvisor
What is the Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica cancellation policy?
Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica on Tripadvisor
Which company provides Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica?
Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica is hosted by Arenal Rafting. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Arenal Rafting on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica on Tripadvisor
How much time do I need for Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica?
On average, this experience will take approximately 5h. Discover and book Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica on Tripadvisor
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
About the operator

Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator.

By: Arenal Rafting
2,580
162santosw
162santosw
00
First timers welcome
This was our first time on the white water rafting trip, Scary at the binning but once we got felling of it, Everyt…
porkchoplambchop
porkchoplambchop
00
A highlight of our Costa Rica trip
One of the highlights of Costa Rica! The staff here is amazing: knowledgeable and fun but they prioritize safety as…
laurend217
laurend217
00
A MUST DO! Thanks Braulia!
What an awesome experience!!! We are a family of 4 (kids are 15 and 20) and opted for the class 3/4 rapids. We had …
B620GNkendrah
B620GNkendrah
00
Nice, Even For Beginners
It was our first time going on the rafting trip, We were very scare to go for it, But after talking to our guide a…
T1761YQnicoleh
T1761YQnicoleh
00
Great Experience
Fantastic experience, start to finish. Erick was on our bus and explained the process and safety procedures very we…
tobyg159
tobyg159
00
The best crew
White water rafting can get really wild, We had a very nice trip thanks to our guide, He was very aware for our sa…
467orac
467orac
00
Great Team
Very nice ride and wonderful Guides. We had an incredible time on the rapids, Viktor was just amazing very good gui…
213nickyn
213nickyn
00
Jason is amazing
Jason was amazing, we had a wonderful time!! Great instructions and played into the wishes of the group (which was …
Stefaniw M
Stefaniw M
00
Rafting & Slothwatching
We had an amazing Trip with Jason! Next to keeping us save during the rafting he gave us also a lot of information …
Journey43345061562
Journey43345061562
00
Viktor nice Guide
Viktor was an amazing Guide on our first Rafting experience! It was very funny and we had some action! Viktor even …
brianlK9492VA
brianlK9492VA
00
Rafting with the Water Sloth
We had an excellent time at Arenal Rafting! Our guide Jason was incredibly knowledgeable about the river, safety, a…
57terrag
57terrag
00
Great for elementary aged+ kids!
Must do!! Loved this with our kids (6&10). All staff running the program were very attentive. Loved our rafting gui…
Ouijamite
Ouijamite
00
Excellent Time for the Whole Family! Don't Miss This!
We had a great time on this adventure! It started out with a van ride to a shop up the road from the river where we…
docjstevens
docjstevens
00
Rafting at its best
We were fortunate enough to enjoy an epic whitewater rafting trip on the Balsa River with the fantastic guides from…
debbybW8633BH
debbybW8633BH
00
Awesome time!
We had an awesome experience with Jayson! Would recommend!! It was fun and he checked how adventurous we wanted it …
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5.0
452 reviews
Excellent
428
Very good
17
Average
3
Poor
4
Terrible
0
Christina and Daniel
2 contributions
Raft the Balsa!
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.
Jessy_Quesada_ARC
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.
Annabel R
London, UK8 contributions
Excellent white water rafting with fun, professional guides. Delicious fruit and lunch included too!! Brilliant!
The rafting trip was absolutely brilliant! Our guide, Horacio, was amazing - he made it safe but great fun for our family of 5 (kids aged 10 and 11). Everything about the trip was 5 star… the transport, entertaining guide on the bus (Juan), equipment, rafting, fresh fruits on the river and even a delicious lunch and coffee on return to la Fortuna (as good as any other restaurant foods we’ve had in Costa Rica). My daughter said this was one of the best things she’s ever done! Really, this is a five star activity in all respects. Thank you Arenal Rafting and especially Horacio and Juan!!
Written 24 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jessy_Quesada_ARC
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 cuestomer 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 2 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lynn F
New York City, NY10 contributions
Well done- highly recommend!!
The Arenal Rafting team are professional and skilled to give all ages an exciting while safe experience with lots of enduring memories. Our raft leader Oscar had 28 years experience - he started as a kid! He made it very entertaining and varied the experience throughout so there was always something new and fun to do and experience, even as the most exhilarating rapids ( which was pretty full on for the first hour !!!) subsided and there was more calm between rapids. Will never forget our day out on the Balsa!
Written 1 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jessy_Quesada_ARC
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 cuestomer 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 2 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
DayTrip740704
2 contributions
Rafting Experience
The Arenal rafting experience was one in a lifetime for me. It was my wife, boy and I, and we had one of the best 2 hours of our lives!

The whole group is very welcoming and especially out your guide on the bus ride, Eric, was very funny, and at the same time, communicated information very carefully. Our raft guide, Colon (not sure if this is how his name is spelt, sorry), was very professional and had a great sense of humor! We were a bit nervous taking our little boy with us but Colon ensured us of our boy’s safety and he was always keeping a very close eye on our boy, which led us to enjoy the experience more as we were nearly not as worried!

The rapids were very exciting and we got completely drenched in the beginning of the tour (not complaining by any means). The latter part of the rafting experience is much calmer and gave us an opportunity to swim in the river for a couple of minutes.

The break that we took to eat fruits was great and it gave us an opportunity to recharge, socialize and take some great pictures!

The lunch following the rafting experience was delicious and oh, the pictures they take of you, are totally worth it. They captured some amazing moments!

Highly recommend this to anyone wanting to be a little adventurous!
Written 13 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
saucydianaa
1 contribution
Highlight of my trip
This was such an amazing white water rafting tour! We had Oso as our guide and he was the best. He made everyone laugh the entire time and spoke english very well. The river has some good wild parts and some easy ones as well where you can get off the boat and swim. If we wanted something more crazy our guide let us “bull ride” the waves by sitting all the way on the tip of front of the boat which of course was awesome. Overall, we had so much fun on a very safe environment. I was terrified going into this but the whole crew knows exactly what they’re doing on the river, they have a whole system and they work together as a team to make sure all the boats are doing good and have arrived safely to each point. So if you’re having doubts.. don’t ! just go for it!
Written 6 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Arenalrafting
Hello, Thanks for the awesome review! We work hard to meet expectations like yours, and we’re happy to hear we hit the mark for you. Reviews like this one, make us feel pasion for our job, come back and see us soon. PURA VIDA!
Written 11 July 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Erica A
6 contributions
Phenomenal! Chizo es el mejor!
Aug 2022
I was very hesitant at first because of just personal fears of white water rafting but had the best time. Honestly, one of the most fun (still a workout) excursions I've ever had! Our guide Chizo was such a good time and quickly responded to save someone who fell off our raft. I loved the slow parts of the tour as well when you could jump out and float on your back on parts of the river. The pineapple pit stop was delicious and although my knees were extremely burnt (2 hours couldn't reapply sunscreen) I would do it again in a heartbeat. Highly recommend!
Written 25 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jessy_Quesada
Hi Erica, 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 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 27 September 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Roger M
2 contributions
DO IT, DONT EVEN QUESTION IT [SUPER FUN] (10/10)
Jun 2022
From the moment we were picked up at our resort Ronnie (Driver) and Juan (Raft Leader) were extremely helpful, funny, and knowledgeable. After stopping at the last stop we picked up some other raft leaders one of them being Oso, who spoke for the remainder of the ride giving all the details and rules. Both Juan and Oso knew exactly what they were talking about and explained everything in detail. Once we arrived at the lake, Juan was our boat leader and made sure to point out any animals or specials plant while on the raft.

We were provided with fresh-cut fruit at the middle point of the excursion and an amazing meal once we returned back to the home base. Order the pork chop!!

This was a truly amazing experience that we will never forget, forsure the biggest adrenaline rush I have had in a while.

10/10 recommend

Muchas Gracias Muchachos, no la pasamos de maravilla.
Written 27 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Peter S
Sheffield, UK24 contributions
What a great fun and safe experience.
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.
COSteph
Denver14 contributions
Super Fun Day!
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.
Arenal Rafting
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.
Jon E
Glen Burnie, MD2 contributions
Can be scary at first for beginners, but you won’t stop talking about it after you’re done!
Mar 2023 • Couples
It’s incredibly scary, but you never don’t feel safe. Our guide (Juan R) was awesome and very professional. Their whole setup (transportation from the hotels, their base in La Fortuna, traveling back and forth to the river) is quite efficient, and very well organized.

The rapids themselves are definitely a little intimidating for beginners, even though they’re on the tame side as far as rapids go. The first half of the journey is all rapids, then it calms waaaayyyyy down, and it’s pretty peaceful until the end. You will absolutely get wet, if not soaked, and there’s definitely a reason that all the rafts travel down the river together, waiting for each other to get thru tougher sections safely.

If you’re on the fence about doing this, it’s definitely going to push your limits just a little. But that’s the whole point of an adventurous vacation!
Written 21 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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2023 Balsa River White Water Rafting class 2/3 in Costa Rica