Tamarindo

Tamarindo trip ideas

Whitewater Rafting Class III and IV

Badge of ExcellenceTamarindo, Costa Rica

From $119.00

Price varies by group size

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

10 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Experience the thrill of navigating class III and IV white waters on this adrenaline-pumping tour of the Tenorio River. Get an up-close look at local wildlife as you paddle your way through raging rapids. Ideal for first-timers and experienced travelers alike. After the adrenaline rush, refuel with a Costa Rican lunch before heading back to your hotel.

Whitewater rafting on the Tenorio River
Navigate class III and IV rapids with an expert guide
Get an up close look at nature
Lunch and round-trip hotel transfers are included

What's Included

Lunch
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Transport by air-conditioned minivan

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.

Meeting points

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Pickup points

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End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

Transportation Info: Self Drive: Meet at Tenorio Adventure Zone @ 9:00 AM - maps link will be sent upon confirmation We pick up from the hotels, condos and private residences in the following areas: - Hacienda Pinilla/JW Marriott: 6:45 AM - Langosta/Tamarindo Hotels, Condos, Apartments, Houses: 7:00 AM - Conchal (W/Westin Conchal), Brasilito: 7:00 AM - Playa Grande, Flamingo, Potrero: 7:00 AM - Las Catalinas: 7:00 AM - RIU Hotels Main Security Gate, Not the Lobby: 7:00 AM - Playas del Coco: 7:00 AM - Playa Hermosa/Panama (Occ/Sec Papagayo, Villas Sol, Condovac, Mangroove): 7:00 AM - Liberia Peri Supermarket: 8:30 AM - Andaz/Planet Hollywood/Four Seasons: 7:20 AM Pick up times above are an estimate. We will send you an official pick up time the day before the tour. Please be ready outside 10 minutes before your scheduled pick up time, but it can take up to 20 minutes longer depending on the day's pick up schedule and traffic.

What To Expect

Playa Langosta (Pass By)

Tamarindo Beach (Pass By)

Tamarindo (Pass By)

Playa Conchal (Pass By)

Playa Flamingo (Pass By)

Playas del Coco (Pass By)

Playa Panama (Pass By)

Tenorio National Park

9 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Playa Hermosa (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required

Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Janet_S

Everything was terrific Jason was everything we could have asked for in a tour guide! Energetic, funny informative and skillful! Lunch was delicious!

Reviews

5.0

96 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 96 reviews

Definitely Put on Your List!

Laurence_G, Apr 2024

This was a fantastic excursion. Our guides were very experienced so we felt at ease the whole time. Jason was our guide, and he was so good at navigating the river and pointing things out to us (we had an audience of monkeys for a good part of the trip)! Lunch was tasty, and the photographer did a great job capturing our exciting trip. Want to go again!

Excellent

Joy_S, Apr 2024

This was an awesome tour, I ended up going on alone because of unforseen circumstances, so I was extremely hesitant. But Jason made me feel very comfortable and safe. He was an excellent tour guide and made it fun. The river was low which is no fault of his, it's best to take this tour in Sept, Oct, or Nov. I was there in April. Jason however pointed out wild monkeys, birds, beautiful butterflies, and flowers and trees. Very informative. I highy recommend this tour and my new friend in Costa Rica.

Fantastic trip!

Vidhya_N, Apr 2024

Amazing trip - our raft guide Jason was so much fun and this was such a memorable experience for our family. He is truly experienced and made this so so much fun!! We got to swim in many places on the way on and we saw a lot of wildlife. Lunch was fantastic! Ask for Jason!!

Jason was the best!!

Janet_S, Mar 2024

Everything was terrific Jason was everything we could have asked for in a tour guide! Energetic, funny informative and skillful! Lunch was delicious!

Great trip

Richelle_B, Mar 2024

Our guide was excellent. He pointed out monkeys, toucans, iguana and big birds. He was very good at controlling the boat that I was never nervous. Everyone is very friendly and lunch was definitely needed at the end. Lots of driving was the only downfall but it is what it is.

Amazing white water rafting trip

Wendell_H, Mar 2024

Mario was our guide and he was amazing, working hard to maneuver safely through rapids.!We are nature lovers so his knowledge of the animals and plants etc was a bonus! We saw with faced monkeys, a toucan, herons, iguana. Day ended with a delicious lunch

Fun, exhilarating, safe

Kyle_M, Mar 2024

10/10 amazing experience. We were a group of college guys who love adventures and thrill seeking experiences. Had a great time and our guides, LUIS, JASON, and SERGIO we top tier. Hilarious the entire time and made the experience so fun for all of us. Ended up in the water a couple of times which was hilarious and fun, never felt unsafe. Pick up and drop off was easy and smooth. 100% recommend!

Amazing rafting

Carla_D, Mar 2024

Really enjoyed this trip. Sammy our guide did a fabulous job expertly guiding us down the river. The view is spectacular! Felt safe the whole time. If you do buy the photos I’d suggest paying in USD rather than CR colones as the exchange rate is double than what it would normally be.

Best experience

Sean_E, Feb 2024

This was an amazing experience the guides were very knowledgeable and we were able to see wild life and explore the river during dry season. Got a couple opportunities to jump in the river and cool off. Great time and would love to come back during wet season for repeat experience.

Amazing experience!

Marilee_C, Feb 2024

Awesome experience! Luis was an amazing guide and made the trip memorable. We laughed so much and had a great time.

Definitely book and don’t miss out!

Edith_G, Jan 2024

Fantastic experience, had Jason as our boat leader who was excellent. Felt safe the entire time while still being a thrilling activity. Highly recommend!

The guides were great and...

Pete_L, Jan 2024

The guides were great and the river was both fun and beautiful. It was a perfect blend of adventure, fun, and scenery. We'd do it again for sure!

Must do!

Kristen_D, Jan 2024

This trip was so much fun! I'm usually a little scared of rapids and white water rafting but I bought this tour as a gift for my husband and we had a great time. We felt very safe and the tour guides we're very helpful and told us exactly what to do and when. They took great pictures for everyone too!

Best trip in CR!

John_H, Jan 2024

Awesome time!!! Roy the manager was super professional and very attentive to all our needs. We ran late and he stepped up to get us to the group. Unbelievable day. Luis our guide was the #1 guide. Didn’t flip the boat at all. He beat boxes, is funny, spoke Spanish with my daughter who is learning, getting married and they are expecting a baby. He’s so blessed. Greatest job every day to spend on the river and meet new people. Luis treated us like family. Lunch was tasty too. Chicken, pork or fish with all the local fixings. Highly recommend. These guys work hard so please tip them well. It goes a long way for them and helps their family.

Amazing adventure

Erin_A, Jan 2024

Sergio was an amazing guide! He was knowledgeable and kept the adventure exciting! We would recommend this to anyone looking for a great and fun time

Great trip

JODYKIM_M, Dec 2023

Had a great time! The water was low in some spots but an epic drop near the end. We got dumped but everyone survived. Lunch was amazing, guides were amazing. Would do this again

Great first rafting experience

Jason_D, Dec 2023

This was our first time whitewater rafting so we were a bit nervous but the guide was very thorough in giving instructions and ensuring it was a safe trip. River rapids did not disappoint and provided for a great 2 hour journey! Would recommend this excursion if you're considering giving rafting a try for the first time.

I'm alive, I fell out, I saw monkeys--good times all around :)

Esther_P, Dec 2023

It was a fun time! Not a ton of Class IV rapids, mostly 2's and 3's, but there are still some fun drops that we enjoyed a lot! And, I did fall out, so that doesn't mean it was easy! (This is the adrenaline junkie writing the review that prefers Class V rapids and near death experiences lol). We learned Costa Rica doesn't allow Class V tours due to people dying in the past (from other companies), so it all makes sense. Our AirBnb was not near any of their pick up locations (Matapolo), but we were able to pay an additional fee and had a private driver pick us up and bring us out. Definitely worth it, we had a rental car, but driving 3 hours back after rafting is tiring. The food provided was delicious and sizable--I'm usually skeptical. It was mixed veggies, rice, black beans, salad, your choice of protein, and ice cream. The guides were all delightful. We mostly worked with Juan and Chuy--both fluent in English and Spanish, lots of jokes, loads of information about the area and culture, and Juan guided us very well on the river. The guides are also sure to point out any wildlife that might be creeping in the banks--we were fortunate enough to see a Rainbow-billed Toucan, Capuchin Monkeys, a Blue Morpho butterfly, and a few iguanas. Chuy said their company also offers multi-day packages that allow guests to camp and then continue their kayaking or rafting. Looking forward to exploring those options when we come back. :)

Great idea but do it in high water - Sept - Nov.

Stuart_B, Dec 2023

Sadly the water is very low at the moment and gulleys narrow. We ended out of the boat 3 times and I’ve cracked a rib and am pretty immobile for the rest of the holiday.

Great experience!

Renae_C, Nov 2023

100 percent recommend! We had a party of 12 including a ten year old and we had the best time! It was so much fun and we felt safe the whole time. The guides were very knowledgeable in the river, animals and terrain. They knew what trees the monkies were in , what rock the spider lives on and showed us termites, wasp nests and an aray of other things. Our guide Jason was so funny and kept the excitement up. After we had the best pineapple slices for snack before a Mexican restaurant meal. The ride was pretty rough but just enjoy the free massage.

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