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

Experience the thrill of white water rafting on the Upper Balsa River in Costa Rica. Class 3/4 rapids, swimming stops, and fresh fruit await. Suitable for ages 5+.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Calle Coopezamora - Arenal Rafting’s Class IV adrenaline-packed white water rafting adventure is a thrilling rafting experience within the Costa Rican rainforest. For those in good physical condition, we’ll take you for a 15-kilometer ride down the river you won’t forget anytime soon! Stop along the way to rest a bit, do a little swimming, and…
What's Included
  • Transportation from hotels located less than 6 km away from our main office
  • Pick up time may vary up to 20 min depending on hotel’s location
  • Fruits on the river
  • Lunch
  • Bottled water
  • Towel
What's Not Included
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase) at the end of the tour.
  • We do extra pickups in some hotels for a charge of $40
  • Pick up service at hotels located over 6 km away from our main office
Meal Options
  • Costa Rican Casado - A casado is a meal using rice, black beans, plantains, salad, a tortilla, and an optional protein source such as chicken, beef, pork, fish and so on.
Additional Information

The balsa river is the best white water rafting choice in the northern area of Costa Rica this great class 3 &4 on the upper part,
Balsa River for an adventure you won’t forget anytime soon! Stop along the way to rest a bit, do a little swimming, and enjoy some fresh Costa Rica fruit. After white water rafting, you will get a clean towel and a water…

Location
Arenal Rafting
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.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(1939 Ratings)
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Bobbie
Apr 7, 2026
Great experience - We had an excellent white water rafting experience with Arenal Rafting and our guide Ivan was fantastic. There is parking onsite and the transportation to and from the river was smooth and well organized. The rafting itself was amazing, exciting but we always felt safe, and the scenery along the river was incredible. The lunch afterwards was a really nice touch and a great way to wrap up the trip. Overall, the whole experience was well run and great value.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jill_j
Mar 31, 2026
Tugui was an amazing... - Tugui was an amazing rafting guide! He made our adventure fun, exciting and informative. The Balsa river did not disappoint today! Great staff at Arenal Rafting! Would highly recommend
Review provided by Viator
531lis
Mar 31, 2026
So much fun - This was the highlight of our entire trip to Costa Rica. We booked the trip to Balsa River but the operator had to reschedule us to the Sarapiqui river (longer river and more extreme). Each boat had 1 professional guide with 4-6 passengers. The Sarapiqui river was rated class 3 and 4, it was no joke. All of us except the guide was bumped out of the boat and into the river. The guide quickly rescued us and we didn't have any injury. The guides were professional and had safety before the ride, so we felt safe the entire trip. They also provided photos with extra charge if you are interested. We were all soaked, so leave your camera and photo on the van if they are not water proof. I wish I brought my gopro with me, so that I can capture the fun moment. We will definitely do it again if we are going back to Costa Rica in the future.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ashley_r
Mar 27, 2026
If I could give this more... - If I could give this more than 5 stars I would!! This was an intense, exhilarating, and fun experience. The guides truly love what they do and make sure that everyone is safe the entire time. The photos they are are 1000% worth buying! (Only $40 for 100 photos!) must do in Costa Rica
Review provided by Viator
Stephanie
Mar 24, 2026
Spring break trip of 8, ages 16-21 and 2 parents - Amazing experience! Entertaining and knowledgeable guides!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wendyth6772ey
Mar 17, 2026
Amazing rafting experience with awesome guide! - Such an amazing experience with Arenal Rafting today! Our guide Braulio was awesome! We were laughing the whole time and the rafting was so much fun!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ivangabrield2020
Mar 13, 2026
Great Adventure - White water rafting was such a fun experience! I felt safe the entire time, and our tour guide did a great job explaining everything and making sure everyone knew what to do. It was clear that safety was a priority while still making the trip exciting and enjoyable. My only small suggestion would be for the guide to speak a little louder at times so everyone could hear the instructions clearly. Overall, it was a great adventure and a lot of fun!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kim
Mar 13, 2026
Fun trip and excellent guides - We’ve been white water rafting several times before, and while this wasn’t the most intense trip we’ve done, it was definitely the most fun! Axel and Pato were outstanding guides—professional, fun, and made the whole experience memorable. The fruit and lunch were amazing as well. We would absolutely recommend this trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aleena
Mar 5, 2026
Tom was a great guide! - We had an amazing rafting trip, and a huge part of that was our guide, Tom. He was incredibly personable and immediately made everyone feel comfortable and excited for the adventure. Throughout the trip he kept us laughing with his great sense of humor, which made the whole experience even more fun. What really stood out was how attentive he was—not only to our safety but also to the wildlife around us. At one point he even spotted sloths for us along the riverbank, which was such a cool and unexpected bonus! It was clear he knows the river well and genuinely cares about giving guests a memorable experience. Tom struck the perfect balance between keeping things safe and making sure we were having a great time. Thanks to him, we had a fantastic rafting experience that we’ll be talking about for a long time. Highly recommend rafting with Tom as your guide!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J
Mar 4, 2026
Great !super fun Carlos Vasquez was a great guide thought us proper technique will do again 10/10 experience - Great !super fun Carlos Vasquez was a great guide thought us proper technique will do again 10/10 experience fun for all age groups
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $80
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).