Yellamraju T.
Amazing experience with both activities
Costa Rica · Your next adventure
Adventure Lovers Rappelling and Rafting Combo
Your experience
Good to Know
Embark on an exhilarating full-day adventure with the Adventure Lovers Rappelling and Rafting Combo in Costa Rica. This all-inclusive tour combines rappelling down four stunning rainforest waterfalls with navigating the Class II and III rapids of the Rio Balsa. Designed for all skill levels, the experience includes professional bilingual guides, safety equipment, round-trip transportation from Arenal hotels, a hearty lunch, and snacks. It's the ultimate way to immerse yourself in the rainforest's thrilling natural beauty.
Look no further if you are seeking adventure! The rappelling and rafting combo is an awesome full day of thrills and spills! Imagine rappelling down rainforest waterfalls and then wrapping up the day whitewater rafting on one of the most popular rivers in Costa Rica…
The day starts off when you are picked up from your local Arenal Volcano area hotel. You will be brought to the base of a hill on the other side of town. This is where the adventure begins. You will switch vehicles and ride a 4x4 thirty minutes up until you reach the base camp rancho.
Your guide will size you up and suit you up with high quality safety gear and then provide a brief safety and instructional course. Then you will be on your way to rappelling down four rappels of varying height from 45 to 165 feet! No experience is necessary. You will always have the comfort of a secondary safety line that the guide will control. Between each rappel you will scramble through the canyon which is surrounded by lush rainforest that is teaming with life. This is an epic adventure that is usually the highlight of the trip!
After the rappelling tour you will be whisked away to meet the whitewater rafting crew en route to the Rio Balsa. When you arrive at the river your guide will provide safety gear and another instructional safety course. Then you will be on your way down one of the most popular whitewater rivers in the country. The Rio Balsa offers a continuous adventure of class II and III rapids which your guide will navigate you through on a wet and wild adventure!
When the adventure is over you will be treated to a hearty Costa Rican style lunch. Then you will be returned to your hotel. Including transfers this tour usually lasts 8 – 9 hours, though this is subject to change. Please inform us if you weigh over 200 pounds as restrictions may apply or special accommodations may be necessary. No experience necessary for this fun filled day of adventure which includes, transportation, guides, equipment, lunch, snacks, drinks, and loads of fun.
Highlights
- Canyoning and rappelling down rainforest waterfalls
- Scrambling through a jungle canyon
- Whitewater rafting on the Rio Balsa
What to Bring
Clothes that can get wet, secure shoes, dry clothes to change into.
Includes
Transportation, guides, equipment, lunch, snacks, drinks, and loads of fun.
Location and Availability
Available in: Arenal, Arenal Zone 2, Arenal Zone 3
Tour space is generally available when requested more than two days in advance and remains subject to confirmation.
Tour Times
07:30
Tour Type
- Rafting
- Canyoning
- Waterfalls
Explore the location on the map
Location
Latitude: N 10° 18' 47.63" (10.31323)
Longitude: W 84° 32' 2.25" (-84.533958)
Recent Reviews
Overall
97%
Expectations
96%
Experience
97%
Guides
97%
Logistics
96%
Value
97%
Virginia D.
Both repelling and rafting were tremendous excursions. Excellent safety training and orientation and guides for both excursions taught us much about the nature and the flora and Fana of the rainforest area. From the river, the guides pointed out much of the wildlife when we were in the calmer water. The class 2 to 3 Rapids were plenty of splash and bounce for all of us. I had three sons used to white water. And they were thoroughly pleased with the river, as were those of us who were not used to rafting. Excellent guides.!!!
Tabitha D.
Definitely one of the highlights of our trip! We wished the rappelling was a little longer. Lunch was good!
Would have like the experience to have been more exciting but understandably safety is a priority
By far, the best tour for me. Weather worked out perfectly for us as we had a nice sunny day.
Tour picked us up on time, and quickly took us to the Rappelling site. Guides were informative, and very safety conscious- we felt very secure in doing the activity. First time rappelling, so was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we were given a snack, as we had booked a rafting tour next.
1 hr drive to the rafting site, where we were had Jude (Congo) as our river guide- he is very knowledgeable and made the experience more enjoyable. Amazing views of the forest, and river.
Would definitely recommend this tour
Katrina K.
Awesome tour! Bryan was our guide on the raft so much fun! Gustavo and Harry did a great job on bus
Tina P.
Oh my goodness this tour was incredible! I was terrified for both experiences but the guides made us feel so safe and welcome. It was so cool to rappel off 165 foot waterfalls. There was more hiking than I expected in between but didn't mind it at all. What a thrilling experience. The whitewater rafting was also amazing. Gussy was an incredible guide and teacher. He pointed out wildlife along the river and we all had a ton of fun while getting wet and wild on the river. The lunch afterwards was probably my favorite meal all week. Loved every bit of this tour. You can really tell they love what they do.
Claudia Y.
Great
Rebecca R.
This was probably our favorite part of the trip. The guides on the waterfall tour were very accommodating when my son chickened out at the last minute prior to the first waterfall. The lunch was delicious!
John A.
The rappelling was super challenging and scary - loved it. Jorge saved my wife who was scared to death. Loved it! Momo was a terrific guide.
Amy J.
Our favorite day!
Allyson R.
Wonderful tour. Our rafting guide Enzo was top knotch. The lunch was also outstanding.
Dawn L.
Was happily surprised with the amazing lunch buffet. Our guide Kokie on the rafting trip was so fun!
Joan C.
Loved this so much I did it again in Manuel Antonio
Ashna C.
excellent tours ; great day
Karen S.
Great combo, however, there was confusion about our transfer between the two sections of the tour. Overall it was a fun day!
Grace H.
Super fun! They explained well everything and tho I was scared to death it was safe! Lots of guides to help get the customers ready, lots of eyes on us. Great great tour!
Jeffrey B.
This joint excursion was exhilarating. We started the day rappelling in the forest down scenic rock faces & waterfalls. The second part of the day on the river was awesome. The rapids were challenging & fun and the guides were great! I loved stopping mid-way for fresh fruit & we even got to see a sloth along the way. Another 10/10 adventure
Jennifer P.
This was our kids' favorite part of the trip!
Tad W.
both tours were outstanding with wonderful guides
Rebecca J.
So much fun! Glad we splurged on the photo package-- great memories captured. Our tour guides were entertaining and helpful.
Dorothy D.
Our favourite activity.
Lisa W.
Many people on the rafting portion so a bit of waiting to get everyone organized but was reasonable
Ashna C.
super day; we had so much fun; i do wish after the rafting there was a better way and cleaner area to change into dry clothes; the rapelling guides and rafting guides were so much fun and safe and my daughters just love it; the farm and lunch were so wonderful; thankyou so much; also one thing that was different from last year was getting pool towels; i dont think this system is necessary;
Samantha D.
Great service all around! The staff knew so much about Costa Rica and we learned so much! Such a fun day and quite the adventure!
Highly recommended would use anytime again.
Ivette D.
This was so much fun! The rapelling, although scary at first, was my favorite activity on the trip. The white water rafting was also fun. We appreciated the fruit pit stop. Levels 1 2 3 were perfect.
Brian S.
Most adventurous day of the trip. We really pushed some boundaries!
Fernando S.
Awesome guides, equipment, friendly and very knowledgeable staff. Highly recommended!
Barry B.
Rappelling crew did a nice job handling all different levels of experience, had a little fun too. Rafting guide, Jorge or 'air Momo' made the ride fun, got everyone into it, even the one scared of the water!
Kirsten H.
My FAVORITE day by far!!! Excellent Adventure
Jennifer C.
We loved the two experiences but there is a lot of wasted time throughout the day. I guess it was my fault I did not really realize the two experiences were completely separate.
Aurora D.
Both rappelling and rafting were fun. Both tours were VERY large. The rafting portion accommodated everyone well (100+ people). The rappelling portion could not accommodate a group this size (40+) because everyone has to use the same lines. Group sizes should be more limited.
Danetta L.
Rappelling was a hit for all of us. The guides did a great job making sure everyone felt safe/had fun and experienced the day to the fullest.
Ken W.
Excellent logistics going from rappelling to rafting, no wasted time
Christine H.
This was so much fun. Both groups were well run. All the guides were fantastic. It was a great excursion!
Jasmine S.
This combo tour was our favorite, packed full of adventure and adrenaline.
Shannon K.
The rappelling was awesome and we felt really safe the whole time. Same with the rafting. The staff were friendly and attentive. It was a fabulous day!!
Vered B.
also, a must have attraction.
William B.
It’s was an excellent experience
Kyle L.
Busy but amazing day. Rappelling location was beautiful and activity was fun and exciting. Rafting was great, guide was absolutely amazing and went out of his way to tell us about the environment as we went, even stopped to find a frog for us. Rapids were exciting but not too challenging for first-timers. Saw plenting of wildlife (birds, iguanas, sloths) on the way which was unexpected. Meal at the end was great.
Megan B.
The guide we had seemed a little bored and I feel he could have made it a little more fun. the guide on the other boat was much more lively and involved.
Krista G.
We had a wonderful time at the rappelling. The rafting trip was a little bit less organized, but they made up for it with amazing food at the end.
Jackye H.
Both activities were excellent! There was some confusion combining the two together since they are two separate companies and some were not aware of this. Made tipping confusing since you really needed to tip after each separate activity.
Roma S.
Fantastic organization and execution - the guides were all friendly , professional and knowledgeable - loved the lunch experience
Kerry S.
This was a busy but awesome day. Loved the rappelling and the guides were great. We were with a rather large group, though, and while I never felt rushed I know they were trying to get people through so it was hard to stop and enjoy the scenery. Rafting was a lot of fun--not too technical but never a dull moment either. Great pictures. Saw plenty of wildlife, too. Really enjoyed the farm lunch afterwards and the coffee and sugarcane demonstrations--a pleasant surprise.
Shontel M.
We were so pleased with the guides and how friendly and informative each of them were. The pictures given were awesome action shots in we're glad we purchased them. I was so sore but thankful for the experience. They even if you in the water when you were rappelling off of the biggest waterfall for the ultimate experience
Keisha B.
This was a great way to spend the day. The best part was the end when they gave you authentic food and drinks.
Jeremy S.
This was a perfect day! So much fun!
Katie S.
Such a fun day!! Rappelling was the coolest activity. Our guide for white water rafting was so fun!
James P.
What a blast
Elena C.
The tour was totally exhilarating and exceeded our expectations. It is very memorable and will a highlight of our vacation. The staff make sure everything was safety conscious and the on-site photographer was good to have since we could not take our phones and cameras. I will highly recommend to clients, family and friends. The waterfalls and river rapids were in a beautiful rainforest surroundings.
Caroline R.
EXCELLENT it was amazing would highly recommend to others.
Claire P.
Jairo was great!!
Jennifer M.
Best part of the trip. So much fun. Still talking about it. Gerald was our guide and he was amazing. My son got very scared at one point of rough rafting, and Gerald pulled him over to sit next to him during the calm parts of the river and comforted and reassured him. Gerald was charming and great fun. My son would go back to Costa Rica just to raft with him again!
Bethany P.
The waterfalls were great, the guides were fun too. The whitewater rafting was ok. The river was low and I'm not sure the guides are very in control. Our first raft actually punctured, which I didn't even this was possible they seem so tough. That was a bit scary. It was not as neat as the waterfalls, they don't really provide any information about anything other than paddling. I give the rafting a 5/10 and the waterfalls a 10/10.
Pamela F.
Sign me up to go again!!!!
Rebecca L.
Absolutely loved both of these! We would have wanted to do a longer experience at both but it was one of the best days of our vacation. The companies you used couldn't have been any better they were all so nice. Our Rafting Guide was so fun and friendly.
Richard R.
This was an awesome experience. Everyone was to happy and made you feel very comfortable
Jill R.
The kids loved this tour combination. All of the guides were helpful and kind especially with the children.
Rhonda G.
The guides were excellent for both rappelling and rafting. The transition between activities were seamless and the food was great!
Julie B.
The guides were very efficient in the guide and helped us rapell safely through the courses. The whitewater raft tour was excellent. Our guide took every opportunity to show us a good time and even found wild life along the way for us to see. He also stopped at a rope swing for the teenagers to jump from.
Hollie D.
excellent
Michael R.
It was a nice surprise to learn that this tour included an authentic CR lunch AND a sugar cane processing tour and samples.
Nick S.
Very exciting and great guides. Water was not released from the dam the day we rafted, so the river was running a bit slow
Tina M.
My favorite
Cathi Z.
Again, wonderful guides. Slight problem with the transfer but it worked out so all is good.
Lawrence H.
They needed to do a better job making sure that we were to the front of the line of the rappelling so that we could get to the rafting with more time to spare. If it weren't for some people telling us to go ahead, we would never have made it.
Greg B.
Again, too many people. Was rushed on every rappel and rafting. Again, TOO MANY PEOPLE.
Debra S.
This is really two different tours with two different groups; however, we didn't know it at the time and failed to give a tip to the first group for the rappelling. Rappelling was a thrilling new adventure, and so much fun. They provide good instruction, but it can be so scary at first that I don't think I let go of the rope at all, but they have ways to navigate around that and release you down in the same manner. After a few rappels, I remembered how to use the release and break they taught for the remainder of the rappels. The white water rafting in the Arenal region is superb as well as our guide. It was thrilling as I kept thinking we should start paddling before we washed into the bank, but learned to wait until the call was given. I don't know how they got such great pictures, so it must've been done from other areas or other rafts outside of ours. We went during March which is the dry season, but they open the dam a few hours a day so that the white water rafting is very much white water thrilling! Great snacks of watermelon and pineapple, followed by an enjoyable meal.
Imtiaz A.
Guides were great, all I would change is the meal in between the two tours
Sudharsana S.
Super fun staff, who made sure 'Safety First' at all times. A must do activity
Courtney F.
They forgot to pick us up in the morning but made it up to us with free pictures and sincere apologies. The overall day was a blast!
loved it - fun, yet we thought they focused on safety properly. A lot to do in one day.
Rappelling was the highlight of the trip. a total blast. very safe but thrilling, would do it again. Rafting on the Balsa river was also a lot of fun. Good class 2-3 rapids but nothing that one couldn't handle. Great pictures by the photographer. The drive up the mountain on the rocky pitted road left a little to be desired but you got used to it.
The rappelling company was amazing. Friendly, informative, made us all feel safe and fun. Love, loved them
The rafting was great too.
Loved it.
Absolutely awesome!
We had to cut the rappelling short so they could take us to the rafting trip in town. We would have been happy to go earlier to have the entire tour. Or take a group of rappelling and rafting together so we go at a speed that allows us to enjoy both rappelling and rafting. Both rappelling and rafting were excellent experiences - our best excursion day!
The guide and experience was excellent. I am still talking about it. AMAZING!!!!
This was the highlight of our trip. Both tours were amazing. I can't say enough on how professional both groups of tour guides were. Rappelling was awesome and scary and the same time. The rafting ended up in this restaurant where they made a demonstration of making coffee and served some great coffee. In addition a demonstration on sugar cane. Just wonderful. Would do this again in a heart beat!
The guides for the rappelling were very professional and super-friendly. We felt very safe in their hands! As for the rafting - Fabio & Melvin were very professional and it was an awesome experience. This was my first time doing white-water rafting, but definitely not the last with this group. We will be back and bring our friends with as well!
Stupendous!!! so much fun, the experience exceeded our expectations!
The only reason why I gave it 9 points instead of 10 is because there was ~30 people on the rapelling tour so there was a lot of standing around and waiting. Still a great experience. Rafting was wonderful and the lunch after was great!
I was really expecting more rappelling,
Awesome experience! Maria was right - this was one of the highlights of our trip (even for me and I hate heights). The guides at both Pure Trek and Wave expeditions are incredibly professional and fun. The added trip to the sugar / coffee farm was a very nice addition and the meal was great. This should be advertised as part of the experience.
Another amazing excursions, great tour company, very safe and professional
The rafting and rappelling were excellent, but the logistics were not good and we were told that no pictures had been arranged. Later on we found out they were arranged, and we received all the pictures. Better late than never, but they are GREAT.
Call us if you want to see more reviews.
Before you go
Frequently Asked Questions
What activities are included in the Adventure Lovers combo tour?
The combo tour includes rappelling down four rainforest waterfalls, with heights ranging from 45 to 165 feet, followed by whitewater rafting on the Class II and III rapids of the Rio Balsa.
Is prior experience required for the rappelling and rafting combo?
No prior experience is necessary for either the rappelling or the whitewater rafting activities. Professional guides provide all necessary safety and instructional courses.
What does the Adventure Lovers Rappelling and Rafting Combo include?
The tour includes round-trip transportation from local Arenal Volcano area hotels, professional bilingual guides, high-quality safety equipment, a Costa Rican style lunch, snacks, and drinks.
What should I bring for the Adventure Lovers Rappelling and Rafting Combo?
Guests should bring clothes that can get wet, secure shoes, and dry clothes to change into after the activities.
The people behind your vacation
Personal service from Pacific Trade Winds
- Highly trained Costa Rica vacation specialists
- Personal customer service and concierge services at the highest level
- TripAdvisor Hall of Fame recognition for service
- Ranked #1 in its TripAdvisor category
Make this tour part of your Costa Rica vacation
Request a vacation package including Adventure Lovers Rappelling and Rafting Combo.
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