Balsa River Rafting: Scenic Adventure with Lunch

Following briefings from your trained guides, refine your rafting abilities prior to starting this river expedition. Journey down the picturesque and thrilling Balsa river. Halt during the journey for lunch, fresh fruit, drinks, or to cool off in a refreshing dip in the Balsa River.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Experience the excitement and adrenaline of the white water tour on this half day adventure!! Located at 50 minutes from La Fortuna, Balsa River provides an excellent setting to enjoy rafting for whole family. Get wet and wild through rapids such as ¡“Magnetic Rock” and “Dredges”! A 15-minute break in the river allow us to taste delicious tropical fruit…

What's Included
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
  • Professional guide
  • Equipment: Raft, Paddles, Rafting Vest and Helmet
  • Driver/guide
  • Snacks
  • Lunch
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Beverages
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Gratuities
Additional Information
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult and must be a minimum of 8 years old to take this tour
  • May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
  • Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
  • Weather dependent. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is flooding or other government river closure….
Location
WAVE Rafting Costa Rica
Avenida 331
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(499 Ratings)
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Steve
Jul 23, 2025
Great day rafting in rainforest - We had an awesome day rafting with Christopher and the Wave team. Picked us up from hotel, full safety equipment, and a great guide. Lots of fun rafting through the rain forest - in the rain which made it even better!! Definitely recommend 😀
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anna
Jul 7, 2025
Top thrill experience in Costa Rica - Incredible experience with our family of 4. Tour guide was great, food was great, experience was a great adventure for all. A highlight of our trip for sure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michellesp1582uv
Jul 7, 2025
A BLAST - We had an amazing time. Our guide made us feel very safe, and we felt well taken care of. The ride, holy cow, it was a BLAST. We were totally submerged in water for the pictures. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Z3736remelissas
Jun 28, 2025
LOVED our Wave White Water Rafting trip!! - My teenage sons and I did Wave's white water rafting on the Basa river, and it was great! Jairo was on tour leader on the bus over, and he was funny & thorough in describing what our experience would be and how to stay safe. Georgio was our guide in our raft, and he was top-notch! He navigated the waters with fun and calmness, and make sure we all had an amazing time! We did some spins, and some special stuff with the kids in the calmer waters, to get them into the river swmming when it was safe. We saw birds and sloths, and then have a feast of fresh pineapple & watermelon as a snack. It was one of our best excursions on our Costa Rica trip - I highly recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shep
Jun 19, 2025
100% Awesome Family Adventure - This is a wonderful 100% do not miss experience in Costa Rica!! We went with Wave Expeditions on class II and III rapids directly following rappelling down waterfalls in La Fortuna. It was my wife and three children ages 14, 12 and 10 who have no white water experience and myself who has extensive experience. Our guide was Sivianny who was the tour leader and he was incredible. Energetic, informative, inspiring, and hilariously fun. The guides even raft ahead and are stationed in the middle of the river taking incredible action shots. Later in the raft experience, you stop midway and eat fresh pineapple and watermelon right along the riverside. We saw sloths and multiple iguanas. Overall, my kids thought it was an incredible experience and I would absolutely go back and book another tour with wave Expeditions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pioneer04699218667
Jun 17, 2025
Wave Expeditions did not disappoint!! - I've got to admit I was a little bummed at first to hear that our tour was only class II and III since we had prior experience on several IV and V rapids. But Wave Expeditions did not disappoint. We had a phenomenal time! The river was amazing and our guide, Gustavo, was even better. We had a great time on the water and during the few lulls in rapids, Gustavo would point out local wildlife or fill us in on CR history. I can't say enough about Wave Expeditions and Gustavo. Would definitely book again if/when we make another trip to CR!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
883cayleeb
Jun 14, 2025
Amazing! - The views were amazing and the whole trip was so much fun with fun people. The guide, Carlos Vasquez was so much fun and made the experience more fun!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brian_t
Jun 14, 2025
Had such a great time... - Had such a great time white water rafting. It was my nephews first time, he’s 12 and had a blast. It was a great experience for a first time rafter. Our tour included lunch on a farm which was delicious. Had some wonderful organic coffee grown on the farm and learned about sugarcane being processed. After drinking some of the cane syrup, we finished it off with a shot of sugarcane moonshine which was fun. Fantastic way to spend the day, highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Ashley_s
Jun 9, 2025
So fun! - Jairo was a great tour guide for the trip to and from the river. We were also lucky to have him as our River guide too. Everything was great! He kept us safe and we had a blast! The food at lunch was also delicious!
Review provided by Viator
Sarah
Jul 7, 2025
Incredible Rapid Ride! - This was pretty amazing, albeit terrifying 🤪🤪 We had booked a trip for the Balsa river but were driven further to the Sarapiqui river. That was a little surprising and the driver drove like a bat out of hell 😆 HOWEVER- all that said, it was an amazing experience!!! The rapids were intense but Christopher was an incredible guide and kept us safe!!!! Swimming when the chance arose was INCREDIBLE
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $94
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).