Costa Rica · RIVER TUBING

The 8 Best River Tubing Trips in Costa Rica

8 tours  ·  from $44

This is the shortlist you would send a friend: 8 river tubing trips worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.

La Leona Waterfall Hike and River Tubing - Tubing through the Rincon de la Vieja river channels
Guanacaste Tours, Hiking & Trekking, River Tubing, Tour Reviews, Waterfall Tours

La Leona Waterfall Hike and River Tubing

1.La Leona Waterfall Hike and River Tubing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 90 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $90Our pick

You’ll hike through forest and river channels to La Leona Waterfall, crossing streams, climbing short ladders, and pulling yourself by rope into a cave for a swim. Then you’ll spend about 90 minutes tubing through the Rincon de la Vieja region. Guides such as Ronnie, Brandy, Victor, and Diego lead the route and handle safety.

“Well organized experience, we started with tubing down a river which was a lot of fun! The guides were cool and professionnal. Then, we did the 30mns hike to the waterfall which involves some swimming on the way. Of course, you have to wear life jackets all the time. I've been told it can be pretty busy in the morning, but being there around 2-3 pm worked out great for us since we didn't see many people.”

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Río Celeste: Tubing Adventure in the Río Celeste - The blue water and the first stretch
La Fortuna Tours, Rio Celeste Tours, River Tubing, Tour Reviews

Río Celeste: Tubing Adventure in the Río Celeste

2.Tubing Adventure in the Río Celeste

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 78 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $50

You’ll tube the blue Río Celeste for about 90 minutes with a local guide such as Cristian, Alex, or Luis. Expect gentle rapids, natural pools, swimming, rope swings, wildlife spotting, volcanic mud, fresh fruit, and a private group experience.

“This was the best part of our trip in the La Fortuna area. We got lucky and it was the 2 of us guided by Cristian. He did a great job giving us a relaxing and fun tour in our tubes. While We had some time to swim in an area, Cristian did some cool flips for us and helped us swing from a rope.”

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Tubing Rio Celeste: The Longest Adventure With Lunch Included - What happens once you reach the river
La Fortuna Tours, Lunch Experiences, Rio Celeste Tours, River Tubing, Tour Reviews

Tubing Rio Celeste: The Longest Adventure With Lunch Included

3.Tubing Rio Celeste: The Longest Adventure With Lunch Included

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 72 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $65

Float through rainforest on Rio Celeste with Onca Tours for about three hours. Expect active tubing rather than a lazy river, a possible cliff jump, guides such as Anthony, wildlife views, equipment, insurance, and a typical Costa Rican lunch. You meet and finish at the Onca Tours base in Katira.

“Wonderful from start to finish. They accommodated our late arrival due to our flight coming in a day late. The guides were exceptional and we all had such a phenomenal time, kid particularly enjoyed jumping into the river off a high side/cliff. Highly recommend. And lunch was great at the end too. So friendly”

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La Fortuna Tours, Rafting Tours in La Fortuna, River Tubing, Tour Reviews, Whitewater Rafting

Combo White Water Rafting and Tubing in La Fortuna

4.Combo White Water Rafting and Tubing in La Fortuna

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $90

Spend about six and a half hours rafting and tubing on a river near La Fortuna. You will receive safety training and equipment, stop for fresh fruit, then finish with lunch, coffee, an organic farm walk, and a sugarcane demonstration. The tubing is active white-water tubing, not a lazy river ride.

“Unfortunately the outflow of the river was reduced by the power company due to some maintenance issue so we were not able to get the tour we were expecting. We were not able to tube the last portion of the trip due to safety concerns. The first part of the tour was as advertised however we did pay extra to tube the last part and we ended up with rafting the last portion on a very diminished flow. I understand the safety aspect but feel we overpaid for what we received.”

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Tubing in Rio Celeste - What the two-hour route is like
Rio Celeste Tours, River Tubing, San José Tours, Tour Reviews

Tubing in Rio Celeste

5.Tubing in Rio Celeste

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · from $44Best value

You float and bump along the Rio Celeste with a certified bilingual guide, using provided tubes and safety gear. Guides such as Carlos, Alex, Brad, Johnny, and Luis help groups navigate the river, spot monkeys and sloths, and capture GoPro photos and videos. Expect about two hours, fresh fruit, water, and transport back to the meeting point.

“Highly recommend,Brad our tour guide was really helpful and fun, he was focus in keep us safe and at the same time showing us the beautiful monkeys and mapaches. We will go back there soon.”

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Rio Celeste Aquatic Tubing Adventure - Getting fitted for the river
La Fortuna Tours, Rio Celeste Tours, River Tubing, Tour Reviews

Rio Celeste Aquatic Tubing Adventure

6.Rio Celeste Aquatic Tubing Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $55

Float and ride gentle rapids through the turquoise Río Celeste with guides such as Mano, David, Christian, Gordo, and Gérald. This two-hour outing includes safety gear, calm pools, rainforest views, swimming, and a fruit-and-water stop. The meeting point is in Katira, about 20 to 30 minutes from the Tenorio Volcano waterfall area.

“Mano my water float guide (capi capi) and Jamie my driver were both amazing. I went the water was a level 1 but levels can go from 1 to 3 with 3 running smoother but more rapids. I highly recommend this activity with this company”

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Arenal Volcano Combination Tour: Zipline, Tubing and Hot Springs - Nine zip lines through the forest
Arenal Volcano Tours, Hot Springs in La Fortuna, La Fortuna Tours, River Tubing, Spa & Hot Springs, Tour Reviews, Tours, Volcano Tours, Zip Lines

Arenal Volcano Combination Tour: Zipline, Tubing and Hot Springs

7.Arenal Volcano Combination Tour: Zipline, Tubing and Hot Springs

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $176

Start at 8 a.m. with 13 aerial platforms, nine zip lines, and a hanging bridge at Go Adventure Arenal Park. Meet Maleku guides, tube through Arenal River rapids, then relax in hot springs. Miguel, Jefferson, Arturo, and Tiger are among the guides praised for calm, caring support.

“Amazing experience. We did the zip lining/ rappel and tubing down the rapids plus hot springs at the end. So much fun. We have done zip lining several times in the past and these lines seemed really fast. The tour guides on both experiences were amazing. The tubing in the rapids has been the highlight of our trip so far. My group was my family of six ages, 21, 23, 24, 43, 44 and my mom 67! The compassion that was shown to my mom on the rapids is un heard of. She flipped over (which most of our group did) and one of the tour guides said “(Mama) I’m…”

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Hike to La Leone Waterfall / Tubing - The ride from Playa Hermosa and the two Liberia stops
Guanacaste Tours, Hiking & Trekking, River Tubing, Tour Reviews, Waterfall Tours

Hike to La Leone Waterfall / Tubing

8.Hike to La Leone Waterfall / Tubing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $61

From Playa Hermosa, hike with a bilingual local guide through the Río Blanco area near Rincón de la Vieja, scrambling over rocks, passing small caves, and reaching La Leona Waterfall. You can slide, jump, swim, and get fully wet, then enjoy river tubing and a casado-style lunch in Curubandé. Noel is a standout guide name to request.

“Our experience hiking to La Leona Waterfall was absolutely unforgettable, a true highlight of our 50th-anniversary celebration! From the moment we met our amazing guide, Noel, we knew we were in for something special. Noel's expertise and enthusiasm truly enhanced every aspect of the adventure. This wasn't just an ordinary hike; it was an exhilarating exploration. We felt the thrill of sliding down a natural rock waterslide and took exhilarating leaps from huge boulders into the refreshing river below. The journey itself was an adventure, as we climbed over and under impressive boulders and navigated fallen trees, adding an element of fun and challenge to the trek. Although parts of…”

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