White Water Rafting Pacuare River From San José
Description
Get ready for a full day of adventure as you paddle through the heart of Costa Rica’s lush rainforest on the world-renowned Pacuare River. This exhilarating journey features 18 miles of Class III and IV rapids, perfect for both first-time rafters and seasoned paddlers (ages 12+). Your day begins with an early hotel pickup in San José, followed by a scenic drive through Cartago and the countryside to Turrialba. Along the way, enjoy a delicious included breakfast before arriving at the river launch point. After a safety briefing and gear fitting by your expert guides, the adventure begins! Navigate thrilling rapids like Huacas, Rodeo, Pinball, and Dos Montañas, with breaks to admire cascading waterfalls and the stunning rainforest. Midway, refuel with a riverside picnic lunch surrounded by nature. At the end of your rafting journey, change into dry clothes and relax on the return drive to San José—tired, happy, and full of unforgettable memories.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Fuel up with a hearty Costa Rican breakfast (gallo pinto, eggs, fresh fruit, and coffee) before heading to the river launch point.
Meet your expert guides for a safety briefing and gear fitting. This is where your rafting adventure begins!
A dramatic, narrow gorge with towering rock walls and lush vegetation. It's one of the most iconic and scenic parts of the river.
Numerous waterfalls cascade into the river along the route, especially in the canyon sections, creating perfect spots for photo opportunities and short breaks. Among the highlights is a thrilling Class IV rapid that rushes between two steep rock faces, offering both an adrenaline rush and stunning natural views. As you paddle through the dense jungle, keep an eye out for toucans, sloths, monkeys, and colorful butterflies that bring the rainforest to life. The river also winds through lands inhabited by the Cabécar people, Costa Rica’s largest indigenous group—an area not open to tourism but rich in cultural significance. Midway through the journey, most tours pause at a tranquil riverbank where guests can enjoy a fresh, scenic picnic lunch surrounded by the sounds and sights of untouched nature.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Tour departs from hotels in San Jose. You must indicate the hotel’s name in order to confirm the booking.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
- What to bring: Come with rafting clothes on (light shoes that will stay on, swimsuit, shorts, nylon shirt), sunscreen,water bottle, change of clothes, towel, insect repellent, some money for personal expenses.
- Tour operate with a minimum of 2 people
- Contact line available for handling hotel pick-up reconfirmations and day-to-day operational matters.
- Not persons under 12 years old
Reviews(240)
One of the best experiences I have had in my life. The place is wonderful, and the guides are the best.
¡Muchas gracias por sus maravillosos comentarios! Nos llena de satisfacción saber que esta fue una de las mejores experiencias de su vida. Costa Rica tiene lugares increíbles, y nos alegra que haya disfrutado del entorno y de la atención de nuestros guías. Compartiremos sus amables palabras con el equipo. ¡Esperamos recibirle nuevamente para otra aventura inolvidable!
A must if you go to Costa Rica. Amazing if you love water sports and adrenaline. It was so fun, the food was amazing, the drive was beautiful, and the people are so kind! Keylor was an amazing guide! 10/10
Absolutely do not risk your vacation or your health with this company. This was one of the worst and most unsafe experiences I have ever had while traveling. I have gone whitewater rafting four times before in the U.S. and other places, and I have never fallen into the water or been injured like this. With this company in Costa Rica, I ended up seriously injuring my knee, needing a wheelchair, and ruining the rest of my Costa Rica trip. The raft guides were very disrespectful and constantly talked down to people instead of making anyone feel safe. Their attitude was horrible. They acted like they knew everything, but they did not seem properly trained or capable of controlling the raft when the river got rough. People were falling into the water, the situation felt chaotic, and the guides seemed more focused on blaming guests than actually doing their job. Whitewater rafting is already risky, but this felt unsafe because of the guides, not just the river. They seemed inexperienced, unprepared, and extremely unprofessional. I have rafted before and know the difference between a normal adventure activity and a poorly managed, dangerous operation. This was the first time I was seriously injured, and I believe it could have been avoided if the guides were better trained and more responsible. This place is highly overrated. If you are visiting from the U.S. or anywhere else, I strongly recommend staying away. You could seriously get hurt here. The unprofessional staff, poor control, and unsafe environment made this a terrible experience from start to finish. Absolutely do not risk your vacation or your health with this company.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear that this experience did not meet your expectations. Guest safety is our highest priority, and we take all concerns very seriously. Following your review, we conducted a thorough investigation with the river operator and the guides assigned to your tour. The excursion was led by experienced, certified rafting professionals and accompanied by a dedicated safety kayaker. No incidents or injuries were reported to our operations team during or after the tour, and no safety concerns were raised by other participants. White-water rafting is an adventure activity that involves inherent risks, even under professional supervision. Nevertheless, we continuously review our procedures to maintain the highest safety standards. We appreciate your comments and wish you all the best in your future travels.
The most beautiful scenery and most fun experience. Big shout out to Ivan our tour guide for creating such a fun experience for everyone on our raft, especially my kids. My 16yr old triplets said this was the best experience and their favorite part was how fun Ivan made the experience. This was my 5th time going on this tour and it was the best. Our driver Ricardo was super nice too. The breakfast so fresh and the people so nice. I can’t say enough good things about all of them!
This adventure is 100% worth the drive from San Jose. The views were breathtaking, the guide was so knowledgeable. If you do this tour, ask for Estebàn! He made the trip worth it with great group morale. At one point you can even jump in the river and float. As someone who has never been white water rafting I felt safe the entire time.
Thank you for your fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear you felt the adventure was absolutely worth the drive from San José and that you enjoyed the breathtaking views. It’s wonderful to know that Esteban made such a positive impact on your experience—his energy and group spirit truly make a difference! We’re also glad you felt safe throughout your first white water rafting experience while still having plenty of fun.
The most beautiful river I’ve ever white water rafted down. Francesco was amazing and made the day very fun
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the rafting experience and found it to be such a beautiful river. We’re especially happy to know that Francesco made your day fun and memorable—he will be delighted to hear your kind words. We hope to welcome you again for another unforgettable adventure in Costa Rica!
I was on this same stretch of river 30 years ago. Just as magical today. Great driver, great guide, great overall experience for me and my three teenage boys.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! What a special experience to return after 30 years and find the river just as magical—that’s truly incredible. We’re delighted to hear that both the driver and guide made the day even more enjoyable, and that it was such a memorable experience for you and your family.
Go with Ivan - he's a hoot! Best part of our trip. Even though I wasn't feeling great, they made it a great time. Everyone with the group was kind, and very accommodating (they helped me 60 something self into and out of the boats, up the hills, you name it, they helped!). Water was warm, and the view was second to none.
Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear that Ivan made such a positive impact and that the experience became a highlight of your trip. It’s especially meaningful to know that our team was able to support and accommodate you throughout the activity—that level of care is exactly what we strive for. We’re also glad you enjoyed the warm water and the incredible views!
Do not book with this operator. They sent me ticket to pick me up at 6am and never showed up. No calls or text. Viator was not helpful either. No cancellation email nor refund until i had to email and figjt for it. Can you imagine, never pick up and viator says its less than 24 hours. Another tortuga island booking woth viator same issue. I will report them with BBB and let them know. Did not allow rebooking either only for 1 person.
We sincerely apologize for this experience. A missed pickup with no communication is unacceptable and does not reflect our service standards. We understand your frustration, especially after being asked to pay and then having to dispute the charges. While bookings made through Viator are subject to their policies, this situation has been escalated internally for full review.
Sooooooo disappointed! We had booked the tour weeks in advance and received several confirmations, but we sat at our hotel for over an hour and no one showed to pick us up the day of the tour. When the hotel called the tour company, they said they didn’t have any record of us, even though they had charged our credit card $484, and then hung up on him and didn’t answer the phone again when he tried to call back over and over. We are having to dispute the charges with our credit card company to get a refund. Do not book with this company!!!! They are NOT reliable! So frustrating!!!
We are terribly sorry to hear about your experience, and we completely understand how frustrating and disappointing this must have been, especially after receiving confirmations and making your plans in advance. What you described is not the level of service we strive to provide. A missed pickup combined with the lack of communication you encountered is concerning, and we apologize for the inconvenience and stress this caused during your trip. We would like the opportunity to investigate your case and assist you directly. Please reach out to VIATOR customer support team with your booking details so we can review the situation and work toward the appropriate resolution. We truly regret the impact this had on your experience and appreciate you bringing it to our attention.
