Let's float down the river; start the day with a unique experience at Penas Blancas River where a Safari Float will show you the perfect complement between a filled wildlife ecosystem and the sounds of nature. The float takes 2 to 3 hours and is suitable for the whole family. Snacks will be provided, a nice taste of Costa Rica!

After the river float La Fortuna Waterfall awaits you. Put on your swimsuit and get ready to get down to it, after a 20 minute hike downstairs you will encounter the natural wonder of a large waterfall! Go ahead, get in it, enjoy a gift from nature!

By noon you must get hungry and you will up for a delicious treat! A tasteful lunch will be soon ready for you with a local family, a nice culture touch!

We are almost over, but first what everyone wants, a hike around the imposing Arenal Volcano! It's not a strenuous hike, it completes within 2.5-3 hours, this is slowly paced, the guide will patiently teach you everything there is to know about its history and how importance it is to us Ticos.

It's been an amazing natural adventure and about sunset you will be back to your hotel ready to relax, share your amazing photos and maybe soak at the local hot springs!

RATES

  • Adults Icon

    $210.0

    Adults

    10 years old & older
  • Children Icon

    $133.8

    Children

    5 to 9 years old
  • Infants Icon

    $0.0

    Infants

    4 years old & younger

Tour Includes

Safari Float River Tour
Waterfall Park Entrance Fee
Arenal Volcano National Park Entrance Fee
Local Bilingual Guide
Water
Roundtrip Transportation
Costa Rican Typical Lunch

Tour Itinerary

img

7:30am (approximate) Hotel Pick Up!

We will pick you up at the lobby of your hotel to start this great expedition. The exact pick up time will be confirmed on your itinerary once the reservation is confirmed.

img

8:10am Ready for boating!

The guide is going to provide all necessary equipment for the boat trip, life jackets and paddles on, as well as clear instructions to navigate down the river.

img

8:20am Enjoy scenery and wildlife!

Your guide will take you down the river spotting flora and fauna to show you, a great chance to see monkeys, lizards, birds, sloths, and a beautiful calm scenery while navigating on flat water.

img

10:30am Enjoy a typical snack!

After a couple hours on the river, you will leave the boat and enjoy a delicious Costa Rican snack on a local family farm, tropical fruits, plantain and cheese, and a delicious coffee are part of the menu. A highlight of the day comes next, after a 30 minutes scenic drive!!

img

11:30am Breath taken away!

Its time for the famous La Fortuna Waterfall, a MUST TO SEE! Whether you plan on swimming or not, this 246 feet tall waterfall coming from the middle of the mountain is breathtaking. An observation platform offers a great view from the top right before you start the walk through 498 steps down to reach the swimming hole, your guide will guide you through and watch your belongings while you swim. You must bring a towel with you if you plan on swimming. After refreshing in the clear water, you will climb up back the 498 steps, you can do it at your own pace. Clean changing rooms are available to put dry clothes on.

img

1:00pm Bon Appetite!

A fresh and tasty typical lunch is going to be waiting for you at an outdoor private farm in the country side, allowing for a real contact of Costa Rica cuisine and our popular "casado" which translates to English as "married", it is the basis of our typical lunch and consist of rice, beans, salad, picadillo, meat of your preference (chicken, beef, fish, or pork), and fried sweet plantain. Vegetarian option is always available.

img

2:00pm Majestic Arenal

After a 20 minutes drive we will reach a world's famous one, Arenal Volcano. Even though is has been visible from the distance all day, at this point we will be on a 2 hours walk at the base of him and through ancient lava flows, allowing us for breathtaking observation points and learning interesting facts and history that our local guide has to share with you. Walking to the crater is forbidden, due to the unexpected gases and rough terrain, there is not even a trail there, you will be at the base of the volcano overlooking the giant mountain and enjoying the rain forest at the base of it.

img

4:30pm Hotel Drop off!

This extraordinary day is accomplished, leaving a very good taste of Arenal wonders and everlasting memories. We will drop you off back at your hotel.

People Love Us

Our 3 in 1 trip was one of the best travel experiences we have had ever, and we do a lot of traveling. Spending time with William, Edgar and Edgar's family was beyond just sightseeing. You don't just see Costa Rica, these people make you feel a part of it. William had so many great stories about his life and times he could and should write a book! He is a field expert with a lifetime of knowledge of Cost Rican animals, forests, and especially plants and birds. He has climbed the volcano eight times (now no longer permitted). We wanted to see toucans. All he had to do was listen. Then he took us right to them. It was a privilege to spend time with him. Edgar and Ileana were such gracious hosts. We had a chance to meet their new grandson and their daughter Yuliana who helped plan much our experiences in Costa Rica. We were welcomed like family and enjoyed a fabulous home-cooked meal. If you want to experience Costa Rica and not just see it, this tour is for you. We cannot recommend it highly enough.

David Stoner

2015-10-05

This tour was amazing! Our guide was so knowledgeable and showed us so much we would have missed without him! We felt like we got to experience the real Costa Rica. I would recommend this tour to anyone!

Emily James

2015-10-17

Great, kind and knowledgeable guides with delicious stops! They put in the extra effort to make sure we saw amazing animals!

Jake Williams

2016-12-13

Exceptional local knowledge. Our guides were incredibly friendly, helpful, and took great care of us. Our family enjoyed every minute of the trip, highly recommend for other travelers. Our guides, Hanzel, William and Miguel were fantastic. Pura vida!

Rachel Boisjolie

2016-12-24

The tour we did was enjoyable and very non-strenuous. Perfect for people who want to enjoy all the beauty this area has to offer without doing much physical activity. (The steps leading to the waterfall may be difficult for seniors or those with disabilities, but is manageable even for those who are pretty out-of-shape). Miguel was very friendly and informative, teaching us all about the different plants and animals in the forest, drawing on his own experiences as a born-and-raised native who grew up on the mountain and survived the volcano eruption of 1968. He went above and beyond to show us cool things, even docking the raft to go into the woods and bring us a poison dart frog to look at. The waterfall was a fun experience, the volcano was beautiful, and the short hike was a nice end to the day. The food was amazing as well.

Kamenko Pajic

2017-01-04

Carlos and Jason were amazing. Very knowledgeable diffenatly learned a lot about the different species of animals and even some history lessons. Snack and lunch were delicious.

Jessica melendez

2017-01-06

Amazing experience! All of the guides were amazing and very helpful. Everyone was humorous but put the safety of the tourists first. It was a thrilling experience and I would recommend it to anyone travelling to Manuel Antonio

Nick DeNucci

2017-01-06

Excellent work by Carlos...very knowledgeable guide

Tushar Anand

2017-02-04

William was a fantastic and very knowledgeable guide whose passion for the area was infectious and we would recommend him to anyone. His ability to spot wildlife was amazing! We had a full day but never felt rushed. Thanks for a brilliant day. Kevin & Vanessa

Kevin Steen

2017-02-10

Wonderful experiences with William and Jason today. Both were able to provide great information Action on the areas we visited, and incredible abilities to spot birds, reptiles and animals. Also - the vans were very comfortable and there was no shortage of water.

Kathleen (Kate) Robson

2017-02-19

Our favorite tour in Costa Rica so far. William provided not only provided superb traditional information regarding the local flora and fauna but also first hand accounts of the area and culture that went above and beyond what was expected of a tour. We highly recommend this tour AND William as your guide!!!

Kyla Jamieson

2017-02-22

Carlos and Jason were amazing. They were great with the kids and so extremely informational about animals, birds, monkeys, insects and more. Thank you!!! Perfect family adventure!!

Nicole Halpern

2017-02-23

Fantastic job all around -on the safari 3 in 1

Marjie Nau

2017-02-28

William was very knowledgeable about the natural history and wildlife of the region, with lots of good stories to share. The rafting safari and volcano hike were excellent!

Rhonda Sakach

2017-03-26

What a great day! Our guide was able to spot so much wildlife that we would have missed without him. Thanks for an amazing day!

Angie Peck

2017-04-03

The tour was amazing, the guides were sociable and happy and made this a wonderful experience. We saw sloths, monkeys, birds and a variety of wild life. Even when the weather got rainy it was beautiful and refreshing. The food was also quite good.

Isabelle capistran

2017-04-14

Our tour guide William was amazing!! Awesome personality with a lot of info. Definitely learned so much throughout the tour!

Jocelyn Guardado

2017-08-22

We had an awesome experience! The tour guide William was funny and extremely knowledgeable about the plants and animals that we saw. William also shared many great personal stories about the volcano and the area that enhanced the experience. The tour was seamless from place to place. They showed up right on time as arranged. Some of the best parts were when they saw random animals on the side of the road and would pullover and let us get out and take pictures. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to have a fun filled day of adventure. Our driver Edgar was great too.

Stacey Roper Keller

2017-08-23

Our guide was amazing. We highly recommend this tour. Perfect for small kids. It was clear that Rainforest has a deep love, appreciation, and knowledge of all of the wonders of Costa Rica. Thank you for a terrific experience.

Shaarik Zafar

2017-04-11

Michael took us on the raft and to the waterfalls. Did a great job narrating and locating animals. Went on the volcano hike with Carlos who was very knowledgeable and enjoyable. He was even able to locate a sloth, red dart frog, and red eye green tree frog to our delight. Thanks for the memories.

Jonathan Frick

2018-07-28

This was a beautiful tour organised with extreme care, punctuality and friendliness. We had the chance to experience all sorts of sights in La fortuna in just 8-9 hours which is great for someone spending just a few days in the area. Our guide Carlos, was very thorough in his explanations and helped us spot every type of wildlife in the floating safari, the road and the waterfal as he was fully equipped. The food was great As it gave us a taste of the local delicacies, as was the overal experience. Albeit a bit pricey, we would fully reccomend this trip and our guide Carlos to anyone in La fortuna.

Iacovos Theodoulou

2018-08-15

Fantastic experience, felt like family throughout. Far and above exceeded expectations. Friendly and incredibly knowledgable tour guides (much love to Julio and Hansel) and the lunch provided at their local restaurant was just what we needed. Great sense of humor too, can't beat that. Would recommend to any traveller, young or old.

Andrew Bates

2019-02-09

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Read some of the most asked questions about 3 in 1 Safari + Waterfall and Volcano Hike.

Transportation is included from any hotel in La Fortuna and the Arenal area, some hotels are located further away from the main area, in this case an extra fee may apply. If your place is not on the list just ask us!
Pick up is usually between 7am and 7:30am (it varies depending on the location of your hotel) and takes about 9 hours to complete. By 5:30 pm you will be heading back to your hotel, after all activities have been completed successfully.
A delicious Costa Rican lunch will be provided and served by a local family in a beautiful location next to one of the rivers so you can be in peace with nature and be able to observe some more animals and birds. Also snacks like fruits and water are provided along the day.
Sure they can! Everyone can have a great time at the safari, the waterfall and the surrounding of the volcano national park, although we believe is more enjoyable for kids 4 years old and over.
Hiking shoes or sneakers will be ideal for the hikes as well as comfortable clothes: shorts, t-shirts, tank tops. A change of shoes and clothes may be also required if you plan to go for a swim to the refreshing waterfall! Don't forget a bathing suit, there will be changing rooms before starting the hike down to the waterfall if needed or after the hike. Bring also mosquito repellent and sunscreen and a raincoat in case of an usual rainshower.
Sure, keep in mind it will be under your supervision and we highly recommend a waterproof case.
Not entirely, the walk at the volcano is not though, there are different trails that can be explored and go from 2 km up to 3 km (1.2 - 2 miles). Pace is slowed since you will be with a guide giving you information about the volcano, the birds and wildlife found on the way and time to take nice pictures. Depending in the trail chosen a little elevation will be required. The guide will choose with the group the right option. The hike to the waterfall though is a hike down on steep stairs, 520 stairs to be precise and then back up. Is worth the adventure, kids and people of all ages can do it. You can make it slowly at your own pace and enjoy the views, usually takes 20 minutes on the way down and 25 on the way up. We do not recommend the visit to the waterfall to the ones with hip or knee problems, but if you have any of these conditions and wish to be part of the tour you can remain at the main facilities of the waterfall park where there is an observatory, restrooms and a nice restaurant so you can enjoy of a drink or two. And while at the Safari Float will be sitting pretty ;) relaxing down the river with the sounds of nature.
If a shower or rain happens before or during the tour, it continues as planned, remember is the rainforest and it should be expected. Unless there is a tropical storm in sight then the tour may be cancelled or postponed but we will contact you in advance to inform you.
Yes, we offer pick up and drop off to most destinations in the country, please contact us to coordinate it and quote the extra fee.
We are very accessible, with a 24 hour notice you can get a refund, just don't forget to notify us.
We have in Arenal Tropical weather, it means is usually hot and humid with some rain always on the sight, not heavy rain, usually sun showers towards the end of the afternoon or late evenings. During the months of January, February, March which are considered to be summer, temperature goes between 28°-32° Celsius or 82-90 Fahrenheit and during the rainy season it varies from 22°-28° centigrades or 71-82 Fahrenheit.
Climbing the Arenal Volcano up to its crater is not allowed, there are only a few trails mostly around the base of the volcano with a little altitude that can be explored, these trails show a combination of rainforest, wildlife, the last footprints of the lava that used to flow and incredible views. That is the closest as someone can get. Some trails will have views of the valley and the Arenal lake. The Arenal Volcano, although has not throwed lava for the last 8 years is still considered active, every once in awhile you can witness the fumaroles coming out of the summit. The terrain is not welcoming for people, on one side there is much forest with wildlife like wildcats, snakes and many wild animals and on the other side is sandy and rocky and unstable.
Yes, it is considered one of the active volcanoes of the country. In 2010 was the last time it throwed lava for the last time but it is still active, we can usually observe the fumaroles from its main crater and the rivers are still hot, hence the hot springs.
We consider Arenal to be the epicenter of adventure! Being the number one favorite destination of the world according to tripadvisor it offers pretty much every activity that can be done in the country in one destination. You can stay in Arenal for weeks and will always have something different to to every day. There are main attractions for every one, there are the activities that will bring up your adrenaline such as whitewater rafting, zipline, waterfall rappelling, lake kayaking, biking, strenuous hikes, waterfalls and more. But if are not such an adventure seeker can find other kind of activities like peaceful walks, hanging bridges, gardens, safari and bloat trips to sightsee, cultural events and many more.
That's a great question, there are many different resorts that offer hot springs, some are for guests use only which is fine because are more exclusive and quiet but if wish to explore more options or if you stay at a hotel with no hot springs there are plenty of options to choose from. Tabacon Resort and Spa Being one of the most popular natural hot springs spot in the world most visitors come to enjoy the peaceful surroundings with a variety of pools of different temperatures and sizes all hidden within the most wonderful and attractive tropical gardens that open up the way for relaxing exploration. The pools are filled with water from an actual hot water river that flows all around the property. There is anything more natural than this. Temperatures vary from 22° to 40° Celsius (72-105F) and you can see small natural cascades to soften your body and spirit. 2. Baldi Hot Springs Consider as the largest hot springs in the world it offers 25 pools of all sizes and temperatures amidst the rainforest surrounded by waterfalls and caves so that everyone can enjoy. Is more like a family place, it offers a water playground for the little ones, water slides, caves to explore, wet bars and restaurants so that everybody can spend a relaxing and fun time. 3. Los Perdidos Hot Springs This being part of the astonishing The Springs Resort, you can get a day pass and enjoy amazing panoramic views as well as a relaxing time at the hot springs, make sure you visit the unique little pools at the bottom of the resort that are immerse in the rainforest at the most peaceful place on earth. 4. Eco Termales A great option to relax and explore. Although it is a smaller option, it also is a more exclusive place, is not as crowded as other places get from time to time and also has its pools also filled with the river water, very natural and relaxing ambience. 5. Paradise Hot Springs Another beautiful, little place to enjoy a relaxing time. It's located right in front of the volcano which makes you have a wonderful view too. Transportation is only included with Los Perdidos option, to all other options you can drive or call a taxi from frontdesk. Depending to your hotel location these can be from 5 up to 25 minutes away. Which one do you prefer? You can combine any of these options with any activity you do during the day or you can get a day pass too and enjoy of a nice lunch or dinner, just ask us!