Waterfalls in Costa Rica: 150 Tours Compared by Region
150 tours across five destinations, from under 30 to more than 250 EUR, typically 120 to 250 EUR. Each fall comes with its source, its gate rules and its best months.
The usual list of waterfalls in Costa Rica ranks them by beauty, which nobody can check. This page ranks them by how you get in. A few have a gate and a ticket, like La Fortuna and Río Celeste. One needs a guide. Several only make sense inside a day tour, and Nauyaca has two entrances that charge very different prices. We read 150 tours across five destinations: the middle half cost roughly 60 to 250 EUR, a typical tour sits in the 120 to 250 EUR band, and the typical day lasts 6 hours. This page sets the falls side by side, with heights and their sources, a map of the bases, a rain calendar for each region and a plain verdict on the falls we do not sell. Each destination has its own page for the detail, and we link to those instead of repeating them. If you read only one table, make it the one that compares the five destinations: it shows what each region sells and what a day there costs.
A note on method. Heights and gate rules below come from park managers, local press or an operator's own page, and each one says which. Where two sources disagree we print both. Tour prices are the provider's listed price on 22 October 2026, per person, private tours included, and ratings are weighted by the number of reviews, so a 5.0 from nine people does not outrank a 4.9 from two thousand. Dates in this page are the dates of the source, never today's. A swimming ban, a closing day or a fee changes more often than a tour price, so check the park's official channel on the day you go, above all for Río Celeste and Rincón de la Vieja, which closed or changed their rules in 2025 and 2026.
Choose a destination in Costa Rica
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La Fortuna & Arenal
La Fortuna waterfall tours compared: 30 listings from under 30 to more than 250 EUR, sorted into volcano and hot-spring days or canyoning, with the gate fee…
30 experiences in 2 destinations -
Nauyaca & Manuel Antonio Waterfall Tours
Nauyaca Waterfall tours and Manuel Antonio waterfall trips compared: 20 listings at roughly 60 to 250 EUR, the two park entrances, and what each day includes.
20 experiences -
Guanacaste
Three waterfalls, three sets of rules: a town-run swim at Llanos de Cortés, a guided river hike to La Leona and a volcano park at Rincón de la Vieja.
60 experiences in 3 destinations -
Rio Celeste Waterfall Hikes
Río Celeste tours from La Fortuna, Guanacaste and San José compared: 20 listings at roughly 60 to 250 EUR, what makes the river blue, and what the park allows.
20 experiences -
Jaco Waterfall Tours
Jaco waterfall tours compared: 20 listings from under 30 to more than 120 EUR across ATV rides, hikes and rappel days, with the ATV deposit and the pickup…
20 experiences
Waterfalls Travel Experiences in Costa Rica
Private Arenal Day with Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, Volcano Hike and Lunch
A naturalist guide and private transport link the El Silencio volcano viewpoint, the hanging bridges and the waterfall, with lunch and all fees covered.
Private Bijagua Rainforest Reserve, Llanos del Cortés and Corobicí River Safari Float
A private guide leads a Bijagua reserve walk for sloths and frogs, a calm Class I-II river float for birds and monkeys, and a swim at Llanos del Cortés.
Private Bijagua Sloth Walk and Llanos del Cortez Tiered Waterfalls near Bagaces
A private visit to Llanos del Cortez near Bagaces and the Bijagua trails around Tenorio Volcano National Park, home to monkeys, toucans and sloths in the wild.
Private Day: Mistico Hanging Bridges, La Fortuna Waterfall, Arenal Lava Fields and Lunch
A private vehicle with a telescope, snacks and a local lunch carries the group between the six Mistico bridges, the waterfall pool and the volcano lava fields.
Private Full-Day Curubande Tubing, Cliff Jump, La Leona and Llanos de Cortes
Private day with a casado lunch, snacks and a video: river tubing, cliff jumps, the La Leona cave swim and Llanos de Cortes falls. Closed-toe shoes required.
Private Hacienda Ebano Waterfalls Tour with Big Mango Lookout and Short or Medium Hike
Private day at Hacienda Ebano with a 1 km or 2.5 km hike to two waterfalls, the Big Mango Lookout, a Jade Waterfall swim and a banana-leaf lunch by the river.
Private Heliconias Lodge Hanging Bridges, Spring Paradise Reserve and Llanos del Cortés
A private guide leads guests across the hanging bridges at Heliconias Lodge in Bijagua, then through a protected reserve to Llanos del Cortés waterfall.
Private La Leona Waterfall Hike for Two or More from Curubande
Private La Leona hike for groups of two or more, with a local guide, dry bag, fresh fruit snack and life vest if needed. Guiding in English, French or Spanish.
Private La Leona Waterfall Tour with Hotel Transportation, Lunch and Water
Private trip to La Leona from your hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi, lunch and bottled water, driving straight to the falls. Up to 10 travelers.
Private Llanos de Cortez, Miravalles Hanging Bridges, Hot Springs and Mud Baths Tour
A private guide, hiking and hanging bridges, hot springs and mud baths in the Miravalles Volcano area, starting at the Llanos de Cortez waterfall swim.
Private Mistico Bridges, Arenal 1968 Lava Trails, Rio Fortuna Waterfall and Hot Springs
Two hours on the Mistico bridges, a hike on the 1968 lava flow trails, lunch, the Rio Fortuna falls and an optional hot springs stop, all in a private group.
Private Oropendola Waterfall and Rio Negro Hot Springs Tour from Hacienda Guachipelin
Starts at the Hacienda Guachipelin adventure desk: two flat 10-minute walks, a Costa Rican buffet and both entrance fees covered, guided in English or Spanish.
Private Pailas Loop Hike and Oropendola Waterfall Day from Avellanas and Junquillal
A private 10 to 11 hour day from Avellanas and Junquillal: a 2.5-hour scenic drive, the 2-mile Pailas loop, a canyon walk to Oropendola and a traditional lunch.
Private Rincon de la Vieja Hike and Oropendola Waterfall Swim with Hotel Pickup
A private, guided eight-hour day with hotel pickup, park fees and a typical lunch: the Las Pailas loop, then a swim at the 25-meter Oropendola Waterfall.
Private Rio Celeste Hike and Bijagua Sloth Reserve Tour for 4 to 22 Guests
A private group of 4 to 22 hikes Rio Celeste at its own pace with 506 Transfers and Tours, with a separate driver for larger groups and a sloth reserve stop.
Private Rio Celeste Waterfall Hike with Sloth Sanctuary and Bijagua Lunch
Only your own group joins the guide on the Rio Celeste trail, the sloth stop at Spring Paradise Bijagua and lunch at El Sabor de Doña Carmen, with no rush.
Private Rio Celeste Waterfall, Sloth Sanctuary and Butterfly Farm Day from Playa Flamingo
A private full day from Playa Flamingo with a naturalist guide, a 1.5-hour sanctuary stop, the Rio Celeste waterfall walk, lunch and a butterfly farm.
Private Spring Paradise Sloth Park, Coffee and Cacao Farm and Llanos de Cortez Waterfall
A private tour with a 5-minute walk to Llanos de Cortes, trails at Spring Paradise in Bijagua, a coffee and cacao farm and lunch at El Sabor de Doña Carmen.
Private Transport Oropendola Waterfall, Buffet Lunch and Rio Negro Hot Springs Tour
A private vehicle with guide and driver covers a swim at Oropendola Waterfall, a buffet lunch and Rio Negro hot springs, with WiFi, water and air conditioning.
Private Transport Volcano and Waterfall Combo with Sauna, Mud Bath and Hanging Bridges
Eight hours with private air-conditioned transport, bilingual guides and insurance: a swim stop, Miravalles hike, sauna, mud bath, horses and bridges.
Private Tree Chocolate Farm, Spring Paradise Wildlife Walk and Llanos del Cortés Swim
A private day at the Tree Chocolate Farm, where guests join every step of chocolate making, plus a protected rainforest reserve and Llanos del Cortés waterfall.
Pure Nature Rincon de la Vieja Hike, Oropendola Waterfall, Lunch and Hot Springs
A local family-run operator guides the park hike, a swim at Oropendola when conditions allow, a Costa Rican lunch and a long soak in the Rio Negro hot springs.
Pure Trek Canyoning near La Fortuna: Four Rappels, Monkey Drop and Lunch
Half-day canyoning with Pure Trek, a La Fortuna operator since 2001. Hotel pickup in an air-conditioned van and a lunch at headquarters after the descents.
Pure Trek Rainforest Falls Combo: Waterfall Rappel, Jumps and Lunch, La Fortuna
Seven hours with Pure Trek: a 25-meter waterfall rappel, optional jumps from 1 to 10 meters, swimming, snacks and a Costa Rican lunch at the La Fortuna base.
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor