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
Pure Trek Waterfall Rappel plus Club Rio Activities and Hot Springs, La Fortuna
Rappel a waterfall at Pure Trek, then pick two Club Rio activities and soak in the hot springs. An eight-hour day with Costa Rican style lunch and a guide.
Quepo Canyoning Half-Day Rappelling and Waterfall Course on 80 Acres near Manuel Antonio
Rappel and canyon through 80 acres of protected rainforest, with snack breaks on the course and a typical Costa Rican meal after. Hotel transport included.
Quepos Full-Day Waterfalls and Beaches Trip with Lunch, Entrance Fees and Guide
Transport, entrance fees, a guide, fruit, cookies and lunch are included on a seven hour loop of waterfalls and beaches for up to 25 travelers per booking.
Quepos Rainforest Reserve Waterfall Hike with Hanging Bridges and Lunch in a Local Home
Swim under big waterfalls, cross hanging bridges and eat lunch with local people in their home. Guided in English or Spanish, up to 10 travelers per booking.
Rainforest Falls Two-Waterfall Rappel and Jump Tour with Lunch, La Fortuna
Two waterfall rappels of 35 and 15 meters, then rock leaps and optional jumps. Lunch is served back at the base, and all guests must know how to swim.
Rincon de la Vieja Horseback Ride to Waterfalls and Blue Pools with Costa Rican Lunch
Ride horses to the Rincon waterfalls and blue pools, then eat a Costa Rican lunch. Meet at El Jardin restaurant near Guardia, with groups of up to 15 travelers.
Rincon Volcano Park Trek, Oropendola Waterfall, Local Lunch and Volcanic Mud Soak
A full day on Rincon de la Vieja: a national park trek past fumaroles and mud pits, a short walk to Oropendola Waterfall, local lunch and a volcanic mud soak.
Rio Celeste 2.5-Hour Hike, River Swim and Private Wildlife Reserve Visit
A 2.5-hour waterfall hike is followed by a swim, a family-run coffee shop lunch in Bijagua, a reserve with sloths and photographs of the day at the end.
Rio Celeste 5-Mile Hike with Teñideros, Hot Springs, Sloth Sanctuary and Meal
Leaving at 7:30 am, the hike passes Los Teñideros and volcanic vents, with a dip in natural hot springs, then a sloth sanctuary and a traditional meal.
Rio Celeste Combo: Tubing, Blue Waterfall Hike and Wildlife with Lunch
A local guide leads the blue waterfall hike, a 1.5-hour tubing run with fruit snacks and swim stops, a typical lunch and a souvenir market stop on the way back.
Rio Celeste Expedition: Llanos del Cortez Falls, Sloths and Coffee-Chocolate Farm
Start with a swim at the tall Llanos del Cortez waterfall, hike to Rio Celeste, then visit two local families: a sloth property and a coffee and chocolate farm.
Rio Celeste Four-Hour Hike to the Blue Waterfall from La Fortuna
Meet at the Red Lava Office, hike about four hours in Tenorio Volcano National Park, then eat lunch and take a short river dip before the return to La Fortuna.
Rio Celeste Hike, Llanos de Cortes Falls and Sloth Sanctuary from Tamarindo
Hotel pickup from Tamarindo and nearby beaches, a swim at Llanos de Cortes, a 2-hour Rio Celeste hike and a sloth sanctuary visit in Bijagua after lunch.
Rio Celeste Hike to Bride's Veil Waterfall, Viewpoint and Hot Springs
Learn why the river turns blue where the Buena Vista and Roble rivers meet, then reach Bride's Veil, a volcano viewpoint, hot springs and volcanic mud ponds.
Rio Celeste Hike to Los Teñideros, Waterfall and River Swim at Don Alexis Farm
Seven Tours Costa Rica pairs the Rio Celeste waterfall and Los Teñideros with a river swim, a hammock rest and a Costa Rican lunch at Don Alexis Farm.
Rio Celeste, Llanos de Cortes Swim and Sloth Watching Rainforest Day Trip
Warm, shallow Llanos de Cortes comes 25 minutes from Liberia, followed by a guided walk to Rio Celeste and an easy sloth trail with six listed pickup spots.
Rio Celeste Nature Hike from the Bijagua Facilities near Tenorio Volcano
Check in with your reservation at the Bijagua facilities to start a nature hike near Tenorio Volcano that shows the area's landscapes, plants and wildlife.
Rio Celeste Waterfall and Sloth Watching Tour from San Jose to Tenorio Park
Trail walks through Tenorio Volcano National Park lead to the Celeste River waterfall in Guatuso, Alajuela, on a tour from San Jose with sloth watching.
Rio Celeste Waterfall Hike from La Fortuna with Air-Conditioned Transport
Air-conditioned hotel transport is included, with an expert-guided jungle trek to the Rio Celeste waterfall, Los Teñideros and a local lunch afterwards.
Rio Celeste Waterfall, Slothland Bijagua and Coffee-Chocolate Farm Day Trip
Lunch with a drink and dessert is included, and the Rio Celeste walk in Tenorio park leads to a sloth reserve in Bijagua and a coffee and chocolate tasting.
Rio Celeste Waterfall, Sloth Spotting and Scarlet Macaws from Guanacaste
Sloth spotting is the highlight of this Guanacaste tour, with birds, snakes, frogs and possibly a tapir, plus a walk to Rio Celeste waterfall and typical food.
Rio Celeste Waterfall, Sloth Walk, La Abeja Lunch and Coffee-Cacao Farm
La Abeja serves the lunch, a private swimming hole on the river is a short walk away, and a cacao and coffee farm tasting closes the Rio Celeste and sloth day.
San Antonio de Damas ATV Ride to a Reserve Waterfall Swim, Palm Farm and Costa Rican Meal
A 15 mile ride past rice, palm and teak plantations and through two villages, a rainforest hike to a swimming waterfall, and a Costa Rican meal at the end.
Savegre River Whitewater Rafting, Class II-III, with Waterfall Stop near Manuel Antonio
Paddle Class II and III rapids on the Savegre with a safety kayaker alongside, then stop at a waterfall. Snack, lunch and hotel transport are included.
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor