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Full-Day Rio Celeste Tour From La Fortuna
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La Fortuna, Costa Rica
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From USD87.00
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Full-Day Rio Celeste Tour From La Fortuna
Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn more
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation
- 24 hours prior100% refund
- Within 24 hoursNo refund
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
Learn more about cancellations
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Safety measures
Keeping you safe during COVID-19
Vaccine? Quarantine? Masking?
Vaccine? Quarantine? Masking? We know, there’s a lot to keep track of. Be sure to check local guidelines so you’re aware of all travel requirements before you go.
What you can expect during your visit
Face masks required for travellers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Face masks provided for travellers
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Temperature checks for travellers upon arrival
Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
Safety precautions are provided by the tour operator and are not checked by Viator for accuracy
More questions?
(888) 651-9785
8 hours (approx.)
Hotel pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English and 1 more
Overview
Lace up your hiking boots for this full-day immersion in the wild beauty of Tenorio Volcano National Park. Look for wildlife on the drive from La Fortuna, and feel like a jungle explorer on the trek to Rio Celeste, known for its mystical aquamarine waters. Take a dip in warm volcanic river pools, admire a cascading waterfall, and reward your efforts with a typical Costa Rican lunch.
- Full-day hiking tour to Rio Celeste from La Fortuna
- Spot native Costa Rican wildlife with the help of a guide
- Hike to the beautiful Rio Celeste in Tenorio Volcano National Park
- See where the bright-blue river changes color due to a reaction of volcanic minerals
- Soak in naturally warm river pools and see a tropical waterfall
- Savor a fresh Costa Rican lunch
- Hotel pickup and drop-off included
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From USD87.00
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What's Included
Lunch in local restaurant
Professional guide
Pickup and drop-off from hotels in La Fortuna area
Dinner
Departure & Return
This operator has two meet-up options available. You can either meet at the departure point below or select a location for pick-up.
Calle 468 , C. 468, Provincia de Alajuela, La Fortuna, Costa Rica
La Fortuna Bus terminal, Street 468
Hmm...we can’t seem to find this place. Please check the spelling, or choose another location.
8:00 AM
Hotel pickups commence prior to this time
What To Expect
The adventure begins with pickup at your La Fortuna hotel and a scenic drive through landscapes rich with tropical beauty and wildlife habitats. After arriving at Tenorio Volcano National Park, embark on a moderately challenging hike through the park’s protected habitat. Along the way, your guide helps scout for animal sightings and points out highlights of passing flora and fauna.
The effort is well worth it when you reach the beautiful, bright-blue waters of Rio Celeste (Blue River). The otherworldly hue is thanks to converging volcanic minerals from two different rivers, resulting in a rare and photogenic chemical reaction. Snap pictures from a lookout point, admire a tropical waterfall, and see the point where the river changes color. You also have a chance to soak in natural warm-water river pools if you like.
After exploring this fairytale-like landscape, replenish your energy with a delicious lunch of typical Costa Rican cuisine. Relax on the return drive to La Fortuna, where the full-day tour concludes with drop-off back at your hotel.
The effort is well worth it when you reach the beautiful, bright-blue waters of Rio Celeste (Blue River). The otherworldly hue is thanks to converging volcanic minerals from two different rivers, resulting in a rare and photogenic chemical reaction. Snap pictures from a lookout point, admire a tropical waterfall, and see the point where the river changes color. You also have a chance to soak in natural warm-water river pools if you like.
After exploring this fairytale-like landscape, replenish your energy with a delicious lunch of typical Costa Rican cuisine. Relax on the return drive to La Fortuna, where the full-day tour concludes with drop-off back at your hotel.
Itinerary
Stop At:
Rio Celeste
You'll then engage in a 4-hour hike that is a bit tough for some but the end result is definitely worth it. After your 4-hour hike you'll get to the Rio Celeste (Blue River). The blue color you'll see is the result of a chemical reaction between two merging rivers containing different volcanic minerals. It's a very rare phenomenon which creates a fairy-tale-like beauty. You'll get to see a waterfall, a lookout point that's great for taking pictures and you'll also get to see the place where the river changes colors.
Duration: 4 hours
Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Vegetarian option is available
- 4-hour medium-tough hike is involved
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travellers
- OPERATED BY Red Lava TSC
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
Learn more about cancellations.
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Q:
What is the policy on face masks and attendee health during Full-Day Rio Celeste Tour From La Fortuna?
A:The policies on face masks and attendee health are:
- Face masks required for travellers in public areas
- Face masks required for guides in public areas
- Face masks provided for travellers
- Temperature checks for travellers upon arrival
Q:
What is the policy on sanitisation during Full-Day Rio Celeste Tour From La Fortuna?
A:The policies on sanitisation are:
- Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitised between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Q:
What is the social distancing policy during Full-Day Rio Celeste Tour From La Fortuna?
A:The policies on social distancing are:
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
Q:
What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Full-Day Rio Celeste Tour From La Fortuna?
A:The policies on staff health & safety are:
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
Traveller Photos



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Traveller Tips
- "You should mind that English guide is applied only in the park." See review
- "We took our time and it was totally worth the hike!" See review
Reviews by Viator travellers. We perform checks on reviews
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Reviews
5.0
89 reviews
5 stars
78
4 stars
6
3 stars
3
2 stars
1
1 star
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Reviews by Viator travellers
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Showing 1-10 of 89 reviews
Fantastic tour of Rio Celeste and surrounding area!
Susan_C
, Aug. 2022
Had the best time on this day trip! Our guide Mauricio and driver Oliver were fabulous, so friendly and knowledgeable. We were able to learn way more than I anticipated about local plant life and see the beautiful blue waters of Rio Celeste. This tour did not disappoint and everyone was glad to have come.
Rainy but worth it!!
Jolene_K
, Aug. 2022
This experience was totally amazing and worth it. We were worried because a full rainstorm was predicted but a small kiosk nearby had boots and ponchos to rent. They totally took care of us and our tour guide was friendly and enthusiastic. It was gorgeous and worth the trip even in the pouring down rain- the water was not as blue but the experience was a great memory. Highly recommend whatever your weather. Just be prepared!
Beautiful tour
Nargiz_K
, Jul. 2022
Beautiful hike
Robyn_S
, Jul. 2022
Awesome hike and waterfall view
Sophia_S
, Jul. 2022
Carlos was a great tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and down to earth. He helped my mother climb steep steps and was very patient with us! A cool, calm, and collected guide. The hike was amazing with an AWESOME view of the water fall, which made for great pictures. Choose this activity with Red Lava Tours. You won’t regret it. Lunch was also extremely seclusions! Thank you Carlos and Piola, our driver, for getting us to our location, and back safely. Pura vida 🤙🏽
The best trip
Aliana_S
, Jul. 2022
The trip was absolutely amazing, Carlos and the driver were absolutely great people and very informative. They made the trip extra great. Seeing the blue river was such an amazing parents, if you’re traveling from the Fortuna I highly recommend going to Rios Celeste. The bus was very comfortable with A C and the food at a local restaurant was absolutely delicious I felt like I was part of the locals
Seeing a variety of...
Mario_M
, Jul. 2022
Great tour
Arlette_R
, Jun. 2022
We really enjoyed our...
Kassandra_C
, Jun. 2022
We really enjoyed our time on the tour. Thankfully it didn’t rain the night before so the water was bright blue. Christian was a great guide. He was patient with our group as we took pictures. Our group was small, 6 people. We enjoyed chatting with other travelers. The hike itself is hard. I highly recommend hiking shoes. There are some steep steps. Bring cash bc there are some vendors who sell fresh coco, mangos and pina. The lunch was amazing! It’s a traditional Casado but you can change the protein. After lunch they drive you to the river and we spent around 30 minutes there. Very refreshing after a long hike. Our tour was in Spanish & English.
The tour that achieved a dream come true.
Nathan_C
, Apr. 2022
The tour guides especially Santiago was very helpful and knowledgeable. The pace of hike was perfect for all ages and wasn’t rushed. The bus driver Angelo was a blessing in disguise, he went far and beyond his normal duties and drove us almost 6 hrs to our next destination even though it wasn’t a part of the tour. Everyone was extremely professional, humble, and most of all very fun. It made the tour memorable for my family and the others in the tour. We wish we could give the tour more than five stars as we would give it 20. Thank you very much.
Beautiful Nature, but …
Cecilie_M
, Mar. 2022
The food was good, and the nature was beautiful.
The pick-up worked well, but the tour was clearly overbooked as there were not enough seats in the car. Therefore, one girl had to sit on the floor and another girl on a seat with no seatbelt available. The guide did, indeed, offer to sit on the floor instead of the girl, but no matter what, I do not think that it is responsible for anyone to sit on the floor for a 1,5 hour drive each way.
It started to rain as we reached the Tenero Park, so understandably we had to hurry to be able to see the water still blue. That was totally fair. But after we reached the waterfall in time, I expected there to be at least some kind of guiding on what we saw on the hike. The guide could at least have told us about some animals or why the water was blue. I am not a hundred percent sure, whether the guide actually did tell something, but since he tended to not wait on everyone and to speak primarily in Spanish, I did not receive much guiding on the tour. Since I paid for a guided tour, I am quite disappointed about that.
For future tours I think that you should not advertise that the guides speak English. The driver did not understand or speak a word in English, so he guided only in Spanish. The other guide did speak English, but because many people in the group spoke Spanish, I would say that 90% of the guiding was in Spanish. As someone who does not speak Spanish, this made me feel quite unwelcome and left outside of the group the entire day. I spoke to a couple of other non-Spanish people from the group, who also felt a bit left out. The guide definitely seemed nice, and I am sure that the Spanish people had fun, but I just wish he would have been more including with the rest of us.
Also, the driving could definitely improve. I know that the infrastructure on this route might not be the best to begin with, but it would definitely have been more relaxing and safe, if the driver would slow down, stop checking his phone and be careful. We almost hit another car and several dogs.
Response from Host , Mar. 2022
You are right we are aware that this wasn't the best tour we have had. At our last pick up there appeared one person more than anticipated. the hotel had forgotten to book her and we were left with a dilemma. To leave her stranded. because of the mistake of the hotel, or to try to fit her in, the best we could. We feld bad for her and the guide offered to sit on the floor and take her. That this turned out to be a customer sitting on the floor was never considered an option when this solution was proposed to me. Very unwelcome situation that we certainly will try to avoid. The rushing in the park was because the guide was trying to make it to the waterfall before the rain would change the color of the river. Why he didn't explain things in English I'll have to ask him. Its surprising because your guide was Mauricio that has a lot of 5star comments on this same website. Very dedicated, knowledgable and he has very good English. Maybe the earlier setback got him of his normal game. Sorry that that happened it's not how it should be. We always emphasize to our guides to use both languages equally when it's a mixed group. The driver luckily didn't kill any animal on the way, the roads are curvy and sometimes it's hard to see to far ahead. He is 30+ year experienced driver that hasn't been involved in any accident, so he knows what he is doing. The phone checking is bad though so I will urge him to minimize this and let the guide answer.
Thanks for your feedback and we will take the things you mentioned in consideration.
Beautiful parc, great tour!
Nadine_K
, Mar. 2022
Must do, beautiful!
Anita_S
, Mar. 2022
Worth it!!
Stephanie_F
, Nov. 2021
Amazing tour
Viel_S
, Nov. 2021
This tour is worth it!
Mayra_T
, Oct. 2021
This was a great tour! Our tour guide Arturo, made sure to point out anything interesting he saw as we walked along the trail. We also met his “sister” Lola lol! The waterfall was magnificent…the color, sound and smell. Definitely worth the hike. This tour does require a lot of hiking, so wearing the appropriate shoes and clothing will aid in your enjoyment.
Definitely book this tour!
Lauren_C
, Mar. 2021
This was a PHENOMENAL tour! I went on several tours in Arenal and my tour guide Augusto was one of the most thorough and knowledgable tour guides I had. He answered all of our questions regarding Arenal Volcano and all the various flora and fauna and animals in the area. We luckily arrived on a beautiful day with lots of sun, so Rio Celeste was absolutely stunning and a vivid turquoise color. At one point, I walked up the stairs too fast and got pretty dizzy and weak. My tour group and Augusto were gracious enough to give me a few minutes to recover. This was definitely one of the highlights of my trip!!
A true rain forest experience
Elizabeth_L
, Dec. 2020
It was an enjoyable hike in heavy rain and while we didn’t get to see the teal colors, our guide was humorous and delightful. Very knowledgeable about the rain forest and the animals. We lucked out in seeing a snake and toucans! Delicious lunch and great ride up and back. Thank you!
Rio Celeste waterfall
Nikki_F
, Jan. 2020
Rio Celeste tour was excellent! Our tour guide Santiago was great, very informative and understanding. The hike was tougher than expected for my husband who had bad knees but he made sure that he was okay. We took our time and it was totally worth the hike! Rio Celeste was breathtaking!
1 traveller found this review helpful
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