Tahoe Whitewater Tours
Tahoe Whitewater Tours
Tahoe Whitewater Tours
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Tahoe Whitewater Tours is a family owned and operated company. Our goal to provide you with the most memorable river experience possible. Work with our team to experience a whitewater rafting, kayaking, or tubing the thrill of a lifetime.
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Tahoe Whitewater Tours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
160 reviews
Excellent
146
Very good
11
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Carrie W
bevelry hills83 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
We were a party of 5 and wanted to go whitewater rafting. We did the afternoon trip bc our teens did not want to wake up early. It didn’t matter what time of day we went bc the staff was so energetic and amazing. We felt super safe and distanced with everyone. Each group had their own raft and guide. The bus was social distances. They had tons of hand sanitizer. Masks required until getting in the raft. Lunch box was our guide (yes that is what he asked us to call him). He was so fun, told great stories, played w the teens, and was an expert at his job. We had a blast. There was an amazing photographer who took pictures (highly recommend you buy them it is well worth the $45). We truly felt this company was professional and fun. We would definitely come back and do a level 4 rapid.
Written August 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura M
San Diego, United States7 contributions
Jul 2021
This is a small outfitter out of Truckee, so we paid cash. We were on our way back home from Wyoming and took the full day middle fork trip (class IV+). We have rafted quite a bit with two prior trips with class IV rapids and one V rapid. Even without this experience, if you've been on class III rivers before, you can do this. The value of this trip can't be matched. This was more than your typical rafting trip. I felt like we were invited to join a family for a day. The guides were so professional, but the level of trust between them and with us was much more than I've experienced elsewhere. I highly recommend the full day, as the food was fresh and delicious (something for everyone, from vegans to us carnivores); we didn't have another trip to get back for, so in addition to taking on exciting rapids, we had time to jump off of rocks, surf the hydraulics and swim. Our guide, Nate, did everything he could to make the trip special for my teenage sons (ages 13 and 17) and me. He prepared us for every rapid and navigated marvelously. We only ended up in the water by choice. It made a VERY hot day, bearable. Be sure to bring sunscreen on the boat in the summer! My wife was on a shorter trip in Truckee and they allowed us to ride back with the crew to save her the long drive to Auburn to pick us up - just kindness all around and the best day of our summer. I would definitely choose this outfitter again. Luckily, we live in California, so we can!
Written July 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JB
2 contributions
Jun 2021
This is the first time our family went on white water rafting and we didn't know what to expect. Tahoe Whitewater Tours made it easy and fun. It was our (good or bad) luck that we picked the coolest day in the hot summary to get on the Tour and it even rained. Our guide, Lunchbox, really knew what he was doing. He gave clear instructions and we went through the trip without any accident while having the best fun going through level 2 and 3 rapids. In the end, although we were wet and cold, we felt that we hadn't have so much fun for a long time.
Written June 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
P K
1 contribution
Jul 2021
We had a family gathering to celebrate our granddaughter's college graduation, so I booked this Truckee whitewater tour for 14 family members as part of the celebration. On the day of the tour, my husband had an abscessed tooth and was unable to attend. Even though I'd brought 13 family members, paying $90 each, to this company for the event, I was still charged for the one person who was unable to attend. Plus, their "system" would only take one credit card, so the bill charged to my card was $1230. For that price, or at any price for a whitewater tour, one would expect top rate rafting guides. That was the case for two of the three guides we were placed with. However, one guide was dangerously inept, going down each rapid backward and toward the end of the trip, stranding the raft on a boulder then dumping two of the family members into the water. My son hit several rocks as he was thrown into the water then sucked under the raft which resulted in injury to his arm, elbow and back. The pictures taken at this point show only his foot emerging from under the raft. When we reached the end of our trip and got back to the shore, he asked for ointment and bandages for his bleeding arm and was told they would help him when they had time! He has since recovered with no permanent damage except an unpleasant memory of the event. I've rafted this river four times over the past few years with different companies and felt it was a safe, fun adventure. That wasn't the case with this company.
Written August 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelMomSB
Santa Barbara, CA26 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
I was impressed with how this company had all the Covid precautions totally dialed. From sanitized pens to masks on the bus, my family of 4 felt totally safe and well cared for. Our river guide, Theresa, was awesome and fun and she kept us in the boat-no Truckee river swimming for us. The river rafting was relaxing in some spots and challenging in others. We had a great adventure.
Written July 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
S.Dianne Rose Fonua
San Bruno, CA1 contribution
Jul 2020 • Family
We had a group of 6 people rating from adults to 8years old. What an AWESOME day we had IVAN as our guide and he did an AMAZING job with our group getting us safe but having fun at the same time. So we were lucky to have him. I highly recommend this company easy to book ,check in etc plus everyone that works there they were all amazing and very friendly. Thanks to Chris also for capturing those moments. Thanks Ivan.
Written July 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelMyty
203 contributions
Apr 2021
I had the opportunity to experience Class III Whitewater rafting from Boca to Floriston Run. Spent about 2 hours on the Truckee River. Our guide, Lunchbox, told us interesting stories and educational information along the way. We saw a Eagle fly with wings spanned close to our raft. The weather was perfect! As we advanced down the river the tides increased. We had a blast! It was so much fun! Fun times and great company! If you like adventure and fun, then book a Whitewater rafting tour.
Written May 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Txsaggie00
1 contribution
While acknowledging that there is some inherent danger in whitewater rafting, the level of danger shouldn't be increased because of your guide. The level of danger on our trip was significantly increased because we had a guide named Chad that had no business taking people down the river. He got our raft stuck multiple times and flipped us over two rapids because he didn't know the river. In comparison, of the 9 other boats only 1 had people fall out on a rapid. Our guide took the wrong route over virtually every single rapid. On the last rapid, which was a Class 3, he literally took us off of the worst possible part which caused our boat to flip and throw people into the rocks. Think of it this way....imagine you're driving down the road and see a large pothole. You can go left or right to go around it, but instead you go right through the middle of it. This is what our guide did. It may not sound that bad, but we had people in our boat injured (banged up legs, knees, arms, backs, etc) from landin on the rocks. Fortunately, we had no kids in our raft, otherwise it could have been really bad. The thing that pissed me off the most was that once we got loaded back on the bus, we overheard the trip leader discussing the trip with our guide. The trip leader was trying to draw the rapids on paper and give training to our guide on how to approach them. This is great and all, but shouldn't they train the guy BEFORE he takes people out?? We also heard the trip leader saying things to our guide like "I hear you've been having a tough time out there; It's a constant learning process; Maybe you should take the run with other guides before going out again." When we approached the leader about the conversation and why they would let an inexperienced guide out, he just shrugged and said "it's a constant learning process." if you're okay with this company using you as a guinea pig, then I say go for it. But for my money I expect to be with a guide that is experienced. It's clear this company only cares about how many people they can get onto a trip, as our group was twice the size of the other companies that were launching into the river from the same place. Therefore, they're okay with having inexperienced guides, otherwise they'd have to lower the size of their groups, which means less revenue. I've been on other rafting trips with guides that know what they're doing and they are a lot of fun. I just recommend not doing it with this company. There are many others in the area to choose from.
Written August 8, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yodabear4
1 contribution
This company was hands down amazing for both our trips! We took the beginner class I and II trip down in the Reno office first to get our feet wet. Our guide was very knowledgeable and experienced, telling our family much of the history about the Reno area. A few days later into our vacation, we did the class III run up in Tahoe. Once again we got an extremely knowledgeable guide, who was fun and made the trip a great family experience for us. We felt confident and safe with our guide's ability to take us down the bigger rapids - and had such a blast running them! From start to finish, this company was accommodating and easy to work with; we will definitely be booking with them again this year!
We also got a cd with photos, from a company named 4Tribes, and are happy to be able to commemorate our trip. The photos were very clean and crisp, and are definitely a must from this company!!
We also got a cd with photos, from a company named 4Tribes, and are happy to be able to commemorate our trip. The photos were very clean and crisp, and are definitely a must from this company!!
Written June 25, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
23103
S.F.111 contributions
Jun 2016 • Family
I was hesitant about doing the activity but I've driven by the Truckee River for years visiting the Lake Tahoe area and always wondered how great it would be to be 'down by the river' so I signed up for it with my 9 year old son. From the check-in personnel, to Randy the bus driver, to the photographer, to the guides, everyone was down to earth, personable and knowledgeable about the river and rafting.
We chose the 1/2 day, Boca to Floriston section which was perfect. Although we stayed in South Lake we drove the 45 minutes or so to Truckee for the run. The water was a bit cold at 50ish degrees but we were provided wet suits, splash jackets, helmets and life vests which made all the difference. They have a guide/photographer who takes awesome photos of the trip of your group from the shoreline. We loaded up in a bus for a 15 minute ride to the launching point and after a thorough safety briefing we were paddling down the Truckee River. The views are spectacular down on the river and
our guide 'Adam' was outstanding in providing an insightful narrative on some of the history and at the same time providing comical relief.
A good portion of the ride was level 1 which is nice and calm rafting, then level 2 which is similar to a bumpy ride and a final section of level 3 which is what a novice rafter would associate with a great water ride at an amusement park without being strapped in. Though you need to pay attention to when the guide is instructing you when to paddle forward and when to stop to safely maneuver through the rapids and avoiding any 'incidents' of falling out. I believe the ratio of people falling was said to be about 1% which is amazing and apparently no one has ever been seriously hurt. On the bus ride back, you get to view the photos on a slide show and a CD is available for purchase when you get back to your car for about $54.
The section was about 6 1/2 miles and took about 2 hours. It was the best outdoor activity I have ever been on in Lake Tahoe in over 40 years. And what made the activity memorable and enjoyable was our guide Adam. He's got the perfect disposition for the job...knowledgeable, patience, competency and a sense of humor. I would highly recommend anybody of any age to try this activity but ONLY at Tahoe Whitewater Tours if you want to be guaranteed a memorable experience!
We chose the 1/2 day, Boca to Floriston section which was perfect. Although we stayed in South Lake we drove the 45 minutes or so to Truckee for the run. The water was a bit cold at 50ish degrees but we were provided wet suits, splash jackets, helmets and life vests which made all the difference. They have a guide/photographer who takes awesome photos of the trip of your group from the shoreline. We loaded up in a bus for a 15 minute ride to the launching point and after a thorough safety briefing we were paddling down the Truckee River. The views are spectacular down on the river and
our guide 'Adam' was outstanding in providing an insightful narrative on some of the history and at the same time providing comical relief.
A good portion of the ride was level 1 which is nice and calm rafting, then level 2 which is similar to a bumpy ride and a final section of level 3 which is what a novice rafter would associate with a great water ride at an amusement park without being strapped in. Though you need to pay attention to when the guide is instructing you when to paddle forward and when to stop to safely maneuver through the rapids and avoiding any 'incidents' of falling out. I believe the ratio of people falling was said to be about 1% which is amazing and apparently no one has ever been seriously hurt. On the bus ride back, you get to view the photos on a slide show and a CD is available for purchase when you get back to your car for about $54.
The section was about 6 1/2 miles and took about 2 hours. It was the best outdoor activity I have ever been on in Lake Tahoe in over 40 years. And what made the activity memorable and enjoyable was our guide Adam. He's got the perfect disposition for the job...knowledgeable, patience, competency and a sense of humor. I would highly recommend anybody of any age to try this activity but ONLY at Tahoe Whitewater Tours if you want to be guaranteed a memorable experience!
Written June 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travel610725
1 contribution
How far in advance do you need to book?
Christoph R
Vienna, Austria100 contributions
We have booked approx. one month in advance
streamside7
Alexandria, VA
Our youngest group member is 6. Is he old enough to join in? Thanks.
VSRN
Western Springs, IL2 contributions
What is minimum age and/or weight requirements for white water rafting?
bobnjudygregson
Southport, NC1 contribution
Handicap accessible? I use a wheelchair and can walk short distances with crutches. Is there a beginners mild raft trip available for me?
jlnssteele
South Bend, IN14 contributions
will be coming in for a convention, which rooms are closest to the convention hall?
Tahoe Whitewater Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Tahoe Whitewater Tours Information
Excellent Reviews | 88 |
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Very Good Reviews | 9 |
Tahoe Whitewater Tours Photos | 42 |