We did the Big Eddy Thriller - Bend experience with Sun Country Tours in late July -- myself and eight family members. Overall, the company was spot on: easy booking, great communication (clear guidance on what to wear, where to be, and what to expect), and friendly, professional staff. Everything ran smoothly. That said, the experience itself felt a bit underwhelming for some of us -- particularly those with prior rafting experience. The three main rapids were billed as Class 3, but they felt pretty tame. I never really needed the foot holds while paddling, and the adrenaline just wasn't there. Additionally, the actual time on the water was only about 40 minutes, which felt short. While Sun Country's website does state "Trip Distance: 3 River Miles - Approx. 1.25 Hours," it seems that includes the 15-minute bus ride each way. With five boats in our group, perhaps our group moved faster than typical -- but either way, it would help if Sun Country clarified this more explicitly to set realistic expectations. On the bright side, our guide Dillon was perfect -- upbeat, skilled, and made the trip as fun as possible. He was a total pro and truly enhanced the experience. Jumping in the water always feels amazing and unless you're really concerned about not being able to get pulled back in the boat, you should show off your best back flip or bomb off the side of the boat and enjoy the refreshing dip. In summary: This is a fun, family-friendly rafting trip, especially for first-timers or younger kids. But if you've rafted before and are looking for something more thrilling or substantial, I'd suggest considering one of Sun Country's full-day or multi-day adventures instead. For the $79 per person (plus tip) price tag, it might also be worth weighing other fun options in Bend -- like a round of golf or a great meal. read more

We did the Big Eddy Thriller for the first time this last weekend and it was AMAZING! I brought my 7-year-old son & parents... ALL loved it and cannot wait to go again. A huge thank you and shoutout to Binzley our epic guide. He made the trip safe, FUN, educational, and exciting. We couldn't have asked for a better experience, especially for our first time. Safe to say we will definitely be booking another adventure with Sun Country Tours! read more

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It was a great time. Well organized and helpful company. Next time in Bend will surely use them again. read more

Sun Country Tours - Tours Near Me - Bend, Oregon

Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. We felt prepared and informed! Easily one of the best deals in town.

If you are looking to rent tubes for a river float I would not use Sun Country. After picking up your tubes you have to walk a bit to the bus stop. They do not give any instructions on where to catch the bus and we ended up waiting 40 mins to finally get a bus to the river float drop-off. Next time we will definitely be going with Tumolo, which has their tubes right at the bus pickup and they have their own buses that seem to come by every 5 mins. That said, they have great tubes that are the perfect size with a mesh bottom which makes them much more comfortable for a river float read more

Everything. Our guide Laura was top notch!!! She was full of river rafting knowledge and made us all feel safe, and confident! Bonus, that she was super nerdy, with geology and happiness Thank you Laura@Sun Country Tours!! read more

We were in town and discovered that they had white water rafting. We were fortunately able to book a last-minute tour on Big Eddy Thriller, and it did not disappoint! We had a full raft of 7, and it was a lot of fun! This was my second time white water rafting. The first time I went rafting was mostly class 2 and 3 rapids, and I wanted something more exciting. The rapids on Big Eddy were 3+ that day, which were sufficiently thrilling for me. Our guide Binzley explained everything very clearly, especially the safety information, which I much appreciated. He also very clearly communicated commands through the rapids. Our shuttle driver Scott was also very friendly. The only area for improvement was that I wish we could book online same day rather than having to call, but the process was fairly simple and easy. I also wish I wore proper water shoes because my hiking boots were soaked by the end. While you can wear a swimsuit, I was advised to keep my outdoor shirt and hiking shorts on. While I don't know the alternative, I think it was a good decision. I (and everyone else in our raft) did get very wet! Also, they are very open that you can have one person in your group buy the photos and then share them with everyone in your group. Photos were $40 and definitely worth it! I highly recommend this company and would be open to doing this again here if I'm in the area. read more

Sun Country Tours - So fun but intense! - Tours Near Me - Bend, Oregon

Such a great time!! Brian was our guide and he made it so much fun!! He was so cool and we had so much fun!! I highly recommend this tour! And request Brian! read more

The float down the Deschutes itself was lovely, but the lead up process was super messy. It also took us over an hour of waiting just to get on the shuttle for the river. Would 100% go with Tumalo Creek over Sun Country next time and would urge others to do the same. read more

Highly recommend this for a unique family vacation experience. Our group included ages 6 to 72 and everyone had a great time. Shoutout to raft guide Luke for being so attentive to the initially reluctant 6 y.o. in our group. read more

We took our family of 5 on an hour long rafting trip with Sun Country Tours. Our kids, ages 12, 10 and 7, absolutely loved it. The rapids were the perfect mix of thrilling, but not terrifying for the kids. Our guide, Ben, was knowledgeable about rafting and the local geology. He had games for the kids to play in the raft while we floated and talked them through their nerves about the rapids. He was also super helpful about local hotspots and restaurants. I would HIGHLY recommend Sun Country Tours. We will definitely be back! read more

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Everything as expected & staff was great. I will be going back next time I'm on Bend Oregon

Our family had Bryan for a guide on the Big Eddy. It was the best experience. Bryan was very experienced and made the whole trip great. I highly recommend Sun Country Tours read more

This was the first time for the kids and they had a blast. Evan was our tour guide and he was great. He arranged the group just right so the kids would get wet and enjoy the experience. Highly recommend doing this and he said the youngest rider he's had was 5yr old. This is something you definitely have to do at least once. You ride in a bus to the area, it then meets you down river and you take the bus back to the main site. read more

Sun Country Tours - Our group 3 adults, 1 teenager, 2 children - Tours Near Me - Bend, Oregon

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great experience! we booked online, showed up at the check-in point. shuttle bus was included and the river float was awesome! we will definitely do it again. read more

My family loved the two hour Big Eddy Thriller experience! Super friendly guides, a perfect first-timers' experience for all ages. We'd do it again without reservation! read more

Used Sun Country and Tumalo Creek two days apart. Tumalo makes it very easy as all you do is show up park your car and you're right at their facility. Then the bus is right there and drops you at Riverbend Park, gives you your tube you take out at Drake park give them your tube right there and they had shuttles coming every 15 minutes. Easy! Sun Country doesn't run buses you need to use the general transport which after you get your tube at their facility you need to walk the two blocks and get on the general transport. Then you need to give them your tube and then ensure you're getting a Sun Country tube once at Riverbend Park. Not hugely different but not as easy and simple. Then we got out at Drake park to find that the first bus wasn't until 1, which meant waiting a half hour in the heat. Wished they had told us as we would have hung out and done the rapids multiple times rather than just standing waiting for a bus. Since they are basically the same price once you pay the $6 for the general transport Tumalo was all in a $1 cheaper, hands down Tupalo is the way to go! read more

Our private raft trip has started off poorly with the "gotcha" of a surprise "booking fee" of $28.98 by some third-party vendor (FareHarbor). I would have preferred to have a fee-simple approach versus these additional fees by third party vendors who are taking a slice of the action. Stuff like this is obnoxious, just like add on resort fees in hotels. It takes away from the fun experience of white-water rafting. read more

A great overall experience! Very convenient as you check in-out right there in Bend and within a 15 min bus ride you're by the River. The guides were excellent, Steve had very positive attitude and was very knowledgeable and friendly. The bus driver, Gabriele, was funny and positively showed his gratitude. The length of the actual time on the River is relatively short and the number of the rapids (5-6) are short lived. But nevertheless a fun experience, especially for first timers and families with smaller children. The operation was ran smoothly and very efficiently. I think the person who helps all with life jacket and helmet fitting can be a bit more engaged and helpful. Perhaps what we saw was someone who had to sub in or was distracted. read more

We made a reservation originally for the Bend location for a Bachelorette Party, but I called and switched it to Sunriver after the fact because it was closer to where we were staying. They were super helpful on the phone in advance. When we picked up the tubes, they were super friendly. However once we got to the river, they had given us tubes that were missing caps so they wouldn't stay inflated. We had to drive back a couple of times to get the corrected equipment. We were not informed that parking could be scarce or that where the second car is dropped off there is a gravel to dirt road so it was hard to navigate in a sedan. The river was incredible though and the people who worked at the location were apologetic. The HQ of Sun Country Tours were a bit rude when we called to ask what we were to do when dealing with the cap situation. read more

Overzealous obnoxious screaming driver, trying his hardest to be memorable and "exciting", forcing their other trips and services on us and soliciting gratuity, really just made me regret being a captive fish on his bus. So painful. The river trip was fine and our human robot guide was competent and friendly, but overall the "2hr" (really 30-40min on water) Eddie whatever trip was very slow and boring. Bring your fun with you, because it's a slow and peaceful float. Very friendly phone reps. Overall not a bad experience but wouldn't go again and definitely not worth the $70. read more

Sun Country Tours - Sleepy river time. The "rapids" are very very light, regardless of time of year. Fine for fraidy cats - thrill seekers go elsewhere. - Tours Near Me - Bend, Oregon

Big Eddy Thriller rafting trip was such a fun experience! For beginners it was the perfect amount of excitement, learning, and just chilling/floating in the river. LUKE, our rafting guide, was so knowledgeable & funny. Bring cash to tip your guides! The only thing I was bummed about is that we didn't get any photos because we didn't bring our phones (which you should in a waterproof bag) and it cost $45 to buy the photos they took. Overall, our whole group highly recommends read more

We loved our white water rafting tour! We went to their located in Sunriver and a bus took us to the location on the river. JP, our guide, was fabulous and so experienced and we felt like we were in great hands with him. Everything was extremely well organized. Highly recommend and would definitely use this tour outfitter again. read more

We did the half day Big Eddy Thriller out of Sunriver. We had 4 Four boys ages 7-10 who all scored this a 5 out of 5 epic ride. Evan was our guide, he was so fun and the perfect guide for our crew and really made the experience! Sun Country makes it so easy to do this activity out of Sunriver with a bus ride that takes us straight to and from the river. We packed a ton into our time in Sunriver, this one topped everyone's list! Thank you Evan and Sun Country Team, we'll be back! read more

Terrible experience. We rented tubes for 1pm. We picked up the tubes and walked over to the shuttle pick up. It was a zoo. Hundreds of people, no real lines. After waiting 20 minutes one shuttle came by and the line hardly moved. So poorly organized. Scheduling for 1pm was meaningless. Not wanting to wait hours, we just dropped our tubes back. Very disappointing experience. read more

Super fun, definitely a highlight of our trip. We loved our guide, Evan! He was so great with the kids. We had two 8 year olds, two 11 year olds and 4 adults. It was short but we loved every minute! read more

Had a blast doing Big Eddy yesterday, July 19th. All the staff were friendly and did a great job preparing us for the adventure ahead! Ellie our rafting guide was the best! I highly recommend this to everyone no matter if it's your very first time or your 10th time! read more

Hodge was the best! He made our hour tour totally awesome and exciting. I wish we had more time on the boat and less travel time, but I know those are logistics that are hard to work around. This was the best activity of the weekend and we will definitely be doing it again!! read more

Wonderful experience. My third time. Guides are experts and very informative. Equipment is top rate. Safety is what they are all about

Really a lot of fun. Great service, awesome staff, very personable and knowledgeable boat guides. Some might think it was a but short but I thought it was great. They go slow for a bit, talk you through what is to come, let you see the beautiful sights, then you hit the rapids. It was quite the thrill ride. I recommend. read more

The folks at Sun Country were extremely friendly and welcoming. We also felt safe on their BET rafting tour and it was tons of fun.

My family and I went white water rafting this morning and had a fantastic time with Clint as our guide. This was a first time for my kids and he made everyone feel comfortable immediately. He had our names down, told great stories, was funny, and kept us safe, while still getting the most out of it. The kids wished the trip was a bit longer, but I thought it was perfect, and Clint was an excellent guide. read more

We had a great rafting trip with Sun Country Tours. We had a party of 10 so it was great to be able to reserve a date and time. Check in was quick and the staff were helpful with getting geared up in properly fitting helmets and life vests. The shop had clean bathrooms for your pre-adventure needs and the shop had the water socks and glasses straps. The bus ride to the launch was short and comfortable. We had read on their site that we would need to wear masks on the bus and the river but their policies appear to have changed recently and masks were not required on any part of the experience, including the bus and inside the store. Our guides were skilled and personable. We had a party of 10 which they split into two groups of 5. Devon did a great job with our 8 year old who was a little nervous. Brent gave great direction and made us feel confident. It was not a long trip but it was just the perfect length and excitement for our mixed ability group- everything from first timers to pros. We especially enjoyed "riding rodeo" on one of the easier rapids. We would definitely return to this company for future adventures! read more

Fantastic crew! Our group of 8 thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The bus had great air conditioning on it. The driver was fun. The river guides were fantastic. Highly recommend this company. read more

What I meant by L3 is class III.... there was probably one rapid that was class III, and the other couple ones were class I maybe?! But overall, disappointing for the money spent! read more

Sun country required Pre booking of inner tubes. I called and it was very easy to reserve 10 tubes for next day. They were friendly and made everything so easy! They provide life jackets for the kiddos. $20 for 3 hours. read more

Sun Country Tours - Such a fun day on Dechutes river! - Tours Near Me - Bend, Oregon

such a fun experience! had a blast, the photos were great and made our Christmas card. Tour guide was very helpful and we felt safe and prepared on the river :) read more

They are way over priced for what they offer. Seventy nine dollars for one hour on the river is outrageous. Please check other outfitters!!! read more

There are only a few places that does white water rafting. This place seemed to have tours that fit my schedule (friday morning) so I booked it. Did the Big Eddy (class 3 I think). It was... couple of minutes of fun and rest was pretty boring. I would say just do it once and don't have to again. read more

We took a Big Eddy whitewater rafting tour today and had a fabulous time. Our guide, Evan, told us he would aim us toward every wave, large and small, and we believe he did that. We felt prepared going into the class 3 rapids, and everyone loved the experience. We took the opportunity to jump in and float in our life jackets during the deep, calm part near the end. Definitely memorable and worthwhile. read more