A Week in Belize: Ruins, Reefs & Rainforests

9 days | 12 days with Tikal & Belize City extension

From corals and cayes to ruins and rainforests, venture into a veritable paradise.

Nestled along the Caribbean Sea, Belize beckons with a true travel trifecta: one of the world’s biggest barrier reefs, archaeological sites central to Mayan civilization, and jungles as lush as they are biodiverse. Experience all of it in a matter of days as you hike, tube, and snorkel your way across this Central American paradise. And if you aren’t ready to call time on your getaway, extend your trip into neighboring Guatemala and let the Pre-Columbian cities of Yaxha and Tikal awe you.

I Want to Go to BELIZE!

BEAUTIFUL BELIZE

Your Belizean Adventure: A Quick Look

This 9-day (8-night) adventure invites you to discover the vibrant culture, ancient Mayan history, and stunning natural wonders – from lush jungles to the dazzling barrier reef – of captivating Belize!

What Your Tour Package Includes:

Comfortable Stays: 8 nights in handpicked, well-located hotels.
Delicious Meals: Daily breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 4 delightful dinners (with included beer or rum punch), plus unique culinary experiences like a Mayan chocolate factory visit with tasting, an orange farm tasting, and a cooking class with the San Antonio Women's Cooperative.
Expert Guidance: The services of an expert Tour Director throughout, plus knowledgeable local guides for 8 insightful sightseeing tours and immersive cultural activities.
Seamless Travel: All on-tour transportation, including a private deluxe motor coach and 2 scenic ferry transfers.

Journey Highlights You'll Cherish:

Ancient Mayan Mysteries & Jungle Rivers: Journey by boat on the New River Lagoon (keep an eye out for wildlife!) to explore the impressive Lamanai Mayan ruins, including its Jaguar Temple and High Temple.
Caribbean Island Charm (Ambergris Caye): After a scenic ferry, dive into the crystal-clear waters of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Coral Gardens for world-class snorkeling, guided by insights from a local marine biologist.
Cultural Rhythms & Flavors (Southern Coast & Cayo District): Visit a local orange farm for a fresh tasting, feel the rhythm of a Garifuna drum lesson, learn ancient traditions at a Mayan chocolate factory, and engage with the inspiring San Antonio Women's Cooperative learning to make tortillas and weave baskets.
Majestic Ruins & Rainforest Wonders: Explore the significant Xunantunich Mayan ruins, with the option to climb El Castillo for panoramic views of Belize and Guatemala.

DETAILED ITINERARY

Your Tour Package Includes

8 nights in handpicked hotels
8 breakfasts
2 lunches
4 dinners with beer or rum punch
1 cooking class
1 food tasting
8 sightseeing tours
Expert Tour Director & local guides
Private deluxe motor coach
2 ferry transfers

Included Highlights

Lamanai Mayan ruins
Hol Chan Marine Reserve
Coral Gardens snorkeling
Orange farm
Garifuna drum lesson
Mayan chocolate factory
San Antonio Women's Cooperative
Xunantunich Mayan ruins

Belize City Region

Day 1: Arrival in Belize City

Included meal: Welcome dinner

Board your flight and settle in—we’ll be welcoming you to Belize before you know it. After touching down in Belize City, the country’s largest settlement, transfer to your hotel. Tonight, you’ll get to know your Tour Director and groupmates over a welcome dinner, served with beer or rum punch.

Day 2: Sightseeing tour of Lamanai Mayan ruins

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

From Belize City, head northwest to the banks of the New River. Your destination: the Lamanai Archaeological Reserve, where a local guide will walk you through the remains of this once-prominent Mayan settlement.

Begin by boarding a boat on the New River Lagoon, the country’s largest body of freshwater. Keep an eye out for the spider monkeys, crocodiles, and birds that call the area home.
Disembark and follow your local guide through Lamanai’s ruins. You’ll tread its principal ball court, used in ceremonial games, and take in the Jaguar Temple, adorned with block-style carvings of jaguar heads. If you choose, you can even climb the High Temple for a panoramic view of the surrounding jungle.

Afterward, stop for an included lunch before traveling back to Belize City and enjoying free time for the rest of the day. Move your swimsuits to the top of your bag when you pack up—you’ll need them for your next few days on Ambergris Caye.

Best Western Plus Belize Biltmore Plaza

This traditional hotel is located in the Belama Phase 2 neighborhood. Guests enjoy a restaurant, spa, and outdoor pool. Nearby, you’ll find the Caribbean Sea, downtown Belize City, and the Belize sign.

Ambergris Caye

Day 3: Ferry to Ambergris Caye

Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Board a ferry and sail past the long crescent of Caye Caulker en route to Ambergris Caye. Ringed by white-sand beaches and a thriving barrier reef, Belize’s largest island is a marine Eden. You’ll encounter some of its treasures tomorrow—for now, you’ll make your way ashore and transfer to your hotel before sitting down for an included dinner, served with beer or rum punch.

Day 4: Marine biologist chat, Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Coral Gardens

Included meal: Breakfast

At more than 700 miles long, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System is the second-longest ecosystem of its kind on the planet. It’s also home to hundreds upon hundreds of different aquatic species, and today, you’ll meet a local marine biologist to chat about the native wildlife.

Learn how different organizations work together to coordinate conservation efforts and address coral bleaching.
Join up with a local guide aboard a boat and set out for two of the world’s top snorkeling spots: the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and the Coral Gardens off Caye Caulker.
Drop anchor and relax topside—or grab a snorkel and plunge into those welcoming blue waters. Turtles, dolphins, and more than 160 species of fish swim beneath the waves in these nature reserves; you might just spot a few as you kick about.

Finally, learn about Belize’s commitment to reef preservation as you cruise back to Ambergris Caye. Once your boat docks, you’ll have free time to lounge on the island’s pristine beaches before turning in for the night.

Sunbreeze Hotel

This seaside hotel is located in San Pedro, Belize facing the second largest barrier reef in the world. Guests enjoy the sun deck, onsite dive and snorkel center, and on-site restaurant. Nearby you’ll find San Pedro beach and several restaurants.

Southern Coast

Day 5: Ferry to Belize City & transfer to Southern Coast via orange farm

Included meals: Breakfast, Tasting

Wave goodbye to Ambergris Caye this morning as you sail back to Belize City aboard a ferry. Once you arrive, transfer to your bus and set out for the country’s Southern Coast, stopping at an orange farm as you drive.

Walk through its groves with a local guide, learning how farmers grow and pick the fruit before harvesting some yourself.
Sample your tangy, just-picked citrus as you hear how the farm sustainably plants and cares for its orange trees.
Wrap up at an on-site cottage, where you’ll sip some fresh-squeezed juice before returning to your bus.

Pull into your hotel and enjoy a free evening to yourself. (Maybe snack on an orange or two you picked earlier.)

Day 6: Garifuna drum lesson

Included meal: Breakfast

Want to try your luck at glimpsing the elusive jaguar? Add today’s excursion to hike through the wilds of the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary—one of the world’s foremost jaguar preserves. Otherwise, relax during your free morning; later today, reconvene with your group for an afternoon deep dive into a part of Belize’s indigenous heritage.

Originally from the island of Saint Vincent, the Garifuna are an Afro-Caribbean people with their own linguistic, musical, and cultural traditions. Alongside your Tour Director, you’ll visit a local Garifuna center to meet members of the community, learn about their way of life, and participate in an interactive drum lesson. (Fun fact: UNESCO recognized Garifuna drumming as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.)

Finally, return to your bus and tap out some rhythms as you drive back to your hotel for the evening.

Please note: Due to their solitary, shy nature, jaguars are notoriously hard to spot. As such, we can’t guarantee that you’ll see one during your time at the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Lodge at Jaguar Reef

This tropical hotel is located on the Caribbean Sea. Guests enjoy beach access, kayak rentals, and restaurant options. Nearby, you’ll find downtown Hopkins.

Cayo District

Day 7: Mayan chocolate factory & transfer to Cayo District

Included meals: Breakfast, Tasting, Dinner

We might consider chocolate otherworldly, but to the ancient Mayans, it was a gift straight from the gods. You can still taste that reverence in modern Belizean chocolate, and this morning, you’ll stop at a Mayan factory en route to your hotel in the Cayo District to learn more about the history of this decadent treat.

Learn how chocolate is made, from the planting of cacao trees all the way through processing. (Don’t worry, you’ll get to try some!)
Meet a Mayan guide and learn about the different herbs and plants used in traditional medicines and healing ceremonies. Then, taste some of them yourself.

Factory tour over, continue driving through the rainforest to your hotel. To stretch your legs—and savor the sensation of gently floating down a river—add our afternoon Jaguar Paw Cave Tubing outing. Otherwise, relax at your hotel before linking up with your group for an included dinner, served with beer or rum punch.

Day 8: San Antonio Women's Cooperative & Xunantunich Mayan ruins

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Farewell dinner

At its peak, the Maya civilization stretched from southeastern Mexico to western El Salvador. That span includes modern-day Belize, and today, you’ll join a local guide to discover the country’s Mayan roots.

Begin at the San Antonio Women’s Cooperative, an organization founded by nine Mayan women, dedicated to preserving Mayan culture and empowering local women.
Learn how to weave baskets using traditional methods and prepare tortillas over an open fire, hearing how the group uses its proceeds to support its community as you do.
After an included lunch at the San Antonio Women’s Cooperative, drive toward the Guatemalan border for a guided tour of Xunantunich (say it yu-NAAN-too-nitch). Its ancient name is lost to history—but its modern one, translating to “Maiden of the Rock” comes from the legend of a spectral woman that inhabits the ruins.
Hear more stories as you traverse the archaeological site, taking in more than 25 temples and palaces before capping it off with an optional climb up El Castillo. (At 130 feet, it’s the second-tallest manmade structure in Belize.)

Celebrate your trip at a farewell dinner this evening, served with beer or rum punch, before packing up for tomorrow’s journey home.

Day 9: Departure

Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)

Transfer to Belize City’s airport for your flight home. Alternatively, keep your Mayan adventure rolling and strike out into neighboring Guatemala, where UNESCO-listed treasures await in the jungle.

San Ignacio Resort Hotel

This luxury hotel abuts the the Macal River in San Ignacio. Guests enjoy the outdoor pool, spa, and stunning jungle views. Nearby you'll find the Cahal Pech Mayan Ruins, the Belize Raptor Center, and the on-site Green Iguana Conservation Project.

Tikal & Belize City extension

Linking Belize and Guatemala is a shared Mayan history—one best encountered deep in the rainforests of the Petén Basin. Fewer than 50 miles separate the ancient ruins of Yaxha and Tikal, and you’ll get to visit both on this tour’s extension before rounding out your trip with a jump back to the present in Belize City.

Day 9: Flores via Yaxha Mayan ruins

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Instead of heading to the airport, go to Flores, Guatemala, and enjoy an included lunch. (You’ll have a chance to explore the town in a couple of days.) After, meet up with a local guide for a tour of Yaxha, the remains of a millennia-old Mayan ceremonial center.

Travel through a portion of the Cultural Triangle—a 460-square-mile expanse officially known as Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park—and learn about the different ruins in the area.
Arrive at Yaxha and roam the archaeological site, viewing some of its more than 500 structures.
Wrap up with a jungle sunset; bask in the glow backlighting Yaxha’s pyramids and plazas, then make your way to an included dinner, served with beer or rum punch.

Day 10: Sightseeing tour of Tikal Mayan ruins

Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

The ruins and records of Tikal reveal a city that was once the capital of a powerful Mayan kingdom. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it anchors its own national park and offers one of the clearest looks at Mayan civilization available today.

Meet up with a local expert for a guided tour, exploring its temples and buildings and discovering why it holds such an honored place in Mayan archaeology.
Walk the sacbeob—“white roads” in the Mayan language—of this ancient city, looking out for its native flora and fauna. (Gray foxes, howler monkeys, toucans, and more call Tikal home.)
If you’re up for it, join your Tour Director for a climb up to the summit of either the Temple of the Great Jaguar or Temple of the Two-Headed Serpent. You’ll be rewarded with sweeping views of the park and its jungle.

Afterward, sit down for an included lunch before returning to your hotel.

Day 11: Sightseeing tour of Flores & transfer to Belize City via hot sauce factory

Included meal: Breakfast, Tasting, Dinner

As you drive back to Belize City, you’ll make a pair of pit stops—beginning in the island town of Flores, Guatemala.

Cross Sixth Avenue—a causeway across Lake Petén Itzá that bridges Flores and the mainland—and head into the town’s old core.
Roam Flores’ streets, stroll the Spanish plaza, and snap photos of the town’s colorful colonial buildings before returning to your bus.

Next up: a Belizean hot sauce factory. You’ll find different takes on the spicy condiment throughout the country, but one thing’s certain—locals love the stuff.

Leave your bus to tour the plant, see where they grow their peppers, and learn how they’re harvested.
Sample a medley of sauces and listen to what makes this factory’s carrot-based recipe unique.

Finally, arrive in Belize City and come together as a group one last time for a farewell dinner, served with beer or rum punch.

Day 12: Departure

Included meal: Breakfast (excluding early morning departures)

Transfer to Belize City’s airport for your flight home.

Hotel Isla de Flores

This charming hotel is located on Flores Island in Guatemala. Guests enjoy the outdoor pool, rooftop bar, and live music. Nearby you'll find several restaurants and shops, and the Maya Mall.

Amazing time. Belize has so much to offer. We had the best week exploring Mayan ruins, snorkeling, and enjoying the Belizean culture... Our guide Alphy went above and beyond to make sure the group had an excellent time. He took care of everything and then some!

Heather

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