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Ah, Belize. One of my favorite travel destinations ever, and it's easy to see why. Contrary to common belief, Belize isn't just full of beach resorts and honeymooners. With opportunities to discover Mayan temples, pick from gorgeous hikes, dive in the second largest barrier reef in the world, meet some of the warmest people, and more, there's something here for everyone. This trip itinerary — and most that you'll come across about Belize — is divided into two parts: land and sea. I began my trip on land so I could relax by the water at the end of the trip, but feel free to flip it if you wish.
Some trip activities at a glance
Photos taken from Unsplash
Visit the iconic Xunantunich Ruins Option to take Garifuna Chill by the beach at
drumming lessons Caye Caulker
Table of Contents
Weather and best time to visit
The best time to visit Belize is during the dry season, from December to April. Temperatures will be between 70 and 80 degrees, with the weather being mostly dry with the possibility of drizzles throughout the day. Flight tickets are reasonable from almost anywhere in the U.S. — I got mine for under $350 round trip from Dallas, a steal!
A friend and I visited visited in early February and were surprised to see quiet streets during their busy season; there hardly seemed to be anyone there. When we realized the entire country's population is only 400k, a fraction of our hometowns of Dallas and NYC, the sparsity began to make sense.
Money: Currency exchange and tipping
One USD is equal to 2 Belizean Dollars, so conversion is easy. As the majority of locations accept USD and many accept credit cards, there is no need to exchange currency upon arrival. When you pay with cash, you'll likely begin accumulating small BZD denominations anyway.
In terms of tipping, it is not required but always appreciated. Keep in mind that service workers typically only make a minimum wage of USD $2.50/hour. 10% is a good rule of thumb if you did not already incur a service charge. This is especially true if you are staying in the Cayes (pronounced Keys) as residents have a higher cost of living due to tourism.
Getting around
Traveling by car is the best way to get around Belize, and you can rent using your American or Canadian driver's license. There are many American rental agencies such as Alamo and Hertz, as well as the Belizean agencies Crystal Auto Rental and AQ Belize Car Rental, which are often slightly cheaper. We decided to stick with a car rental agency we were familiar with in case we ran into any roadside problems. Using a car also allows you to easily reach all of the destinations on this itinerary, while a bus would be more complicated. As mentioned before, you should not drive at night in Belize as roads can have sharp turns and lack lighting. Belize also has the most speed bumps of any country I've visited, a bit of an annoyance but also a reminder to watch for tapir or ocelot crossings. Also, service is often not great, so you should download an offline copy of Google Maps. Last fun thing: some of the billboards on the roads really gave us a laugh, so make sure to watch out for them.
While I did not hop on a bus when in Belize, they are a viable option if you are trying to save money. You may wait along the highway (often two lane roads) or go to a bus terminal in a major town. Ask a local how much the fare is in order to make sure you aren't overcharged. It should only be a few dollars. Buses are usually crowded and uncomfortable, do not always stick to the schedule, and can get very hot and humid without A/C. This is not recommended for larger groups, but for 1-2 people, it is manageable. When you are ready to get off, give a shout, and the conductor should come to a stop.
Water taxis are the most affordable way to get to the Cayes, and you can use either the Belize Express or Caribbean Sprinter. The latter is known to be slightly faster, but more expensive. Alternatively, you can take local flights around Belize, although it can add up and may not be worth it.
Safety
Currently, the U.S. State Department has a Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution advisory on Belize due to crime. Belize City has a Level 3: Reconsider Travel warning. My thoughts on this parallel the opinions of many other travelers I met during my time in Belize, as well as personal experience:
You will likely be flying into Belize City, so the city is largely unavoidable. However, I would recommend spending little time there, largely due to safety but there also isn't much to do there anyways. Once you land, make your way to either the Cayes or further mainland. If you land late and do not want to continue traveling, book lodging and leave within the morning.
While I can't speak on the entire country, every other location I visited was full of friendly locals and felt safe, despite the Level 2 advisory. Per recommendations by hostel reception, we did not drive in the mainland late at night, but other than that we had limited worries.
What to pack
Beyond the normal necessities, make sure to bring:
Bug repellent, and lots of it! It's very easy to get eaten alive in the jungle.
Rain jacket
Light sweater
Hiking boots
Hat for hiking/beach
Refillable water bottle, tap water is NOT drinkable
Quick drying shirt and shorts for the ATM cave.
All beach-related items, including sunscreen, beach towel, water shoes, and sunglasses
A rash guard if you burn easily and plan to snorkel
Binoculars if interested in some excellent birding
Dive certification card if applicable
Anti-nausea medicine if needed for ferries and boat rides
Dry bag for larger items and phone, if desired
All tours I took included a guide that already had a dry bag for us to put necessities in. However, this is not a guarantee. While I didn't bring dry bags, make sure to bring one if you'd like to be sure that your items will stay dry.
DON'T bring denim, it's too humid for that
Similarly, don't bring many cosmetics, you'll sweat it all off. My friend and I both brought our makeup bags but ended up only wearing mascara for a few days.
Also, you should be able to leave your adaptors at home unless you are bringing a three-pronged device.
Travel map
If you follow the 7-day itinerary just as I did it, your travel map should look like the above if all major spots are inputted. It is a total of about 16 hours, including ferries.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and travel to San Ignacio
Assuming you're traveling by air, you should land at the Philip S.W Goldson International Airport (BZE) in Belize City.
We arrived around 3 pm after some delays, picked up our rental car, and headed for a late lunch. Traysha's Grill Fabulous Food is just a couple minutes from the airport, and the food really is fabulous! They had tasty Belizean BBQ for a great price, and Traysha welcomed us to her outdoor-only seating area with open arms.
Soon we were off to San Ignacio, about a 2-hour drive from the airport. We stayed at Bella's Backpackers Hostel and ended up having a great time, although we heard The Old House Hostel was better due to a few more amenities. For mid-tier price points, try Maya Mountain Lodge. If you'd like a more luxurious experience, stay at Ka'ana Resort, San Ignacio Resort Hotel, or Black Rock Lodge. Because our flight was delayed, we didn't get to see any of the attractions along the way as they closed at 5. However, if you have time, here are some things I've heard are worth it:
Belize Zoo
While I don't normally like zoos, this is only 30 minutes from the airport and has great reviews by tourists and locals. It's a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility, meaning that the animals are all local to Belize and habitats reflect natural settings. It also releases animals back into the wild if they become healthy enough and it becomes safe enough for them to reenter due to poachers. The last entry is at 4 pm and 3:30 on Sundays.
AJAW Chocolate & Crafts
This traditional Mayan chocolate-making tour allows you to experience real Mayan chocolate and is within San Ignacio. We decided to skip it as we would be learning how to make chocolate from actual Mayan villagers later in our trip, but it is a good option if you aren't doing that.
Cahal Pech Archeological Reserve
This Mayan temple ruins in San Ignacio should only take about an hour to explore. They are way smaller than Xunantunich and Caracol, but they are more accessible without a car and are only $10 BZE.
Day 2: San Ignacio and Xunantunich Mayan Ruins
San Ignacio Market
On our first full day (and many days after) we woke up to a cacophony of birds outside our window. Starting bright and early, we headed to San Ignacio Market and ate breakfast nearby at Mike's, a local recommendation. They serve a great, cheap ($2.50 USD) traditional Belizean breakfast including fry jacks, which are essentially fried dough. They reminded me of a similar Indian bread called poori.
Xunantunich Mayan Ruins
We didn't have much planned so we could decide what to do for the day when we arrived, and everyone told us Xunantunich was a must. We drove with a family we met at the hostel and explored the museum and ruins with a guide. If you arrive at the ruins on your own and are interested in hiring a guide, don't hire one before the car ferry if you come early in the day. Instead, there will be more guides inside the park who are available for hire at a fraction of the price, and they are willing to bargain. We paid around $15 per person and gained so much insight into the history of the location. We were also able to go to the top of the ruins, which I hadn't experienced at Chichén Itzá.
If you are driving by yourself, make sure to listen to the ferry operator when you get to it. The free hand-cranked car ferry is at the last portion of the drive and allows you to drive your car across a small river and then continue the mile-long drive to the ruins. When we were leaving, another car was anxious to get off. It sped off the ferry before it fully docked, almost falling into the water and causing the ferry to spin off balance.
All smiles! A beautiful view at the base A reconstruction of original Mayan handiwork
Green Iguana Conservation Project
Upon arriving back in the city, we ate inside the San Ignacio market as I was craving some pupusas. We then decided to go to the Green Iguana Sanctuary, where I had low expectations but was pleasantly surprised. You can only visit on a guided tour which leaves every hour and features multiple types of iguanas. It gives a good history of the sanctuary and context for its purpose; I definitely learned a lot. We had a chance to feed the iguanas and even let the baby ones crawl on our heads! The guide was shocked that two unassuming girls would be so adventurous.
After visiting the sanctuary, we took a quick drive to Monkey Falls per our hostel's recommendations and chilled by the water before getting dinner and dessert. We didn't make reservations, but you should definitely try to get a spot for Crave House of Flavor if you want something nicer. There are also many other small waterfalls and hikes you can try instead, just ask around!
Day 3: ATM Cave tour
Start your day bright and early with a visit to the ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal) caves, the third largest in the world. If there's one thing you need to do in Belize, it's this. I've done a lot of cool things, but I'd say this is the coolest thing I've ever done. Having gone with no expectations and seeing limited pictures online, my mind was absolutely blown away by our proximity to ancient Mayan artifacts and petrified human skeletons. Even beyond that, the physical aspect of swimming and hiking through a cave with only headlamps was incredible and something I would do again in a heartbeat. I wouldn't bring very young kids as this attraction is very physically demanding.
No photos are allowed on the tour, and for good reason. Ancient artifacts have been broken from people dropping cameras on them, so please don't sneak your phones as the risk is not worth it.
There are very limited tour guides, and the tours are expected to become even more limited with the price expected to as much as triple to almost $400 in October. Given that, the cave will not be as accessible to people in the coming months. If you still decide to go, I would recommend booking through Patrick Bradley. He seems to be everyone's favorite guide (for good reason) and you can book him through his website.
When we arrived back at the hostel, we headed out to Hopkins as an in-between point to stay for the night. On the way out, we stopped by the Mennonite town of Spanish Village — 7% of Belizians are Mennonite! Make sure you drive down Hummingbird Highway for gorgeous tropical views. Dinner in the beach town of Hopkins was at Ella's Cool Spot and we tried a traditional Garifuna food called Hudut. It is made with mashed plantains called fu-fu and a coconut fish stew.
Accommodation:
Budget Travelers - The Funky Dodo Backpackers
Mid-range - Cosmopolitan Guest House (where we stayed, no complaints for an overnight stay); All Seasons Guest House; or Hopkins Bay, a Muy'Ono Resort
Luxury - The Lodge At Jaguar Reef or Almond Beach Resort at Jaguar Reef
Day 4: Mayan village homestay
Homestay experience
Today we woke up at the crack of dawn to watch the beautiful sunrise over the water and ate our most expensive breakfast yet, costing a whopping $7.50. We then headed down 2 hours to the Mayan village of San Antonio. This is definitely off the beaten path; many locals we came across were surprised to hear that we did this, and it was an excellent experience! We chose the overnight Mayan experience for $60 USD. This came with a tour of our host Reyes' farm, a cacao chocolate grinding experience, a beaded bracelet craft lesson, a cooking lesson, and an option to swim in a nearby waterfall. I found the farm tour to be particularly interesting as our host could spot a plant and immediately know its medicinal values, lesser-known uses, etc. We also had a chance to sample fruit and coconut water from the farm, and we cooked some of what we collected for dinner that night.
Reyes and his extended family were incredibly welcoming and easy to talk to, and all accommodations were better than we anticipated given that it was a local village. As this is a tour primarily held by one family instead of a local network, don't expect a neat structure for the day, just remember to go with the flow.
Picture descriptions
Top three: A tour of Reyes' farm, including cacao plants and corn
Middle left: Learning how to make Mayan hot chocolate - grinding cocoa seeds that were fermented in the package in the middle center
Middle right: Craft lesson- making bracelets out of seeds
Bottom left: A home-cooked Mayan Meal
Bottom center and right: Our lodging
Alternatives to homestay
If doing a homestay is not your cup of tea, you could alternatively:
Stay in Hopkins for the day. You can:
Visit the South Water Caye Marine Reserve in only 30 minutes by boat or the Glover's Reef Marine Reserve.
Take Garifuna cooking, drumming, and dancing lessons
Instead of sleeping in Hopkins on the previous night, sleep in Placencia
Explore the Southern Cayes including Laughing Bird, Gladden Spit, and Silk Cayes. The latter is known for whale sharks between March and June according to the lunar cycle.
Wander the Placencia Peninsula, including Maya Beach and Seine Bight
The town has a great food scene, and Barefoot Beach Bar and Tipsy Tuna are supposedly great for nightlife
Day 5: Cockscomb Basin Forest Reserve
Thankfully we slept early the night before because we woke up to the sound of roosters at 5:30 am. After eating a traditional breakfast, we headed back up 2 hours to the Cockscomb Basin Forest Reserve, famously known for jaguars, although your chance of seeing one is slim.
The best things to do here are hiking and birding. As we only had one day and wanted to do a challenging hike, we did the Tiger Fern trail. A guide is required, and you can hire one before you arrive (we found ours through Reddit). Alternatively, you can book a guide once you arrive, but if there are no guides available you'll be out of luck. Once we arrived at the waterfall I jumped in for a quick swim, although it was freezing so I didn't stay for long. Our birding friends we met on the hike helped us spot some toucans, and we also stopped to see an old plane crash site in the reserve before heading out.
View at the end of the Tiger At the top of the trail with a view Cool plane crash ruins.
Fern Trail of Victoria Peak Don't worry, everyone survived!
While we could've stayed for longer to do other hikes, we decided to leave a bit earlier to relax and enjoy the included dinner at the Bocawina Resort we had booked for the evening.
Day 6: Travel day and San Pedro
Bocawina Rainforest Resort & Adventures
If you'd like to spend some time in Bocawina before moving on, it's a beautiful location. The resort offers zip lining, rappelling, and guided hikes in the morning which we opted out of to save some costs. There are also many beautiful waterfalls around Bocawina that you can hike to, but we felt satisfied enough with our Tiger Fern hike the day before that we didn't do this.
San Pedro
My friend and drove back up to the airport and I parted ways while I headed to the Belize Express ferry terminal to get to San Pedro. After a 2-hour ferry ride, I arrived late afternoon. The primary way to get around San Pedro and Caye Caulker is by golf cart, and while I didn't rent one, I sure did want to! Instead, I walked around the town for a bit and got to know a few people at my hostel. I would recommend the Belizian Arts Gallery for beautiful local gifts, Estel's Dine by the Sea for a revolutionary shrimp-stuffed fried jack, Pupuseria Salvadoreno for lunch, and Elvi's Kitchen for fantastic dinner and drinks plus live drums. If you visit on the weekends, there is a street party at night with dancing and singing by locals. There's also great nightlife and lots of bars to choose from if you want to dance the night away.
Accommodation:
Budget Travelers - Sandbar Beachfront Hostel (where I stayed, very social and nice amenities)
Mid-range - Ramon's Village Resort; Mahogany Bay Resort & Beach Club, Curio Collection by Hilton
Luxury - The Phoenix Resort, Matachica Resort and Spa
Day 7: Hol Chan Marine Reserve
No trip is complete in the Cayes without visiting the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, the third-largest barrier reef in the world. There are plenty of tours from San Pedro and Caye Caulker. I decided to take one from Caye Caulker to give me a chance to explore the small town a bit after the snorkel trip. Alternatively, spend your day scuba diving at the world-famous Great Blue Hole Natural Monument and add The Aquarium and Half Moon Caye Wall. I would've loved to have done this, but you need an Advanced Open Water Diving Certification in order to go. Given that I've never scuba-dived in my life, it wouldn't have worked out. Another option is to take a flight over the Blue Hole, but this was quite outside of my budget.
I woke up bright and early to catch the ferry and enjoy breakfast by the beach at the famous Ice and Beans Cafe, which I thought was worth the hype. Since I had to check out of my San Pedro hostel, I asked the workers at the ferry terminal if I could pick up my luggage from them at the end of the day, and they thankfully said yes.
I booked this tour since it had 7 whole stops and had a great time with yummy food and drinks on the boat, as well as fantastic goPro footage sent after. If you are extending your trip and have more time in the Cayes before this than I do, consider booking your tour once you get to the Cayes as they're all pretty similar, and in-person shops can offer a discounted price. We got up close and personal with school of fish, nurse sharks, eagle rays, a shipwreck, you name it. The people on the boat were lovely and we all exchanged travel stories from all over the world. Our guide even heard from a different boat that there was a turtle sighting, then jumped into the water and found it for us and 2 other groups so we could swim next to it for a while. Overall, it was a wonderful time.
One thing that wasn't so great was my sunburn. I don't burn easily, and I've only ever barely sunburnt my lips and shoulders before. After coming back to the US I realized how bad the burn on my back was, and my tan lines were insane. I had forgotten to reapply sunscreen consistently on my back, and since we were snorkeling with our backs to the sun all day all day, I suffered the consequences. If you burn easily, I highly recommend wearing a rashguard. Some Europeans on my boat ended up pretty red by the end of the day and regretted that they didn't.
Caye Caulker
As mentioned above, I think Ice and Beans Cafe is worth it for breakfast, and while I didn't have time to go, Errolyn's House of Fryjacks also had rave reviews. Since my trip was a bit quick due to time constraints, I didn't have a chance to embrace the island motto of "Go Slow", but if you can extend your trip as mentioned at the end of this article, you should be able to! Visiting the Split, a narrow waterway that cuts the island in two, is also essential. Here you can enjoy a drink at the Lazy Lizard Bar or any of the other restaurants nearby. You can pass by it on your snorkeling trip as well.
You can also head to the seahorse sanctuary at The Iguana Reef Inn. They are good at camouflaging, so make sure to take a close look. Nearby, you can also see giant tarpoons jumping out of the water if you offer them food. I didn't do this while on land because it was one of the stops on my snorkel trip, where I was named the tarpoon expert — those giant fish kept jumping up at me! If you're not scared, I would definitely recommend this.
Also, if you revisit this site on land, you can see lobsters, manta rays, and nurse sharks nearby. I came during the manta ray feeding and got to pet a few. If you come early enough, you can feed some too.
Departure
Sadly, I had a flight to catch in the evening. I ended up picking up my luggage at the ferry terminal and taking the last ferry back to the city, where I met up with a prearranged taxi. If you end up taking a taxi from the airport to the Cayes, many taxi drivers will give you a business card so you can contact them before you return. This is a seamless way to ensure your trip back to the airport is guaranteed and prices are locked down. Cab drivers must drive at a fixed rate that you should see on a price sheet in their car. Overall, I had an absolutely incredible time in Belize and reminisced with my cab driver about the memories I made before I left for home.
What to do with extra time
Although I wasn't able to stay any longer, you might! Below are some recommendations if you have a few extra days in Belize.
8 days: Extra day in San Pedro
In San Pedro, rent a golf cart and head over to the not-so-secret Secret Beach with gorgeous waters and plentiful beach bars, all of which have a distinct vibe. Spend the day at the beach, or if fly fishing is your thing, take a half-day excursion from the island.
9 days: Extra day in Caye Caulker
In Caye Caulker, start your morning getting zen at Namaste Yoga for just $10 and visit their cafe after class. When you finish, cross the Split using the ferry and taking a rented bike to visit Bliss Beach. After you've had your share of white sand and beach club cocktails, bike back down around the island and eat at Errolyn's House of Fryjacks, as long as you're not tired of them yet. End your day watching the beautiful sunset and contemplating if permanent island life is for you.
10 days: Day trip to Tikal, Guatemala
You can spend an additional day with San Ignacio as your base and head to Tikal, Guatemala to explore even taller Mayan ruins or to check Guatemala off of your bucket list. You can travel by bus, car, or tour, although I would only recommend the latter. Buses can be a bit trickier to navigate and not worth the cost, and only Crystal Belize car rentals will allow you to travel into Guatemala with advanced notice. However, they won't cover your car insurance when you get to Guatemala, so I wouldn't take the risk. Day tours to Tikal from San Ignacio range between $95 - $125.
11 days: Day trip to Caracol
If you really can't get enough of the Mayan sites, spend another day driving from San Ignacio to Caracol. I would only do this in a high-clearance car in the dry season, or a 4WD in the wetter season. This is one of the most magnificent Mayan sites in the world, where you can hire a guide to explore the nature and walk around the ruins. You can also enjoy Mountain Pine Ridge and cooling off in Big Rock Falls or Rio on
Pools. Alternatively, you can take a tour that does something similar for around $125.
12 days: Day trip to Blue Hole National Park
For only $4, you can stop at Blue Hole National Park (not to be confused with the blue hole in the ocean) an hour after leaving San Ignacio. Choose to relax at the cenote and walk into the first 200 meters of St. Herman's Cave on your own, or opt to go cave tubing or caving in the Crystal Cave on a tour.
13-14 days: Full day in Hopkins or Placencia
Day 4 has alternative options to stay in Hopkins or Placencia instead of doing the homestay. If you have the time, why not do all three? Scroll back up to day 4 for recommended activities.
While I could easily spend a month in Belize, most do not have the time to fully explore this beautiful country. Hopefully this 1-2 week itinerary gives you inspiration on what to do on your own trip.
*None of the links in this article are sponsored
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