How to Spend 6 Adventurous Days Traveling in Belize
Traveling to Belize? Here’s a 6 day travel itinerary to help you plan your trip!
If you love adventure, beautiful beaches, and ancient civilizations, Belize is for you! Belize is home to many incredible ancient Mayan sites, wildlife, tropical islands, cave excursions, hiking, and is a top notch scuba diving destination. The Belize Barrier Reef is the largest in the Atlantic-Carribean region and a UNESCO World Heritage site. What’s not to love?!
I found Belize to be a great place for solo travel, budget travelers, and felt safe throughout my trip.
This itinerary focuses on exploring the Mayan cultural sites, hiking, and relaxing on the coast. Here is my travel itinerary for 6 unforgettable days in Belize.
Day 1 – San Ignacio
The start of your journey will likely begin arriving in Belize City. In lieu of spending time in the largest city of Belize, I recommend traveling west to San Ignacio.
San Ignacio caters to adventurers and is an ideal starting point for exploring Belize. To get from Belize City to San Ignacio you can pay for private transportation for convenience or ride the “chicken bus” as the locals do.
Travel by bus
Chicken buses are widely used in Central America for public transportation. They get their nickname because they transport people, luggage, and…chickens. Anything goes.
You might feel nostalgic at the sight of these buses because they are in fact, old school buses from the United States. These buses get a second life in Central America and often a new colorful paint job, which adds to the experience of these iconic bus rides.
Chicken bus travel experience
I chose to travel by chicken bus for the thrill of the experience, and it was CHEAP. Traveling by bus is an easy way to save money.
To travel from Belize City Airport to San Ignacio by bus, the first thing you need to do is get a taxi from the airport to the Belize City bus station. You can expect to pay a flat rate of $50 BZD ($25 USD).
At the bus station you can check times and look for an express bus heading to Benque. This route will make one stop in Belmopan and then another in San Ignacio, where you will disembark.
Grab a window seat, open the window for a fresh breeze, and store your luggage either under your feet or above your head in the luggage racks, and enjoy the scenery.
Cahal Pech Mayan Ruins Archaeological Reserve
$5 entrance fee – open from 6:30am to 5pm
The first order of business in Belize is to get into nature and explore the Mayan ruins. Cahal Pech sits on a scenic hilltop and is easily accessible from San Ignacio. Taxi from your accommodation or walk from the downtown area. For reference, it is about a 7 minute drive from the Cayo Welcome Center in downtown San Ignacio.
This is a great first stop to explore the Mayan culture with 34 structures to wander around, climb, and explore. I arrived late in the afternoon and had the place mostly to myself.
Day 2 – Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave
Adventuring underground into a cave may not be on everyone’s list of top things to do, but I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and go bravely into the dark water and chambers of this sacred Mayan cave, it is incredible!
The Mayans believed this cave was a mystical portal into the underworld of their Gods. There’s no better way to experience a piece of Mayan history. The portal is calling, and we must go.
What to expect during the ATM cave tour
The guided tours begin with an early morning pickup from your hotel and from there you are shuttled out of San Ignacio to the ATM Archaeological Reserve, approximately an hour away.
Your tour guide will brief you on safety guidelines and what to expect on the trek. After that, the fun begins. To get to the cave entrance you will trek 45 minutes through the Tapir Mountain Reserve and cross a small river three times.
The entrance of the cave is an incredible hourglass shaped opening in the rock with hanging vines, an enchanting jungle backdrop, and blue water spilling out from the opening of the cave. Simply un-BELIZE-able. There are no cameras allowed, so this scenery will be forever saved in my memory.
Going inside the cave requires swimming, wading, and crawling through narrow passages with the help of a guide and a headlamp. This may test your nerves as you dodge rocks in the water (and whatever else is hiding down there) and fight off the fear of being completely underground and in the dark, but don’t worry, it is totally do-able. There were kids on the tour as well, they were loving it!
Finally, you will complete a vertical climb to enter the chamber where the Mayans performed sacred rituals and human sacrifices. The ceremonial chamber is full of ceramic bowls, pottery, 15 known skulls, and one fully intact human skeleton named the “Crystal Maiden.” It was quite surreal to stand in the ceremonial chamber inside a sacred cave where rituals and sacrifices to the Mayan Gods took place thousands of years ago.
I cannot imagine making the trek as the ancient Mayans did without shoes or headlamps! Instead they carried torches AND they were known to ingest plants that caused psychedelic visions, so trippy. The Mayan culture is fascinating and so is the history of the ATM cave, it was an unforgettable experience.
How to book the ATM cave tour
You can arrange the ATM tour through your accommodation or online ahead of time. There is a daily limit of 125 tickets and you can only visit the cave with a licensed tour company.
I went with Pacz Tours and had an amazing day. They picked me up from my hotel and provided lunch afterwards. Plan for a full day excursion. You will need to bring water shoes, a change of clothes, and your sense of adventure.
Day 3 – Xunantunich Archeological Preserve
Open 8am to 5pm daily
The Xunantunich ruins are on the west edge of the country bordering Guatemala. The drive is approximately 30 minutes from San Ignacio and includes a river crossing on a hand cranked ferry. This site is much grander than Cahal Pech, plan a full morning or afternoon so you can wander leisurely.
It is easy to visit this site independently without an organized tour, but if you want to learn more about the history and culture a tour would suit you well. I hired a driver who agreed to drive me to the ruins and wait a few hours while I explored, and off we went. You can find taxis across the street or nearby the Cayo Welcome Center in San Ignacio or arrange transportation through your accommodation.
Be on the lookout for Howler Monkeys in the trees and don’t stand underneath them. They live up to their name and I guarantee you will hear the Howler Monkeys before you are able to see them!
The highlight of the day was climbing the steep steps to the top of the largest temple, El Castillo. At the top you are above miles of jungle and can look down on the other structures in the ancient ruins. It’s very peaceful at the top and makes you ponder what life might have been like living in this ancient Mayan city. Just beautiful!
San Ignacio Market
The small market is open daily, however Saturday is the main event. Hopefully your trip coincides with a Saturday in San Ignacio. I always enjoy exploring local markets when traveling, it’s a great place for souvenirs, handmade goods, and street food. Speaking of food, try a pupusa! I saw the ladies making them from scratch and had to try one, actually two.
Day 4 – Travel to Hopkins
Finally, a trip to Belize would not be complete without visiting its coconut tree lined idyllic coastline. Beach please!
Hopkins is a sleepy beach village with good vibes. The scenic drive to Hopkins is approximately 2.5 hours from San Ignacio.
St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park
open 8am to 5pm daily
I arranged a private car transfer through my hotel from San Ignacio to Hopkins and my driver insisted that we stop at St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park (not to be confused with the Great Blue Hole off the coast). I was surprised this park was literally right off the side of the highway, making it an easy place to stop on your road trip.
The Blue Hole cenote
After paying a small entrance fee ($8/BZD or $4/USD), you can walk down a set of steps to see the cenote. The water is so clear with sapphire blue tones. If you aren’t in a hurry bring your swimsuit so you can swim in the cenote! There are bathrooms and changing rooms available.
The park also includes caves and trails. If you want to stop here, you will need to arrange for private transportation, the bus will not make this stop.
Bioluminescence Tour
Once I arrived in Hopkins, I checked into the Jaguar Reef Lodge and arranged for the night boat tour to the Bioluminescence lagoon.
This tour is only available for half the year (January through May) and I was excited to be there at just the right time to see the phenomena in real life.
The tour starts on the banks of the Sittee River and heads towards a lagoon. During the boat ride, our tour guide pointed out wildlife along the banks of the river and mangroves. Be on the lookout for crocodiles!
By the time we arrived at the lagoon it was completely dark and the sky illuminated with stars. I have never seen so many stars in my life!
As we moved along the boat created a blue wake from the bioluminescence and several people jumped into the water to swim which created even more glowing blue water. I decided to pass on swimming since we were just looking for crocodiles along the river. The bioluminescence experience and star gazing was another, “I can’t Belize-it” memory.
Day 5 – Explore the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
There are great hiking trails near Hopkins in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, so pack your boots and bug spray. The nature reserve is a jaguar preserve, say what?! Don’t worry, they are mostly nocturnal and I was assured that sightings are rare.
I arranged for a driver from my hotel and it was about a 45 minute drive into the park. They dropped me off at the visitors center and we agreed on a pickup time so I had a few solid hours to hike. The entrance fee is $10 BZD, which you can pay at the visitors center while you look at trail maps and prep for the hike.
Hike the Tiger Fern Trail
I hiked the Tiger Fern trail and loved it! It was a fun trail through the lush jungle, ascending above the clouds with vast views of the surrounding jungle, and then descending to two waterfalls.
The humidity was thick, which made swimming in the water at the end of the hike even more enjoyable. The trail is well marked but can get very muddy so plan accordingly. Also, don’t forget to pack water, and mosquito spray is a must unless you like to itch. I only encountered two other groups during the hike, and I had the waterfall to myself…total bliss!
Day 6 – Relax, hit the beach, and bike around Hopkins
There’s only one road through Hopkins village and it’s unpaved, the best way to explore is on a bike. My advice is to dodge the potholes and have some fun! There’s shops, restaurants, and a few murals if you want to make stops along the way. My hotel offered a few free bikes for guests to use, and I was lucky to snag one, otherwise check out the bike rental shops.
You can also take a nice walk along the beach, find a hammock, rent kayaks, or hang by the pool bar for the afternoon. I found a good balance between relaxing on the beach and exploring the village on my final day in Belize and it was the perfect way to end the trip.
Belize truly offers everything an adventure lover could want. One day you can be climbing Mayan ruins and exploring the jungles and the next you can be lounging on a beach or diving in the Great Blue Hole. Everyday is an adventure in Belize! I hope you visit Belize and fall in love with this country as I did.
If you have more time, here are a few more ideas to add to your Belize itinerary:
- Mayflower Bocawina National Park
- Caracol Mayan Ruins
- Visit the islands: Ambergris Caye & Caye Caulker
- The Great Blue Hole
- Scuba diving in the Belize Barrier Reef
It’s hard to believe these incredible places did not make my itinerary. If you’ve been, please comment below to share your experience and tips!
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