36 Belize Inland Tours & Activities You Will Love
- Updated: 04/15/2024
- Janice
We visited San Ignacio, a small inland town in the Cayo District in western Belize, as part of a week-long Belize trip our family took with our two teens. Travelers—from luxury to low-budget—use this area of Belize as a base to explore its western mountainous jungle region rich with wildlife, ancient Mayan ruins, and vast cave networks.
We spent three full days and four nights in the area and could have easily spent a week as there is so much to see and do. See where to find San Ignacio by watching the quick Google Earth clip below.
To help you decide what to do on your Belize trip, I share a list and a map of 36 inland activities ideal to do when using San Ignacio as a base in this article, along with information on how to book and combine them to make the most of your visit.
Table Of Contents
See what we did during our 7-day Belize trip in this article. Or view a complete list of my collection of Belize travel articles.
Getting to San Ignacio
The best way to get to San Ignacio is by car, shuttle, or bus. Traveling from Belize’s Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) to San Ignacio takes approximately one hour and 45 minutes of driving—covering nearly 70 miles (110 kilometers).
Since navigating rental vehicles in new countries without argument is jointly challenging for my husband and me, we opted to maintain the peace and thoroughly enjoy our vacation by pre-arranging a private transfer with our San Ignacio lodge from the airport. If you plan to do similar, expect to pay at least $150US+ for a one-way transfer for a group of four.
Or, if you prefer to rent a vehicle and drive yourself, know rental cars are not cheap in Belize. Rates range from $60-90+ per day for a basic economy model, not including gas or insurance. Or 100+ per day for a 4×4 vehicle—which I highly recommend for negotiating the inevitable dirt roads you will come across as you explore Belize’s best sites.
If planning to rent a car, check out these tips, and learn about getting rental car insurance for international rentals.
Alternatively, you can book a group shuttle for less than a private transfer or catch a ride on a Belize bus line. Learn more about the bus system in Belize here, or check out route options on Rome 2 Rio.
Where to Stay
While visiting the San Ignacio region, you can stay in town, choosing from a range of budget-friendly to higher-end hotel accommodations with easy access to dining and nightlife. Or you can steep yourself in nature as we did and stay in a full-service jungle lodge within driving distance of town. Check out the top options in my article this article, shown below.
36 Things to Do (See Full List Here)
Before our Belize trip, I had a hard time wrapping my head around all there was to do in the San Ignacio area to figure out how to spend our time. So, I created a list of all the activities I could find, had everyone in my family choose the number one thing they wanted to do most, and then I booked it. I did this because I hoped to guarantee trip participation buy-in from all—especially my two teens. It worked.
Everyone loved doing their chosen activity. Then willingly, uncomplainingly, and practically—enthusiastically went along with doing the other family activities that were not their number one picks—even when out of their comfort zone.
Fresh from this success, I share the 36 top things to do near San Ignacio categorized by activity type below.
- Caving (6 activities)
- Ancient Mayan Sites (6)
- Bird Watching & Wildlife Viewing (8)
- Water & Hiking Activities (8)
- Other Adventures (2)
- Cultural & Sightseeing Activities (6)
Or view many of them on this interactive map.
How to use this map: In the map header, click the square tab to the left of my logo or click the enlarge frame to the right to view detail. You can save the map to “Your Places” on Google Maps by clicking the star next to the map name. Or you can share it by clicking the share icon.
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Many of these sites and activities are close to each other, making it easy to combine and enjoy several in one day. Book tours through your accommodation, Viator, or Get Your Guide. Or with any of the local providers that I recommend below.
Jump to the end of the article to discover the number one activity each family member chose. Or, read about our seven days in Belize to get ideas for your trip.
Caving
Due to its geology of limestone karst, the local climate, and ancient excavation and use, Belize has a wealth of caves full of ancient Mayan artifacts. These caves are a wonder to explore and an adventure to experience. I highly recommend adding at least one of the below to your visit.
- Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave
- Barton Creek Cave
- Nohoch Che’en Cave
- Che Chem Ha Cave
- St. Herman’s & Crystal Cave
- Black Hole Drop
Know that you must book a guided tour to visit all caves in Belize, which are protected sites.
1. Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave
Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave is a full-day tour and a top traveler adventure in Belize. Although two of us—me included, were iffy on our pre-tour cave comfort level, visiting this cave was an activity my family decided we could not miss and we all ended up loving. Visit this cave if you are moderately fit, do not feel uncomfortable in closed spaces, and are okay knowing you will have three river crossings to get to the cave entrance.
I recap our excellent ATM experience and share tips for visiting in this article.
Once at the cave, you will switch on your provided headlamp and follow your guide swimming, wading, and scrambling through watery caverns as you and the other seven people on your tour—all ATM tour groups have eight participants and one specially licensed guide—make your way to a living museum deep in the site that is rich with ancient remnants of Mayan priest sacrificial rites.
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If this sounds incredible to you, you should book a tour too. As soon as you firm up your Belize travel dates, reserve your spot for this activity, as there is a daily cap on the number of visitors allowed at the site.
Learn more and book a tour on Viator or Get Your Guide. Or book through your lodging.
Cameras and film equipment are not allowed on ATM Cave tours out of respect for this sacred Maya site and its fragile environment and to ensure participants stay close to their guides without distraction.
2. Barton Creek Cave (Canoeing)
Canoeing at Barton Creek Cave is a half-day tour combinable with other activities such as ziplining, visiting Big Rock Falls, or a butterfly farm. I wanted to do this tour for the peaceful experience of gliding on a canoe while marveling at cave formations and ancient artifacts. However, due to heavy rain the week before our visit, the water levels were unfortunately too high to run the Barton Creek trips—next time.
If you get luckier than we did on water levels, book a half-day or combo full-day tour on Viator or Get Your Guide. Or book through your lodging.
3. Nohoch Che’en Cave (Tubing)
Cave Tubing at Nohoch Che’en Cave is a half-day tour combinable with ziplining or touring the Mayan site Xunantunich. On this experience, enjoy the combination of a jungle hike and a float in your innertube through cave tunnels that are part of the Caves Branch River system.
Learn more and book a half-day or combo full-day tour on Viator or with your lodging.
4. Che Chem Ha Cave
Che Chem Ha Cave is a half-day tour combinable with a visit to Xunantunich. Explore this cave rich with intact Mayan artifacts, including sizeable collections of intact pottery discovered by the family who owns the land.
Learn more and book through Island Expeditions if your lodging does not offer it. Or read more about this experience on the Black Rock Lodge website.
5. St. Herman’s & Crystal Cave
St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park is a full-day tour. Experience the Crystal Cave by descending by ropes or St. Herman’s Cave. Or take a dip in the Blue Hole—a sapphire blue cenote—after hiking down jungle paths.
Learn more and book a tour on Viator or Get Your Guide.
6. Black Hole Drop
Black Hole Drop is a full-day tour. Hike uphill to rappel 300 feet into Actun Loch Tunich, a sinkhole, and into the rainforest canopy to enjoy lunch. This tour is a signature activity offered to Caves Branch Lodge guests and is bookable in advance by non-lodge visitors.
Ancient Mayan Sites
Thanks to abundant natural resources and its location as an ancient crossroads for other Mayan settlements in Guatemala and Mexico, Belize and its surrounding neighbors are rich with Mayan archaeological sites to explore, including:
- Tikal
- Xunantunich
- Caracol
- Other Mayan sites: Cahal Pech, Yaxha, Altun Ha, and Lamanai
Learn more about the western discovery of Central American Mayan sites in the book “The Jungle of Stone: The Extraordinary Journey of John L. Stevens and Frederick Catherwood, and the Discovery of the Lost Civilization of the Maya.” Or, check out my Belize reading list for more recommendations.
7.Tikal
Tikal is a full-day tour. Recognized as one of the most significant Mayan sites in Guatemala and the world, this sprawling archeological wonder with unforgettable towering pyramids located on the grounds of Tikal National Park is accessible from the San Ignacio area as a day trip. Since visiting here topped the list of things my husband and I wanted to do, we chose this as a family activity.
Know that this tour involves a border crossing and can require, depending on whether you are part of a group tour or are traveling privately, anywhere from 10 to 13 hours of your day, which includes time for driving, crossing the border, touring Tikal, and eating lunch while in Guatemala.
Learn more and book a full-day tour on Viator, Get Your Guide, or through your lodging.
8. Caracol
Caracol is a half-day tour combinable with a visit to Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. Learn about the ancient Mayan civilization while you explore this sprawling site and climb to enjoy an excellent view of the forest below.
Get more information and book a half-day or combo full-day tour on Viator, Get Your Guide, or through your lodging.
9. Xunantunich
Xunantunich is a half-day tour either done via van transport or horseback—an activity I had wanted to do, though we ran out of time. Visit this site in combination with exploring Cahal Pech, ziplining, river tubing, or several other activities.
If you opt to visit Xunantunich on horseback, expect a gentle ride along the Moapan River and the chance to see tropical birds and hear howler monkeys along the way before entering the center of the site and touring it with your guide.
Learn more and book a half-day or combo full-day tour on Viator, Get Your Guide, or through your lodging.
3 Additional Mayan Sites
Other Mayan sites to see while you are in the area include:
10. Cahal Pech is a small easy-to-explore Mayan site located approximately a mile outside the San Ignacio town center. Reach it by walking up a steep hill or via a short taxi ride. Or join a bird-watching tour there with MayaWalk.
11. Yaxha is a site in Guatemala that you can combine with a trip to Tikal as part of a two-day tour, bookable through Get Your Guide. Or you can visit it on this one-day tour that includes monkey spotting with Viator.
12. Altun Ha or Lamanai are Mayan sites north of Belize City. Combine a visit to either with a stop at the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary—especially if you are a serious birder.
Wildlife Viewing & Bird Watching
With the Macal River valley and many protected forests that span from it, this region of Belize and areas north and east of it is abundant with wildlife, especially tropical bird species.
Discover a list of several half-day or shorter activities below to enjoy the area and the creatures that live in it to their fullest, including:
- Early morning bird walks
- More bird watching
- Night jungle walks
- Canoeing the Macal River
- Viewing butterflies at Chaa Creek or Green Hills
- Learning about iguanas at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel
- Visiting the Belize Zoo
- Getting to know the Black Howler monkeys at the Community Baboon Sanctuary
13. Early Morning Bird Walks
If you are staying at a jungle lodge or a resort outside San Ignacio, your accommodation will likely have guides on site guides on site who can lead private or group early morning birding walks. We did this—without the kids, who we let sleep in—during our stay at Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge.
14. More Bird Watching
Explore more bird-watching options by choosing from one of several tours offered by MayaWalk, including visiting the Inland Blue Hole, the Spanish Lookout, or the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. Or join Paradise Expeditions, which specializes in advanced birding on multi-day tours.
15. Night Jungle Walks
Another one for the lodge and resort folks—your accommodation will likely provide an opportunity to enjoy a night walk through the jungle. On these walks, your guides will point out nocturnal creatures such as tarantulas, opossums, foxes, and more.
16. Canoeing Down the Macal River
Canoe down the Macal River to San Ignacio to see the birds and wildlife along the water’s edge. This activity was an option through our lodge and another thing I read about in advance and wanted to do, though we could not, as the river level was too high after recent rains. If you are not staying in accommodation that provides this, as an alternative, you can book this sunset canoe trip through Viator.
17. Viewing Butterflies
Enjoy the beauty of the blue morpho and learn about its natural history at the Chaa Creek Blue Morpho Butterfly Farm. Visit this sanctuary as part of a combination tour or get there via your own rental car or hired driver. Or stop by Green Hills Butterfly Ranch to view a variety of beautiful butterfly species. We did this after ziplining at nearby Calico Jack’s.
Stopping at Green Hills also pairs well with a Barton Creek canoe trip or a visit to Mountain Pine Ridge. Visit here as part of a combination tour, via your own rental car, or with a hired driver.
I share more about our visit to Green Hills Butterfly Ranch in the article this Belize itinerary article.
18. Learning About the Iguanas
Check out the Green Iguana Conservation Project at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel. Visit while you are in town. Join a one-hour tour to learn about the iguanas and their conservation. Find easy parking at the hotel and pair it with a stop at nearby Cahal Pech.
19. Visiting the Belize Zoo
View the animals of Belize in natural habitats at the Belize Zoo. Visit the zoo as part of a combination tour. Or get there via your rental car or with a hired driver as you drive to or from Belize City or the international airport to San Ignacio. Learn about the zoo founder and her unlikely founding of the zoo in 1983 in the book The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: One Woman’s Fight to Save the World’s Most Beautiful Bird.
For wildlife lovers, know you can stay at the Belize Zoo Tropical Education Center, in dormitories or rustic cabana accommodations ideal for appreciating the surrounding jungle and its inhabitants.
20. Getting to Know the Black Howler Monkeys
Spend time at the Community Baboon Sanctuary Visitor Center and Museum in Bermudian Landing, approximately a 40-minute drive from Belize’s international airport. Learn about wildlife preservation, join one of several wildlife or cultural activities, and see one of the largest troops of black howler monkeys in the world. Visit as part of a Viator tour or via your rental car or hired driver on your way to or from San Ignacio.
Water & Hiking Activities
Although you will likely enjoy a quick dip in the water or a walk in the forest on many of the activities I share above, I list several more options below to help you further enjoy the best of Belize’s outdoors, including:
21. Jungle Waterfall Pontoon Adventure
This activity can be a full or a half-day tour and another one that ranked high on my want-to-do list. Cruise on a river through the Maya mountains, swim in waterfalls, and enjoy lunch on your pontoon boat while you marvel at the wildlife and beautiful rainforest around you. Book it on Viator or through your lodging.
22. Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
Visiting here requires a full to half-day and is combinable with a visit to Caracol, Xunantunich, ziplining, and several other activities. At a 1,000 to 2,000-foot higher elevation than San Ignacio and from a 30-minute to 1-hour drive from town, come here to hike down and swim at the foot at Big Rock Falls, marvel at Rio on Pools, or explore the Rio Frio Cave. Book a half-day or combo full-day tour on Viator or through your lodging.
23. River Fishing
Join a guide on local rivers for catch-and-release fishing. Book through Belizing.com or ask your accommodation for recommendations.
24. Hiking in Don Elijio Panti National Park
Exploring here requires half to a full day. Ever since I read the story of the famed Mayan healer, Don Elijio, who treated patients from his home in the village of San Antonio well into his late 90s and passed away at 103, in the excellent book, Sastun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer, I wanted to see this area. It is the place where Don Elijio often trekked to collect his medicinal herbs and roots. And it was posthumously named after him.
Read more about the park on its website here. The only place I could find that runs guided hikes to this park, which I heard locally does not have easy access points, is through Black Rock Lodge, which recommends it as an activity to their guests. Scroll down this Black Rock activity page to “Wildside Hikes” to read more. Additionally—the four-hour ATV tour I share below enters this park.
25. Belize Botanic Garden
Explore the trails and tropical plants on 45 acres of the Belize Botanic Garden along the Macal River on your own or with a guided tour. Next to Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge and near Chaa Creek, this is an easy stop to include if you are staying in the area. Or get there via your own rental car or hired driver.
26. Medicinal & Other Nature Trails
If you are staying at a nature lodge or resort outside of San Ignacio, know that many area jungle lodges maintain a network of nature trails on their properties. Take the time to explore these paths to soak in the jungle experience at your leisure.
27. Canoe the Macal River
I mention this activity above in the “Wildlife Viewing & Bird Watching” section.
28. Monkey Bay Wildlife Conservation Center
On the way to or from San Ignacio, consider stopping at the Monkey Bay Wildlife Conservation Center for a day hike, canoe trip, or cave visit. Learn more about the activities at this education and adventure tourist center, located less than a 10-minute drive from the Belize Zoo, here.
Other Adventure Activities
29. Jungle Ziplining
Combine a zip line adventure with nearly any of the half-day activities above. Choose from one of seven different zip-lining tours at highly-rated Calico Jack’s. Our family did the Ultimo Tour—just over one-hour with nine runs. After the kids added on the Extreme Swing, with its mini-bungee drop that ends in a swinging arc through the jungle, we ate our pre-ordered lunch at their onsite restaurant before continuing to Green Hills Butterfly Ranch and Big Rock Falls at Mountain Pine Ridge.
I share more about our visit in the article this Belize itinerary article. Book tours directly on the Calico Jack’s website or by contacting them via email or phone. Or zip line and rock climb at Barton Creek.
30. Rainforest ATV Safari Tour
Cultural & Sightseeing Activities
31 & 32. Tour San Antonio or Barton Creek Village
Spend 30 minutes driving from San Ignacio to learn about the Mayan way of life as you tour the village of San Antonio and help cook your traditional Mayan lunch with members of the Woman’s Co-Op during a half-day activity. The tour price includes lunch and transport from San Ignacio. Learn more and book directly here. Or book through MayaWalk which includes transportation and chocolate making in the tour. Alternatively, visit both San Antonio and Barton Creek Mennonite villages on this combined cultural tour.
33. Shop the San Ignacio Farmers Market
If you are in town on a Saturday, explore the stalls and indulge in all the delicious treats on bustling Market Day at the San Ignacio Farmer’s Market. Find the market on the banks of the Macal River adjacent to the low-lying wooden bridge connecting San Ignacio to the town of Sant Elena. Or experience the Farmers Market as part of this full-day experience and cooking class with Pacz Tours.
34 & 35. Learn How to Make Chocolate & Visit a Cacao Farm
Indulge in the art of the ancient Maya with chocolate making at AJAW Chocolate and Crafts. Enjoy one hour of traditional chocolate making at this local San Ignacio chocolate artisan. Or spend an hour touring their cacao farm three miles west of San Ignacio and return to town to make chocolate. Learn more and book either experience here.
36.Tour an Organic Farm on Horseback
Visit an organic farm on horseback on a half-day tour. Learn about the fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants native to Belize. Get more information and book the experience from MayaWalk here.
Where to Book Activities
If you are staying at a lodge, resort, or guesthouse, you can likely book your activities directly through your accommodation. Your Belizean hosts will have excellent insight into what other guests have enjoyed most, who are the best service providers, and how you can combine one or more activities in a day. If you do not have a car—we did not—your accommodation can also arrange transport to and from activities.
Otherwise, book these activities yourself. The top resources I recommend for booking are Viator and Get Your Guide. I value reading reviews on these sites and keeping all activity bookings in one place. Or you can book with any of the highly rated activity providers I share below. Five of the top ones in the San Ignacio area are:
- Cayo Inland Expeditions. Our lodge booked this company for our ATM cave tour. Our guide and our experience were excellent.
- MayaWalk Tours. We used them for our Tikal tour. Although we experienced some logistics issues related to prolonged delays from other passengers, MayaWalk was quick to make up for it.
- Pacz Tours
- Explore Inland Tours
- For birding: Paradise Expeditions
My Family Chose These Activities
The number one activity choice for each member of my family is below.
- My husband: day trip to Tikal
- My 15-year-old son: going on the ATM cave tour
- My 12-year-old daughter: ziplining at Calico Jack’s
Me—I was thrilled to be in Belize. And to stand amid a kaleidoscope of beautiful butterflies at Green Hills Ranch.
Related Reading
If you are traveling to Belize, check out my related articles below to help you get the information you need to plan your best visit.
Or view my “Belize: The Best Books to Read Before a Trip” below to get a Belize reading list.
Additional Trip Planning Resources
To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below.
Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here.
Google Hotels. Use its “Where to stay” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.
Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.
Viator, Get Your Guide, & Airbnb Experiences. Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.
Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps. Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list.
AllTrails. Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.
Guide Along. 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour.
Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here. My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com.
Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks, and my free customizable travel itinerary template, downloadable in four file formats.
About the author: Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog, Gather and Go Travel. Check out her bio, learn how she became a blogger, and discover how to work with her. Sign up for her monthly Discovery Newsletter to get her latest travel recommendations and how-to’s.
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Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend products and companies I use. And the income goes to keeping the site community-supported and ads minimal.
Welcome to Gather and Go Travel, a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, an experienced traveler to over 50 countries and a travel writer, book lover, and blogger. Learn more about me, read our story, and how to work with me.
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