Looking for the top things to do in Belize? An increasingly popular destination for tourists, Belize is attracting visitors looking for all types of vacation: water sports near the Belize City Cruise Port, adventure treks to see Mayan ruins, and more relaxed beach hangouts in San Pedro. Read on to learn more about what to do in Belize!

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The Best Things To Do in Belize: How to Experience Belize’s Best Attractions

1. Belize City & Belize Cruise Port
2. Things To Do in Belize City & Belize Cruise Port
3. San Pedro / Ambergris Caye
4. Things To Do in San Pedro, Belize
5. San Ignacio
6. Things To Do in San Ignacio, Belize
7. Placencia
8. Things To Do in Placencia, Belize
9. Hopkins
10. Things To Do in Hopkins, Belize
11. General Information about Belize
12. Belize Itinerary: What To Do in Belize for a Week
13. Final Thoughts on Things To Do in Belize

Belize City & Belize Cruise Port

Belize City is the capital of Belize and has the largest airport in the country. Moreover, the Belize cruise port is located just outside of Belize City.

If you’re looking for the best things to do in Belize City or the Belize Cruise Port, most excursions will take you outside the city limits. There are some great excursions and tours available from Belize City!

Do note: the city has crime and gang problems, fueling the US State Department’s Level 3 warning for Belize City. While you will be safe taking tours to and from the tourist zones in Belize City, there isn’t much to see in the city itself. (Belize is safe as a whole, and the State Department rates Belize at Level 2.)

Things To Do in Belize City & Belize Cruise Port

Go Cave Tubing through Mayan Caves

Urmi and I have traveled to many countries but have never seen cave tubing anywhere else! This activity is perfect for those looking for things to do from the Belize Cruise Port.

Tour Mayan Ruins

There are many options from Belize City for tours of Mayan ruins. The closest are Lamanai and Altun Ha, but for those who want a full day tour, consider going to Xunantunich. Some tours are combo Mayan ruins + cave tubing, cave kayaking, or ziplining!

Cave Tubing and Mayan Ruins Tours

1. Cave Tubing with Lunch: Lasting 4 hours, this tour will give you time to check out one of the most unique things to do in Belize while still giving you time to relax on the cruise ship, if you so choose! No Mayan ruins included in this tour.
2. Private Altun Ha Maya Ruin & Cave Tubing Adventure from Belize City: Private tours are great so you can operate on your own schedule. This tour includes lunch.
3. Xunantunich Mayan Ruin & Cave Tubing Combo from Belize City: Perfect for those who are looking to spend additional time in San Ignacio after arriving in Belize City, this tour allows a drop-off at a San Ignacio hotel if you wish. Expect to spend up to 10 hours on this tour if you’re coming from Belize City or the Belize Cruise Port.

San Pedro / Ambergris Caye

San Pedro, the only town on Ambergris Caye, is the most popular tourist destination in Belize. To get to San Pedro, you’ll either need to take a water taxi or a short 15-minute domestic flight from Belize City. I’d strongly recommend taking the flight, which is considerably shorter and less likely to be impacted by weather conditions. Make sure you check with your hotel to see if they offer free transfers from the ferry or airport!

Because San Pedro has a stronger tourist infrastructure, this is the perfect location for folks seeking what to do in Belize without an excursion! We also think this is probably your best bet for fun things to do in Belize!

Things To Do in San Pedro, Belize

Secret Beach on Sundays

No longer a “secret”, Secret Beach contains a host of restaurants and bars along with–yes–a beach! San Pedro actually doesn’t really have a lot of sandy beaches, so if you enjoy going to the beach, Secret Beach is your best shot. Some of the restaurants have tables in the water, so you can cool off while enjoying food and drink!

To get to Secret Beach from San Pedro, you’ll have to either take a taxi or rent a golf cart. In fact, golf carts are the primary means by which tourists and locals alike get around the island. Even if your hotel has a golf cart rental on the premises, it’s worth shopping around other agencies. They are plentiful, and even unassuming restaurants or cafes may have an attached golf cart rental agency.

When renting a golf cart in San Pedro, be sure to check for the following:

• Do the headlights turn on?
• Does your price include gas, or do you have to refill the gas?
• Does the agency provide a bridge pass?
• Does the agency offer an emergency contact number?

Sunset Cruises with Island Dream Tours

If you enjoy spending time on boats, Island Dream Tours offers some amazing day trips. In fact, they’re ranked #1 on Trip Advisor for Best Things to do in San Pedro, Belize! Urmi and I did the Sunset Booze Cruise. We had such a great time that if we were to book again, we’d do a longer tour such as the Snorkel/Chill/Sunset Cruise.

We found the operation clean, timely, and professional in every possible way. Customer service was great via email. Just be sure to request any special meal accommodations in advance! We forgot to do that and the chef made his best attempt to accommodate, which we appreciated.

Pro tip: if all guests show up to the cruise early, they may depart early.

Snorkel Hol Chan / Scuba Diving

No blog post about a Caribbean country would be complete without some mention of snorkeling and scuba diving!

Belize has a protected marine reserve called Hol Chan Marine Reserve, which is a popular snorkeling destination. (The reserve is too shallow for diving.) It’s just a short boat ride away from San Pedro or Caye Caulker. The popular Shark Ray Alley is a part of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve as well.

I’m going to make a separate post with a thorough guide to scuba diving in Belize, so for now, I’ll highlight some recommended snorkeling tours.

Hol Chan Marine Reserve Snorkeling Tours

1. Belize Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley Snorkel Tour – Ambergris Caye: This tour is limited to 15 passengers, which is great so as not to be too crowded in the water!
2. Hol Chan Marine Reserve Snorkel Tour on the 40′ Sirena Azul Sailboat: Prefer a morning or afternoon? This tour gives you both options to allow flexibility with your schedule!

San Ignacio

If you’re looking for unique things to do in Belize, San Ignacio is your place! Located close to the border with Guatemala, San Ignacio is far and away the most convenient city to the Mayan ruins in the Belizean jungle.

Moreover, San Ignacio offers the closest access to wildlife observation tours.

Things To Do in San Ignacio, Belize

Tour Tikal National Park & Mayan Ruins

Tikal National Park is a sprawling abandoned Mayan city in Guatemala that, at its peak, was inhabited by up to 400,000 people. Considering the modern day population of Belize is around 450,000, it’s incredible to believe so many people once lived in one city!

Tikal was also made famous in the movies Star Wars Episode IV and Moonraker.

While many blogs describe how to see Tikal without a tour guide, I would strongly recommend you see Tikal on an organized tour for 3 reasons:

1. Tourists sometimes get lost in the jungle and, scary enough, never get found.
2. You’ll learn a lot more about the history of Tikal from a real guide.
3. Navigating the border between Belize and Guatemala will be far easier, since you cannot drive one car by yourself across the border.

I’d additionally recommend doing a private tour, if you’re able to do so. A private tour will allow you and your family/group to move at a pace that works for you. If you walk/hike on the faster side, that also means you’ll be able to see more of the ruins. Be sure to read my tips for seeing Mayan ruins!

Tikal National Park Tours

1. Private Tikal Mayan City Tour with Lunch: This is a private tour with free pick-up/drop-off from your hotel and lunch at the on-site restaurant included. The restaurant was surprisingly good, and they accommodated a substantive vegetarian lunch quite well!
2. Tikal Day Trip with Local Lunch from San Ignacio: A group tour, which is a little more cost effective than the private tour. You’ll still get lunch at the on-site restaurant.

Tour Xunantunich Mayan Ruins

Another Mayan site in Belize, the Xunantunich ruins are a fraction the size of Tikal, but the site has some major advantages over Tikal:

• Having been only excavated in the 21st century, its excavation used modern techniques that much more effectively preserved the structures.
• It is a very short drive from San Ignacio and doesn’t require crossing the Guatemalan border.
  • The proximity also allows Xunantunich to be a great option for things to do in Belize City.
• The smaller size of the site means fewer crowds.

The only downside is that unlike Tikal, the pathways are not shaded. Expect to spend the full day in the sun. Other than that, you can use the same tips for seeing Mayan ruins.

Xunantunich Mayan Ruins Tours

The tours listed in this section depart from San Ignacio. For a Xunantunich Mayan Ruins tour from Belize City or the Belize Cruise Port, check out the section above!

1. Xunantunich Riding Tour: If you’re looking to spice up your tour, this one allows you to approach the site on horseback! Urmi and I personally did this tour. The horseback riding is first timer-friendly and the horses were well behaved. You won’t see the actual site on horseback; the guide will keep the horses in the shade during your tour the Xunantunich ruins. Hotel pick-up/drop-off included.
2. Xunantunich Mayan Ruins Tour from San Ignacio: This tour offers hotel pick-up/drop-off and a guide for your tour of Xunantunich, but skips the horseback riding.

ATM Cave

Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave, or ATM Cave for short, isn’t exactly a Mayan “ruin”, but was a holy place for the Mayans. Urmi and I have done our fair share of cave tours via Mammoth Cave National Park and Wind Cave National Park, both in the US, and due to a lack of time, we skipped this one.

Full disclosure, a tour of this cave is not for the faint of heart. It includes a 45 minute hike through the jungle, wading through knee-deep water multiple times; a (short) swim across a river in the cave; and more than a handful of tight squeezes. For the adventurer, this would no doubt qualify as one of the most fun things to do in Belize!

Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave Tours

1. Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave with Local Lunch from San Ignacio: The tour includes lunch and round-trip transportation from hotels in San Ignacio.
2. ATM Cave Tour from San Ignacio: Much like the other tour, this one includes lunch and round-trip transportation; it’s just another option from another operator.

Tips for Seeing Mayan Ruins Tours

• Definitely bring sunscreen! The Belizean jungle gets hot and depending on the specific site you visit, you may not get any shade.
• Bringing ample water, especially if the day is looking to be hot – it was 100° F the days we went! Just be aware, you’ll have to carry the water yourself. Urmi and I took a backpack. Some sites will sell cold bottled water as well.
• Some of the climbs are on stairs with a standard step size; others are climbing on the “raw” steps as built by the Mayans themselves. Be prepared for large step sizes.
• We’d also recommend a hat and bug spray.
• Snacks may be useful depending on the length of your trip.
• Binoculars are a nice-to-have, but not entirely necessary.

Placencia

Placencia is a beach town located on the Caribbean coast of mainland Belize. I booked a few days in Placencia to do some scuba diving, but unfortunately the trip got canceled last minute, so I never got to dive.

Placencia is a nice change of pace from the adventure vibes of San Ignacio and the touristic “hustle and bustle” vibes of San Pedro. However, unless you are specifically coming to scuba dive or take a Monkey River tour, you can probably skip Placencia.

Things To Do in Placencia, Belize

Monkey River Tour

The Monkey River tour was a wildlife observation boat tour. This trip is a major win for birding in Belize! We found some beautiful birds along the river, and were even lucky enough to see a crocodile and dolphins!

Your tour will also likely do a 45 minute jungle hike on an island inhabited by multiple troops of howler monkeys. Depending on your specific tour, lunch may be included as well.

On the way back, our specific tour also dropped by an area inhabited by manatees. However, the manatees are not there year-round. Check with your tour operator in advance, if seeing manatees is on your checklist!

Monkey River Tours

1. Monkey River & Manatee Watch: This tour will allow you to swim, if you wish.
2. Monkey River Wildlife Encounters & Manatee Watch: This tour doesn’t include swimming or lunch. May be a better option if you’d prefer to bring your own lunch.

Hopkins

Hopkins is an oft-missed beach town in Belize. It is smaller than Placencia (which itself is quite small), however there is one critical reason to stay in Hopkins for wildlife observers: this is the only way to do a nighttime tour of the Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary!

Things To Do in Hopkins, Belize

Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary

Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary, combined with the Bladen Nature Reserve, has so many jaguars that Belize is in fact the most jaguar-populated country on the planet. Cockscomb is well within a reasonable driving distance of Placencia, so we assumed we could check it out during our stay in Placencia.

However, tour marketing can be slick: while there are many day tours from Placencia advertising a “tour of the jaguar reserve”, jaguars are nocturnal, so it is difficult to spot them in the daytime. If you’d like to see jaguars, you are far better off doing a nighttime tour! Urmi and I didn’t know in advance, but the only nighttime tours of Cockscomb take off from Hopkins. We certainly would qualify jaguar spotting one of the top things to do in Belize, so we’re sad we missed the opportunity!

Of course, if seeing giant predatory cats at night isn’t your cup of tea, you can do a daytime tour as well and see a host of other animals!

Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary Tours

1. Cockscomb Jaguar Reserve Night Hike & Jaguar Spotting: The single biggest missed item of the trip for Urmi and me!
2. Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary: This daytime trip also gives you some time to relax in the water! Lunch is included.

Belize Itinerary: What To Do in Belize for a Week

Urmi and I visited Belize for 1 week and we felt like that was totally sufficient to see a mix of Mayan ruins near San Ignacio, get some scuba diving done in Placencia, and relax for a bit in San Pedro. Here are a couple options for what to do in Belize for a week.

Belize Itinerary #1

• Day 1: Land in Belize City airport BZE; take a car transfer to San Ignacio
• Day 2: Tour of Tikal or ATM Cave
• Day 3: Tour of Xunantunich; take an afternoon car transfer to Placencia
• Day 4: Monkey River Tour or Scuba or Snorkel
• Day 5: Fly to San Pedro; Secret Beach or Sunset Cruise or Relax
• Day 6: Secret Beach or Full Day Snorkel Cruise
• Day 7: Fly home

Belize Itinerary #2

• Day 1: Land in Belize City airport BZE; take car transfer to San Ignacio
• Day 2: Tour of Tikal or ATM Cave
• Day 3: Tour of Xunantunich; take an afternoon car transfer to Hopkins
• Day 4: Daytime or Nighttime tour of Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary
• Day 5: Fly to San Pedro; Secret Beach or Sunset Cruise or Relax
• Day 6: Secret Beach or Full Day Snorkel Cruise
• Day 7: Fly home

General Information about Belize

Is Belize Safe to Visit?

Belize is definitely safe to visit, especially as a tourist. We never felt walking anywhere around San Pedro, San Ignacio, or Placencia (even late at night) that we were in a dangerous place. The State Department only rates Belize as a Level 2 from a safety perspective.

Belize City has its crime problems, but as a tourist, you have no reason to visit the problem areas. Enjoy yourself in Belize!

Best Time to go to Belize

Belize has its rainy season–potentially including hurricanes–from May to November. It’s generally advised to visit in the dry season between December to April.

In some years, rains can extend into early December. Moreover, it gets quite hot in March and April. Locals told us that the best time to go to Belize is January and February, when there is little rain, and temperatures are cooler.

That being said, our April trip was toasty but it was totally manageable!

How to Travel Around Belize

If flight schedules make sense, domestic flights are very fast. Since the airports are small, there is no security checkpoint, so you don’t have to go through all the trouble of removing your shoes, discarding your liquids, and so on (exception: departing from, or connecting through BZE will require you to go through standard security procedures).

Be aware though, that virtually all domestic flights are on small planes like the Cessna. If you’re nervous flying on small planes, you may wish to take car transfers instead, if your origin and destination are on the mainland. If you are transiting between the mainland and San Pedro, your only other option is the water taxi. In rough waters, you’ll have wished you took the 15 minute flight!

Belize is a small country, so depending on your origin and destination, car transfers shouldn’t be more than 3 hours.

How Many Days Should I Spend in Belize?

For a simple relaxing vacation in San Pedro, a long weekend should be totally sufficient – flying in on Friday, and leaving Sunday or Monday.

If you’re looking to enjoy different unique activities around different parts of Belize, I’d recommend 7-10 days. If you really are efficient with your time, you can definitely knock off all the above activities in 7-10 days!

I’ll also note here that if you intend to go scuba diving on your trip, to make sure you wait 18-24 hours before flying after your last dive–which, of course, lengthens the amount of time you’ll spend in Belize. I’d even be cautious of trying to take car transportation up into the mountains in that period after a dive; I personally knew somebody who got DCS from doing that (albeit, not in Belize).

Final Thoughts on Things To Do in Belize

Is Belize worth visiting? We certainly thought so! There so many unique things to do in Belize that can’t be seen or done anywhere else in the world. In addition to the activities we listed above, there are many other types of activities such as ziplining – but we strive to recommend activities that are unique to any given location.

Have you been to Belize? Was it a cruise stop or a dedicated trip to visit? Did we miss anything in this article? Leave a comment below!