Belize: Immerse in Mayan Culture

Overview: 

• Pick up from the Goldson International Airport
• Visit the Baboon Sanctuary to experience the howler monkeys in their natural habitat  
• Transfer to Orange Walk Town at Lamanai Landings Hotel & Marina

Details:  

Welcome to Belize! Your journey begins with a flight to the country capital, Belize City. There you will be met and assisted upon arrival at the airport and be taken to the Baboon Sanctuary. At the Baboon Sanctuary, you will interact with howler monkeys, listen to local guides and their experiences, and learn about these wonderful animals. The monkeys roam freely and you will need to try to respect and not invade their space, but photos are welcome!

After the tour, you will be transferred to Orange Walk Town at Lamanai Landings Hotel & Marina. Dinner is on your own, but your driver can stop at a restaurant on the way to the hotel.  

Wear comfortable footwear and light clothing. 

Duration: Full Day  

Included: Airport Pick-Up, Baboon Sanctuary, and Hotel Transport  

Accommodation: Overnight at Lamanai Landings Hotel & Marina

Overview: 

• Lamanai Tour through beautiful Mayan ruins located in the Orange Walk district
• Pachamama Ecological Park experience and lunch at Jardin Pachamama
• Transfer back to the hotel 

Details:  

The Lamanai Tour is in a beautiful Mayan ruin, located in the Orange Walk district of Belize. In the morning you can choose to buy breakfast, or for an additional $6 USD, you can enjoy a delicious Belizean breakfast. The Belizean breakfast includes scrambled eggs with beans, cheese accompanied with flour tortillas or fry jacks, refreshing natural watermelon juice or fruit that is in season at the time of your visit, coffee, or purified water.  

After breakfast, you will be transported in an air-conditioned van to the Mayan site of Lamanai. Along the way, you will pass through the Mennonite community of Shipyard. This is an authentic village where the Mennonites use horse and carriage as means of transportation, and where you can have a view of how a Mennonite community lives in Belize.   

Upon reaching Lamanai, you will receive a guided tour of the Pachamama Ecological Park and Mayan Ruins, and enjoy lunch Jardin Pachamama, a Mayan cultural center. Two activities offered at Jardin Pachamama are an immersive Story Telling of Mayan folklore, and an engaging Tortilla Making experience. Guests can schedule additional activities to their tour for an additional price, such as a demonstration of the Mayan ball game, Pok Ta Pok, seeing cultural dances, and walking along a guided medicinal plant trail.  

At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Orange Walk Town at Lamanai Landings Hotel & Marina.  

Wear light clothing, bug spray, and comfortable hiking shoes.

Duration: Full Day  

Included: Lamanai and Pachamama Tours, and Hotel Transport  

Accommodation: Overnight at Lamanai Landings Hotel & Marina

Overview: 

• Cave Tubing through a limestone cave
• Zip-line through a Belizean jungle
• Transfer to San Ignacio 

Details:  

Cave Tubing starts off with a short hike through the jungle to a river. There the guide will share safety techniques as you get on provided inner tubes to enjoy a peaceful tour through the underground cavern. The guide will be pointing out many important aspects of the cave by sharing information along the tour. Learn about medicinal plants and Belize’s rainforest. 

Zip lining is a 45-minute experience where you will glide through the Belizean jungle enjoying nature with a bird’s view. This experience includes a short walk through the rainforest. 

These combo tours are just 5-minute drive away from each other.  The name of the park is "Nohoch Che en Park,” also referred to as Jaguar Paw Park.  

Guests will be transferred to the overnight accommodations in San Ignacio after the tours.     

Wear clothing and shoes that can get wet, and bring a change of dry clothes to change into after the cave tubing experience. 

Duration: Full Day  

Included: Cave Tubing, Ziplining, Transport to San Ignacio  

Accommodation: Overnight at Log Cab-Inn

Overview: 

• Explore the ancient Mayan ruins of Xunantunich 
• Swim in a refreshing freshwater creek at Guanacaste Park 
• Transfer to the Water taxi at Belize City 
• Water taxi to either San Pedro or Caye Caulker - your choice!

Details:  

Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, this ancient city is easily one of the most gorgeous Mayan sites in Belize (click here).     

One of Belize’s most impressive Mayan ceremonial centers, Xunantunich rests atop a natural limestone ridge with a grand view of the entire Cayo District and the neighboring country, Guatemala. The local name for the site, Xunantunich (shoo-NAHN-ta-nitch), or Stone Lady, continues to be used, even after the ancients’ own name for the site, Ka-at Witz, or Supernatural Mountain, was discovered carved in stone. One of the largest tombs ever discovered in Belize was found at Xunantunich in the summer of 2016, containing the remains of a Maya leader, jade beads, vases, and other Mayan artifacts. 

Swim in the refreshing freshwater creek at Guanacaste Park. Guanacaste Park is optional, or explore the Belize Zoo.

Transfer to the water taxi in Belize City.  

Wear comfortable clothing and shoes and bring along a bathing suit if you choose the option to swim.  

Duration: Full Day  

Included: Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, Swim at Guanacaste Park, Transport to Water Taxi  

Not Included: Water Taxi Fera  

Accommodation: Overnight at either island: 

Caye Caulker: Barefoot Hotel 

San Pedro: Caribbean Villas Resort 

Overview: 

• Snorkeling at Hol Chan or Shark Ray Alley (either half or full day) 

Details:   

Famous for diverse marine life and snorkeling sites, both islands of Caye Caulker and San Pedro offer easy access to world-renown snorkeling and diving sites, Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley. These two designated marine reserves are located among the second-largest barrier reef in the world!  

Caye Caulker is a small, walkable island adorned with beach houses, hammocks, bicycles, and plenty of places to walk, relax, and enjoy. 

San Pedro is a larger island hosting a plethora of restaurants, nightlife, Mayan Ruins, and a spectacular place called Secret Beach.  

Both isles have reputable snorkeling tours that offer knowledgeable guides and an abundance of diverse marine life where you can swim with sting rays, sea turtles and nurse sharks! 

Wear comfortable clothing and shoes, and bring along a bathing suit, towel, and reef-friendly sun protection.  

Duration: Half or Full Day   

Included: Snorkeling Trip 

Accommodation: Overnight at either island. You will have the option of two islands, Caye Caulker or San Pedro, for your accommodations:

Caye Caulker: Barefoot Hotel 

San Pedro: Caribbean Villas Resort 

Overview: 

• Beach Play Day! You get to pick which island you want to play on for the day!  

Details:  

Today you have a choice of two islands that offer plenty of beach time and places to play!   

San Pedro hosts a unique place called Secret Beach, which requires a 40-minute ride in a rented golf cart and is worth the expense.    

Caye Caulker hosts mangroves and sea horses, pelicans, seasonal lobsters, and a slower pace. Rent a bike, or walk around this sweet Caribbean Island, enjoying a slower, more relaxed way of life.   

Duration: Free Day  

Included: Free Day 

Accommodation: Overnight at either island: 

Caye Caulker: Barefoot Hotel 

San Pedro: Caribbean Villas Resort 

Overview:  

Travel to Goldson International Airport and head home.  

  Details:  

Pick up at the San Pedro Belize Express water taxi and drop off at Goldson International Airport OR a domestic flight can be taken from the island to the international airport.     

Included: Transport to the Goldson International Airport 

Through our three travel pillars of Learn, Serve and Immerse, Global Family Travels develops experiences with community partners, to both support them and to authentically connect our travelers with the local people, cultures and natural beauty of the destinations we visit.   This trip to Belize provides immersive opportunities in the Mayan culture, by exploring the exotic Lamanai and Xunantunich ruins and engaging with Mayan people at the Jardin Pachamama cultural center.

You'll hear the roar of Howler Monkeys - lovingly called baboons by the locals - at the Baboon Sanctuary, where you'll be up close and personal with these curious primates. Float through a limestone cave system on an inner tube and zipline through the jungle canopy one day, and the next, snorkel amongst sea turtles, sting rays, and nurse sharks in the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere.

Connecting with the people of Belize, and supporting the craft and cuisine artisans are the best ways to be of service to this gorgeous and friendly country. 

Much more than a traditional tour operator, Global Family Travels’ mission is to “Learn, Serve and Immerse” through community-based travel programs. In partnership with non-profit organizations and schools, we offer family-friendly and sustainable travel experiences in support of education, gender equality, access to clean water, preservation of local cultures, conservation, and economic growth, all of which foster cross-cultural understanding and global citizens.  

Our trips include a unique mix of cultural and educational activities, homestays, and participation in local service projects aimed at improving the lives of people in the communities we visit.    
 
Expect to expand your family circle when you embark on a Global Family Travels trip!  Visit our website for more information: Global Family Travels