How many days in Belize? 7 days, half in the jungle and half on the reef
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Belize is small, English-speaking and split in two: Maya ruins and caves in the western jungle of Cayo, and the second-longest barrier reef in the world off the coast. Give it seven days, three inland and four on the cayes, and you will not need to rush. Distances are short, but tours are the main cost, so budget for them rather than for hotels.
Short answer
Five days gives you San Ignacio with the ATM cave, then two days on Caye Caulker. Seven adds Xunantunich, a dive or flight over the Blue Hole and Altun Ha before your flight home.
The 7-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Belize City to San Ignacio
Morning. Land at Philip Goldson International Airport and head west on the George Price Highway. Stop after about 45 minutes at The Belize Zoo, which only keeps rescued native animals, including jaguars and tapirs (about BZ$60).
Afternoon. Continue to San Ignacio, about 2 hours from the airport in all. Walk up to Cahal Pech, a small Maya site 15 minutes from the centre on a hill above town (roughly BZ$10-20).
Evening. Eat on Burns Avenue, the pedestrian street, where stew chicken with rice and beans costs BZ$15-20 and a Belikin beer about BZ$5-7.
The Belize dollar is fixed at 2 to 1 with the US dollar, and US notes are accepted everywhere. Always ask which dollar a price is in.
Day 2: The ATM cave
Morning. Join a licensed guide for Actun Tunichil Muknal, the ATM cave, about 45 minutes from San Ignacio. You swim across a pool at the entrance and wade, climb and squeeze for about 3 hours inside.
Afternoon. Deep in the cave, in the Cathedral chamber, lie Maya pottery and skeletons left by sacrifices more than 1,000 years ago, including the calcified 'Crystal Maiden'. Tours cost about BZ$220-260 with lunch and the park fee.
Evening. Back in town, rest your legs at a bar overlooking the Macal River. Many tour operators also offer tubing or canoeing on the river.
No cameras or phones are allowed in the ATM cave since a visitor dropped one on a skull. Bring socks: you take off your boots in the upper chamber.
Day 3: Xunantunich and the Cayo market
Morning. Drive 20 minutes to San Jose Succotz and cross the Mopan River on the small hand-cranked ferry to Xunantunich (about BZ$20). Climb El Castillo, 40 metres high, for a view over the jungle into Guatemala.
Afternoon. On Saturdays, the San Ignacio Market sells fruit, tamales and pupusas from early morning. Otherwise visit the Green Iguana Conservation Project at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel (about BZ$20).
Evening. Overnight in San Ignacio, or in one of the jungle lodges along the Macal River.
If you have one more day, Caracol, the largest Maya site in Belize, is about 2.5 hours away by rough road; tours leave in convoy at 7:00.
Day 4: To Caye Caulker
Morning. Take a shuttle or the bus back to Belize City (bus about BZ$10, 2-3 hours) and catch the water taxi from the Marine Terminal to Caye Caulker, about 45 minutes (roughly BZ$45-60 one way).
Afternoon. Caye Caulker has no cars and sand roads. Walk to The Split, the channel at the north end where everyone swims, and the Lazy Lizard bar.
Evening. Watch sunset from the west-side docks, then eat grilled lobster or fish from the beach grills on Front Street for BZ$40-70.
The island motto is 'Go Slow'. Golf carts are taxis; most places are within a 15-minute walk.
Day 5: Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley
Morning. Join a half-day snorkel boat to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, where a cut in the reef holds turtles, moray eels and big groupers. Tours cost about BZ$120-180 including the park fee.
Afternoon. The same trip stops at Shark Ray Alley, where nurse sharks and stingrays gather around the boats, and often at a coral garden off Caye Caulker.
Evening. Try a rum punch at sunset and conch fritters on the island.
Use reef-safe sunscreen or a rash vest. Guides ask you not to touch or stand on coral.
Day 6: The Great Blue Hole
Morning. Certified divers can join a full-day trip to the Great Blue Hole, a 300-metre-wide sinkhole on Lighthouse Reef, about 2 hours by boat. Expect roughly BZ$700-900 with three dives.
Afternoon. The trip continues to Half Moon Caye, a nesting site for red-footed boobies, and the walls of Lighthouse Reef. Snorkellers can join many of these boats for less.
Evening. Back after 17:00. For the view from above instead, a scenic flight costs roughly BZ$600-800 for about an hour.
The Blue Hole dive is deep (around 40 metres) and short. Many divers prefer the walls of Turneffe Atoll, closer and calmer.
Day 7: Altun Ha and departure
Morning. Take an early water taxi to Belize City and visit Altun Ha, the Maya site about an hour north, where the jade head of the sun god Kinich Ahau was found (about BZ$20).
Afternoon. Head to the airport, around 40 minutes from Altun Ha. Leave 3 hours for international flights.
Evening. If you are staying longer, fly 15 minutes to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye or south to Placencia.
Departure taxes are normally included in airline tickets. Small Tropic Air and Maya Island Air flights connect the cayes and the south for about BZ$150-300.
Only have 5 days?
With 5 days, spend two nights in San Ignacio for the ATM cave and Xunantunich, then two on Caye Caulker for Hol Chan.
Got extra days?
Head south to Hopkins, a Garifuna village with drumming and hudut, and the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the jaguar reserve, or to Placencia for long beaches and whale-shark season (March to June).
Where to stay in Belize
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Caye Caulker / San Ignacio centre | Guesthouses and hostels within walking distance of the tour offices. | BZ$80-150 |
| Mid-range | Caye Caulker north | Sea views and docks, close to The Split. | BZ$200-350 |
| Mid-range | Macal River lodges | Jungle cabins 15-30 minutes from San Ignacio. | BZ$250-400 |
| Comfort | Ambergris Caye / Cayo eco-lodges | Beach resorts or lodges such as those in the Mountain Pine Ridge. | BZ$500-1,200 |
Getting around
Water taxis (Ocean Ferry, San Pedro Belize Express) run from Belize City to Caye Caulker (45 minutes) and San Pedro (90 minutes) several times a day. Buses to San Ignacio leave from the main terminal and are cheap but slow. Shuttles from the airport to San Ignacio or the water taxi cost about BZ$50-100 per person. Driving is on the right, and rental cars cost BZ$150-200 a day.
What to eat in Belize
Belizean cooking mixes Creole, Maya, Mestizo and Garifuna. Try rice and beans with stew chicken, fry jacks (fried dough) with eggs for breakfast, salbutes and panades as snacks, and hudut, fish in coconut broth with mashed plantain, in Garifuna villages. Lobster season runs 15 June to 14 February; conch season usually October to June. Every table has Marie Sharp's hot sauce. Street food costs BZ$5-15, a restaurant meal BZ$30-60.
Best time to visit
December to May is the dry season, with highs around 27-31°C. Hurricane season runs June to November, with the highest risk from August to October, when some lodges close. Easter and Christmas are busiest. Water visibility is best from April to June.
Month-by-month weather for Belize →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | BZ$50 | BZ$140 | BZ$350 |
| Food & drink | BZ$50 | BZ$90 | BZ$170 |
| Sights & tickets | BZ$70 | BZ$150 | BZ$300 |
| Local transport | BZ$15 | BZ$40 | BZ$100 |
| Total per person, per day | about BZ$185 | about BZ$420 | about BZ$920 |
Approximate 2026 prices in Belize dollars (BZ$2 = US$1). Hotels add a 9% hotel tax, and restaurants add 12.5% GST.
Before you go
Common questions
Is Belize expensive?
More than its neighbours. A night in a guesthouse costs about BZ$80-150, meals are BZ$20-50, and the tours are where the money goes: BZ$220-260 for the ATM cave, BZ$120-180 for snorkelling, more for diving. A tight week still costs roughly BZ$1,300 per person, not counting flights.
Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye?
Caye Caulker is small, cheaper and car-free, with a backpacker feel. Ambergris Caye, with the town of San Pedro, is larger, with resorts, golf carts and more restaurants. Both reach Hol Chan in under 30 minutes. For a first trip on a budget, choose Caye Caulker.
Is Belize safe for tourists?
The tourist areas of Cayo, the cayes and Placencia are generally safe. Belize City has high crime in some neighbourhoods, so most visitors only pass through by taxi. Use licensed guides for caves and ruins, and do not walk alone on dark beaches at night.
Can I visit Tikal from Belize?
Yes. Tikal in Guatemala is about 2 hours from San Ignacio via the Benque Viejo border. Day tours run from San Ignacio, including border fees. Bring your passport; you pay Belize exit and conservation fees of roughly US$20-40 when leaving by land.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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