Belize City Private Tours: Maya Ruins, Caves and Reef Flight

Altun Ha and cave tubing: a six-hour mainland combination

The private Altun Ha and cave tubing outing lasts 6 hours and starts with hotel pickup in Belize City. Its included services are a driver-guide, local taxes and entry to Altun Ha. This combination suits travellers who want a Maya site and a water activity in the same excursion, with the hotel as their starting point. The archaeological visit gives the day a land-based focus before the change of setting to the caves.

Altun Ha was a Maya trading and ceremonial centre. The carved jade head associated with the site is part of its archaeological history; the visit is about the remains of the settlement and their setting. The Altun Ha guide explains the site and entry categories in more detail. Wear suitable footwear and use marked paths and available handrails, following the published NICH visitor guidance. Plan the visit within the agreed excursion schedule rather than building a separate early or late entry around it.

At Nohoch Che’en, cave tubing belongs to the Sibun River cave system in eastern Cayo District. Water level can affect the activity and its sequence. The undated NICH participation guidance calls for a guide, a maximum of 8 guests per guide, a minimum height of 40 inches, equivalent to 101.6 cm, swimming ability and good physical condition. A life jacket and a helmet with a light are required equipment in that guidance. These are participation considerations when choosing the water activity; the tour’s stated inclusions above cover the services sold with this particular combination.

Leave cave formations untouched and do not climb them. A private booking still involves a protected site and water conditions. The regular visitor timetable should be used alongside current operating instructions for the day. Read the cave tubing page for the activity’s setting and published participation guidance.

Altun Ha and howler monkeys: five hours with lunch

The private ruins and howler monkey outing lasts 5 hours, with pickup and transport from Belize City and a local Belizean guide. It combines a guided visit to Altun Ha with fruit wine tasting at Sand Hill Village and a visit to the howler monkey sanctuary. A wildlife expert guide at the sanctuary and a Belizean local lunch are included. This is the land-based choice for a party whose interests run from Maya remains to forest wildlife and a meal during the excursion.

The Community Baboon Sanctuary is in Bermudian Landing in the Belize River Valley. Despite the name, the animals are black howler monkeys rather than baboons. The sanctuary setting differs from the New River corridor used on a Lamanai trip. Wildlife encounters depend on the animals; approach the visit as a guided introduction to their habitat, without an expectation of handling or feeding them. The wildlife guide separates sanctuary visits from river safaris and an independent zoo visit.

Choose this combination when the sanctuary and lunch matter more to your party than entering the water. Its content is more useful for that decision than simply choosing the shorter headline duration. Both mainland combinations include Altun Ha in their route, so the difference lies in the companion activity and the services attached to each outing.

Great Blue Hole: a private sightseeing flight

The Great Blue Hole option is a 75-minute private sightseeing flight from Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airport in Belize City. A licensed pilot flies the Cessna 206; a safety briefing and headsets are included. This suits a party that wants the aerial view of the offshore reef landmark as the main activity. The experience takes place in the aircraft, rather than as a diving or snorkelling excursion.

The displayed group price in November 2026 is USD 2,049 for up to 3 people. Treat that as the quoted group offer. Travel to and from the airfield, food, drinks and gratuities are extra. Budget for the airfield journey separately from the flight itself. The municipal departure point is distinct from Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, BZE, in Ladyville; the airport arrival guide covers that international gateway.

The flight offers a different perspective from a reef boat trip. Travellers seeking time in the water should use the snorkelling guide instead. Decide whether the aerial view or an underwater activity is the purpose of your day before comparing prices across those categories.

Private or small group?

A shared outing is worth considering when its route already matches your interests and you are comfortable joining other guests. Compare the wider tour selection by activity, departure and included services. There is little value in paying for a private format if the companion activity is the wrong one for your party.

For a private day, choose the activity first, then fit its start and duration to your stay. Hotel pickup, city collection and an airfield meeting require different arrangements. Match the selected departure to your accommodation or ship schedule when booking. In particular, a 75-minute flight needs separate time for reaching the airfield, just as a mainland excursion needs time around the ship’s tender process.

Read more about the activities

Altun Ha

Maya remains, visitor guidance and entry categories.

Cave tubing

Water conditions and published participation guidance.

Howler monkeys

Sanctuary visits and river wildlife are different outings.