A Belize itinerary of just over two weeks gives you enough time to combine jungle, Maya history, Caribbean islands and Southern Belize without spending too much time on transport. Belize feels different from the other Central American countries I traveled through. English is widely spoken, the Caribbean influence is strong and along the southern coast you can experience Garifuna culture with its West African, Carib and Arawak roots.
Offshore, the Belize Barrier Reef is part of the second largest reef system in the world, with hundreds of cayes and the famous Blue Hole. Inland, you can switch just as easily to jungle, Maya sites and caves. Belize is compact, so you do not need endless travel days between each stop. I traveled from San Ignacio in the west to Caye Caulker and then south to Hopkins and Placencia before continuing into Guatemala. My Belize itinerary took about fifteen nights, which worked well for this mix of jungle, islands and Southern Belize. If you have three weeks, you can add Northern Belize instead of simply staying longer at every stop.
Start your Belize itinerary in San Ignacio
Coming from Tikal in Guatemala, San Ignacio is a logical first stop in Belize. Stay a few nights so you have time for the ATM Cave and some time around San Ignacio before continuing east. The ATM Cave was one of my favorite experiences in Belize. Swimming, climbing and walking deeper into the cave before reaching Maya artifacts made this much more adventurous than I had expected.
Want to know what the tour is really like, what to bring and how difficult it is? Read my full San Ignacio and ATM Cave guide.
Stop at Belize Zoo on the way east
From San Ignacio, continue toward Belize City and stop at Belize Zoo along the way. Instead of visiting for only a few hours, you can stay nearby and join a night tour as well. That is what I did, and seeing the zoo after dark was completely different from walking around during the day. Belize Zoo mainly cares for native animals that were rescued, rehabilitated or cannot return to the wild. You can see animals such as jaguars and tapirs while learning more about the wildlife living in Belize.
Read my Belize Zoo guide for my daytime visit, night tour and experience staying nearby.
Spend a few days on Caye Caulker
From Belize City, take the water taxi to Caye Caulker and stay for a few days. I ended up spending almost a week here and could easily have stayed longer. Use the island as a base for snorkeling the Belize Barrier Reef, spend time around The Split and try the fresh seafood around town. Caye Caulker was one of those places where I did not need much of a plan. One of my highlights was the flight over the Blue Hole. I booked it locally on Caye Caulker, and seeing that huge blue circle in the middle of the reef from the air was something I really wanted to do in Belize. I was very happy I did.
Read my Caye Caulker guide for snorkeling, my Blue Hole flight, hotels, restaurants and getting to the island.
Sail south with Ragga Sailing Adventures
From Caye Caulker you can continue south with Ragga Sailing Adventures instead of traveling back over land. For me, this was one of the best parts of my whole Belize trip. Three days of sailing, snorkeling, reggae, fresh food, tiny cayes and sleeping on islands made the journey south an experience in itself. I spent a lot of time on the front of the boat with the wind in my face and a big smile.
At one point one of the crew even asked me why I was smiling all the time. That probably explains better than anything how much I enjoyed these three days. So if you have the time and can arrange a spot on the boat, do it!! The trip ends near Dangriga, which also makes it a practical way to connect Caye Caulker with Southern Belize without backtracking.
If sailing, snorkeling and sleeping on tiny islands sounds good to you, read my full Ragga Sailing Adventures experience before booking.
Continue the Belize itinerary to Hopkins and Placencia
After the sailing trip, continue to Hopkins. This is a good place for a quieter couple of days, Garifuna culture and access to inland nature areas such as Cockscomb Basin and Mayflower Bocawina. From Hopkins, travel south to Placencia. Placencia is more compact and gives you more choice for restaurants, cafés and beach time. I stayed in both and would do the same again. If I had to choose one to return to, it would probably be Placencia. But my best evening was in Hopkins, twerking with locals to Garifuna drums at Driftwood Beach Bar & Pizza Shack.
Not sure which one suits you better? Read my Hopkins or Placencia comparison for beaches, hotels, food and transport.
Combine Belize itinerary with Guatemala
Belize is easy to combine with Guatemala, especially if you do not want to travel back the same way. Coming from Guatemala, travel from Flores or Tikal toward the western border and start in San Ignacio. From there, continue through Belize toward the islands and Southern Belize. At the end of the route, travel from Placencia toward Punta Gorda and take the boat to Livingston in Guatemala. From Livingston you can continue to Río Dulce or travel onward toward Honduras, which is how I continued my Central America trip. This gives you a circular route instead of returning through the same border.
Planning more of Central America? Combine this Belize itinerary with my Guatemala itinerary, Livingston and Río Dulce guide or continue toward Copán Ruinas in Honduras.
Got three weeks? Add Northern Belize
My own Belize itinerary took just over two weeks. With three weeks, I would use the extra time to add Northern Belize rather than adding more nights everywhere else. Orange Walk is a useful base for visiting Lamanai. The trip combines the Maya ruins with a boat journey along the New River, so it gives you something different from San Ignacio and the coast. You can also consider Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary for wetlands, birds and wildlife. If your route continues toward Mexico, look at Corozal or the beautiful Bacalar.
I did not visit Northern Belize on this trip, so these are suggestions for extending the route rather than stops from my own Belize journey.
Getting around Belize
Belize is compact, so most stops can be reached without losing a full day to transport. You can travel independently by public bus, shuttle and water taxi. I used a combination of these and found it easy enough as long as I kept some flexibility in the schedule. For Caye Caulker, use the water taxi from Belize City. To continue toward Southern Belize, you can return to the mainland or do what I did and turn the transfer into a three day sailing trip with Ragga Sailing Adventures.
A rental car can make sense if you want more freedom around San Ignacio, Hopkins or the national parks. I traveled without one, but I met other travelers who liked having their own car. If you want to drive yourself, compare rental cars with Discover Cars. For shuttles and other bookable transport, check current Belize transport options on 12Go.
Continue with my Belize travel tips and practical advice
Once your Belize itinerary is clear, continue with my Belize travel tips for practical information about money, accommodation, transport, safety and traveling independently.
Read my Belize travel tips and practical advice here.
