Lamanai Belize Tours
Lamanai Belize Tours
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The Best Tours to Lamanai Maya Ruins Archaeological Site in Belize. We cater to anyone including cruise liners. We offer a river adventure on the way to Lamanai, as you explore the mystic Maya world in an exciting way.
Belize City, Belize
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023
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Lamanai Belize Tours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
535 reviews
Excellent
466
Very good
42
Average
11
Poor
7
Terrible
9
Katherine D
Cambridge, MA217 contributions
Nov 2020
Fantastic tour of some amazing ruins!
We booked this as a private tour, and it was 100% worth it. We had a great experience and felt very safe for our entire tour. Take advantage and enjoy this site without the cruise ships crowds while you still can. Javier was our guide and did a great job telling us about all the interesting parts of this site. We had visited other Mayan ruins in Mexico last year, so it was cool to see the similarities and differences. Make sure to listen when he talks about the liquid mercury that was found on site! A side note for picture lovers - I am always nervous to book guided tours because I want to make sure I have time to stop and take pictures. Javier was great about this! He included plenty of time for us to stop and take pictures of the two of us, even wandering around so we didn't feel pressured to be quick. This is a little thing - but something I really appreciated.
Some tips to help you enjoy your tour:
It was 1.5 hour bus ride (bumpy roads, so be prepared), and then a 1 hour boat ride winding through the mangroves. Beautiful boat ride, they stopped when there was an interesting bird or wildlife. They provided cushions, but I suggest bringing a very lightweight blanket if you burn easily to protect your legs since even through the top is shaded the angle of the sun won't always protect you. There are bathrooms at the start of the boat ride (clean), and when you get to the ruins (also very clean).
Bring snacks & water. As with any tour you should be prepared and bring enough supplies for yourself! They did have some snacks and drinks for us on the boat ride back, and then we ate lunch in the bus on the way back (this was to allow us the most time at the ruins so we didn't mind the late lunch at all!).
The ruins have 3 sites, which are also the 3 main pyramids. There are wide flat walking trails in between them. We only climbed to the top of the High Pyramid since it was hot out, and this one gives you the best views (you can see the river your boat came in on).
We saw multiple groups of monkeys, which was very cool.
This group went above and beyond, they picked us up from a hotel not in Belize City, were able to store our luggage throughout the trip, and then dropped us off at the water taxi port. I really appreciated their flexibility in addition to their knowledge of the sites!
We booked this as a private tour, and it was 100% worth it. We had a great experience and felt very safe for our entire tour. Take advantage and enjoy this site without the cruise ships crowds while you still can. Javier was our guide and did a great job telling us about all the interesting parts of this site. We had visited other Mayan ruins in Mexico last year, so it was cool to see the similarities and differences. Make sure to listen when he talks about the liquid mercury that was found on site! A side note for picture lovers - I am always nervous to book guided tours because I want to make sure I have time to stop and take pictures. Javier was great about this! He included plenty of time for us to stop and take pictures of the two of us, even wandering around so we didn't feel pressured to be quick. This is a little thing - but something I really appreciated.
Some tips to help you enjoy your tour:
It was 1.5 hour bus ride (bumpy roads, so be prepared), and then a 1 hour boat ride winding through the mangroves. Beautiful boat ride, they stopped when there was an interesting bird or wildlife. They provided cushions, but I suggest bringing a very lightweight blanket if you burn easily to protect your legs since even through the top is shaded the angle of the sun won't always protect you. There are bathrooms at the start of the boat ride (clean), and when you get to the ruins (also very clean).
Bring snacks & water. As with any tour you should be prepared and bring enough supplies for yourself! They did have some snacks and drinks for us on the boat ride back, and then we ate lunch in the bus on the way back (this was to allow us the most time at the ruins so we didn't mind the late lunch at all!).
The ruins have 3 sites, which are also the 3 main pyramids. There are wide flat walking trails in between them. We only climbed to the top of the High Pyramid since it was hot out, and this one gives you the best views (you can see the river your boat came in on).
We saw multiple groups of monkeys, which was very cool.
This group went above and beyond, they picked us up from a hotel not in Belize City, were able to store our luggage throughout the trip, and then dropped us off at the water taxi port. I really appreciated their flexibility in addition to their knowledge of the sites!
Written December 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dr B
2 contributions
Dec 2021
My colleague and I did a tour with Lamanai Belize Tours in December 2021 to scout out the potential for bringing our group of university students on the same tour in 2022. I am glad we did! The tour was excellent! The boat ride down the New River to Lamanai was fun and we had opportunity to encounter a number of unique bird species on the way. The tour at the Lamanai ruins was interesting and informative. The team of guides provided by J. Avila & son did a great job in explaining the Mayan history and navigating the boat up and down the river. They also provided a great lunch! We will definitely be bringing our group of university students on this tour during our class trip to Belize in 2022. I expect this tour will be one of the students' favorite excursions during our time in Belize.
Written December 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gloria209
2 contributions
Dec 2022 • Family
We were on a Carnival cruise and had a port day in Belize. My sister in law had made reservations with Lamanai Belize Tours to take our group of 10 on a private excursion to visit the Mayan ruins. When we got off the ship, Elio (our tour guide) was waiting for us and after a bathroom break, we were soon seated in his van and away we went, through the Belize city/countryside. Elio was a very informative guide, telling us about Belize agriculture and school systems and everything in between! After an hrs drive, we got to a little dock and got in a small river boat and enjoyed an hour of beautiful river views while we sped along. Arrived at the ruins and Elio was able to tell us so much history as we walked the path through the ruins. After the hike, Elio and his brother Ian served us an authentic Belizian meal that was delicious!!
This day was definitely a great experience! A highlight of the whole cruise vacation!! Definitely recommend!!
This day was definitely a great experience! A highlight of the whole cruise vacation!! Definitely recommend!!
Written December 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meryem
7 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
I booked a regular tour To Lamanai for my last day in Belize.
It was supposed to be one of the highlights of my trip and was instead a huge disappointment.
They were very prompt to reply when I asked for information and booking. However, on the day of the tour, I was paired with three people from a cruise who where on a very tight schedule.
The whole experience was more of a race than a tour . First, by car, then by boat then at the site itself.
We got to Lamanai at 10h30am and the guide announced that we were going to have lunch... at 10h30. Ok why not.
Then when we finished eating, she told us that we had less than one hour to visit Lamani because we had to be back on the boat at noon. When I asked why and how it Is possible to visit the whole site (Which is quite big) in less than an hour (especially with an elderly lady in the group) she explained that it was because of our tight schedule and that we would only visit three temples.
She was then really sorry to hear that I wasn’t from the cruise ship, confirmed it wasn’t normal and tried her best to put me in an other group or contact the manager in vain. I then had to run everywhere to see as much as possiblement the site with very little information on each temple. I didn’t have time to enjoy the place nor to visit the museum. All other groups seemed to be enjoying their day at a normal pace with loads of information from their guides. Concerning the boat ride, i can let you imagine what wildlife you can spot (by yourself) at full speed. NONE.
I complained to the driver who was also sorry and confessed I shouldn’t have been paired with people from a cruise. He suggested I contact the manager to have a free ride to the airport the next morning.
I wrote to the manager, who replied one day later, when I was gone. How convenient!
Needless to say it was my worst experience in Belize and I highly recommend choosing another tour. Even with big groups.
I left Belize on a very bad note because of you.
It was supposed to be one of the highlights of my trip and was instead a huge disappointment.
They were very prompt to reply when I asked for information and booking. However, on the day of the tour, I was paired with three people from a cruise who where on a very tight schedule.
The whole experience was more of a race than a tour . First, by car, then by boat then at the site itself.
We got to Lamanai at 10h30am and the guide announced that we were going to have lunch... at 10h30. Ok why not.
Then when we finished eating, she told us that we had less than one hour to visit Lamani because we had to be back on the boat at noon. When I asked why and how it Is possible to visit the whole site (Which is quite big) in less than an hour (especially with an elderly lady in the group) she explained that it was because of our tight schedule and that we would only visit three temples.
She was then really sorry to hear that I wasn’t from the cruise ship, confirmed it wasn’t normal and tried her best to put me in an other group or contact the manager in vain. I then had to run everywhere to see as much as possiblement the site with very little information on each temple. I didn’t have time to enjoy the place nor to visit the museum. All other groups seemed to be enjoying their day at a normal pace with loads of information from their guides. Concerning the boat ride, i can let you imagine what wildlife you can spot (by yourself) at full speed. NONE.
I complained to the driver who was also sorry and confessed I shouldn’t have been paired with people from a cruise. He suggested I contact the manager to have a free ride to the airport the next morning.
I wrote to the manager, who replied one day later, when I was gone. How convenient!
Needless to say it was my worst experience in Belize and I highly recommend choosing another tour. Even with big groups.
I left Belize on a very bad note because of you.
Written March 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vicki Barrett
Holly Ridge, NC9 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
So this was our first cruise and we were definitely hesitant to book an excursion that wasn’t through our ship. We were so glad that we decided to book this excursion. Not only was it cheaper than our cruise ship offered it was definitely way better!
This is a family run business led by a family of brothers. They took AMAZING care of us!
Elio was very fast to respond to all of our questions and gave us very clear instructions for meeting with our guides.
We traveled about an hour to the boat that took us to the ruins site, best part was that there were only about 10 of us in total and we didn’t have to share our trip with 60 of our new “best friends “ lol!
Elios brothers Julian and Havier were our guides for the day.. they made many stops along the way to point out crocodiles, birds, other local wildlife and to talk to us about Brazils people, history and economy .
We got to the site well ahead of the cruise ship excursions and Julian and Havier made sure everyone had water and got us out to the ruins when there was no one else but our small group.
Julian was very good at pointing out the local wildlife in the rainforest and had great knowledge of the history of the ruins. Word to the wise don’t get too close to the monkeys … they throw poop! Lol!
I am middle aged and asthmatic and although I am used to the heat and humidity I did struggle with the different pollens as everything in the forest was blooming. Julian was great at keeping up with the rest of the group but kept coming back to check that I was okay and to make sure that I didn’t have any questions about the ruins.
Lunch was awesome, a homemade meal prepared by their mom… no joke first time I ever saw my husband go back for seconds on rice and beans !
Elio had us back to the port in plenty of time. Absolutely the highlight of our trip.
I f we ever get the opportunity to return to Belize we will definitely hire this company again maybe for some river fishing or one of their other excursions. The people of Belize were beautiful, we saw amazing things, thank you to the Alvarez family! You guys were awesome!
This is a family run business led by a family of brothers. They took AMAZING care of us!
Elio was very fast to respond to all of our questions and gave us very clear instructions for meeting with our guides.
We traveled about an hour to the boat that took us to the ruins site, best part was that there were only about 10 of us in total and we didn’t have to share our trip with 60 of our new “best friends “ lol!
Elios brothers Julian and Havier were our guides for the day.. they made many stops along the way to point out crocodiles, birds, other local wildlife and to talk to us about Brazils people, history and economy .
We got to the site well ahead of the cruise ship excursions and Julian and Havier made sure everyone had water and got us out to the ruins when there was no one else but our small group.
Julian was very good at pointing out the local wildlife in the rainforest and had great knowledge of the history of the ruins. Word to the wise don’t get too close to the monkeys … they throw poop! Lol!
I am middle aged and asthmatic and although I am used to the heat and humidity I did struggle with the different pollens as everything in the forest was blooming. Julian was great at keeping up with the rest of the group but kept coming back to check that I was okay and to make sure that I didn’t have any questions about the ruins.
Lunch was awesome, a homemade meal prepared by their mom… no joke first time I ever saw my husband go back for seconds on rice and beans !
Elio had us back to the port in plenty of time. Absolutely the highlight of our trip.
I f we ever get the opportunity to return to Belize we will definitely hire this company again maybe for some river fishing or one of their other excursions. The people of Belize were beautiful, we saw amazing things, thank you to the Alvarez family! You guys were awesome!
Written February 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StevenDavidBeekeeper
3 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
The tour guide met our family group of 7 (parents and 3 adult children and 2 teens) at the cruise terminal and quickly had us in a spacious van riding through the Belize countywide on our way to the boat portion of the trip. Boat portion was relaxing and fun - just under and hour. Much more personal and informative than the standard cruise booked excursion. Lunch was authentic home cooked and very tasty. Elio and his brother Javier were great. I will use them again when I return Belize.
We were returned to the cruise terminal in plenty of time to catch the tender back to the ship.
We were returned to the cruise terminal in plenty of time to catch the tender back to the ship.
Written January 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
momof2wildchilds
Denver, CO676 contributions
Nov 2020
We were a group of ten scuba divers who needed a day of "rest" before jumping on flights home to the Southwest. This tour was arranged for us by the Dive Shop we had used for all our scuba adventures. The water taxi to the mainland from Ambergris took about 1.5 hours then we took a van with "Speedy" was his nickname to the River where we met Ignasico Jr, . our tour guide who. Both gentlemen were kind, thorough in their explanations of the area, knowledgeable about the Mayan Ruins we visited. Sadly we did not have time to visit the museum on the Lamanai property due to time constraints. We did not want to miss the last ferry back to Ambergris. In hindsight I would have rather had more time in the Mayan Ruins & Museum maybe by taking a flight to the mainland instead of the water taxi which made it a 12 hour day in the heat, and humid environment with mosquitos and howler monkeys thrown in it was an adventure I will not forget. We saw lots of birds, a couple shy crocodiles on the river and watched the Mennonite children jumping off the dock to swim in our speed boats waves. We also saw John McAfee's home that has been abandoned since he fled Belize in 2012. He is wanted for murder of his neighbor. This trip was absolutely worth the time and money but makes for a very long day in the heat and humidity. Bring a hat, sunscreen, they have plenty of water and serve a very nice picnic lunch by the river. Good times! It was our intent to go cave tubing and visit other Mayan ruins but the flooding on the mainland due to Tropical storms in the region prohibited that. We will need to go back and visit Belize to view other ruins in the country.
Written November 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shannon A
Southport, NC2 contributions
Jan 2023
What an exceptional tour this was! Javier, our guide was so knowledgeable and thorough - giving us a true glimpse of history as he shared with us information about the local area, the ecology of the river and jungle, and the incredible wildlife that we saw on our way to the ruins. The Lamanai Archaeological Reserve is incredible and Javier gave us a complete education on the site, the structures, and the ancient Maya that once lived and flourished there. We had an amazing traditional family made Belizean lunch and the conversation and comradery was overwhelming. I cannot recommend this tour highly enough!
Written June 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maps792792
206 contributions
Jan 2023 • Solo
No complaints regarding the agency. They were readily accessible (only) on Whatsapp for rsrvation, efficient, polite, reliable. The tour was conducted well; good guide. The site itself is more 'authentically' foresty-wild than Xuna. The only thing I didnt like was 90 (!) mnts for lunch and souvenir shops; way tooooo much.
"Not worth it" - bcs of circa 50 mnts boat sail each direction. Other than spotting two iguanas, small croc and a few birds (all from afar), the novelty wears out very quickly; especially on the way back.
Lamanai itself is worth a visit, but not in such a time consuming manner.
"Not worth it" - bcs of circa 50 mnts boat sail each direction. Other than spotting two iguanas, small croc and a few birds (all from afar), the novelty wears out very quickly; especially on the way back.
Lamanai itself is worth a visit, but not in such a time consuming manner.
Written February 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason H
1 contribution
Aug 2021
Awesome day. Elio and family picked us up just as described outside of port timely and really customized the tour. Kids had a blast finding with the boat ride as well as exploring the Lamanai with so much wildlife of birds, bats, monkeys, gator, etc. This is not a trip to a zoo or caged event but a real experience in the wild. Highly suggested vs the cruise excursions. Would do this again.
Written October 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Visitor7
Newark, DE535 contributions
Aproximately how lomg is tour and how much time is at the ruins?
Usually what time would we meet at port if ship lists 7:00AM - 5PM
Katherine D
Cambridge, MA217 contributions
About 8 hours for us. The time at ruins I didn't keep great track of, but I want to say 1.5-2 hours. Which I felt was the right amount of time to see everything. We climbed 1 of 3 ruins, and watched some monkeys for a while. The boat ride is about 45 min each way and I kind of consider that part of the tour. I would guess an 8am pickup for you guys - and they had us back at the port at 4pm for our water taxi departing at 4:30pm. The drive out there is definitely long, I recommend bringing some sort of entertainment, then they lock it in the van.
What is the price per person?
Elio A
Belize City, Belize
The price is 75us each person,Best price in Belize, and they grantee to get you back on time of your ship or they will pick you up at the hotel or water taxi,
Kak tuda dobrat'sia iz Beliza?
Elio A
Belize City, Belize
google map lamanaibelizetours
Danny
San Francisco, CA1,648 contributions
Is there an email where we can get a hold of this company to book an excursion? We will be on a Royal Caribbean Cruise and wanted to see one of the Mayan Ruins as well as a city tour.
_created_4_purpose_
Washington DC, DC4 contributions
Hi Danny! You’ll definitely enjoy this tour. If you like, you can download WhatsApp and phone Elio directly. The number is found on their website under “Contact.” Wear tennis shoes!
Marialucianocerino68
Castello di Cisterna, Italy11 contributions
Ragazzi io devo partire il 5 maggio e volevo sapere se a Elio lo trovò fuori al porto o lo devo contattare da casa e quanto costa l’escursione
Grazie in anticipo
purcy03
Cagliari, Italy49 contributions
devi contattarlo prima
Marialucianocerino68
Castello di Cisterna, Italy11 contributions
Ragazzi io devo partire il 5 maggio e volevo sapere se a Elio lo trovò fuori al porto o lo devo contattare da casa e quanto costa l’escursione
Grazie in anticipo
Marialucianocerino68
Castello di Cisterna, Italy11 contributions
Buona sera come faccio a contattare Elio ?
purcy03
Cagliari, Italy49 contributions
vai sul sito direttamente da TripAdvisor nella sezione contact us chiedi ciò che ti interessa e lui ti risponde all' indirizzo email che indichi tu.
carlacarini61
Corteolona, Italy5 contributions
Ciao, carlacarini61. Cosa desideri sapere su questa attrazione?volevo sapere se il tour e' solo in lin gua inglese graziee
Maurizio Il Barba
Milan, Italy101 contributions
Ciao Serena, saremo a Belize City il 28 agosto 2018, quali indicazioni mi puoi fornire per l'escursione che hai fatto? un nominativo da contattare, il giro che avete fatto, il prezzo e cosa comprendeva l'escursione, la guida parla italiano? per il pranzo?
Grazie ciao Maurizio Arnoldi
Lamanai Belize Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
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