Belize City Hidden Gem Attractions
THE 5 BEST Hidden Gem Activities in Belize City
Best Belize City Hidden Gem Attractions
- Traveler favoritesThings to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.
- Traveler rankingHighest rated attractions on Tripadvisor, based on traveler reviews.
Category types
9 places sorted by traveler favorites
River Rafting & Tubing • Scuba & Snorkelling
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River Rafting & Tubing • Private Tours
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River Rafting & Tubing • Scuba & Snorkelling
Historical & Heritage Tours • Boat Tours
River Rafting & Tubing • Cultural Tours
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Zipline & Aerial Adventure Parks • Sightseeing Tours
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What travelers are saying
- Mindy M1 contributionWe had a great time with Brown Sugar leading the way! He's so knowledgeable! Cave tubing and ziplining was amazing!Written January 28, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- BonitaBeachLife2 contributionsButts up cave tours was the best part of our cruise! This excursion has the best guides and we love the cave as well as walking through the jungle. We would love to go again!Written January 17, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Amy HWarrior, AL1 contributionJordy. Aka Rooster. BEST.EVER.. can’t say enough about how great this was. 10/10. Knowledge, Learning about culture and country, the food was amazing. Driver Rojlio is a Dale Earnhardt on the roads, awesomeness. Don’t go anywhere else!Written October 1, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Jaimie W2 contributionsWe did a tour of Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, ziplined, and kayaked the caves branch river with V.I.V. tours while staying in San Ignacio and couldn't have more great things to say about them. The lunch was tasty, the price was reasonable, and the guides were very knowledgeable and fun. They were able to accommodate a last minute request for the tour (we contacted them at 7pm the evening before) and even picked us up from our hotel. 10 out of 10 recommend these guys!Written February 12, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Braden B1 contributionGreat man and good at what he does!100% worth your time and money!Has been a family friend for a long time and has been doing this job to the highest quality for everyone he encounters.Written January 14, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Iain RFort St. John, Canada17 contributionsOur family was on a cruise that stopped in Belize City so I looked up Shore Excursion providers on Trip Advisor. I chose Belize Exotic Adventures and we are very glad that we did!
I asked for a combination tour where we could try the Cave Tubing as well as stop at the Belize Zoo on the way back to the pier. I was quoted a very good price so I went for it.
We met the BEA staff at the main gate of the Cruise Terminal. They had signs and were wearing company shirts so they were easy to find. After paying, we were shown to one of their tour vans and were pleased to find out it would be a private tour with just our family. Nickoli, the company owner, was our guide along with a trainee tour guide, Sheena.
We drove for approximately an hour to the Nohoch Chen Cave Tubing site. When we got there we saw the bus from the cruise ship’s excursion and we were very glad that we got our own private tour! The “official” cruise excursion was not going to be anywhere near as good as our excusion. As an added bonus, we didn’t have to carry our tubes to the start of the Cave, one of the benefits of our taking a private tour. The bus load of cruise passengers had to carry theirs. Nickoli filled our minds with his knowledge of the forest that we were walking through and the Maya underworld, Xibalba, that we would be entering. He noticed many things that the other guides were just walking by. He pointed out some Howler Monkeys that we would have walked right past!
When we entered the cave he asked us if we wanted a bit of an adventure. We wanted as much of an adventure as possible so he tied up the tubes and we walked up a path inside the cave. We got on our hands and knees, crawled about 50 feet through a soft mud-floored passage and entered another cave. He showed us an area where the Maya conducted rituals and left pottery. Some of the pottery was fused into the ground by the crystalline drips from the stalactites above, proving that the tour companies didn’t just throw some pottery in there recently to make the tour more interesting. We came to a spot in this second cave and could look down at the river flowing through. He got us to tirn off our headlamps and then made growling noises at the people tubing through down below us. I imagine they had the crap scared out of them until we laughed and turned our headlamps back on. Once we were done through the cave we saw stairs leading away from the river. All the tour bus passengers had to climb up carrying their tubes. Nickoli said that we weren’t going to do any walking, we were going to just float down the river, through the lush jungle, to where we had originally started.
It was so gorgeous and green. The water was just a perfect temperature and the sun was shining on us. I don’t think I would have liked to be anywhere else on earth at that moment. Belize is a remarkably special and beautiful place and you quickly feel like a little kid again, exploring the woods, caves, and river. All too soon it was over so we got changed in the nice clean bathrooms, bought a couple of good quality souvenirs, and then we drove to the lunch restaurant 15 minutes away.
Nickoli tooks us to the Teaky Tavern, a very nice little restaurant. We had a delicious lunch while we were there.
Afterwards we drove back towards Belize City until we reached the Belize Zoo. It had just recently opened after being closed for hurricane damage. There were a lot of larger trees knocked down but fortunately it seems that the animals were alright and the zoo was open for business. Nickoli personally knew some of the animals and was an absolute fountain of knowledge on the animals of Belize. It is a wonderful little zoo caring for primarily
injured wildlife or confiscated ex-pets. It is nice to get this opportunity to become aquainted with the beautiful native animals, as you are unlikely to see the larger ones in the wild. After about an hour (more than enough time to see the little zoo) we got back into our van and returned to the Belize City Cruise Terminal with plenty of time left before jumping on our tender boat. We even had enough time (30 minutes) to do a little shopping in the souvenir shops.
I am very glad that we booked this private excursion, as we saw so much more than the passengers who did the busy official cruise ship excursion.
Nickoli is an excellent tour guide, and as he is training all his staff, I think you can safely assume any of the Belize Exotic Adventures guides will make an awesome memorable daytrip!
I heartily recommend Belize Exotic Adventures!!!Written January 8, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Sandra M1 contributionJavier is so knowledgeable on the Mayan history & ruins. He seems to know everything about the animal and plant life which we saw much of.Very impressive & personable. All in our group had a great time and wonderful food was served.
What a great guide. We highly recommend the Avila & sons tour.Written January 26, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Corrissa B2 contributionsWe had such a fun time! Vladimir was a great tour guide, made the bus ride seem much shorter. Comfortable zip lining harness, clean tubes, delicious lunch, and amazing workers! The caves were so beautiful!! 10/10 recommend!Written December 4, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- 2thdoc14 contributionsMy family has a great time cave tubing with Paul as our guide! For the same price as the ship’s excursion, we got a personalized experience, including comfortable private transportation and a relaxing trip away from the crowds. Would definitely book again if we get a chance to go back!Written April 4, 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
