Xunantunich and Belize Zoo Tour Photo
Bitty Photo

Let Bitty know what you think!

Days available
Every day
Schedule
7AM
Languages offered
English & Spanish
Duration
8 hrs
Transportation
Included
Mobile ticket
Included
Xunantunich and Belize Zoo Tour PhotoXunantunich and Belize Zoo Tour Photo

Touring Xunantunich and the Belize Zoo will give you the opportunity to some of the best natural and cultural destinations Belize has to offer.

At the Belize Zoo you’ll get to see rescued native animals. Belize Zoo emphasizes rehabilitation – this zoo runs a jaguar rehabilitation program as well as a Belize harpy eagle restoration program. Animals live in facilities designed to recreate their natural habitats.

Belize has a huge variety of native species, many of which are represented at the zoo. You’ll see tapirs, spider monkeys, snakes, and lots of species of tropical birds that you can usually only see in the rainforest. If you make arrangements with the staff, you can help feed some of the animals.

After exploring the zoo you’ll drive through mountainous western Belize to reach the Maya city of Xunantunich. Xunantunich means “Maiden of the Rock” in the ancient Maya tongue. This city allowed the Maya to control the Belize River Valley from 700 to 850 AD. Around 850 AD Maya civilization started to crumble, and by 1000 AD the Maya had abandoned Xunantunich.

Xunantunich is located at the top of a hill, and takes about a mile (1.6 km) of hiking to reach. Before you can begin your hike, you will cross the Mopan River on a hand-cranked ferry, which was built during the 19th-century. This city has several stone plazas and temples for visitors to explore.

El Castillo is the most prominent feature of this site. It probably served as a temple, and has some of the most interesting and elaborate friezes of all the structures in Xunantunich. You can hike to the top of El Castillo to enjoy an unobstructed view of the surrounding city.

What to Bring

Hiking shoes, comfortable clothes, camera, bottled water, and money for personal expenses.

What's included

Transportation, guided tour, entrance fee, lunch, and a beverage.
Xunantunich and Belize Zoo TourXunantunich and Belize Zoo TourXunantunich and Belize Zoo TourXunantunich and Belize Zoo Tour

Similar things to do

Cave Tubing & Xunantunich Maya Temples

This tour will bring you to the top of a Maya temple, and then to the entrance of the Maya underworld. The temple is inside the Maya city of Xunantunich, which is located near the border of Guatemala. Its name translates to “Maiden of the Rock.” After you ascend the walls of its temple, you’ll continue the tour to the Cave Branch River, where you’ll follow the river into a series of caves that had intense spiritual significance for the Maya.
Cave Tubing & Xunantunich Maya Temples

Xunantunich and Barton Creek Cave Tour

On this tour, you’ll get to see two very different Maya sites. The first, Xuanantinuch, is the ruins of a compact but impressive Maya city. Here visitors can stroll around multiple plazas and temples. At the nearby Barton Creek Cave, you’ll see a cave that served as an entrance to Xibalba, the Maya underworld.
Xunantunich and Barton Creek Cave Tour

Actun Tunichil Muknal Caves

Actun Tunichil Muknal cave (usually referred to as “ATM”) is the doorway to Xibalba, the Maya underworld. This cave contains ceramics and human skeletons that have fused with the walls of the cave. The most famous of these remains is the Crystal Maiden, a skeleton of a young woman believed to have been a sacrifice. Her bones are now partially covered with the sparkling build-up of cave sediment.
Actun Tunichil Muknal Caves

Lamanai Maya Temples & the New River Safari

Belize is a country of Maya history, diverse flora and fauna, and gorgeous rivers and streams. In the rainforest of the Orange Walk District, this tour combines these elements into one day’s adventure. The tour offers hotel pick up from Belize City, and even the two hour drive to the river is scenic and informative, with guides narrating the route.
Lamanai Maya Temples & the New River Safari

Belize Highlands, Islands & Tikal 7 Nights 8 Days

On this 8-day, 7-night tour of Belize, you’ll have an action-packed, family-friendly itinerary that takes you to see the highlights of the Maya world as well as some of the most beautiful parts of the landscape. This trip covers a variety of territory, allowing you to cover most of the tiny country of Belize in just one week. With the help of your knowledgeable guide, you’ll leave the jungles of the mainland behind to explore the Caribbean and the island of Ambergris Caye, and then return for a side-trip to Tikal National Park in Guatemala, which is home to one of the most well-known and breathtaking Maya sites in the world. **Note**: Because this tour takes you to Guatemala, please make sure you have a double-entry visa for Belize. Breakfast is included each day, and some days also come with a stop for lunch.
Belize Highlands, Islands & Tikal 7 Nights 8 Days

Cave Tubing & The Belize Zoo

Cave tubing and a visit to the Belize Zoo will bring you face-to-face with Belize’s incredible outdoors. First you’ll visit the Belize City Zoo, which is known for its rehabilitation programs for endangered animals. Then you’ll head to the Caves Branch River, where you will ride on an inner tube through the ancient caves of the Maya
Cave Tubing & The Belize Zoo

Belize Zoo

Just 29 miles (47 km) from Belize City is The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center. “Zoo” isn’t the best description for this place – this is truly a natural wildlife habitat. The environment is untouched within the zoo’s 29 acres (12 ha), and is home to 150 animals (48 species total).
Belize Zoo

Cave Tubing & Zipride at Caves Branch Outpost

In the Nohoch Che'en Archaeological Reserve, the winding Caves Branch River flows underground through ancient caves, once traveled through and even inhabited by the Maya. Just an hour from Belize City and a half hour from Belmopan is The Outpost, a well-stocked base camp for cave tubing and zipline-riding in the midst of this history-rich area.
Cave Tubing & Zipride at Caves Branch Outpost

Blue Hole Tour by Air

This plane ride over the coastal waters of Belize is the only way to fully appreciate the Belize Blue Hole in all its glory. During your tour you will observe a dark circle of deep, dark blue water surrounded by reefs and a turquoise sea. Your tour will include several passes around this natural wonder.
Blue Hole Tour by Air
More things to do