Ultimate Belize 2 Week Itinerary (+ Map)

Planning a Belize itinerary can feel overwhelming at first: beach or jungle, islands or ruins, buses or tours – and how much time do you actually need in each place? This post is for independent travellers and backpackers who want to see the best of Belize without rushing or overspending. Based on our own experience travelling the country by public transport, we’ve put together a realistic 14-day route that balances culture, nature, adventure, and downtime.

It’s written for travellers who value local food, laid-back places, and practical logistics just as much as snorkelling with sharks or exploring Mayan ruins. If you’re looking for a proven, flexible Belize backpacking itinerary with honest tips and fewer guesswork moments, you’re in the right place.

• Belize Itinerary
  • Belize Backpacking Itinerary Map
  • 2 Days in Orange Walk Town
  • 3 Days on Caye Caulker
  • 2 Days in Dangriga
  • 3 Days in Hopkins
  • 4 Days in San Ignacio

Belize Itinerary

Belize Backpacking Itinerary Map

2 Days in Orange Walk Town

Day 1 – Arrive in Orange Walk Town

Orange Walk Town is a great first stop if you arrive from the Mexican border but it’s also worth a visit if you fly into Belize City. It’s a cute little city with loads of delicious street food. Check out the food court to fuel up after your journey, wander the streets, and relax a bit.

We recommend you to stay at Casa Ricky’s. The lovely host will hook you up with a SIM card, exchange your money, book a tour to Lamanai and help you settle in in Belize.

Here’s our complete Orange Walk Town travel guide:

How to get to Orange Walk Town from Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport with Public transport

If you arrive at Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, you can hop on a northbound bus in Ladyville at the airport road intersection if you don’t mind a bit of walking.

Day 2 – Day trip to Lamanai Mayan Ruins

Lamanai is one of the biggest Mayan Ruins in Belize. You can (still) climb the temples and admire the views from the high temple. The biggest temples are the Mask Temple, the Jaguar Temple, and the High Temple. Lamanai means “submerged crocodile” in the Mayan language and you can spot many of the reptiles in the adjacent lagoon.

For history buffs, Lamanai is interesting because it’s one of the last sites inhabited by the Maya, even in the Spanish colonial times (A.D. 1544-1700). Even if you’re not super interested in history, the trip will be worth your while, especially if you take the boat tour.

How to get from Orange Walk Town to Lamanai

The archaeological site can best be reached by a wildlife-spotting boat tour. You’ll most likely see crocodiles, turtles, iguanas, monkeys, and many many birds.

If you want to travel with your rental car, the road is said to be in a bad condition and the ride long.

3 Days on Caye Caulker

Day 3 – Way to Caye Caulker

The trip to Caye Caulker will set you back around half a day, so once you arrive do what the island is famous for: Go slow! There are no cars on the island – only bicycles and golf carts. This is the perfect place for some R & R.

If you treated yourself to an accommodation on the waterfront you have the perfect place to relax right on your doorstep. If not, two bars we have enjoyed for a relaxing evening were Sip N’ Dip and The Magic Grill.

Be aware that this island is not much of a beach destination, you mostly enter the water via bridges and steps.

Here’s our complete Caye Caulker travel guide:

How to get from Orange Walk Town to Caye Caulker with public transport

First, you have to take the public bus from Orange Walk Town to Belize City. It runs every hour on the hour. The two-hour-long ride set us back 4 BZD.

In Belize City, it’s easy enough to walk from the bus station to the ferry pier. It’s around 800 m (0.5 mi) and the area is lively throughout the day.

There are two ferry companies that run from Belize City to Caye Caulker (and further to San Pedro): Caribbean Sprinter and Belize Express Water Taxi. Both take around 45 minutes to reach the island and cost roughly the same.

Day 4 – Snorkelling on Caye Caulker

Snorkelling is a must on Caye Caulker!

Here’s a quick breakdown of the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve snorkelling tour: Our first stop was shark and ray village. Here, you can swim with more nurse sharks and rays than you can count. Note that the animals get fed, so it’s not exactly environmentally friendly. Afterwards, you do two snorkel stops: one at a channel and one in a beautiful coral garden. Normally, you have a quick pitstop to see seahorses but conditions were too choppy when we went. Instead, we went in search of Manatees and even found one off-season.

How to Go Snorkelling on Caye Caulker

Your two main options are a half-day snorkelling tour to Caye Caulker Marine Reserve and a full-day tour to Hol Chan Marine Reserve.

We have written a full comparison to help you figure out which one is right for you:

Day 5 – Go Slow on Caye Caulker

A perfect way to start your day is Yoga at Namaste Cafe – their roof terrace offers a nice view.

The quintessential place to spend your lazy days on Caye Caulker is the Lazy Lizard at The Split.

Of course, you can also rent a bike and explore the island if you feel more active. There’s even a small ferry that helps you to get to the less developed northern part of the island – you can also take your bike on the ferry.

For sunset, head to Iguana Reef Inn or go on a sunset cruise.

2 Days in Dangriga

Day 6 – Way to Dangriga

Dangriga is a bustling little city on the Caribbean coast. It’s also the perfect hub to explore the nearby Caribbean islands like Tobacco Caye. The town is dubbed the "culture capital of Belize”. It’s a great place to witness Garifuna culture. Garifuna are Afro-Caribbeans with their own language and culture.

The trip to Dangriga will set you back half a day. You can get a good first glimpse into the Garifuna culture in one of the many local restaurants like Tuani Garifuna. Dangriga also features a nice enough beach for some relaxation.

Here’s our full Dangriga travel guide:

How to get from Caye Caulker to Dangriga with Public Transport

First, you need to go back to Belize City – preferably with the same company you took on the way to the island to save some money. Afterwards, you walk to the same bus station you arrived at to go to Caye Caulker.

Here, you can just hop on one of the southbound buses. Make sure to check the schedule ahead of time to avoid a long wait. The bus ride takes around three hours.

Day 7 – Tobacco Caye

Tobacco Caye is the perfect place to spend the day (or many more if you have the time) on a Caribbean island. It’s much more off-the-beaten-path than Caye Caulker. You can walk around the island in a couple of minutes. There are only a few guesthouses, some of them feature overwater bungalows. Most hotels should provide you with three meals per day as there are no restaurant or shop options – though there are currently two bar options. There is rarely any internet.

The island is a snorkeler’s and scuba diver’s paradise. Just going in from the shore, you’ll see plenty of rays and fish. You can also book snorkel and dive excursions, especially if you stay longer.

Here’s our full Tobacco Caye travel guide:

How to get from Dangriga to Tobacco Caye with Public Transport

Most hotels will arrange your boat transfer with you. In case they don’t you can just go to the spot I have marked on the map in the morning and ask one of the fishermen to drive you. A one-way trip should cost around 30 USD and a return 60 USD. The fishermen are also a great option if you don’t want to spend the night on the island although we totally recommend to do so.

The ride on the small boat takes around 45 minutes and can be quite bumpy.

3 Days in Hopkins

Day 8 – Way to Hopkins

Hopkins is our favourite place in all of Belize. The beach is beautiful – in contrast to Caye Caulker where the waterfront is mostly beachless. The vibe is laid back, there are many amazing restaurants and a lot of activities.

Here’s our full Hopkins travel guide:

How to get from Dangriga to Hopkins with public transport

If you stayed the night on Tobacco Caye, you have to first boat back to the mainland.

There are some direct buses from Dangriga to Hopkins but they are few and far between.

You can also hop on one of the southbound Belize City - Punta Gorda buses and tell the driver that you want to get off at the Hopkins section. Here, (shared) taxis are waiting to take the travellers the 7 km (4.5 mi) into town. It cost us 5 USD per person but we are not sure if we should have paid 5 BZD... It was well worth to avoid the long walk though.

Day 9 – Day Trip to Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is the world's only Jaguar Preserve. You probably won’t find a Jaguar. What you will find is plenty of hiking trails. The tiger fern trail is the prettiest. It ends at a beautiful waterfall. Make sure to explore the second pool as it’s more secluded and nicer for a dip. The trail is around 6 km (3.7 mi) round trip and is mostly uphill on the way to the waterfall and mostly downhill on the way back. You can also go tubing.

How to get from Hopkins to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary with Public Transport

If you don’t have your own car, going by public transport is a bit complicated. Your best option is the 7:00 a.m. bus to Dangriga. Hop off at the Hopkins sections and wait for a southbound bus to Maya Centre. From here, you have to walk to the entrance. It’s an 8 km (5 mi) hike on uneven ground. If you’re lucky, you can hitchhike.

Of course, you can also book a tour.

Day 10 – Relax in Hopkins

Hopkins is the perfect place to relax. Grab a coconut and spend your day at the beach. It’s also a nice place to explore Garifuna culture. If you don’t go on a full moon, you can explore a bioluminescent lagoon.

Of course, there are also plenty of other adventures as well as snorkelling in the Belize Barrier Reef in case you easily get bored on the beach.

4 Days in San Ignacio

Day 11 – Way to San Ignacio

San Ignacio is our favourite city in Belize. It features amazing street food and is also the hub for the adventure excursions in the west of the country.

Make sure to explore the vibrant market and try some pupusas. You can find a lot of bars and restaurants along Burns Avenue. Many travel bloggers recommend Ko-Ox Han Nah and rightly so – the food is delicious and affordable and the service lovely.

Here’s our full San Ignacio travel guide:

How to get from Hopkins to San Ignacio with Public Transport

First, you have to make your way back the way you came on a northbound bus to Belmopan. Here you have to change to a westbound bus. For us, this experience was a bit confusing. The next bus to San Ignacio was already fully booked. We had to wait for this bus to leave to be able to buy tickets for the next bus. We ended up waiting in the cage-like waiting area for over two hours. Normally, you can just jump on the bus and buy your ticket there...

Day 12 – Day Trip to the ATM Cave

The ATM Cave is the adventure of a lifetime. You climb and swim through a cave – whilst you can explore Mayan artefacts and history – a unique combination.

A 40 minutes hike leads to the entrance of the cave. You have to cross the river three times. To reach the cave entrance, you have to swim for a few meters. Afterwards, you wade through less or more deep water.

In the middle of the tour, you climb a little higher to the dry part of the cave. Here, you are walking on socks among Mayan ceramics and even bones as the cave was used for sacrifices in the old times. An experience you’ll never forget!

How to Get from San Ignacio to the ATM Cave

You need a guide to enter the cave so it’s easiest to book a tour. The experience is totally worth it. We went on this tour and wrote a complete review about it:

Day 13 – Caracol, Rio Frio Cave, and Rio On Pools

Caracol is the biggest Mayan ruin in Belize and it’s totally worth a visit – especially if you’re a history buff. As it’s super remote you won’t have to share it with many tourists. Additionally, you can still climb many of the structures and enjoy the amazing views.

You can interrupt your drive there with the Rio Frio Cave, a huge cave with a beach inside. To get your swimming fix, you can stop at the Rio On Pools on the way from Caracol. They are a series of natural rock pools and waterfalls that are interconnected with natural water slides that you can try out if you’re brave enough.

How to get from San Ignacio to Caracol

The road from San Ignacio to Caracol is not in a great condition. The drive will take you around three hours. If you decide to rent a car, you should opt for a 4WD.

We opted for a tour that stopped at the Rio Frio Cave on the way to Caracol and the Rio On Pools on the way back.

Here’s our complete review:

Day 14 – Way to Guatemala or the Airport

How to get from San Ignacio to Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport

Basically, you have to go back the way you came. First, to Belmopan and from there to Belize City. If you don’t mind walking, you can take the northbound bus from here and exit at the airport road intersection like you might have done on your first day in the country.

Of course, you can also opt for a shuttle.

How to get from San Ignacio to Flores, Guatemala with Public Transport

Take a taxi to the border. After you have completed all the border formalities, you can easily walk to the colectivo station (we marked it on the map) - don’t let touts tell you otherwise.

Again, you can also opt for a shuttle.

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