The Perfect 10 Day Itinerary

My Travel Companion (TC) and I went on a little getaway to Belize for ten days. We had a great time and would recommend the following itinerary to anyone who is looking for a mix of fun activities and relaxation.

Day 1 – BZE Airport to San Ignacio – Travel Day

Transportation: We started our trip flying United Airlines to Belize. Once we landed at BZE Airport we used William’s Shuttle Service for the two hour drive from BZE to San Ignacio. We booked most our transportation with William’s Shuttle and would highly recommend them. It was one of the most affordable and most highly recommended shuttle services. NOTE: Going through customs was straightforward, but can take an hour or so depending on how quickly it takes you to deplane.

Hotel: Falling Leaves Lodge – We checked in with Paula at the front desk who was wonderful. During our stay she was able to confirm our activity reservations, make us dinner reservations, and call us taxis to take us into town with Mr. G’s Taxi Service. Technically, the town center is within walking distance, but the are two LARGE hills to get there, so we opted to drive into town. Our room was very pleasant with a working A/C unit.

Activity: Explore Cahal Pech Ruins – These Mayan ruins are located next to Falling Leaves Lodge so after settling in for a bit we walked over and did a little exploring. It was $10 BZE/person for entry.

Dinner: Ko Ox Han Nah – Fast and affordable Belizean food. This spot was recommended by our driver a few other people throughout our trip. Paula was able to call us a taxi and Mr. G gave us a ride. No reservation needed.

Day 2 – San Ignacio – ATM Cave Tour

Breakfast: Obsidian Restaurant – This restaurant is located at the Falling Leaves Lodge. It was pretty good and convenient for our early morning. The service was a little slow, so plan for about 45 mins. for breakfast.

Activity: ATM Cave Tour – we went on a guided tour with MayaWalks Tours. This was a MUST DO!! The tour guide, Juan Carlos, was very informative and it included a delicious lunch as well as pick up/drop off from our hotel. Socks are required for a portion of the tour, so be sure to wear a pair, as there is a portion of the tour were you take your shoes off. NOTE: They don’t allow you to bring cameras on the tour.
Outfit: Long sleeve rash-guard and running shorts over a swimsuit. I opted for a pair of Nike Metcon shoes. The website says that you can wear sandals, but I would definitely recommend closed toe shoes.

Before dinner activity: We were dropped off at Falling Leaves Lodge around 3:30pm or so and we had time for an afternoon pool session before dinner.

Dinner: Crave House of Flavour – Definitely get the ceviche. For our entrees, we had the seasonal fish (Snook) and an order of pork chops. There is also a nice little ice cream shop next door, highly recommend the honey cashew flavor, if available. Mr. G also gave a us a ride to and from the restaurant. NOTE: We were told that we would need a reservation. It’s a fairly small space, so I could see how it would fill up quickly.
Outfit: Fairly casual – I just wore a activewear and running shoes.

Day 3 – San Ignacio – Horseback riding farm tour/Xuantanich Ruins/Chocolate Tour

Breakfast: Obsidian Restaurant – With another early morning pick up we decided on another convenient breakfast at our hotel.

Activity: Horseback riding farm tour with a tour of the Xuantanich ruins and a chocolate making class. The tour we booked was with St. Leonards’s Tours. We had our own personal guide. He was very friendly and informative. The horses were well trained and well cared for. Also, you didn’t need to have any previous horse experience to enjoy the ride. The tour included pick up/drop off from Falling Leaves and lunch.
Outfit: Long sleeve shirt, joggers, and Nike Metcons. Long pants are required for the horseback riding. The weather wasn’t too great for us, but if it’s hot, I’d recommend bringing a pair of shorts to wear while visiting the ruins.

Lunch: Benny’s Kitchen – Lunch was included with the tour. We had delicious Pibil tacos (as recommended by our guide). Also, if available, you MUST try the soursop juice!!

Before Dinner Activity: Marie Sharp’s Tasting Room – The last activity on the tour was the chocolate class which ends at about 2pm. After the class we walked over to Marie Sharp’s tasting room (located upstairs of the Rainforest Haven Inn) for a hot sauce tasting. This was super fun, definitely worth doing! You don’t need a reservation as they run the tastings every hour or so. Even if you don’t do too well with spice, it’s still a fun activity.

Dinner: Guava Limb – This was one of our favorite meals in San Ignacio. The space is very cute with a lot of seating. We were recommended to make a reservation ahead of time, but had no problem getting a same day reservation. We ordered the shrimp ceviche which was served in a beautiful conch. The soursop cheesecake was also a nice treat at the end of the night.
Outfit: Sundress and flat sandals. It was a little dressier than anywhere else we went in San Ignacio, but still not fancy.

Day 4 – San Ignacio/San Pedro – Travel Day

Breakfast: Pop’s Belize Restaurant – Since we didn’t have to wake up early for a tour this morning we ventured into town (via Mr. G) and tried breakfast at this very popular breakfast spot. It was pretty good and affordable.

Activity: Coffee/Local Market – After breakfast we stopped by to get coffee at De Los Mayas Coffee stand. We had noticed that the creamer used for most coffee in restaurants had a slight cheese flavor, but this stand had milk alternatives, and a lot of great drink options. Afterwards we decided to walk over to the San Ignacio Market which had a lot of fruit vendors and souvenirs. NOTE: Be sure to confirm whether the price is in BZE or USD with the vendors.

Transportation: San Ignacio to Belize City – We caught a ride with William’s Shuttle Service (same driver, Tyrone!) who gave a us a ride to Belize City where we were dropped off at the Belize Water Taxi Express port. The port is pretty hectic outside, but just make sure you find an employee with a bright colored polo, and they will collect your bags, and direct you to check in.

Lunch: The Last Drop – This was a little lunch spot in the Belize Express Terminal. We opted for chicken Caesar salad’s which I probably wouldn’t recommend. The chicken was good though!

Transportation: Belize City to San Pedro – We hopped on the Belize Express Water Taxi for a 1.5 hour water taxi ride to San Pedro. We made reservations online, but you can also buy your tickets at the port. It was a very smooth ride. NOTE: Try not to sit in the front seats, you will likely get sprayed with some water from the open windows.

Hotel: Alaia Resort – We were picked up at the port by the complimentary Alaia shuttle. We didn’t have to reserve it beforehand. We then checked in to this GORGEOUS Marriott property. Our room overlooked the pool area and beach. Everything was clean and modern. Also, it was TC’s birthday that week and they even left him a cute little birthday cake.

Dinner: El Fogon – This was a popular spot. We got there early, but it filled out pretty quickly. There are fairly large tables, so it would be good for bigger groups.

Day 5 – San Pedro – Secret Beach

Breakfast: The Baker – This was a local local bakery right next to Alaia. Definitely try the croissants (with peanut butter, if you’re a fan) and the cinnamon rolls. They also have pretty good coffee and iced chai.

Activity: Secret Beach – We rented a golf cart from Alaia (it was about $84 USD for the full day. The full day is literally a full day and drop off was at 7am the next morning). Be prepared for a very bumpy ride. Once you get out of the city it may seem like you’re lost, but keep going, and eventually you’ll see the signs. We mainly stayed on the side to the left of the big Secret Beach sign so that we could go to the Blue Bayou restaurant, but we did check out the other area too. There were a couple of local restaurants, but we preferred the area by the Blue Bayou.

Lunch: Blue Bayou – This was a very unique and beautiful restaurant. This restaurant had in water dining options with the tables were partially submerged in water so you could swim around and see fish swim up to your table. We arrived at around 10am and were the first ones there. Most people didn’t show up until 11:30am or so. This place is super popular on Tik Tok, but there are a handful of other similar bars that looked like you would get a similar experience, if it was full. We ordered the ceviche (surprise) and some drinks. All in all – worth the bumpy 45 minute ride.

Before Dinner Activity: Pool and snack – When we got back to Alaia we headed up to the adults only pool (there are three pools on the property) and did a little swimming and had some crispy rice and fries. They were both very good and reasonably priced.

Dinner: El Patio Restaurant – We were recommended this spot by the concierge. Since we still had access to our golf cart, we did a quick 15 min. golf cart drive to the restaurant. Be aware, it is on a patio, so no A/C. The service was also a bit slow.
Outfit: Semi fancy – Full length sundress and flat sandals. There were some people dressed much nicer than us, but also some more casual.

Day 6 – San Pedro – Snorkeling

Breakfast: The Baker

Transportation: San Pedro to Caye Caulker – We took the Belize Express Water Taxi to get to Caye Caulker. You don’t need to buy ticket ahead of time, but you can if you would like. However, you do need to check in for your boat about 15 mins prior to departure.

Activity: Morning snorkel tour with E-Z Boy Tours – We were a little early since the water taxi is only a 30 min. ride, so we checked in at EZ Boy Tours which is a few hundred yards from the dock and walked down the street and got some coffee at a cute coffee shop, The Morning Cup (free wifi). Snorkeling was super fun! We saw the reef (second largest reef in the world), swam with sharks/sting rays, and did a tarpon feeding. Would highly recommend doing this tour with EZ Boy Tours. There are snorkeling tours that depart from San Pedro, but this was a good excuse to check out Caye Caulker. It is definitely worth the extra effort.
Outfit: Long sleeve rash-guard with activewear shorts over a swimsuit.

Exploring Caye Caulker: We only did a half day snorkel tour, so we were done around 1:30pm. We decided to walk around Caye Caulker a little bit and check out a couple of bars and gift shops.

Lunch/Snack: Hibiscus – Would probably skip this spot, but it was good enough. There are likely other options in the area.

Dinner: Ocean Side Pizzeria – We opted for room service pizza at Alaia. We each order a 10″ pizza. They were delicious and exactly what we were wanting.

Day 7 – Travel Day – San Pedro to Hopkins

Breakfast: The Baker

Lunch: We had time for lunch before our flight so we walked to the Mahogany Bay Resort. We stopped at Jyoto, the sushi restaurant in The Village. All the food was very good, but the ceviche roll was the clear favorite.

Transportation: Air Tropic Flight to Dangriga Airport – Once we landed in Dangrigia the airport staff organized a ride for us with a local taxi service. It was $70USD for two of us and about a 30 min. drive.

Hotel: Villa Margarita – This was a wonderful villa that was part of the Belize Collection properties on Jaguar Reef. We were lucky and had the whole villa to ourselves. The private pool was gorgeous and the room itself was very spacious. NOTE: I would recommend having a porter help you with your bags if you have any rolling bags. Also, they don’t provide bottled water, but they do have filtered water in the room.

Dinner: Chef Rob’s – This was one of our favorite meals of the trip. Chef Rob’s is located next door to Villa Margarita and was delicious. Would highly recommend.NOTE: on Friday’s Chef Rob does a tasting menu for 12. We were not there on a Friday, but I’m sure it would be an amazing experience.
Outfit: Linen pants and a nice top with heels. It was was fairly casual for being on a beach resort, but you could definitely dress up if you wanted to.

Day 8 – Hopkins – Rest/Relaxation Day

Breakfast: The Lodge at Jaguar Reef – We opted to have a quick breakfast at the main lodge.

Activity: Pool day – We spent some time in the pool. We also tried to explore the town for a bit which is a bit of a walk. If you go into town I would recommend renting a golf cart or using one of the free bikes from the resort. NOTE: We found out a lot of things were closed on Tuesday.

Lunch: Ceviche Bar/Tandoori – There is a lovely ceviche bar on the resort overlooking the water. We order some ceviche and had a couple of drinks. After that we wandered over to an Indian restaurant across the street, Tandoori, for some mango margs/mango coladas and some Indian food. It was pretty hot out with no a/c, but the food was good and the portions were very generous.

Dinner: The Lodge at Jaguar Reef – We decided to try out the dinner menu at The Lodge. It was fine, but in hindsight, I would probably recommend doing another dinner at Chef’s Rob instead if you’re looking for a convenient option.

Day 9 – Hopkins – Fishing/Snorkeling

Breakfast: The Lodge at Jaguar Reef

Activity: Fishing/Snorkeling trip – We booked a tour with Get to Know Belize that included fishing, snorkeling, and then the opportunity for them to take us to a private island where we cooked what we caught. It was very fun and I would definitely recommend this. NOTE: If you get motion/sea sick fairly easily be sure to Dramamine. I took a pill the night before and they day off and I still felt a little queasy for a bit, but luckily it didn’t last long and we moved to another location for the fishing.

Lunch: Bread and Butter Island – We were able to catch about 6 fish between us. The guides made a nice ceviche, some grilled fish, and a coconut curry. It was all very good. They also provided some chips and salsa as well as beer, rum punch, and coca cola. Very fun little island.

Dinner: Don Tonito’s Pizzeria at The Lodge at Jaguar Reef – We were still fairly full from lunch, so we opted to try the pizzeria at the resort. It was alright, but I think we would prefer the restaurant at the Lodge. The pizza’s didn’t have much flavor and were a little underwhelming. Definitely not as good as the pizzas at Alaia.

Day 10 – Travel Day – Hopkins to BZE Airport

Transportation: We used William’s shuttle for a ride to BZE airport. It was about a 2.5 hour ride.

Lunch: Belizmo Pizza – There weren’t a lot of options in the terminal that we were flying out of, but we opted for the Belizmo pizza. It was decent, but only get it if you like thick crust. They had free wifi. I’ve heard that there are some other terminals that they have more options.

Transportation: Our flight was around 12:30pm, so after the pizza and checking out the gifts shops in the terminal we were on our way home!! NOTE: If you are bringing home a conch shell, be sure to put it in your checked luggage, otherwise, they will confiscate it at security if it is in your carry on.

Overall, a very memorable trip with my favorite TC. Look out for our next adventure!!