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Xunantunich Tour: A Full Day of Adventure from San Ignacio
5.0
242 Ratings
Xunantunich
Embark on a full day of adventure from San Ignacio with a Xunantunich Tour. Explore ancient Maya ruins, go cave tubing, and enjoy a delicious lunch at Jaguar Paw.
Embark on a full day of adventure from San Ignacio with a Xunantunich Tour. Explore ancient Maya ruins, go cave tubing, and enjoy a delicious lunch at Jaguar Paw.
Duration:
11 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
Xunantunich - The guide will meet guests at their hotel in San Ignacio Town and drive approximately 20 minutes to Xunantunich for a guided tour lasting about 1 to 2 hours.
After the tour, the group will travel approximately 1.5 hours to Nohoch Che’en Caves, also known as “Jaguar Paw,” where a delicious homemade lunch will be served. - **Nohoch…
- Xunantunich - The guide will meet guests at their hotel in San Ignacio Town and drive approximately 20 minutes to Xunantunich for a guided tour lasting about 1 to 2 hours.
After the tour, the group will travel approximately 1.5 hours to Nohoch Che’en Caves, also known as “Jaguar Paw,” where a delicious homemade lunch will be served.
- Nohoch Che’en Caves Branch Archaeological Reserve - Enjoy an approximately 1-hour drive from Xunantunich to the cave tubing park, where a Belizean lunch will be provided. Afterward, guests will pick up the tubing gear and walk for 30 minutes to the starting point for cave tubing. This activity will last between 2 to 3 hours.
Depending on the time, interests, and fitness level, guests may explore and swim in a fascinating cave within the cave system (the guide will inform if conditions are safe to leave the river to explore this area).
At the end of the cave tubing, guests will have the opportunity to change out of their wet clothes, and the group will drive back to San Ignacio, which will take approximately 1.5 hours.
What's Included
- All entrance fees
- Cave tubing equipment
- Water
- Lunch
- Small group tours
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (within San Ignacio)
- All entrance fees
- Cave tubing equipment
- Water
- Lunch
- Small group tours
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (within San Ignacio)
What's Not Included
- Alcoholic drinks, souvenirs, gratuities
- pickups & drop offs OUTSIDE of San Ignacio Town (contact us to confirm availability)
- Gratuities
- p/up NOT included: GAIA, Blancaneaux, Hidden Valley, BLACK ROCK, sweet songs, Mahogany hall, alianas
- not included: Monkey falls TABLE rock CRYSTAL paradise Villa cayo MYSTIC RIVER Mariposa MACAW BANK,
- not…
- Alcoholic drinks, souvenirs, gratuities
- pickups & drop offs OUTSIDE of San Ignacio Town (contact us to confirm availability)
- Gratuities
- p/up NOT included: GAIA, Blancaneaux, Hidden Valley, BLACK ROCK, sweet songs, Mahogany hall, alianas
- not included: Monkey falls TABLE rock CRYSTAL paradise Villa cayo MYSTIC RIVER Mariposa MACAW BANK,
- not included: any other accommodation 5+ miles outside san ignacio town
Additional Information
Get ready for a day filled with adventure, starting with a quick 15-minute drive from your San Ignacio hotel to Xunantunich. Followed by a deep exploration and climb of El Castillo and the rest of the Maya site. After which, you will hit the road for approximately 1.5 hours towards ‘Jaguar Paw’, where you can relish a lunch before prepping up for the…
Get ready for a day filled with adventure, starting with a quick 15-minute drive from your San Ignacio hotel to Xunantunich. Followed by a deep exploration and climb of El Castillo and the rest of the Maya site. After which, you will hit the road for approximately 1.5 hours towards ‘Jaguar Paw’, where you can relish a lunch before prepping up for the cave tubing adventure. Depending on your speed, an approximately 20 - 30 minutes hike gets you to the cave tubing starting point. Immerse yourself in the crystal-clear underground waters for a laid-back tubing experience.
The tour could be disrupted by seasonal rains resulting in flash floods, leading to potential changes in the itinerary particularly on extremely rainy days.
Lunch arrangements can vary from homemade packed meals (designed to cater to special dietary requirements) or a meal at a local restaurant at ‘Jaguar Paw’.
Private tour requests can be accommodated.
In case of shared tours, it could be an exclusive tour for just a couple, if they are the only ones scheduled for that date (though rarely it can also extend up to 6 or 8 participants). Groups or families of more than 5 people are granted privacy by default in their tours.
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Level of fitness required: moderate
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- ALL PARTICiPANTS must be 40inches and taller to be able to participate in the cave tubing tour wherever applicable
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking: vegan/vegetarian/gluten free
- using the Special Requirements field-Please inform us if you or any guests are non-swimmers,
- Things to bring: a COMPLETE change of clothes, sunscreen and insect repellent
- EXTRA FEE for any pickup & drop off to: mystic river resort/GAIA/Blancaneaux/Hidden valley/Black Rock/Sweet Songs/Table Rock/Monkey falls/Mahogany hall/parrots nest + a few more. FEE varies as per location of resort
Location
Xunantunich
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(242 Ratings)
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D_b
Mar 9, 2025
We had a great time with... - We had a great time with Jose!!! We did Xunantunich in the morning and cave tubing in the afternoon. We were so lucky to have the morning tour with Jose privately, and had the tubing with some other lovely people.
Jose was very knowledgeable, he explained the trees, the archaeological site in great details, and took lots of pictures of us. We were the second car arriving Xunantunich, so there was no other tourists there. We had great photos, enjoyed the site by ourselves, and we finished the morning tour when heat came up.
The afternoon tour was even more impressive. Jose was taking care of everyone. We were lucky that we didn’t have to carry the tube for 30mins hiking. The cave was so beautiful, we saw many fragments of Mayan pottery.
Both of us enjoyed the tour very much! And highly recommend Jose and the tour company!!
Review provided by Viator
Companion00812743214
Mar 9, 2025
Topnotch guide service! - Thank you so much to Jose and St. Leonard's for this memorable day in the stunning Jaguar Paw cave system. Like all the guides we've met in Belize, Jose was a consummate professional who kept everyone involved, safe and happy for hours on end. There are many other companies operating at the site but I was happy to be in a small group and that our tubes were already staged at the cave. Lunch was delish too. I appreciated Jose's dedication to our safety and that he kept my rambunctious 11 year old entertained, confident and comfortable. I noticed that as Jose fielded our questions he catered to our interests. We can't wait to come back and I'll definitely recommend this specific tour, company and Jose as a guide. Can't thank you enough.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Akash23a
Mar 8, 2025
Must do adventure - Jose was my tour guide and one of the best guides I've ever had. This tour started the day at Xunantunich pyramids and Jose had an abundance of knowledge of the structures, the time period when they were built, the people during that time and the flora surrounding the site. After a comprehensive tour of the site we traveled to the Cave tubing area which is a bit over an hour away. After lunch we got our tube, life vest, helmet w/ headlight and went for a short hike. We then started with the cave tubing where after about 20 mins of tubing Jose took me into 3 different chambers of the cave to show me various pottery from the ancient Mayans and other natural artifacts within the caves. After hiking around the back chambers of the cave for what seemed to be at least an hour we got back onto our tubes for another 30-45 mins of tubing which ended the day of adventures.
Jose is a top notch guide and recommend him if you go. One thing I'd suggest is to use a waterproof GoPro for tubing and the cave hiking as my phone with a waterproof case was a pain to manage as we were swimming and hiking in the back chambers of the cave. It would have been much easier to attach a GoPro to the brim of my hat and just record everything my headlamp illuminated.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lindsy_b
Feb 26, 2025
So much fun! - Great time with Carla and Marc! They were extremely personable and gave us a ton of history and background on Belize. The ruins were so cool to see and you can even climb to the top to see into Guatemala. The steps are very steep though, just a heads up. Lunch was super yummy and even came with a complimentary beer! The cave tour was super unique and fun to do, and you even get to explore inside a bit as well as Carla guided us along the way. Even though it practically down poured rain on us most of the day, we still had a great time! Would definitely recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Rachel_g
Feb 18, 2025
Do Not Miss This - We were lucky enough to have Jose all to ourselves, he took us farther into the cave than any other group and had us laughing and exploring for hours. This tour is a must! Jose was very knowledgeable about the ruins and the cave, it was an incredible learning experience and he made sure we were comfortable at all times. Amazing tour, incredible guide, do not miss this! Thank you to our friend Jose!
Review provided by Viator
22lia
Feb 9, 2025
So good - We had a great time with José. He was very educated on the caves, Maya history, and the local flora and fauna. I had not imagined that visiting Xunantunich could be so fun, but José had all the jokes and really tailored our experience to us. The site itself was quite amazing and our appreciation for it was deepened with all of Jose’s explanations. There, we also heard howler monkeys and saw spider monkeys, iguanas, birds, bats, and tarantulas. He taught me how to lure the tarantulas out of their burrows, which was super cool. He also taught us a lot about the native plants we saw there in a fun and exciting way. On the way to the caves, we saw an animal that I had never even heard of before, fish, a small crocodile, and more bats. The Nohoch Che’en caves were also amazing, especially with José as our guide. Instead of simply floating down the river, we also got out of the inner tubes to swim and explore. We saw many stalagmites and stalactites of course, as well as other cool cave formations, including one part that could be played like a xylophone. We were also lucky to see ancient Maya pottery and shadowy warnings to those who dared to venture inside. José showed us many things about the caves from the perspective of the ancient Maya and their beliefs, which really added to the experience. The cave swimming, scrambling, and jumping felt like a fun adventure for me, and José was very patient, caring, and helpful to my friend who realized it was outside of her comfort zone. I feel as though we got to experience so much more of the caves than the other tour groups there. We also got to see additional wildlife inside the caves, like fish, a crab, and a weird-looking blind grasshopper. Finally, we got back on the inner tubes for a while and then emerged from the caves, continuing to float down the river in beautiful scenery. It was the very definition of tranquility. I felt so contented and relaxed afterward, like a kid after spending a fun day swimming at the pool. I definitely recommend this excursion!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amy_b
Jan 29, 2025
Best tour - A must book tour. We have done 3 tours and this was by far our favorite. Jose was very informative and a blast to be around. Pick up was on time. The tour of the ruins was amazing and provided lunch was filling and tasty. The cave tubing was so cool interesting and beautiful.
Review provided by Viator
Ben_r
Jan 24, 2025
An excellent adventure - Jose was excellent. He was friendly, intelligent and out going. He had an answer for everything we asked. He ciuld tell us about the history of Belize, the towns, the Myans, plants, animals, geopraphy, everything. He knows the cave system inside and out I think. He worked hard to provide us with everything we were looking for. It really was a great day!
Review provided by Viator
Brittany_w
Jan 18, 2025
A must do in Belize!!! - Our tour with St. Leonard’s was hands down one of the best experiences we had in Belize! Carla is the BEST tour guide EVER—knowledgeable, engaging, humorous, and so much fun! My husband and I had an absolute blast exploring Xunantunich and learning about Mayan history and culture. Carla brought the ruins to life with her incredible storytelling and passion.
The cave tubing was absolutely unreal! Carla made sure we felt safe while also offering adventure and challenges for those who wanted them. It was the perfect balance of thrill and chill.
If you’re considering this tour, don’t hesitate—book it! St. Leonard’s creates a truly intimate and personalized experience, ensuring everyone has an amazing time. When my husband and I return to San Ignacio, we will definitely be booking with them again!
Review provided by Viator
Terry_h
Feb 11, 2025
Cave Tubing Was Great! - Great experience! I probably would have given all five stars, but the ferry was broken to get to the ruins so we only did the cave tubing. But our guide, Jose made the cave tour fantastic with his knowledge and taking the time to explain the plants, birds, and history. Rain or shine it was great. If you don’t have a waterproof case for your phone/camera buy/rent one as you will wish you had it.
Review provided by Viator
