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Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave Tour: An Exploration into Maya's Ceremonial Site
4.8
63 Ratings
San Ignacio
Embark on a thrilling adventure through Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave, a sacred Maya ceremonial site. Swim, crawl, and explore underground tunnels, burial chambers, and ancient artifacts.
Embark on a thrilling adventure through Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave, a sacred Maya ceremonial site. Swim, crawl, and explore underground tunnels, burial chambers, and ancient artifacts.
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- ATM Cave Belize- Actun Tunichil Muknal - Situated within the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve, ATM Cave is about an hour’s drive southeast of San Ignacio Town, near Teakettle Village. A 30-minute trek through jungle paths and river crossings leads to the cave’s entrance. A brief swim of around 15 feet grants access to “Xibalba,” the Maya underworld….
- ATM Cave Belize- Actun Tunichil Muknal - Situated within the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve, ATM Cave is about an hour’s drive southeast of San Ignacio Town, near Teakettle Village. A 30-minute trek through jungle paths and river crossings leads to the cave’s entrance. A brief swim of around 15 feet grants access to “Xibalba,” the Maya underworld. Guided by a headlamp, visitors navigate through the cave to the main plaza, where burial chambers are located. Throughout the journey, they will learn about the sacrificial ceremonies that occurred in this sacred site thousands of years ago. The cave holds intact calcified remains, ancient artifacts, and altars where Maya leaders performed blood offerings, all narrating the history of past events. Visitors will return to their hotel or resort by mid-afternoon, carrying stories of their adventure and memories to cherish for a lifetime.
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Transportation
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
- Park Entrance Fees
- Lunch
- Equipment
- Bottled water
- Towels
- Professional guide
- Transportation
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
- Park Entrance Fees
- Lunch
- Equipment
- Bottled water
- Towels
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Meal Options
- Belizean BBQ Chicken - BBQ Chicken, served with the traditional Belizean Rice & Beans, Fried Plantains, Flour Tortillas, and Cole Slaw.
- Belizean BBQ Chicken - BBQ Chicken, served with the traditional Belizean Rice & Beans, Fried Plantains, Flour Tortillas, and Cole Slaw.
Additional Information
Embark on an unparalleled adventure exploring ceremonial caves, a truly unforgettable encounter! You will have the opportunity to delve into this astonishing cave network that was formerly utilized by ancient Maya for performing sacrifices. A professionally qualified, licensed guide will accompany you. The journey to this sacred ground involves…
Embark on an unparalleled adventure exploring ceremonial caves, a truly unforgettable encounter! You will have the opportunity to delve into this astonishing cave network that was formerly utilized by ancient Maya for performing sacrifices. A professionally qualified, licensed guide will accompany you. The journey to this sacred ground involves swimming, navigating subterranean passages, walkways, and funerary vaults adorned with stalactites, stalagmites, and old clay earthenware.
The tour initiates at 8:00am and rounds off around 3:00pm.
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- A minimum of 2 (two) people per booking is required
- Subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or the option to do a different tour (surcharges may apply)
- Not available for children shorter than 40” in height.
Location
Cayo Inland Expeditions
#15 Burns Avenue, San Ignacio Town
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
4.8
(63 Ratings)
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Sea-moon-e
Feb 3, 2026
best experience - Thank you for an incredible great day at the ATM caves. Everything was organized perfectly from pick up to lunch. The friendliness and expertise of drivers and guides were outstanding and made our tour one of the best experiences in Belize.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mike_henders
Jan 27, 2026
Adventure & informative! - We had a great tour to the ATM cave. The pickup process was on time and everything went to schedule. We arrived to the cave around 8am which was fantastic as we were ahead of the other groups. We felt very safe doing this tour and we learnt a lot.
Some parts were a bit tricky/physical but it really is suited to most fitness levels/abilities.
I would book through these guys again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Patriciapv2481jy
Jan 24, 2026
A travel trifecta! - Mayan history, geology and adventure! The ATM experience is exhilerating, and we highly recommend Cayo Inland services, who provided an excellent guide, Hector, whose knowledge and expertise made the day interesting and safe, and a jovial and attentive driver, Wayne, who made sure it all came together as needed. Good advice from Ruben at the office in town to go early and beat the crowds. A must-do in San Ignacio.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janina_e
Jan 24, 2026
This tour is a must when... - This tour is a must when you visit Belize. Don’t be scared of the cold water, it’s not bad at all. You learn so much about the Mayan culture and the lunch that’s included is delicious (and not just a little sandwich but a full meal). Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
336krzysztoff
Jan 20, 2026
Mayan underworld - The trip starts from crosing the river in the jungle. Next swimming in the cave with stalagmits, stalactics and crystals. The end gives chance to feel Mayan’s belive. The upper level is full of ceramics and other gifts offered to the gods. It includes human sacrifice. It gives opportunity to see the world through the eyes of Mayan. Guides were very good. Only minus to crowded sometimes in the narrow cave. To many groups same time. Earlier is better.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Colleenpower4
Jan 15, 2026
Definitely worth doing the ATM caves. - Cayo Inland Expeditions were responsive, easy to book with and provided very good guides, Dimas and Hector. Our day ran smoothly, was not rushed, and I felt safely supervised at all times. The tour itself was more challenging than I expected (even though most descriptions I’d read were fairly accurate) as Belize seems to allow people to take more risk than my country of Canada. I highly recommend doing the ATM caves if you are interested in adventure with some physical risk and in learning about ancient Mayan culture.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kristina_c
Jan 12, 2026
Adventure of a lifetime - We got so lucky that the caves reopened after being flooded for a whole week before. What an adventure! We were swimming and finding our footing in the deep cave - so exhilarating! We saw remains from over a thousand years ago at the very end. Delicious lunch was provided afterwards. Make sure you have eaten and are hydrated before heading into the cave - it will be a while before you eat and drink. No cell phones allowed.
Our tour guide was amazing, funny, and very knowledgeable.
Review provided by Viator
Patricia_w
Jan 10, 2026
ATM Cave Review - My mom (56), dad (61), sister and I agreed that the ATM cave was one of the best things we did in Belize. Our guide Hector was excellent. Hector was extremely knowledgable about the cave’s history, stories, and most importantly how to help everyone get through the cave safely. There are rocks throughout the cave that jut out or you need to climb over but Hector knew every crevasse and carefully guided us through the cave. There were a couple points where my parents felt nervous but Hector showed them exactly where to put their hands and feet which made them feel much better. You should definitely be in decent shape to do this tour as you do need to cross river currents, swim throughout the cave, and be able to climb and maneuver around rock structures. Again, big shoutout to our guide Hector who made this experience unforgettable!
Review provided by Viator
V4325ipdans
Jan 5, 2026
Best Tour Company for the Archaeology Cave / Mayan Tours in Belize - While we were in San Ignacio Belize did all four of our excursions with Cayo Inland Adventures. The challenge was that the ATM cave tour was closed 7 out of 9 days in late December due to rain. Terry on the fly managed to change our schedule to some of the other activities while the cave was closed (tour of Tikal) & threw in one tour we never considered but was one my kids favorite (Belize jungle waterfall River tour). Then on the last morning we were in San Ignacio the ATM cave opened & she got us in the tour. We had another family on the tour who said that other tour companies told them they were fully booked but Terry managed to get them in. If you want to work with one of the top tour companies in San Ignacio who is friendly and proactive, we highly Cayo Inland Adventures!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
804angusf
Dec 4, 2025
Wayne/Hector is the man - A fantastic tour! Our tour guide, Hector, was knowledgeable and passionate about Mayan history. He was an amazing guide!! Lunch was delicious, and the cave is incredible. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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