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Local Heritage Tour: Ancestral Knowledge Sharing
4.9
18 Ratings
San Ignacio
Tour guides impart the wisdom and tales inherited from their forebears. They accommodate your availability and pace, ensuring they convey ample insights. Enjoy an intimate setting that creates a distinct and memorable experience.
Tour guides impart the wisdom and tales inherited from their forebears. They accommodate your availability and pace, ensuring they convey ample insights. Enjoy an intimate setting that creates a distinct and memorable experience.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Xunantunich Road - A 15-minute drive brings us to the village of San Jose Succotz, where a hand-cranked ferry is used to cross the Mopan River to reach the Xunantunich site. Xunantunich, meaning “maiden of the rock,” was a significant ceremonial center during the Classic Period and is one of Belize’s most popular sites due to its distinctiveness….
- Xunantunich Road - A 15-minute drive brings us to the village of San Jose Succotz, where a hand-cranked ferry is used to cross the Mopan River to reach the Xunantunich site. Xunantunich, meaning “maiden of the rock,” was a significant ceremonial center during the Classic Period and is one of Belize’s most popular sites due to its distinctiveness. The center consists of six major plazas surrounded by over 25 temples and palaces. The large pyramid, “El Castillo,” is famous for its frieze or band of stucco decoration that once encircled the entire temple. El Castillo stands 130 feet above the main plaza, offering a stunning panoramic view of the Mopan River valley. The site dates back to the late Classic Period (600 AD to 900 AD) and was also influenced by El Naranjo, a large ceremonial site in Guatemala. A two-hour guided tour is sufficient to explore the main parts of Xunantunich.
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Alcoholic beverages
- Snacks
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Bottled water
- Alcoholic beverages
- Snacks
- All Fees and Taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
Location
43 Burns Avenue
Burns Avenue
We are located on #43 Burns Avenue, San Ignacio; Unit 2
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
4.9
(18 Ratings)
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1 star
Tanda
Jul 18, 2025
Incredible adventures & cherished moments all with many thanks to EDGAR! - We had the pleasure of Edgar being our guide through Xunantunich & cave Tubing. HE'S ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL! Very personable, knowledgeable, passionate and full of energy.
I could literally feel that he truly loved his culture and took pride in sharing it's treasures with us.
- He brought Xunantunich to life, by his storytelling and explaining the architecture, symbolism and spiritual significance . We left feeling awed!
- Cave Tubing through the Mayan underworld was also incredible! Edgar shared the rich history & Mayan legends tied to the underworld which gave it a magical feel.
We also enjoyed the best lunch experience of our entire trip on the Cave Tubing portion of our adventures!
We left with memories we'll cherish forever. And a deeper appreciation for Belize’s culture and natural wonders, all thanks to EDGAR!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debs17417
Mar 14, 2025
Can’t miss with Belize Caving Expeditions - Selwyn is an excellent guide. His knowledge of Mayan history and the Xunantunich site made for a very informative tour. The hike and float through the cave was amazing in the hot humid weather. Jumping off the cliff was an added bonus. Pick up was on time which was very much appreciated. This tour was worth every penny.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W1378kcsarahb
Mar 1, 2025
Great ruins close to San Ignacio - Beautiful ruins. We learned so much about the Mayan culture from our amazing tour guide. Go early to beat the bigger crude ship tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mlorge1994
Feb 17, 2025
Amazing - What an amazing tour! We did the Xunantunich ruins with the cave float. Selwyn was so knowledgeable, very friendly and easy to talk to! Extremely knowledgeable about literally any question you have- history, archeology, geology, wild life, etc. You can tell how passionate he is about sharing his knowledge which made the tour both educational and a lot of fun! Highly recommend this experience to anyone coming to Belize!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarabp187pf
May 6, 2024
Awesome culture, great tour guide, definitely recommend! - Our tour guide, Abel, was awesome. He is fairly new to being a tour guide, but we would have never known. He was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. It was just my husband and I on the tour with him so it was a very private and fun experience. Xunantunich is a fantastic site with so many structures to explore. The history and culture is amazing and Belize gov't has done a great job preserving the heritage and structures. Make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes and bring plenty of water. We saw lots of wildlife, too!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_j
Mar 2, 2024
Amazing Tour, Fantastic Guide! - Marlon was a wonderful guide! He helped blend 2 singles, and a group of 4 into a cohesive and fun group of 6+1 (himself) for a fun day at Xunantunich and Cave Tubing. We all enjoyed the archeological site, with fantastic views from the top of the castle, and the history of this great Mayan site. Driving across Belize, Marlon was very informative and knowlegeable, answering all the questions that were asked about his great country. Lunch was delicious. The trip through the caves was beautiful and delightfully fun. Marlon went out of his way to encourage and help teach a non-swimmer how to float without fear. I think that person had the most fun of all on the float!
I give the tour a 5-star rating, and bonus kudos to Marlon!
Review provided by Viator
917billys
Feb 18, 2024
Day trip with my BFFs - The tour was less than four hours from San Ignacio which is a nice break from the typical 12hr excursion. Our tour guy was friendly and very knowledgeable about the ruins. Was one of my top experience and highly recommended other to do.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richardn1
Feb 6, 2024
Definitely worth it - Great trip. Fascinating cultural and historical information. Awe inspiring ruins. Martin was a great guide with a fun sense of humor. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Luv2paddle
Feb 3, 2024
Marlon was the best - We had such a great tour with our guide Marlon. He is a local from the village adjacent to the site. His knowledge of Mayan history is extensive and his delivery of information was excellent. He is both funny, friendly and approachable. You can't go wrong seeing this site with Belize Caving Expeditions. We also went on the cave tubing in the afternoon with Marlon. That was FANTASTIC.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kristin
Dec 10, 2023
Informative tour, interesting history, and an amazing guide who put it all into perspective. Close to San Ignacio, too - Informative tour, incredible history, an amazing tour guide! We loved this trip! Dimas was so kind and patient, answering our questions. Close to San Ignacio, too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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