Xunantunich Mayan Ruin: A Dominant Historical City in Belize

Discover the ancient wonders of Xunantunich, a dominant Mayan city in Belize. Explore its 26 temples, climb the second tallest man-made structure, and immerse yourself in history.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Xunantunich - After crossing beautiful Mopan river by ferry, your guide will take you into a lapse of ancient times. Marvel at the six large plazas with twenty six different temples and structures, gaze at the Guatemalan border from on-top of “El Castillo” (the second largest man made structure in Belize) and simply soak in the natural beauty and…
What's Included
  • Bottled water provided
  • Lunch included
  • Maximum comfort and safety assured
  • Air-conditioned vehicles
  • All fees and taxes covered
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities (recommended)
Additional Information

Xunantunich was one of the three strongest, most dominant Mayan Cities in Meso-America Book lasting until 750 A.D. Book this tour and receive the experience of a lifetime by visiting the first excavated Mayan City in Belize with the second tallest man made structure in the country. Explore 6 magnificent plazas hosting a staggering 26 different temples…

Location
Xunantunich
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(15 Ratings)
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Sandra_w
Jun 19, 2024
Trip back into antiquity. - Percy, our driver, gave us a great feel for the people and country of Belize. He was very informative. Our tour guide, Javier, gave a wonderful explanation of the temples, the mythology and theories behind them and the Mayan people. The personal touch for the entire trip was great. Thank you.
Review provided by Viator
Shanay_g
Apr 22, 2024
Great experience - The private tour was money well spent! Our driver Percy was awesome and very knowledgeable. Arrived early and waited for us to finush our breakfast at the hotel. He shared some information and history of the island as we made our way to the ruins. Our guide through the ruins was Eder who was so friendly and patient with us as it was such a hot day and we werent used to hiking in the tropical climate. The lunch included was good as well. Overall it was a great time and we enjoyed ourselves.
Review provided by Viator
Lucinda_l
Mar 16, 2024
Exceptional Xunantunich and Belizean Country side education - We had a rough start with miscommunications about time of pick up BUT this is when you know you are working with an excellent company. A guide was sent for our tour( within 5 minutes of me calling )of the Mayan temples and Belizean countryside. What an awesome day! Fredd ( not a misspelling) was exceptional. So very Knowledgable about his Mayan heritage. We called him Professor Fredd. It was an honor to tour with him. We had lunch at Hoodes where he was welcomed as we were as friends. Food was delicious. Royal Belizean Tours has a real jewel of an employee with Fredd and his ability to educate about the beauty of Belize and the Mayan culture.
Review provided by Viator
789mariamb
Feb 26, 2024
Amazing tour!! - This was such an amazing experience. Percy was very knowledgeable about the belizean culture and flexible. Visiting the Mayan ruins was absolutely amazing and we even made a stop to the Belize zoo. This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. Contact Percy via the number listed prior to booking so he can provide you with details and promotions he have at that time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jack_e
Jan 22, 2024
Just Do It! Once in a lifetime experience. - TL;DR Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this tour. It’s private, very safe, beautiful, well worth the price (message and ask about some very nice discounts BEFORE booking, trust me), and Percy is an amazing guide. The lunch was delicious, the tour was amazing. Honestly, just book the tour, you won’t regret it! THANK YOU Percy for a once in a lifetime experience my partner and I won’t forget! Long form review: Royal Belizean Adventures is top notch. I booked a private tour of the Xunantunich Ruins the night prior as a last minute booking and I immediately received a confirmation and communication from Percy who is the owner and operator. Percy was also our guide for the trip. We established communication through Whatsapp which was very handy, as that is how most Belizean’s communicate in country. My partner and I were accommodated every step of the way, as we needed to get back to our hotel in the city earlier than the tour was advertised and Percy was so accommodating. We were picked up right on time in a private Toyota Hiace at our hotel by a friendly and smiling Percy who was happy to meet us and see us. Percy provided an overview of the activities for the day, the sights, and let us ask as many questions we could ever want. The drive out to the ruins is approximately 2hrs one way from Belize city, and Percy is a very knowledgeable guide who knows the roads like the back of his hand. On the drive over, he highlighted the beautiful Belizean country side and some highlights. About 1hr into the trip we stopped at a gas station for a restroom and snack break if we desired. There was a fun ferry crossing before arriving at the ruins, and the main part of the tour began. When I tell you that Percy is a living encyclopedia, he truly is. He speaks multiple languages and the amount of knowledge he possesses and is able to convey in plain and easy to understand English regarding the history, geology, and archaeology of the Mayan ruins was fascinating, fun, and impressive. Truly a wonderful experience. Percy offered to take pictures of us, offered us water and umbrellas since it was raining, and took care of all the logistics when it came to police checkpoints and the geological/archaeological site visit; all we had to do was simply walk through the gates and checkpoints with ease. Percy was also a very SAFE guide, he ensured safety was his number one priority. Whenever there was a potential hazard like slipping or falling, he made sure we were aware. We especially enjoyed during the tour of the ruins getting to see what I call the “secret sauce” view of the ruins. Be sure to ask for this view point if you do this tour as it’s a stunning view of the main pyramid standing on top of one of the satellite pyramids, and not many visitors know about it. After the tour, we were able to explore around on our own and met Percy back at the van. Afterwards we got a delicious local lunch. My partner and I have dietary restrictions that Percy was mindful of and accommodated for ordering. We drove back to our hotel and the tour + drive time felt perfect for us as we were back in Belize city by 1pm. In the end, amazing tour, fantastic operator, and I would do this again in a heart beat. Thank you Percy.
Review provided by Viator
Austintravelman
Nov 28, 2022
Great Trip. - Great experience. It is well worth the longish drive from Belize City to see this wonder. Call me a snob, but a private tour is the only way to go! A large group just isn’t the same! If you’re afraid of heights you’ll have to hold someone’s hand. The climb up the stone stairs is well worth it! Finally, Fred, our guide, was super!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amyanncurran
Jul 1, 2022
Ruin countryside tour - Jeff our tour guide was amazing. Great job telling us the history of the country and a little botany lesson. The view from the top of the ruins was beautiful. We stopped at monkey sanctuary on the way back and it was a highlight for the whole family.
Review provided by Viator
Lfredregill
May 21, 2022
Something Different - Our driver Jeff picked us up from the cruise ship port. Poor directions on where to meet him cost us 45 minutes. About two hours driving got us to our destination, with Jeff offering commentary/personal stories while we drove. We had seen Altun Ha before, so this venture gave us a different Belize and Mayan experience. Our local lunch was dee-licious, and we (I) had time for shopping, with Jeff taking us to more local areas.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ontheroadtogether2
May 22, 2024
Long day!...But worth it! - Did this excursion as part of our cruise on Carnival Paradise last week. If you are doing it as part of a cruise, be prepared, as it is a very long day...but worth it. First you take a 20 minute tender ride from the ship to shore, where there are plenty of shops, which you will get to look around in while you wait. Then you get on a bus for 2 hr and 15 minute ride. During the ride, your guides will talk about all things Belize. We had Dora and Jr., and they were very friendly and knowledgeable. When we got to the ruins entrance, there are locals there with a few roadside shops and water (2 for $5). Next, you climb on a hand cranked ferry for a short ride across the river. Then, a minivan will take you the mile up the hill to the actual entrance to the ruins. Then it is an uphill climb where you finally get to the actual site! Jr gave a very informative talk about the history. You are allowed to climb the ruins if you wish. My husband and sons climbed about 2/3 of the way up. They said the view was amazing! We were there about 45 minutes-1 hour. Then back on the bus to Hodes restaurant for lunch. Nice outdoor/indoor restaurant. We had Chicken made with Recado Seasoning, Macaroni Salad made with salad cream, and Beans and Rice. Soda, iced tea and water are included. Full bar if you want for an extra cost. Like I said before.... long day, but if it is on your bucket list (like my husband), it is worth it. Our adult sons loved it as well. Even our 26 year old, who didn't seem thrilled about going, said it was amazing! As for me, it was not something that was on my bucket list, but it was really cool that I got to see it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thadribner
Mar 13, 2024
Great destination, bad guide - Xunantunich was beautiful and amazing. I wish we'd gotten to learn more about it. Our guide was more interested in talking about his family's difficulties with alcoholism and the women he'd had kids with but no longer saw. He made it clear he was always looking for someone else to have kids with. He blatantly hit on any woman around who was not in the immediate vicinity of a man. The most unsettling part was when he kept driving past groups of people with voting party shirts and signs and slowed down to yell at and heckle them. Though the description assures that your group will not be combined with anyone else, we were combined with another group. We had selected a private tour since we wanted to be able to travel at our own pace and move on when our kids had enough of an area. Since we had to hurry to catch up with others in some places and wait for others to be done in other places, this was not our experience. Though we were assured child car seats would be provided, none were available for the two hour drive each way. In addition, while the excursion says lunch is included, it is only provided to adults. My wife and I had to share what was on our plates with our kids. Make sure to bring water for your kids as it is only provided for adults. We did get to overhear some neat facts when we got close to other tour guides, but our guide didn't have nearly the amount of information that was being shared with other groups.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
2 Adult
December 2024
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