Lamanai Temples, River Cruise, Howler Monkeys,

Overview

Available languages

English

Spanish

8 hours

Mobile ticket

Rain or Shine, Belize is blessed with Maya Sites, Cultures, Ecosystems and wildlife, birds. Led by expert guidance, we see and hear stories of parts of Belize City, the people and culture, residences and business, and current developments, pass by the Historic old Belize River, See the rural communities, fruit farms and ranches. pass near mangrove forest, grassland wetlands, Caribbean pine forest. See the Sugar Factory, cane fields and distillery. Guided site tour of Lamanai Temples, ball-courts and museum. Rain or Shine, enjoy this tour. Embark on a river cruise, bird watching, then explore the Mask Temple, the High Temple and Jaguar temple and learn the history behind those sites from your native guide. Take in the panoramic views and vibrant nature surrounding you on this small-group tour. Birdwatching, listening to the Howler Monkeys. This tour includes river cruise, lunch, entrance fees and transfer by an air-conditioned minivan. tour with the guides that make the difference.

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Operates in all weather conditions, using a open air boat with a small canopy,please dress appropriately (poncho, rain jacket, and tennis shoes for walking on uneven foot paths and climbing structures recommended)

You may bring, cellphone, cameras, binoculars, sun screen, hat, poncho, towel and change of clothes should there be a downpour in the Rainforest, normally its Sunny, when you return to the car park, there is changing rooms

We pick up at the Belize Airport, sir Barry Bowen municipal, San Pedro Express, Sprinter cruise port marine terminal ocean ferry

wear proper hiking footwear for uneven, slippery paths, no flip flops

Guest from San Pedro Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, choose the 6am water taxi or the 7am air taxi to come to Belize City and we will pick you up at water taxi terminal or the Belize City Municipal Airport

We use open air boat and a small canopy, For sunny days bring sunscreen, hat, g

Cancellation Policy

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

What‘s Included

Bottled water

Bring Refillable water bottles

Luggage storage while on tour

Driver/guide

local Belizean Rice and beans with stew chicken and veg cole slaw

National park fees

Water taxi pickup and drop of at water taxi or city area hotel

Transport by air-conditioned minivan

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

Lamanai Archaeological Reserve

Following pickup, you will embark on a drive with your guide, who will provide commentary along the way. Then, you will board a boat for a sightseeing river ride, where you'll get to observe birds, orchids, water lilies and possibly crocodiles. You will pass near the Amish community of shipyard, before you arrive at the new river lagoon at the footsteps of the Ancient city of Lamanai. Your guide will then lead you through forest paths, where you will look at huge Guanacaste trees and the Cohune palm forest, and listen to the sounds of the howler monkeys. Your next stop will be the Mask Temple, where you will have the opportunity to take photos and go up the top, and get a panoramic view of the plaza down below. Next, you will go on a 5 minute walk through the forest path to see the High Temple. Your guide will explain the secrets revealed through excavations at the site, before providing you with the opportunity to climb to the top and see all of the Northern Belize lowlands and small villages. Following you descent, you will head to the Ball Court and the Altar in the center. Your guide will shed light on the findings and the ritual game. You will then pass through the residential area and see the famous Stela #9, which features an intricate carved drawing of the Lamanai dynasty and its ruler, Lord Smoking Shell. Moving along, you will next visit the Jaguar Temple, where you get to see the mask of the Jaguar on the Temple Wall. You will then stop for lunch. Next, you'll visit the on-site museum to see some of the Red clay pots with drawings on them that were used at Lamanai. Likewise, you will see Altars and stelas now housed in the facility. Your tour will conclude with drop-off.

Admission Included

Options

Lamanai Temples, River Cruise, Howler Monkeys,

Pickup included

Reviews

4.75

142 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

120

My hubby and I went on a...
Tiffany H,
Nov 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
My hubby and I went on a informative excursion and it was great! The food was amazing and the ruins were awesome!Highly recommend!
A must do in Belize! Lamanai Ruins!
kevonnaa2025,
Nov 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had Nasir as our driver and Amir as our tour guide and boat captain. Both were amazing! They made the experience memorable and were very knowledgeable about the area and history of Belize. We stayed in San Pedro on Ambergis Caye, so they picked us from the water taxi terminal in Belize City. We were a little worried about the logistics of that, but Naz was timely and communicated effectively. Once picked up, we notice there was only one other couple. So they do not oversell this tour, it was intimate and comfortable! Along the ride, Naz schooled us on all things Belize! It was like a bite-sized history lesson. During the boat ride with Amir, we learned about the wildlife of the river and thanks to his great eyes and knowledge of the river, we were able to spot many crocodiles! After lunch, we enjoyed a delicious Belizian lunch prepared by Amir’s wife. Stew chicken, potatoes, coconut rice, coleslaw and homemade pico de gallo. The best coleslaw I’ve ever tasted!! Everyone went back for seconds! We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and it was easily the highlight of our trip. If you’re on the fence, book it! It is well worth it!
Mediocre at best
Luis D,
Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00
Find another provider (if there are any that include de river cruise). The river cruise is a boat ride, kind of cool but doesn't add much. The guide takes you to the pyramids and says a few things about them, then let's you take photos and look at the howler monkeys. Our guide said there was nothing interesting at the museum, to the point he didn't remind us of going even though it was included in the ticket price. Either Belize needs to get more interesting artifacts in the museum or the tour guide needs to tell people when it's time to visit the museum. We had lunch for a while and all of a suden were told to get back in the boat.
Stimulating Experience
Kenya N,
Jun 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
The river cruise was amazing! No luxury, just pure tropical, authentic experiences! The Mayan Ruins were majestic and inspiring. Wear comfortable tennis shoes!
Great Tour
Markeisha T,
May 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
The tour guide was informative and a great river cruise driver. The shuttle bus to pick us with was clean and great AC.
A wonderful was to spend a day in nature while learning about the flora, fauna, and cultural history of Belize
Chris S,
Apr 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
We were picked up at our hotel in Belize city by a nice young man. He made the 1 hour drive pleasant and answered questions about Belize, where he lives, other random questions about the area etc. The boat ride up the New River was a mix of bird spotting/watching, plant/tree identification, and even came across a very young crocodile on a long so camouflaged I am not sure how the driver saw it. This all continued during the tour of the Lamanai site. The guide/boat captain is very knowlegable of the area flora and fauna as he grew up on the river and has been providing tours since the opening of the Lamanai site to the public. The lunch provided by his wife was stewed chicken, coconut rice and beans, tortilla chips, salsa, water and soda was very good and there was plenty for the 8 people on the tour. The only criticism I could possibly have is the boat is small and you need to get cozy with your fellow travellers. Thank you for a wonderful day in your country!
Lamanai visit
craigpX3283QX,
Apr 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Great experience to visit Lamanai via river boat ride. Brenda, our guide, was fantastic! She is truly passionate about the culture, its ruins, and the surrounding environment, which made the experience even more authentic.
Great tour- nature, archeology, ethnography, and a super guide.
akabeebrain,
Apr 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
A great tour. Had good communication about meeting point (a hotel not far from ours) While still nervous, it went as arranged. Our driver was personable and well informed on a wide range of topics about Belize. Our boatman and guide Amir could not have been better! He grew up on the river and has been guiding since the Lamanai park opened (guide registration #1, and justifiably proud of it). He had a sharp eye for spotting wildlife from a fast moving boat. When we got to the pyramids sight, he proved very knowledgeable about the history and Maya culture (he is married to a Mayan woman who grew up at the site before her village was displaced by the park). He was also attentive to and skilled at navigating our group of 10 so as to avoid the much much larger group from a cruise ship who arrived at about the same time (but with a much shorter and less interesting boat trip, just across the lake). Amir’s knowledge and interest in the plants growing at the site added a lot. Repeatedly, he passed around a crushed leaf (oregano, key lime, allspice, licorice tree, an anti-diarrheal nut, and others) for us to smell. If you are planning a tour, you would do well, if you can, to arrange to go with Amir. Also, planning for a day not a Tuesday or Thursday would help you avoid cruise ship crowds (though they were not that big a deal). Lunch was excellent (Amir’s wife cooked it), plenty of water was provided. We got back to the ferry terminal about 4 pm, which allowed us to catch an earlier boat that arrived in Caye Caulker before sunset. Well worth doing. Bringing binoculars would help sometimes (baby alligators, monkeys, some not-so mobile birds, though many were fast moving and hard to catch in binoculars).
Great day visit Lamanai
Elaine B,
Apr 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
This was a great experience. 1.5 hour drive from Belize City. 1.5 hours on the river. Great tour of Lamanai Mayan site. Guides were excellent.
Exceeded our high expectations!
CarlSJB,
Apr 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This tour exceeded our high expectations. Our guide was very knowledgeable and really added to the experience. We saw so much beautiful wildlife and enjoyed the ancient sites. The lunch was seemingly home cooked, but very tasty. Served at picnic tables near the temples. Highly recommend this experience!