Private Tour
Xunantunich Maya Ruins
Overview
Available languages
7 hours
Mobile ticket
Depart for a day of Mayan historical adventure to see some of the finest Maya Ruins in Belize.
Xunantunich is located in the Cayo District across from Benque Viejo Road near the village of San Jose Succotz just a few miles from Belize’s western border with Guatemala. At the village of San Jose Succotz, we cross over the Mopan River using a hand-cranked ferry. From the other side of the river, it’s a mile uphill to the site, which can be accessed on foot or in a vehicle.
Xunantunich Mayan ruin, also known as the “Maiden of the Rock” is the second tallest Mayan ruin in Belize. The largest pyramid, El Castillo stands 130 feet high above the main plaza and offers an impressive panoramic view of the Cayo District, Guatemala, and the Mopan River. The site has been largely excavated and has a well-appointed educational museum.
Experience an authentic Belizean lunch in the immediate area of the ruins.
Additional Info
Specialized infant seats are available
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Private transportation
Bottled water
Lunch
All Fees and Taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle
Alcoholic Beverages
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Xunantunich
Explore the ancient Mayan center of Xunantunich and soak up the history of this fascinating area with your licensed guide. Marvel at the perfect architecture of El Castillo, one of the three largest Maya Temples of Belize, and the largest structure on this site standing 130 feet above plaza level, with several inner chambers; move through other temples and courtyards where once Kings, Queens and their elite carried out special ceremonies honoring mayan gods
Options
Xunantunich Maya Ruins
Pickup included
Reviews
13 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Airport and Maya pyramid shuttle
Abelina M,
Nov 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an excellent experience with drivers Shane and Dirk. They were waiting for us at the airport with signs and brought our family of 11 from the airport to our Hopkins resort. Very smooth drive with very interesting information each way of our trip. It felt like a bonus tour. They picked us up from our resort and took us to the Xunantunich tour lead by Shani. She grew up in the town near the ruins and provided a wealth of knowledge about the history and local flora and fauna. We enjoyed every moment. Our family includes children from 1 year old up to my mother who is 67 and we all had such a great experience. We climbed most of the way up the big pyramid and then a couple of us were able to hang back while the rest climbed to the summit. Awesome views all around. Shani was very careful with us and always made sure we were safe before moving us forward. It was a blast and easier than we thought it would be. Thank you Shani for the spectacular experience!
Explore the Mayan ruins with an expert
Michele K,
Nov 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a really great tour with Alden. He was both our driver and our Mayan history expert. And he was awesome. We visited 2 sites both unique and beautiful. Had a lovely lunch at Benny’s Kitchen and then stopped at a local dairy farm for ice cream to help break up the drive back to Hopkins. Highly recommend exploring with Alden and the Get To Know Belize Adventures Team!
Exhilarating and Educational
MaymayVI,
Sep 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Alden was a great guide. He was knowledgeable , polite, and encouraging when I got a little intimidated by the heights at the top of the ruin. After the tour, we had a meal at a local Mayan restaurant and the food was hearty and tasty. We highly recommend this company and, in particular, Alden.
Satisfaction and pleasure in enjoying this excellent space
Freedom48088864143,
Apr 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Of the best visits I made to ancient cities of the Mayas, I liked immensely for the existing constructions the way it has preserved the space is very interesting history presented by the mosso guide. Excellent
Awesome guide!
T4014MJmichaelz,
Mar 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our driver and guide Alden was awesome! So nice and knowledgeable. Able to accommodate kids and senior citizens alike. We had an awesome lunch on the way back. The ruins were great. Lots of climbing but cool from the safety of the ground as well. You get to take a hand-cranked ferry boat across the Mopan river to get to the site.
Ruins are worth the trip
Christopher S,
May 29, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Had a fantastic time with Greg. The drive from Hopkins was about 2 hours and much more scenic than the one from BZE airport. Our guide for the ruins was Tony who was knowledgeable - learned a lot. My understanding is cruise ships dock on Mon and Wed so if you can avoid those days it will be much less busy. Had a good lunch at a local restaurant. Greg was our driver - friendly and efficient. The business is a well run family operation.
Wonderful experience!
AGTW,
Jan 23, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I highly recommend Get to Know Belize Adventures! We went on four tours with them and loved them all. Dirk was fabulous as a driver, tour guide, and person. He took us to Xunantunich where another very knowledgeable guide described the Mayan culture and climbed with us to the top of the tallest structure. The drive there and back was fun and informative, too, and gave us a chance to see more of Belize. as well as Guatemala in the distance. Don't miss this!
The adventure of a lifetime
W7884OInickj,
Apr 8, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Exploring the country of Belize was so amazing. This Maya ruin was so huge and pristine, I gazed at it in admiration. It was more than worth it. The drive itself was an adventure in its own. We had to cross a hand cranked ferry to cross the river. It was awesome. The restaurant there serves excellent pastries and the cake is delicious. We loved this trip. Thank you to Get to Know Belize Adventures for planning this excursion.
Xunantunich tour is fantastic!
marybE861WS,
Dec 8, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fantastic day touring the Xunantunich ruins site with “Get To Know Belize” and highly respected Mayan guide Elfago Panti Sr. His knowledge of Mayan history and this site was encyclopedic and other guides we saw referred to him as “el jefe” in admiration. He took time to explain everything in detail, answer our questions and was not rushed. This site is impressive and worth a visit. Our driver Dirk was safe, courteous, and extremely knowledgeable about Belize and he gave us an impromptu tour of the Capitol city Belmopan. The drive was beautiful and it was fun chatting with Dirk. Highly recommend this tour.
Best tour operator in Hopkins!
JML1230,
Aug 6, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had the absolute best experience with Get to Know Belize Adventures, so much so that we ended up booking three different services with them after using our resort’s service for two other tours. It’s a family-run operation by Josie and her brothers and sisters, who were so warm and friendly and know all the best kept local secrets and work with the best guides. Their van was also by far the most comfortable we traveled in (I get car sickness, so that mattered to me!) We went to Xunantunich only, which was amazing because we got to spend as much time as we wanted there without being rushed to squeeze in a second activity. Our tour guide at the ruins, Junior, was outstanding and taught us a great deal. He’s very passionate about sharing the site’s history. We also enjoyed a delicious local lunch after the tour, and Greg, our driver, made multiple extra stops on the way home to help us find items we were looking to by. We also wanted to do ziplining and hiking at Bocawina, which our resort didn’t offer, and Josie arranged a custom day trip for us so we could hike Antelope Falls after the morning activity. Our guide that day, Joe, gave us the moral support we needed to make it to the top for incredible views. Get to Know Belize was also much more reasonably priced at the end of the day because they don’t charge extra hidden taxes and fees on top of listed tour prices like the resorts do. We really appreciated their flexibility and help so that we could do exactly what we wanted when it wasn’t offered elsewhere. Highly recommended!
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Operated by Get to Know Belize Adventures