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Looking for the perfect Belize itinerary? Have you been curious about traveling to Belize? Dream of relaxing? But do you also want some adventure? This one week in Belize itinerary balances the best of the two.
One Week in Belize: a Complete Itinerary
San Ignacio (Day 1)
Upon arriving, arrange for a tour company to drive you to San Ignacio, about 1.5-2 hours away. Visit the farmers market and walk around town. We stayed at the Midas Belize, a basic, mid-range hotel that I highly recommend. Go to bed early because you’ve got an early start tomorrow!
ATM Cave (Day 2)
Want adventure? The second day of your Belize itinerary provides plenty of that! The ATM cave shouldn’t be missed if you’re not claustrophobic. Wear comfortable clothes that can get wet and sneakers with grip. Only a few tour companies are authorized to lead this tour. We booked through Cayo Adventure Tours, who also provided transportation to and from Belize City. More details in an upcoming post. This was one of the highlights of our vacation!
Eat a packed lunch on your drive to Belize City. Take a short flight on Tropic Air (15 minutes) or a ferry (1.5 hours) to San Pedro. Take a cab to your hotel and unpack.
Explore or nap, your choice! Enjoy a great dinner at Caramba where you’ll pick out your fresh seafood.
San Pedro (Day 3)
This Belize itinerary continues with one of the best activities in the country: Snorkeling is on the agenda! There are many tour companies and we booked with Searious Adventure. The morning tour included Hol Chan Reserve and Shark Alley. Return to town for lunch. In the afternoon snorkel at Tres Coco and Mexico Rocks if you’d like to see different fish (we had an amazing moray eel encounter!). More San Pedro activities and where to eat.
After washing up, enjoy San Pedro nightlife! There are many fabulous restaurants and bars. We recommend a great ex-pat bar, Nauti Crab (formerly Crazy Canucks).
Caye Caulker (Days 4 to 7)
The relaxation portion of your Belize itinerary is next. Start your day with a great local breakfast. Neri’s Tacos is a local favorite where you can try the Belizean fry jack. It is very rustic (shared picnic tables in an outside area) but it is the most authentic breakfast you’ll experience.
Next, take a flight (7 minutes) or the ferry (30 minutes) from San Pedro to Caye Caulker.
Walk or take a golf cart taxi to your hotel. Seaside Cabanas is centrally located and has great amenities. After unpacking, walk down Front Street to get a feel for the island. There is so much to do – from snorkeling to stand-up-paddleboarding, to sailing, you’ve got plenty to occupy your time. Or just relax at your hotel pool or any of the other spots around the island. Here’s a full list of activities to enjoy during your stay.
Spend half-a-day to a day on Koko King, the only real beach on Caye Caulker. The beach is nice and clean. Rent a shelter with wooden loungers and a hammock. Enjoy food and drinks in a fabulous location, just remember that it is more expensive than in town. It is worth the visit just to enjoy a beautiful beach.
Booking.com5 Things to Know Before you Spend One Week in Belize
- Try the local seafood – lobster or conch, especially!
- Ask the price of the taxi before you get in. Take their card and call them when you need a ride.
- Reserve your Tropic Air flight online to receive a discount.
- Rent a golf cart if you’ll be in San Pedro for a few days as taxis can add up.
- Don’t rent a golf cart in Caye Caulker unless you have mobility issues – the island is small!
I really liked this one week in Belize itinerary because of the balance between activity and relaxation. Let me know if you give it a try or have other variations to suggest!
Here are more suggested articles related to your Belize travel:
- Best things to do in Belize
- Everything you need to know about visiting the ATM Cave
- Where to eat in San Pedro
- What to do in Caye Caulker
- Ultimate first aid kit travel essentials
Happy travels,
Annick, The Common Traveler
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Raised as a third culture kid living in South America and Europe, Annick caught the travel bug early. As an empty-nester, Annick enjoys sharing her tips for traveling for those with champagne taste and beer budgets.
Planning on visiting Belize this year – sounds great!
Perfect timing to come across your Belize travel tips. My husband and I are heading there in January. I can not wait to see with my own eyes the vibrate colors of the homes and taste the local cuisine. I think I will start with the Lobster 🙂 Great tip about securing the amount of the taxi fare prior to getting in. Thanks.
Oh I’d love to try the local food, not sure what conch would be like though. I’d love to go snorkelling at San Pedro and the ATM cave also sounds like my kind of place to explore. Seaside cabanas in Caye Caulker sounds like the perfect way to enjoy a beach vacation!
I literally knew nothing about Belize before reading this post – it’s not really somewhere I’ve ever considered for a holiday or exploration. That ATM Cave looks right up my street though, as I love anything a bit quirky or different x
I have always wanted to visit Belize. This is a great itinerary for a combination of relaxation and adventure. I would definitely go snorkeling and I’d love to try the Belizian Fy Jack – sounds so interesting!
I remember trying conch in the Bahamas, and it was ok! A 7-minute flight has to be the shortest in the world, surely?! I’d love to visit Belize one day, it looks like a great destination.
I didn’t know you can eat conch??? How was it?
We are heading to Guatemala over Christmas and Belize is definitely next on my Central America list of places to go. I haven’t actually seen many itineraries for Belize so this was really interesting. I can’t wait to read more about this ATM cave. I am very curious about that. I also know that there are countless spots to snorkel so I’d also love to hear more about that moray eel encounter and your snorkelling trip.
Belize is fantastic! I preferred spending more time San Ignacio as opposed to the Cayes. The Mayan city Caracol is worth the day trip and you will have it mostly to yourself. The seafood on the Cayes is amazing!
We’ll have to visit Caracalla next.
Belize is on my list of places to go and your post really makes me want to book to go for January. I don’t no if I can trust myself hiring a gulf cart as I have been known to crash one epicly. But great tips and the sea food looks tatsy.
This article was so surprising for me when I started to dream about the paradise beach and than the dead body corps appeared 😀 Anyhow, this looks like an interesitng spot to be, I would be very happy to eat the food too, it loooks amazing!
Oh my gosh! We absolutely loved Belize, and I would love to go back. We also went to Caye Caulker, too, but never saw the sign you were posing in front of. Snorkeling is the best I’ve ever seen any where in the world! A week in Belize would be a dream!
I think the sign is new. It wasn’t there 2 years ago.
Yes, I have been curious about traveling to Belize, getting some relaxation and try the adventure too! And this one week itinerary seems just perfect! The ATM cave sounds pretty unique. And being food lover, I am already a fan of all the options..especially trying the Belizean fry jack and the lobsters in Caye Caulker.
I ready…..this looks wonderful! Thank you for sharing your experience!
As someone who’s recently discovered the pleasure of slow travel I love that this itinerary factors in relaxation even though its a short trip. I’ve always been someone who packs every waking minute with activities but now I’m definitely using your post as a guide not only for planning a trip to Belize but all my trips in the future!
Belize is perfect tropical vacation with many things to do. ATM cave is looking interesting as I want to know history on this. I will hire golf cart in San Pedro and walk around Caye Caulker as per your recommendations.
I have heard that Belize is simply enchanting. Your itinerary combines the best that the place has to offer. Adventure tinged with relaxation sounds really inviting. The ATM cave is something we would love to explore. Snorkeling is another activity we would love apart from just relaxing and soaking in the spirit of Belize.
I’ve always thought of Belize as a tropical paradise. According to your post that seems to be true. I love the combination of long city visits and relaxing stint. Seems like you had a great time.
I’ve not been to Belize, so handy to read your suggestions and recommendations for a visit. Love the sound of the farmers market in San Ignacio, the ATM Cave tour, and the local seafood.
I love the combo of day-long city visits paired with an actual relaxing stint. That’s what we try to do in any location and sometimes we just roll into a new city every day. Relaxing needs to be on every itinerary.
Agreed. I tend to overpack activities so it is good to balance it out.