Last Updated on February 1, 2023

I absolutely loved my visit to Belize! This Central American country is easily reached from the USA, with several of the US carriers serving airports such as Miami and Dallas Fortworth. In this Belize Itinerary, I share my exact 7 day itinerary for visiting Caye Caulker and Belize City. You’ll find handy tips on some of the best Belize day trips, where to stay and things to do.

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Belize Itinerary

Trip Notes

TRIP NOTES

🕐Duration: 7 days

📅Month of travel: June

☀️Average weather: 31c/87f

🍽What to eat: Belizean Fryjacks (deep fried dough filled with ham, eggs, cheese etc eaten for breakfast)

🏨Where to stay: Colinda Cabanas (Caye Caulker) | Search Belize City Accommodation

🎡Don’t miss: A snorkel tour from Caye Caulker

Belize 7 Day Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival, water taxi to Caye Caulker, explore the island

Day 2 – Caveman snorkel tour, sunset at the Lazy Lizard

Day 3 – Relax on Caye Caulker (rooftop yoga, kayak, beach bar hop)

Day 4 – Cycle around Caye Caulker, Caye Caulker Mini Reserve, Caye Caulker Bakery, Northside Beach Club (North Island)

Day 5 – Water taxi to Belize City

Day 6 – Cave Tubing & visiting Altun Ha Mayan ruins

Day 7 – Depart

Make sure to check out this guide where I share all of my Belize tips with prices, exchange rates, my thoughts on safety etc: Tips for Visiting Belize in Summer!

Day 1

Arrival in belize & Travel to Caye Caulker

When arriving in Belize, you’ll most likely be landing at the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) in Belize City. The airport sets a flat rate fee for its taxis, so a taxi to anywhere within Belize City is $25USD. It takes around 20 minutes to reach the water taxi dock. There are 2 water taxi docks that run shuttles to Caye Caulker, so if you have pre booked a ticket, make sure you are taken to the correct location!

A return ticket from Belize City to Caye Caulker costs $30USD with a journey time of approximately 45 minutes. The last boat of the day leaves Belize City at 5.30pm, so make sure that your flight will land in time to be able to catch the boat! If not, you’ll need to look for accommodation in Belize City or potentially look in to flying to Caye Caulker instead.

I wrote a full guide: An Easy Guide on How to Get to Caye Caulker From Belize International Airport which shares step by step instructions on how to get from Belize City to Caye Caulker.

Explore Caye Caulker

After a long travel day, you may be on the tired side. I wandered around the island to get my bearings, had an ice cream, and then stopped for dinner at Chef Juan’s Kitchen and Pastries. The coconut curry is lovely!

Awesome Things To Do On Caye Caulker, Belize!

Where to stay in caye caulker – Colinda CABANAS

I stayed at Colinda Cabanas, a short walk from the main area of the island. There are no cars on Caye Caulker, so be prepared to walk with luggage or you can get a golf cart ‘taxi’ from the boat dock. I ended up staying in 2 different Cabanas (due to the one I wanted already being partly booked during my stay), Cabana 5 and Cabana 7.

The rooms have purified drinking water dispensers, private hammocks, wifi, a fridge and a coffee pot with beans. Guests also have free use of bikes, kayaks and snorkel gear. Cabanas 5 and 7 are considered budget rooms that don’t have air conditioning, only a fan. I don’t like air con but Belize can sometimes feel hotter than the sun. It didn’t bothered me but this is something you may have to consider. The more expensive rooms have air con.

There was also a communal shelf of left over toiletries that guests are free to use. I temporarily borrowed some after sun gel which was much needed!

• Purified drinking water and coffee in rooms
• Private hammocks
• Complimentary use of bikes, kayaks, water floats and snorkel gear
• Wifi

If you are looking for a more luxury accommodation option, check out the We’Yu Boutique Hotel on the north island of Caye Caulker.

Day 2

Breakfast

I became OBSESSED with Fryjacks. They are a Belizean breakfast food which consists of deep fried dough filled with various things, such as ham, egg, cheese. I had Fry Jacks from 3 separate places in Caye Caulker. Errolyn’s House of Fryjacks is very popular and there’s a great fresh juice stall next door. Alternatively, if you want something a little healthier, Ice and Beans Cafe have some other options like ‘build your own’ yoghurt with granola and fruit, coffee and tea.

Related Reading: 12 Caye Caulker Restaurants & Cheap Eats | Belize

Snorkel Tour

A must do day trip in Caye Caulker is a snorkel tour! There are several different companies that run tours from Caye Caulker but I opted to go with Caveman Snorkel Tours. The tour had 4 main stops:

• Hol Chan Marine Reserve – where we could swim with a giant sea turtle and sting rays
• Shark Ray Alley – swimming with nurse sharks
• A coral garden
• A shipwrecked barge

We also had a bonus stop where we got to swim with manatees! They are found around the area during the low travel season (summer) and you can book tours just to see the manatees. I was super happy that we got to see the manatees too as it wasn’t listed as part of the particular tour I booked.

On the way back to Caye Caulker we stopped to feed tarpon fish (which are terrifying and jump ridiculously high out of the water), visited a seahorse reserve and saw dolphins! Dinner (such as chicken and rice) and fresh fruit are included as part of the tour price.

I really enjoyed the tour, it was one of the best snorkel tours I’ve been on as we were able to see such a wide range of marine life. *Tip* There wasn’t a lot of shade or dry spots on the boat, so try to take as little as possible on the tour and be prepared to be out in the sun all day.

Sunset at the Lazy Lizard

One of the most popular bars on the island is the Lazy Lizard. It’s the only place on Caye Caulker where you can watch both the sunset and the sunrise! There’s a small beach area with beach games, plenty of seating (including chairs in the water!) and they have happy hour deals on drinks. It’s a great place to relax and watch the world go by.

Caye Caulker have many different bars. A couple of them have full moon parties and evening bonfires. The Northside Beach Club is another great option (see more below). Bamboozle is another cool bar for an evening drink, it has swings at the tables instead of chairs!

Belize: 3 Best Bars in Caye Caulker That You Should Visit!

Day 3

Relax on Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker’s island motto is ‘Go Slow’, so go slow and take a few days to relax! With my stay at Colinda Cabanas I had complimentary access to kayaks and water floats. I decided to take a kayak out one day but I found the current to be quite strong and I’m not the strongest of paddlers! Some people would take the kayaks out and paddle around the whole island, or even paddle across to the north island.

My accommodation also had hammocks. Each room had their own hammock but there was also a mini pier that had hammocks in the shade. I loved relaxing here, there was a lovely breeze so it was cooler than some places on the island that were roasting hot!

Another alternative is to go to one of the beach bars such as Sip N Dip. They have swings and hammocks in the water which is another way of cooling off. There’s not much shade in the water though, so be careful of sun burn!

Rooftop Yoga

I did rooftop yoga multiple times during my stay. The Namaste Cafe & Yoga Studio have classes that are by donation, so you can pay what you can afford. The instructor does often take a break during the summer months though (June – August) so keep this in mind if you are visiting close to the summer season. There’s also a cafe that has some healthy food options.

Day 4

Cycle around the island

As mentioned, there are no cars on the island, so the main way to get around is on foot or by bike (or golf carts). There was even a guy that rides around on a bike selling homemade cakes! My accommodation came with 2 complimentary bikes per room. They were the old fashioned type bikes that don’t have brakes, you have to peddle backwards to stop!

I went to the Caye Caulker Bakery on my bike…visit early because they sell out fast! It’s popular with the locals and is kinda tucked away from the main bars and restaurants. I then went to the Caye Caulker Mini Reserve, a small jungle nature reserve with trails through a forest.

There were loads of lizards and birds, but there were also THOUSANDS of mosquitos. I found that the mosquitos weren’t too bad around the rest of the island but I got EATEN ALIVE in the nature reserve. They were painful too!

Northside Beach Club

Caye Caulker is made up on 2 islands, the north and south islands which are divided by the split (where the Lazy Lizard is located). The most popular island out of the 2 is the south side, this is where the water taxi is, the majority of accommodation options, bars, shops and restaurants. On the north island is the Northside Beach Club (previously Koko King).

There’s a shuttle boat that runs frequently between the 2 islands, every 20 minutes between 6.45am until midnight. Caye Caulker doesn’t have many beaches, but you’ll find one of the best at the Northside Beach Club. There are plenty of sun loungers and hammocks, that are free to use, as well as some seating options that you can pay extra to rent for the day. There are a couple of water activities and free swim rings that you can use.

Of course being a beach club there is a bar and restaurant. I found that food and drink was reasonably priced (considering it’s the only option). They also have accommodation (We’Yu Boutique Hotel), so you can stay on the north island too. The Northside Beach Club is another bar that has full moon parties and bonfires.

Day 5

water taxi to belize city

After spending the morning relaxing on Caye Caulker, reading in a hammock and then stopped at a beach barbecue for jerk chicken and rice for lunch, I took the water taxi back to Belize City. There are plenty of taxis available at the water taxi dock to take you on your way. I had booked a day tour for day 6 and they offered to pick me up and take me to my accommodation the day before my tour too!

Where to stay in Belize City

I was unsure where to stay in Belize City, as a solo female traveller safety is something that is top priority. I ended up staying at D’Nest Inn in a residential area of Belize City. My stay was awesome, the breakfast was AMAZING, the B&B owners were lovely and I enjoyed relaxing in the garden next to the river.

However, since my visit, it seems that D’Nest Inn is no longer operating as a B&B which is a shame. If I was travelling to Belize now, these are a couple of accommodation options that have good reviews and I would probably consider:

Harbour View Boutique Hotel & Yoga Retreat

• Budget friendly
• It is 6 minute walk from the San Pedro Express water taxi dock.
• The Harbour View Boutique Hotel is right next to the Fort Street Tourism Village
• The rooms look lovely with complimentary coffee
• Early morning yoga classes
• 2 swimming pools
• Cafe on site

Or

Radission Fort George Hotel and Marina

• Higher budget
• Similar location to Harbour View Boutique Hotel, the Radission Fort George Hotel and Marina is close to the water taxi with a waterfront location
• Complimentary tea and coffee
• Breakfast options available
• Swimming pool and gym

Day 6

mainland Day Trip (Cave tubing, altun ha mayan ruins)

There are many different day trips from Belize City. As a solo traveller I am often redistricted by tours with minimum numbers, especially in the off peak seasons. Originally I wanted to do the cave tubing with an ATV tour, instead I went on a cave tubing tour which was combined with a visit to Altun Ha Mayan Ruins.

I wrote a full review of my tour which you can find here: “Butts Up! Nuts Up!” Cave Tubing in Belize. Cave tubing is located at Nohoch Che’en Caves Branch Archaeological Reserve. It starts with a 25 minute hike through the rainforest to the section of the river where the float begins. Water shoes are required and you do have to carry your own tube to the start.

There’s a short stop for a swim before the 90 minute float starts. The caves are pitch black for the most part, but everyone wears a head torch. It’s quite relaxing and sounds more ‘extreme’ than what it actually is!

Combination tours

Another popular tour combination is with a zip lining tour, as it’s located in the same location. The Altun Ha tour is slightly longer as it is a 1hr 30 drive between the 2 locations. I’m glad I got to see the ruins because it’s something that I probably wouldn’t have picked otherwise. The ruins date back to 250BC. Our tour guide was very knowledgable in the history of the ruins and we were able to climb to the top of some of them.

Dinner (chicken, rice and beans) and drinks were included as part of my tour. It is possible to do these tours either from a cruise ship or from Caye Caulker, but you’ll need to factor in the boat times. I was on the tour with 2 people that came across from Caye Caulker, the water taxi was delayed, which then delayed my pick up from Belize City. This then had a knock on effect because then we were running late and by the time we got back to Belize City it was getting close to the departure of the last water taxi back to Caye Caulker!

Day 7

Depart

Part of the reason I finished my trip in Belize City was so I was close to the airport for my return flight. The first boat of the day to leave Caye Caulker is 7am. Remember, it’s a 45 minute boat journey plus a 20 minute taxi. If it’s an earlier flight time, you may not have time to make the journey from the island.

Departures at Belize International Airport is quite small. There are several food options and a handful of shops.

This Belize Itinerary is just a small taste of what you can see with 7 days in Belize. I could have squashed more stops in but I often like to balance my itineraries with a few days to relax, as well as a couple of day trips to explore the areas. For me I was happy with the time I spent split between the island and the mainland.

Other places in Belize that you may want to visit include Ambergris Caye, which is a larger resort island or the peninsular of Placencia, the ATM Cave (Actun Tunichil Muknal) or a tour to the Great Blue Hole.

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