6-Hour Cahal Pech Tour from Belize City with Green Iguana Project

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Explore Cahal Pech, the royal acropolis of an elite Maya ruling family
• 02 See seven plazas and more than 30 structures within this restored Maya complex
• 03 Visit the museum and visitor center with models, paintings, and an interpretive film
• 04 Learn about the royal burial chamber and its jade, shell, pottery, and obsidian finds
• 05 Continue to the Green Iguana Project for an interpretive on-site tour

Visit Cahal Pech, a mid-sized Maya complex overlooking San Ignacio, on a full-day journey from Belize City. This extensively restored site offers a fascinating glimpse into the life of an elite Maya ruling family from the Classic period, with seven plazas, more than 30 structures, and a royal burial chamber. Explore the visitor center and museum, then continue your experience with lunch, the Green Iguana Project, and time to browse local arts and crafts.

Visit Cahal Pech, a mid-sized Maya complex overlooking San Ignacio, on a full-day journey from Belize City.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 6 Hours

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Belize, San Ignacio

Languages English, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Cahal Pech, Green Iguana Project, and Local Crafts

• Depart on a scenic drive from Belize City, heading due west for approximately 72 miles to San Ignacio Town. Along the way, your guide will interpret the areas you pass through and share information about the history of Belize.
• Upon arrival at the reserve, you will have a 15-minute restroom break. You will then gather for an interpretive walk through the museum for approximately 30 minutes, after which your guide will lead you into the reserve and interpret the local flora and fauna of the area, as well as the structures on site.
• After touring the site, enjoy a local lunch at a nearby restaurant for approximately 1 hour.
• After lunch, continue to the Iguana Tour, where your on-site guide will interpret your visit to the Green Iguana Project.
• After the tour, stop at a local arts and crafts shop for shopping for approximately 15 minutes.
• Then depart for your connection to the hotel. The tour lasts approximately 6.5 hours.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• Licensed tour guide
• Air-conditioned vehicle
• Lunch
• Water and sodas
• Entrance fees
• Guided tour on site

What's Not Included

• Sunscreen
• Bug repellent

What to bring

• Insect repellent
• Light clothing
• Water
• Good hiking boots
• Cash/credit card
• Medication, if necessary

Know before you go

• Cahal Pech is a mid-sized Maya complex that has undergone extensive restoration and is still being worked on today. Cahal Pech means "Place of Ticks" in modern-day Maya and refers to the fact that the surrounding area was once used as pasture land. However, this was the Royal Acropolis-Palace of an elite Maya ruling family who once lived here during the Classic period. Cahal Pech was settled around 1000 BC and abandoned by 800 AD-900 AD. The site consists of seven plazas and over 30 structures, including temples, residential buildings, ball courts, an altar, and a sweathouse, all situated on just 2 acres. A royal burial chamber was found in one of the structures. Inside the tomb, a ruler had been laid to rest with the accoutrements necessary for the afterlife. Included in the find were shell and bone ornaments, pottery vessels, obsidian blades, and jade objects, the most impressive of which is a jade and shell mosaic mask. One of the temples in this small complex commands the best view of the surrounding Belize River Valley. The visitor center and museum have a model of the site, as well as excellent paintings showing Cahal Pech in its heyday and an interpretive film.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Belize

Tour start

Belize City, Belize

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.