Lamanai Maya Ruins And New River Safari From Belize City

Our driver, Narciso, picked us up from our hotel right on time and provided us information about the area as we traveled northwest of Belize City. Once we reached Carmelita, we climbed into a boat with Captain Amir. Captain Amir pointed out wildlife to us along the New River and explained the history of the area. His guiding expertise continued once we reached Lamanai. We had the whole archaeological reserve all to ourselves and enjoyed the museum, the temples and other structures, howler monkeys, and various birds (including a toucan!) before having a delicious lunch. I would highly recommend this full-day trip with Amir to anyone interested in exploring this area of Belize. It was wonderful!

It was a long car ride to the boat meet point. Then it takes over an hour to get there. I would definitely do it again, but it was a lot. The tour guide was amazing.

Everything was great! We enjoyed the lunch provided, learning about the temples’ rich history. and seeing the family of howler monkeys. We had a splendid time. We enjoyed the ride on the speedboat.

This was great from start to finish, Amir was an amazing guide. The other reviews are kidding about the mosquitos at the temple though; bring long sleeves and extra bug repellent

The guide Ignacio was very good. One and a half hour taxi ride to Belize City from San Pedro then one hour drive to catch the boat and one hour boat ride to the ruins takes a lot out of you by the time you get to the ruins.

This was such an adventurous tour ! We got picked up and then driven to a boat. The boat ride was so beautiful And then we landed on the ruins. I felt like a true explorer. The ruins were so beautiful. I would actually do this tour again.

Wonderful and educational exploration of major Mayan site. Our boat Captain and guides were wonderful.

We booked this tour through our cruise line, the entire experience was incredible, we traveled by bus to our destination, upon arrival we hopped on a boat that took us up a river to the Mayan temple site

We had Brenda as our Captain she was amazing and answered all questions. She was super great pointing out animals for all of us on the river portion! I would use this company again. Robert who picked us up from the ferry terminal and brought is to the river was AMAZING. He even brought us to a gas station to grab some breakfast since we didn't eat due to catching the 6am ferry from San Pedro. He also stopped for fresh coconut water on the side of the road for me! The lunch at Lamanai was also spectacular!

Very nice trip! Delightful river cruise and very beautiful Mayan ruins. Would definitely recommend it!

This was just an absolutely amazing trip, really the highlight of our trip to Belize. From the driver/tour guide Fab, who was fantastic at giving us more details about Belize City and the history, to our boat captain and tour guide Brenda, it was a great day. She's not just a tour guide but has actually worked the archeological sites and gave great insight to the temples and Mayan history. Only thing-bring bug spray. And maybe some layers for the river cruise. It was awesome, btw, seeing the crocodiles and different birds, the iguanas and the Mennonites who live and work along the river.

This tour was so much fun! Our guide Brenda was awesome and so knowledgable! The river cruise was beautiful and Brenda pointed out wildlife as we went! We saw monkeys, crocodiles, beautiful birds and iguanas. The ruins are impressive and we had a delicious lunch. Our van driver Naz was great! He knew so much information and was fun and easy to talk to. Be prepared for an hour or more drive and an hour boat ride especially if you are coming from the water taxi.

What made the tour special was our tour guide, Brenda. She was very knowledgeable and took the time to explain the history of the temples and encouraged questions. The temples were fascinating and well preserved. It was well worth the hour car ride and hour boat ride from our hotel. Brenda pointed out wildlife while on the boat such as various species of birds, iguanas and crocodiles. We always felt safe with Brenda as our guide.

Emir and Fab were wonderful tour guides for Belize city and Lamanai. We saw lots of animals and birds on the jungle cruise part of the tour. Lunch was homemade and very good. Lamanai is worth visiting, it is an along side a body of water.

Beautiful experience, Lamanai was amazing and the river ride was refreshing. Bring a rain coat just in case! Got rained on, on the way back and was drenched in minutes haha 10/10 would do again, great all around experience. Brenda was a wonderful guide and boat driver.

Guides are very knowledgeable. It is a good mixture of history and nature. Lots of opportunities to see wildlife on the way. We saw crocodiles, iguanas, howler monkeys, and many different bird species. The Mayan ruins were awe inspiring! The lunch provided was delicious! I would highly recommend this tour!

Yes, it is worth the 1 hour drive out to the river boat. Once on the river you are REALLY experiencing wilderness. Our guide, and captain, Brenda slowed down to show us wildlife during the 1 hour boat ride down river to the ruins. As we walked, and climbed the ruins, she explained the Mayan culture with illustrations to visualize how the temples evolved over time. Lunch was fantastic, and I was able to purchase a recipe book!

This company made this tour feel more like a visit with old friends. We had a cruise excursion booked. Cancelled without explanation the night before. Very disappointing indeed. This company amazingly took our last minute booking the night before. Best twist of fare ever. Amazing tour to a magical site. Lamanai is not to be missed . Howler monkeys calling near by and maybe a sighting, birds ,amazing vegetation, walking ancient trails with true natives and the temples left us awestruck. This is largely a family company and they made us and the others with us feel like part of it. We were promised we’d be back in time to rejoin our cruise and they did with time to spare. Ian our first guide and driver was a gem. Knowledgeable, charming and his love of his country and culture was infectious. Very informative had a wealth of knowledge and answered all of our questions and gave us so much more. Our river boat captain Habir was amazing as well. We saw crocks, turtles, birds, cool plants and got a terrific onsite into the inhabitants and interesting settlements we passed on our journey. This family has been in Beluze for many generations and are descendants of the inhabitants of the area who built and lived at and around Lamanai for unknown centuries. The tour of the site was great. Lots of interesting detail and again really enhanced the experience feeling the pride and passion for the place and its history come through in its presentation. Going with a corporate company who cranks out high number people counts of tours for cruises etc are in no way the same. We felt like we were visiting family friends starting with our pickup at the port ad the friendly professionalism of Ian. When we got to their launch point we felt like real explorers getting into the boat. The river trip to the site of Lamanai was a sensational bonus. Lunch was made by the matriarch of the family and was amazing as well. No doubt about it. I’m so glad our canned high numbers tour we booked out of fear of missing our reboarding the cruise was cancelled. We got a 200% better experience thanks to these lovely passionate people who operate this tour. If you’re going u to o Beluze book this trip with these local guides. You won’t be one bit sorry !!!

My hubby and I went on a informative excursion and it was great! The food was amazing and the ruins were awesome!Highly recommend!

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!

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.

The river cruise was amazing! No luxury, just pure tropical, authentic experiences! The Mayan Ruins were majestic and inspiring. Wear comfortable tennis shoes!

The tour guide was informative and a great river cruise driver. The shuttle bus to pick us with was clean and great AC.

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!

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.

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).

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.

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!

10/10 fantastic adventure down the river and to the Lamanai site!! We had BRENDA to guide us who was amazing and knew everything about the site. She pointed out all plants and creatures to us during the day as well and even stayed extra time at the site so we could go explore the sugar mill.

This was well worth the money. Our guide Amir was very knowledgeable and had a person connection to Lamanai and actually found one of the artifacts on display at the museum.

Brenda was a wonderful guide and made our day spectacular. We were able to take breaks as needed and take pictures. Lunch was delicious.

We had a great time! Everything was amazing and both our driver and tour guide were very formative. Saw lots of birds, a crocodile, and Howler monkey. The boat ride was a great way to get to the site.

I had a wonderful experience with this tour provider. The driver was early to pick us up, pointed out some interesting sights during the drive to the river, stored our bags for the day in the van, and then, following the tour, dropped us off at the specified marina in order for us to make the arranged boat transfer by our next hotel. I had a few questions ahead of time about all of these arrangements, and any questions were quickly addressed through messaging. I never waited long for a response. The boat ride up the river with Brenda (hoping I am remembering her name correctly), was a thrill. She masterfully weaved the boat around the river bends and was able to identify many birds. She skillfully spotted two small crocodiles along our route. Make sure you book a tour that includes the river ride. It is well worth it, and since it's a speedboat, you will unlikely be bothered by motion sickness. (I was fine.) Brenda was warm and very approachable. She is very knowledgeable about the area and the ruins themselves, even attending regular conferences to learn about the latest discoveries and theories. Lamanai itself is a magical place. I have been to other ruins and what set this site apart is the approach from the river, the trees that are interspersed around the ruins, making the setting mostly shaded and have a more natural feel, and the lack of crowds. There were a few other groups there, but visits are regulated and I did not feel like I was in a tourist trap. The howler monkeys put on quite a show for us and their unmistakable cries certainly added depth to the experience. Finally, we enjoyed a tasty lunch. As a vegetarian, I had rice and beans, some steamed broccoli, and a taste of cole slaw along with a delicious fresh salsa and tortilla chips.

If you're arriving to Belize City on a cruise, you have to take a 25 min. water taxi to the port. Then you have to really pay close attention and find your correct excursion line to get on the correct bus. The bus ride is about 1 hour and 10 minutes then a 30 min. boat ride. All of this for a 1 hour tour of the Mayan ruins. It was neat but felt very rushed.

A true jungle cruise leading to an otherwise very secluded Mayan Ruins. Amazing tour led by Brenda who grew up in Lamanai. Lots of history and culture, very knowledgeable guide. We saw an alligator, bats, monkeys, scorpion, and tons of different birds. Lunch was delicious. Very cool experience.

We had a great time on our tour of Lamanai! Our guide, Brenda, was very kind and knowledgeable. As local as they come - she grew up right next to Lamanai - she had lots of insight to share and kept a nice pace, letting us all explore and spend time as we wanted. The provided lunch was great and the boat ride was fun to see crocodiles, turtles, etc.

One of the highlights to our stay in Belize. Our guide Brenda, having grown up in Lamanai, was very knowledgeable about the ruins and an ace boat pilot. Our other guide, who took us to the boat, was also very helpful.

Excellent trip. Guide was very knowledgeable about the Mayan ruins and all the trees and flowers . Lunch was very tasty.

The driver was ok... Liked his own jokes but had good info to partake. Brenda, who drove the boat was great. Sadly, mother nature was against us and we had horrible weather conditions. It poured the whole day... We were beyond drenched and because of the weather, no birds or monkeys were to be seen 😞

What a great tour!! We were picked up at our hotel by our driver/guide Fab who gave us a history of the area on the 30+ mile drive out to the boat landing where Amir was waiting to take us up the New River to the temple site. The boat ride took a little over an hour. Along the way, Amir would stop to point out various wildlife including crocodiles and many different types of birds, including a rare sighting of a Jabiru stork, the largest bird in Belize. Once we arrived and Lamanai, Amir gave us an excellent guided tour. He is extremely knowledgeable having guided there for many years. After the tour, we had a delicious lunch of chicken, rice and beans, and plantains before Amir drove us downriver in his boat where Fab was waiting to take us back to our hotel. One of the best tours we have been on!

This was a great tour, starting with being picked up at our hotel, our fantastic driver and tour guide to the boat landing and back, an amazing guided boat ride to the temple site, the guided tour of the site by Amir, and a wonderful lunch at the site before the boat and car ride back to our hotel. There were 4 of us on the tour and we all raved about it. Highly recommend!!

Lamanai is an unbelievable site. Our guide, Brenda, is from Lamanai and exceptionally knowledgeable and proud of her heritage. She explained all the unique features of the areas with her lifetime of knowledge. The boat ride to/from Lamanai was both enjoyable and informative. I marveled at Brenda’s knowledge of the river. How she knew all the correct channels along the river to take was impressive.

From Belize City about an hour ride to ruins. Pickups may run late (30-44 minutes) so don’t panic…but host responded to call and inquiry. Had a group of 8 in the van. Rained so jacket or poncho handy. Sell at gift shops when arrive to Lamanai after boat ride. Saw 2 crocodiles, termite nests, herons, many different birds, but could only hear howler monkeys in the distance. Lunch was delicious. Chicken, rice & beans, chips and salsa all fresh and homemade. Drinks provided but take water. Tour guide knowledgeable of history and native to the area. Great experience.

The boat ride is very exhilarating and fun. The boat does have a covering to keep you out of the sun/elements. We didn’t see too much awesomeness on the boat ride there a few birds, but we were generally going too fast to see much. The ruins themselves are amazing - they let you climb up them!!!! The tour guide was amazing. The food was amazing. The wildlife was great. We got to actually hear and see howler monkeys up in a tree right by the ruins. We saw iguanas and more birds. The ride back was fine. Our tour guide did find us an alligator on the ride back. Our guide did find us an alligator and we got an amazing video of it sleeping and swimming away.

Captain Colin (only his work name) was both river boat tour guide and navigator, historian, temple guide and chef. He gave us both a once in a lifetime experience, and a fantastic river ride.

Boat ride was very enjoyable and got to see a lot of the jungle. The Mayan Temple extremely enjoy able to visit and the groups were kept small so you could ask questions.

This tour is operated by Tourism Auto Transport and can be reached via WhatsApp at +501-604-1105. They are prompt with their replies. The tour driver Robert met us at the hotel in Belize city well before the stated meeting time and drove us to the boat tour starting point which was located an hour’s drive North from the Belize city. Robert was very cordial and a very careful driver. He then handed us over to the Lamanai tour guide Brenda who took us south along the New River on a one and half hour boat ride. She kept us entertained on the long boat ride. Along the way we saw friendly but shy crocodiles, various water birds, and some green and orange colored green iguanas. Upon entering the Lamanai archeological site, first some time was spent visiting the museum. Then the next hour was spent on a guided exploration of several Mayan temples in which Brenda gave us a good introduction to various sites. We were able to see some Howler Monkeys on site as well. Then we had an excellent lunch that Brenda brought along at the hut near the museum followed by visiting few gift shops near the museum. Then Brenda took us back to the starting point of the boat tour where Robert was waiting to take us back to the hotel in Belize City. Overall this was a very well organized tour!

We loved our Lamani tour. The river was beautiful with lots of birds and a crocodile. Brenda, our guide, provided lots of great information about the mayan site and the people. She was very knowledgeable and interesting. We saw lots of monkeys and an iguana, but the highlight was seeing a jaguarundi. An absolutely wonderful day

Wonderful tour! The guides, especially Brenda, were great. Loved the boat ride into Lamanai and the site was incredible.