🇧🇿 Planning a Trip to Belize: 12 Practical Things To Know

Receiving over 500,000 tourists in 2024, Belize in Central America is known for snorkeling and scuba diving sites, Maya ruins, and sacred caves. Having spent a week in Belize, I share well-researched and firsthand travel tips that are especially useful for first-time visitors.

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📌 Planning

Popular Places l When To Visit l How Long To Visit l Entry Requirements

Popular Places

• Ambergris Caye – Belize’s most popular island, located in the Caribbean Sea. It’s known as the gateway to the Belize Barrier Reef, Hol Chan Marine Reserve, and the world-famous Great Blue Hole.

• Caye Caulker – the country’s second most popular island. It has a more relaxed and backpacker atmosphere than Ambergris Caye and is close to all the attractions above.

• San Ignacio – Belize’s most popular mainland stop in the Cayo district. It’s the gateway to one of the world’s most sacred caves, the ATM Cave, and to Xunantunich, a Maya ruin with one of the tallest structures in the country.

• Placencia – the country’s top beach area known for its soft white sand and clear blue water. It’s a popular place to snorkel, scuba dive, and relax at the beach.

I visited Ambergris Caye and San Ignacio, and here are my honest opinions:

• Ambergris Caye – This is a great place to stay for anyone who loves water activities and plans to spend many days in the ocean. I visited for four days I don’t scuba dive and sometimes get seasick. The Hol Chan Marine Reserve is one of the best places I’ve ever snorkeled.
• San Ignacio – I spent three days here doing its top attractions. The ATM Cave is one of my favorite adventures ever and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to hike, swim, and go spelunking. I wasn’t as impressed by the Maya ruins.

My Belize trip planner has firsthand tips for each destination.

When To Visit

• Dry season (December-May) – The country has two seasons and the dry season coincides with the high season when there’s less rainfall in the mornings and evenings. Visiting during the dry season is best to avoid the rain and potential trip disruptions.

I visited Belize in July during the rainy season and experienced intermittent rain, but the weather was mostly warm and sunny. The rain didn’t cancel any of my big plans, but I noticed some tours and services weren’t operational because of the season.

How Long To Visit

• 4 days – enough time to visit 1 destination
• 7 days – enough time to visit 1-2 destinations
• 10 days – enough time to visit 3 of the top destinations

I spent a week in Belize: 4 days in Ambergris Caye and 3 days in San Ignacio. This gave me enough time to see some of the country’s highlights.

🐠 One Week in Belize: Itinerary + 12 Great Things To Do

Entry Requirements

• not required for US citizens visiting Belize for up to 30 days.
• Belize has a $55.50 airport departure or exit fee for tourists flying out of the country. This amount is usually already included in your airline ticket under “taxes and fees”. But if it’s not, you must pay it in cash at the Belize airport.

Entering Belize was straightforward for me as a US citizen. I didn’t have to apply for a visa or pay an entry fee. My exit fee was included in my airline ticket.

💰 Logistics

Money l Getting Around

Money

• Many tourist places accept credit cards, but not all. Belize’s economy still relies on cash transactions, so bring cash.
• Belize dollar and USD are both widely accepted. Belize is one of the few countries in the world that has pegged its currency to the US dollar at a constant exchange rate. It has had a 2:1 exchange ratio with the USD since 1978, so you don’t have to worry about getting a bad exchange rate.

💰 My Belize Trip Cost: Budget Breakdown (2025)

Getting Around

• Belize has only one primary international airport: Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) located in Belize City. From there, you can head east to one of the islands, west to San Ignacio, or south to Placencia.
• For long distances, the main ways to get around are by domestic flights or pre-arranged shuttles. For short distances, taxis, tour transports, walking, and local buses are available. To get to the islands, you can take a domestic flight or a water taxi.

I traveled around Belize in various ways and here are my observations:

• Domestic flight vs. water taxi – The flights to and from the islands are convenient but significantly more expensive than a water taxi. I would have liked to try the water taxis, but I get seasick.
• Car safety – Many cars in Belize are very old. A lot of them also do not have seat belts.
• Island transportation – There are virtually no cars on Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker, so you’ll have to rely on golf carts, walking, or tour transportation when you’re there. When I drove a golf cart in Ambergris Caye, there were many potholes, so be careful.

💊 Safety

Health l Crime

Health

• generally not safe to drink.
• disease-carrying mosquitoes are prevalent, especially during the rainy season, so bring bug repellent (I use this repellent lotion).

I didn’t have any health-related issues in Belize and recommend taking some precautions:

• Tap water – I didn’t drink any of the tap water. Most hotels, restaurants, and tours will provide filtered or bottled water.
• Mosquitoes – I’m a mosquito magnet, so I got bites everywhere I visited. I had to put on insect repellent even when I stepped outside for a quick bite.

Crime

• Belize’s tourist areas are safe to visit, but it’s important to exercise some precautions and avoid places with high crimes. For example, Belize City is not recommended for tourists. The country has a travel advisory level of 2 per the US government.
• Some typical scams to watch out for include:
  • The overpriced or unlicensed tours scam – book with a reputable platform like Viator, which is what I use
  • The currency exchange scam – check your change and make sure you got the right dollars
  • Distraction scams – stay vigilant, especially if someone bumps into you or spills something on you

I generally didn’t face any issues in Belize, but I noticed that if you’re traveling with just women, you will get cat-called. My female friend and I were never approached or touched, but we experienced cat-calling almost every time we walked around. Other online forums seem to agree that this is a problem.

🌍 Culture

Language l Food l What To Wear

Language

• English (the only English-speaking country in Central America)

Belize was formally called British Honduras when it was a British colony. However, Belize was originally inhabited by indigenous Maya people, so almost half of the local population also speaks Belizean Creole.

Food

• rice and beans, which is often served with stewed chicken
• fry jacks (fluffy, deep-fried dough), Belizean breakfast (includes eggs and sausages), fish ceviche (very fresh on the islands), and jerk chicken

Although food diversity is lacking, I found Belize’s food to be quite good and generally well-balanced for Central America. Chicken is very good here and fry jacks are a must-try.

What To Wear

• What to wear – Belize has a tropical climate. It’s almost always warm or hot year-round, so pack lightweight summer clothes. If you’re visiting during the wet season, wear quick-dry clothing. Don’t forget a swimsuit if you plan to visit the islands.
• How locals dress – They typically dress casually and in non-fancy clothes. Many wear jeans, a jacket, and a T-shirt, even in the heat.

I mostly wore summer clothes (e.g., shorts, swimsuits, and rompers) in Belize and brought my rain jacket for day trips.

A comprehensive packing list is included in my Belize trip planner.

Belize Trip Planner 2025

Download my trip planner to make your travel preparation effortless. It features:

• Up-to-date travel information
• A well-researched itinerary
• Detailed firsthand insights & tips
• A simple budget tracker
• A starting packing list
• Fully customizable sections

My trip planners are built on Notion, which I use for all my planning. I genuinely love this tool and creating an account is free.

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