Board your comfortable and air-conditioned bus for an hour-long ride up the Philip Goldson Highway, stretching 49 miles. A guide will be along to share Belize’s rich cultural and ecological heritage with you. Upon arrival at your river outpost, you will have a quick restroom break and opportunity to apply a last layer of sunblock before embarking on your boat trip.

Anticipation builds as your skilled captain pulls away from the dock to begin the roughly 1 hour and 20 minute trip, 26 miles up the meandering New River toward the Mayan ruins of Lamanai. Keep your eyes open and your cameras ready for crocodiles, iguanas, a variety of bird species and even a troop of howler monkeys. This is just some of the wildlife that might make an appearance.

As we approach the entrance to the New River Lagoon, the ruins of the high temple rise into view, welcoming you to the ancient Mayan city. Can you climb to its peak? First, enjoy a delicious buffet-style Belizean lunch, fueling you for your ruin expedition, which lasts approximately an hour and a half. Your guide will give insight into this hidden world that remains surrounded by pristine jungle, where elite rulers are buried in magnificent temples and sacred deities are immortalized in stone.

Anxious to take home a souvenir from this experience? You will have 15 minutes to shop at the gift shop on site before boarding your boat for the exhilarating non-stop ride back to the outpost. Your bus will be waiting to take you back to the cruise ship pier. Not wheelchair accessible. Not recommended for guests with a history of leg, knee, or hip injuries.

*Climbing the ruins is not allowed during or after rain due to the risk of falling on the slippery steps.