Tailor-made Guatemala and Belize trip: a private 16-day route from Maya temples to the reef

Lake Atitlán with volcanoes in the background — Lake Atitlán

This tailor-made Guatemala and Belize trip takes you in 16 days from the volcanoes of the Guatemalan highlands to the largest coral reef in the northern hemisphere. Colonial Antigua, Lake Atitlán by private boat and the temples of Tikal in Guatemala; then a sacred Maya cave, the jungle city of Caracol and three slow days on car-free Caye Caulker in Belize.

It is a private trip: you travel with your partner, family or friends on the dates you choose, with no group and no tour escort. Airport pickup, hotels, private drivers, the domestic flight and boats are arranged in advance. The Comfort-level hotels are the ones I selected.

At a glance

Recommended duration: 16 days (11 to 21 days possible)
Format: private, fully arranged, tailor-made
Start: any day, you choose the dates
Transport: private drivers, one domestic flight, boats (no self-drive on this route)
Comfort level: Budget, Comfort or Premium
Price from (indicative price): €2,040 pp excluding flight (based on 2 travellers); flight approx. €850–1,300 pp, not included, depending on the month
Travelling as four: about 12% less per person · travelling solo: about 64% more
Best months: December to April

Comfort level	Price pp with private driver and transfers
Budget	€2,040
Comfort	€2,680
Premium	€4,140

Prices per person, based on 2 travellers, excluding the international flight; indicative estimates.

Best time to travel

December to April is the dry season in both countries. Guatemala's rainy season runs from May to October, and the hurricane season in Belize from early June to mid-November. Travel is still possible then, but the ATM cave closes after heavy rain and boats depend on the weather. Christmas and Easter week in Antigua sell out early.

The yellow Santa Catalina arch with Agua volcano in Antigua — The Santa Catalina arch in Antigua

The route and why it runs this way

Days 1–5, the highlands. One night in Zone 10 of the capital and a short visit of the historic centre with your driver, two nights in Antigua, then via the Maya site of Iximché to Lake Atitlán, where a private boat takes you to a hotel with no road access and, the next day, to the villages of San Juan La Laguna and Santiago Atitlán.

Turquoise water and a small island off Caye Caulker — Caye Caulker

Days 6–8, Flores and Tikal. A one-hour flight from the capital to Flores saves a day and a night on the road. You stay two nights inside Tikal National Park, so you reach the temples before the day trippers.

Days 9–11, San Ignacio. You cross the border at Melchor de Mencos for the cave of Actun Tunichil Muknal and the Maya city of Caracol.

Days 12–16, Caye Caulker and home. A day snorkelling with nurse sharks and rays at Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley, and a free day. The scenic flight over the Great Blue Hole costs roughly US$240–260 per person, so it is an optional extra. On day 15 you take the morning water taxi to Belize City and fly via a US hub; you land in Brussels the next day.

Private driver instead of self-drive

The Belgian foreign ministry advises against renting a car in Guatemala and prefers transport with a driver; it also strongly discourages driving after dark and public transport. A Guatemalan rental car may not enter Belize and cannot be returned there. And the route itself includes a flight, a hotel reached only by boat and an island without cars.

Temple II on the Great Plaza of Tikal — Temple II at Tikal

So you have three regular drivers: one in the highlands, one in Petén and one in Belize. At the border you walk through two immigration posts with your luggage and find the next driver waiting.

Practical tips

Passport and entry. Belgians need no visa for either country. Your passport must be valid for six months on arrival in Guatemala. Guatemala requires a free online declaration before arrival and before departure. Belize stamps you in for 30 days.
ESTA. Almost all flights home from Belize City connect in Miami, Houston or Atlanta, and you need an ESTA (about US$40) even to change planes. We can look for a route via Panama or Cancún instead.
Health. No compulsory vaccines from Belgium. Hepatitis A is recommended; check your measles vaccination and protect against mosquitoes (dengue).
The ATM cave. You must be able to swim. Cameras and phones are banned; closed shoes and socks are required. Only 125 visitors a day are allowed in, always with a specially licensed guide, so I book early.
Guides. A licensed guide is required by law in the ATM cave and for snorkelling at Hol Chan; both are included. Elsewhere you travel without a guide. Prefer a guide? I can add a local guide to any activity.
Meals. Breakfast is included every day, as is lunch on the day trips to the ATM cave, Caracol and the reef, where there is no alternative. For the other meals you get my restaurant recommendations, but you are completely free to choose where and when you eat: I never steer you to expensive restaurants in return for a commission.

Travel advice

We checked the Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs advice on 30 September 2026. For Guatemala (updated 17 September 2026) it does not advise against travel but asks for vigilance, especially in the capital and outside the tourist areas. It recommends travelling by day with organised transport and staying in Zones 9, 10, 11 or 13 of the capital; the trip is built that way. Climbing Fuego and Santiaguito volcanoes is temporarily banned.

For Belize (updated 17 June 2026) the ministry says travel is generally safe with the usual precautions. You only pass through Belize City, with a driver. Always read the current advice yourself before you travel.

Frequently asked questions

How hard is the ATM cave?

Adventurous but manageable: a 45-minute walk, a short swim, wading and scrambling. Barton Creek cave by canoe is a gentle alternative.

Can I travel solo or change the route?

Yes to both. Popular changes: Chichicastenango market, the Maya site of Yaxhá, or Ambergris Caye instead of Caye Caulker.

Plan your trip

There are no fixed departures: you leave whenever you like. It starts with a personal intake meeting, at your home or by video. You then receive a tailor-made proposal, with my recommended route as the starting point. Plan a call via the interest list or email info@steennot-travels.be. Before we start selling trips, we take out the legally required insurance against financial insolvency. Prices remain estimates until then.

Sources

Last updated: 10 October 2026. Prices and dates are indicative estimates and may change.