Thomson Family Adventures | All Inclusive Belize Family Vacation

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It’s a tiny country with a small population, but Belize is packed with an endless array of activities that surprise, delight, entertain and educate visitors of all ages. Thomson’s exhilarating family vacation in Belize showcases the country’s geographical diversity, its cultural wealth, and its amazing ecosystems—from high mountain forests to the longest reef system in the Western hemisphere.

Your adventure begins in Cayo, in the Mountain Pine Ridge region, the largest protected area in Belize. We’ll explore its network of underground caves by canoe, zip line through the rain forest canopy, tube down the Mopan River, learn about iguana conservation, and make new friends in a local community. Did you know that Belize was the center of the vast Mayan Civilization, founded about 2,000 B.C.? We’ll explore the mysterious Xunantunich ruins, once an important Mayan ceremonial center. Race to the top of the 130-foot El Castillo temple and take a panorama shot of the entire archaeological site from the top!

Spend four days in Placencia on Belize’s famous Caribbean beaches. Its 185-mile long Southern Barrier Reef is home to more than 250 species of fish and 60 species of kaleidoscopic corals. We’ll take you snorkeling in two idyllic spots—perfect for snorkel newcomers or veteran free-divers. Beautiful offshore cayes invite barefoot investigation and the relaxed lifestyle here will keep you in vacation mode long after you return home. Whether you’re traveling with youngsters or teens, or decide to introduce the grandkids to a new culture, Belize truly does have something tantalizing for everyone.

Day 1 – Depart U.S. / Arrive Belize City

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, where your Belize family tour begins.

Belize Zoo
Traditional rice and beans

Days 2-4 – Cayo District and Mountain Pine Ridge

Most Belizeans would agree that although each district has its own charms, Cayo stands out above the others – rich in history, culture and especially nature. You’ll explore waterfalls, lush jungles and huge cave systems. Xunantunich is just one of the important Mayan sites located in this area. Nearby, the 55-square-mile site of Caracol is home to the ruins of what was once one of the most powerful cities in the Mayan world. In neighboring Guatemala lies Tikal, one of the oldest Mayan sites in Central America and once the home of nearly 100,000 people.

Green Hills Butterfly Ranch
Canoe Barton Creek Cave
Zip line Through the Rain Forest
Ancient Jungle Garden Trail option
Maya ruins of Xunantunich
Mopan River tubing
Green Iguana Conservation Project
San Ignacio Friends Across Borders meeting (pen pals)
Visit the Mayan village of San Jose Succotz

Days 5-8– Belize Reefs and Beaches

The underwater world of Belize's coral reefs is the greatest stretch of coral in the western hemisphere. It is home to hundreds of species of fish and over sixty species of coral – the most diverse marine ecosystem in the world. It doesn’t get more impressive than that! As you can well imagine, the snorkeling here is second to none.

Placencia drive
Go tubing through an underground cave
Visit to Gravity Hill
Snorkel the Southern Barrier Reef
Laughing Bird Caye/SilkWater Caye snorkeling
Free day
Farewell dinner

Day 9 – Depart Belize City / Arrive U.S.

Optional Community Service Extension

Have an extra week, and interested in community service?

Add a week or more to your adventure and deepen your understanding of the lives of the people who live here. We’ll use our partnerships with the local community to connect you to their sustainable projects. Depending on the specific need at the time you might paint, build, plant, or simply read aloud. This is a great opportunity for our children to gain a sense of giving back to others, and to see that those who seem different can be very much the same. We've found that you need to devote at least a week to be even a small help to the sustainable project.

Hidden Valley Inn

Hidden Valley Inn is located high in the Mountain Pine Ridge in the Cayo District of Belize. The lodge is situated amidst 7,200 acres of private reserve in the largest and oldest of Belizean parklands. It features 12 cozy cottages, each decorated in warm tones, with a ceiling fan and a fireplace. Highlights of the lodge include exclusive use of over 90 miles of trails, a swimming pool and hot tub, an excellent restaurant, a common area in the main house, and high-speed internet access.

Laru Beya

Laru Beya Resort, whose name means "on the beach" in a local dialect, is located on the white beaches of the Placencia Peninsula. The resort is only three miles from the town of Placencia. The hotel features beautiful, air conditioned rooms with private patios. Highlights of the hotel include local art and furniture, wireless internet, a freshwater pool and its gorgeous beach-front location.

Why Belize?

It’s a wonderfully diverse, small country with a laid-back, relaxed pace

Belize may be a small country (just 300,000 people!), but it has so much to offer. Its natural diversity is stunning — ranging from lush mountains with tropical rain forests to the western hemisphere’s largest coral reef. With the lowest population density in Central America, your family is guaranteed a truly unspoiled, laid-back experience. You’ll take in many colorful sights and sounds while high in the mountains, learn about ancient civilization as you explore Maya artifacts and ruins and relax on Belize’s white sandy beaches as you swim, snorkel and kayak.

Second largest barrier reef in the world

Imagine you and your family exploring the mysteries of the underwater world in Belize’s Southern Barrier Reef, second in size only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. One of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world, the reef has over 250 species of tropical fish and over 60 species of coral. Snorkeling through gorgeous blue waters and over brightly colored coral, you may see a magnificent array of marine life — anything from eagle rays to dolphins, turtles to barracudas and more!

Ancient Maya ruins without the crowds

A fun-filled vacation exploring Belize’s rich history and culture is like no other experience. Belize is home to numerous ancient Maya cities, some dating back to 2000 BC. Your family will get to go off the beaten path and explore some of these magnificent ruins – without the crowds you often encounter at more well-known sites.

Rich multi-cultural heritage: English pirates, Spanish, Garifuna and others

Belize’s unique, diverse nature and history are complemented by its unique, diverse people. From its indigenous native culture to its Latin and Creole cultures, Belize’s friendly, laid-back population adds to the unique experience that is Belize. Our warm and welcoming guides will make your stay a wonderful, magical adventure for you and your family.

Why Belize with Thomson?

Explore the Mayan Xunantunich Ruins

Once an important center of the great Mayan civilization, Belize offers some very impressive archaeological sites. We’ll visit the mysterious Xunantunich Ruins, an ancient ceremonial center. Though extensively excavated in 1959-60, little is known about the site, which was built during the Classic Period of Mayan civilization (circa A.D. 250-900 A.D.). Its six major plazas encompass more than twenty-five temples and palaces—and one very tall pyramid. You'll be amazed by the views from atop El Castillo, which stands 130-feet tall.

The Friends Across Borders Program (pen pals)

As part of our Friends Across Borders program —a Thomson family favorite—we’ve arranged for a pen pal meeting this afternoon for the children who exchanged letters with a local student before leaving on their adventure. Through playing a game or sharing in a mutual activity, the kids all enjoy the eye-opening, and truly rewarding, experience of making a new friend from a culture very different from their own.

Barton Creek Cave canoe trip

Equipped with flashlights and headlamps, your family will head deep into the Barton Creek cave system, where you’ll maneuver your canoe around magnificent stalagmites and stalactites. The Maya considered caves the path to the underworld, so keep your eyes peeled for Maya artifacts!

Special Features for Teens

Additional activities for families traveling with teens – such as a zip line canopy tour and cave tubing – will appeal to older kids who are looking for more excitement and more of a challenge.

Snorkeling on the barrier reef

You and your children will have two opportunities to discover this amazing reef system. It's second in size only to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, and over 250 species of tropical fish swim in its waters. Stay active by snorkeling, kayaking and swimming, or take a break and relax on the white sand beaches. As you flipper around the Caribbean Sea, you’ll see magnificent fish in their natural habitat, and possibly eagle rays, moray eels, dolphins, turtles, barracudas and more.

Optional community service extension

Thomson families tend to love really getting to know people and cultures intimately, and taking every opportunity to lend a helping hand or an expression of solidarity. On our Belize trip, we offer you the chance to add time to your family adventure to work within our well-developed partnerships with the local community and connect to sustainable projects. At Thomson, we are interested in far more than simply tourism – we like to truly benefit the places we travel to and leave a positive mark on every country. You’ll have the chance the paint, build, plant, or simply read aloud as a small way of offering your support to the people of Belize, and your children will gain a sense of the difference giving back to others can make.