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Water between a pier and waterfront buildings in Belize City under a blue sky.

Belize
City

The Museum of Belize, the zoo, Altun Ha and the howler monkeys

Before you go, understand the place.

Belize City gathers the Museum of Belize, run by the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) in the former prison, and the private attraction Old Belize; outside the city, The Belize Zoo, at mile 29 of the George Price Highway, the Maya site of Altun Ha, north of the city, and the Community Baboon Sanctuary, a community sanctuary for black howler monkeys at Bermudian Landing.

By Asesordeviaje.com Editorial Team · updated

Themed guides

Places grouped by theme, to plan your day.

  • Museum and Old Belize

    The Museum of Belize is run by NICH and Old Belize is a private attraction. Neither has a confirmed status.

    Open the full guide

  • Zoo and Altun Ha

    The Belize Zoo and the Maya site of Altun Ha are outside the city, and their status is unconfirmed.

    Open the full guide

  • Howler monkeys

    The Community Baboon Sanctuary at Bermudian Landing is community-run, and its status is unconfirmed.

    Open the full guide

Plan your visit

The practical information you need to plan your visit

The essentials

Best time to go
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, although a cyclone can form outside that period (Government Press Office, 28 May 2026). Follow the warnings from the National Meteorological Service of Belize and the NEMO emergency agency. The rainy season runs from May to November, with flooding that can cut roads and flooded temporary bridges in the south, particularly in Stann Creek and Toledo.
Getting there
Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport is 10 miles from downtown; its taxis, run by the Ladyville Airport Taxi Union, operate from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., according to the airport. Domestic flights also leave from the municipal airport, a mile from downtown, according to Tropic Air. Water taxis to Caye Caulker and San Pedro leave from the San Pedro Belize Express and Caribbean Sprinter terminals, which offer transfers from the international airport, according to each operator: San Pedro Belize Express charges US$25 for the first person and US$10 for each additional person, and Caribbean Sprinter US$15 per person; prices unconfirmed.

Tips and precautions

  1. NICH prices (museum and Altun Ha) are in Belize dollars; Old Belize’s are in US dollars: compare them in the same currency.
  2. The public bus stops at the zoo entrance, with buses roughly every half hour and fewer on Sundays and public holidays, according to the zoo.
  3. At Altun Ha the last tour starts at 4:00 p.m., one hour before closing (5:00 p.m.), according to NICH.

Safety and precautions

  • The United Kingdom (June 2026) notes that Belize has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world and that gang violence is concentrated in Belize City, particularly south of the Haulover Creek (Southside); tourists are not normally the targets, but anyone nearby could be affected. It warns of theft from tourists in San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia and San Ignacio, and of armed criminals in remote forested areas near the border with Guatemala, which are patrolled by the Defence Force, with no reported incidents involving tourists.
  • Canada (15 June 2026) advises a high degree of caution throughout Belize due to high levels of violent crime and to avoid non-essential travel to Southside Belize City, south of the Haulover Creek, due to gang and drug-related violence. It notes higher crime in border areas such as Melchor de Mencos and Chetumal, and near the Caracol ruins, close to the border with Guatemala.
  • Emergencies: 911 (Belize Police Department); 922 for anonymous reports. The United Kingdom also lists 90 for ambulance, fire and police.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the entry to Altun Ha?

According to NICH’s official shop: non-residents BZ$20 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents BZ$10.

What are The Belize Zoo’s hours?

Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sundays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed on Good Friday and Christmas Day, according to the zoo.

How much is the Museum of Belize?

BZ$14 for non-residents and BZ$7 for residents, according to NICH’s official shop; the museum’s hours are unconfirmed.

Sources

Information checked in . Prices, hours and rules change: confirm them with the official source before you travel.

  1. NICH – Museum of Belize, entradas (tienda oficial)2026
  2. Old Belize – Old Belize Train Tour (operador)2026
  3. Old Belize – Kukumba Beach (operador)2026
  4. The Belize Zoo – Plan Your Visit2026
  5. BelizeHub – Nuevas tarifas del Belize Zoo desde el 1 dic. 2024 (31 oct. 2024)2024
  6. NICH – Altun Ha, entradas y horario (tienda oficial)2026
  7. NICH – Altun Ha (13 jun. 2024)2024
  8. Reino Unido (FCDO) – Belize: safety and security (12 jun. 2026)2026
  9. Gobierno de Canadá – Belize travel advice (15 jun. 2026)2026
  10. Belize Police Department2026
  11. Aeropuerto Internacional Philip S. W. Goldson – Quick Facts2026
  12. Aeropuerto Internacional Philip S. W. Goldson – Passenger Info2026
  13. Tropic Air – Belize City (TZA)2026
  14. San Pedro Belize Express – FAQ2026
  15. Caribbean Sprinter2026

Everything you can do

Closed or restricted places are included and flagged, so you know what to expect.

Showing 5 of 5 · 5 unconfirmed, flagged

Nature and jungle · 2

  • The Belize ZooBernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0

    The Belize Zoo

    WildlifeStatus unconfirmed

    A not-for-profit zoo with native animals that were rescued, confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade or transferred from other centres; its paths are wheelchair-accessible, according to the zoo.

    Status unconfirmed: the zoo publishes its hours and fees and notes that its website is under construction.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    International visitors: BZ$40 per adult and BZ$10 per child aged 3 to 12; Belizeans: BZ$10 and BZ$2, according to the zoo (fees in force since 1 December 2024, according to the press).
    Hours
    Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last entry 4:00 p.m.), and Sundays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (last entry 3:30 p.m.); closed on Good Friday and Christmas Day, according to the zoo. Its home page applies the Sunday hours to public holidays as well.
    Source
    The Belize Zoo – Plan Your Visit · 2026 · +2

    Tip: The public bus stops at the entrance, with buses roughly every half hour; there are fewer on Sundays and public holidays, according to the zoo.

    Sources: The Belize Zoo – Plan Your Visit · The Belize Zoo · BelizeHub – Nuevas tarifas del Belize Zoo desde el 1 dic. 2024 (31 oct. 2024)

    Mile 29 of the George Price Highway, halfway between Belize City and Belmopan, according to the zoo. The pin is the zoo in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.30.2 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

  • Black howler monkey hanging from a tree trunk amid green vegetation.edskoch · CC BY 2.0

    Community Baboon Sanctuary

    WildlifeStatus unconfirmed

    A community sanctuary for black howler monkeys («baboons» in Belizean Creole) at Bermudian Landing, started in 1985 by a group of local farmers to protect the monkeys, which had been hunted close to extinction; it has a small natural history museum on the rainforest and the howler monkey, according to the Belize Tourism Board.

    Status unconfirmed: the Tourism Board describes the sanctuary with no hours or fees.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Official fee unconfirmed: the Tourism Board publishes no prices, and the figures in circulation come from agencies and blogs.
    Source
    Belize Tourism Board – Community Baboon Sanctuary (act. 17 feb. 2026) · 2026

    Sources: Belize Tourism Board – Community Baboon Sanctuary (act. 17 feb. 2026)

    Bermudian Landing, in Belize District, outside Belize City. The pin is the «Bermudian Landing Community Baboon Sanctuary» protected area in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.16.6 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

Living culture · 3

  • Brick facade and white ground floor of the Museum of Belize beside a lawn.xiquinhosilva · CC BY 4.0

    Museum of Belize

    CultureStatus unconfirmed

    A museum of the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) founded on 5 February 2002 in the building of the country’s former main prison; it keeps the last remaining cell and shows Maya jades, among other collections, according to NICH.

    Status unconfirmed: NICH sells tickets in its shop, but does not publish the museum’s hours.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Non-residents BZ$14 and residents BZ$7; minors and students, BZ$0, according to NICH’s official shop, which does not define the age of a «minor» or the requirements for «student».
    Source
    NICH – Museum of Belize, entradas (tienda oficial) · 2026

    Nearby: Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary (6.8 km) · Old Belize (7.5 km)

    Sources: NICH – Museum of Belize, entradas (tienda oficial)

    Belize City. The pin is the museum in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.20.7 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

  • Illustration of a colonial street with a church

    Old Belize

    CultureStatus unconfirmed

    A private attraction at mile 5 of the George Price Highway: a 15-minute train ride through Belize’s ecological, archaeological, industrial and political history, in English, Spanish and Mandarin, next to Kukumba Beach, according to the operator.

    Status unconfirmed: the operator publishes prices and hours, but whether they are current is unconfirmed.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Train: US$10 per adult and US$5 per child; Kukumba Beach: US$15 per adult and per child over 5 ft tall, US$5 between 3 and 5 ft and free under 3 ft; residents pay half, according to the operator.
    Hours
    Train: Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; the last ride ends 30 minutes before closing; closed on Mondays except public holidays. Kukumba Beach: Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and weekends, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; closed on Mondays. According to the operator.
    Source
    Old Belize – Old Belize Train Tour (operador) · 2026 · +2

    Tip: Outside food and drinks are not allowed at Kukumba Beach, according to the operator.

    Nearby: Museum of Belize (7.5 km) · Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary (14 km)

    Sources: Old Belize – Old Belize Train Tour (operador) · Old Belize – Kukumba Beach (operador) · Old Belize (operador)

    Mile 5 of the George Price Highway, Belize City, according to the operator. The pin is the place named «Old Belize» in OpenStreetMap, classified there as a restaurant; it is not the entrance.16 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

  • Altun HaDenis Barthel · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Altun Ha

    CultureStatus unconfirmed

    An ancient Maya trading and ceremonial centre of the Classic Period, where the Jade Head, the largest carved jade in Mesoamerica, was found, according to NICH, which runs the site.

    Status unconfirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Non-residents: BZ$20 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents: BZ$10, free for children under 12 and for Belizeans aged 65 or over, according to NICH’s official shop.
    Hours
    Every day, including Sundays and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last tour starts one hour before closing, according to NICH.
    Source
    NICH – Altun Ha, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · 2026 · +1

    Tip: NICH asks for footwear for rough ground, to stay on marked trails and not to jump on the monuments; each guide takes at most 15 visitors.

    Sources: NICH – Altun Ha, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · NICH – Altun Ha (13 jun. 2024)

    Off the Old Northern Highway, north of Belize City (30 or 31 miles, depending on the NICH page). The pin is the site’s area in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.23.1 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

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