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5 Best Belize Zoo Tours to Book on Your Next Trip
If you’re looking for amazing Belize Zoo tours, you’ve come to the right place!
Located in Central Belize, this is no ordinary zoo. It’s a rescue and rehabilitation center for animals that can’t be released back into the wild.
I know from personal experience because I visited the Belize Zoo on a tour with my family and it was such an incredible experience.
On our tour, we saw everything from jaguars and monkeys to even keel-billed toucans and a Harpy Eagle! And I couldn’t very well keep my knowledge about this to myself. Sharing is caring after all!
Here are my favorite options based on my personal experience and research, to help you plan your next visit. So let’s jump in!
My Top Picks: Belize Zoo Tours
So if you’re planning a trip to Belize and are looking for a unique experience with native Belizean animals, then a Belize Zoo tour needs to be on your list.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full Day Tour w/Cave, Zoo & Maya City
✅ Round Trip Transport from San Ignacio
✅ Nohoch Che’en Reserve Visit
✅ Air-conditioned vehicle
Altun Ha & Belize Zoo Adventure
✅ Round Trip Transport from Belize City
✅ Mayan Ruin Site Visit
✅ Belizean Lunch
Awesome Belize Zoo Tours
Belize is an amazing country to explore, but if you’re a nature lover then one of the best places to add to your itinerary is the Belize Zoo.
The zoo has amazing tours available where you get up close with some of these animals while learning about their unique histories and how they ended up at the Belize Zoo in the first place.
It’s an awesome way to support animal conservation while enjoying an educational wildlife experience at the same time.
1. Full Day Tour with Cave, Belize Zoo & Maya City
⭐️ Rating: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length 10-11 hrs | 📍 Departs: San Ignacio
✅ Book Now!
This Full Day Tour with Cave, Belize Zoo & Maya City from San Ignacio is the perfect choice for those wishing to explore the natural beauty of Belize.
You’ll soar through the treetops on a 100-foot-high zip line, affording magnificent views of the lush rainforest.
After that, you’ll hike about 30 minutes to a cave where you can begin your kayak tour. Paddle past rock formations, waterfalls, hidden chambers and swim spots as you leisurely make your way through the cave system.
What makes this tour even more special is that it’s limited to 12 guests per tour. This means you and your group will have a highly personalized experience where your needs will be taken care of by your knowledgeable guides.
This was a great trip for us only having one full day to spend in San Ignacio we were able to get the most out of our day with a great guide.
tripadvisor reviewer (read more Reviews)
Tour Includes:
☑️ Transport by air-conditioned minivan
☑️ Hotel pickup and drop-off (if option selected)
☑️ Driver/guide
☑️ Restaurant Stop: option to purchase lunch
☑️ 4 stops: Visit a Mayan site, Belize Zoo, go Zip lining, Cave Kayaking or Tubing depending on river conditions
2. Altun Ha & Belize Zoo Adventure
⭐️ Rating: 4.6/5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length 10-11 hrs | 📍 Departs: Belize City
✅ Book Now!
Altun Ha and Belize Zoo Adventure are two of the most popular tourist destinations in Belize, offering a unique experience for visitors to explore the country’s untouched jungles and savannahs.
The Belize Zoo is one of the best ways to experience the untamed beauty of Belize, with over 125 animals native to this tropical paradise. You’ll spend 1½ hours touring the zoo and its educational center before returning via Belize City.
Here, you’ll find a mix of old colonial buildings and modern landmarks that make up the Caribbean charm of “Old Belize Capital”. Then, journey past several quaint villages along Old Northern Highway towards your Mayan Ruins adventure.
Altun Ha is an ancient Mayan site located only seven miles from the sea with a primary broadleaf rainforest surrounding it. The scenic main plaza views, with large mounds and high temple pyramids on either side, are breathtaking.
We had a fun day at the amazing Belize Zoo and Altuna Ha. The private tour was reasonably priced, picked us up at the port, and was just what we were looking for.
getyourguide reviewer (read more Reviews)
Tour Includes:
☑️ Transportation to and from the port or hotel
☑️ Belizean Lunch
☑️ Belize City tour
☑️ Mayan Sites Archaeological Reserve
☑️ Entrance fees
☑️ Complimentary bottled water, sodas
The Belize Zoo & Country Tour with lunch from Placencia is the perfect choice for animal and nature lovers of all ages! You get to explore the numerous animals at the zoo and learn about their natural abilities and lifestyles in the wild.
Your guide will be sure to inform you about each of them, giving you all the knowledge you need to appreciate these creatures. Plus, your heart will melt with each animal’s sweet personality!
Once you have taken in all the beauty that the zoo has to offer, you will have lunch at a local restaurant on your way back to Placencia.
After that, you’ll return to Placencia with a newfound appreciation for Belize’s natural beauty. You’ll also have an unforgettable experience of learning about the local culture and customs!
Tour Includes:
☑️ Bottled water
☑️ Lunch
☑️ Air-conditioned vehicle
☑️ Fuel surcharge
☑️ GST (Goods and Services Tax)
☑️ Landing and facility fees
4. See & Experience Belize in 10 Days!
⭐️ Rating: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length 10 days | 📍 Departs: Belize City
✅ Book Now!
If you’re looking to explore the best of Belize, the 10 Days in Belize tour is a great way to experience all that this country has to offer in just 10 days.
Not only will you get to visit the renowned Belize Zoo on Day 5, but you’ll also have the chance to swim and snorkel in the world’s second-largest barrier reef and enjoy breathtaking views from ancient Mayan archaeological sites.
Plus, you’ll go tubing and canoeing through cave systems, and hike through black howler monkey habitats with a local guide at your side.
This comprehensive small-group tour will take you to all must-see sights of Belize while giving you enough time to appreciate each stop as well as five included lunches along the way. You’ll even spend one night on Ambergris Caye!
Fantastic adventure…This is not a tour for the faint of heart. You will not rest on a huge bus, and then be spoon fed. This is an experience. A personal journey.
Tripadvisor reviewer (read more Reviews)
Tour Includes:
☑️ Air-Conditioned Vehicle
☑️ All Entry Fees
☑️ Private Transportation
☑️ Tour Guides
☑️ Lodging X 1 Night
☑️ Lunch (5)
5. Belize Zoo Night Tour
⭐️ Rating: 4.6/5 Stars | ⏳ Tour Length: 1.5 hrs | 📍 Location: Belize Zoo
✅ Book Now!
The Belize Zoo Night Tour is an unforgettable experience that you won’t want to miss. Located outside of Belize City, the night tour offers a unique opportunity to experience nocturnal animals in their natural environment.
With a highly experienced tour guide, you’ll be able to meet the wild cats, crocs, jaguars, ocelots, and even feed the tapirs and deer! After your night tour ends, you’ll have the chance to stay overnight at the Tropical Education Center.
It’s easy to see why this zoo night tour has received such high reviews from guests – it’s one of those experiences that will leave you with memories for a lifetime.
The only downside is it’s only bookable at the zoo when you stay onsite overnight so availability can be hard to plan in advance. But if you find yourself in Belize with extra time on your hands, make sure to check out the Belize Zoo Night Tour!
Visiting the zoo was one of my favorite activities from my visit to Belize. I spent an entire day as well as doing the night tour. The animals were well cared for & enjoyed large enclosures.
Christine E (read more Reviews)
Tour Includes:
☑️ See wild cats at night
☑️ Zoo keeper guide
☑️ Watch animal feedings
Belize Zoo Tour Overview
The Belize Zoo isn’t like most zoos because it’s comprised of rescued animals. These creatures are native to Belize and don’t have anywhere else to go.
The Belize Zoo was started in 1983, to provide a home for a bunch of wild animals that had been used in making tropical forest documentary films.
Since then, the zoo has grown into a series of fully wheelchair-accessible exhibits that are home to over 200 animals. There are over 45 different species living at the zoo.
Now the Belize Zoo only keeps animals that were orphaned, rescued, born at the zoo, rehabilitated but unfit to return to the wild, or occasionally sent to as donations from other zoological institutions.
They do a great deal of community outreach and wildlife rehabilitation education, hosting numerous school groups throughout the year.
Of the 86,000 annual visitors to the Belize Zoo, over 13,000 are Belizean school children on field trips.
Getting to the Belize Zoo
The Belize Zoo is a short 35-minute drive from the Phillip Goldman International Airport (BZE).
If you don’t want to go with a guided tour, it’s easy to visit before heading inland toward San Ignacio, south toward Placencia, or out to the islands.
Taxi
Taking a taxi from the airport to the Belize Zoo is a fairly quick way to get there. However, you’ll need to ensure you have a plan to get to your next stop afterward, too.
If you are heading out to the islands for an all-inclusive stay, you may want to bargain with the taxi to wait for you for a few hours and then take you to the water taxi dock in Belize City.
Note: There aren’t always taxis waiting at the zoo for passengers, so booking a tour helps prevent getting stuck there.
Shuttle
Hiring a private shuttle allows you to get pickup at the airport and drop off at your hotel. It’s pricier than renting a car and driving yourself, but less hassle. Most private shuttles also allow for stops along the way.
👉 This shuttle service specifically suggests a Belize Zoo tour stop between BZE and San Ignacio.
👉 Plus, this Belize Zoo tour shuttle offers transport anywhere near Belize City, including the airport and water taxi port.
So it’s a great way to see the Zoo before heading out to the islands by water taxi.
Rent a Car
Because the Belize Zoo was part of a longer stay in the country, we opted for the most flexible option and rented a car. This takes a bit more time at the airport to pick up and drop off the car.
However, once that’s done the rest of the country can be visited at your leisure. Gas stations are easy to find in all the major towns, so just plan ahead with your fuel usage on day trips and you’ll be fine.
👉 I recommend using Discover Cars for renting a car on your trip!
Take the Bus
Belize has a typical Central American bus system, often called the Chicken Bus, because locals use them to travel around with everything from groceries and luggage to live animals.
To take the bus, you’ll need to take a taxi to the Belize City bus depot. This will cost about 15 BZD (2BZD = ~1USD). At the bus depot, take a westbound Regular (not Express) bus.
Either BENQUE or BELMOPAN will be listed as the final destination in the front window of the bus. Buses depart hourly and sometimes half-hourly. Just board the bus, and put your luggage in the overhead racks or at the back of the bus.
Always keep an eye on your luggage because passengers often use the rear emergency door as an entrance or exit. I recommend keeping luggage within arms reach if possible.
Don’t let anyone take it or store it out of your sight, as you may never see it again. When you board, tell the driver where you want to stop. The conductor will collect the fare after the bus starts moving.
The zoo is at Mile 29 (and will cost 4 BZD). You can watch the white mile marker posts to see how close you’re getting. If the driver doesn’t stop, you can just yell out “Bus Stop!” at Mile 29 to remind them.
The ride from Belize City to the Belize Zoo should be about 45 minutes.
After visiting the zoo, walk back to the highway and wait for a bus back to the City. When you see a bus coming, wave your arm up and down to get it to stop. Express buses won’t stop.
The bus will return to the bus terminal where taxis are waiting outside the terminal.
Entry Fees without Belize Zoo Tours
Although the entry rate is comparable to the cost of some US zoo admission fees we’ve seen, it was worthwhile because the money supports a non-profit dedicated to doing a lot of good for eco-tourism.
Foreign visitors pay $15USD for adults and $7USD for children. Belizeans and local groups pay discounted rates.
The most common tour type at the zoo is a self-guided tour. The zoo is open seven days a week from 9 AM to 5 PM (4 PM on Sundays). Even school groups are encouraged to take the self-guided tour option.
The maps distributed on arrival at the zoo are very easy to use. There are also signs at each exhibit explaining not only facts about the species on display but how many of those specific animals ended up living in the zoo.
There are guided tours of the zoo available during the day. However, these only occur on request at the front desk if there are extra staff available to provide the service.
Places to Stay for Belize Zoo Tours
Tropical Education Center
Before or after your Belize Zoo tour, you can also stay in accommodations that are also owned by the zoo. The Jungle Lodge and Tropical Education Center (TEC) is a site that encompasses 84 acres of tropical savanna.
I love that it’s adjacent to the zoo, which makes it a perfect place to stay before the night tour. There are a variety of (fairly rustic) accommodation types that suit different budgets.
There is also a classroom/lecture hall, a library, kitchen, and dining area on-site at TEC.
Cheers Cabanas
Less than two miles (3 km) from the Belize Zoo, there is a restaurant with guest houses at the rear of the property. We ate dinner at Cheers on our first night in Belize. While we didn’t stay in the cabanas there, they did look nice on the outside.
The food at the restaurant was good and the prices were decent. We loved that there is a playground adjacent to the restaurant where Little Man could play while we relaxed with an adult beverage.
The playground was also a short walk from the guest houses, which is a great perk for traveling families.
Orchid Garden Eco-Village
” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow”>This hotel lies halfway between the airport and the zoo. It is situated right on the highway, which makes it accessible and easy to find. The rooms are a bit basic but the grounds are lovely and the wifi is usually fairly consistent.
They also offer air conditioning which isn’t something every hotel or guest house offers in Belize. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast at a reasonable price.
Belmopan
Just a 30-minute drive past the Belize Zoo is the town of Belmopan. There are some family-friendly hotels there, including El Rey Hotel.
In addition, if your family’s adventures are taking you inland there are some really fun family activities to try here after your Belize Zoo tour.
We enjoyed cave tubing with a local guide. It was a fun activity even with a three-year-old in tow!
👉 While we have global health insurance for our day-to-day lives, we also elect travel insurance with SafetyWing for our spurts of fast travel adventure!
Final Thoughts on Belize Zoo Tours
The Belize Zoo is a unique and highly accessible destination that makes for a great day trip. Located just outside of Belize City, it offers something special to visitors of all ages and backgrounds.
Visitors learn about and observe some of the amazing animal species native to the region. And they become part of something bigger by contributing to an organization that rescues animals from sad circumstances, giving them a safe home.
Plus, for those seeking an educational and meaningful experience, visiting the Belize Zoo is an excellent option.
The zoo staff are friendly and knowledgeable, offering engaging talks about their rescued animals and helping visitors understand how important conservation efforts are in preserving creatures big and small for future generations.
And, its handicap-accessible facilities help ensure that everyone has access to its incredible attractions regardless of physical abilities.
So if you’re looking for an educational and fun experience that helps support conservation efforts while providing endless learning opportunities, be sure to add a Belize Zoo tour to your Belize itinerary!
And since all profits go towards supporting research as well as maintaining the home for these rescued animals, you’ll feel like you’re doing something great just by visiting!
