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Our Comprehensive 2 Week Budget Belize Itinerary

” Budget” and ” Belize” don’t often go hand and hand. Especially, compared to it’s neighboring countries of Guatemala, Mexico, & Honduras , Belize may challenge your budget a bit more. But, after we scored FREE roundtrip flights from New York to Belize City by cashing in our credit card miles from JetBlue, we decided to give it a shot. With it’s relatively compact size ( the size of Maryland or Israel), it’s easy to see drastically different landscapes in a short amount of time! Check out exactly how we decided to split our time with this 2 week budget Belize itinerary.

-Day 1: Arrival to Belize City- Ferry to Caye Caulker
Days 1-5: Caye Caulker
Days 6-10: Ambergris Caye
Days 11-14: San Ignacio
-Bus from San Ignacio back to Belize City

This is NOT a rushed itinerary stretching you thin and leaving you exhausted (and leaving you in need of a holiday from your holiday). This is a relatively slow paced, relaxing itinerary that focuses on a few key locations: Caye Caulker, Ambergris Caye, and San Ignacio. With this 2 week budget Belize itinerary, you’ll get to experience two different islands and a small town with easy access to Mayan ruins.

A strip of Caye Caulker island with the Carribean sea on the right and the beach on the left. The beach street has palm trees and and an orange building. Caye Caulker is the first stop recommended on this budget 2 week Belize itinerary.

How to Spend 2 Weeks in Belize

Check out exactly what we would recomend ( and did ourselves) for a 2 week budget Belize itinerary!

Arriving- Belize City Airport to the Ferry Terminal

Like most people arriving into Belize City, we wanted to get to the beach as fast as possible! Luckily, this is relatively easy as it’s only a 20 minute taxi ride from the airport to the ferry port. If you want to pre-arrange a ride to the ferry terminal, that can also be done here. With an Airalo ESIM already installed, it’s easy to coordinate a ride. Since there is essentially a flat rate ( $25 for the 1st person and an additional $10 per person), you can pool a ride with fellow travels to cut the cost like we did!

Once at the ferry terminal, there are many water taxi companies that run ferries to both Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. Just a note, the last water taxi departs at 5:30 pm so if your flight is after that, you’ll need to spend the night in Belize City and head out in the morning!

Caye Caulker ( Days 1-5)

The caye caulker ferry port as seen from a distance. In front of the ferry port there is bright blue wave filled waters. The strip of land is lined with palm trees blowing in the wind. Caye Caulker is one stop of three mentioned on this budget 2 week itinerary in Belize. — Arriving to Caye Caulker by water taxi from Belize City

What to Expect on Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker is a magical, tiny island. It’s car free, care free, and filled with bicycles and palm trees. From tip to tip you can walk the whole island in about 25-30 minutes ( within the developed area). There’s local food and international cuisine . Most accomodations include bicycle rental, but honeslty you can enjoy the slow pace of life by just walking around. The houses are colorful, the locals are friendly, and after a few days you might even feel lucky enough to feel the charm of being a part of the local community. This is really a special place.

At it’s widest, the island barely stretches to a mile wild which makes for easy coastal walks and endless spots to catch the sunset. With it’s tiny size, most people either visit as a day trip from Ambergris Caye or stay for a night or two. If you want a really special experience, stay longer. We could’ve easily added another week!

How to Get Around Caye Caulker

The magic of this tiny island is that it’s car free. Many people rent golf cars, but you really don’t need one. We stayed at one of the furthest accomodation points from ” the split” ( the end point of the most developed zone) and found that walking was just fine. If you prefer a bicycle, most are included in accomodation rentals too!

Locals riding their bicycles on a sandy street on Caye Caulker. — “rush hour” traffic

What to Do on Caye Caulker

My quick answer is nothing! And that is by choice for us. We came to Caye Caulker to walk slowly, read, eat local food, and take the sun. But there are so many activity choices if you are looking for more adventure. You could do a sailing and snorkeling tour , or shark and sting ray snorkeling adventure.

If you want to meet other tourists, the most popular spot on the island is ” the split.” With a restaurant/bar boasting the same name, this hot spot right on the tip of the island with drinks and energy pumping music could be the spot for you. For us, it was enjoyable for a quick visit, but we prefer a bit more peace.

If you’re looking for a bit of structure, you can also hop into a drop in yoga class at Namaste Cafe. For $10 USD, you can enjoy a rooftop class and then head down to the cafe for breakfast afterwards.

A Relaxing Approach to Caye Caulker

Truthfully, we “structured” our day around food and recommend you do the same!

Mornings in Caye Caulker

Start with a 1 mile walk ( or cycle) into town if you chose to stay on the South side of the island ( read- the quieter side). Follow your nose to the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls and you’ll find Caye Caulker Bakery Walk down Calle del Sol a mere 5 minutes with your fresh pastry ( most are priced between $1-2 USD) and find a spot to watch the boats pull in and out.

Afternoons in Caye Caulker

After a leisurely stroll back for a dip in the pool or a ride around the shaded bike path, it’s time for your next feast. In the afternoon, head back into town for Martinez’s Fast Food. Locals will cue up right to the window and there are just a few options to choose from. For about $5 USD, you’ll get a giant platter with rice, beans ( + chicken if you aren’t a veg-head like Vic) with a salad. It’s definitely one of the most cost effective meals on the island!

Spend the rest of the afternoon swimming or enjoying a drink by the water. On the walk back, grab an ice coffee from Ice N Beans Cafe or stop by one of the ice cream shops along Avenida Pueblo Nuevo or Avenida Mangle.

After refreshing and cooling off, it’ll be time to catch an iconic sunset. Because Belize is close to the equator, the sunset is around 6:00 pm year round. Our favorite crowd- free spot to watch the sunset is around the south part of the island where we chose to stay. Grab a cerveza from one of the local grocery stores for $1.50 ( we recommend Bahia Grocery Store or LK- Market) and enjoy the bright orange sun fade away over the still water.

Evenings in Caye Caulker

Once the sun is set, it’s time for more food! Our two favorite spots are both local recommendations that we went to night after night. For $3-5 USD a meal, we feasted on arepas, flautas, papusas, or tostadas. Ana’s Papusas is our favorite and centrally located in town. If you’re feeling adventures, meander the house fronts around the south part of the island. Many houses also cook amazing food and just don’t have an internet presence!

If you’re looking for more budget friendly food options on Caye Caulker, check out our 10 recommendations here!

A women sitting on a white stone ledget with white fine sand in the front of her. She is wearing a bathing suit and looking to the left. Behind her is the light blue color of the Carribean Sea. This image shows the beach in Caye Caulker, one of the recommended locations on a 2 week budget belize itinerary.

Where to Stay in Caye Caulker

We chose to stay on the South side of the island about 1 mile away from the center. We think this is the perfect spot if you want to avoid crowds! To experience a few properties in that area, spend a few nights at Palmetto Cabana Studios and a few nights at Mayan Falls ( with a pool!) Both properties are solid mid budget options ( $50/night). Accommodation can range from $30 for a shared room/hostel up to $300 USD for more luxuries. For a small island, there are plenty of options to meet your housing style Check out some of the most popular recommendations for accommodations on www.booking.com for competitive prices.

Check out our full comprehensive guide on Caye Caulker here!

Ambergris Caye ( Days 6-10)

Ambergris Caye is the largest island in Belize and known for it’s popular party town, San Pedro. The island is substantially larger then Caye Caulker at 25 miles, but still a compact-enough size to enjoy in a few days. We ultimiately decided to go to Ambergris Caye after our initial exclusion because of the accomodation we found. If you too are looking to avoid flocks of tourists, then we definitely recommend staying outside of San Pedro. You’ll have a much more peaceful experience!

What to Expect on Ambergris Caye

If people and bar music bring you energy, then there are plenty of great accommodation options near San Pedro center. If you are looking for a remote option, we recommend heading 3-5 miles south of town instead! Here you’ll find a range of accommodations including the luxurious Marriott property Alaia Belize. Though this property is beautiful to look at, at $300 USD/ a night, it’s way out of our budget!

If that price point knocks the air out of your lungs ( no judgement, it does for me), then I’d recommend Seaview Caribe Island for a more humble $65/ night for a studio. Though significantly above our goal average of $40/night for acommodation, this complex exceeded our exectations. You’ll have access to a pool, lawn games, private beach front, AND a private dock to jump right into the ocean. This property made our stay on Ambergris Caye and if you’re curious about our experience, read more about it here.

How to Get to Ambergris Caye

The same companies that run water taxis from Belize City also run frequent rides between Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. You can prebook your ticket online, but it’s a few dollars cheaper to walk up to the ferry counter the morning of your departure. From Ambergris Caye, the ferry is about 30-45 minutes and costs around $30 USD.

How to Get Around Ambergris Caye

EVERYONE in Ambergris Caye rents a golf cart. We thought this would be the only option so we looked into doing the same. If you don’t love walking ( we do, but we understand we are the exception sometimes), then you can easily hire a golf cart for $55-70 USD a day. For us, this would push our budget to the edge. It was either a golf cart rental, or an extra week in Belize. We chose the extra week! You do what’s right for you.

What to Do in Ambergris Caye

If you chose a beachfront property like Seaview, you’ll be spoiled with options on what to do- and it’s all free! Start your day by walking from your front patio, to the pool, to the private beach. Don’t forget to bring your book to snuggle up on a hammock strung between two palm trees. Need a break from reading? You can play endless rounds of beach front Corn Hole or giant Jenga. And best of all, you can hop right from the private dock into the Caribbean Sea!

If you want to splurge and try something different, you can try this Belizian cooking class or rent a golf cart for just one day to explore the rest of the island.

Where to Stay in Ambergris Caye

Seaview Caribe Island hotel and it’s neighboring resorts are a few miles from San Pedro town center, but there are still several walkable options that can keep you wheels free! We walked to local restaurants like Robin’s Kitchen ( Jamaican/ Carribian cuisine) and El Rinconcito del Sabor ( tostados, tacos, burritos). There’s also several markets that are walkable like Caribbean Chicken which is across from a great produce stand!

A square blue pool surrounded by blue beach chairs. The image shows the backyard of the hotel recommended for Ambergris Caye as part of a 2 week budget belize itinerary.

The white sandy shores of the caribbean sea are on the right side of the screen. There is a layer of sea moss separating the sand from the light blue ocean on the left. Palm Trees lean in from the right side and are blowing in the wind. A long wooden doc stretches across the water about 50 feet and ends in a bungalow. The image shows Amerbergris caye which is the second stop recommended on the 2 week budget belize itinerary.

For a studio apartment with a front porch that faces the ocean, we think this is great value!

San Ignacio ( Days 11-14)

What to Expect in San Ignacio

After 10 days of island life, it’s time to switch up the pace and head inland to the jungle! You’ll make your way from the ferry terminal back to Belize City mainland where you started your journey and takes about 1.5 hours. We used San Pedro Express for all of our journeys and found the ferries to be reliable and easy to navigate. You can find a schedule of departures linked here.

How to Get to San Ignacio

Once you are back in Belize City there are two main options on how to get to San Ignacio.

Take a more expensive ( but more comfortable) shuttle
Take a more budget friendly and adventurous local bus

Again, do what works best for you, your budget, and your mental health. At this point in our trip, we were feeling refreshed and ready for an adventure so we opted for the local bus. Reffered to as the ” chicken bus”, this option costs aroound $5 USD for the 2.5-3 hr ride. The bus is a converted American school bus so amenities are limited ( no AC and lots of springy cushion seats). But for the value ( and opportunity for a cultural experience) it can’t be beat!

Navigating the Public Transportation

To find the bus, you’ll need to make your way to the bus station. The bus station is about a 20 minute walk from the ferry terminal. Again, we like adventure and a chance to see Belize City so we opted for the walk. I wouldn’t say this is the popular option. It’s much more common for tourists to hop in a quick taxi ride to the station.

A school bus painted white with a dark green bottom. the bus reads " westline bus ltr" and is the public bus company used to travel between various cities in belize. Several locals are lined up at the front door waiting to board. — Waiting to board the bus to San Ignacio

Either way, when you arrive to the bus station, you’ll be surrounded by a local market . Like most options in Belize, cash payment is the only option and you’ll pay your driver right on the bus. Just call out ” San Ignacio” and a local will point you in the right direction on where to wait. It’s that simple.

What to Do in San Ignacio – Mayan Ruins!

San Ignacio is a small river town known for it’s proximity to two amazing Mayan ruins. With a few days here, there is plenty of time to enjoy each site, slowly. We recommend spending one morning walking to Cahel Pech which is just a 20 minute walk from the guest house we recommend! Also, how cool is it that you can walk to a Mayan ruin?

On your second day in San Ignacio, walk back down to the bus station you arrived from ( there is only one) and take the same type of local bus marked to ” Banque.” From here, you’ll be able to visit Xunantunich! This breathtaking complex highlights some of the best structures of Mayan civilization. And, when you climb up to the top, you can even see the border of Guatemala!

What else is there to do in San Ignacio besides the ruins?

In addition to the ruins, San Ignacio is known for it’s farmer’s market! You can spend some time strolling the stands, sorting through second-hand clothes piles, and picking up produce. We personally went to the market every day to get our favorite lunch- arepas!

Check out the comprehensive guide on San Ignacio that I’ve written to learn even more about this unique location.

Where to Stay in San Ignacio

After spluring a bit on our budget in Ambergris Caye, we reset with a simple guestroom at Matus Guest House. For less then $30/night, you can get a simple room with access to large outdoor patio with sweeping views of San Ignacio and access to a shared kitchen. If you’re looking for something a little fancier, check out the top rated accomodations on booking.com

Sunset view over the balcony at our guest house in San Ignacio

How to Get from San Ignacio to Belize City

We ultimately decided to take the local bus back to Belize City and would recommend the same! For just $5 USD, you can’t beat the value for a 2 hour drive. If you are in a time crunch, then there are plenty of shuttle options that can be arranged ahead of time. Just remember the convenience ( and air conditioned) ride comes at a signficantly higher price point ( we were quoted anywhere between $75-$150 USD).

Other Factors to Consider When Traveling to Belize?

How to Get Around Belize on a Budget

We used public transportation had no problems at all! The buses are SO clearly labeled with giant signs in the front of each bus marking where they are going. You pay your fare in cash from a collector once you are on the bus. As long as the window opens at your seat ( do check this before getting cozy), you are good to go in our opinion! We do recognize that many folks like a bit more luxury then an American school bus. The great thing about traveling through Belize is that there is a very developed tourist infrastructure so there are PLENTY of companies to choose from if you do decide to spend a bit more on transportation.

Money in Belize

Belize is still a cash dominant country. You can exchange currency for Belizian dollars ( 2 BZD=1USD) or withdraw local currency at the ATM when you arrive like we always recommend. In reality, 90% of the places we went to accept USD, so if you don’t want to exchange and carry a lot of cash on you, you don’t need to!

Pacing your time in Belize

Is two weeks too long in Belize? We don’t think so! With two weeks, you can comfortably split your time between islands and culture. We did hear great things about Hopkins. Maybe that will be added to our next 2 week budget itinerary for Belize!

Though Belize is actually in the top 3 most expensive countries to visit in Central America ( competing with Costa Rica and Panama), it’s still possible to visit on a budget!

If you can use your miles and points to score a free flight here that will obviously cut a lot of costs. Eating from local restaurants (even/especially the ones you can’t find on Google Maps) will also be a huge saver. All the accommodations we recommend have access to a kitchen too! Explore the ruins without a tour ( though it is more helpful to have a local guide show you around while you are there to fully appreciate the significance of the sites) and take advantage of the beautiful nature you’re in which is always FREE!