Community Baboon Sanctuary & Cave Tubing from Belize City

The howler monkeys are loudest at dawn, and you'll hear them before you see them in the canopy.

A full-day tour from Belize City combines cave tubing and a guided encounter with Black Howler Monkeys at the Community Baboon Sanctuary, a grassroots conservation project protecting the endangered species and rainforest habitat. After an hour drive inland, a guide leads you through the jungle to spot monkeys in the wild, then you float through cave passages on an inner tube before paddling open river back to the start.

Step-by-step itinerary

Howler Monkey Sanctuary and Cave Tubing

• Drive 1 hour to baboon sanctuary
• Guided howler monkey encounter (30-45 mins)
• Drive to cave tubing site
• Walk 30 minutes through jungle
• Float 45 minutes inside cave
• Float 20 minutes on open river
• Drive 1 hour back to Belize City

The experience

The Community Baboon Sanctuary sits an hour inland from Belize City, built on the principle that local communities benefit when they protect the forest instead of clearing it. Once you arrive, a guide takes you into the rainforest for a 30 to 45 minute encounter with Black Howler Monkeys, the animals locals call "baboons", in their natural habitat. The sanctuary protects this endangered species and dozens of others across a network of private reserves managed by participating villages.

After the monkey encounter, you head to the cave tubing site, a 30 minute jungle walk from the parking area. You'll float roughly 45 minutes through underground passages on an inner tube, helmet and light provided, then paddle about 20 minutes down open river back to where you started the walk. The cave passages are narrow in places and the water moves steadily. The whole outing from site to site takes 1.5 to 2 hours once you're there. Bottled water, lunch and all safety gear (life jacket, helmet, light) are included, and an air-conditioned vehicle handles the two hours of driving to and from Belize City.

A guide speaks English or Spanish depending on your preference. The tour runs 5 to 6 hours total, counting the drive time, so plan for a full morning and early afternoon commitment. Children must be at least 40 inches tall to go cave tubing. Infants sit on an adult's lap during the drive. The itinerary suits travelers with moderate fitness. The jungle walk and cave float demand steady footing and comfort in water, but no technical skill.

What’s included

• Bottled water and lunch.
• inner tubes, lights, helmets and life jackets for cave tubing.
• carry tubes to the cave entrance.
• air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup from Belize City.
• live guide in English or Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 55 years) · Senior (56 to 85 years) · Youth (10 to 17 years) · Child (6 to 9 years) · Infant (under 6)

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 20 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Cave Tubing Paradise Tours

Is this one for you?The 5 to 6 hour commitment includes two hours of driving, so this tour fills most of a day and works best if you're based in Belize City or nearby. The cave tubing and jungle walk demand moderate fitness and comfort in water, but no prior experience. Children must be at least 40 inches tall to tube.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 17 years); Child (6 to 9 years); Infant (under 6).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What are the Black Howler Monkeys like when you encounter them in the sanctuary?

Black Howler Monkeys are the largest primates in Central America and make a distinctive roaring call that carries far through the forest. The sanctuary protects them because they're endangered and need intact rainforest to survive. Your guide will take you into the forest where they live wild, so sightings depend on where the troops are that day, but the sanctuary's network of reserves gives you solid odds of spotting them.

How difficult is the cave tubing, and what if I'm not a strong swimmer?

Cave tubing is a float, not a swim. You sit in an inner tube and drift with the current through passages lit by your helmet light. The water moves at a steady pace and a life jacket keeps you buoyant. The main physical demand is the 30 minute jungle walk to reach the cave entrance and the walk out afterward. Travelers need moderate fitness and comfort in water, but you don't need to be athletic or a swimmer.

How long is the drive from Belize City, and when do we leave?

The drive to the sanctuary takes an hour each way, so plan for two hours of travel time plus the activities themselves. Pickup from your hotel is included. Your operator will confirm the departure time when you book.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes bottled water, lunch, all cave tubing gear (inner tube, helmet, light, life jacket), the air-conditioned vehicle, hotel pickup from Belize City, and a guide in English or Spanish. You bring swimwear, a towel and secure footwear for the jungle walk.