San Ignacio Cave Tubing: Mayan Chambers & Underground Lunch

Tube through one cave for hours, past Mayan altars and crystal formations, eating lunch by underground river light.

A cave tubing expedition in San Ignacio that combines tubing, hiking and exploration through a single ceremonial cave used by the ancient Maya. You'll pass Mayan altars, pottery, obsidian blades and jade artifacts dating to 400 A.D., then eat lunch on a picnic blanket beside the underground river, lit only by headlamp. The experience spans roughly five hours and includes helmets, headlamps, inner tubes and lifevests.

Step-by-step itinerary

Cave tubing and underground exploration

• Hike to ceremonial cave
• Explore ancient Mayan chambers
• Tube through cave sections
• View Mayan artifacts and altars
• Enjoy underground riverside picnic lunch

The experience

Most cave tubing in Belize means floating passively through a cave for an hour or two. This one keeps you moving through a single ceremonial site for the full expedition, combining tubing with hiking and climbing to reach different chambers. Your guides lead you past Mayan altars, ceremonial centers, pottery shards, obsidian blood-letting blades and jade artifacts: objects left behind by Shamans and priests around 400 A.D. The cave itself holds brilliant crystal formations that catch your headlamp as you move through.

Lunch arrives underground: your guides set out a picnic blanket beside the river, complete with tortillas, cold cuts, fresh fruit and juice. You eat by headlight to the sound of water echoing through the chambers, talking with the other adventurers who came along. The whole day runs about five hours from start to finish.

Wear shorts, a t-shirt and well-treaded hiking boots or tennis shoes: no sandals, Tevas or Keens, since the guides enforce a strict dress code for safety on wet rock. Children from age 8 can join, and guides speak English and Spanish. The lodge provides helmets, headlamps, inner tubes and lifevests. You bring only the right footwear and a willingness to get wet and muddy underground.

What’s included

• Helmets and headlamps for safe underground travel.
• inner tubes for floating through the water passages.
• lifevests for safety.
• a full lunch with tortillas, cold cuts, fresh fruit and juice served underground beside the river.

Options for this experience

2 options

Cave Tubing Expedition at Ian Anderson's Caves Branch Jungle Lodge, UniqueGuide in English or Spanish · 08:30

Cave tubing adventure, privateGuide in English or Spanish · 08:30Guided tour, privately

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

AgesAdult (21 to 55 years) · Senior (56 to 70 years) · Youth (13 to 19 years) · Child (8 to 12 years) · Under 8: can't be booked

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

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 10 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Ian Anderson's Caves Branch Adventure Company & Jungle Lodge + Belize Tree Houses

Is this one for you?The five-hour span and combination of tubing, hiking and climbing suit travelers with moderate fitness who want more than a short float. You're actively exploring a ceremonial cave, not just drifting through it. If you have spinal injuries, are pregnant, or have cardiovascular concerns, this expedition is not recommended. Check with your doctor before booking.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

3 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 19 years); Child (8 to 12 years). Children under 8 can't be included in the booking.

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 exactly are the Mayan artifacts I'll see inside the cave?

The cave holds pottery, obsidian blood-letting blades, jade objects and altars left by Shamans and priests dating back to around 400 A.D. You'll also see the actual footprints they left pressed into the cave floor over centuries of ceremonial use.

How much of the expedition is tubing versus hiking and climbing?

The expedition combines all three: you tube through significant portions of the cave, but you also hike and explore to reach different chambers and ceremonial centers within the same cave system, so it is not passive floating the whole time.

Can my eight-year-old do this, or is it too physically demanding?

Children from age 8 are welcome, though you'll need at least a moderate level of fitness since the day involves hiking, climbing and tubing through a cave for roughly five hours. The guides can advise on whether your child is ready when you book.

Do I need to bring my own lunch, or is it provided?

Lunch is provided and served underground beside the river: the guides prepare tortillas, cold cuts, fresh fruit and juice that you eat on a picnic blanket by headlamp as part of the expedition.