Belize
Altun Ha Maya ruins (half day)
A half day at Altun Ha, the Maya trading city where the famous Jade Head was found, 31 miles from Belize City.
Altun Ha was an ancient Maya trading centre and a major ceremonial centre in the Classic period. It lies 31 miles from Belize City along the Old Northern Highway. Its name, "Rockstone water", comes from the nearby Rockstone Pond. The site has 13 plazas and two main temples, and in 1968 archaeologists found the carved Jade Head of the sun god Kinich Ahau in a tomb in the Temple of the Masonry Altars. It is the largest carved jade known from Mesoamerica.
An easy half day with your guide. Back at the ship with time to spare. Tell us your ship and all-aboard time.
Pickup at your hotel in Belize City or at the cruise port.
Photos: Georg Karl Ell, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Prayitno, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Duration
- About 4 hours
- Guide language
- English · Spanish
- Pickup
- At your hotel in Belize (other areas on request)
What's included
- Private transport with hotel pickup
- Guide
Not included
- Entrance fees, meals, equipment and boat: to be confirmed when we reply to your request
Sample itinerary
- 1Pickup at your hotel or the cruise port
- 2Drive north along the Old Northern Highway
- 3Guided walk through the plazas and temples of Altun Ha
- 4Return to your hotel or ship
Good to know
When is Altun Ha open?
NICH lists Altun Ha as open daily, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, including Sundays and public holidays, with last tours one hour before closing (checked September 2026).
Is the site suitable for everyone?
NICH asks visitors to wear outdoor shoes for the uneven ground, stay on marked trails, use the handrails and not climb or jump on the monuments.
