12-Day Belize Birding Tour Package

We offer the best birding packages in Belize! This is an example of our 12-day birding tour in Belize and Guatemala. You may customize your itinerary in any way you wish, so please contact us to discuss your requirements.

DAY 1 - YOUR HOME / BELIZE / BIRD'S EYE LODGE (D)
Arrive at Belize International Airport and meet with your naturalist guide. An hour's drive north of the airport is Bird's Eye View Lodge, nestled on the edge of the renowned Crooked Tree Lagoon. This comfortable Belizean style lodge offers private baths, hot and cold showers, lagoon views and a deck and bar which is the perfect place watch for Snail Kite, Neotropic Cormorant, kingfishers and Northern Jacana, to name just a few, before dinner. Overnight at Bird's Eye Lodge.

        

DAY 2 - BIRD'S EYE LODGE / CROOKED TREE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (B, L, D)
After an early breackfast, we board a boat for three hours on the Crooked Tree Lagoon, winding through Spanish Creek. The birds are dependant on the season and water levels, but amongst many others we will be looking for the famous Jabiru and Wood Storks, Black-collared Hawk, Boat-billed, Little Blue and Tricolored Herons, egrets, White and Glossy Ibis, Sungrebe, Black-bellied Whilstling-Duck, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, shorebirds, etc. We will spend the day birding around the Crooked Tree area. Crooked Tree Village is well known for its cashew festival in early May as this community grows a lot of cashews. We have lots of chances of seeing Vermilion Flycatcher, White-crowned Parrot, White-fronted Parrot, Olive-throated Parakeet, Black-headed Saltator and much more. Overnight at Bird's Eye Lodge.

        

DAY 3 - BIRD'S EYE LODGE / POOK'S HILL (B, L, D)
After breakfast, visit the pine savannah, a mix of Caribbean pint and scrub oaks. We will look for Yucatan Jay, Red-vented Woodpecker, Buff-bellied Hummingbird and the dashing Aplomado Falcon. These are a few of the many species that live in this northern part of Belize. After lunch we head on to Pook's Hill, arriving late afternoon, in time for fresh squeezed juice and some birding on the grounds. We will spend three nights at this superb birding place. Overnight at Pook's Hill. (B,L,D)

        

DAY 4 - POOK'S HILL / NATURE RESERVE (B, L, D)
Optional birding before breakfast. Today we spend time exploring Pook's pristine nature trails. Its rainforest makes this place a birding heaven. The top trail is home for Tinamous, Woodcreepers, Jacamars, Red-crowned and Red-throated Ant-tanagers, Thrush-like Schiffornis, and Emerald Toucanet. After a delicious home cooked lunch, there is free time for leisure or for a refreshing dip on the roaring river. This is a great spot to relax.

The bottom trail and its open meadow hosts Scrub, Yellow-throated, White-vented, and Olive-backed Euphonias, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Dusky Antbird, Barred and Great Antshrikes, White Hawk, Short-billed Pigeon, Black-cheeked, Chestnul-colored, Lineated and Pale-billed Woodpeckers, Keel-billed Toucan, parrots, and the elusive Rufous-breasted Spinetail, just to mention a few.

After dinner, join your guide for a walk looking for night creatures: owls, Common Pauraque, Kinkajou ("Night Walker") and much more. Overnight at Pook's Hill.

        

DAY 5 - POOK'S HILL / MOUNTAIN PINE RIDGE FOREST RESERVE (B, L, D)
After an early breakfast, today we take a pack lunch and our swimming gear and head to the beautiful scenery of the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. The mixture of pines with bromeliads and wild flowers encourages a rich bird life. Stop at the famous 1000 Foot Falls. This is the place for the rare Orange-breasted Falcon, plus King Vulture, Rusty Sparrow, Grace's and Rufous-capped Warblers, Black-headed Siskin, Golden-hooded, Hepatic and White-winged Tanagers, Yellow-backed Oriole, Green Jay, Acorn and Golden-olive Woodpeckers, Azure-crowned Hummingbird and more. After lunch we head on to the scenic Rio On Pools for a refreshing swim, before heading back to the lodge. Overnight at Pook's Hill.

        

DAY 6 - POOK'S HILL / CAHAL PECH / TIKAL (B, L, D)
Depart Pook's Hill and journey on the western highway to San Ignacio. On the outskirts of this beautiful town is located the magnificent Mayan site of Cahal Pech. This site has the three stages of pre-classic, classic and post-classic architecture. A very small site but compact, this is one of the earliest sites in Belize and is a great one for birding: motmots, parrots, euphonias, trogons, etc. It has a small museum displaying artifacts from this and other Belize ruins. Lunch in a Belizean restaurant for some local food (great food!)

After lunch we cross the Belize/Guatemala border in time for a late afternoon arrival at the Tikal Inn. Heading into the Tikal ruins, which are the largest among the many Mayan sites. you will see why it is considered to be the most spectacular site in the new world, with towering multilevel temples. The immensity and diversity of Tikal's flora and fauna is incredible - this is a magnificent spot for birding! We'll see Ocellated Turkey, parrots, toucans, tanagers, hummingbirds and much more. Overnight at Tikal Inn.

        

DAY 7 - TIKAL NATIONAL PARK, GUATEMALA (B,L,D)
Today we'll spend more time on great birding in Tikal National Park among the temples, palaces, pyramids, ball courts and overgrown reservoirs, looking for hawks, tinamous, Great Curassow, Crested Guan, White-whiskered Puffbird, woodcreepers, flycatchers,
warblers, tanagers, wrens and much more. It's likely we'll also see howler and spider monkeys. There will be time to climb one of the highest temples (#4) and tour the main plaza. In the evening we will climb the Lost World Pyramid, which is the perfect place for viewing the sunset over the jungle and for observing wildlife at canopy level. We will see parrots, toucans and much more flying by. Enjoy a full day at the site. Overnight at Tikal Inn.

        

DAY 8 - TIKAL NATIONAL PARK (B,L,D)
Optional early morning hike to Temple 4 for sunrise. This is the highest temple in Tikal (212 feet). The ruins take on an ethereal appearance in the early morning mist, providing a spectacular spot to take in the vista and watch parrots, toucans and howler monkeys, whose howling is an overwhelming and unforgettable experience. Return to the hotel for a full breakfast and then spend the rest of the morning enjoying the excellent birding around our hotel.

This afternoon you are free to pursue your own interests - venture into the park or enjoy the hotel pool. Shop for Guatemalan textiles and much more. Enjoy our last day in the Tikal jungle which is considered one of the most spectacular in the new world with its abundant wildlife. Overnight at Tikal Inn.

        

DAY 9 - TIKAL / BLUE HOLE NATIONAL PARK / JAGUAR REEF LODGE (B,L,D)
After breakfast we depart Tikal for Jaguar Reef Lodge, where we will spend our last three nights. This great lodge is located on the Southern Highway on a beach by the Caribbean sea. We travel via BLue Hole National Park, which is a great spot for antbirds, tanagers, and
hummingbirds. Much more awaits you with a refreshing swim in the crystalline waters that enter one of our most precious caves. Late arrival at the lodge. Overnight at Jaguar Reef Lodge.

        

DAY 10 - JAGUAR REEF LODGE / COCKSCOMB BASIN WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (B,L,D)
This morning head into the world's only Jaguar preserve and learn about its conservation efforts. With its humid rainforest, the Jaguar Preserve makes for superb birdwatching as we explore its trails. The area provides an ideal environment for exploring our native plants or seeking out more elusive wildlife, including the famous and biggest cat, the Jaguar. Unfortunately, your chances of seeing one are very slim as they are incredibly wary. This is a great spot for tinamous, woodcreepers, hummingbirds, manakins, tanagers such as Passerinii Tanager (Scarlet-rumped), Thick-billed Seed-Finch and Shining Honeycreeper, just to mention a few. The well-kept nature trails make this truly the most exceptional place in Belize and Central America. There will be a chance to cool off in a delightful rocky pool and can also view the second highest peak in the country, Victoria Peak, which is rich in flora and fauna. Overnight at Jaguar Reef Lodge.

        

DAY 11 - JAGUAR REEF LODGE / BARRIER REEF / BIRD ISLAND (B,L,D)
After breakfast, become familiar with snorkeling equipment and review proper techniques and procedures. Then head onto the barrier reef, one of the best and most spectacular reefs in the western hemisphere. The southern Belize barrier reef is a magnificent place to observe tropical fish in their natural habitat, as well as the massive understair landscape of brain coral, staghorn coral, sea fans and plumes. Parrotfish, Angel Fish, Blue Tang, and many more exotic fish swim by. Snorkeling is simple and in this clear water, exceptional.

After lunch, venture to the mangrove caye of Bird Island, with its huge colonies of Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Booby and Great Egret. Return to the lodge with the remainder of the day free to take in more birding or relax. Overnight at Jaguar Reef Lodge.

        

DAY 12 - JAGUAR REEF LODGE / BELIZE INT. AIRPORT / YOUR HOME (B)
This morning is at leisure to enjoy the tropical breeze, walk the beach, finish packing and prepare for the journey back home. We make a late morning drive to the town of Dangriga for a flight back to Belize International Airport for your homeward connection. This short flight will provide a different and exceptional view fo the tropical jungle and the Caribbean and provide a great memory to take back home. While at the airport there will be time for last minute shopping and fond farewells.