1. From the Airport to Belize City
There are no public buses from Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (PGIA). Taxi fare to Belize City is BZ$50.00 (or US$25) per taxi (not per passenger), and takes 15 to 25 minutes depending on traffic. Before exiting the airport, try to find another person to share a taxi and split the cost.
Here’s a link to a shuttle service that offers airport pick-up (I have no experience with this service):
http://www.belizeshuttlesandtransfers.com/Belize-City-Shuttles.php
The cheap option is to walk or taxi from the airport terminal to the Philip Goldson Highway (about 2.5 km) and wait for a bus. Upon reaching the T-intersection with the highway, Belize City will be to the right, so just wait anywhere on the side of the highway. Orange Walk, Corozal and Mexico to the left – if going there, cross to the other side of the highway and wait. When a bus approaches, wave an arm up and down to get it to stop. Express buses will not stop. The fare to Belize City is BZ$1 or $2, and the bus terminates at the bus terminal where you can change to a bus to another destination. The water taxi terminal is 1 km from the bus terminal, and an easy walk on sidewalks along main streets through the City. The Municipal Airport is about 3 km from the bus terminal; a taxi is advisable. Taxis wait in front of the bus terminal.
For a cheap way to get back to the airport, get a bus to the airport turnoff in Ladyville, and either walk the 2.5 km to the terminal, or look around for a taxi. Bus fare from Belize City is BZ$1 or $2, and the taxi probably won’t be more than BZ$10.
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2. To Old Belize or the Belize Zoo
In the Belize City bus terminal, look for a westbound Regular (not Express) bus; the final destination of BENQUE will be displayed in the front window of the bus, but you could take one with a final destination of BELMOPAN. Buses depart half-hourly. Just board the bus, and put luggage in the overhead racks or at the back of the bus. Always keep an eye on your luggage because passengers often use the rear emergency door as an entrance or exit. I like to keep my luggage within arms reach if possible. Let the driver and/or the conductor know where you want to stop. The conductor will collect the fare after the bus gets going. Old Belize is at about Mile 5 (about BZ$1.00 and 10 minutes), and the zoo is at Mile 29 (BZ$4.00 and 45 to 50 minutes from BC). Watch the white mile marker posts along the highway to see how close you’re getting.
After visiting Old Belize or the zoo, walk back to the highway and wait for a bus to your next destination. When you see a bus coming, wave your arm up and down to get it to stop. Express buses won’t stop. If you’re going back to Belize City, the bus will return to the bus terminal where there are taxis waiting outside the terminal.
More information can be found at:
www.oldbelize.com
www.belizezoo.org
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3. To San Ignacio or Benque Viejo del Carmen
In the Belize City bus terminal, look for a westbound bus (ask around and find out if there’s an Express bus); the final destination of BENQUE will be displayed in the front window of the bus. Buses depart half-hourly. Just board the bus, and put luggage in the overhead racks or at the back of the bus. Always keep an eye on your luggage because passengers often use the rear emergency door as an entrance or exit. I like to keep my luggage within arms reach if possible. The conductor will collect the fare after the bus gets going; should be about BZ$7.00. There will be a scheduled stop at Belmopan.
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4. To Orange Walk or Corozal
In the Belize City bus terminal, look for a northbound bus; the final destination of COROZAL or CHETUMAL will be displayed in the front window of the bus (some buses only go as far as Orange Walk). Buses depart hourly and sometimes half hourly. Just board the bus, and put luggage in the overhead racks or at the back of the bus. Always keep an eye on your luggage because passengers often use the rear emergency door as an entrance or exit. I like to keep my luggage within arms reach if possible. The conductor will collect the fare after the bus gets going.
If starting from the airport, it isn’t necessary to go back to Belize City to get a northbound bus. You could just go out to the highway and wait.
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5. To Placencia
From the Belize City bus terminal, there are a few options.
Option 1. The Ritchie’s Express bus departs Monday through Saturday at 3:30 pm. Trip time is 4 hours and the fare is about BZ$20.
Option 2. Get a James Bus Line bus (the final destination of Punta Gorda is displayed in the front window of the bus). This bus goes to Belmopan, Dangriga, then to Independence / Mango Creek, so it doesn’t actually go to Placencia. That part of the trip is about 3.5 hours and costs BZ$10 to $15. Get off at Independence / Mango Creek and get the Hokey Pokey ferry to cross the lagoon to Placencia. On a good map of Belize or Google Earth, the location of Independence can be seen south-west of Placencia. Be sure to reach Independence before the departure of the last ferry.
James schedule:
https://www.hickatee.com/belize_bus_times.html
Hokey-Pokey schedule:
http://www.aguallos.com/hokeypokey/
Option 3. Get any other westbound bus (the final destination of Benque is displayed in the front window of the bus). After about 1.5 hours, the bus arrives at the Belmopan bus terminal where it’s necessary to change to a southbound bus. There are frequent southbound departures by other bus lines, but I’m not up to date on the recent schedule changes, so the best thing to do is to get to Belmopan as early as possible and ask the bus terminal staff for the best option to continue.
The non-bus options are flight, transfer service, taxi and rental car.
2010/03/22 at 14:22 |
Just a quick note about San Pedro Water Taxi. Other destination experts and myself have noticed and posted about how they stand in front of Caye Caulker Water Taxi’s pier and solicit their customers. Personally I find that deplorable, and an immoral business practice. I shall make sure that all of my friends know of this.
If the admin of this wonderful blog has seen the same thing, I would ask him to make note of it in this post. Nobody likes being hassled immediately before starting their journey.
2010/03/22 at 15:18 |
I have read one comment on another forum regarding this practice.
I haven’t experienced it myself with the water taxis, so I don’t intend to comment further, but I will include your comment as notice to other visitors.
Thanks
2010/03/28 at 12:20 |
Hi,
I just read above that there are no buses that leave the international airport. I am heading to San Ignatio after arriving around 1020 a.m. and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to the best way to get to San Ignatio? After San Ignatio we are heading to Tikal and would also like to find out others experiences for crossing the border and suggestions.
Dave
2010/03/28 at 17:17 |
Hi Dave,
I don’t like it when people say “best”. What’s best for you, low price, speed or comfort? This is Belize, you don’t get all three!
The cheap way to get to SI is by bus from the bus terminal. The details are in my blog.
To get from the airport to the bus terminal, you could get a taxi, or walk out to the highway and wave down a bus going to Belize City. Details for both are in my blog.
An easy and comfortable way would be to use one of the transfer services. Contact details are in my blog.
From SI to Flores…
Get a bus from SI to Benque. The buses don’t go all the way to the border, so you have to get a taxi or minibus from Benque to the border.
After you cross the border, you can get a bus or taxi.
2010/04/04 at 12:19 |
Hi, I have the same question as the above poster, trying to get from Belize City to San Ignacio, but my flight doesn’t get in until 2:45pm. According to National’s website, the last bus is at noon.
No buses in the late afternoon?
Thanks!
Ravi.
2010/04/04 at 13:10 |
Hi Ravi,
Yes, the last National Transport Services bus is at 12:00 noon, but after that, there are other bus companies that operate until night.
At one time, all the bus companies would operate at the same time. That created safety concerns because buses would “race” each other to pick up passengers.
The solution was to allot specific time periods of operation for each bus company. NTSL has the morning period.
Don’t worry, there are plenty of buses. There is a schedule for the Western Zone in Section 3 of my blog.
2010/04/07 at 20:26 |
Thanks so much for the useful information!
Do all the buses, including the ones in the evening, go from the same bus station?
2010/04/08 at 08:35 |
In Belize City, all the Belizean bus lines use the main bus terminal commonly known as Novelo’s. Some buses might wait on the street in front of the terminal.
The foreign bus companies (Linea Dorada, San Juan) arrive at and depart from the water taxi terminal near the Swing Bridge.
2010/07/12 at 16:43 |
Does Triple J still run boat services from Belize City to Caye Caulker or have they stopped?
2010/07/12 at 18:17 |
Hi Caroline,
I don’t know.
A year or so ago, Triple J joined with Caye Caulker Water Taxi and operated boats from the Marine Terminal.
But, within the past 2 months, there was a post on another forum that Triple J was operating again from the pier near the Supreme Court building. However, I haven’t had any confirmation whether this information is old or new. I haven’t seen anything in the local media about Triple J.
If you find out, please let me know.
2011/04/11 at 16:40 |
First, let me say that your blog is awesome. I’ve bounced all over the Web trying to plan my trip from San Miguel de Allende, Mx to San Ignacio, but once I got to Chetumal, I was stymied. Then I found your site. Bless you!
Any suggestions on how I can get from Chetumal to San Ignacio. I’ll be doing most of my travel by bus and I’m pretty flexible as far as time goes and I don’t mind an overnight stay as long as there’s a decent but cheap hotel. I’m also intrigued by the idea of a water taxi from Chetumal to Belize City, if that’s possible.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
2011/04/11 at 19:07 |
Hi Joy,
Thanks for the compliment!
From Chetumal to San Ignacio, all the options are on the site…
1. The early morning San Juan express bus to the water taxi terminal in Belize City (3 hours), then you have to get to the bus terminal where you get a Belizean bus to SI (about 2 hours).
2. A Regular Belizean bus from the Nuevo Mercado will take you to the bus terminal in BC (4 hours); change to a bus to SI.
3. Later in the morning and in the afternoon, the BBOC express bus will get you to the bus terminal in BC (3 hours).
You can decide which one is best for you.
The water taxi from Chetumal goes to San Pedro (Ambergris Caye), not Belize City. On the same day, you can get another water taxi from SP to Caye Caulker. The next day, you can get a water taxi from either San Pedro or CC to Belize City.
In Chetumal, there’s a cheap posada across the street from the bus terminal — about MX$200 (pesos) for a private room and less for a dorm bed. I’ve never stayed there so don’t take it as a recommendation. I like the Hotel Ucum in the downtown area because it has a swimming pool — cheapest rooms are MX$230.
2011/10/13 at 14:49 |
Thank you for this information; I’ll be in Belize in Jan. for a month and plan to travel via bus. You have helped so, so much.
2011/10/13 at 19:19 |
Thank you for your comment.
Any other feedback or updates are welcome to keep this site up to date.
2012/01/06 at 09:09 |
I am heading from San Ignacio to the zoo. Should I try to get an express bus from SI to Belmopan and then take a regular that will stop near the zoo or would it be better to just take a regular the whole way? I just don’t know how much longer travel takes on a regular bus or how often buses come through Belmopan. Or if there are interesting things to see while in Belmopan. Or if there is a price difference between express and regular. Thanks so much for all your help!
2012/01/06 at 14:30 |
If there is an express, get it, but I think they are very infrequent so just get a Regular. It might be about 30 minutes longer than an express. The price difference is only a couple of BZ$.
Regular buses depart every 30 minutes.
With such a frequent bus schedule, take an hour to walk around Belmopan.
2012/04/12 at 07:22 |
Thanks for all the great information, I love using this site for planning my trip. I am a bit confused as to how I can travel from San Ignacio to Placencia. Is the most fool-proof way to take a bus from San Ignacio to Belmopan or to Dangriga?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
2012/04/12 at 09:17 |
Hi Lacey,
You are correct — first you have to get a bus to Belmopan. At the Belmopan bus terminal, change to a bus to Placencia.
To get to Placencia, the bus will go to Dangriga first, then either continue to Placencia on the same bus or change to another bus.
Just be aware that the James Bus Line buses do not go to Placencia. They go to Independence / Mango Creek where you can get a small ferry across the lagoon to Placencia.
2012/09/14 at 13:38 |
we are flying in february 2013 to Belize city, going to PLACENCIA, we will take the shuttle.from the airport….but after a week, we are going to Cancun by bus Ado….my question is ……from Placencia , where is the closest place to catch our bus for Cancun…ORANGE WALK OR COROZAL and with what bus….and how long does it take….thanks Helena
2012/09/14 at 14:25 |
Hi Helena,
By road, Placencia is about 3.5 hours south of Belize City. Have you arranged the shuttle? Another option is a flight with Tropic Air or Maya Island Air.
The ADO bus departs from Belize City daily at 7:30 pm, and that is the closest place to Placencia. Orange Walk is about 1.5 hours north of BC and Corozal is further north.
To get back to Belize City, you could arrange a transfer service/private shuttle (3.5 hours), fly (less than 30 minutes) or get a bus (4.5 hours). The ADO bus takes about 10 hours to get to Cancun.
2012/09/15 at 04:32
thanks for the info…but should i reserve my seat with the shuttle from montreal canada before we get there, or can i do it when we get to BELIZE AIRPORT…..
2012/09/15 at 08:05
Public buses (old school buses) don’t go to/from the airport terminal, and I’m not aware of any “shuttle buses” that wait at the airport. The only way to get out of the airport is by taxi or walking/hitching 2 km to the highway where you can get a public bus. I have written more about how to do this in Section 5.
Transfer services operate independently from the buses. They are not “shuttle” buses that have a regular schedule, and I’m not aware of any transfer service that stands by at the airport waiting for passengers, but check with Discounted Belize Shuttles and Tours — the link is in Section 4. William’s Belize Shuttle is another service that is highly recommended. If you want to use a transfer service, you’ll have to contact them for prices and arrange a pickup time & place.
There is a huge price difference between buses & transfer services. From Belize City, bus fare to Placencia is about BZ$20 per person, while a transfer service is about BZ$300 per trip. Most transfer services use comfortable vans with a/c.
2012/09/15 at 08:24
thanks again…..but i have a schedule from Belize airport shuttles…..Plancencia shuttle and i they are offering this schedule, leaving Belize airport 3 times a day and leaving Placencia also 3 times a day going to Belize airport …
..these shuttles are SHARED SHUTTLES based on availability 55.00 per person , min 2 persons……I am now wondering if this info is right , according to your respond….i am getting worried since i already have reservations paid for my hotel in cancun january 30
2012/09/15 at 08:37
I have heard of Belize Shuttles, but dropped them from my list after reading a few negative comments about their service (mainly to do with credit card issues). Go to the Trip Advisor site and do a search for them.
Their website indicates a regular schedule of 3 trips per day from the airport, and the price is excellent, so that does look like your best option. I would contact them directly to confirm seats and schedules.
2012/09/15 at 08:45
thank you so much…i will do my research…..
2012/09/15 at 08:54
Let me know what you decide to do.
2012/12/04 at 12:39 |
We are coming in in January. We’re taking the ADO from Cancun to Chetumal, and water taxi to San Pedro, but am still lost as to how to get from the water taxi drop in San Pedro to the condo. And I also have absolutely no clue as to the best way to get from Ambergris Cay to Corozal. Do we have to go all the way back to Chetumal or into Belize City, or is there another way to get from Ambergris to Corozal?
2012/12/04 at 12:57 |
I don’t where your condo is so I don’t know how to get there either. The best thing to do is ask someone at the water taxi office. Your options are walking, taxi and water taxi.
San Pedro to Corozal
The Thunderbolt water taxi departs San Pedro daily at 3 pm, and there are several flights per day (Tropic Air or Maya Island Air).