Venture deep into Belize’s rain forest to the ‘Forgotten Jungle City’ of Minanha on a full-day horseback riding adventure from San Ignacio. Trek through the Maya Mountains on a trusty steed to reach the archaeological site, where you can explore hidden caves, ceremonial temples, and burial chambers left behind by an ancient Mayan civilization.

Full-day tour by horseback to the ancient Mayan city of Minanha
Explore a complex of ancient ruins hidden by the thick jungle
See sacred Mayan artifacts and burial chambers deep inside a cave
Includes a typical Belizean lunch
Great way to explore Belize's ancient Mayan heritage
Convenient meeting location in central San Ignacio

What's Included

Bottled water
Lunch
Professional guide
Transport by private vehicle

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting And Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Cayo Welcome Center & Tourist Information Center
5W5J+M57, San Ignacio, Belize
Complimentary transportation to and from your hotel within San Ignacio can be provided. For guests residing in a hotel outside San Ignacio or an Air Bnb, please meet your tour guide at the Cayo Welcome Center in Downtown San Ignacio.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

08:00 am

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

We provide transportation for guests staying at hotels within the San Ignacio- Area. If you are staying at a hotel outside of the San Ignacio-area, simply let us know at time of booking so we can assist you in arranging a pick-up and drop-off for a small additional fee.

What To Expect

Connect with your guide in central San Ignacio in the morning, and head to the local stables to meet your horse and saddle up. Soak up the unspoiled beauty of the Maya Mountains as you venture by horseback away from modern civilization and deep into the Belizean jungle.

Follow in the footsteps of archaeological explorers as you approach Minanha, a once-mighty Mayan city that was discovered buried under layers of thick jungle vegetation. Dismount your horse and climb among the 38 partially uncovered structures of this ‘lost’ city, including a ceremonial acropolis where you can admire the same view seen by ancient Mayan kings. Keep an eye out for the rare white morpho butterfly and other native wildlife as you explore.

Midday, recharge with an included lunch before venturing into the ancient Mayan underworld known as Xibalba by way of Isabella Cave. Strap on a headlamp to descend into a network of chambers that glimmer with natural crystalline formations, and see remnants of ancient burial artifacts left behind more than 1,000 years ago. When you return to the surface, climb back on your horse for the return journey to San Ignacio.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Dress code: Comfortable riding clothing (long pants and a sleeved shirt) are recommended
Vegetarian option is available; please advise at time of booking if required
Please specify if you have any dietary restrictions at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible

Not recommended for travellers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travellers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveller Photos

Reviews

5.0

11 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-5 of 11 reviews

Incredible horse riding experience!!!

Amanda_J, Oct 2022

We had such a blast horseback riding in the jungle!! Robert was an excellent host and made us feel right at home! The tour was extremely informative on the culture and history of the area and the horses were just amazing!! Loved that the dogs got to come too! We will be back!!

Absolutely perfect

Deborah_P, Jan 2022

This was one of the absolute most incredible adventures I’ve ever been on. We weren’t sure what to expect from this trip but it was exceptional. First let me say that if you are not experienced on a horse, go for a shorter ride. This was very challenging at times both in terrain and the amount of time you are in the saddle. Robert, the owner of both the horses and the land is an excellent guide. He is knowledgeable and intelligent. He has a great sense of humor and perspective. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. He is a passionate educator and really has a vast knowledge of the land he lives on. The trip was enhanced by his lovely assistant Rachel and his hysterical dogs. They provided a passion for the land (Rachael) and immense comic relief (Red and Blue)This really was an adventure of a lifetime

Response from Host, Feb 2022

Thank you for your review and feedback! It was a pleasure hosting both of you. We are very happy to have made new friends who also appreciate the jungle adventures as much as we do. We look forward to seeing you again on more adventures soon. Sincerely, Robert, Rachel, Red and Blue.

jungle adventure

Marc_B, Sept 2021

great land and information from Robert. Learned a lot, saw even more. prepare your butt, its a full day!

Great experience

Michelle_B, Mar 2020

Great experience. Would rate it as moderate exertion and would not take younger children. We rode thru farmlands and dense jungle. Had to dodge a few trees and be able to trot a short distance a few times. Up hills, etc. Crawled thru some neat caves and tight spaces. Lunch and guide were great. Jungle city was underwhelming as is covered in overgrowth and earth. Looks like just hills. Overall I would highly recommend.

A true adventures experience

Anna_F, Mar 2020

Where to start....It was an approximate 9 hours trip in total. The morning started with Robert our guide picking us up and driving us to the basecamp where we got our horses and set up on dirt roads leading to the dense Mayan rainforest,to a massive mayan cave which we got to explore .The cave had mayan pottery and several artifacts scattered through out.We then set off from the cave through the rainforest some more to a 90 ft buried mayan pyramid .There we had one of our best experiences of our lives(wont spoil it).Robert guided us the whole way .He was very knowledgeable..a true historian of Mayan culture and genuine cared about our experience. Would highly recommend to go on this tour it's a once in a lifetime experience.