You can link Guatemala and Belize overland in two places. In the north, shuttles leave Flores at 06:00 for San Ignacio (US$30), Belize City (US$35) and Caye Caulker (US$55), and a 12:00 shuttle runs from Belize City back to Tikal (US$45). In the south, boats cross between Punta Gorda and Livingston or Puerto Barrios (USD 60 each way). Leaving Belize costs BZ$40 in fees if you are not a Belizean citizen or permanent resident. Guatemala’s departure tax does not apply to land exits and is the quetzal equivalent of US$10 by sea. Fares are Adrenalina Tours’ published prices, read 1 November 2026.

This page joins up the legs we cover one by one. Each section links to the leg page with the full options, pickup points and alternatives.

Quick summary

LegDepartsDuration (operator)FareDaysLeg page
Flores → San Ignacio06:003 h (product page); 6 h (Flores list)US$30DailyFlores to San Ignacio
Flores → Belize City (water taxi terminal)06:006 hUS$35Every dayFlores to Belize City
Flores → Caye Caulker06:007.30 hUS$55Every dayFlores to Belize City
Belize City → Tikal (hotel)12:006.30 hUS$45DailyBelize to Tikal
Tikal (hotel) → Belize City06:00About 6 hUS$45DailyBelize to Tikal
Puerto Barrios → Punta Gorda10:301.30 hUSD 60DailyPuerto Barrios to Punta Gorda
Punta Gorda → Puerto Barrios14:002 hUSD 60Monday to FridayPuerto Barrios to Punta Gorda
Livingston → Punta Gorda11:001.30 hUSD 60Monday to FridayLivingston to Punta Gorda
Punta Gorda → Livingston14:001.30 hUSD 60Monday to FridayLivingston to Punta Gorda

All fares and times: Adrenalina Tours’ own pages, read 1 November 2026. Adrenalina asks for 48 hours’ notice on all of these, and its Flores shuttle tickets are nonrefundable. Its Flores list prices the Tikal to Belize City shuttle at 45 USD with a minimum of 2 people. Its Flores to San Ignacio and Tikal to Belize City pages allow one big bag and one handbag and charge US$5 for each extra bag.

Getting to the starting point

The northern routes start from Flores. If you are coming from Guatemala City, our Guatemala City to Belize City page compares flying with the overnight bus to Flores and the 06:00 connection on from there. Tikal itself is 63 km from Flores, about an hour, per the Ministry of Culture.

Route 1: Tikal, then the cayes, then back to Tikal

This loop uses the northern border at Melchor de Mencos twice.

  1. Flores to Caye Caulker or Belize City. Adrenalina’s 06:00 shuttle picks up in front of the I Love Peten letters at the entrance to Flores. The Belize City shuttle drops at the water taxi terminal; the through-ticket to Caye Caulker is US$55. Other sellers and the do-it-yourself chain are on Flores to Belize City.
  2. Belize City back to Tikal. Adrenalina’s 12:00 shuttle picks up at the Atlanta Express office in the water taxi terminal and drops at your hotel in Tikal. Its page warns, “There is ALWAYS a change of vehicle at the border Melchor de Mencos.” It also says you switch to a private car in El Remate.
  3. Timing at Tikal. With a 12:00 departure and 6.30 hours stated, you arrive around 18:30. The park is open 06:00 to 18:00, so your visit is the next day. The Ministry of Culture also lists a sunrise tour from 04:00 to 06:00 and a sunset tour from 18:00 to 20:00. Entry is Q150.00 for foreign tourists and Q25.00 for national tourists (turistas nacionales).

Going the other way round, the Tikal to Belize City shuttle leaves your Tikal hotel at 06:00 and takes about 6 hours to the water taxi terminal, with changes in El Remate and at the border.

Route 2: Add the Cayo district (San Ignacio)

Adrenalina’s 06:00 Flores to San Ignacio shuttle costs US$30. Its product page gives 3 hours and drops at your hotel in the centre of San Ignacio. Its Flores list gives 6 hours and names Yellow Belly Backpackers as the drop-off. Ask which applies when you book. Gekko Trails, resellers and the colectivo-plus-bus option are compared on Flores to San Ignacio.

Onward travel inside Belize, from San Ignacio to Belize City or the cayes, is not one of our leg pages, so check it with the operator before you plan around it.

Route 3: Cross in the south by boat

The southern crossing joins Punta Gorda, in southern Belize, with Guatemala’s Caribbean coast.

  • From Guatemala: Puerto Barrios to Punta Gorda leaves daily at 10:30 from the public dock in Puerto Barrios on the boat Pichilingo. Livingston to Punta Gorda leaves at 11:00, Monday to Friday. Both take 1.30 hours and cost USD 60.
  • From Belize: both boats back leave Punta Gorda at 14:00, Monday to Friday. The Puerto Barrios boat takes 2 hours and the Livingston boat 1.30 hours. On the Puerto Barrios page Adrenalina says, “It is always necessary to go to immigration first for the stamp.”
  • Border hours: the Border Management Agency of Belize lists the Punta Gorda point of entry as open Monday to Sunday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Belize’s western and northern land borders are open 24 hours.
  • Weekends: of these boats, only Puerto Barrios to Punta Gorda is listed for every day. Coming back from Punta Gorda on a Saturday or Sunday, neither of Adrenalina’s two sailings is listed.

From Livingston or Puerto Barrios you can continue up the Río Dulce; see our Río Dulce and Livingston itinerary. Getting between Punta Gorda and northern Belize (Belize City, San Ignacio) is not covered on our leg pages.

Border fees on a Guatemala-Belize trip

ChargeAmountWho paysSource
Belize departure feeBZ$30.00Everyone who is not a citizen or permanent resident of Belize, leaving through land borders and sea portsBorder Management Agency of Belize
Belize border development feeBZ$2.50SameBorder Management Agency of Belize
Belize P.A.C.T. feeBZ$7.50SameBorder Management Agency of Belize
Belize totalBZ$40Adrenalina gives it as 20 USD or 40 BZD at the land borderBMA; Adrenalina Tours
Guatemala exit by landNoneLand departures are not subject to the taxDecreto 1701, Art. 21 c
Guatemala exit by seaQuetzal equivalent of US$10.00Every passenger except crewsDecreto 1701, Art. 21 c
Guatemala exit by airQuetzal equivalent of US$30.00Every passenger except crewsDecreto 1701, Art. 21 c

The BMA lists these as fees paid on departure; its fee page lists no entry fee. The US Embassy in Belize gives a different number, an exit fee of approximately US$40 that may be included in an airline ticket. For a land or boat departure, the BMA’s schedule above is what applies. The Guatemalan tax is charged at Banco de Guatemala’s reference buying rate from the day before departure. The Melchor de Mencos post, money changers and the walk across are on Melchor de Mencos border crossing.

Entry rules for both countries

BelizeGuatemala
UK passport, visa-free stay30 days; extensions cost BZ$200 for each additional 30 daysUp to 90 days
UK passport validityMore than 3 months after arrival; some airlines may refuse boarding if it is not more than 6 monthsAt least 6 months after arrival, and at least 2 blank pages
US passportNo visa for tourist visits of up to 30 days; proof of intent to depart (such as onward or return air tickets) and sufficient fundsNot covered here; check the US State Department’s Guatemala page before travelling

Belize and Guatemala rows for UK passports: GOV.UK foreign travel advice; Belize row for US passports: US Embassy in Belize; all read 1 November 2026.

Guatemala’s 90 days are shared under the CA-4 agreement: the UK government says the period starts when you enter Guatemala, El Salvador or Nicaragua (the agreement also includes Honduras) and does not restart when you cross between them. The UK government also says that overstaying Guatemala’s 90 days means paying a fine before you leave, and that you should make sure your passport is stamped on entry. The BMA says there are no vaccination or testing requirements to enter or exit through Belize’s land borders or sea ports. Other nationalities should check Belize’s and Guatemala’s rules for their own passport.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you combine Guatemala and Belize in one trip?

Yes. The Melchor de Mencos land border links Flores and Tikal with western Belize, and the Border Management Agency of Belize lists that western border as open 24 hours, Monday to Sunday. Adrenalina Tours sells 06:00 shuttles from Flores to San Ignacio (US$30), Belize City (US$35) and Caye Caulker (US$55), and a 12:00 shuttle from Belize City back to Tikal (US$45). In the south, boats cross between Punta Gorda and Livingston or Puerto Barrios for USD 60 (prices read 1 November 2026).

How much does it cost to leave Belize by land or boat?

BZ$40 for anyone who is not a citizen or permanent resident of Belize: a BZ$30.00 departure fee, a BZ$2.50 border development fee and a BZ$7.50 P.A.C.T. fee, charged on departure through land borders and sea ports (Border Management Agency of Belize, read 1 November 2026). Adrenalina Tours gives the land-border charge as 20 USD or 40 BZD.

Is there a fee to leave Guatemala for Belize?

Not the departure tax, if you leave by land. Guatemala’s tourism law (Decreto 1701, Art. 21 c, as reformed by Decreto 44-2000) taxes departures by air at the quetzal equivalent of US$30.00 and by sea at the quetzal equivalent of US$10.00 per person, and says people leaving by land are not subject to the tax. Leaving by boat from Livingston or Puerto Barrios, the sea rate applies.

Do I need a visa for Belize?

Not for a short visit on a UK or US passport. The UK government says British citizens can visit Belize without a visa for 30 days, with extensions at BZ$200 for each additional 30 days, and that the passport must be valid for more than 3 months after arrival. The US Embassy in Belize says US citizens need no visa for tourist visits of up to 30 days but must show proof of their intent to depart Belize (such as onward or return air tickets) and of sufficient funds.

Can I go from Belize City to Tikal and see the park the same day?

Not on the published times. Adrenalina’s Belize City to Tikal shuttle leaves at 12:00 and takes 6.30 hours, which puts arrival around 18:30. The Ministry of Culture lists Tikal as open from 06:00 to 18:00, with a sunset tour from 18:00 to 20:00 and a sunrise tour from 04:00 to 06:00, so plan the park for the next morning.