Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Placencia, Belize
- 6 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover one of Belize's best-kept secrets on a day trip to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve and waterfall near Hopkins. Hike through the jungle to a hidden cascade, and then ride natural river waterslides and inner tubes down the South Stann Creek River. After enjoying this natural playground, enjoy a picnic lunch and spot a variety of Belizean wildlife in the surrounding nature reserve that's home to the country's largest number of jaguars.
- See a part of Belize that’s off the radar of most tourists
- Hike to a jungle waterfall and safely ride inner tubes down a river
- Guide helps point out animals at the Cockscomb Forest Reserve
- Includes a packed lunch and convenient hotel or airport pickup
What's Included
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- All Fees and Taxes
- Parking Fees
- Towels
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Arranged start time
Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.
- 07/03/2024 - 05/21/2027
Monday - Sunday : 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday : 7:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Wednesday - Friday : 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Thursday : 7:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Itinerary
1
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve
3 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Infant seats available
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Francis_E
What a beautiful day!! Our driver Hes was wonderful, he brought us to a great local spot for lunch on the way back from the excursion. William was our guide and he was so knowledgeable and friendly and helpful! The tubing and waterfalls were amazing. Be prepared to hike! It was a beautiful day. 10 out 10 I would do it again
Reviews
4.9
based on 72 reviews
Cameron_B, Jan 2026
The tours in Belize are great but the tour guide really helps set them apart. Here i will describe the tour and then how the tour guide was. Overall, we would recommend this as an easy day for adventurous people or families with small kids.
The tour consisted of lunch, transportation (we were on the placencia penisula) and the fees. The tour was relaxing as you had a short, not very intense hike to the water and got to tube in the river. The waterfall was beautiful and you were able to swim around.
The tubing and water experience was easy and allowed you to really soak in nature.
Now for our tour guide, we had Edgar and its hard to BELIZE it but he was energetic, cheerful and accommodating even though I had food poisoning. He supported my partner in pointing out all of the birds and was dynamic to our needs as I had food poisoning from the night before. He got us lunch, pointed out history and really worked to make it as good as possible
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you for choosing Untame Belize Tours and Transfers!
We truly appreciate you taking the time to share such a thoughtful review. We’re happy to hear the tour was relaxing, family-friendly, and allowed you to fully enjoy the natural beauty of Belize.
A very special thank you for highlighting Edgar. His energy, kindness, and ability to adapt to our guests’ needs truly set him apart. We’re especially glad he was able to make the day comfortable and enjoyable despite the circumstances — that level of care is exactly what we strive for.
Thank you again for trusting Untame Belize Tours and Transfers. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable Belize experience
Joshua_C, Jan 2026
We had a great day with Edgar! He was such a knowledgeable and personable guide. He was very flexible when it came to what we wanted to do within Cockscomb. Really terrific guy. We had a great meal at the end of the trip and it was tough to say goodbye to Edgar at the end.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for choosing Untame Belize! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great day with Edgar. He truly is an exceptional guide—knowledgeable, personable, and always happy to tailor the experience to our guests’ interests at Cockscomb. We’re glad you enjoyed the flexibility, the adventure, and of course the delicious meal at the end.It’s always hard saying goodbye to a guide who makes the day so special, but we hope the memories stay with you for a long time. We’d love to welcome you back to Belize for another untamed adventure soon!
Francis_E, Nov 2025
What a beautiful day!! Our driver Hes was wonderful, he brought us to a great local spot for lunch on the way back from the excursion. William was our guide and he was so knowledgeable and friendly and helpful! The tubing and waterfalls were amazing. Be prepared to hike! It was a beautiful day. 10 out 10 I would do it again
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear you had such a beautiful day exploring with William and Hes — they’ll be thrilled to know their efforts made your adventure even more special. The tubing and waterfalls are definitely unforgettable!
We truly appreciate your 10/10 review and hope you’ll join us again for another amazing adventure. Don’t forget to recommend Untame Belize Tours and Transfers to your friends and family!
Laura_G, Jul 2025
The driver and guide were both very kind but this experience didn’t live up to our expectations and neither of us felt it was worth the price.
We did the short hike to the tubing launch first. There were things I wanted to stop and closer at/grab a photo but the guide seemed in a hurry. The tubing part was the best part of the entire experience, but wish it had been the last thing we did instead of the first because we spent the next WAY more intensive section of the hike soaking wet. Our guide pointed out a few things every now and then but mostly just felt like he was ready to be done.
We returned, dropped our things off and he motioned to the little snack bar and said we could buy snacks or drinks if we wanted. This activity was promoted as having a full lunch INCLUDED in the price. Instead, we were back in the car for the return way ahead of schedule, dropped the guide off and started to leave. I asked the driver about lunch and he said, oh if you want to? It didn’t feel planned or like we were actually welcome to say yes without making things awkward, so we just asked them to take us home. Overall really underwhelming and I’m surprised to see so many other positive reviews, but maybe it’s different with different guides.
Lori_S, Mar 2025
Wonderful day trip. Park was great and we really enjoyed tubing down the river. Driver and guide were both friendly, knowledgeable and kind. We also had a wonderful lunch.
Thank you all for a great day!
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you for your honest feedback. We are thrilled you enjoyed this amazing tour. Thank you once again for choosing Untame Belize.
Liz_S, Mar 2025
A fantastic day with Edgar! We were unsure what to expect (and as a result, didn’t pack exactly right for the day—more on that later), but Edgar made the adventure both educational and enjoyable. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the flora and fauna, pointing out animal tracks, medicinal plants, and geological subtleties. His knowledge of the local birds was far beyond anything I expected for a tour not billed as a birding tour. He heard species and spotted birds we would never have seen, like the scarlet macaw (!) we stopped to gawk at from the river. Wow. The hike is only challenging for a few breathless minutes on the way to the waterfall. We were under the impression that there would be less tubing and more hiking, but the tubing turned out to be the best part! Slow and relaxing but requires some work to navigate the banks and rocks (not at all dangerous, just be ready to paddle with your hands!) You’ll have to leave anything that cannot get wet in the van or bring a dry bag for the tubing (I’m glad I borrowed Edgar’s for my phone and binoculars; it sat atop my hips for the whole tube ride and I never felt that my equipment was in danger of getting dunked). Once you leave the visitors parking lot there’s no going back to change or grab water/sunscreen/bugspray (which we did not have and fared okay). You’ll be carrying your tube for most of the journey; lightweight but takes up a hand you might otherwise have for shooting photos, for instance. I am both glad I wore sturdy hiking shoes (for the waterfall portion of the hike) but carried them around my neck while tubing so they wouldn’t get soaked. Also wore light weight shorts and not a bathing suit, which was fine but the ride back would have been more comfortable in a change of dry clothes. We stopped for a good Mayan lunch at a roadside stand just outside the park. It was a really marvelous day!
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thank you for your honest feedback. We are thrilled you enjoyed this amazing tour and that our Guide Edgar made the experience even better. Thank you once again for choosing Untame Belize.
Matt_T, Feb 2025
This was an amazing experience. Edgar was a fantastic guide, his skill and knowledge made the day one of a kind. From exciting print tracking, animal spotting, peaceful tubing and waterfall swimming this tour had it all. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for your amazing review! This cockscomb Basin Tour is truly an amazing hiking experience no one should missed out on. Thank you for choosing Untame Belize
Ashley_T, Feb 2025
We had such an incredible, informative, and relaxing tour with Edgar as our guide. From the time he picked us up to the time he dropped us off, he was a constant wealth of knowledge about Mayan history, Belizean history, the flora and fauna, etc. We saw toucans and coatamundis, learned to identify the smell of boa constrictors, heard the calls of jaguars and ocelots, and identified prints of jaguars, tapirs, ocelots, and more. The river tubing was relaxing as was swimming by (and behind) the waterfall. He took us to a Mayan restaurant for a very delicious lunch and made a stop at the chocolate shop for us. I would say that you need a few things- bring a change of dry clothes (and obvs swimsuit), hiking/water shoes- the hike is rocky and steep at points (keens were great), bug spray, and sunscreen. A dry bag is great if you have it. Worth every cent. Edgar was awesome. Book this excursion! It helps with the conservation efforts in Belize!
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for your honest feedback. We are thrilled you enjoyed this amazing tour and that our Guide Edgar made the experience even better. Thank you once again for choosing Untame Belize.
Andrew_C, Feb 2025
A fantastic day of hiking, tubing and great insights into the rainforest. Edgar our guide was extremely knowledgeable and a fantastic guide throughout the whole day. Definitely a must do adventure.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thank you for such an amazing review.
We are beyond happy to hear that you had an amazing day. The cockscomb basin tour is a must do tour in southern Belize. We are happy to hear that Edgar was an incredible guide. Thank you for choosing Untame Belize.
Lorinda_L, Aug 2024
Fabulous experience; hiking in the jungle, swimming in and behind a waterfall, learning about tropical plants and birds from our amazing guide, William. We were lucky enough to spot a toucan and Scarlett macaws. The icing on the trip was finishing up the day with a float on a tube down the jungle river….with a surprise appearance by a swimming wild cat! Our driver Hez ensured a safe and cool trip every time we got in the van. Huge advantage to coming during the low season, we were the only ones on the tour!!
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for such a stellar review! We are happy to know that from the get go our booking services were amazing. As well as to know that you enjoyed this wonderful hike at cockscomb. Our main goal is to ensure all our guests have a Unbelizeable time in Belize. Thank you for trusting your family with us.
Alaina_B, Feb 2024
We had an amazing time. Ricky was right on time and made sure we did exactly what we wanted to do. We got to hike, swim in a waterfall and see many, many birds, a snake, and some monkeys as well as hear a jaguar nearby! He was attentive and knowledgeable and was a great guide with a good sense of humor too! Lunch was delicious. Would definitely recommend this tour!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for choosing Untame Belize for your family adventures. It was truly an honor that you all had a great time. Our guide is happy to hear he made the experience more fun and smoother. Once again, thank you for choosing our magnificent tour company for your Belize Vacation.
Elka_J, Dec 2023
Ricky was an amazing tour guide! He pointed out many beautiful and interesting birds, and taught us so much about the history of the jaguar reserve. We felt very special and attended to. The lunch afterwards was so delicious and felt very authentic to this region. Extremely well, organized, fun and informative! I would recommend him to anybody, and certainly try to reserve him again in the future. thank you so much!
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thank you for choosing Untame Belize for your family adventures.
It was truly an honor that you all had a great time. Ricky is happy to hear that made the experience more fun and smoother.
Once again, thank you for choosing our magnificent tour company for your Belize Vacation.
Mary_J, Feb 2023
Amazing tour and extremely knowledgeable tour guides that pointed out so many different things, including birds, animals, plants, etc. Was just the two of us in our party, so the tour was very personal and customizable. We had a great lunch at a local restaurant on the way back, Definitely recommend!
Response from Host, Feb 2023
Thank you for taking the time to write this wonderful review.
What an amazing experience you had during your cockscomb Basin Tour.
We are glad to hear that our professional and knowledgeable guides made the experience even better.
Untame Belize Strives to provide top quality service to all our guests.
Thank you for choosing Untame Belize Tours and Transfers
Mark_G, May 2021
We had a blast riding the river rock slides down from the waterfall and hiking thru the jungle. Our guide was helpful, fun and provided a great experience... not to mention an amazing lunch!!
Response from Host, May 2021
Hi Susan,
Thank you for choosing Untame Belize Tours and Transfers for your Belize Vacation. We are really glad you enjoyed your stay in Belize and that you were pleased with our adventures and our tour guide. So grateful we had the opportunity to showcase Belize to you.
From $140.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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