Full Day Caving Experience at A.T.M with Katun Ahau

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Listing Type
Tour/Activity
Tour Type
Aquatic, Cave Expedition, Inland
Departs From
San Ignacio Town
Intensity Level
Difficult
Attraction(s)
ATM Cave
$
125
/ Person
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Trusted Provider
Belize Travel Insurance
Pablo C
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1 hour
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Location Details
Departure:
San Ignacio Town
About Listing
Features:
Ancient Artifacts
Archaeological Reserve
Cave System
Nature Trails
Subterranean Cave
Subterranean River
Belize Gold Standard Certified - Belizing.com
Description
Discovered in 1989, this cave is a full five kilometers deep. Taking a journey into the Mayan underworld at Actun Tunichil Muknal, or the “Cave of the Stone Sepulchre”, will be one of the most enlightening, and unique experiences of your life. You will venture into the heart of the Cave with a licensed, experienced tour guide. This cave is not only geologically beautiful with its crystalline stalactites and stalagmites but also historically as it is a natural museum of ancient Mayan artifacts and a sacred offering place for the “Crystal Maiden”. Time spent inside the cave is 2 ½ to 3 hrs. Get an in-depth look at Belize’s Mayan culture.

Inside the dry zone where the artifacts and bones are located all persons need to remove all shoes and walk in socks to reduce damage. To see the Crystal Maiden you need to ascend a 13 ft ladder to reach the area known as the sepulcher.
 
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Suitable for:
Teens
Adults
Families
Groups
Couples
Seniors
Recommended Age Range:
11 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 - 50
Over 50
What is Included?
Things the supplier includes without any extra cost.
  • Lunch
  • Equipment
  • Fees
  • Guide
  • Transportation
What to bring?
Recommended items to bring on the trip.
  • Short or long pants
  • Protective shoes
  • Socks
  • Extra set of clothes
  • Towel
Rates
The base rates charged by the provider. This includes all taxes and applicable fees.
Minimum:
2 people
Minimum number of people.
Price
Unless otherwise indicated, prices are in US dollars.
Per
Price
Unless otherwise indicated, prices are in US dollars.
Person
$
125
Special Instructions for Rates
Pickups and dropoffs outside of town limits are available.
 
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Itinerary
Activity
Time
Departure7:45 AM
Activities
Caving, Sightseeing, Swimming
Transportation
Is Transportation provided?:
Yes
Availability
Schedule
Dates
Start Time
Duration
Daily7:45 AM7.5
Provider
Katun Ahau Tours
 (23)
Katun Ahau locally owned and operated Elias Cambranes in San Ignacio, Cayo Belize. With over 25 years of experience in small group tours to archaeological sites in Belize and to Tikal ... morein Guatemala.

Elias is the only tour guide in Belize who is also licensed in Guatemala. While other tour operators will turn you over to a Guatemalan guide at the border when leaving Belize, Elias will be your guide from start to finish. All guides are licensed and certified with a focus on creating a safe and comfortable day trip during your vacation in Belize.
Account Type:
Tour Operator
Gold Certified:
Yes
Service Types:
Tours | Activities, Shuttles, Private Guides
Destinations
Know Before You Go
Podcast
Podcast: The ATM Cave Tour with Elias Cambranes
Virtual Audio Experience
Elias Cambranes, expert ATM cave guide from K'atun Ahau Tours, takes us on the first of its kind virtual audio experience of the ATM cave.
Payment & Cancellation
Cancellation Policy
Flexible
  • Cancellations made 15 days before will be fully refunded except for a service fee of 3%.
  • Cancellations made 7 days before will be refunded 70% of the amount paid.
  • Cancellations made at a later date will not be refunded.
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Tikal national park is located in Guatemala, 75 miles west of San Ignacio or a 2 hrs 30 mins drive. Tikal is the most magnificent of all Mayan archaeological sites. Tikal has its beginnings ... morearound 600 BC and in the late classic period the architecture excelled all world capitals, the population was 100,000. The site is dominated by 5 enormous steep side limestone temples that rise over 200 ft from the forest floor; only 2 are allowed for climbing. 3000 structures have been identified and 20% have been excavated. The park has an area of 222 sq miles and has had no human settlement for the past 1000 yrs. It is home to 300 species of birds, 5 species of felines, 3 species of primates, deer, anteaters, and snakes making it a true tropical rainforest experience.
14 reviews   0 comments
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You won’t regret it!
If you are in Belize you must take this tour! Ben was our tour guide, he was extremely knowledgeable, helpful and better than the rest. We arrived before anyone else so we had the entire cave to ourselves. As we were climbing back down the rest of the tours were just making their way up. There was a line of 40 people waiting to climb up to the cathedral. This was definitely a once in a lifetime experience
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ATM tour with Ben- BOOK NOW!
There are truly no words to articulate this experience! Ben was an outstanding & knowledgeable guide whose true passion is to educate and share his love for caving with others. ATM Tour experience was more than I could have ever expected. I would be blessed to get to do it again.
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A must if you're in Belize!
This was such a fun adventure. Our tour guide Ben was super knowledgeable about the surrounding area, the geology of the caves, and the history of the artifacts. I highly recommend this to everyone who wants some adventure while you're here.
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Fabulous experience at ATM cave with Elias
My wife and I had the greatest experience exploring the Mayan underworld with Elias of Katun Ahau tours. We were staying in the beautiful town of San Ignacio and Elias picked us up and from the moment we started our journey, Elias taught us more about the Mayan culture in one day then years of geography classes. Then once inside the cave the experience was breathtaking, and even though Elias has been ... more in the cave literally thousands of times he made it feel like we were seeing things for the first time, which we were. When we completed our tour, Elias’ wife’s lunch was delicious and a must when visiting Belize.
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DJ and JessieSt Paul, MN, USA
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Amazing!
We had the best time exploring the ATM caves with Ben C. Highly recommend!
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Wow! What an incredible experience.
Just got back from a week in Belize and the ATM tour was the highlight. Our guide Ben, was so knowledgeable about the caves and the artifacts and went above and beyond to make sure we were safe and comfortable. He took great care to make sure we went at a pace appropriate for my level of fitness. It’s an incredible experience…something you can’t find anywhere else. Highly recommend.
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Experience of a Lifetime!
My family's visit to ATM was nothing short of spectacular! The site was breathtaking and the history of and within the cave was a reminder of how temporary life is and how much we should treasure every moment. Our tour guide, Elias, was well versed in the Mayas' history and took great care in explaining the symbolisms used in their rituals. I'm really glad we had this experience and I would certainly ... more recommend it to anyone interested in spending a day in nature in the belly of the "underworld"!
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Once in a lifetime experience
Informative, fun adventure. Elias took us through the cave and was a wealth of knowledge about the Mayans, their rituals, scientific theories and geology. He even helped us locate and observe the native bird species en route through the jungle since we told him we were bird enthusiasts. Highly recommend this tour.
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Incredible ATM tour with Ben
We had a great time on this tour and it was definitely one of the highlights of our two week trip to Belize. Ben picked us up early from San Ignacio and drove expertly through some really sketchy roads to get us to the entrance of the park. He led us through the 45 min easy hike and supported my wife over two river crossings, which I really appreciated. It was an intense experience swimming and climbing ... more through the wet cave, but we felt safe with Ben’s leadership the whole time. He also conveyed a strong love and knowledge for the cave/jungle environment which impressed us. Took one star off for gear due to some confusion about what we should bring with us on the hike, and what we should leave in the car. All in all- fantastic experience- highly recommend the Katun Ahau tour company!
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Incredible Cave Tour
I completed this tour with my 10 year old son. Ben was incredible--so knowledgeable and a clear love of his job. The cave itself is majestic, stunningly beautiful and undoubtedly worth the visit. We would absolutely do it again! Ben knows the cave so well and has a deep understanding and love of the history that it brings. It 10 year old said this was his absolute favorite thing we did in Belize--and ... more we did a lot! It was a magical experience for us to do together--thank you!!
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Wonderful Experience
Ben was our tour guide but he was so much more than that. His wealth of knowledge on rock formations and everything at ATM was outstanding. He picked us up very early and we were the first and only group there which made the experience even better. I can't swim and he made me feel very comfortable and safe. I am so glad I chose Katun and had Ben to show me ATM.
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Outstanding
Our tour guide through katun ahau- Ben - was absolutely amazing. Ben was here on time and seemed excited to share about his country, the area, and of course - the cave and the rituals. Ben was open regarding all questions our crew had, even the critical ones. He was helpful and thanks to him we were almost the first group in the cave. He took his time explaining everything, has a wealth of knowledge ... more about geology as well as vegetation and wildlife. He spotted threats way before anyone else and took care of his group, making sure everyone has a great experience. Ben has experience as a cave rescuer and has come to this cave as a guide for 17 years. He has worked with the researchers here and shared a wealth of their knowledge. The truly most outstanding part about Ben was - he loves this place and it shows. he loves explaining and protecting it, making sure that his guests are careful and educated where others seemed careless (stepping on artifacts, bones, etc). Totally recommend this guy and will specifically ask for him when I book other tours in the area if at all possible.
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CAVE tour
This is an awesome tour, a must do. There is a lot of climbing and descending though. Make sure you have the stamina. Our guide Ben Cruz was amazing and very knowledgeable.
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excellent experience with a knowledgable guide
Elias shared a wealth of knowledge of the Mayan history and religion and tied it in beautifully with our cave experience. At least two other guides passed our group as Elias helped me, and those I talked with after, understand the significance of the ATM cave to the Mayan. Well done Mr. C!
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