Belize Culinary and Culture Tour

Food Tour Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in Belize City and travel by private transport to the Cayo district, the interior of Belize where you’ll find lush jungle and a diversity of cultural influences. We are booked at a beautiful lodge in the jungle truly off the beaten path. Get ready to immerse yourself in nature. We’ll convene for a delicious dinner made with produce grown on the lodge property and then rest and relax before our first big day.

Day 2

This is your day! You will be amazed by the mountains that surround you, the river below and the birds that come to feed. Hike the mountain trails, book a guided birding tour with one of the resident guides, or just stare at the mountains and swim in the spring fed pool with a drink in hand. We might hear howler monkeys at night! This is true paradise. In the afternoon we’ll enjoy a rum tasting and cocktail making class using fresh produce from their gardens.

Day 3

Today is a full day starting at 9 am. We explore the history and food of the Cayo region. We’ll start the day with a tour of Xunantunich Ruins which means “maiden of the rock”. These fabulous ruins are close to the border with Guatemala. From there we head to the local market which is bustling with local produce, crafts and delicious food. We’ll enjoy lunch at the market before heading back to rest in the midst of the Belizean Jungle. 

Day 4

Enjoy breakfast from the jungle lodge before heading to our next location. On the way, we will indulge in an incredible experience learning to make traditional Mayan foods: tortillas, tamales and chocolate from scratch. We head to Hopkins, a small and beautiful fishing village along the coast of Belize. Hopkins is home to the Garifuna descendants of the African survivors of slave ships that were wrecked off the island of St Vincent. The survivors started families with the indigenous Kalinago (Carib) population and later were exiled to Belize. We’ll enjoy a delicious dinner upon arrival. Hopkins is a great town to enjoy biking around, to buy local art or just relax by the beach! 

Day 5

Wake up and spend the morning as you choose! Perhaps take a bike ride into town or head to the beach for the morning. Hopkins is a beautiful, friendly, and safe town to explore. In the afternoon, we’ll learn all about Garifuna culture with an in-depth cultural and cooking class and experience at the Garifuna cultural center, a place run by a family dedicated to preserving Garifuna cultural traditions. We’ll make our own coconut milk! Optional add on to explore the bioluminescence bay by boat or kayak (depending on season/weather) 

Day 6

After an early breakfast we will head back to Belize City. This will be a long travel day full of fun activities. We’ll stop to taste locally made chocolate and enjoy lunch at a market before enjoying a tour and tasting of a family-owned rum distillery in Belize City. We’ll catch a short flight to Caye Caulker, where we’ll relax and unwind at the beautiful Iguana Reef Inn with a view of the sunset over the sea. The hotel offers many amenities for all guests. Relax by the bar, take a dip in the pool or walk around the island, or simply relax in your room after a day of travel.

Day 7

Today we’ll experience the fabulous aquatic life of Belize, taking a snorkeling adventure to nearby waters to snorkel. Snorkeling in this area is a must do activity! You’ll see rays, turtles, and all kinds of fish. We’ll do an informal dinner crawl in Caye Caulker, visiting a couple of spectacular eateries for tastings of local food and a chance to shop for last minute gifts.

Day 8

After breakfast, we’ll enjoy a relaxing day on Caye Caulker. Book your own morning adventure or just relax by the freshwater pool, or shop for gifts to take home. In the afternoon we’ll enjoy a cooking class with a talented local chef. learning to make delicious Belizean cuisine. There are lots of places to get a drink on our last night, and even sing karaoke if you want before packing for our departure the next day. Plus it’s lobster fest!

Day 9

Departure day. After breakfast, we’ll take a short flight back to Belize City, and catch our flight home.

COST: $3249/pp BASED on double occupancy.

Guaranteed Single Occupancy add $899

Deposits/Payments

Deposits/Payments: To hold your spot in the tour a $500 non-refundable deposit is required. This can be paid by check (address below), Zelle or Paypal/Venmo (may incur fees). 

$1200 due 60 days before departure

Of this 25% is non refundable/no credits 

Remaining balance due on or before 30 days before the tour)

After 30 days before the tour there are no refunds on any of the amounts paid due to cancellations.
You can also choose to send full payment in advance of the course/tour.

Flexible Booking/Cancellation: A $500 non refundable deposit is required to hold your spot on the specific tour you signed up for. This deposit is used to set up the tour and for reservations and administrative fees and is not refundable or transferable for any reason.

Refunds and adjustments: There will be no refunds or adjustments for unused portion of the tour.

Mail your deposit and fill out the submission form below to hold your spot. Deposit can be sent by mail, Venmo, Paypal or Zelle. Make check payable to Madison Eats Food Tours. Please inquire for address or transfer info. Please fill out booking form even if mailing in deposit.

Tour Policies and Procedures incl. Covid updates

Covid Protocol and Safety Measures:

Covid Protocol and Safety Measures:

We will adhere to local mask mandates and safety protocol.

If you test positive and must quarantine, you will be fully responsible for any fees associated with your stay including but not limited to health care costs and lodging. By joining the tour each participant voluntarily agrees to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury (including, but not limited to personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability or expense of any kind that they may experience or incur in connection with their Madison Eats Food Tours trip and its activities.

Cancellation and Refund: If Otehlia Travels cancels the tour, all fees paid MINUS your $500 deposit (service fee) will  be refunded. We strongly encourage trip insurance in case of unforeseen events that result in the cancellation of your trip.

Travel Insurance: Otehlia Travels requires travel insurance for all travelers with at least basic coverage for trip cancellation, delay or interruption. Two companies that offer insurance that I recommend are AIG or Allianz. You can get a quote from AIG and also Allianz offers it. You definitely need to read the fine print regarding Covid-related coverage. You would purchase your own coverage. There are various levels, but at a baseline, you want trip cancellation or delay, and medical emergency – Once you reach out to a provider, you can see the basic coverage and additions. For travel to Cuba, Cuba requires medical insurance and that is usually included in your ticket purchase (flight). We travel to Cuba under “support for the Cuban people”.

Cancellation and Refund: If Madison Eats Food Tours cancels the tour, all fees paid MINUS your $500 deposit (service fee) will be refunded. We strongly encourage trip insurance in case of unforeseen events that result in the cancellation of your trip.

A) Minimum Group Size:

Madison Eats Food Tours’ trips are priced based on a minimum group size that varies by trip, making our trips financially viable to operate. Madison Eats Food Tours reserves the right to cancel any trip if the trip does not attract the minimum number of clients required to make the trip financially viable. Madison Eats Food Tours will not, however, cancel a trip due to minimum group size any later than 21 days prior to the commencement of the trip. In the event of cancellation, Madison Eats Food Tours shall not, in any case, be responsible for nonrefundable expenses incurred by the client, including, but not limited to airline cancellation fees or insurance purchases.

Alternatively, clients may choose to pay a small group surcharge that would be assessed to each guest in groups that fall below the minimum group size, which avoids us having to cancel the trip.

B) Force Majeure:

Madison Eats Food Tours reserves the right to cancel a trip at any stage prior to the scheduled departure due to terrorism, natural disasters, political instability or other external events which make it unviable for Madison Eats Food Tours to operate our planned schedule. In such a case, Madison Eats Food Tours will, at its own discretion, refund a portion of the trip price (less incurred costs and the non-refundable deposit), reschedule the tour, or offer an alternative tour. Should the client choose to purchase “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) insurance coverage, and the tour becomes unviable for Madison Eats Food Tours to operate or reschedule, Madison Eats Food Tours will cover the client’s CFAR deductible up to 25% of the price of the tour.

BOOKING AMENDMENTS

If you wish to change your booking in any way, you must contact us as soon as possible and we will accommodate your request to the best of our ability. Surcharges may apply.

SUBSTITUTION OF A CLIENT

If any member of the party is prevented from traveling because of the death, injury or serious illness of the passenger, close relative or friend, redundancy or jury service, it may be possible to transfer the booking to another suitable person (acceptable to Madison Eats Food Tours) provided that written notice is given at least 30 days prior to departure. An administration fee of up to $150 may be imposed by the company to cover non-refundable costs. Airlines may impose 100% cancellation charges and the cost of a new ticket.

Photography release: The tour participants permits Madison Eats Food Tours, LLC to photographs, films, images, text, testimonials of participants for its own commercial use without compensation to participants.

Any dispute related to these terms and conditions or the program itself, directly or indirectly shall be settled solely in the courts of Madison, WI. In such litigation, Wisconsin law will apply.

*Does not include round trip airfare to Belize City, airport taxes, personal expenses, housekeeping and instructor/guide tips for added excursions, Covid testing fees, and travel insurance. Includes meals, alcoholic beverages and excursions as specified in itinerary as well as all tips to staff and guides for included excursions. 

By registering, you agree to our Policies & Procedures including our Waiver & Liability Release policy.