Altun Ha Entrance Fee, Opening Hours and Who Runs the Site
Verified on 14 November 2026 on the National Institute of Culture and History’s (NICH) ticket store page for Altun Ha, the store’s ticket terms and code of conduct, and the Institute of Archaeology’s Altun Ha site record and unit page.
Altun Ha’s entrance fee is BZ$20.00 for a non-resident adult and BZ$10.00 for a resident adult, and the site is open every day from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sundays and public and bank holidays included. At Belize’s fixed 2:1 peg the two fees are US$10.00 and US$5.00 (our conversion). Both figures are NICH’s, from its ticket store read on 14 November 2026, whose terms state “All prices are in Belizean Dollars (BZD)”. NICH’s Institute of Archaeology manages the site through its Parks Unit.
Ticket prices by category
The store’s ticket data for Altun Ha prices seven combinations of ticket type and age:
| Ticket type | Age, as the store labels it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Resident | Adult | BZ$20.00 |
| Non-Resident | Minor | BZ$20.00 |
| Non-Resident | Minor(<5yrs) | BZ$0.00 |
| Resident | Adult | BZ$10.00 |
| Resident | Minor | BZ$10.00 |
| Resident | Minor (<12yrs) | BZ$0.00 |
| Resident | Belizean Golden Citizen (65+) | BZ$0.00 |
Among non-resident tickets only the under-5 one is free; the store’s non-resident Minor ticket costs the same BZ$20.00 as the adult one. For residents, the free tickets are the under-12 and 65-plus categories.
NICH’s terms add a separate concession: “Discounted prices are available for Belizean students, senior citizens, and local residents on public and bank holidays.” Proof of eligibility is required, and the Altun Ha ticket data carries no separate discounted price.
Hours, last tours and group size
| Item | What NICH’s Altun Ha page prints |
|---|---|
| Days | every day, including Sundays and public and bank holidays |
| Hours | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Last tours | one hour before closing, with departure by 5:00 pm |
| Group size | “Only 15 visitors allowed per Tour Guide” |
| On the trails | outdoor-appropriate footwear for rugged terrain; stay on demarcated trails; use handrails where provided |
| On the monuments | no loud noise, shouting or music; no jumping on monuments |
One hour before a 5:00 pm close, the last tour works out to 4:00 pm (our arithmetic); NICH itself prints only the one-hour rule.
The hours line on this page is worded for All sites, but NICH’s own page for Cahal Pech prints seasonal hours that open at 6:00 am or 6:30 am, so the wording does not hold for every reserve NICH runs.
The code of conduct
NICH’s code of conduct, headed Code of Conduct (All Sites), lists what is prohibited in Belize’s archaeological reserves. Among the items: entering with “tripods, monopods, selfie sticks or other photography/film stabilization accessories”; “Use a drone within the boundaries of the archaeological reserves”; commercial filming or still photography without film permits approved by the Institute of Archaeology office; camping, smoking or starting a fire; entering with or under the influence of alcohol; hunting or feeding wildlife; and removing any plant, stone, earth or pottery. Coolers and ice boxes stay at the parking lot and designated picnic areas, and pets must be on a leash.
The code states that breaking these rules “will generate the immediate expulsion of” the visitor without reimbursement, and that the Institute of Archaeology’s park staff are the authority within the reserves.
Ticket validity
Under NICH’s terms a ticket is valid for one visit to the reserve it names, each visitor must have one, and it can be used for entrance “up to six months following the date purchased”. Once validated on site it is no longer valid. Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable; an exchange for another site or a later date is considered only when a site closes for inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances. The terms also say “The IA/NICH may update this agreement at any time”, and that amended terms may or may not be posted on its website.
The site record: Stone Water, 88 acres, the Jade Head
The Institute of Archaeology’s record for Altun Ha, dated 13 June 2024, gives the name’s meaning as Stone Water and the reserve’s size as 88 acres. It records that “The Jade Head, depicting the sun god, Kinich Ahau, was found in Structure B4, at this site”, and calls Altun Ha “an ancient Maya community of great complexity and wealth” and an important link in the coastal trade routes. NICH’s ticket page describes it as a trading center that “was a major ceremonial center during the Classic Period”, and the Jade Head as “the largest carved jade in Mesoamerica”.
The two NICH pages give two distances. The ticket page says Altun Ha is “Located 31 miles from Belize City on the Old Northern Highway”; the site record says “30 miles north of Belize City, along the old Northern Highway”. Neither page explains the difference, so we print both. How Altun Ha compares with Lamanai on fee and access is on our Lamanai day trip page; shore-excursion prices for it are on our Belize City cruise port page, and NICH’s other sites’ fees are compared on the Xunantunich page.
Who manages Altun Ha
The Institute of Archaeology (IA-NICH) gives its legal mandate as the “National Institute of Culture and History Act, Chapter 331 of the subsidiary Laws of Belize 2000, Revised Edition 2020.” Its Parks Unit runs the Park Management program, which “focuses on the sustainable development and effective management of all public archaeological parks.” The same page lists Altun Ha as the Belize District’s entry among Belize’s Archaeological Reserves. NICH is the authority on these fees and hours; confirm with it before relying on a figure here.
What NICH doesn’t publish
On the NICH pages we read on 14 November 2026:
- The age range of the plain Minor ticket. The store lists it beside Minor (<12yrs) and Minor(<5yrs) without defining it, and its ticket data prices no non-resident under-12 ticket.
- Whether a guide is compulsory at Altun Ha. The page caps groups at 15 per guide but does not say one is required; NICH’s terms name only three cave sites as guided-only, and Altun Ha is not one of them.
- A drive time from Belize City, or which of its two distances is current.
- An amenities list. The Altun Ha ticket page lists none, while NICH’s Cahal Pech page lists its visitor center, restrooms and parking among others.
How we researched this
Scope: this page reports source research, not a visit. Every page below was read on 14 November 2026. We requested NICH’s Altun Ha ticket page, its terms and its code of conduct, and read each price from the ticket data embedded in the product page. The meaning, size, Jade Head find and 30-mile line come from the Institute of Archaeology’s site record; the legal mandate and Parks Unit from the Institute’s own page, read the same day. The US-dollar figures and the 4:00 pm last-tour time are our calculations; everything else is as NICH prints it.
Sources
- NICH ticket store — Altun Ha — the seven ticket prices, opening days and hours, the last-tour rule, the 15-per-guide limit and safety rules, the All sites wording, the 31-mile line, the Classic Period and Jade Head descriptions
- NICH ticket store — Cahal Pech — the seasonal 6:00 am opening and the amenities list used for comparison
- NICH site tickets — Policies, Terms & Conditions — the BZD statement, the holiday discounts and proof rule, one-visit and six-month validity, refunds and exchanges, the right to update the terms, the three guided-only cave sites
- NICH site tickets — Code of Conduct — the prohibitions, film permits, expulsion without reimbursement and park staff authority
- NICH — Altun Ha site record — 13 June 2024, the 30-mile location, Stone Water, 88 acres, the Jade Head in Structure B4, the community and trade-route lines
- NICH — Institute of Archaeology — the legal mandate and the Parks Unit
Last verified: 2026-11-14
Written by Estuardo Enriquez. This site is independent, carries no affiliate relationship with any operator or authority named here, and is not connected to any previous owner of this domain.