St. Herman’s Cave is one of Belize’s most most accessible caves. Located in the 575-acre St Herman’s Blue Hole National Park, this enchanting cave is an easy 15-minute walk from the scenic Hummingbird Highway.
You can enter the first 200 meters of the cave by yourself, or hire a guide to explore deeper, where you’ll find Mayan artifacts, stalactite, and stalagmites. Alternatively, you can book a cave tubing adventure here and gently float through the submerged parts of the cave on an inner tube.
Whichever cave experience you choose, you’ll be in for a treat! I recently had the privilege of caving at St. Herman’s Cave during a Hummingbird Highway roadtrip on my four-week Belize trip. I crafted this Belize travel guide based on my own firsthand experience, research, and the insights I gained from the park rangers.
Cave Tubing at St. Herman’s Cave
Cave tubing is one of several things you can do at St. Herman’s. But if you do want to go cave tubing, it is best to book in advance to secure your spot. Here are the best tours:
★ Cave Tubing from St. Herman’s National Park: This is the same tour you can book at the park, but you can only guarantee your spot by booking online. You will need your own transportation to the park.
★ Cave Tubing & Xunantunich Day Trip from Hopkins: If you’re staying in Hopkins (my favorite place in Belize!), book this cave tubing trip with roundtrip transportation and a stop at the Xunantunich Mayan ruins.
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Visiting St. Herman’s Cave Belize
Situated along the breathtaking Hummingbird Highway between Belmopan and Hopkins, St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park managed by the Belize Audubon Society.
This national park happens to be one of the most visited sites along the Hummingbird Highway as it contains both the Blue Hole (not the same as the Great Blue Hole in the Caribbean) and several cave systems.
The park is located right off of the highway with two separate parking lots and ranger stations a few minutes away from each other.
To explore St. Herman’s Cave, Crystal Cave, and the well-maintained hiking trails nearby the caves, head straight to this parking lot. After parking you’ll need to pay the $10 BZE ($5USD) entrance fee, then you can explore the hiking trails and caves on your own (with a headlamp) or hire a caving guide.
If you want to go cave tubing, I recommend booking this St. Herman’s Cave tubing experience ahead of time. It is the exact same tour that you would book upon arrival at the park, but by booking online you secure you spot.
Self-Guided Caving at St. Herman’s Cave
You can walk through the first 200 meters of St. Herman’s Cave without a guide, and this is what I did on my most recent visit to St. Herman’s!
Start at the visitor’s center and pay the entry fee of $10 BZE. Each person who enters the cave will need a headlamp. While you can rent one at the park, I highly recommend bringing your own. Long story short, my headlamp broke while I was in the cave alone.
Next time I will definitely bring my Black Diamond headlamp, so be sure to add a quality head lamp to your Belize packing list.
The main cave entrance is about a 15 minute walk from the visitor’s center along a flat, well-maintained jungle path. There are more hiking trails you can explore too, including a trail to the other side of St. Herman’s Cave and to Crystal Cave.
St. Herman’s Cave has concrete steps at the entry and a railing throughout the first 200 meters, protecting you from a ~15 foot cliff. There are no lights in the cave, hence why you need a headlamp.
Walking through the cave by yourself takes just a few minutes, and with the walk to and from the parking lot, I’d recommend reserving 45 minutes to an hour for this experience. Add on extra time if you intend to see more of St. Herman’s Blue Hole Park.
Cave Tubing at St. Herman’s Cave
Booking a cave tubing experience to float through St. Herman’s cave system is one of the best things to do in Belize!
You can do cave tubing at a few different caves in Belize, but St. Herman’s tends to be one of the least busy since all the cruise ship passenger go to other caves closer to the port.
Matched with a local tour guide, you’ll be in for a fun yet relaxing adventure that few people ever get to experience. Gently float through an underground stream with water dripping from beautiful crystal formations above.
You’ll also get to learn about the cave’s history and cultural significance in ancient Maya civilization. Since cave tubing is one of the most popular activities in Belize, it is a good idea to book your cave tubing tour online ahead of time to secure your spot.
PS: If you like Belize cave tubing you will probably also like the Muyil River Float in Tulum, Mexico where you float down a turquoise canal that was created by the Muyil Mayans!
Guided Caving at Crystal Cave (and St. Herman’s Cave)
One last caving adventure at St. Herman’s Park is this guided caving tour of Crystal Cave.
Crystal Cave, called Mountain Cow Cave locally, is a gorgeous cave located near St. Herman’s Cave in the same national park.
Inside the cave system you’ll find evidence of how Mayans used this cave ceremonially for centuries — pottery, wall carvings, fire pits, and other artifacts tell the stories. You’ll also be able to admire beautiful stalactite and stalagmite formations.
While there are other companies that offer tours of Crystal Cave, I highly recommend this one as I’ve always had an outstanding experience with their guides — and they have lots of positives reviews as well. It includes roundtrip transportation from San Ignacio, and time to soak in the Inland Blue Hole, a natural turquoise pool formed by collapse of an underground limestone cave.
How to get to St. Herman’s Cave in Belize
Directions from San Ignacio, Belize (1 hour drive)
To take a day trip to Saint Herman’s from San Ignacio, drive east out of San Ignacio toward Santa Elena town and the George Price Highway.
In Belmopan, turn right at the roundabout toward the Hummingbird Highway. Then follow the Hummingbird Hwy for about 17 kilometers until you reach St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park.
Directions from Hopkins, Belize (1 hour 10 minute drive)
Exit Hopkins and drive west along Hopkins Road. At the fork, turn right onto the Southern Highway and follow it for about 16 miles until you reach the Hummingbird Highway.
Then drive about 58 kilometers along the Hummingbird Highway. St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park will be on the left.
Directions from Belize City (1.5 hour)
To drive to St. Herman’s Cave from Belize City, drive along the George Price Highway west toward Belmopan, Belize’s capital city.
In Belmopan, turn left at the main roundabout onto the Hummingbird Highway. Follow the Hummingbird Highway for about 17 kilometers. St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park will be on the right.
The main entrance to St. Herman’s Cave
What to Bring to St. Herman’s Cave
🥾 Hiking shoes: You can either wear sandals or more sturdy hiking shoes. I wore my EVA Birkenstocks when caving at St. Herman’s in Belize, and they worked pretty well for me. However, there were some parts of the cave that were slippery which made me think that I’d be better off if I’d worn my Altra trail runners or my Columbia hiking boots.
💡 Headlamp: You are required to have a headlamp to go into St. Herman’s Cave whether you go with a guide or not. I made the mistake of renting a headlamp at the park which stopped working while I was in the cave (alone!) Thankfully, I was able to navigate through the cave with my iPhone flashlight, but it was not a good situation to be in. With this in mind, I would highly recommend bringing your own headlamp. I have a Black Diamond headlamp which I love (I regret not packing it for my Belize trip!)
🐛 Natural bug repellant: I highly recommend this natural insect repellant balm, it is easy to apply, good for your skin, and actually works! Typical bug spray also works.
🥑 Drinking water and snacks: Make sure you have a reusable water bottle full of fresh water, plus snacks in case you get hungry! There is a picnic area outside the cave and right by the parking lot.
🩹 Travel insurance: While it is not a physical item to pack, please don’t forget to purchase travel insurance in case something happens! I always buy a policy with SafetyWing.
St. Herman’s Cave Tubing Packing List
👙 Swimsuit: Pack a swimsuit and any other clothes you want to wear during the cave tubing experience. It can get a little chilly, so I personally would recommend a wetsuit jacket if you have one, plus shorts. A rash guard is also great!
🎒 Dry bag: A dry bag like this can be very helpful if you want to bring your phone or anything else along for the ride.
💦Travel towel: I love this fast drying, sand resistant travel towel. I bring it everywhere!
📷 GoPro or underwater phone case: It will be too dark in the cave to take any good photos, but if you have one, bring a GoPro or waterproof phone case to snap some pictures at the beginning and end!
Final Thoughts: Belize St. Herman’s Cave
St. Herman’s Cave is one of the easiest caves to visit in Belize. If you’re driving along the Hummingbird Highway during your Belize vacation, St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park is one of the best stops, and my favorite thing to do at the park is explore this cave!
If you have any questions about this cave, or other adventures in Belize, feel free to leave a comment on this article, or browse my other Belize travel guides for more travel tips!
More Belize Travel Guides
★ The Best Waterfall and Swimming Spot on the Hummingbird Highway
★ My Honest Review of Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort in Hopkins, Belize
★ Visiting the Lamanai Mayan Ruins on a Jungle River Cruise
Essential Belize Travel Resources
Visiting Belize soon? Here are my favorite resources for Belize vacations.
🗺️ Hotels + Vacation Rentals: I always use this site for for hotels. They have an easy-to-use platform and great rewards. When I’m looking for a vacation rental, I compare Vrbo and Airbnb.
💪 Travel Insurance: Travel insurance is an essential for any trip! I use SafetyWing, which has affordable rates and coverage for many adventure sports.
🚠 Tours + Activities: Viator (owned by Trip Advisor) is the best site for comparing and booking experiences with local tour operators in Belize.
🚗 Car Rentals: Use DiscoverCars, a highly-rated platform for comparing and booking rental cars around the world.
📱 Easy phone plans abroad: Use this company to get an eSIM for phone coverage while traveling—without getting a SIM card or canceling your existing plan (unless you want to!)
🎒 Essentials always in my bag: Check out my ‘in my bag‘ page for the items I always have in my carry-on.