Great Blue Hole tours come as full-day dive and snorkel trips or hour-long scenic flights, leaving from Caye Caulker, San Pedro and Belize City. Caye Caulker's boat trips include the park fees.
Great Blue Hole tours come in three kinds: a scenic flight to see the circle, a full-day dive trip into the hole, or a full-day snorkel trip along its rim. The cheapest way to see the Great Blue Hole is a snorkel trip from Caye Caulker at US$190 with park fees included, or a pooled seat on a Caye Caulker charter flight at US$250. Our overview covers whether the Great Blue Hole is worth seeing for each kind of trip.
| By airScenic flight | By boatDive trip | By boatSnorkel trip | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | US$250 a seat | US$355 | US$190 |
| Time | About 1 hour | Full day, 3 dives | Full day, 3 stops |
| Leaves from | Caye Caulker, San Pedro, Belize City | Caye Caulker, San Pedro, Belize City | Caye Caulker, San Pedro |
| What you see | The full circle, the reef and Turneffe | Stalactites at about 130 ft, then two reef walls | The coral rim, Half Moon Caye and the Aquarium |
| You need | Nothing; no swimming | Open Water at least; most operators want Advanced or logged deep dives | Confident swimming |
| Park fees | None listed by the airlines | Included from Caye Caulker; US$40 cash elsewhere | Included from Caye Caulker; check elsewhere |
| Flight options | Dive trips | Snorkel trips |
The Great Blue Hole dive and snorkel tours you can book online leave from San Pedro, with boat pickup at 5:15 to 5:30 am, so from Caye Caulker you would need to stay on Ambergris Caye the night before.1 The private flight tour leaves from Belize City's municipal airport.
Prices checked November 2026 and can change, so check the live price before you book. We may earn a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.
Three Caye Caulker operators run Great Blue Hole day trips, and all three include the US$40 park fees in their price. These trips are booked directly with the operator on the island; we don't earn a commission on them.
| Tour | Price | Included | Starts | Minimum group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dive trip, 3 dives | US$355-370 | Park fees and lunch; gear at two of the three operators | 5:00-6:00 am | 10 at some operators |
| Snorkel trip, 3 stops | US$190-200 | Park fees and lunch | 5:00-6:00 am | 10 at some operators |
Boats are back between about 4:00 and 5:00 pm. Snorkel trips run on select dates at some operators, so ask when you book.2, 3, 4
| Flight | Price | Schedule | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared scenic flight | US$260-292 a seat | Set days, not daily; 8:45 am or 1:00 pm | About 1 hour; circles the hole twice |
| Small charter flight | US$250 a seat | Confirms with 3-5 people; 1-2 are pooled with others | A 5-seat plane, so every seat is a window seat |
From San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, Great Blue Hole dive and snorkel trips are planned daily and run once at least 10 divers or snorkelers sign up. The US$285 dive price leaves out gear, 12.5% GST and the park fees, so check the all-in cost of a Blue Hole dive before you compare. These are the tours you can book online, listed above.1
From Belize City, dive and snorkel boat trips to Lighthouse Reef leave at 7:00 am and are back by 5:00 pm, once 12 divers and snorkelers combined book. The price isn't published online.8 Shared scenic flights also leave from Belize City, and the private flight tour listed above leaves from the city's municipal airport.
A scenic flight is the only way to see the Great Blue Hole's full circle. Shared flights cost US$260-292 a seat from Caye Caulker and last about an hour; a private plane from Belize City costs far more. Helicopter tours run only as private charters, priced per group.
Flights loop over the hole twice so both sides of the plane get a view, and pass the barrier reef and Turneffe Atoll on the way out.6 They're weather dependent and some fares are non-refundable, so keep a spare day.5
There is no skydive over the Great Blue Hole that you can book: the jumps run as an annual event for licensed skydivers, with an occasional tandem and no public price.9, 10
A Great Blue Hole tour costs about US$190-200 to snorkel and US$355-370 to dive from Caye Caulker, with park fees included. Scenic flights cost US$250-292 a seat for about an hour in the air.
The boat ride to the Great Blue Hole takes 2-2.5 hours each way from Caye Caulker, San Pedro or Belize City, so the full trip runs from about 5:00 or 6:00 am to 4:00 or 5:00 pm.
Flying over the Great Blue Hole is worth it if you want to see the famous circle, because the shape is only visible from the air. A flight takes about an hour, needs no swimming and leaves the rest of your day free.
Book a Great Blue Hole tour a few days ahead, because some boats only run once 10 or more people sign up and the small flight planes fill up. Leave a spare day in case weather cancels your trip.
The best time of year to visit the Great Blue Hole is February to April, the driest months at Belize's nearest official weather station, with 4-6 rain days a month. June to November is hurricane season, and October is the wettest month, at about 12 in of rain. November to May usually brings calmer water and better visibility for diving.