Why do we recommend this 3 week El Salvador itinerary? Well, it includes the country’s most popular tourist destinations as well as some hidden gem spots. Plus, it allows 4 nights in each place so you won’t feel rushed.
While waiting for our work visas to come through from Canada we decided to go on an almost 3 month backpacking trip through Mexico and Central America. And one of the places we had earmarked for a short visit was El Salvador. However, after doing some more research we decided to extend our time to 3 weeks in El Salvador. Because well, it sounded like our kind of place – stunning, uncrowded beaches and friendly locals. And it’s off-the-beaten-path (we love that!)
We fell head over heels in love with El Salvador, in fact, it’s easily one of our favorite countries we’ve ever visited. And that’s saying something, seeing as we’ve visited 50+ countries to date! We had an amazing time on our 3 week El Salvador itinerary. We ticked off the country’s biggest tourist destinations – San Salvador, El Tunco, and Santa Ana.
With 3 weeks in El Salvador, we even got to hike up a volcano, do a night-time bike ride around the streets of San Salvador, and explore the beautiful Ruta de Los Flores!
In the below El Salvador itinerary, you’ll learn how long to spend in each destination, see why each place I’ve listed is worth visiting, and read about the best hotels, restaurants, and things to do in each spot.
The PERFECT El Salvador Itinerary
This El Salvador itinerary starts in the country’s biggest city – San Salvador as that’s where the international airport is located. From there, you will escape the hustle and bustle and head for the black sand surf beach of El Tunco. After that, it’s time for more relaxation at El Cuco – a hidden gem of a beach. Next, hit up Santa Ana – the country’s second-largest city where you can hike up a volcano. Finally, you’ll end this El Salvador itinerary on the gorgeous Ruta de Los Flores.
San Salvador (4 Nights)
First up on this El Salvador itinerary is the country’s often-misunderstood capital and biggest city – San Salvador.
If you’re coming from overseas it’s likely you’ll be flying into El Salvador International Airport, as this large airport has flights from all over the world. From the airport, it was around an hour’s drive to our hotel. We pre-booked the taxi on Welcome as we heard there could be long queues at the taxi rank. The ride cost us $25 USD.
San Salvador is consistently labeled as one of the most dangerous cities in the world but for us, we felt nothing but safe the entire time. However, I don’t recommend spending too much time in downtown San Salvador. And of course
Instead, we based ourselves in Colonia Escalon. We stayed at the excellent Hostal Cumbres del Volcan here and highly recommend it. This a safe residential neighborhood about a 15-minute bus ride from downtown and next to the World Trade Center. About a 20-minute walk away is El Paseo, a massive shopping center filled with every store and restaurant you could imagine. Plus it has the most comfortable and well-equipped cinema I’ve ever been to.
Some of our favorite things we did in San Salvador include a night-time bike ride (highly recommend this) a half-day guided tour of the downtown area and a tour of the San Andres Mayan Ruins. You can read about each of these in more detail below –
Night Bike Ride with Ciclistas Urbanos:
One of the best things we did during our El Salvador itinerary was a night bike ride through San Salvador. Sure, a night bike ride through the streets of one of the most notoriously dangerous cities in the world sounds pretty intimidating. But, the little local organization that runs it – Ciclistas Urbanos has been doing this for years. And you will feel completely safe. The only thing was worried about during the bike ride was my fitness levels!
Ciclistas Urbanos is more of a cycling group for locals than a tour. In fact, I think we were the only tourists that night but they welcomed us with open arms regardless.
They meet every Thursday night to cycle a different route through the city, and some rides can be as long as 30 km. There was also a police presence for the whole ride, so you’re in safe hands.
To join in this one-in-a-lifetime activity, message them on their Facebook page. And let them know you will be coming along and if you need to rent a bike. The group meets at Parque Cuscatlan at dusk, you collect your bike here.
Guided tour of San Salvador:
If you do wish to explore downtown San Salvador, I recommend doing so on this 3-hour guided tour. That way, you’ll have a local guide with you at all times, and you’ll be transferred from place to place in a private air-conditioned vehicle. On this 3-hour tour, you’ll stop at popular sights like Iglesia El Rosario, Catedral Metropolitana, Plaza Libertad, and the National Palace. Tickets for this cost from $40 USD per person.
Day trip to San Andres Mayan Ruins:
The Mayan Ruins in El Salvador are less-visited than their counterparts in neighboring countries like Mexico and Guatemala – but that only adds to their appeal. As they’re less crowded and if you visit at the right time you may have the ruins completely to yourself!
San Andres is a former regional capital city that was once home to a population of around 12,000 people at its peak. Many of the ruins have yet to be excavated fully here. But the most impressive structures at San Andres include the Acropolis complex and La Campana, the tallest pyramid in the complex which unfortunately can only be seen from a distance. The grounds here are a popular spot with locals at the weekend – with many arriving with a picnic.
The country’s most impressive pre-Columbian ruins is Tazumal, which is located around 80 km from San Salvador. What’s left of this former powerful Mayan city is a low-key complex with an impressive ceremonial pyramid- it looks a little similar to the mighty Teotihuacan in Mexico and a pelota court.
One of the most highly recommended tours from San Salvador is this Mayan archaeological tour to San Andrès, Tazumal, and Casa Blanca (the best Mayan sites in El Salvador!) It’s a full day tour and costs around $95 USD per person.
Where to stay in San Salvador:
As I said, we stayed at Hostal Cumbres del Volcan in Colonia Escalon – a quiet and safe neighborhood that’s around a 10-15 minute drive from the downtown area. Our room was so spacious and clean and the breakfast was excellent. The staff was also so helpful in recommending places to eat nearby and helping us organize our transport through El Salvador. We paid around $35 USD per night to stay here in a double ensuite room.
El Tunco (4 Nights)
El Tunco is a tiny beach-side town about an hour’s drive from the capital San Salvador. It’s predominantly frequented by surfers or yoga instructors. And the main pathway through the town is a sandy trail, not many people wear shoes here. In fact the town is so laid-back it’s horizontal. My kind of vacation destination!
We took a bus (operated by Astrall) from San Salvador to El Tunco. It leaves from their depot on Venezuela Blvd. And when we first pulled up onto El Tunco’s sandy road, we instantly felt relaxed. In fact, we could have stayed here for longer than 4 nights.
We spent most of our time in El Tunco chilling out on the black sandy beach and going for a swim (when the waves weren’t so fierce!) My husband did try out surfing here, he booked a group lesson but I was just happy watching from the beach. We also visited the Cascadas de Tamanique waterfalls which are around a 15-minute drive away.
Oh, and some of the best pupusas we had in El Salvador. If you don’t know, pupusas are made up of a thick handmade corn tortilla and are usually filled with cheese, some meat, and refried beans. It is served with curtido (a lightly fermented cabbage relish) – sounds horrible but I promise it isn’t. We loved Pupuseria El Milagro here (I think we ate here every day for lunch!)
You can read about what we did in El Tunco in more detail below –
Go surfing:
Obviously, if you’ve come to El Salvador to surf, this is the place for you. El Tunco has some of the best surfing conditions in the world. It’s home to some of the best surf breaks in Central America. And to me (a complete novice), surfing here looked pretty scary. The waves were huge when we visited in February! My top tip for surfing here is to respect the local surfers, don’t hog the waves, and be friendly and polite.
There are lots of surf schools for you to choose from. But as I said, the surf can be very intense you have to be careful not to break your board. Yup, this happened to a guy in our hotel and he had to pay quite a lot of money to the surf school as a result.
Visit the Cascadas de Tamanique Waterfalls:
The Cascadas de Tamanique Waterfalls are a short distance (around 16 km) from the surf town of El Tunco, and during our stay there, we did a guided tour to this stunning waterfall and were so glad we did. It’s so picturesque here – the waterfalls (there are 4 of them here) are surrounded by lush vegetation and rugged rocks. And the water in the pools below is an eye-catching emerald-green color. You can even swim in the pools below the falls.
The Tamanique Waterfalls are situated on private property, so the best way to get to the falls is on a guided tour like this afternoon tour from El Tunco. It’s the one we did, and we loved it – our guide was so knowledgeable about the area and the flora and fauna here. It’s a stress-free way to explore these stunning falls as it includes return transport from El Tunco and your entrance fee. It costs from $35 USD per person.
Where to stay in El Tunco:
We stayed at La Sombra Hostel which is a short walk from the beach. Our private ensuite room was spacious and clean and there’s a lovely outdoor pool. It’s a very social place to stay and we met lots of cool people while staying here.
El Cuco (4 Nights)
We booked a shared shuttle with Gekko Explorer to take us from El Tunco to El Cuco – it cost us $35 USD per person. The only downside to this was the early wake-up call as pick-up from El Tunco was at 3 am but that meant we got to El Cuco at around 6 am.
The main reason for us coming to El Cuco was to relax at the renowned La Tortuga Verde hostel/ turtle sanctuary. It’s consistently ranked as one of the best hostels in the world by Lonely Planet. It has its own restaurant, a yoga studio, a vegetarian cafe, and a swimming pool, and you can rent surfboards for a minimal fee.
What did we get up to in El Cuco:
During our time here we surfed, sunbathed, swam in the pool, read a lot of books, ate a lot of tacos, and drank a lot of fresh coconut juice. Basically, we recharged our batteries for 3 full days.
If you’re a surfer you may be keen to head to nearby Las Flores Beach a popular surf spot. It boasts a classic sand point break and the swells here can reach up to 8 feet! Staff at La Tortuga can arrange transfers to Las Flores or you can book a surf lesson there through them.
Most tourists stay at La Tortuga Verde for their famous turtle-release program. The owner of the resort buys the turtle eggs from local poachers, then incubates the eggs and when they hatch he releases them into the ocean. When you stay here, you may be able to watch this incredible experience.
Another cool thing is that you can pick up trash from the beach out front and be rewarded with a free beer. Yep, simply show your bag full of trash to the bar staff et voila – complimentary beer!
Where to stay in El Cuco:
As I said, we stayed at and highly recommend La Tortuga Verde a hostel/ hotel that’s right on the beach. Yep, it was just a few steps onto the peaceful, rugged beach for a swim. Our private double room here was complete with a patio area and two hammocks was $25 USD a night. It was super-comfortable, and spotlessly clean, with a very strong shower. In most other countries this room would cost 4 times that.
Santa Ana (4 Nights)
Santa Ana is a rustic town in the west of the country that’s very popular with tourists as from here you can climb a volcano in Cerro Verde National Park and visit the pretty Lago Coatepeque.
It’s the second-largest city in the country and in the downtown area, one of the must-see and most striking landmarks is the Santa Ana Cathedral, a stunning example of Gothic Revival architecture that showcases intricate designs and historic grandeur.
I’ve detailed how we spent our days in Santa Ana below –
Climb a volcano:
About an hour’s bus journey from the city of Santa Ana, you will find three active volcanoes – Santa Ana, Izalco and Cerro Verde. Which together make up Cerro Verde National Park. Hiking up these trails is still considered dangerous due to a spate of robberies on the climb. And so, all volcano hikes are undertaken with a big group and an armed guard. This is the volcano tour we booked and I highly recommend it!
The tour departs from Santa Ana and has great reviews! It’s a full-day tour (around 9 hours long) and costs around $75 USD, which includes a guide, the national park fee, and as I said, pick-up to/from from Santa Ana hotels.
We climbed Volcan Izalco, and it’s pretty tough. First, you climb down 1,300 steps to get to the bottom of the volcano, and then it’s a tiring hour-long hike up an almost vertical slope. But it’s all worth it once you get to the top. On the south side of the summit, you can still see lava flowing down into the Pacific Ocean, and steam vents are still active up top. You have to be careful where you sit as some rocks are still deadly hot.
Your best option for exploring Cerro Verde National Park is to stay the night before the hike and the night after in the nearby city of Santa Ana.
BOOK the volcano tour we did here!
Day trip to Lago Coatepeque:
This lake is labeled as an up-and-coming Lake Atitlan by Lonely Planet and by many locals. But for me, it needs a lot of development before it can be considered in the same league as Lake Atitlan. A handful of cheap hotels dot the lake’s edge, but most accommodation is for the preserve of San Salvador’s elite.
For around $5 USD you can relax and enjoy lake access at one of the hotels on the northeast shore. $20 USD and you can rent a boat for a couple of hours. One thing Coatepeque does have on Atitlan, however, is that it’s safe to swim in its waters!
You can get to Lago Coatepeque easily from Santa Ana by public bus, the journey will take around an hour.
Where to stay in Santa Ana:
We stayed at an incredible hostel here (one of the best we stayed at in Central America). Hostal Casa Verde It’s spotlessly clean, with a swimming pool, a rooftop terrace, a big kitchen (with lots of free spices, freshly ground coffee, etc.), and an air-conditioned TV room loaded with every movie imaginable.
Ruta de Los Flores (4 Nights)
We used the gorgeously colorful village of Juayua (more on that below) as a base to visit the other villages on the Ruta de Los Flores, including Ataco and Apaneca. Ataco, in particular, is worth a visit or even a night or two’s stay – excellent coffee shops (serving only local coffee beans) surround the town square. Everywhere you look provides an epic panorama of the surrounding coffee fields. A local ‘chicken’ bus serves all the villages on the Ruta de Los Flores, and a one-way trip costs as little as 50c.
This full day tour brings you to all the best towns and sights on the Ruta de los Flores, we loved it and highly recommend it to all travelers who love the convenience of a guided tour. It’s a private tour which means that you’ll have the undivided attention of your tour guide. It visits the indigenous village of Nahuizalco, the Santa Teresa Hot Springs, and the cute town of Ataco. It costs from $125 USD per person.
I touched on it above but we really loved our few days in Juayua. This picturesque little town on the famed Ruta de Los Flores, full of cobbled streets, white-washed churches, and Spanish-colonial-looking buildings. Don’t be fooled by it’s size, Juayua is a bustling town during the day, filled with day-tripping tourists and visiting rural locals.
Every Sunday, a unique and crowd-pleasing Food Festival is held in the town’s Parque Central. Serving everything from fried iguana and guinea pig to the more traditional pupusa’s. Live music fills the streets, and the locals dance until the sun goes down.
Our favorite restaurant in El Salvador is located here – Restaurante R&R which serves up yummy BBQ-style meats and more.
Where to stay on the Ruta de Los Flores:
In Juayua, we stayed at Hotel Juayua and we loved our time there. It’s got a lovely garden, an outdoor pool, and epic mountain views. Our room was cozy and decorated in a traditional style and their breakfast every morning was awesome. We can’t recommend it enough!
Getting home from El Salvador:
From the Ruta de Los Flores, we headed for the land border with Guatemala, as this was the next stop on our backpacking trip. The name of this border is Las Chinimas / Valle Nuevo and from there you can get to Guatemala City easily. However, we then hopped in a taxi from the bus station in Guatemala City directly to Antigua. All in this journey took us almost a full day of travel (around 8 hours).
But, if you have your return flight to catch from El Salvador International Airport – you can either book a cab (this will cost over $200 USD as the drive will take 1.5 hours). Or you can take the public bus from Juayua to Los Naranjos and from there get a shuttle bus direct to the airport. All in all, this option will take around 2.5 hours door to door. And keep in mind the shuttle bus is costly at $140 USD.
What is the best month to go to El Salvador?
The best months to visit El Salvador weather-wise are between November and April, which is El Salvador’s dry season. Average daily temperatures during the dry season sit at around 73 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius) in the coastal areas, and it’s a couple of degrees colder inland. And there’s very little rainfall during these months.
However, turtle nesting season runs between July and November in El Salvador, so if you’re keen to see this phenomenon, you may want to plan your visit for these months.
How many days do you need for El Salvador?
I recommend spending between two weeks and three weeks in El Salvador. The longer the better – so that you can see all of El Salvador’s highlights (places like El Tunco, Santa Ana, and, the Ruta de Los Flores).
I am really happy that we followed this 3-week El Salvador itinerary as it allowed us to fully explore each destination we had chosen. We were able to spend 4 nights in each place so, we could relax and tick off the best things to do there. It was perfect.
However, if you’re short on time – two weeks is the minimum amount of time we recommend spending in El Salvador. In that case, you can still visit all of the above places, you’ll just have less time in each spot.
Thanks for reading our El Salvador itinerary!
We loved our three-week El Salvador itinerary and are just itching to return. As you have read, El Salvador is such a diverse country that giving it enough time is essential – that’s why three weeks is the ideal number of days for an El Salvador itinerary! And what are our El Salvador highlights? I have to go with the night bike ride in San Salvador, climbing Volcan Izalco and watching the sunset in El Cuco!
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You may also enjoy my other Central America posts, such as –
10 Epic Reasons to Visit Guatemala (Updated for 2025)
The Ultimate Two Week Itinerary for Belize!
Things to Know Before Traveling to Belize (2025 Guide)
Last Updated on February 6, 2025 by snaphappytravel