Got a few days of vacation or an extended long weekend coming up? Looking for a short trip abroad without breaking the bank? Torn between choices whether to go on a beach getaway or a mountain holiday or a city break? Answers to all your questions lie in one itinerary, 5 Days in El Salvador.
In this El Salvador 5 day itinerary, we will share with you the day wise break down of the best things to do, recommendations on tours you can take, and tips on where to stay and how to get around.
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How to Plan 5 Days in El Salvador
The best part about this El Salvador 5 day itinerary is that you base yourself in one location, San Salvador.
Not too far from El Salvador International Airport, San Salvador is a big city with all amenities and conveniences of booking tours and transports. So, it becomes your perfect launchpad to explore mountains, beaches, waterfalls, volcanoes and heritage towns of El Salvador, all in just five days.
The itinerary assumes your arrival in El Salvador on the night of Day 0 or on Day 1 morning.
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Day 1: San Salvador City Tour and El Boqueron National Park
From ancient Mayan civilization to Spanish colonial rule, to civil war until almost the end of the 20th century to dangerous gang mafia to now, one of the model countries on the global map for growth and development, El Salvador has been through a lot over the centuries.
Of course, there is a lot to process for putting everything into perspective over the next 5 days. So, what better place to start than the historic center in the capital city itself.
We recommend starting your Day 1 in El Salvador with a city tour of San Salvador. Your guide not only shows you the local attractions but also shares historical contexts and the socio-economic constructs of El Salvador.
The city tours usually take half a day and have two slots, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. But if you have the full day available, book an extended tour where you combine history and nature.
On the full-day combo tours, you get the San Salvador city tour part as well as visit El Boqueron National Park. Situated on the outskirts of the capital, the national park has short and nice trails that take you to various viewpoints of San Salvador volcano, a double crater volcano. Some tours even include a stop at the Picnic Steak House where you get to ride the instagrammable rainbow slide.
Recommended Tours
If you arrived the morning of Day 1, sign up for a half-day city tour option. It is a good way to get introduced to the city and the history of El Salvador.
However, if you arrived the night before on Day 0, go for a full-day tour. On such full day tours, you will get a combination of city, history, culture and nature.
- San Salvador City Tour + El Boqueron National Park + Pupusas Tasting (Full Day | Private Tour)
- El Boqueron + Rainbow Slide + Historic Center (Full Day | Group Tour)
- San Salvador City Tour + Pupusas Tasting (Half Day | Group Tour)
- Related video: 2 Days in San Salvador
Left: Us at the historic center of San Salvador. Right: Us with the double crater volcano behind us at El Boqueron National Park.
Day 2: Cerro Verde National Park
Prepare for a long but rewarding day for Day 2 in El Salvador.
A little over an hour’s drive away, Cerro Verde National Park is going to be the highlight of the day. The national park is home to three crown jewels of El Salvador, three volcanoes – Izalco Volcano, Cerro Verde Volcano and Ilamatepec Volcano (also popularly known as Santa Ana Volcano).
For the adventurous among you, the best activity to pick is the Santa Ana Volcano hike.
On your way to summit the highest volcano of El Salvador, you get treated to enchanting views of Izalco Volcano, valleys and mountains.
At the top, an emerald crater lake and panoramic views of Lake Coatepeque await you. You can seal the joy of finishing the hike by visiting Lake Coatepeque on your way back.
If you are not up for a somewhat strenuous hike, alternatively you can choose a more relaxing tour.
On such tours, you get to viewpoints of the volcanoes of Cerro Verde National Park. This requires some easy hiking. You also go to see Coatepeque Lake and visit some of the important Mayan ruins sites like Joya de Cerren and San Andres.
Recommended Tours
- Related reading: The Complete Guide to Santa Ana Volcano Hike
- Related video: Hiking Santa Ana Volcano
Left to Right: Us, (1) at the Santa Ana volcano summit, (2) at a cafe with Lake Coatepeque view.
Day 3: Day Trip to Suchitoto
After an intense day of visiting the volcanoes, you may be looking for something simple for your Day 3 in El Salvador.
Located about 51 km (32 miles) from the bustling capital city of San Salvador, lies the quaint little town of Suchitoto. Make a day trip to arrive at this place so close on the map, yet so distant in character.
Walk on the cobblestone streets, wander about town and explore the colorful neighborhoods.
See the picturesque Santa Lucia church, hang out at the central park of Suchitoto and learn about the history of this important colonial town.
Visit museums and art galleries, enjoy views of Suchitlan Lake, eat pupusas and drop in at cute cafes.
Do not miss the photo ops at almost every nook of Suchitoto.
Soak in the old world charm of Suchitoto that will delight your mood and soothe your soul.
Recommended Tours
- Related reading: 15 Things to Do in Suchitoto
- Related video: Exploring Suchitoto
Day 4: Ruta de las Flores/ The Flower Route
Stretching between Ahuachapán and Sonsonate, El Salvador has a scenic mountain route called Ruta de las Flores. Spanish for the phrase “The Flower Route”, the road gets its name from the little wildflowers that bloom on the sides between the months of November and February.
Wildflowers or not, Ruta de las Flores deserves a place on any El Salvador itinerary, any time of the year.
Beautiful little towns, crisp mountain air, waterfalls and hot springs, coffee farms and adventure rides, colonial architectures and food festivals are some of the highlights of this part of El Salvador.
Nahuizalco, Salcoatitán, Juayúa, Apaneca and Concepción de Ataco are the towns that dot Ruta de las Flores.
Of course, it is not possible to see and do everything in all of these towns when you have only 5 days in El Salvador. In fact, some of these towns deserve a few days on their own. But that does not mean you have to entirely discard Ruta de las Flores from your El Salvador 5 day itinerary.
On a day tour from San Salvador, you can experience some of the highlights of Ruta de las Flores.
Different tours include different points to visit and offer different kinds of experiences. We suggest you to browse the tours and book the one that piques your interest.
Secret information: We spent one week only in Ruta de las Flores, and visited all the towns. Our favorite is Concepción de Ataco.
Recommended Tours
- Cafe Albania + Ataco Town + Hot Springs + Lunch
- Ruta de las Flores: Adventure, Hot Springs, Coffee Tour
- Full Day Ruta de las Flores Visit
Left: Us, in front of the mural wall of Ataco. Right: Us, enjoying a meal at Juayua Food Festival.
Day 5: Tamanique Waterfalls and El Tunco Beach
We have saved the beach R&R for your ultimate day on the El Salvador 5 day itinerary. But to mix things up, include a waterfall hike preceding your time enjoying sun, sea and sand.
So, on Day 5 in El Salvador, start early and head to the Tamanique Waterfalls. A beautiful hike through the jungle will lead you to not one but four different waterfalls.
You can swim at the fresh water pools, jump from rock edge into the waterfall or slide down one of the waterfalls.
Of course, all the jumping, sliding and swimming are optional activities. But visiting Tamanique waterfalls an fun-filled activity where you decide on the degree of adventure you want. But the hike does require some walking in the heat, holding on to ropes, climbing stairs and scrambling on rocks.
After Tamanique waterfalls hike, visit El Tunco beach. It is the most popular beach in the famed Surf City zone of El Salvador.
Eat some fresh seafood for lunch, enjoy time by the beach and end the day by watching a spectacular sunset at El Tunco.
Tip: El Salvador International Airport is equidistant from San Salvador and El Tunco. So, on Day 5, you can actually check out of your hotel in San Salvador to go to Tamanique waterfalls and El Tunco beach.
Later in the evening, you head directly to the airport from El Tunco to catch a night flight back home.
Recommended Tours
- Related reading: The Complete Guide to Tamanique Waterfalls Hike
- Related video: Hiking Tamanique Waterfalls
Left: Indranil, taking a swim at Tamanique Waterfalls. Right: Pubali & Indranil, during sunset hour at El Tunco beach.
Where to Stay: Hotels in San Salvador
If the same place is going to be your base for 5 days in El Salvador, find yourself a comfortable stay.
All your days are going to be packed with activities. So imagine starting with a hearty breakfast in the morning and returning to a nice hotel at the end of the day.
Here are some of our San Salvador hotel recommendations and their highlights:
- Barcelo San Salvador: A high-end hotel where all rooms come with views of city or volcano, comfortable beds, large private bathroom, TV and air-conditioning. The hotel has onsite restaurants and bars, an outdoor pool, a spa center, a fitness center and free vehicle parking. Guest love the buffet breakfast spread at Barcelo. Click here to to book your stay.
- Hotel Citlalli: Featuring a garden and a terrace, the hotel scores high on location and cleanliness. They have a 24-hour front desk for guests and offer free private parking. The rooms are aesthetically designed and have private attached bathroom, air-conditioning and television. Breakfast is included in room tariff of Citlalli. Click here to book your stay.
- Cinco Hotel B&B: A nice and affordable hotel, with pretty corners everywhere, from patio and garden to nicely appointed rooms. The rooms have wood and white look, have comfortable beds and dedicated work desks, and come with television, air conditioning, attached bathroom. The personal touch of Cinco Hotel hospitality is valued for by guests. Click here to book your stay.
You can use this Map Search Box below to browse more hotels in San Salvador and book your stay.
What to Pack 5 Days in El Salvador
El Salvador has a tropical climate with two distinct seasons, dry (November-April) and rainy (May-October).
So, for anytime of the year, pack light comfortable clothing.
For footwear, put on comfortable walking shoes. Do not forget the flip-flops for dipping your toes in the sand at the beach.
Also bring hiking boots and a light jacket if you are going for the volcano hike.
Apart from clothing and footwear, here are some other must-have items on your El Salvador packing list:
- swimwear for waterfalls, beaches and hot springs
- insect repellant for days in the jungle
- sunscreen – use a reef-safe sunscreen like this to protect marine life.
If visiting El Salvador during the rainy season, also pack a rain poncho.
How to Get Around for 5 Days in El Salvador
The key to optimizing El Salvador 5 day itinerary is to minimize your time on transfers and transportation.
We have already unlocked the first part of the puzzle by basing your stay in San Salvador only.
So, you will be spending zero time on transfers between destinations, apart from airport transfers only, upon arrival and at the time of the departure.
For the second part, that is transportation, there are two ways to go about it:
- Option 1: Book tours – All the tours we have recommended on this El Salvador itinerary include round trip transportation from San Salvador, often with pick up and drop off directly at the hotel. This way, you will not need to bother about ground transportation at all. For transfers between airport and your hotel in San Salvador, you can just book Uber.
- Option 2: Rent A Car – If you do not wish to book tours and instead visit all the places independently, your best bet is to rent a car. Check Discover Cars to find and compare car rental deals across different car rental companies in El Salvador. For this 5 day itinerary, you can pick up and return the rental car at the international airport.
I do need to call our that the public transport network in El Salvador is quite good and also economical. It consists of mainly buses, nothing fancy, but reliable. However, we recommend this option, not for this 5 day itinerary, but for longer trips in El Salvador.
Final Thoughts on El Salvador 5 Day Itinerary
Five days is a good enough duration to explore some of the best highlights of El Salvador. It is a compact itinerary packed with action and adventure, but without the hassle of transferring between destinations.
However, if you have more time, you can take it slow and spend more days in each place instead of making multiple day trips. Or may be after this 5 day trip to El Salvador, you will long to return for another balmy vacation and a few more pupusas amongst the warmth of Salvadoran people. So, bookmark these for then:
- El Salvador 2 Week Itinerary
- Salto de Malacatiupan Hot Springs Waterfalls
- Tazumal Mayan Ruins Visit Guide
Travel Planning Logistics
- Accommodation: For several years now, Booking.com has been our platform of choice for booking accommodation while traveling. You can apply all the desired filters and shortlist the ones that meet your criteria. On continued use, you will keep unlocking their Genius benefits. For long term stays, we use Airbnb. Of late, we have also started browsing Hostelworld for finding hostels.
- Tours: When traveling to new destinations, you can plan ahead and book your activities. Check for highly rated tours on Viator and Get Your Guide.
- Packing: From swimwear to sunscreen, hiking pants to insect repellents, buy your vacation packing essentials on Amazon.
- Flights: We always start our flight searches with Skyscanner and Momondo. They are aggregators that display flight options, compiling information across airlines and combinations. What we like the best about these flight aggregators is that you can put “Anywhere” as your destination, so that you find the best flight deals from your city of departure.
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