The Ultimate 10-Day El Salvador Itinerary: Volcanoes, Colonial Towns & Mayan Ruins

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Thinking about visiting El Salvador? You absolutely should. This small but up and coming Central American country is full of colorful colonial towns, epic volcano and waterfall hikes and rich history. Most people have skipped El Salvador do to its high crime rates, but after some drastic measures in recent years it’s now one of the safest countries in Central America. I advise you to get there before the crowds catches on!

After exploring El Salvador during my travel through Central America I think I found the perfect itinerary for visiting El Salvador without a car. This 10 day itinerary takes you through the best places to visit—including San Salvador, Suchitoto, Santa Ana, and the stunning Ruta de Flores—while recommending where to stay, where to eat, and the coolest things to do each day.

Where to start?

I’m starting this itinerary in Santa Ana because it‘s the natural starting point if you're traveling through Central America and arriving from Guatemala Or Honduras. If you’re traveling through Central America the opposite way, just flip the itinerary and it works just as well. If you visit El Salvador as the only country on this trip you’ll most likely fly in to San Salvador, so just start there and flip the itinerary around.

How is the itinerary built up?

You can choose to travel around El Salvador in different ways, either by renting a car and driving across the country, or by basing yourself in a couple of cities and explore the surrounding areas from there. This itinerary is based on the last option, with bases in Santa Ana and San Salvador. I will also give some recommendations and alternatives for those of you who choose to rent a car. In the end I’ve added a couple of other places you might want to explore if you have more than 10 days in El Salvador or if you want to travel around much quicker than I do.

4 Days in Santa Ana

Santa Ana is probably the most popular place to visit in El Salvador. The city in itself is absolutely cute, but the main draw is all the activities you can do from there.

Transport to Santa Ana

Getting to Santa Ana is quite easy with a shuttle from other neighboring countries. You can book shutles directly from Antigua or El Paredon in Guatemala, or from Copan Ruinas in Honduras. This is easily booked on site in the city you’re coming from.

If you're flying in and want a shuttle directly from the airport to Santa Ana it’s nice to have booked it. You can book your shuttle here in advance.

Best places to Stay in Santa Ana

Santa Ana has lots of budget-friendly and mid-range options, but there are two places that stand out which I would personally book if I go back to Santa Ana.

Hostel Casa Verde

This hostel is famous for a reason. It’s super clean, has a pool, a rooftop, and big kitchens if you want to cook. Plus, the owner Carlos is a legend — he’ll help you plan your hikes and day trips like a pro. Even if you’re not usually a hostel person, stay here, we did and loved it! All our trips were planned from here and it was amazing!

Remfort Hotel

If you want something a bit more private and upscale, Remfort Hotel is a beautiful boutique option. It has comfy beds, air conditioning (important!), and a small pool. Great for couples or anyone wanting a bit more luxury without breaking the bank.

Best places to eat in Santa Ana

Hostel Casa Verde Even if you don’t stay here you can come and eat! The food is delicious! I recommend the salmon and mashed potatoes.
Simmer Down Cozy place right next to the main square. It has really good pizza and affordable prices.
Street Food at Parque Libertad Head over to the city center and find a stall selling something that looks good! There is so much to choose from.

Day 1: Arrive in Santa Ana and explore the city

Start with just getting your bearings and wander around the city. Explore the city center with Santa Ana Cathedral as the main attraction and relax in Parque Libertad in the afternoon. If you’re feeling up for it you can book a guided tour of the city to learn some more about the old and recent history of El Salvador.

Book the best walking tours in advance

Guided Walking Tours in Santa Ana

Santa Ana Historical Night Walk

Santa Ana City center

Day 2: Hike the Santa Ana Volcano

Today you’ll hike the Santa Ana Volcano (Ilamatepec), one of the most iconic adventures in El Salvador. The hike takes about 3–4 hours round-trip and offers an amazing view into the turquoise crater lake at the summit. If you book a tour you’ll most likely also get to visit the nearby lake. The easiest option is to book this through your Hostel when you arrive.

Day tour to Santa Ana Volcano

Day 3: Ruta de Flores and Seven waterfalls hike

How much time to spend along Ruta de Flores really depends on how much you want to see and what time of the week you’re visiting. You can see it all in one day, but many people choose to spend a night here, especially during the weekend. If you have a car I recommend spending the night, if not I recommend doing it as a day trip. You can alternatively choose to add another day and do the towns of Ruta de Flores in one day and the Water fall hike the next day. We did both on the same day and it was amazing. Our Hostel arranged a driver for us that took us to all the places we wanted to see.

Ruta de las Flores and Seven waterfalls hike

Day 4: Explore the ancient ruins of Tazumal

Today we change it up a bit and head to Tazumal. This is in my opinion the best Maya ruins to see in El Salvador. It’s not huge, but you can easily spend half a day getting here, strolling around and visiting the museum. If you have more time later on you can explore more of Santa Ana if you didn’t have time for that on Day 1. We took an Uber here, so its not a long trip.

6 Days in San Salvador & Suchitoto

The capitol of El Salvador has a completely different vibe than the calm town of Santa Ana. I usually don‘t like capitals in Central America, but I really liked my time in San Salvador.

Transport to San Salvador

Unlike many of the other countries in Central America there isn’t really that many shuttle companies operating in El Salvador, but getting from Santa Ana to San Salvador isn’t hard. You can choose to take the local bus directly, route 201, or take an Uber. I know it sounds a bit extravagant, but it’s what I did and it wasn’t that expensive.

Best places to stay in San Salvador

San Salvador is a huge city so it’s important to find a place to stay in the right area. My recommendation is to stay in either Escalon or Zona Rosa. Below you’ll find some Hotels I recommend staying at.

Hostal Cumbres del Volcan

For budget travelers, this cute little hostel or guesthouse might be ideal. Clean rooms, lovely owners, and a peaceful garden. It’s in Escalon so close to lots of great places to eat.

Barcelo San Salvador

If you’re looking for something a little fancier, the Barcelo is a great pick. Rooftop pool with views of the volcano, spa, huge breakfast buffet — the whole deal.

Villa Serena Escalon

This is a great option for those looking for a Mid-range option. It even has a cute little courtyard in the back to relax in.

Best places to eat in San Salvador

Oye Chico This is my favorite in the city. Amazing Cuban food, not to pricey and a cute garden to eat in.
Roberto Candra A bit pricier, but the food and the view in this Peruvian restaurant is amazing.
Roof garden Not a restaurant, but I recommend coming here for drinks in the evening.

Day 5: Travel day to San Salvador and settle in

After checking in, stretch your legs with a walk through Bicentenario Park, the largest urban green space in the country. It’s a local favorite for jogging, people-watching, and soaking up the mountain views that surround the capital.

Day 6: Discover San Salvador’s history and culture

Today is all about diving into El Salvador’s culture. Begin in the historic center, where you can visit the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Palace, and the beautifully restored Teatro Nacional. Another highlight in the city that you can’t miss is the Iglesia El Rosario. This is probably one of the coolest churches I’ve ever seen.

Exploring San Salvador

Day 7: Day trip to Boquerón Volcano

El Boquerón is just a 30 minute drive outside the city, so it’s the perfect escape into nature. You can take a short hike which leads you to the volcano crater and get some epic views of San Salvador. The trail is well-marked and beginner-friendly, making it great for a half-day adventure.

Day 8: Explore ancient ruins and UNESCO heritage sites

Central America is filled with wonderful ruins to explore, but I’ve never been to another one quite like Joya de Cerén in El Salvador. It’s often called the «Pompeii of the Americas», and will give you a completely different view of what it was like living here in ancient times. The eruption covered the city in ashes which preserved it in a way so it’s possible to see the villages people used to live in. I thought it was really interesting.

If you want you can also take a detour to the close by ruins of San Andrés.

Joya de Cerén

Day 9: Head to Suchitoto for a day

If you have more time to spend in El Salvador I do recommend spending a night here, but it‘s also possible to do this as a day trip from the capital. This is a picture-perfect colonial town perched above Lago Suchitlán and one of my favorite towns in El Salvador. Wander the streets, have lunch at Casa 1800 and choose to either take a tour of the lake or head to Cascada Los Tercios.

Find the tour to Suchitoto that suits you

Combo Tour: San Salvador Volcano (El Boqueron) and Suchitoto colorful town

The Best Colonial Town with Clobbestone Streets: Suchitoto and Ilopango Lake

Exploring Suchitoto

Day 10: Last day in El Salvador

Sadly your time in El Salvador has come to an end. You can choose to explore more of San Salvador today before heading to your next destination. If you have more time to spend in El Salvador you can consider adding El Tunco or El Zonte for some chill beach vibes and surfing. If El Salvador is part of a bigger tour around Central America it makes sense to head there and book a shuttle to Nicaragua from El Tunco.

Final Thoughts

I think El Salvador is such a fascinating country! It’s especially interesting to visit now before tourism gets big, but it has become a safe country to travel to. I’m sure more and more will add this to their travel plans in the years to come so I would advice to head there before the crowds arrive. It definitely had a completely different feeling to it than the other countries in Central America. It’s hard to describe, it‘s something you have to experience.

If you have any questions about this itinerary or travel in El Salvador, don’t hesitate to reach out to me on social media. I would love to connect and help out!

- Ingrid