Best Day Trips from San Salvador
Are you looking for the best day trips from San Salvador, El Salvador?
Read on for my top picks!
El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, and the capital San Salvador makes a convenient base for taking day trips around the country, especially for travelers who are short on time.
I spent four days in San Salvador at the start of my trip to this country and took several day trips.
I’d recommend booking tours in order to maximize your time and minimize the hassle of getting around on your own. Many of these day trips are not easily accessible by public transportation, and while you can rent a car and visit these places on your own, driving in El Salvador can be challenging.
Below I’ve highlighted the best day trips you can take from San Salvador. I visited all of these destinations on my trip to El Salvador, so I’ll also share my personal experience for each place.
⭐ Short on time? These are the top tours and activities I recommend. If you book directly through a link on this page, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Stay to Wander!
Best Day Trips from San Salvador:
- Santa Ana Volcano hike and Lake Coatepeque tour
- Ruta de Flores and Cafe Albania tour
- El Tunco beach and Tamanique Waterfalls tour
Ruta de Flores
The Ruta de Flores, or Route of Flowers, is one of the best day trips from San Salvador. The Ruta de Flores is a scenic drive connecting five charming small towns in the Western Highlands of El Salvador. From San Salvador, it’s about a two-hour drive (or a little longer) to the Ruta de Flores depending on traffic.
I personally booked this day trip which included stops in two of the towns (Juayua and Ataco de Concepción) as well as a visit to Cafe Albania, which is famous for its thrill rides like the rainbow slide and bicycle zipline. The tour includes these two rides as well as entrance to the rainbow wings swing.
I really enjoyed the tour. The two towns I visited were charming and Cafe Albania was a lot of fun.
Another option is this full-day tour which includes a shorter stop at Cafe Albania, a visit to Ataco de Concepción, a visit to the Salto de Malacatiupan waterfalls, and time at the Santa Teresa hot springs.
Santa Ana Volcano
Santa Ana Volcano is one of the coolest day trips from San Salvador. Personally, I think this hike is a must-do experience while in El Salvador. Santa Ana Volcano is the tallest volcano in El Salvador (and there are many!) What’s really unique about it is the neon green sulphur lake inside its crater.
The volcano is located about 1.5 hours from San Salvador. You cannot do the hike to the top on your own; it requires a local guide. The best time to hike up is in the morning before it gets too crowded. You have to reach the crater by the early afternoon anyway because they close it due to high winds later in the day.
I highly recommend this small group tour which includes a morning hike to Santa Ana Volcano and then lunch at nearby Lake Coatepeque, combining two beautiful destinations into one day trip.
The hike to the top of the volcano took my small group about two hours, and this was going at a pretty slow pace. I’m not a big hiker, but I found the hike to be pleasant and only a little bit challenging. Going first thing in the morning definitely helped, because it wasn’t too hot (or too crowded yet.)
Lake Coatepeque
Another scenic day trip from San Salvador is Lake Coatepeque. Like I mentioned above, this place combines really well with Santa Ana Volcano since the two destinations are only about 20 minutes apart.
You can book the same tour I did which includes a morning hike to Santa Ana Volcano followed my lunch and some time to relax at Lake Coatepeque. This crater lake is very beautiful with clear blue water. You can swim in the lake, rent Jet-Skis, take a boat tour, or simply relax at one of the lakefront restaurants here.
If the idea of hiking Santa Ana Volcano doesn’t appeal to you, you might want to book this more relaxed day trip instead, which includes time in Cerro Verde National Park and Lake Coatepeque.
You’ll take a less intense 45-minute walk around the rim of an extinct volcano in Cerro Verde National Park, then do a boat tour in Lake Coatepeque and enjoy some relaxing free time at the lake.
El Tunco
El Tunco is a beach town on the Pacific Coast just 45 minutes from San Salvador. It’s known as “Surf City” because it’s huge hotspot for surfers thanks to its great waves. I actually spent a few days in El Tunco, but its proximity to San Salvador means that you can also visit the beach very easily on a day trip as well.
This day trip looks like a good option. It includes a hike to the Tamanique Waterfalls (which I did not do because I heard it was a fairly strenuous hike — but it looks amazing!) and free time at the beach. If you aren’t interested in the waterfall hike, this tour is another option that just includes time at the beach.
Alternatively, you can take an Uber to El Tunco from San Salvador (this is how I got there) for about $25. The only issue you might run into is getting an Uber back to the city since El Tunco is quite small.
Suchitoto
Another great day trip from San Salvador is Suchitoto. This small colonial town is 1.5 hours north of San Salvador and is worth a visit for its quaint cobblestone streets and location on Lake Suchitlan.
I personally took this day trip which included a visit to Suchitoto as well as a guided tour of San Salvador’s historic center. One of the highlights of the tour was lunch at Casa 1800, a boutique hotel overlooking the lake. I also enjoyed the contrast of bustling San Salvador after small, peaceful Suchitoto.
Another option is this small group tour, which includes a visit to El Boqueron National Park combined with a visit to Suchitoto to explore the colorful streets of this colonial town and cultural capital.
El Boqueron
Looking for a super easy and quick day trip from San Salvador? Head to El Boqueron National Park! This extinct volcano and national park is located just 30 minutes outside the city center and is actually quite small. You only need an hour to walk through the whole national park and see each of the viewpoints.
I actually took an Uber from my hotel to El Boqueron, which only cost about $5. The entrance fee to the national park is then only $2. The only problem I had was not being able to call an Uber to go back. I ended up having to take a taxi which they called for me, and it was more expensive at $12 to go back to the city.
If you’d prefer to take a tour, this small group tour is a great option. It includes a visit to El Boqueron, as well as a visit to Picnic Steakhouse which is home to the original rainbow slide in El Salvador. You’ll also take a tour of the historic center of San Salvador, which is an area that’s definitely worth a visit.
Best Day Trips from San Salvador
This guide showed you the best day trips from San Salvador, El Salvador.
In my opinion, Santa Ana Volcano and Lake Coatepeque are two of the best destinations to visit on a day trip from San Salvador, and you can easily combine them into one day on a tour like this one.
The Ruta de Flores is another great day trip if you’d like to explore small towns and see beautiful scenery, while El Tunco is the perfect option for a beach day and located just 45 minutes from the city.
Enjoy your trip to El Salvador!
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