Looking for the ultimate 1-week El Salvador itinerary? This is the guide for you!
El Salvador has so many wonderful things to offer. From lush landscapes to world-class beaches and colorful towns, there are so many amazing things to do during a one-week visit. And don’t forget about the delicious pupusas!
I visited El Salvador solo for one week in March 2025.
I have carefully created this itinerary for you based upon my personal experience, taking into account what worked and what didn’t!
Some of the best things to do on a 1-week El Salvador itinerary include: San Salvador, Santa Ana Volcano, Coatepeque Lake, a pupusa-making class, colorful towns and hot springs along Ruta de Flores, and a day at the beach.
El Salvador 1-Week Itinerary
Day 1: San Salvador
Begin your adventure in the country’s capital of San Salvador. This is a great starting point if you are looking to spend your trip taking day trips from the country’s major city or to simply begin your trip in the city closest to the airport.
1. Free Walking Tour
I HIGHLY recommend beginning your trip with a free walking tour.
I have always loved getting my feet wet in a new city, but I particularly enjoyed this experience in San Salvador. For starters, it was the first place I made friends during my solo female travel in El Salvador, and it also allowed me to view the country from a local lens.
Tip: Other major cities like Santa Ana also offer free walking tours. If you decide to begin your trip in Santa Ana (like I did!), this will also be an option for you here.
2. San Salvador Central Market
I highly recommend stopping at the market after your tour for a couple of reasons! Your tour is likely going to end in the historic center, and that is where the market is located.
The market closes at 5:00 pm, so stopping here now would be a good time. And third, you likely will not be purchasing a full lunch or dinner at the market, so now would be a great time to grab a snack!
Tip: Ask your walking tour guide about what to try at the market before heading over. Alternatively, you can choose to sign up for a San Salvador food tour.
3. Iglesia de Rosario
Iglesia de Rosario in San Salvador is known for its unique, modern design and colorful stained-glass windows. The church’s striking architecture makes it one of the most iconic landmarks in the city.
Most walking tours will not take you through the church. I highly recommend visiting!
Tip: The church is closed between 12:00-2:00 pm daily.
4. Grand Palace
El Salvador’s Grand Palace absolutely took me by surprise. The huge, towering building is grand and full of international design.
Full of marble flooring from Turkey and roof tiles from Belgium, the building was crafted with materials from around the world.
Visitors can explore its elegant courtyards, impressive murals, and grand rooms that showcase El Salvador’s rich history and cultural heritage.
5. National Theater of San Salvador
You are also required to enter the theater with a tour guide for $2. The theater is open until midnight daily. However, it is occasionally closed for private events.
Stay: I highly recommend the La Zona Hostel located in the Zona Rosa (or San Benito) neighborhood of San Salvador.
A private two-bedroom room costs approximately $50/night. The room was extremely clean and spacious, making it super comfortable.
I thought this was a great price for the quality. The hostel also provides a simple breakfast.
⭐Popular Hotels in San Salvador
Day 2: San Salvador
1. El Boqueron National Park
Begin your day with an hour or two at the quiet, calm Boqueron National Park. This is just the start of scratching your itch for volcanoes!
Some people recommend skipping Boqueron because it’s nowhere near as epic as Santa Ana Volcano. But I recommend visiting for a few reasons:
- It’s a 15-minute walk up a few staircases to the top. And there are bathrooms along the way. You can’t beat that!
- It’s so close to San Salvador, so why not? I got there via a $4 Uber in about 20 minutes tops.
Clearly, it’s a lot lower key than other treks in the area. I appreciate that it offers a more accessible way to check out a local volcano!
2. Lunch at El Atico
Enjoying lunch at Atico was one of my favorite things I did in San Salvador! You can’t beat the views, and they are known to make some of the most delicious pupusas.
There are a few other locations in the area.
⭐Stay: Zona Rosa Hostel
3. National Library
Head back to the Historic Center and check out the 24-hour national library. It’s a great way to wind down, and I’ve never been in a library like this before!
Tip: You can catch some amazing sunset views here
4. Cuscatlan Park
If you have extra time, I recommend exploring green spaces in El Salvador, like Cuscatlan Park. This happens to be a starting point for one of the free walking tours, so you may have already scratched this park off your list.
The 18-acre green space is filled with culture, from a public art installation to a mural of the national bird painted proudly along one of the park’s staircases.
Day 3: Santa Ana
Depart for Santa Ana via the 6:00am public bus from the Terminal de Occidente in San Salvador.
1. Free Walking Tour
Your goal will be to arrive by 9:00 am for the Santa Ana free walking tour. Of course you can choose to complete this tour on a different day or skip the tour.
While I did not take the walking tour myself, the Santa Ana one specifically came HIGHLY recommended by some fellow travelers I met.
(I even considered returning to Santa Ana for a day trip to take this tour and a pupusa-making class).
2. Pupusa Lunch at Claudia’s
Claudia’s Pupuseria is highly rated in El Salvador! I absolutely loved it here.
They open early in the morning and close late at night. The colorful “I love pupusas” backdrop inside the restaurant is just an added plus.
Claudia makes the pupusas at the front of the restaurant, and you can see how much care goes into each fresh pupusa Claudia makes!
(I also loved the live music performers that popped in for 10 or so minutes during my dinner visit.)
3. Pupusa Making Class
Taking a pupusa-making class in Santa Ana is a fun and hands-on way to experience El Salvador’s most iconic dish.
You’ll learn from local cooks, who will guide you through the process of making masa (corn dough), filling it with cheese, beans, chicharrón (pork), or a mix of ingredients, and mastering the technique of shaping and cooking them on a traditional comal (griddle).
Tip: There is also a pupusa-making class in El Zonte if this beach is on your itinerary!
Day 4: Santa Ana Volcano Hike and Coatapeque Lake
1. Santa Ana Volcano Hike
Hiking Santa Ana Volcano is one of the top adventures in El Salvador. It was my favorite day of my El Salvador trip!
The 4-5 hour round-trip hike takes you through lush forests, rocky slopes, and windy ridges, with panoramic views of Lake Coatepeque, Izalco Volcano, and the Pacific Ocean (on clear days!)
The highlight is reaching the vibrant turquoise crater lake, a steaming, mineral-rich pool inside the active volcano.
Read Next: How to Hike Santa Ana Volcano
2. Coatepeque Lake
Hang out at a restaurant and jam along with music at a local restaurant on Coatepeque Lake after your hiking adventure!
Lago de Coatepeque is a crater lake surrounded by lush green hills and volcanic slopes. Visitors can rent a kayak from a local restaurant or hotel or take a boat ride.
Tip: Restaurant prices at Lake Coatepeque are significantly more expensive since you’re paying for the location!
Alternate Option: Spend the night at a hotel on Coatepeque Lake instead of Santa Ana to give yourself more time here. Some travelers appreciate a full day relaxing on the lake. For me, an afternoon visit was enough!
Day 5: Ruta De Flores: Juayua and Nahuizalco
1. Breakfast at Juayua Hotel
For a breakfast with views, I highly recommend grabbing breakfast at Juayua Hotel. This is also where I stayed on my Ruta De Flores trip.
It’s a bit of a splurge, but it’s cheaper than other highly rated hotels with a view along the flower route like Casa 1800 Los Naranjos.
2. Juayua City Center
Explore the lovely small town of Juayua. Juayúa is one of the most charming towns along Ruta de las Flores, known for its colorful streets, colonial architecture, and lively atmosphere. A must-see is the Iglesia Santa Lucía, a beautiful white church.
Visitors can stroll through the central park, where street vendors sell local snacks, fresh fruit, and artisan goods.
3. Lunch at Juayua Food Market
If you are in Juayua over the weekend, it’s known for one of the largest food markets in El Salvador.
My trip, unfortunately did not line up with the weekend market, so I was not able to experience this (Bummer!)
4. Hot Springs
One of the best ways to unwind in El Salvador’s Ruta de las Flores is by soaking in the hot springs!
One of the most popular springs is Termales de Santa Teresa, a beautiful thermal spring resort surrounded by lush jungle.
Getting to the hot springs can be challenging without private transportation. Termales de Santa Teresa is located down a rough, unpaved road.
The closest public bus will only drop you off on the main road, leaving you with a long, difficult walk to the entrance. For obvious safety reasons, I wouldn’t recommend this!
Visiting with a tour, a private driver, or a rental car is highly recommended. Many Ruta de las Flores tours include a stop at the hot springs as part of their itinerary.
If you’re renting a car, be prepared for some bumpy roads. Uber is not a reliable option here, as it’s unlikely you’ll find a driver for the return trip.
⭐Popular Hotels on Ruta de Flores
Day 6: Ruta De Flores: Waterfalls and Night Market
1. Cholera Waterfall
After eating breakfast, I recommend visiting La Cholera Waterfall with a guide. Most visitors report being charged at the start of the hike. It didn’t always used to be like this, but it appears it’s near impossible to complete without a charge.
The trail is also not clearly marked, so I’m not sure exactly how you would complete it without a guide!
I paid $15 for a trip to the waterfall. I was picked up from Juayua Hotel, guided via hike down to the waterfall, swam and relaxed there for about an hour, and then dropped back off at the hotel. The total time, including pick-up and drop-off, was about 3 hours.
3. Dinner at Nahuizalco Night Market
Nahuizalco, one of the neighborhoods on the Ruta de Flores (closest to Juayua), offers the only night market in El Salvador!
I unfortunately wasn’t able to make it to the night market during my trip. Ubers were not available, and I did not receive a clear answer from my hotel on how to transfer buses. The hotel was going to charge $35 round trip for the market. As it was only 20 minutes away, I thought this was too expensive and chose to skip it.
Other popular things to do along the Ruta de Flores are:
- Rainbow slide in Apaneca
- Laguna Verde
- Click here for a complete Ruta de Flores guide
Day 7: Beach
El Salvador’s Pacific coast is famous for its stunning black-sand beaches, world-class surf, and laid-back vibe.
You have a few different choices for beaches that are all without 90 minutes of San Salvador.
This makes it convenient to choose whether you will spend the day at your chosen beach and return to San Salvador in the evening or whether you would like to spend a night or two at the beach.
El Tunco is a famous beach town, but it’s also the most touristy and is considered less authentic compared to other beaches. For a more local experience, many travelers prefer El Zonte, a quieter surf town with a relaxed atmosphere, or La Libertad.
I did not go to the beach during my trip! Beaches, while traveling, are often not a huge priority of mine, and I chose to spend more of my relaxation along the mountains of Ruta de Flores.
⭐Day Trip: Tamanique Waterfalls and El Tunco Beach from San Salvador
⭐Popular Day Tours from San Salvador
Conclusion
A week in El Salvador offers a blend of adventure, culture, and relaxation.
From hiking Santa Ana Volcano and exploring charming towns along Ruta de las Flores to soaking in hot springs and unwinding on black-sand beaches, this small but vibrant country has something for every traveler.
Whether you’re chasing waterfalls, savoring pupusas, or watching the sunset over Lake Coatepeque, El Salvador’s natural beauty and warm hospitality make it an unforgettable destination.
By the end of the week, you’ll have experienced the diverse beauty and charm of El Salvador!
