Top Nicaragua Tours & Vacations 2024/2025 [reviews & photos]

Nicaragua Tours & Travel Packages 2024/2025

14 Nicaragua trips. Compare tour itineraries from 5 tour companies. 63 reviews. 4.7/5 avg rating.

Small Group Nicaragua Tours

See all 13 Nicaragua trips
See all 14 Nicaragua trips

Top Nicaragua Attractions & Experiences

Top Nicaragua Experiences

    • Surfing world-class breaks on the rugged Pacific coastline. 
    • Visiting the colorful town of Granada and the surrounding volcanoes, from green and dormant to fiery and active to collapsed calderas filled with crystal lagoons. 
    • Kayaking Las Isletas of Lake Nicaragua and hiking the volcanoes of staggering Ometepe Island.
    • Diving near the Corn Islands and enjoy completely unspoiled beaches on the Caribbean coast.

Nicaragua Tours & Travel Guide

Nicaragua Attractions & Landmarks Guide

Nicaragua is known as the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes, fitting for a country with more than 50 volcanoes (19 active) and two enormous freshwater lakes - Lake Nicaragua is the largest in Central America. Adventure travel opportunities abound across these stunning landscapes, which lack the crowds and built-up tourism of neighboring Costa Rica. Off-limits for many years due to political unrest, Nicaragua today is stable and one of the safest countries in Central America. That lapse in tourism makes travel in Nicaragua a bit rustic at times, but that much more authentic for the intrepid traveler.

Surfing Nicaragua's Beaches

Nicaragua has notably caught they eye of the surfing world. The southwestern Pacific coast is a rugged stretch of wide bays and headlands; tall cliffs cut with long, isolated beaches. Serious surfers travel far for these world-famous breaks, adding a mellow, bohemian buzz to the nearby communities of Tola and Rivas. Backpacker-central San Juan del Sur is the epicenter of surf culture and infamous for its "Sunday fundays", but skip the ramshackle town and stay closer to the beach.

The area around Maderas beach makes a great base. Surf purists seeking fewer crowds also head to the northwestern Pacific coast past the gateway city of Chinendega. Once there, those in the know enjoy long swathes of beach and forest with not much in the way of roads or buildings. It's sublime.

Beyond the Beach

Nicaragua's interior manages to give the spectacular Pacific coastline a run for its money. The lush and peaceful coffee country north of Esteli is earning a reputation for rock climbing, and the pretty colonial towns of Leon and Granada are well worth a stop (bypass the capital city of Managua, still in recovery from a devastating 1972 earthquake). 

Leon is rough-around-the-edges, but the city has an impressive central plaza and the largest cathedral in Central America. It also serves as the launch point to reach Cerro Negro, a towering black ash volcano where thrill-seekers pioneered the sport of volcano-surfing. 

Granada is a colorful jewel-box of a city with Spanish architecture and a picturesque setting on Lake Nicaragua. A number of stylish boutique hotels, cafes, and restaurants add to the charm. Volcanoes, visible in every direction, offer a variety of hiking options.

Lakes and Volcanoes in Nicaragua

Then there's Lake Nicaragua itself, swirled in myth and legend. The story goes that the Mombacho Volcano erupted some 20,000 years ago and spewed 365 volcanic islands into the lake, one for each day of the year. Some of these jungle islands are uninhabited, some have fancy summer houses, and some are home to a community of people whose entire existence is built around this lake. 

Visit 'Las Isletas' on a day trip from Granada or spend a few nights at one of the lovely island eco-lodges. Explore by kayak or paddle board, keeping an eye out for the freshwater bull sharks unique the world over to this lake (more local lore; opinion is split if these sharks still exist). 

The largest island is Ometepe, about an hour south of Granada. Formed by two perfectly conical volcanoes, one dormant and one active, this island holds an important mystical place in local culture. Plan to stay overnight to explore the dense tropical vegetation, hike one or both of the volcanoes, and discover the history, archaeology, and petroglyphs of this spiritual island. 

Lastly, Nicaragua has a beautiful and tranquil Caribbean coast. The tropical hideaways of Big and Little Corn Island are especially popular for white sand beaches and calm, shallow waters.



Nicaragua Reviews & Ratings

4.7/5  Excellent
63  Reviews
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Excellent
109
Great
20
Average
5
Disappointing
2
Terrible
1
B

Beth

Mar 2020

Written on

Abandoned customers & staff in unsafe situations; cancelled and refused to refund

G Adventures are not responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic. But there are responsible for their reaction to it. Here's what they decided to do: (1) Waited until one ...

J

Judith

Feb 2024

Written on

Central America Explorer

A great diversity in scenery a true tour of contrasts. Differences between countries from architecture to wildlife to unwinding on tropical beaches and exploring May...

T

Trusted Customer

Feb 2024

Written on

Central America Explorer

Boat trip through the mangroves, Panama canal

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