Central American Highlights
Overview
Highlights
- Take in the highlights of five fascinating Central American countries in just two weeks
- Discover rich wildlife, rainforests and volcanoes
- Explore colourful colonial towns and sacred Mayan sites
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Itinerary

Join trip in Antigua Guatemala, the graceful colonial city that sits just next door to the country's capital Guatemala City. Set in a beautiful valley between the volcanoes of Agua, Fuego and Acatenango, its cobbled streets and pastel-coloured buildings make it one of...
This morning's walking tour takes us to some of the spectacular colonial churches for which the city is famed, including those of San Francisco, Santa Clara, La Merced and Las Capuchinas. Some of the churches have museums and ruins attached which you can choose to ent...
This morning, we continue our journey to the town of Panajachel on the shores of Lake Atitlan, which will be our base for the night. An old volcanic caldera, Lake Atitlan is considered to be one of the most spectacular lakes in the Americas and is certainly the deepes...
After an early start, we will head north towards the highlands of the El Quiche Province and the bustling town of Chichicastenango. Steeped in Maya culture, the town is famed for its market, where you can buy everything, from chickens and copal, to pigs and pottery. T...
Today we need to depart at around 4.30am to beat the traffic in Guatemala city and get on the road to Copan. The journey takes approximately 6 hours including the border crossing into Honduras. We will cross Honduras at the border known as Frontera El Florido. Plea...
This morning we have 2 border crossings, passing back into Guatemala before crossing into El Salvador. Driving through scenic countryside, we arrive at the pretty town of Las Palmas, with its charming walls covered with drawings by the town's children. We make a l...
The morning has been left free for you to spend as you wish. You may take a boat trip out onto the lake, where over 200 bird species have been recorded, including hawks and falcons. This afternoon, our destination is the port town of La Union, around a 3.5 hour dri...
We start our day by driving to the port, before hopping on the ferry across the Gulf of Fonseca. On the journey, you can see the islands of three countries: El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. We expect the ferry to take around 2 hours. Our destination is the port t...
After yesterday's long travel day, today has been left free to explore this colonial gem at your own pace. Alternatively, you may choose to enjoy one of the optional excursions available in the area. One option is a hike on the nearby Cerro Negro Volcano - one of the ...
This morning we head off on a three-hour drive to the colonial city of Granada. Atmospheric Granada is situated at the foot of Mombacho Volcano on the north-west shore of Lake Nicaragua. It was the first colonial city in Nicaragua, founded in 1524 by the conquistador ...
This morning, we have the chance to hike the scenic loop around Mombacho Volcano, located in Mombacho Volcano Natural Reserve. This 1.15km (1 mile) medium difficulty trail offers breathtaking panoramic views of Lake Nicaragua and the city of Granada. Along the way, a ...
This morning we wave goodbye to Nicaragua and head to our final country on this journey - Costa Rica! We have a two-hour drive to the border where we will be changing vehicles once through into Costa Rica. We then have a one-hour drive to the coastal haven of Bahia Sa...
This morning, we drive three and a half hours to Monteverde - one of the most well-known places in Costa Rica to see wildlife. This evening, we will have the adventure of a night walk, in search of nocturnal species such as pacas and tarantulas.
Meals Provided : Breakfast
Rising early, we head into Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve for a guided walk, searching for a glimpse of the three-wattled bellbird or the Quetzal, whose feathers were traded as valuable items throughout pre-Columbian America. You have the afternoon free to explore th...
This morning has been left free to enjoy the optional excursions in the area. We then make the three-and-a-half-hour drive to the capital of San Jose. On arrival we will have a short panoramic tour of San Jose including a walk along Avenida Central and, if open a stop in Mercado Central.
Meals Provided : Breakfast
The trip ends this morning at our hotel in San Jose. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like an airport tra...
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The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
Explore! Reviews & Ratings
Trusted Customer
Mar 2025
Central American Highlights
Great trip. Full on pace, would have to skip activities to slow down! A cultural and nature trip. Guatemala was my favourite country; the Mayan history and culture. ...
Trusted Customer
Jan 2025
Central American Highlights
Poor accommodation experience at Hotel Austria in Leon. Apart from that the accommodation was good.
Jeff
Dec 2024
Central American Highlights
2 national parks closed. 1 for a year and 1 because of floods that had been there a month, but nothing else seemed to be put in place. Poor start to trip but it did...
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Mar 2025
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A fabulous trip. I haven’t been with Explore for about 20 years, but it was as wonderful an experience as ever. A good combo of activities, walking, and interacting ...
Marion
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A great and affordable trip with excellent opportunities for spotting a range of animals and birds. Some quite long drives but with a good range of visits - glass m...
Nicholas
Mar 2025
Fantastic so easy to book
Really helpful colleagues who articulated what they would do regarding flights.
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