Tour Overview
| Duration | 9 Days / 8 Nights |
|---|---|
| Destination | El Salvador, Honduras & Guatemala — Maya Triangle |
| Price From | $3,295 per person (twin share) |
| Group Size | Small group — max 12 |
| Best Season | November — April |
| Data Source | Mesoamerica Travel / 2026 verified multi-country pricing |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive San Salvador
Airport pickup and transfer to hotel. Afternoon exploration of San Salvador’s Historic Center. Welcome dinner featuring pupusas — the national dish of thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, beans, and chicharron. Overnight in San Salvador.
Day 2: El Salvador’s Maya Legacy
Full day: Joya de Ceren (UNESCO — the Maya Pompeii), San Andres acropolis, and Tazumal’s monumental pyramid. Each site represents a different facet of Maya life: farming village, administrative center, and ceremonial complex. Afternoon: drive to Ataco on the Ruta de las Flores. Overnight in Ataco.
Day 3: Santa Ana Volcano & Lake Coatepeque
Morning volcano hike to the turquoise crater lake. Afternoon: Lake Coatepeque for swimming and relaxation at this volcanic crater lake. Overnight near Santa Ana.
Day 4: Cross-border to Copan, Honduras
Morning drive through the Guatemala border region to Copan Ruinas, Honduras. Afternoon: Copan Sculpture Museum and orientation. Overnight in Copan.
Day 5: Copan — Master Sculptors of the Maya
Full day: the Great Plaza stelae, Hieroglyphic Stairway, Ball Court, Acropolis, and Las Sepulturas elite compound. The Rosalila Temple replica is a revelation — seeing the original stucco decoration in brilliant color, preserved by being buried intact. Overnight in Copan.
Day 6: Quirigua, Guatemala — The Tallest Stelae
Morning drive 2 hours into Guatemala to Quirigua (UNESCO World Heritage). While a smaller city than Copan (its rival), Quirigua’s stelae are the tallest in the Maya world — the largest (Stela E) rises 10.6m and weighs 65 tons. These monuments record Quirigua’s defeat of Copan in 738 AD, when its ruler Cauac Sky captured and beheaded Copan’s king 18 Rabbit, a seismic event in Maya politics. The site’s zoomorphic altars (massive carved boulders shaped like mythical creatures) are unique in Maya art. Overnight in Copan.
Day 7: Macaw Mountain & Return to El Salvador
Morning: Macaw Mountain bird sanctuary. Then drive back through Guatemala to western El Salvador. Afternoon: relax at a coffee plantation hacienda in the Apaneca-Ilamatepec mountains — El Salvador’s premium coffee-growing region. Overnight at a coffee finca.
Day 8: Coffee Country & El Imposible National Park
Morning: coffee tour — from bean to cup at a working plantation, including a cupping session with the estate’s Q-grader. Afternoon: El Imposible National Park — El Salvador’s largest protected area, a 5,000-hectare tropical forest named for the “impossible” gorge that traders had to cross. Biodiversity includes pumas, ocelots, and over 500 butterfly species. Short hike to viewpoints. Farewell dinner at the finca. Overnight at coffee hacienda.
Day 9: Departure
Morning at leisure. Transfer to San Salvador International Airport.
Included
- 8 nights accommodation
- Daily breakfast + 3 dinners
- Expert archaeological guide
- All Maya site entrances (Joya de Ceren, Tazumal, Copan, Quirigua)
- Coffee plantation tour & tasting
- All cross-border transit facilitation
- Transportation & airport transfers
