🇸🇻 San Salvador Walking Tour: My Honest Review & Tips

San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, highlights many of the drastic, positive changes that the country has recently undergone. Using a clear rating system, I share my honest review of taking a walking tour there, along with firsthand tips.

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🍀 Lukiih’s Verdict

Doing a walking tour in San Salvador is a great way to learn more about El Salvador’s recent transformation from being known as the “murder capital of the world” to one of the safer destinations in the Americas.

• The walking tour I took focused on San Salvador’s historic center and some notable attractions right outside of it. By exploring this area, you can get a sense of how the capital has changed under President Bukele. You can also witness the contrast between some of the older streets and the newly renovated buildings and parks. However, you won’t have time to go inside notable attractions like the National Library and National Palace.
• The San Salvador walking tour I took is affordable. The tour costs $30 and lasts close to 4 hours, covering over 2 miles of the historic center.
• Minimal preparation is required. You’ll need to wear comfortable shoes, book the tour a day ahead, and figure out how to arrive at the meeting point, Cuscatlán Park.

Planning a trip? Here’s what to know about El Salvador.

🏆 Where Does It Rank?

Taking a walking tour of San Salvador ranks as the #9 experience I had in El Salvador. Here’s how it compares to other things I did on my trip:

	Experience	Location	Overall Rating
1	🌊 7 Waterfalls	Ruta de Las Flores	7.7
2	🌋 Santa Ana Volcano	Santa Ana	7.4
3	🌈 Café Albania	Ruta de Las Flores	6.5
4	🍖 Juayúa Food Festival	Ruta de Las Flores	6.0
5	🏄‍♀️ El Tunco Surfing Lesson	El Tunco	6.0
6	⚽ Cuscatlán Stadium Soccer Game	San Salvador	5.7
7	📚 National Library of El Salvador	San Salvador	5.4
8	😈 Puerta del Diablo	San Salvador	5.4
9	🚶‍♀️ Historic Center Walking Tour	San Salvador	5.3
10	🚶‍♀️ Centro Walking Tour	Santa Ana	5.0

My El Salvador itinerary features the above experiences.

For more detailed tips on my experience, check out my trip planner below.

El Salvador Trip Planner 2025

Download my trip planner to make your travel preparation effortless. It features up-to-date travel information and a well-researched itinerary informed by firsthand experience. Each section is customizable so it can be as lightweight or as hyper-organized as you like.

My trip planners are built on Notion, which I use for all my planning. I genuinely love this tool and creating an account is free.