Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Guatemala to Costa Rica: the Central American volcano trail
18 days overland from Antigua to San José: Lake Atitlán, Copán, Suchitoto, León, Granada, Ometepe, Rincón de la Vieja, Arenal and Monteverde, five countries and five land borders.
18 days · Guatemala City to San José · up to 12 guests
Fishing boats on Lake Atitlán, with the volcano San Pedro behind Photo: Nanhosen at en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lake_Atitlan_in_Guatemala.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 18 days, 17 nights
- Start and end
- Guatemala City to San José
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly walks of 2 to 4 km on cobbles, forest trails and stone steps, a 45 to 60 minute climb up loose gravel on Cerro Negro (about 700 m above sea level), and three long road days with border queues where you carry your own bag. Every demanding day has an easier option to sit part of it out.
- Meals included
- 17 breakfasts, 13 lunches, 4 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 680 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- Lake Atitlán by private boat in the calm of the morning, with a weaving cooperative in San Juan la Laguna
- Copán's Great Plaza and Hieroglyphic Stairway at the 8 am opening, before the heat and the day visitors
- A boat across the Gulf of Fonseca from El Salvador to Nicaragua, instead of two more land borders
- The black gravel cone of Cerro Negro at first light, then the white rooftop of León cathedral
- Masaya Volcano's crater rim at dusk and Las Isletas by boat from Granada
- Two nights on Ometepe, an island of two volcanoes in Lake Nicaragua
- Mud pots at Rincón de la Vieja, Arenal at opening and an evening in volcanic hot springs
- The Monteverde cloud forest at its 7 am opening with a naturalist and a telescope
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 680 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Antigua
La Aurora International Airport, Guatemala City, to Antigua
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Antigua
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into La Aurora International Airport (GUA) in Guatemala City, ideally landing by about 3 pm; the latest arrival time is confirmed with your final itinerary.
Afternoon
A driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the drive of about 45 km west to Antigua, roughly an hour, more when afternoon traffic leaves the capital. Antigua sits at about 1,500 m in a valley ringed by three volcanoes, Agua, Fuego and Acatenango, and Fuego often puffs ash in the distance. It was the Spanish colonial capital until the earthquakes of 1773, and its cobbled grid of painted houses and ruined churches has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the eighteen days ahead: the five countries, the five land borders, which three days are long and why, and what to keep in your day bag. Then we walk to a welcome dinner of Guatemalan dishes such as pepián, a spiced stew.
Included
- Pick-up at La Aurora International Airport (GUA)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner in Antigua
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Up to Lake Atitlán
Antigua to Panajachel on Lake Atitlán
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Panajachel
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We leave Antigua at about 9 am, once the morning traffic has cleared, and climb west on the Pan-American Highway through pine woods and maize fields, about 115 km and two and a half to three hours. Above Sololá the road tips over the rim of the caldera and the whole of Lake Atitlán opens up below: deep blue water at about 1,560 m, held in by the cones of San Pedro, Tolimán and Atitlán.
Afternoon
We stop at the viewpoint before winding down to Panajachel, the lake's main town and our base for two nights, in time for a late sit-down lunch near the water. The afternoon is free and deliberately slow after the flight. Walk the lakeshore path, browse the stalls on Calle Santander for woven belts and huipils, or sit by the water while the light goes gold on the volcanoes.
Evening
Your guide suggests places for dinner and explains why tomorrow's boat leaves straight after breakfast.
Included
- Drive to Lake Atitlán with a stop at the Sololá viewpoint
- Sit-down lunch in Panajachel
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Panajachel
By boat to the lake villages
Panajachel by boat to Santiago Atitlán and San Juan la Laguna, then back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Panajachel
- By boat
Afternoon
Boats go out in the morning on Lake Atitlán, because an afternoon wind locals call the xocomil often whips the water into chop after midday. So we board our own boat at the Panajachel dock after breakfast. The crossing to Santiago Atitlán takes about half an hour, with San Pedro and Tolimán rising on either side. In the largest Tz'utujil town on the lake we walk up through the market to the 16th-century church of Santiago Apóstol and its memorial to Father Stanley Rother, the American priest killed here in 1981, then visit the house where a religious brotherhood keeps Maximón this year; the folk saint moves to a new home every year. A short hop across the bay brings us to San Juan la Laguna, where women's cooperatives dye cotton with plants and weave on backstrap looms, and we watch a demonstration. Lunch is in San Juan, and we are back in Panajachel by early afternoon, before the wind. The rest of the day is yours.
Included
- Private boat on Lake Atitlán
- Santiago Atitlán with your guide: the church of Santiago Apóstol and the Maximón house
- Weaving cooperative demonstration in San Juan la Laguna
- Sit-down lunch in San Juan la Laguna
Optional experiences
- Sunrise hike up the Indian Nose (Rostro Maya) with a local guide, about a 4 am start
Easier option: Stay on the boat or at a cafe in San Juan while the group walks up to the church in Santiago.
More active option: Join the optional pre-dawn hike up the Indian Nose for sunrise over the three volcanoes, back in time for the boat.
Free time: Afternoon free in Panajachel
Back to Antigua on foot
Panajachel to Antigua, then a walking afternoon
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Antigua
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
The lake is often glassy at first light, so the early hour is yours for a walk or a kayak along the shore.
Afternoon
We leave Panajachel at about 8:30 am and drive back east, about two and a half to three hours, to Antigua for a sit-down lunch. In the afternoon your guide walks you through the old capital: the arcaded Palace of the Captains General on the Parque Central, the cathedral front with the roofless ruins of the older church behind it, the yellow Arch of Santa Catalina, built so cloistered nuns could cross the street unseen, and La Merced, its facade covered in white plaster ornament. Inside the ruined church of San Agustín, now a small museum, you see how archaeologists dug through the earthquake rubble to the floors and burials below.
Evening
Before sunset we climb the steps to Cerro de la Cruz, about 20 minutes up, for the view over the tiled roofs to Volcán de Agua. The evening is free; tomorrow starts early.
Included
- Sit-down lunch in Antigua
- Guided walk of Antigua: the Parque Central, the cathedral ruins, the Santa Catalina arch, La Merced and the San Agustín church museum
- Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint before sunset
Easier option: Skip the Cerro de la Cruz climb and wait for the group in a cafe on the Parque Central.
Free time: Evening free in Antigua
Long day 1: across the border to Copán
Antigua to Chiquimula, the El Florido border and Copán Ruinas, Honduras
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Copán Ruinas
- Drive about 6 h
Evening
This is the first of three long days in a row, and the reason is geography: no flight joins Antigua and Copán, and a stop halfway would add another one-night hop and a slower border morning. So we leave at 7 am, one of five starts before 8 am on the trip, each named, and break the road into legs. We skirt Guatemala City and follow the Motagua valley east, with a coffee stop and a sit-down lunch in Chiquimula, about 280 km and six hours of driving in all. A mountain road then climbs to the El Florido border. Your guide collects passports and walks the group through: the Guatemalan exit stamp, a short walk across, then the Honduran desk, where officers take a photo and fingerprints and a small entry fee is charged, which we pay. It usually takes 30 to 60 minutes. Our vehicle, or a partner vehicle that meets us on the Honduran side, takes us the last 12 km to Copán Ruinas, a small town of cobbled streets at about 600 m. The evening is free on the plaza.
Included
- Drive to Copán with coffee and lunch stops
- Sit-down lunch in Chiquimula
- El Florido border crossing with your guide (border 1 of 5: Guatemala to Honduras), entry fee paid by us
Free time: Evening free in Copán Ruinas
Activity: About 6 hours of driving plus 30 to 60 minutes at the border; the van stops every 90 minutes or so.
Long day 2: Copán at opening, then El Salvador
Copán archaeological park, then El Florido, Esquipulas and the Anguiatú border to Suchitoto, El Salvador
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Suchitoto
- Drive about 6 h
We walk the kilometre out of town to be at the gate of the archaeological park for its 8 am opening, before the heat and the day visitors. Copán, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, was a Classic Maya royal city whose sculptors carved deeper and rounder than anywhere else in the Maya world. With a local guide you walk the Great Plaza among the stelae of the ruler known as 18 Rabbit, stand beside the Hieroglyphic Stairway, the longest known Maya inscription, and read the line of sixteen kings around Altar Q while scarlet macaws call from the trees.
Afternoon
At about 11 am we leave, cross back into Guatemala at El Florido and drive to Esquipulas for a sit-down lunch beside the white Basilica of the Black Christ. About 45 minutes on, at Anguiatú, we leave Guatemala and enter El Salvador, usually a quick check under the CA-4 agreement.
Evening
From Metapán it is about three hours to Suchitoto, about 270 km of driving today, arriving in the evening, at about 7 pm, for a late dinner on the plaza.
Included
- Copán archaeological park entry with a local guide at the 8 am opening
- El Florido border back into Guatemala (border 2 of 5)
- Sit-down lunch in Esquipulas, with a stop at the Basilica
- Anguiatú border into El Salvador (border 3 of 5)
- Dinner in Suchitoto
Easier option: Walk the Great Plaza and the Hieroglyphic Stairway with the guide, then rest in the shade at the park entrance while others climb the acropolis.
More active option: Before breakfast, walk the riverside lane to the Las Sepulturas residential group, about 2 km out of town (ask your guide the evening before).
Activity: About 2.5 hours on foot at Copán on grass and stone steps, then about 5.75 hours of driving and two borders.
Long day 3: by boat across the Gulf of Fonseca
Suchitoto to La Unión, boat across the Gulf of Fonseca to Potosí, Nicaragua, then León
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in León
- Drive about 6.5 h
The longest day of the trip, and the third in a row; after it the pace changes, with two nights in every base. Going round the Gulf of Fonseca by road means two more borders through Honduras and about eight hours in the van, so we cross it by boat instead, two to three hours on the water in place of a second day on the road.
Morning
We leave Suchitoto at about 6 am, after an early breakfast as the sun comes up over Lake Suchitlán, and drive about 200 km, roughly four hours, east to the port of La Unión, where your guide takes the group through Salvadoran exit formalities. A boat chartered for our group, sailing late morning rather than at the 7 am time of the shared transfers, carries us across the gulf, about two to three hours past the volcanic islands that El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua share, with Cosigüina volcano ahead.
Evening
At Potosí we clear Nicaraguan immigration and sit down to a late lunch of fish, then drive about two and a half hours, roughly 130 km, through Chinandega to León, arriving in the early evening.
Included
- Salvadoran exit at La Unión and Nicaraguan entry at Potosí with your guide (border 4 of 5), Nicaraguan tourist card paid by us
- Private boat across the Gulf of Fonseca
- Sit-down lunch in Potosí
Activity: About 6.5 hours of driving in two legs, with 2 to 3 hours on the boat and about an hour of formalities between them. If the sea is too rough, we take the road through Honduras instead and arrive later. The late-morning charter is confirmed with the boat operator when we confirm your dates.
Cerro Negro early, León cathedral by afternoon
León to Cerro Negro and back, then central León
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in León
- Drive about 2 h
Today starts early because of the heat.
Morning
Cerro Negro is a bare cone of black basalt gravel that first erupted in 1850 and last in 1999, one of the youngest volcanoes in Central America, and by late morning its gravel is too hot to enjoy. We leave León at 7:30 am, about an hour on a road that turns to dirt at the end, and climb with a local guide for 45 minutes to an hour, carrying water. From the rim, about 700 m above sea level, you look into the steaming crater and along the Maribios chain of volcanoes towards the Pacific. Most walk down the scree; some slide down on a board.
Afternoon
We are back in León for a sit-down lunch and a rest through the hottest hours. Mid-afternoon your guide walks you to the cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the poet Rubén Darío is buried, and up onto its white roof among the domes, shoes off, then past the carved yellow front of La Recolección and the revolutionary murals near the plaza.
Evening
The evening is free in León's bars and street food.
Included
- Cerro Negro with a local guide: the climb to the crater rim and the walk down
- Sit-down lunch in León
- Guided walk of central León: the cathedral and its rooftop, La Recolección and the revolutionary murals
Optional experiences
- Volcano boarding down Cerro Negro with a board, suit and goggles from the local operator
Easier option: Stay at the foot of Cerro Negro with the driver and a cold drink while the others climb; the view of the cone is good from below.
More active option: Board down the volcano on a sledge instead of walking down.
Free time: Evening free in León
Activity: About 2 hours on foot on Cerro Negro, steep loose gravel; closed shoes needed.
Masaya market, then Granada
León to Masaya, then Granada
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Granada
- Drive about 3 h
A gentle travel day after the climb. We leave León at about 9 am and drive south past Managua and Lake Xolotlán, with the cone of Momotombo on the far shore, about two hours to Masaya.
Afternoon
Its craft market, inside a walled 19th-century market building, sells hammocks, pottery, carved wood and leather, and you have an hour to browse before a sit-down lunch. From Masaya it is about half an hour to Granada, our base for two nights, which we reach by mid-afternoon. Founded in 1524, Granada is one of the oldest cities built by Europeans on the American mainland, and its grid of colourful colonial houses runs down to Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America.
Evening
The rest of the afternoon and the evening are free. La Calzada, the pedestrian street of cafes and restaurants, is a short walk from the hotel, and the lakeshore is at its end, a good place for the sunset.
Included
- Masaya craft market
- Sit-down lunch in Masaya
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Granada
Granada, Las Isletas and Masaya Volcano at dusk
Central Granada and Las Isletas, then Masaya Volcano National Park and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in Granada
- Drive about 1 h
We start at 8 am, while the streets are still in shade. Your guide walks you from the Parque Central past the yellow cathedral to La Merced, where you climb the bell tower for the view over red roofs to the lake on one side and the Mombacho volcano on the other. At the old Convento San Francisco we see pre-Columbian basalt statues brought from Zapatera Island, and you hear how the American filibuster William Walker had the city burned in 1856.
Morning
Late morning a small boat takes us out among Las Isletas, the wooded islets thrown into the lake by an ancient eruption of Mombacho, past fishermen's houses, herons and cormorants.
Afternoon
Lunch and the afternoon are yours. At about 4:30 pm we drive half an hour to Masaya Volcano National Park and up to the rim of the Santiago crater as the light goes.
Evening
When the volcano is active the crater glows red after dark; when the rangers close the rim because of gas, we watch the sunset from the Catarina viewpoint instead.
Included
- Guided walk of Granada: the Parque Central, the cathedral, the La Merced bell tower and the Convento San Francisco statues
- Boat trip through Las Isletas
- Masaya Volcano National Park entry and an evening visit to the Santiago crater rim
Free time: Lunch and the afternoon free in Granada
By ferry to Ometepe
Granada to San Jorge, ferry to Moyogalpa, then Charco Verde
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ometepe
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive about an hour and a half south to San Jorge, the port on the western shore of Lake Nicaragua. The ferry to Moyogalpa takes about an hour, and from the deck you watch Ometepe grow: two volcanoes joined by a low neck of land, the steep cone of Concepción, about 1,610 m and still active, and the lower, forested Maderas. The island is a UNESCO biosphere reserve of plantain and rice farms, small villages and roads where horses share the way with cars.
Afternoon
An island van meets us, and after a sit-down lunch we settle into our lakeside hotel for two nights. Late in the afternoon we take an easy walk at the foot of Concepción around the lagoon at Charco Verde, a small reserve where howler monkeys and white-faced capuchins are often seen, and end at Punta Jesús María, a sandbar running out into the lake, to watch the sun set behind the mainland.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Ferry from San Jorge to Moyogalpa
- Sit-down lunch on Ometepe
- Charco Verde reserve walk at the foot of Concepción
- Sunset at Punta Jesús María
Free time: Evening free on Ometepe
The Maderas side of the island
Round Ometepe to the slopes of Maderas and the Ojo de Agua spring
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Ometepe
- Drive about 2 h
Today is the slow day in the middle of the trip. We cross the isthmus to the quieter Maderas half of the island, about an hour by van along the lakeshore. With a local guide we walk for about two hours through farms and forest on the lower slopes of Maderas, a dormant volcano of about 1,394 m whose summit holds a crater lake in the cloud forest. The path is mostly gentle. On the way your guide shows you pre-Columbian petroglyphs, spirals and figures carved into basalt boulders, which are found all over the island, and explains how families here farm coffee, plantains and beans.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at a farm restaurant on the slope.
Evening
In the afternoon we stop at Ojo de Agua, a spring-fed pool shaded by trees, for a long swim in clear, cool water, and you are back at the hotel by about 4 pm for a free evening by the lake. Pack tonight: tomorrow brings the last border.
Included
- Guided walk on the lower slopes of Maderas, with pre-Columbian petroglyphs
- Sit-down lunch on the Maderas side of the island
- Ojo de Agua spring entry and time to swim
Easier option: Skip the morning walk and spend the day at Ojo de Agua; the van brings you there and the group joins you after lunch.
More active option: Walk to the San Ramón waterfall on the southern slope of Maderas instead of the petroglyph walk, about 3 to 4 hours there and back on a steady climb.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Over the last border to Rincón de la Vieja
Ometepe ferry to San Jorge, the Peñas Blancas border, then Liberia and Rincón de la Vieja
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Rincón de la Vieja
- Drive about 3 h
A long day because of the border, not the road. We leave the hotel at about 6:30 am for an early ferry to San Jorge, about an hour on the lake; sailing times are checked when we confirm your dates. From San Jorge it is about 40 minutes by van to Peñas Blancas, the fifth and last border. Your guide walks the group through each step: Nicaraguan exit, where a small fee is charged, which we pay; a walk of a few hundred metres with your bag to the Costa Rican post; then Costa Rican immigration, where you may be asked for your flight home, and customs, where bags are x-rayed. It usually takes one and a half to three hours, depending on queues nobody can predict.
Afternoon
A Costa Rican van meets us on the far side, and after a sit-down lunch in Guanacaste we drive about 100 km past Liberia to a lodge near Rincón de la Vieja National Park.
Evening
The afternoon ends in volcanic hot springs in the dry forest, with dinner at the lodge.
Included
- Ferry from Moyogalpa to San Jorge
- Peñas Blancas border crossing with your guide (border 5 of 5), Nicaraguan exit fee paid by us
- Sit-down lunch in Guanacaste
- Hot springs entry near Rincón de la Vieja
- Dinner at the lodge
Activity: A long day, about 9 hours door to door: about 3 hours of driving, an hour on the ferry and 1.5 to 3 hours at the border, carrying your own bag, broken by a sit-down lunch.
Mud pots at Las Pailas, then round Lake Arenal
Rincón de la Vieja National Park, then Liberia, Tilarán and Lake Arenal to La Fortuna
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in La Fortuna
- Drive about 4 h
Rincón de la Vieja is an active volcano of about 1,916 m in the Guanacaste Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We are at the Las Pailas gate when it opens and walk the loop trail of about 3.5 km with your guide through tropical dry forest to boiling mud pots, steaming fumaroles and a small volcano of mud, with the smell of sulphur in the air. Watch for white-faced capuchins, coatis and motmots.
Afternoon
By about 10:30 am we are back on the road for a drive of about four hours, which is why the walk comes first: south to Cañas, up to Tilarán and along the winding north shore of Lake Arenal, with a sit-down lunch by the lake halfway. As the road nears La Fortuna, the cone of Arenal comes into view if the cloud allows. We arrive in the late afternoon at our base for two nights, in walking distance of town.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Rincón de la Vieja National Park entry and the Las Pailas loop with your guide
- Sit-down lunch on the shore of Lake Arenal
Easier option: Walk the first half of the loop to the fumaroles and back, about 1.5 km, and wait in the shade at the park entrance.
Free time: Evening free in La Fortuna
Arenal at opening, the waterfall and the hot springs
La Fortuna to Arenal Volcano National Park and La Fortuna Waterfall
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in La Fortuna
- Drive about 1 h
Arenal is a cone of about 1,650 m that erupted without warning in 1968 and stayed active until 2010.
Morning
Its summit is often in cloud by late morning, so we are at the gate of Arenal Volcano National Park when it opens at about 8 am. A licensed naturalist walks us through regrown forest and over old lava flows, now covered in ferns and shrubs, to a viewpoint over the volcano and Lake Arenal, about 3 to 4 km on mostly gentle trails, with a telescope for toucans, howler monkeys and coatis.
Afternoon
We are back in town by noon; lunch is your choice and the early afternoon is free. Mid-afternoon we drive about ten minutes to La Fortuna Waterfall, roughly 70 m high, dropping into a forest pool. A viewpoint sits at the top; the pool is about 500 steps down, and you can swim.
Evening
As the light goes we drive to one of the hot spring parks around town, where water heated by the volcano runs through pools in gardens, and dinner is included there.
Included
- Arenal Volcano National Park entry and a guided walk with a naturalist
- La Fortuna Waterfall entry
- Hot springs entry with dinner
Easier option: Stay at the viewpoint at the top of La Fortuna Waterfall instead of taking the 500 steps down to the pool.
More active option: Swim in the pool at the foot of the waterfall, then walk the river path below it with your guide.
Free time: Lunch and the early afternoon free
Across Lake Arenal to Monteverde
La Fortuna by van and boat across Lake Arenal, then up to Santa Elena (Monteverde)
- Breakfast
- Stay in Monteverde
- Drive about 2 h
There is no direct road from La Fortuna to Monteverde, and the drive round Lake Arenal takes about four hours, so we cross the lake instead.
Morning
After breakfast a short drive takes us to a dock near the Arenal dam, where a covered boat carries the group and our bags across the water, with the volcano behind us when the sky is clear. Lake Arenal is a reservoir, the largest lake in Costa Rica, formed when the dam was finished in 1979. On the far shore our van meets us for the climb into the Tilarán hills, the last stretch on a winding, partly unpaved road, to Santa Elena, the village beside the Monteverde reserves at about 1,400 m and noticeably cooler than the lowlands.
Afternoon
We arrive around midday; lunch and the afternoon are yours to settle in or walk the village.
Evening
At dusk we go out with a naturalist on a two-hour night walk in a private reserve, torch in hand, looking for tree frogs, tarantulas, sleeping birds and, with luck, a sloth.
Included
- Boat across Lake Arenal
- Guided night walk with a naturalist in a private reserve
Free time: Lunch and the afternoon free in Santa Elena
Inside the Monteverde cloud forest
Santa Elena to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, then a hanging-bridges park
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Monteverde
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve opens at 7 am, and birds are most active in the first, quietest hour, so we are at the gate with breakfast served early. With a licensed naturalist and a telescope we walk about 3 km of trails under trees thick with mosses, bromeliads and orchids, listening for the metallic call of the three-wattled bellbird and looking for the resplendent quetzal, seen most often from about February to April. The reserve was founded in 1972, with land from the Quaker families who settled here in the early 1950s.
Afternoon
We come back to Santa Elena for a sit-down lunch together. In the afternoon we walk the hanging bridges at a canopy park nearby: trail and suspension bridges at treetop height, which show the cloud forest from the level where most of its life happens. If cloud or rain closes in, your guide swaps the morning and afternoon.
Evening
In the evening we sit down to a farewell dinner, on the last night, five countries after Antigua.
Included
- Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve entry and a guided walk with a naturalist
- Sit-down lunch in Santa Elena
- Hanging-bridges walk at a canopy park
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Walk only the first hour in the reserve and rest at the visitor centre cafe, or skip the bridges and take the afternoon free.
More active option: Go back into the reserve in the afternoon on your own ticket for the longer trails to the continental divide viewpoint.
Down to San José airport
Santa Elena (Monteverde) to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), near San José
- Breakfast
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
Breakfast is early so the morning has no rush. We leave Santa Elena at about 8:30 am and wind down out of the hills to the Pan-American Highway, then up into the Central Valley by Route 1 and the Route 27 toll road, or the Route 1 Central Valley road, depending on traffic, about 150 km and three and a half hours of driving with a coffee stop, to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO), which sits just outside San José at Alajuela. We aim to reach the airport by about noon, so book a flight home that leaves after about 3 pm.
Evening
Your guide sees you to check-in and says goodbye there, eighteen days, five countries and five land borders after the welcome dinner in Antigua. If you would rather stay on in Costa Rica, for the Pacific beaches, the Caribbean coast or a night in the capital, tell us when you book: we can drop you at a hotel in San José instead and arrange extra nights, transfers and day tours. Lunch today is your own.
Included
- Drop-off at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
Activity: Book a flight home leaving after about 3 pm.
- Guatemala Citystart
- Antigua1 night
- Panajachel2 nights
- Antigua1 night
- Copán Ruinas1 night
- Suchitoto1 night
- León2 nights
- Granada2 nights
- Ometepe2 nights
- Rincón de la Vieja1 night
- La Fortuna2 nights
- Monteverde2 nights
- San Joséend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: December to April is dry along the whole route, with clear mornings for the volcanoes; March and April are hot in León and Guanacaste. Arenal and Monteverde can be cloudy or wet in any month, which is why we go at opening. Resplendent quetzals are seen most often in Monteverde from about February to April, and howler monkeys and capuchins are common on Ometepe and at Rincón de la Vieja.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the whole Central American isthmus in one trip, overland
- Volcanoes, cloud forest and colonial towns rather than beaches
- A guide who handles five borders for you
- Solo travellers who want company and fair pricing
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who dislikes long road days: days 5 to 7 are about 6 hours of driving each
- Step-free access: cobbles, gravel slopes, boats and border walks with your own bag
- A beach holiday; this trip has no beach nights
- Travellers who want one country in depth: see our single-country trips
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
17 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Antigua1 night
- Panajachel2 nights
- Antigua1 night
- Copán Ruinas1 night
- Suchitoto1 night
- León2 nights
- Granada2 nights
- Ometepe2 nights
- Rincón de la Vieja1 night
- La Fortuna2 nights
- Monteverde2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 17 nights: 2 in Antigua (1 at the start, 1 after the lake), 2 in Panajachel on Lake Atitlán, 1 in Copán Ruinas, 1 in Suchitoto, 2 in León, 2 in Granada, 2 on Ometepe, 1 at a lodge near Rincón de la Vieja, 2 in La Fortuna and 2 in Santa Elena (Monteverde)
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at La Aurora International Airport (GUA) and drop-off at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)
- A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver in each country, with partner vehicles meeting the group at borders where plates cannot cross
- A private boat on Lake Atitlán
- A private boat across the Gulf of Fonseca from La Unión to Potosí
- Boat trip through Las Isletas
- Ferries between San Jorge and Ometepe both ways
- Boat across Lake Arenal
- All five border crossings with your guide, border fees paid
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, in all five countries
- Local guides at Santiago Atitlán, Copán, Cerro Negro and on Ometepe
- Licensed naturalists at Arenal and in Monteverde
Activities
- Antigua guided walk, the San Agustín church museum and Cerro de la Cruz
- Santiago Atitlán and the San Juan la Laguna weaving cooperative
- Copán archaeological park
- The Basilica in Esquipulas
- Cerro Negro climb
- León cathedral and its rooftop
- Masaya craft market
- Granada guided walk and the La Merced bell tower
- Masaya Volcano National Park at dusk
- Charco Verde, Maderas petroglyph walk and Ojo de Agua on Ometepe
- Rincón de la Vieja National Park (Las Pailas) and hot springs
- Arenal Volcano National Park and La Fortuna Waterfall
- Hot springs evening in La Fortuna
- Monteverde night walk, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and a hanging-bridges park
Meals
- Breakfast daily (17)
- 13 sit-down lunches
- Welcome dinner in Antigua, dinner in Suchitoto, dinner at the Rincón de la Vieja lodge, dinner at the hot springs and a farewell dinner in Monteverde
Not included
- International flights to Guatemala City and from San José
- Travel insurance (must cover all five countries)
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities: the Indian Nose sunrise hike and volcano boarding on Cerro Negro
- The Copán tunnels and Sculpture Museum, if you choose to visit them in free time
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 680 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 3,395 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 3,675. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 3,995.
What does the price include?
Seventeen nights in central hotels and a park lodge, breakfast daily, 13 sit-down lunches and 5 dinners, a private vehicle and driver in each country, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, local guides and naturalists, all five border fees, the lake and gulf boats, every entry in the day plan from Copán to the Monteverde reserve, and airport transfers at both ends.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That keeps the borders quicker, lets everyone hear the guide at Copán and in the cloud forest, and fits the group around one table at lunch. Comparable trips on this route run with up to 16 or 18 travellers.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the Guatemala City airport on day 1 to San José airport on day 18, through all five countries and every border. Local guides join at Copán and Cerro Negro, on Ometepe, and licensed naturalists lead the walks at Arenal and Monteverde.
How long are the drives and border days?
Days 5, 6 and 7 are long: about 6, 5.75 and 6.5 hours of driving, with borders and, on day 7, two to three hours on a boat. Day 13 is about 9 hours door to door because of the ferry and the Costa Rican border. We name these days and break each with a sit-down lunch.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. Cerro Negro is a 45 to 60 minute climb on loose gravel, and most walks are 2 to 4 km on uneven ground. Each demanding day has an easier option: wait at the foot of the volcano, swim at Ojo de Agua instead of walking, or turn back early on a loop.
I am travelling alone. Do I pay more?
Solo travellers are welcome. You can share a room at the twin-share price, or have a room of your own for CAD 680 more, shown up front when you request to book. There is no other solo charge, and the free evenings are as social or as quiet as you like.
When is the best time to go?
December to April, the dry season along the whole route, with clear mornings for the volcanoes. March and April are hot in León and Guanacaste. Arenal and Monteverde can be cloudy or wet in any month. We do not run departures over Holy Week, when ferries, borders and Antigua are crowded.
How does booking work?
Choose your start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 3,995 per person sharing, taxes included, with the border fees already paid, so there are no extra charges on the ground.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 7,190 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we can quote the same hotels, drivers, boats and guides.
Do I need visas for the five countries?
Canadian, US, UK and most EU passport holders do not. Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua share one entry period under the CA-4 arrangement, Nicaragua charges a tourist card on arrival, and Costa Rica may ask for proof of your flight home. We pay the border fees and confirm the rules for your passport when you book.
Why cross the Gulf of Fonseca by boat?
Going round the gulf by road means two extra borders through Honduras and about eight hours of driving. The boat from La Unión to Potosí takes two to three hours past volcanic islands, with immigration at both ports. If the sea is too rough, we take the road and arrive later.
Is it safe to travel overland through Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua?
We drive only in daylight, travel in our own vehicle with a guide who crosses every border with you, and stay in central hotels. Read your government's advice before booking; we check it before every departure and change the route or tell you if the advice changes.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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- Local1-289-271-9767
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