In 2022, we spent 6 months backpacking in Central America. Here is our ultimate Central America backpacking itinerary.
- Backpacking Route Central America
- Itinerary for Central America
- 12 Days Backpacking in Mexico
- 11 Days Backpacking in Belize
- 15 Days Backpacking in Guatemala
- 7 Days Backpacking in El Salvador
- 8 Days Backpacking in Honduras
- 13 Days Backpacking in Nicaragua
- 12 Days Backpacking in Costa Rica
- 12 Days Backpacking in Panama
Backpacking Route Central America
Number of countries
We visit 8 countries in our itinerary:
- Mexico
- Belize
- Guatemala
- El Salvador
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
- Panama
Best Time for Backpacking in Central America
The dry season is from December to April. We travelled from January to June and must say that the months of the wet season are quite humid and rainy and definitely not our favourite weather-wise.
How Much Does it Cost to Backpack Central America?
We paid 40$ to 70$ per person and day.
Travelling Around Central America
You don’t have to take a single flight. You can easily travel around by bus, tuk-tuk, or minivan. Tourist transfers are mostly a convenient option. Islands are connected by boats.
How Long do you Need in Central America?
If you want to see everything (or at least most of it), we recommend at least 3 Months or 90 days. This means around 28 stops and 3 days per stop on average.
We have also created a 1 and 2 months itinerary in case you have a shorter time limit.
Best Places to Slow the Itinerary Down
- Tulum (Mexico)
- Hopkins (Belize)
- Lake Atitlan (Guatemala)
- El Tunco (El Salvador)
- Utila (Honduras)
- Ometepe (Nicaragua)
- Bocas del Toro (Panama)
Central America Itineraries (1,2, and 3 months)
Our suggested Central America travel route for 1, 2, or 3 months.
# | Country | City | 3 Months Itinerary | 2 Months Itinerary | 1 Month Itinerary |
1 | Mexico | Playa del Carmen | X | ||
2 | Mexico | Valladolid | X | X | X |
3 | Mexico | Tulum | X | X | X |
4 | Mexico | Bacalar | X | X | |
5 | Belize | Orange Walk Town | X | ||
6 | Belize | Caye Caulker | X | X | X |
7 | Belize | Hopkins | X | ||
8 | Belize | San Ignacio | X | X | X |
9 | Guatemala | Flores | X | X | X |
10 | Guatemala | Rio Dulce | X | ||
11 | Guatemala | Semuc Champey | X | ||
12 | Guatemala | Lake Atitlan | X | X | |
13 | Guatemala | Antigua | X | X | X |
14 | El Salvador | El Tunco | X | X | |
15 | El Salvador | Santa Ana | X | X | |
16 | Honduras | Copan | X | X | |
17 | Honduras | Utila | X | X | |
18 | Honduras | Lago de Yojoa | X | ||
19 | Nicaragua | Somoto | X | ||
20 | Nicaragua | Leon | X | X | X |
21 | Nicaragua | Granada | X | ||
22 | Nicaragua | Ometepe | X | X | X |
23 | Nicaragua | San Juan del Sur | X | ||
24 | Costa Rica | La Fortuna | X | X | X |
25 | Costa Rica | Monteverde | X | ||
26 | Costa Rica | Manuel Antonio | X | X | X |
27 | Costa Rica | Corcovado | X | ||
28 | Costa Rica | Limon | X | X | |
29 | Panama | Bocas del Toro | X | X | |
30 | Panama | Boquete | X | ||
31 | Panama | Panama City | X | X | X |
32 | Panama | San Blas | X | X |
Itinerary for Central America
12 Days Backpacking in Mexico
For time reasons, we concentrate on the Yucatan peninsular of Mexico. If you have more time, you can (and should) start in Mexico City and also visit Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido, and Palenque.
Mexico Overview
Mexico Public Transport
We love public transport in Mexico. The offer ranges from super comfortable ADO buses which you can book online and are safe and comfortable enough to take overnight to super cheap and local colectivos (shared taxis).
You can go literally everywhere in Mexico by public transport – be it from one town to another or from your hotel to your next sight. All of the destinations on our suggested Mexico itinerary are connected by ADO bus. You can easily reach sights like Chichen Itza or the cenotes by colectivo.
Mexico Average Coast
We paid 40$ per person per day on average.
Mexico Highlights
The highlights of your time in Mexico will be:
- Chichen Itza Mayan ruins.
- Beautiful Caribbean beaches.
- Cenotes, water-filled caves you can swim in.
Mexico itinerary
# | Where? | What? | How many days? |
1 | Playa del Carmen | Beach, Akumal turtles | 2 |
2 | Valladolid | Chichen Itza, Las Coloradas, Ek Balam, cenotes, colonial houses | 3 |
3 | Tulum | Mayan Ruins, cenotes, Sian Ka’an, Beach, Instagram | 4 |
4 | Bacalar | Lagoon of 7 colours, boat tour, beach clubs | 3 |
More Mexico resources:
11 Days Backpacking in Belize
Come for Caye Caulker, stay for the rest.
Belize Overview
Belize Public Transport
Travelling Belize by public bus is easy and reliable. Normally, you can just jump on the bus and buy your ticket. It should cost you around 4 and 6 BZD. There are well-established north-south and east-west routes connecting the country which are connected in the capital Belmopan. If you don’t want to get off at the major bus stations, you can just tell the conductor where to stop.
Belize Average Coast
We paid 55$ per person per day on average.
Belize Highlights
The highlights of your time in Belize will be:
- Caribbean island vibes.
- Off-the-beaten-track Mayan ruins.
- ATM Cave.
Mexico - Belize Border
The easiest way is to take an ADO bus across the border.
Belize Itinerary
# | Where? | What? | How many days? |
5 | Orange Walk Town | Lamanai | 2 |
6 | Caye Caulker | Snorkelling with sharks and manatees, Blue Hole, going slow | 3 |
7 | Hopkins | co*ckscomb Jaguar Preserve, Beach | 3 |
8 | San Ignacio | ATM Cave, Caracol | 3 |
More Belize resources:
Itinerary
Carina
· 17 min read
Itinerary
Travel Guides
Carina
· 8 min read
15 Days Backpacking in Guatemala
Guatemala Overview
Guatemala Public Transport
To be honest, we did not hear good things about public transport in Guatemala. Other travellers told us they got robbed. Others mentioned that they had to change buses a lot – and without any English information.
That’s why we opted for tourist shuttles all the time. It raised our costs quite a bit but they were always punctual, safe, and reliable. You can buy tickets from every travel agency – and you will find plenty of them in tourist destinations.
Guatemala Average Coast
We paid 50$ per person per day on average.
Guatemala Highlights
The highlights of your time in Guatemala will be:
- Hiking Acatenango Volcano.
- Tikal Mayan ruins.
- Semuc Champey waterfall.
- Lake Atitlan.
Belize - Guatemala Border
You can take a quick and easy taxi to the Guatemala border. After you crossed, take a shared direct minivan to Santa Elena. Here, you change into a tuk-tuk to Flores.
Guatemala Itinerary
# | Where? | What? | How many days? |
9 | Flores | Lake Peten, Tikal, (El Mirador) | 10 |
10 | Rio Dulce | Swimming, hot spring waterfall, Caribbean Coast | 2 |
11 | Semuc Champey | Waterfall, caving, and tubing | 2 |
12 | Lake Atitlan | Party in San Pedro, Yoga in San Marcos, scuba diving in Santa Cruz, San Juan for arts and crafts,…. | 4 |
13 | Antigua | Acatenango volcano, colonial architecture, food and drinks | 4 |
7 Days Backpacking in El Salvador
Don’t skip El Salvador! It’s super easy to incorporate into your itinerary!
El Salvador Overview
El Salvador Public Transport
To be honest, we were shocked at first when we realised that we could not book any tourist shuttles in El Salvador. Here’s the reason why:
The public transport in El Salvador is amazing. In fact, it was our favourite public transport in the whole of Central America. Buses come super often and you can just flag them down on the side of the road – no bus stop needed. The prices are super low – we never paid more than 1$ – and they are signposted in the driver's cabin to prevent scams. You can do the entire Ruta de las Flores with public transport – no tour needed.
El Salvador Average Coast
We paid 40$ per person per day on average. Mostly because of the cheap public transport.
El Salvador Highlights
The highlights of your time in El Salvador will be:
- Surfing in El Tunco.
- Santa Ana Volcano.
- Salto Malacatiupan hot waterfall.
Guatemala - El Salvador Border
Shuttle buses from Antigua to various destinations in El Salvador leave regularly.
El Salvador Itinerary
# | Where? | What? | How many days? |
14 | El Tunco | Surfing | 3 |
15 | Santa Ana | Santa Ana volcano, Ruta de las Flores, Salto Malacatiupan, Coatepeque Lake | 4 |
More El Salvador resources:
Itinerary
Carina
· 11 min read
8 Days Backpacking in Honduras
Although Honduras was our least favourite country in Central America, we have still compiled three must-see places for you.
Honduras Overview
Honduras Public Transport
Honestly, both public transport and tourist shuttles are horrible in this country. If you want to go to Utila and want to avoid spending a night in La Ceiba (which is not really recommended), you cannot avoid taking a shuttle.
Because of a rather mediocre experience, we opted for public transport afterwards which was also less than optimal. Buses do not run very frequently, it’s hard to find information (either online or from locals), and they are pretty pricey compared to what you get. On the plus side, they always brought us where we needed to go and we never felt unsafe. Except maybe for when we changed buses in Tegucigalpa and everybody told us that we should not be walking because it’s not safe.
Honduras Average Coast
We paid 65$ per person per day on average. Involving some overpaying for accommodation (when you go scuba diving, your basic accommodation will be included in the dive prize) and being scammed. In general, not the best value for money so don’t plan to stay too long.
Honduras Highlights
The highlights of your time in Honduras will be:
- Scuba diving in the Bay Islands
- Copan Mayan Ruins.
- Lago de Yojoa.
El Salvador - Honduras Border
We took a shuttle from Santa Ana to Copan which drove through Guatemala for a while. Currently, the shuttles don’t leave every day so plan in advance.
Honduras Itinerary
# | Where? | What? | How many days? |
16 | Copan | Copan Ruinas | 2 |
17 | Utila | Scuba Diving | 4 |
18 | Lago de Yojoa | D&D Brewery, boat tour | 2 |
More Honduras resources:
Itinerary
Carina
· 10 min read
13 Days Backpacking in Nicaragua
Most people stick to the Pacific side of Nicaragua which is amazing. If you have more time, check out the Caribbean side as well!
Nicaragua Overview
Nicaragua Public Transport
Public transport in Nicaragua was frequent and cheap enough that we never opted for a tourist shuttle although they exist. All of our suggested destinations are well connected by buses and vans. A ferry connects Ometepe to the mainland.
Nicaragua Average Coast
We paid 40$ per person per day on average.
Nicaragua Highlights
The highlights of your time in Honduras will be:
- Cerro Negro volcano boarding.
- Ometepe island.
- Somoto Canyon.
Honduras - Nicaragua Border
In case you stick to our advice and start your Nicaragua itinerary in Somoto, you can take a bus from Tegucigalpa to Choluteca where you change into a bus to San Marcos de Colon. From here, a shared van will take you to the El Espino border. Make sure not to arrive too late because buses and taxis stop running on the Nicaraguan side.
# | Where? | What? | How many days? |
19 | Somoto | Canyoning | 2 |
20 | Leon | Volcano boarding, colonial architecture | 3 |
21 | Granada | Masaya volcano, Tree House Party, colonial architecture | 2 |
22 | Ometepe | Beaches, volcanoes, Ojo de Agua, petroglyphs, sunsets, chocolate, island vibes | 4 |
23 | San Juan del Sur | Sunday Funday, beach | 2 |
More Nicaragua resources:
Itinerary
Carina
· 11 min read
12 Days Backpacking in Costa Rica
The wildlife here is out of this world!
Costa Rica Overview
Costa Rica Public Transport
We took buses around Costa Rica because the shuttles were crazy expensive compared to other Central American countries. We have met travellers who experienced theft on the buses so always keep an eye on your belongings.
Costa Rica Average Coast
We paid 50$ per person per day on average. Although everybody always says that Costa Rica is expensive, it was by no means our most expensive country on this trip.
Costa Rica Highlights
The highlights of your time in Costa Rica will be:
- The wildlife (sloths, dolphins, tapirs, toucans,…)!
Nicaragua - Costa Rica Border
Bus companies like Trans Nice or Nica Bus conveniently cross the border.
Costa Rica Itinerary
# | Where? | What? | How many days? |
24 | La Fortuna | Volcano, waterfalls, hot springs, Rio Celeste | 3 |
25 | Monteverde | Cloudforest, zip lining, coffee | 3 |
26 | Manuel Antonio | National Park | 2 |
27 | Corcovado | Corcovado National Park, Cano Island | 2 |
28 | Limon | Caribbean vibes and beaches | 2 |
More Costa Rica resources:
Travel Planing
Carina
· 10 min read
Travel Ideas
Carina
· 8 min read
12 Days Backpacking in Panama
Nightlife and beaches? Yes, please!
Panama Overview
Panama Public Transport
We took a combination of public transport and tourist shuttles depending on the length of the trip. They both worked fine. San Blas is easiest visited on a guided tour.
Panama Average Coast
We paid 70$ per person per day on average. Our highest daily cost in Central America.
Panama Highlights
The highlights of your time in Panama will be:
- San Blas islands.
- Boas del Toro.
- Panama City.
Costa Rica - Panama Border
We booked a transfer from Limon to Bocas del Toro which was super convenient and did not even cost more than public transport.
Panama Itinerary
# | Where? | What? | How many days? |
29 | Bocas del Toro | Filthy Friday, island hopping, scuba diving, starfish beach | 3 |
30 | Boquete | Hiking, coffee, waterfalls, volcanoes | 3 |
31 | Panama City | Panama Canal, Casco Viejo, rooftop bars | 3 |
32 | San Blas | Island hopping, relaxing, Guna culture | 3 |
More Panama resources:
Travel Planing
Carina
· 9 min read
Itinerary
Carina
· 13 min read
