Fun Walking Tour of San Salvador's Historic Center
Description
"The tour is like a roller coaster of emotions, from stories of the civil war and gang violence to crowded and chaotic markets. It's a fantastic way to see San Salvador," commented one of our guests. We invite you to discover the country's capital, which has changed the most in Latin America, a place that not long ago was known as the murder capital of the world. Walk the most iconic squares in the city, visit Rosary Church, one of the few Brutalist churches on the continent and visited by thousands of tourists. Visit the National Library — the most modern in Central America, and Romero’s crypt — he was assassinated while celebrating Mass and his tomb is visited by thousands of people. Learn about history and culture; laugh, taste, and walk with us. We are traveling souls (Carlos and Gio) – passionate, dedicated guides, ready to show you El Salvador from a whole new perspective.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Barrios Square. A place where thousands of Salvadorans pass through to find all kinds of activities, from concerts, exhibitions and artistic events, or simply feed the traveling pigeons. Learn about presidents who were executed there, as well as legends and stories of love affairs and romances. See the national palace from where President Bukele gave his message to the nation at the inauguration of his second term.
Liberty Square. Explores the heart of the city's historic center. This iconic plaza, with its prominent Liberty Monument, is a symbol of the country's independence. The tour covers the plaza's history, surrounding architecture, and its cultural significance, offering a glimpse into Central America and El Salvador's past. See the architecture of yesterday and today mixed with the new buildings of the present. Learn why the flags of Central America share the colors blue and white and learn about Mesoamerica, a vast region that unites countries from Costa Rica to Mexico.
Rosary Church. Marvel at one of the few brutalist churches on the continent, which hundreds of tourists visit every month. Rosary Church in San Salvador highlights its unique modern architecture, vibrant stained glass windows, and the church's significance in the community. Designed by Rubén Martínez, this unconventional structure offers a captivating blend of art and history. Discover each of the stories of the people buried there and the reasons why the church always remains closed, even though it is 100% active, and offers masses every day.
National Library (BINAES) Meet the most modern library in Central America, which thousands of tourists visit every day. Opened 24/7, with 7 floors to visit. Discover the amount of books available and enjoy the views of this fantastic place.
San Salvador Cathedral. Discover the fascinating story of Romero of America, the first Salvadoran saint who was assassinated while officiating mass in 1980. Walk in the crypt that contains his remains and is visited by thousands of tourists and pilgrims every year. Hear of Salvadoran civil war, from 1980 - 1992, which gave rise to the terrible phenomenon of gangs.
Kilometro 0 in San Salvador. Rest your feet in this important place where you will also have the opportunity to taste some Salvadoran pupusas, tamales, quesadillas, horchata, and delicious coffee, grown in the best regions in the country.
National Teather and Morazán Square. Learn the fascinating story of the first Salvadoran woman to run for president at a time when women could not vote, let alone run for president. Besides, learn how El Salvador has evolved from being the murder capital to the safest country on the continent.
Public Market and surrounding streets. An authentic glimpse into local culture and the daily life of the city. Dig into the complex history of gangs in El Salvador. Know the context on how gang activity impacted the area, the market's resilience, and the community's ongoing efforts to reclaim and revitalize the space
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(219)
We really enjoyed our time. The tour was just the right amount of time not a ton of walking and kept our children entertained the entire time (ages 7,10,11) I suggest this tour if you want to learn about the culture and history of El Salvador.
We were very satisfied with the city tour and were able to learn a lot about San and El Salvador.
Really enjoyed this walking tour of San Salvador’s historic center! The guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the history and culture of the city really interesting. A great way to explore the center and learn more about San Salvador. Highly recommend!
Was a great tour, I recommend. Got a lot of useful knowledge about the city of San salvador and the whole country. Some information about the past and the present.
Gabriela and Diego guided us through the historic center of San Salvador, telling the history of the country and the city, as well as personal experiences and about the lives of Salvadorans. Despite having done approximately a hundred free tours, the one by Gabriela and Diego seemed to me one of the best I have ever done! I totally recommend it.
I loved the tour. Diego is an excellent guide, careful, patient, kind, and has an extraordinary grasp of historical and current information.
Excellent tour of San Salvador City. It was our first day and our guide took us to the main spots and gave us good recommendations to eat and visit. Highly recommend this tour on your first days! Very satisfied!😊🙌🏼🙌🏼
Amazing group of tour guides en college students. It was a very nice tour Lis, Gabriella , Mariana and Azucena were so good and sweet. They told us a lot and had interesting story's about the food and city.
Fantastic tour done by Azucena, essential for getting to know San Salvador
Azucena was an excellent guide. She made me feel very comfortable on the hike. I loved learning so much about the history and culture of El Salvador. I am glad to have been part of this tour. I recommend it to anyone who visits the country to get to know and admire how great this country is.
