Central America is the world’s most efficient sampler. In a few weeks you can climb a volcano in Guatemala, eat your body weight in pupusas in El Salvador, wander the colonial squares of Nicaragua, look a sloth in the eye in Costa Rica (it will not look back quickly) and finish beside the Panama Canal. Seven small countries, two oceans and a lot of chicken buses: no wonder the overland trip here is one of travel’s great rites of passage.
This guide compares every multi-country tour we offer across the isthmus, from the classic Guatemala-to-Costa-Rica run to the whole length of it, plus the Maya routes from Mexico. Each comes with who it suits and its honest drawback, because a 32-day trip with two nights in a tent is not for everyone, however good the sunsets.
The quick answer
- If you want five countries at great value, pick the Central American Journey.
- If you want the same route with more comfort, pick Central American Highlights (16 days).
- If you want to go all the way to Panama, pick Amazing Central America.
- If you are 18 to 35, pick Real Guatemala to Costa Rica.
- If you want Maya ruins and the Caribbean, pick the Maya Adventure from Mexico.
Every Central America overland tour compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala to Costa Rica | ||||||
| Central American Journey: Antigua to San José – 16 Days | 16 | £1,512 pp | Low | Max 16 | No | Best value, five countries |
| Central American Highlights: Guatemala to Costa Rica – 16 Days | 16 | £2,920 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | More comfort, more included |
| Central American Highlights: Guatemala to Costa Rica – 22 Days | 22 | £2,500 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | The same route, slower |
| The whole isthmus | ||||||
| Amazing Central America: Guatemala to Panama – 27 Days | 27 | £2,958 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Guatemala to Panama |
| Central America Explorer: Panama to Guatemala Overland – 25 Days | 25 | £4,580 pp | Medium | Max 18 | No | Panama to Guatemala, with lodges |
| For 18 to 35s | ||||||
| Real Guatemala to Costa Rica for 18–35s – 17 Days | 17 | £1,033 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Guatemala to Costa Rica, with camping |
| Mexico to Costa Rica Overland: Six Countries for 18–35s – 32 Days | 32 | £2,262 pp | Not stated | Max 16 | No | Mexico to Costa Rica |
| Real Central America: Tulum, Belize & Guatemala – 16 Days | 16 | £1,226 pp | Low | Max 16 | No | Tulum, Belize and Guatemala |
| Shorter routes | ||||||
| Costa Rica & Panama Discovery – 12 Days | 12 | £1,365 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Costa Rica and Panama |
| Maya Encounter: Mexico, Belize & Guatemala – 13 Days | 13 | £1,216 pp | Low | Max 16 | No | Mexico, Belize and Guatemala |
| Maya Adventure: Mexico, Belize & Guatemala – 19 Days | 19 | £2,243 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | The Maya world, in depth |
| Guatemala, Honduras & El Salvador: Antigua to the Pacific – 15 Days | 15 | £1,840 pp | Not stated | Max 16 | No | Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
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Guatemala to Costa Rica: the classic run
The best-trodden route starts in Antigua, Guatemala’s cobbled colonial gem set between three volcanoes, and ends in San José, Costa Rica, by way of Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. That’s five countries and four border crossings, which is good for your passport stamp collection and less good for anyone who hates queues. Three tours follow it.
Central American Journey: the great-value classic
Central American Journey: Antigua to San José – 16 Days
- 16 days
- From £1,512 per person
- Max 16 people
- Antigua, Guatemala to San José, Costa Rica
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Sixteen days with a local leader and up to 16 travellers: Antigua, the Maya ruins of Copán in Honduras with a local guide, Suchitoto in El Salvador for a pupusa demonstration and indigo dyeing, a night on the Pacific coast, the colonial cities of León and Granada in Nicaragua with Masaya’s market and the Laguna de Apoyo, then Monteverde’s cloud forest and two nights below the Arenal volcano at La Fortuna.
Suits: budget-minded first-timers and solo travellers who want to cover a lot of ground. The honest drawback: only seven breakfasts, one lunch and one dinner are included, and there are long road days.
Central American Highlights (16 days): more comfort
Central American Highlights: Guatemala to Costa Rica – 16 Days
- 16 days
- From £2,920 per person
- Max 16 people
- Antigua, Guatemala to San José, Costa Rica
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in January, February, April, October, November, December
The same five countries in the same 16 days, but with more included and more comfortable hotels, four of them premium. Groups of up to 16 aged 16 and over have a tour leader and local guides, drivers and boat crews. You add the Guatemalan highlands, with Chichicastenango market and a boat trip on Lake Atitlán to Maya villages, a crossing of the Gulf of Fonseca, a Granada city tour and a hike on Mombacho volcano. Breakfast is included every day.
Suits: travellers who want the classic route with better hotels and the highlands. The honest drawback: it costs considerably more than the Journey, the rating is medium, and departures are fewer.
Central American Highlights (22 days): the slower version
Central American Highlights: Guatemala to Costa Rica – 22 Days
- 22 days
- From £2,500 per person
- Max 16 people
- Antigua, Guatemala to San José, Costa Rica
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Twenty-two days on the classic route with a local leader and up to 16, adding a proper week in Guatemala before you head south: a Maya ceremony at San Andrés Itzapa, a chicken bus to Almolonga market, two nights in Quetzaltenango, Chichicastenango and a boat across Lake Atitlán, with a free day in Antigua. Then Copán, Suchitoto, León, Granada, Monteverde and La Fortuna.
Suits: anyone who wants the Guatemalan highlands properly and the classic route at a gentler pace. The honest drawback: breakfast is included on only some days, and the hotels are simple.
The whole isthmus: on to Panama
Amazing Central America: Guatemala to Panama
Amazing Central America: Guatemala to Panama – 27 Days
- 27 days
- From £2,958 per person
- Max 16 people
- Antigua, Guatemala to Panama City, Panama
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Twenty-seven days the length of Central America with a local leader and up to 16. The first half follows the classic route to San José; then you carry on to the rainforest of Sarapiquí, the laid-back Caribbean coast at Puerto Viejo, three nights among the islands of Bocas del Toro in Panama, the coffee town of Boquete and Chitré, before finishing in Panama City.
Suits: travellers with time, a budget and a sense of adventure. The honest drawback: breakfast is included on only 11 days, and four weeks of overland travel is a commitment.
Central America Explorer: Panama to Guatemala, with lodges
Central America Explorer: Panama to Guatemala Overland – 25 Days
- 25 days
- From £4,580 per person
- Max 18 people
- Panama City, Panama to Antigua, Guatemala
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in February, November
Twenty-five days the other way, from Panama City to Antigua, with a tour leader and four to 18 travellers. Expect the Miraflores Locks, Boquete beneath Volcán Barú, two days on Bocas del Toro, a rainforest lodge at Sarapiquí, Arenal and Monteverde, a volcano lodge at Rincón de la Vieja, two nights on Ometepe island in Lake Nicaragua, Granada, León, the ancient Maya village of Joya de Cerén in El Salvador, Copán and Antigua. Breakfast is included every day.
Suits: nature lovers who want lodges, volcanoes and the whole isthmus. The honest drawback: it is one of the priciest trips here, with only a few departures and some long travel days.
For 18 to 35s
Real Guatemala to Costa Rica for 18–35s
Real Guatemala to Costa Rica for 18–35s – 17 Days
- 17 days
- From £1,033 per person
- Max 16 people
- Antigua, Guatemala to San José, Costa Rica
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Seventeen days for travellers aged 18 to 35, with a local leader and up to 16: two nights camping in El Salvador’s Cerro Verde National Park with a pupusa cooking demonstration and volcano hikes, León and Granada, a ferry to Ometepe for a community cooking class, two nights in the surf town of San Juan del Sur, then Monteverde and La Fortuna.
Suits: sociable, active travellers on a tight budget. The honest drawback: two nights in tents and two in a shared hostel, and only a handful of meals included.
With a month to spare, Mexico to Costa Rica Overland (32 days) starts on the Mexican Caribbean at Playa del Carmen and Tulum, spends three nights on Caye Caulker in Belize, sees Tikal, the Río Dulce and Lake Atitlán, then follows the classic route south via Ometepe and Monteverde, with informal Spanish lessons along the way. Real Central America (16 days) is the northern half only, from Tulum via Belize to Tikal, Lake Atitlán and Antigua.
Shorter routes
Costa Rica & Panama Discovery
Costa Rica & Panama Discovery – 12 Days
- 12 days
- From £1,365 per person
- Max 16 people
- San José, Costa Rica to Panama City, Panama
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Twelve days by public bus, minibus, taxi and shared boat, with a local leader and up to 16: a jungle walk at Sarapiquí in search of sloths and frogs, Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean with a home-cooked dinner, three nights on Bocas del Toro with a visit to a Ngäbe-Buglé community, Boquete’s coffee highlands, a mask workshop in Chitré and the Panama Canal’s Miraflores Locks.
Suits: beach and nature lovers on a budget. The honest drawback: some long travel days, a border crossing on foot, and park fees are extra.
Maya Adventure: Mexico, Belize & Guatemala
Maya Adventure: Mexico, Belize & Guatemala – 19 Days
- 19 days
- From £2,243 per person
- Max 16 people
- Playa del Carmen, Mexico to Antigua, Guatemala
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Nineteen days following the Maya world with local leaders and up to 16: a swim in Cenote Azul, the Lake of Seven Colours at Bacalar, three nights on Caye Caulker with a cooking class, Xunantunich and San Ignacio, Tikal with a local guide, two nights in a jungle lodge on the Rio Dulce with Garifuna culture in Livingston, then Antigua, Quetzaltenango and Lake Atitlán.
Suits: culture lovers who want ruins, reefs and highland markets. The honest drawback: long travel days and border crossings, and snorkelling is an optional extra.
Maya Encounter (13 days) is a shorter, cheaper version of the same route, ending in Antigua without the highlands. Guatemala, Honduras & El Salvador (15 days) goes deep into three countries: the highland markets of Almolonga and Chichicastenango, Lake Atitlán, Copán, El Salvador’s coffee country and the Pacific coast. For Costa Rica on its own, see our Costa Rica tours guide.
How to choose
By time. Under two weeks: Costa Rica & Panama and Maya Encounter. Two to three weeks: the Journey, both Highlights trips, Real Guatemala to Costa Rica, Real Central America and the Maya Adventure. Nearly a month: Amazing Central America, the Explorer and Mexico to Costa Rica.
By budget. The 18–35s trips, the Journey and Costa Rica & Panama are the cheapest. The 16-day Highlights and the Explorer cost the most. Live prices are in the table above.
By fitness. The Journey, Maya Encounter and Real Central America are rated low; most of the others are rated medium, mainly for long travel days and border crossings.
By travel style. Everything here is a small group of up to 16 or 18. Expect private vehicles and local transport, including the odd chicken bus, simple hotels on the budget trips and lodges on the Explorer.
When to go
The dry season, roughly December to April, is the most popular time, with clearer skies on the volcanoes and drier roads. The green season, from about May to November, brings afternoon downpours, lush forests and fewer travellers. Most of these tours run year-round; the months for each one are in its fact panel above.
Entry rules differ by country, so before you travel check the FCDO travel advice for Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, and any other country on your route.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Central America tour?
For value, the Central American Journey covers five countries in 16 days. For more comfort, try Central American Highlights. To reach Panama, pick Amazing Central America.
How long do I need to travel from Guatemala to Costa Rica?
Sixteen days is the shortest overland trip, and 22 days lets you see the Guatemalan highlands too.
Is there a Central America tour for 18 to 35s?
Yes, Real Guatemala to Costa Rica, Mexico to Costa Rica and Real Central America.
Which tours include Panama?
Amazing Central America, the Central America Explorer and Costa Rica & Panama Discovery.
Can I see Tikal on a Central America tour?
Yes, the Maya Adventure, Maya Encounter, Real Central America and Mexico to Costa Rica all include Tikal.
Are flights included?
No, all of these tours are land-only, and we can arrange flights.
Ready for Central America?
Tell us how long you have and how rugged you like it, and a Travelisto specialist will compare the overland tours with you.
Keep planning
- All escorted tours in Guatemala
- Escorted tours in Costa Rica
- Escorted tours in Panama
- Escorted tours in Belize
- Costa Rica tours compared
- Guatemala holidays
- Costa Rica holidays
- Panama holidays
- Belize holidays
Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
