How to choose a Central America overland tour

Our overland vacations in Central America range in style. Most take the form of fully escorted small group tours, but if you prefer a private, tailor made trip we can also arrange that. You can look at a trip where you have a full slate of cultural and active experiences throughout, with something to look forward to almost every day. If you’re on a tighter budget, you can consider a trip that’s been stripped to its bare bones: transfers, tour leader, accommodation and a few meals – then you have the option to do your own thing in each destination.

What all of our trips have in common, however, is that they last a minimum of two weeks, and often much longer. Central America is composed of seven closely packed countries: Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, Costa Rica and Panama, with Mexico to the north. And although border crossings can sometimes be a tortuous affair, you can travel within countries quite easily and quickly. In a month, you can take in many of the region’s most vaunted sights, from snorkelling in Belize’s Caye Caulker to the Panama Canal, the Monteverde Cloud Forest of Costa Rica to the Maya ruins of Copan and Tikal, and the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave.

If you’ve been to Mexico for a vacation before, or perhaps Costa Rica, overlanding through Central America offers the opportunity to explore the region in greater depth. Countries like Nicaragua, Belize and Guatemala have long been popular with adventurous travelers, but Honduras, El Salvador and Panama are much less visited. There are many different routes, and combinations of countries, available, so with this guide we offer some advice on how to choose the trip that’s right for you.

A classic overland route through Central America, a grand tour of the region if you will, is around one month long, starting in Mexico, and working your way south down through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. That’s pretty much everything on the menu, without Panama. And who’s to say you can’t add on a few days there at the end?

But not everyone can spare a month. In just two weeks, you can take your time thoroughly exploring three countries. Overland tours through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, for instance, unlock a winning combination of Maya ruins, thrilling activities amid natural beauty like snorkelling off coral reefs and swimming in cenotes, and cultural encounters including an overnight stay with a Maya family.

The longer you stay the further you can go, the more you can see and experience. Alternatively, look at a longer trip as a chance to spend more time really getting to know just a handful of countries. This is very much a region where you won’t regret maxing out your vacation allowance.

Are you up for spending the best part of a month in a group of 14 or more people? For the outgoing amongst you, and certainly for solo travelers, the social element of a small group tour is a major plus. You have a ready-made bunch of fellow adventurers to share a carne asada with in Honduras, to spur you on with a ziplining tour in Costa Rica’s Monteverde Cloud Forest, to play cards with while you wait to cross the border between El Salvador and Guatemala.

Our small group tours through Central America follow set itineraries on set travel dates – you just take your seat in the private minibus and enjoy the ride. Depending on your budget you can opt for trips that include activities in each country, be it a guided tour of the Maya city of Copan in Honduras, or a morning of sandboarding down a volcano in Nicaragua (not as insanely dangerous as it sounds), or strip them all out and have them as optional extras. Another reason to recommend the small group option is that you’ll be accompanied from start to finish by a professional tour leader. They handle the passports at borders, the tickets if you’re using public transport, and the tip kitty that most groups share. It all means complete peace of mind – about the only thing you need to think about is where to have dinner in the evenings.

Tailor made overland tours are also available. If you prefer to follow your own schedule, or you have a specific itinerary in mind, or you don’t want constant companionship, then a bespoke trip may suit you. We can arrange all the accommodation, transfers and activities according to your preferences.

Some of our overland trips visit as many as seven countries over a month; others may take in a smaller block such as Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama make another trio of treats. While there are naturally many similarities between Central American countries given how closely packed they are, there are also plenty of differences. Tiny Belize is an English-speaking country, and like Costa Rica is renowned for its pristine nature. Costa Rica and Mexico are both well primed for tourism, whereas Honduras and El Salvador are very much off the beaten track, and there are fewer options for luxury upgrades when traveling in these countries.

It can make a lot of sense to visit as many countries as you can on one trip, given that you then only need one set of international flights. But to do justice to more than a handful and to enjoy a relaxed pace you really need to be traveling for at least three weeks.

Most tours will aim for the drier months, so think November through to April. But don’t be put off by the thought of rain – it gives the landscapes of Central America wonderful shades of green. Most of the time rainy season translates to a few short, sharp showers in the afternoon. Our overland vacations will often start the day early to take that into account, so travel is rarely disrupted.