Home - San Jose - Monteverde - Granada - Leon - El Tunco - Copan - Antigua - Lake Atitlan - Tikal - Caye Caulker - Tulum - Cancun - Home
This itinerary is just a suggestion and can be customised to suit your unique travel plans. Make it longer, make it shorter. Add in the things you want to do. Get in touch with our travel experts to turn this itinerary into your dream trip around Central America.
San Jose Welcome to Costa Rica
Welcome to San Jose and the start of your adventure!
On arrival at the international airport after your included flight, make your own way to your pre-booked hostel. You'll be spending three nights at the Socialtel*, located in Barrio Otoya, one of San Jose’s cultural hotspots.
Your three nights in San Jose give you time to take advantage of the 4hr San Jose Bites & Sights Experience included in your travel pass. This walking tour that takes you through busy streets, bustling markets, and tranquil parks. Discover a side of this city that most tourists don't get to see, while indulging in typical cuisine and one of Costa Rica's most delectable exports – coffee.
Spend the rest of your time in the city exploring independently.
*Option to...
San Jose to Leon Canopies, coast and volcanoes
When you're ready to depart San Jose, it's time to put your travel pass into use.
This travel pass gives you a flexible way to travel with no fixed schedules - travel at your own pace, plan your own experiences and choose your own accommodation. Your transport is taken care of with long-distance bus journeys included in the price - one less thing to budget for on your trip.
Start your journey with the included shuttle transfer to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Here you'll enjoy a 3hr canopy zip-line swinging through the treetops along 14 different cables with lovely views.
Then continue to the transport hub of Liberia in the north of Costa Rica. You could spend a little time exploring the Old Quarter before another shuttle transfer take...
Leon to Antigua Surf and Mayan Sites
An overnight journey takes you from Nicaragua across the border into neighbouring El Salvador. Here you can spend a few days in El Tunco, a laid-back surfer town with attractive beaches and great seafood restaurants.
The next stop is Copan in Honduras - the fourth country on your adventure across Central America.
In Copan, discover the National Park of the Copan ruins, a unique archeological site, named world heritage by UNESCO, and learn the most relevant facts of this important Mayan city. The majestic archaeological site owes this name to what was, at the time, its avant-garde and colourful architecture. After seeing these spectacular ruins on a guided tour, you will continue through the sculpture museum, where you will find a life-s...
Antigua to Belize City Lakes, volcanos and ruins
In Antigua enjoy a full-day Pacaya Volcano trek. Brag to your friends about trekking an active volcano after hiking up the steep slopes of the Pacaya Volcano to reach a moon-like landscape of dried lava with panoramic views of nearby volcanoes above the clouds.
Spend a few days exploring the city at leisure and making the most of the modern, international restaurants and cafes. When you're ready to leave, get on the included shuttle transfer to Panajachel - a busy town on the edge of Lake Atitlan.
From here you'll head out on a 2-day Maya Homestay Experience with a tour of the lake. The homestay will give you a genuine insight into the everyday lives of a local family from the Kakchiquel Indigenous group in San Jorge La Laguna. On the fo...
Belize City to Cancun Beaches, Cenotes and Lagoons
There's not much reason to hang around Belize City but it's a useful transport hub, so decide whether to spend a night or head straight to the port for your included boat transfer to Caye Caulker - a small Caribbean island off the coast of Belize.
Enjoy snorkelling through mazes of pristine coral reef and get the unique opportunity to swim with nurse sharks and stingrays. Spend the rest of your time on the island completely at leisure - it's definitely the sort of place where you'll want to wile away a few days sipping on cocktails and enjoying the Caribbean vibe!
When you can finally peel yourself away from your hammock, transfer by ferry from Caye Caulker to Chetumal in Mexico. Continue to Bacalar by public bus. Lake Bacalar is a long, ...
Recommended duration
Around 5 weeks
Start/End
San Jose/Cancun
Travel Type
Independent
Inclusions
Flights, arrival accommodation and travel pass
Prices from
3,159 GBP
Travel from Costa Rica to Mexico on this flexible itinerary that takes you across seven countries in Central America with no fixed schedule and plenty of opportunities for adventure!
Go with the flow and set your own pace on this package designed for first-time backpackers and the more independent traveller. Fly to San Jose and spend three nights here to explore the city at leisure before setting off on your epic overland adventure across Central America.
Get your blood pumping with a canopy zip-line in the Monteverde Cloud Forest before following the coastal route into Nicaragua for a boat tour of lake islets and a Cerro Negro volcano boarding experience. Continue to El Salvador where you can try riding the waves before continuing to Honduras for a guided tour of the Copan Mayan Archaeological Complex.
Next stop is Guatemala where you'll trek the Pacaya Volcano, enjoy an overnight homestay with a Maya community on Lake Atitlan, swim in the waters of Semuc Champey, explore the Kanba caves and admire the spectacular ruins of Tikal. Relax on the beaches of Belize before finishing in Mexico with a cenotes bike tour and a visit to Chichen Itza.
This trip can also be done in reverse.
*From price per person based on shared accommodation
