With 525.990 inhabitants, San Salvador is the most populous city in El Salvador. It is the most popular tourist destination in the country. We recommend you stay at least 4 days in order to fully appreciate everything San Salvador has to offer.
Looking for warm weather? Then head to San Salvador in March, when the average temperature is 77 °F, and the highest can go up to 86 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 64.4 °F, with an average temperature of 73.4 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in August, when precipitation is around 13″. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in San Salvador, with an average rainfall of 0″.
San Salvador is served by 2 airports: San Salvador Ilopango (ILS) and San Salvador El Salvador Intl (SAL). The closest to downtown San Salvador is San Salvador Ilopango, which is located 10 km from the city center. Further away is San Salvador El Salvador Intl, 33 km from the center of San Salvador. San Salvador Ilopango is the most popular, with regular flights from Air Canada, Air France, Avianca and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest flight to San Salvador from the United States departs from Houston and takes around 2h 50m.
Another option to get to San Salvador is to pick up a car rental from San Luis Talpa, which is about 28 km from San Salvador. You’ll find branches of Avis and Budget, among others, in San Luis Talpa.
Average rates range from around $80 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $108 and up for a 5-star experience.
Renting a car in San Salvador costs $44 per day, on average, or $176 if you want to rent if for 4 days.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 3% cheaper than airport locations in San Salvador.
Expect to pay $4.69 per gallon in San Salvador (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $56.33 and $75.10. The most frequently booked car type in San Salvador is Mini (Suzuki Celerio or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Hyundai Accent or similar) are, on average, 72% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.