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El Salvador travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Suchitoto
Suchitoto. Photo: SWENOWENSON, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
11h 15mflight from London
US dollarcurrency
No visafor UK passports
Type A, Bplugs

Surf beaches, volcanoes and the Ruta de las Flores

Don't miss

  1. El Tunco surf
  2. Santa Ana volcano
  3. Ruta de las Flores
Good forBeachesMountains & hiking

Best time to visit El Salvador from the UK

Best value: May, Oct. Nov–Apr. Busiest and priciest: Nov–Apr.

26.1 C26°J27 C27°F27.7 C28°M28.3 C28°A27.7 C28°M27 C27°J27.3 C27°J27.1 C27°A26.4 C26°S26.2 C26°O25.8 C26°N25.9 C26°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in San Salvador, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in San Salvador for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: May and OctoberThe warmest of the best-value months (26–28°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Nov–AprUsually 26–28°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Jun–SepAround 26–27°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
  • Warmest: April (28°C) · coolest: November (26°C)Temperatures barely change through the year, so the season matters more than the weather.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
26.12727.728.327.72727.327.126.426.225.825.9

Festivals and events

  • Fiestas Agostinas Aug · San Salvador
  • Bolas de Fuego Aug · Nejapa

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 11h 15m
Distance
8,734 km
Main airport
SAL

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add El Salvador to your bucket list Search flights to SAL

Practical info and travel guidance

US dollarCapital: San Salvador
Type A, B · 120VBring a UK adapter; check chargers say 100-240V
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
911
EmergencyPolice, fire, ambulance
Drink bottledOr treated water
  • VisaNo visa neededUp to 180 days
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal, but attitudes can be conservativePublic affection may draw attention.
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for El Salvador, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 17 June 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for El Salvador before you book and again before you go.

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