17 Fun Things to Do in San Salvador with Kids

Most people visiting El Salvador skip the capital in favor of exploring the coffee country in the west or the beaches in the south. That’s a shame because there are some really fun things to do in San Salvador, too!

We didn’t expect to have as much fun here as we did, when we visited during our Pan American Highway road trip.

Most of this list isn’t on the traditional backpacker itineraries. I checked. While I did compile this blog post with families in mind, the items on here are actually really fun for all ages!

The capital city of El Salvador, San Salvador is also the cultural, political, financial, and educational center of the country with its highest population.

San Salvador is located between two volcanoes and has art galleries, museums, and tranquil suburbs that can be explored on foot or by car. San Salvador is a small but vibrant city with a wealth of family-friendly activities.

From the regenerated town center complete with greenery and an imposing cathedral as well as numerous hiking trails, there are plenty of gems to be discovered in San Salvador.

Keep reading to learn about the many things to do in San Salvador with kids!

Top Things to Do in San Salvador with Kids

1. Libertad Plaza

☑️ Location: MRW6+W5X, 4a Calle Poniente, San Salvador, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 24 hours
☑️ Entry Fee: Free

One of the most popular things to do in San Salvador with kids is visiting Libertad Plaza. Located in the center of the city, this large public space is perfect for a picnic lunch, people watching, or flying a kite.

There are plenty of activities for families at Plaza Libertad. The kids can run around and play in the grass, while the parents enjoy a peaceful walk.

There are also some food carts to get pupusas as well as some restaurants and cafes nearby, so it’s the perfect place to stop for a bite to eat.

And don’t forget to check out the Monument to the Heroes – it’s a sight to behold!

2. National Palace

☑️ Location: 4a Calle Poniente, San Salvador, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 10 am – 5 pm Tuesday to Sunday
☑️ Entry Fee: $5 for adults; kids under 12 are free

While it might not be as big as some of the other palaces around the world The National Palace is a great place to visit for a family. There are four main rooms that are open to the public, as well as 101 secondary rooms.

The Red Room is used for receptions and is a beautiful space with detailed architecture. The Yellow Room is the office of the President of El Salvador and is a fascinating glimpse into presidential life.

The Pink Room was used by the Supreme Court and later the Ministry of Defense and is now used for government meetings.

Finally, the Blue Room was the meeting place of the Legislature of El Salvador and is now a museum.

All four of these rooms are interesting to explore and provide a lot of history about El Salvador. In addition, there is a beautiful courtyard with trees that provide shade and make for a relaxing experience.

3. Iglesia del Rosario

☑️ Location: 6º Avenida Sur El, 4 Calle Ote., San Salvador, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 8:30 am – 4:30 PM Monday to Friday
☑️ Entry Fee: $2 for foreign visitors

The Iglesia del Rosario, also known as the Rainbow Church, is a Catholic building located east of Plaza Libertad in downtown San Salvador.

It has a modern architectural design that breaks with the usual Latin and Greek cross-type.

This means the church does not have pillars that hinder the visibility of the faithful towards the altar and the colorful religious images that stand out inside.

👉 This tour takes you to Libertad Plaza, the National Palace, and the Rainbow Church as well as several other fun spots!

This church is recognized as one of the iconic buildings in the Historic Center of San Salvador, not only because of the relevant events but also because of its unique architectural design that represents an important artistic expression.

The outside is very plain but as soon as you enter you will see what the hype is about. Not only the rainbow lighting but the sculptures are so unique!

You’ll enjoy a visit to Rosario church because it offers a unique experience.

The bright colors and sculptures make it stand out from other churches and its modern architecture is sure to impress.

4. MetroCentro Mall

☑️ Location: C. Los Sisimiles, San Salvador, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 10 am – 7pm daily
☑️ Entry Fee: Free; parking rates vary by how long you’ve parked

A family can enjoy a variety of activities at MetroCentro in downtown San Salvador.

There is a movie theater where they can watch a movie in Spanish, a food court with many options, and small shops where they can find unique items.

We went to the mall seeking a bao restaurant. Little Man discovered these delicious filled puffs when we lived in Asia, but sadly the restaurant had closed.

Google maps failed us! Thankfully we got them delivered by Uber Eats later on.

The mall is safe and has a pedestrian bridge connecting it to the Hotel Real Inter-Continental, making it easy for them to get around.

However, traffic can be bad when trying to get to the mall from other parts of the city.

Little Man wanted to go to the small outdoor theme park next to the mall, called Game Spot.

It is easiest to access from the ground floor entrance doors below the food court. Sadly, it started pouring by the time we got outside.

5. Museo del Ferrocarril y Parque Temático

☑️ Location: Av. Peralta 903, San Salvador, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 9 am – 5 pm Tuesday to Sunday; 10 am – 8 pm Mondays
☑️ Entry Fee: $1

Museo del Ferrocarril y Parque Temático is a great place to visit for families.

The Museum displays an important legacy of trains and related machinery and items which are explained both in English and Spanish.

Like the train museum in Merida, Mexico there is plenty of open space and beautiful gardens for kids to run around. In addition, there are also coffee shops and a place to buy souvenirs.

The train ride is a lot of fun, and it’s a great way to see the museum grounds. It costs $1 additional $1 to ride the train, which only runs on Sundays from 11 am to 2 pm.

6. Jardin Botanico la Laguna

☑️ Location: Urb Ind Plan de La Laguna Antgo Cusc, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 9 am – 5:30 pm daily
☑️ Entry Fee: $1.50 for adults and $1 for kids

Families can enjoy a day at the Jardin Botanico in San Salvador by exploring the different areas of the garden.

There are paths that lead through the gardens and around the ponds, which are home to many fish and turtles.

The gardens are full of tropical plants and flowers, and there is also a children’s play area with a variety of equipment to keep younger visitors entertained.

Pro Tip: Weekends and afternoons are crowded. Go on a weekday morning.

The highlight is certainly the number of animals, ranging from exotic birds to iguanas, lizards, turtles, agoutis, and many more. 

👉 This day trip takes you to both the botanic gardens as well as on a local volcano hike!

There is also a cafe where families can stop for a bite to eat, and a plant shop where they can purchase souvenirs. Plus there’s a plant shop at the entrance.

7. Military Museum El Zapote

☑️ Location: MRJ4+CQW, San Salvador, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 8 am – 8 pm daily
☑️ Entry Fee: Free

A family can enjoy touring the Military Museum El Zapote to see different uniforms and weapons used by soldiers in El Salvador throughout its history.

You can also view paintings of important Salvadoran soldiers and learn about the history of the civil war.

Kids will love looking at the helicopters and tanks on display. The museum also has a 3D map that shows every tourist attraction in El Salvador.

It’s a great place to go and see where everything is that you’ve visited, or want to visit, in El Salvador.

8. Volcatenango

☑️ Location: Km 18 1/2, Carretera al Boquerón Santa Tecla La Libertad CP, 1501, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 3 pm – 9 pm Monday to Friday; 11 am – 10 pm Saturday & Sunday
☑️ Entry Fee: Free but all activities are an extra cost

This fantasy-themed family amusement park just outside San Salvador is an unknown treasure to most tourists.

The view of San Salvador is absolutely amazing! There are a variety of family-friendly activities separated into different ‘lands.’

There is no entrance fee for Volcatenango but each activity is paid separately at the gate, which is covered by an actual roaring dragon atop a castle!

The best deal is to buy a package that includes a variety of activities.

Pro Tip: There are even several restaurants on-site so plan to spend at least half a day here!

You can practice swordplay or archery in Game of Thrones Land, check out the petting zoo or the playground in Kiddie Land, go ice skating in the Ice Kingdom, and roast s’mores and decorate sugar cookies in Christmas Land.

9. Day Trip to Suchitoto

☑️ Location: WXPF+MM4, Suchitoto, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 24 hours
☑️ Entry Fee: N/A

Suchitoto is a unique colonial town in the mountains just 50km from San Salvador.

You can enjoy a day trip to Suchitoto by exploring the town’s colorful architecture (which reminds me a bit of Antigua), visiting the Santa Lucia Church and Parque Central, and viewing the art at the Centro Arte para la Paz.

👉 If you don’t feel like renting a car to drive yourself, this Suchitoto day trip takes you to all the best places!

You can also enjoy a boat ride on Lago Suchitlán, explore Cascada Los Tercios (waterfalls), and visit the Strange and Curious Plate Museum.

10. Lake Ilopango

☑️ Location: Ave. San Cristóbal y calle Rafael A. Gutiérrez 503 Ilopango, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: Water Park is open 9 am – 5 pm daily
☑️ Entry Fee: $1.50 for 30 minutes of time in the waterpark

Lake Ilopango is a beautiful place to spend a day with your family. The local military airbase has annual airshows where international pilots from all over the world fly over San Salvador City and Ilopango lake.

In addition, there is a large inflatable water park called Via Vella with 27 different aqua inflatables.

It has 34 cabins available for rent as well as a picnic area, soccer field, BKB court, dressing rooms, and several restaurants.

You can also find a plant nursery, pools, parking lot, and lifeguards on site. Whether you want to take a boat tour or enjoy the waterpark there is something for everyone to enjoy at this beautiful lake.

11. Le Petit Prince Park

☑️ Location: MPMP+CF4, Cd Merliot, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 5 am – 10 pm daily
☑️ Entry Fee: Free

Le Petit Prince Park is uniquely El Salvadorean because it was inspired by the classic book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who married a Salvadorean woman.

The park is a dedication to the connection between the book and the country.

Families should visit this park to enjoy the playground pieces inspired by the book, as well as the statues and other decorations.

There is a planet for a king, one for a drunk individual, one for a businessman, one for a conceited person, and so on.

In the main section beneath a lovely gazebo, The Little Prince himself sits atop his enormous asteroid. On warm days, the water fountains turn one, so your kids may get wet!

Overall, the park is a bit worn but it’s still a lot of fun, especially for fans of the classic novel.

12. Galaxy Bowling

☑️ Location: PQ38+7MQ, 75 Av Nte o Napoleon viera Altamirano, San Salvador, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 2 pm – 10 pm Mon/Tues; 11 am – 10 pm Wed/Thurs; 11 am – 11 pm Fri; 10 am – 11 pm Sat/Sun
☑️ Entry Fee: $18 for 1 hour of bowling; Shoe rental is $2

Galaxy Bowling in San Salvador is a vast recreation hall with bowling lanes, pool tables, and rides for kids, plus fast food-style snacks and drinks.

The bowling alley also has a video game zone and an ice cream station. It’s open every day of the year.

Visitors should note that the complex is a bit old, so the machines will make you feel like you went back in time to VGA monitors. The place could use a bit of an upgrade but it still has some magic!

Pro Tip: Watch their Facebook page for special promotions!

The best part, at least for kids, is that they have a glow-bowling system set up so that every 30 minutes the lights turn out and everything glows in the dark!

Pro Tip: Wear white or colorful clothing to make the glow bowling more fun!

Some pairs are in bad shape so check them before using them; if they are in bad shape, ask for another pair.

13. Tin Marin Children’s Museum

☑️ Location: 6°10° Calle Poniente, Colonia Flor Blanca, San Salvador Entre Gimnasio Nacional y Parque Cuscatlán San Salvador CP, 1101, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 9 am – 5 pm Friday to Saturday
☑️ Entry Fee: $3/person + $1 extra for the planetarium show

The Tin Marin Children’s Museum is a must-see for any family vacationing in San Salvador.

With interactive exhibits such as a pretend grocery store and dinosaur park, kids will be entertained for hours on end.

There’s also an airplane, train, and “gravity house” to explore. The museum is lively every day, since school children visit on field trips during the week and families visit on weekends.

One of the best parts is the career center, where kids can be a pilot, firefighter, reporter, etc. It’s like Kidzania but much more affordable!

14. El Boquerón National Park

☑️ Location: PPMC+J62, SV, Santa Tecla, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 8 am – 5 pm daily
☑️ Entry Fee: $2 for foreigners, $1 for nationals

El Boquerón National Park is a park that is filled with family-friendly activities. Driving up there can be a bit confusing so confirm your route in advance to ensure you know where you’re going.

The most popular activity there is a beautiful hike that takes you up to the top of a volcanic crater. The view from the top overlooking San Salvador is stunning.

In addition, there is a small crater within the crater named “Boqueroncito” (little Boquerón) that is really cool to see.

👉 This tour takes you to El Boqueron as well as on a tour of the highlights in downtown San Salvador!

If you want to descend into the Boquerón crater to see it, you must get a guide. The hike is not too strenuous and it’s definitely kid-friendly.

El Boquerón has a cool temperate climate year round so it’s ideal for warmer weather days in San Salvador.

On your way down the hill, there are many fruit vendors on the side of the street selling many wonderful fruits and veggies.

15. Picnic Steak House

☑️ Location: Calle al volcan km 16, Santa Tecla, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 10 am – 10 pm Monday to Friday; 7 am – 10 pm Saturday/Sunday
☑️ Entry Fee: Free, but the slide and food cost extra

Made famous on social media for its enormous rainbow slide, Picnic Steak House was a must-visit for our family during our time in San Salvador.

After he found it watching Instagram reels with David, Little Man begged to go.

This outdoor restaurant gets pretty busy on weekends and evenings, so it’s better to go on a weekday late in the morning.

Although the restaurant opens at 10 am, they don’t open the slide until 11:30 am.

The slide costs $5/person cash only to ride. You can buy passes for the slide from the host stand at the entrance. You can pay for menu items with a credit card.

Pro Tip: The food there is a bit overpriced and just okay, so order a drink and maybe an appetizer if you arrive before the slide is open.

Kids under 12 aren’t permitted on the slide. It’s really steep. Several kids chickened out at the last minute.

So if you have a kid who looks like they could be 12 and wants to ride, I’m not going to say you should tell them your kid is 12 anyway. I’m just going to say that they don’t ask for ID to check.

16. Monumento al Divino Salvador del Mundo

☑️ Location: PQ2G+G6P, Alameda Franklin Delano Roosevelt, San Salvador, El Salvador
☑️ Hours: 24 hours
☑️ Entry Fee: Free

This famous statue translates to Monument to the Divine Savior of the World. It is an 18-meter (60-foot) statue of Jesus Christ standing on top of a global sphere of planet Earth, placed on top of the tall four-sided concrete base pedestal.

Built during the 1940s and rebuilt after an earthquake in 1986, the statue represents El Salvadoreans everywhere.

It is the primary starting point in San Salvador for various parades and processions in the city.

17. Go Beyond San Salvador

Whether just for the day or for a longer trip, there is so much to do throughout El Salvador.

There are several other popular day trips from San Salvador, including to places like Lake Coatepeque or the turquoise green crater lake inside the Santa Ana Volcano in Cerro Verde National Park.

Teatro Nacional de Santa Ana is also quite beautiful, so I’d recommend that you spend more time in the town than just visiting on guided tours.

Some people even visit the Colchagua Volcano in southeastern El Salvador, but at over 200 km away that’s a bit far for me to recommend on a day trip.

Do explore the coast though! There are some amazing sights and beaches to discover.

Why Visit San Salvador, El Salvador?

El Salvador is a beautiful country with a lot to offer families. From its stunning beaches to its vibrant culture, there is something for everyone in El Salvador.

And while it may not be the first country that comes to mind when you think of family travel, it should definitely be on your radar. Here are some of the reasons why:

🏖 The Beaches

El Salvador has some of the best beaches in Central America. With its warm waters and beautiful sunsets, it’s the perfect place to relax and unwind with your family.

💃 The Culture

El Salvador is a country with a rich culture and history. From its traditional food to its vibrant music and dance, there is plenty to explore in El Salvador. Try a pupusa!

🌋 The Adventure

El Salvador is an adventure lover’s paradise. From hiking to surfing, there are plenty of activities to keep the whole family entertained!

El Salvador really helped Little Man discover a passion for hiking, after all the time we spent exploring there.

🥰️ The People

The people of El Salvador are some of the friendliest in the world. They are always willing to help and make sure you have a great experience in their country.

When our Santa Ana vacation rental canceled on us just as we were driving into El Salvador to check in, we were easily able to find a different rental to accommodate us in Juayua checking in just hours later.

🏞 The Scenery

From its stunning volcanoes to its gorgeous beaches, the scenery in El Salvador is breathtaking. We loved exploring the country by car and stopping at different scenic spots along the way.

We even stopped just to look at cows or oxcarts a few times, since our kid has a thing for farm animals.

💰 It’s Affordable

El Salvador is a very affordable country to visit, especially for families. We were able to find affordable accommodations, food, and activities for our family of three.

Our house 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom full home rental in Juayua was less than $35/night! Our 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment in Santa Tecla, outside San Salvador was roughly the same price.

Plus they use the USD in El Salvador, so you don’t lose anything in converting to a different currency!

🚗 It’s Easy to Get Around

El Salvador is a small country, so it’s easy to get around. We drove our own car and were able to explore San Salvador and the whole country without any problems.

As former Chicagoans, big city driving isn’t an issue for us. San Salvador was much easier to drive in than either Mexico City or Guatemala City, but traffic was still a bit heavy at times.

If you’re not comfortable driving in San Salvador, though, Uber is abundant, safe, and affordable.

👉 If you want to see everything El Salvador has to offer without navigating the roads yourself, consider booking a full-week guided tour with all transportation included!

Is El Salvador Safe? What about San Salvador?

Safety is relative. Compared to many major US cities that are popular tourist destinations, El Salvador is either safer or equally safe.

In fact, the crime rate statistics for Chicago and San Salvador are almost identical. And San Salvador is actually safer than Baltimore, Memphis, or Detroit.

So if you’re comfortable with the idea of eating deep-dish pizza in Chicago or BBQ in Memphis while on a vacation, then San Salvador should also be on your list.

That said, there are armed guards in all tourist areas throughout El Salvador and we never felt unsafe. Having the guards actually made us feel safer.

Plus, we always travel with travel insurance wherever we go and I suggest you do the same.

👉 While we have global health insurance for our day-to-day lives, we also elect travel insurance with SafetyWing for our spurts of fast travel adventure!

Getting to San Salvador

We drove to San Salvador from Guatemala. If you’re a backpacker, then you can easily take the Tica bus to or from San Salvador from any city within El Salvador or the surrounding Central American countries.

However, most people arrive by plane. The international airport for El Salvador is just outside the city limits. Avianca has a hub there, so it’s pretty easy to find flights.

Fun Fact: We transited through it a few years back during a layover and it was really nice, despite undergoing a major renovation at the time.

You can easily catch an Uber with your bags to a hotel or vacation rental most anywhere in San Salvador.

Conclusion: Things to Do in San Salvador

El Salvador may not be the first country that comes to mind when you think of family travel destinations, but it should be!

With its friendly people, stunning scenery, and affordability, San Salvador is a great place to visit with kids.

From unique museums and lots of shopping to hiking and waterparks, there’s something for everyone in San Salvador.

And, it’s easy and pretty safe to get around, making it a great destination for families.

So if you’re looking for a beautiful, affordable, and family-friendly country to visit, put El Salvador on your list!

👉 I recommend using Discover Cars for renting a car on your trip!