GringoTours
GringoTours
5
Multi-day ToursCultural ToursEco ToursPrivate ToursNature & Wildlife Tours
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
Tours transportation and bilingual tour guide service. We can make all arrangements for your travel to El Salvador. Our company is based in colonial Suchitoto where we can provide personalized tours and travel services nationwide. If you enjoy building your own tours and flexibility we are specialists. We specialize in alternative and sustainable tourism. Birding, eco, agro, civil war history and much more. If you are looking for small and personal, then look no further. Family owned and operated since 2007.
Suchitoto, El Salvador
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
117 reviews
Excellent
115
Very good
2
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
dt603
Portsmouth, NH3 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
We booked the Santa Ana volcano hike and a half day birding tour in Cerro Verde National Park with Gringo Tours. From the first few messages we could tell that we had found the right company. Robert took the time to patiently explain all the details and clearly coordinate everything with us.
Robert connected us with Victor, a bilingual and native El Salvadorian guide who was friendly, professional and knowledgeable. Victor showed us many times during our 2 tours together that he has a passion for understanding, exploring and maintaining the natural beauty of El Salvador. He appeared to have a strong rapport with other guides and the national park officials that we encountered. Victor even went out of his way to make sure we had binoculars for our birding tour as we hadn't thought to bring any from home. We didn't have a single moment of concern during our outings and it was easy to enjoy ourselves. (*In fact, we covered a lot of ground during our trip and everywhere we went in El Salvador felt very safe. Based on our experience, we'd like to take the opportunity to reassure anyone who is worried about tourist safety in the country.) Overall, we highly recommend requesting Victor by name if you are looking for an authentic and rewarding tour experience!
Robert connected us with Victor, a bilingual and native El Salvadorian guide who was friendly, professional and knowledgeable. Victor showed us many times during our 2 tours together that he has a passion for understanding, exploring and maintaining the natural beauty of El Salvador. He appeared to have a strong rapport with other guides and the national park officials that we encountered. Victor even went out of his way to make sure we had binoculars for our birding tour as we hadn't thought to bring any from home. We didn't have a single moment of concern during our outings and it was easy to enjoy ourselves. (*In fact, we covered a lot of ground during our trip and everywhere we went in El Salvador felt very safe. Based on our experience, we'd like to take the opportunity to reassure anyone who is worried about tourist safety in the country.) Overall, we highly recommend requesting Victor by name if you are looking for an authentic and rewarding tour experience!
Written January 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the steller review, We always get the 5 stars but it is the detailed, truthful reviews like yours that keep clients coming in. Victor is our main partner in the Cerro Verde area but we have others for when things get really busy. We hope that one day Victor can make a decent living from toursim but as you saw, things are still pretty slow here in El Salvador. Victor as a birding guide makes much more than he does as a volunter guide at the park and that is where we at Gringo Tours try to make the difference, training and then directing clients directly to the guides.
Also thanks for mentioning that you felt safe as you traveled around the country i your rental car, I just had a client cancel after talking to family and friends who had never been here telling her how crazy she was to even think abouty visiting El Salvador, so we really need travelers who have visited to let the world know that as far as traveling in El Salvador goes there is no real danger.
Thanks again and I am glad it worked out so well for both your days with Victor.
Written February 4, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
kim d
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Solo
y experience with Gringo Tours and its associates was superb! Robert from Gringo tours went above and beyond by providing me with helpful information including suggestions for my itinerary along with recommended places to stay and an excellent tour of Suchitoto. Robert’s knowledge of El Salvador’s history is next level good! Along with that, Robert arranged transportation to Santa Ana volcano and Juayua with a driver named Miguel. Miguel was great! His car was very comfortable, and he drove at a safe speed. Once at Santa Ana volcano I was greeted by a friendly and knowledgable guide named Orquida and had the best time hiking the volcano with her. She spoke Spanish clearly and slowly for me to understand, and she also spoke English for those time my Spanish skills weren’t sufficient enough. Lastly, Robert arranged transportation to the airport with a lovely woman named Karla. Karla was a great driver and I enjoyed our conversation. On top of that, Karla got up bright and early to get me to the airport. I am so incredibly grateful for all that Robert/Gringo Tours did to make my trip to El Salvador an experience I will never forget. As a single female traveler I can sometimes get a little nervous traveling around. My experience in El Salvador was nothing but positive. I met amazing Salvadorians who invited me to join them for coffee, have great conversations, and share stories about our lives. I felt very safe throughout my visit, and I highly recommend traveling to El Salvador and Gringo Tours. The country and the people are beautiful
Written August 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Kim,
Thanks for the great review and so nice to know that you really enjoyed your time in El Salvador. Orquidia said you made good time and way above average for the normally 4 hour hike up the Santa Ana volcano, she can set a pretty good pace herself and with your long legs the other hikers probably just looked on in awl. It’s always-good hearing about other that work with us like Miguel and Karla both somewhat new but both getting good feedback from our clients which make me feel good improving their income and providing them more work and our business more sustainable.
It was nice getting to know more about you and your work and I will not be surprised if in the future you find a way to offer your skills here.
Keep traveling and enjoying your free time.
Robert and crew
Written August 11, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jamie M
7 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
We were a group of seven traveling to El Salvador for the first time and from the first contact with Robert to the end of our trip, we were met with professionalism and logical information on how to navigate through the 4 days we spent there. We were arranged to be driven exclusively by Yoemir Hernandez and he was pleasant, punctual, and patient with us and our jam-packed itinerary.
We stayed at a resort on the coast and there were several trips that meant 2 hours travel time and Yoemir was the perfect tour guide taking us through beautiful scenery and telling us about the villages, volcanos, and historical sites as we drove by them. He accommodated us when we needed to make unplanned stops for supplies and drinks, he was up early and on time for our planned excursions, and we never felt disjointed communicating with him even with just one fluent Spanish speaker in our group. Yoemir is a gem, and like many of the people we met in El Salvador, he was kind, friendly, easy-going, and helpful.
If you’re thinking about visiting El Salvador, we 10/10 recommend it for its lush beauty, amazing beaches and lovely people, and you definitely should book Gringo Tours for your tour and transportation needs!
We stayed at a resort on the coast and there were several trips that meant 2 hours travel time and Yoemir was the perfect tour guide taking us through beautiful scenery and telling us about the villages, volcanos, and historical sites as we drove by them. He accommodated us when we needed to make unplanned stops for supplies and drinks, he was up early and on time for our planned excursions, and we never felt disjointed communicating with him even with just one fluent Spanish speaker in our group. Yoemir is a gem, and like many of the people we met in El Salvador, he was kind, friendly, easy-going, and helpful.
If you’re thinking about visiting El Salvador, we 10/10 recommend it for its lush beauty, amazing beaches and lovely people, and you definitely should book Gringo Tours for your tour and transportation needs!
Written July 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Jaime,
Thanks for the wonderful review. So happy to hear you and the fami;y enjoyed yur short stay in ES and to hear that Yoemir did a ggod job as tour driver/guide.
Let us know if you ever decide to come back ES has much more to offer!
Regards
Robert
Written July 19, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Keith M
San Jose26 contributions
Jun 2022
We recently had a stopover/layover day in El Salvador on the way back from Costa Rica. Have to admit, a long layover in El Salvador wasn't my first choice. But it was a pleasant surprise for us and Robert was a primary reason why.
Robert was our guide for the day, and was just a terrific host. We had to kind of wing it due to some funky weather but Robert stayed in communication throughout the couple of weeks leading up to our tour, suggesting different itineraries and keeping our wants in mind.
After a brief stop at a local pupuseria (~$11 for 5 people, for pupusas and juices for all!) to grub up after being up since 230am for our early flight out of Costa Rica, we started up by going to Joya de Ceren, El Salvador's only World Heritage site, where he walked us through and provided so many details you'd have thought he worked there. From there we headed off to San Andres, another Mayan site with pyramids to view and walk around. Beautiful scenery and again Robert was able to provide additional insights and info throughout. Keeping an eye on the clock, Robert brought us out to a beautiful restaurant overlooking Lake Coatepeque for more delicious food, before shuttling us all back to the airport for our flight home.
Throughout our day, Robert made sure to give us history, bring us up to date with current goings-on in the country, and pointed out many of the amazing features of El Salvador.
If you have doubts about going to El Salvador, I'd simply say this. Why deprive yourself of the opportunity to see such a pretty place, with so much history and fewer crowds than better known and more popular places? It's a little quirky and some things take a little getting used to (toilet paper outside of the stalls was the one for me), but give El Salvador a shot. We were pleasantly surprised and I suspect you will be too. And give Robert a call. You'll be glad you did.
Robert was our guide for the day, and was just a terrific host. We had to kind of wing it due to some funky weather but Robert stayed in communication throughout the couple of weeks leading up to our tour, suggesting different itineraries and keeping our wants in mind.
After a brief stop at a local pupuseria (~$11 for 5 people, for pupusas and juices for all!) to grub up after being up since 230am for our early flight out of Costa Rica, we started up by going to Joya de Ceren, El Salvador's only World Heritage site, where he walked us through and provided so many details you'd have thought he worked there. From there we headed off to San Andres, another Mayan site with pyramids to view and walk around. Beautiful scenery and again Robert was able to provide additional insights and info throughout. Keeping an eye on the clock, Robert brought us out to a beautiful restaurant overlooking Lake Coatepeque for more delicious food, before shuttling us all back to the airport for our flight home.
Throughout our day, Robert made sure to give us history, bring us up to date with current goings-on in the country, and pointed out many of the amazing features of El Salvador.
If you have doubts about going to El Salvador, I'd simply say this. Why deprive yourself of the opportunity to see such a pretty place, with so much history and fewer crowds than better known and more popular places? It's a little quirky and some things take a little getting used to (toilet paper outside of the stalls was the one for me), but give El Salvador a shot. We were pleasantly surprised and I suspect you will be too. And give Robert a call. You'll be glad you did.
Written June 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hey Keith
Thanks for the wonderful review. It was like I mentiined a pleasure for me to show just a little if El Salvador. Perhaps those hours will make you consider adding on a couple of days on a future layover.
Hope you, Josefina and the kids enjoy the rest if the summer, and stay healthy.
We are all doing well here.
Regards
Robert
Written June 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Andrea H
Rhinebeck, NY82 contributions
Apr 2021
I started out planning my short trip to El Salvador by writing to what seemed to be the biggest tour operator. Short on time and physically challenged, I had specific requests, but only received back descriptions of standard tours that would not work for me. Doing more research I discovered Gringo Tours and that made all the difference. They wrote directly to me, understood what I needed and wanted to do, and what limitations I had. I ended up in Suchitoto (loved it), and on an extensive and enjoyable tour of the Ruta de la Flores with Robert and his wife Tita. The day following I was able to view the El Rosario church in San Salvador, even though closed for Covid, because of Robert's contacts. Robert was knowledgeable and an interesting guide and I recommend Gringo Tours, particularly if you have a short time in the country as I did. An aside, I never felt the slightest danger...as a tourist on the tourist routes, and especially with a guide, you will feel safe.
Written May 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Andrea
Thank you for the wonderful review. It always makes us happy to help travelers get the most from their time in El Salvador.
Hopefully we will be able to bring your painting in September.
And hope to see you again in Suchitoto.
Regards
Robert and Tita
Written May 6, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Deepak Kar
Johannesburg, South Africa8 contributions
May 2021
I landed up in El Salvador without much of a fixed plan and Robert from Gringo tours was a saviour. Even when I was not sure if I would avail any services offered by him, he was generous with advices, all of which was fantastically useful (like Santa Ana volcano hike leaving earlier than mentioned in most places or about El Carmen coffee tour in Ataco). Literally in last minute he arranged a driver to take me from Santa Ana to Ataco, and then to airport at a very reasonable cost. I must mention that he is amazingly prompt with email replies, I wish some of my students were like that ;-).
Written June 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the wonderful and honest review.
I am glad we could make your last minute trip just a bit better.
If you decide to come back you know how to contact us.
Regards
Robert
Written August 6, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Brett W
1 contribution
Apr 2022
I truly cannot say enough about our trip to El Salvador, facilitated and made excellent by Robert and Gringo tours. From our first step outside of the airport, Robert and team assured our transport to Suchitoto was quick and easy, and invited us into his home the day before our offical tour (the day after Christmas) During a walking tour of Suchitoto, his love of and investment into the city was apparent, as was the degree to which his community loves him right back.
My fiance and I are sponges for information about the places we visit, and Robert demonstrated near encyclopedic knowledge of everything from the history and archicture, to land use and urban planning policy in Suchitoto, Salvador city, and the country overall. This knowledge of El Salvador, blended with the "Gringo" background, was a combination found only in the highest end of tour guides.
While El Salvador has historically had a less than positive reputation, we felt safer during our time with Robert and Gringo tours than we do back home in California.
Should you take a trip to El Salvador (and we wholeheartedly recommend you do), you couldn't possibly do better than taking a tour with Robert and Gringo tours.
My fiance and I are sponges for information about the places we visit, and Robert demonstrated near encyclopedic knowledge of everything from the history and archicture, to land use and urban planning policy in Suchitoto, Salvador city, and the country overall. This knowledge of El Salvador, blended with the "Gringo" background, was a combination found only in the highest end of tour guides.
While El Salvador has historically had a less than positive reputation, we felt safer during our time with Robert and Gringo tours than we do back home in California.
Should you take a trip to El Salvador (and we wholeheartedly recommend you do), you couldn't possibly do better than taking a tour with Robert and Gringo tours.
Written March 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hey guys,
I had to look back over my emails and google calander to see who was writting this wonderful review, its been a while since your visit but as they say better late than never and that is especailly true with reviews.
I am glad you enjoyed your short stay over the holidays and that you liked how we showed you this tiny gem of a country. You know you have friends in Suchitoto if you ever decide to return.
Thanks again for the business and nice review.
Robert, Tita and crew.
P.S. since your visit we have legalized every aspect of the business are now part of the National Registry of Tourism and business is growing fast. We now provide work to several top bilingual guides and driver/guides. This thanks to reviews like yours
Written March 20, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
simpangratis
Irvine, CA476 contributions
Nov 2021
Mother and adult daugther four days and four nights whirlwind travel with Robert and his wife, Tita, a formidable team. We see, hear, learn and experience a lot traveling with Robert. Very generous with his time (some days started at 6 am and finished at 5 pm) and it really shows that he is passionate about the country. We visited San Salvador, Suchitoto, Santa Ana, and ruta de las flores.
Robert is very knowledgable, personable and easy going. My daughter commented, out of many years traveling, Robert is the best guide she has ever had. Not the least expensive guide by all means, but for discriminate traveler looking for quality guide, Gringo tour is the one.
Robert is very knowledgable, personable and easy going. My daughter commented, out of many years traveling, Robert is the best guide she has ever had. Not the least expensive guide by all means, but for discriminate traveler looking for quality guide, Gringo tour is the one.
Written December 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Lili and Sarah,
Thanks for the nice review, reading reviews like yours is what makes showing people El Salvador all the more satisfying. It was truly a pleasure for Tita and I to make your Thanksgiving vacation a nice mother daughter getaway.
I do hope you find my friend in Honduras just as good and that he can show you some of what our neighbors have as well.
Best wished to the both during these crazy days
Robert and Tita
p.s. thanks for sharing the album of photos!
Written December 29, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Karis
New York City, NY11 contributions
Nov 2021 • Friends
I just got back from an incredible week in El Salvador and I’m here to tell everyone to add this beautiful country to your list of travels. I have to admit El Salvador wasn’t really on my radar but I found a cheap airfare, did a little research and decided to take full advantage of a week off. Little did I know what awaited me when I landed. Lush landscapes, beautiful beaches, picturesque lakes, delicious food and some of the most friendly people I’ve ever met during my travels around the world. And I owe a huge thank you to Robert (Gringo Tours) and his amazing guidance in planning our itinerary. He was booked during our time there but secured us with an amazing driver, Carlos, for a few of our transfers. Carlos was prompt, safe, friendly, and full of knowledge. He even hiked a bit with us and took us to Picnic Steakhouse where we had lunch and went down the Imagine Slide. Robert also arranged a guide, Francisco, to drive us through Ruta de las Flores during a transfer from one hotel to the next. Francisco was amazing! His motto was “we don’t do tours, we do detours!” and that’s exactly what we did. We ventured off the beaten path a few times during our day together and I feel we saw so much more than someone would in a typical tour. He even suggested Albania Cafe where we could ride bikes across a zip line. Such a fun experience and something I highly recommend. Robert also connected us with another guide, Julio, for another tour which took us to Salto de Malacatiupan (hot spring waterfall) and Tazumal (Mayan Ruins). Julio was prompt, knowledgeable of great photo ops (we love photography) and adventurous in his own right which helped us instantly connect with him.
We left El Salvador with beautiful memories and new friends made…and we’ll definitely be going back! And when we do, we’ll reach out to Robert to help us plan another great vacation!
We left El Salvador with beautiful memories and new friends made…and we’ll definitely be going back! And when we do, we’ll reach out to Robert to help us plan another great vacation!
Written November 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks Karis for this wonderful review. Although we only met briefly as two tours passed on a volcano, I did get great responses from our drivers and guides who showed you around. If we could give star ratings to our clients both Francisco and Julio gave you two a 5 star review and Francisco even said you were the best clients he has ever dealt with.
Just glad we were able to make the best of your short visit to El Salvador
Keep traveling
Robert
Written December 29, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Oge U
3 contributions
Jul 2022
Our tour guide, Yoemir, was the most professional, patient, kind, considerate driver throughout our entire trip. He never once got frustrated or annoyed as he accommodated the travel needs of 7 people for 5 days. He made transportation for our trip seamless and we cannot praise him enough for all his hard work. Thank you for making our trip memorable!
Written July 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Oge,
Really glad you enjoyed Yoemir. He is actually only one of our drivers and although he knows El Salvador very well, our guides do even better.
Anyway glad you and yor friends enjoyed your time in little El Salvador.
Regards
Robert
Written July 22, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi how much do you charge for a birdwatching tour and what are the available dates?
Written September 13, 2018
Birding tours start at $100 for half day tours in and around Suchitoto, full day briding tours for individuals start at $175. Please look for our webpage undeder El Gringo Suchitoto or Gringo Tours
Written September 21, 2018
Buen día desde Medellín.
Planeo ir de vacaciones con mi pareja a El Salvador, tenemos muchas expectativas ;). Pensamos alojarnos en San Salvador del 7 al 10 de noviembre. Queremos ir un día hacia el área de Santa Ana y estamos buscando para otro día algún otro sitio turístico de valor, idealmente unas ruinas, o alguno con valor cultural.
Queremos saber sus sugerencias y si podemos entrar en contacto.
Muchas gracias,
Written August 29, 2015
Hola Maria
Que bueno que estén planeando visitar El Salvador. Esperamos que la situacion siga mejorando.
Me puedas escribir a rpbroz arriba gmail punto com o por WhatsApp a (503) 7860-9435 y así puedo ayudar desarrollar un itinerario para sus interés y presupuesto.
En espera de saber más
Roberto
Written May 7, 2021
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