San Francisco to San Salvador (San Luis Talpa) (SFO–SAL) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections
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No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.
SFO–SAL is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. avianca leads the route. The flight covers 2,641 miles in approximately 5h 30m. Beyond nonstop, 28 hubs offer 1-stop connections.
Airline Landscape
| Airline | Freq/wk | Aircraft | Duration | Dep OTP | Alliance | Codeshares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AV avianca Also: BR | 17 | 32N, A20N | 5h35 | Star Alliance | BR |
Weekly Schedule Pattern
Connection Landscape
Other ways to reach San Salvador (San Luis Talpa) from San Francisco
| Metric | SFO→SAL | OAK→SAL |
|---|---|---|
| Distance from SFO | – | 11 mi |
| Nonstop airlines | 1 | 1 |
| Weekly flights | 24 | 4 |
| Flight time | 5h 30m | 5h 30m |
| Departure OTP | 72% | – |
Travel Essentials
SFO: PDT · SAL: CST
When it's 6:00 PM in San Francisco, it's 7:00 PM in San Salvador (San Luis Talpa).
US passport holders enter El Salvador visa-free for up to 90 days. No advance application is needed. El Salvador is part of the CA-4 agreement with Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, meaning the 90-day period is shared across all four countries. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of entry. At El Salvador International Airport (SAL) in San Salvador, immigration stamps your passport. A $12 tourist card fee is included in your airline ticket.
The 90-day CA-4 clock starts when you enter any of the four member countries and does not reset when crossing borders between them. El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. El Tunco and El Zonte on the Pacific coast are the main surf beaches. Ruta de las Flores, a route through five mountain towns in the western highlands, passes coffee farms, waterfalls, and weekend food markets. El Salvador adopted the US dollar as its official currency in 2001 and also recognizes Bitcoin as legal tender since 2021.
Direct flights from Miami (MIA) to San Salvador run about 3 hours on Avianca and Spirit. Houston (IAH) to SAL runs about 3 hours 30 minutes on United. Los Angeles, Dallas, and Washington Dulles also have nonstop service. Since El Salvador uses the US dollar, there is no currency exchange needed. ATMs dispense US dollars. Card payments work at hotels, restaurants, and larger shops. Bitcoin acceptance varies: the government Chivo wallet and ATMs exist but cash dollars remain the everyday standard. Local buses cost $0.20 to $0.35 per ride. Uber operates in San Salvador.
BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) runs from downtown San Francisco (Embarcadero, Powell St.) to the SFO station and then a free AirTrain shuttle to all terminals (30–40 min from Embarcadero, $10.45). BART also connects Oakland and Berkeley; useful for East Bay travelers. Trains run from ~4am to midnight.Taxis from downtown San Francisco cost $40–60. Ride-hails (Uber, Lyft) pick up in the designated area in the garage and are often $30–50 depending on surge pricing. SamTrans buses serve Peninsula cities. Highway 101 and I-280 are heavily congested during commute hours; BART is faster than driving at those times.
SFO–SAL Quick Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Flights from SFO to SAL
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and El Salvador International Airport Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (SAL) are connected by nonstop service from avianca. With 24 weekly departures, this is a well served route.
SFO to SAL Flight Duration and Schedule
Nonstop flight time from SFO to SAL ranges from 5 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 35 minutes. The route covers a distance of 2,641 miles (4,250 km). There are approximately 24 weekly flights outbound and 24 return, totaling 48 flights per week in both directions.
Connecting Options and Alternatives
28 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 7 hours via ELP. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Oakland (OAK).