If you have just landed in Managua, Nicaragua and are looking for how to get from Managua to Leon from the airport in Managua to Leon you are in the right spot. Just follow the steps below for a step to guide to make your way from Managua to Leon.

Contents:

How To Get From Managua To Leon

Directions From the Managua Airport to Leon

STEP 1: Taxi from the Managua Airport to the UCA Bus Station Managua

After making your way through Managua airport customs head toward the exit and you will encounter drivers from two different companies one in yellow shirts and the other in blue, the guys are in blue are cheaper and will start at $15 and you can get the closer to $10.

Tell them you want to go in Spanish: “Enfrente de UCA, Estación de Autobus a Leon”

You are looking for the bus station across the road from the large UCA, University de Centroamerica.

They might tell you they can take you all the way from Managua to Leon for just as cheap and faster, but they want $30 US per person and it can’t be much faster.

Alternative STEP 1:

An alternative to the guys in the airport is you can walk out to the street and pay a fraction of that if you are adventurous enough. We did not do this but were told afterward that it would only be about 20-30 cords persons to the UCA bus stop.

STEP 2: The Bus from Managua to Leon

Note: Keep you guard very high at the bus station in Managua. We met countless travelers that had been robbed or scammed here. There are many tricks they use, so don’t talk to anyone but the driver to arrange your ride. One couple we met had a car part drop in front of them, and when they went to pick it up the man who dropped it grabbed their bag a passed it out of the bus window to his accomplice. This is only one of hundreds of scams, keep your valuables very tight.

The microbuses cost 51 Cords ($2USD), most are air-conditioned and relatively comfortable. Approximately 1.5-hour ride. *Note the bus pictured is not the bus, the buses from Managua to Leon will be smaller 16 passenger van/minibuses.

At the UCA bus station, you can go to Masaya or Granda as well.

Step 4: Arriving at the bus stop in Leon, Nicaragua

The bus drops you at the bus stop outside the market in town. From there you can catch a taxi or a bike Tuk-Tuk for around 20-30 cords into Leon. Use the map to find directions to your hotel.

Where to stay in Leon Nicaragua

We stayed at Bigfoot Hostel mainly because they offer the volcano boarding, which I highly recommend doing if you are in Leon. However, I would not stay at the hostel again, there are many other cheap accommodation options for as low as $6 night. If you have a few extra dollars little splurges go a long way in Nicaragua. There will also be hostel hawkers trying to help and get you to stay with them if you need.

Things to do in Leon:

Most people come to Leon for volcano boarding which is a lot of fun, but that’s not the only fun thing to do there are many things to do in Leon.

Volcano Boarding
Trip out to the beaches
Leon Cathedral
Ruins of Leon Viejo (UNESCO site)