Where are you headed?
Bus timetables for Nicaragua: which terminal your bus leaves from, when, and what the fare is.
Leaving Managua now
Checking the time…
Frequent, no fixed time
Express, local bus, minibus or boat
What each one looks like and how it rides.
Photo: Gütschow, Mikolai-Alexander, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons Express
A large bus or coaster with few stops. It costs a little more than the local bus and gets there sooner.
See 61 express buses
Photo: Gütschow, Mikolai-Alexander, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons Local bus
The old US school bus, repainted, often called a chicken bus. It stops wherever someone waves it down and bags ride on the roof rack. The cheapest option.
See 123 local buses
Photo: Gütschow, Mikolai-Alexander, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons Minibus
A 15-seat minibus that leaves when full, with no timetable. The fastest choice on short hops like Managua to Granada or León.
See 14 minibuses (interlocal)
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Boat and ferry
For Ometepe, the Río San Juan and the Caribbean. Ferries have names, like El Che or Ferry III; Ometepe’s small boats don’t run on Sundays.
See 16 boats and ferries
How terminals post their timetables
At León’s terminal, the cooperative hand-painted its express to Matagalpa: leaves 7:30 AM, arrives 10:00, with the phone number in blue so you can ask if there are seats. The boards on this site borrow that way of posting times.
Just like at the terminal, times change. Each route says whether it is verified or indicative, and a quick email gets it fixed. About
Managua has four bus terminals
Each one serves a part of the country. From west to east, with the airport at the far end:
- Israel Lewites
León, Chinandega and the Pacific beaches
13 routes
- UCA
Minibuses to Granada, Masaya, León and Carazo
5 routes
- Huembes
Masaya, Granada, Rivas, San Juan del Sur, Ometepe and Costa Rica
11 routes
- Mayoreo
Estelí, Matagalpa, Jinotega, Juigalpa, El Rama and San Carlos
23 routes
Airport
About 10 minutes from Mayoreo.
West-to-east sketch, not to scale.
Most searched
The routes people look up most, with their next departure.
Leaves from Managua, Mayoreo
Estelí
Express2 h 30 min13 departures, 5:45 AM–3:50 PM
C$120 – C$140 (≈ US$3.28–3.83)
See timesLeaves from Managua, Mayoreo
Matagalpa
Express2 h 30 min11 departures, 5:30 AM–5:00 PM
C$105 (≈ US$2.87)
See timesLeaves from Managua, Mayoreo
Jinotega
Express3 h7 departures, 5:00 AM–5:30 PM
C$140 – C$160 (≈ US$3.83–4.37)
See timesLeaves from Managua, Mayoreo
Juigalpa
Express2 h 30 minEvery ~30 min, 4:00 AM–6:00 PM
C$110 – C$130 (≈ US$3.01–3.55)
See timesLeaves from Managua, Mayoreo
El Rama
Express6 h7 departures, 5:00 AM–10:00 PM
C$250 – C$300 (≈ US$6.83–8.20)
See timesLeaves from Managua, Huembes
Masaya
Local bus1 hEvery ~15 min, 4:30 AM–8:00 PM
C$20 – C$25 (≈ US$0.55–0.68)
See timesLeaves from Managua, Huembes
Rivas
Express1 h 45 minEvery ~40 min, 4:30 AM–6:30 PM
C$90 – C$100 (≈ US$2.46–2.73)
See timesLeaves from Managua, Huembes
San Juan del Sur
Express2 h 30 min7 departures, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
C$110 – C$130 (≈ US$3.01–3.55)
See times
Step-by-step guides
For first-time visitors, travellers and students moving in from other towns.
How to get to Ometepe island by bus and ferry
Ometepe is reached by ferry or small boat from the port of San Jorge, 15 minutes from Rivas. From Managua the whole trip takes about 3 hours and costs under C$200 (US$5).
Stories from the road
Travellers who crossed Nicaragua by bus tell how it went. We summarise each story and link to the source.
Granada, León, Estelí and Ometepe
A couple in their late forties spent seven weeks travelling Nicaragua by public transport only. From Granada they changed smoothly at UCA for León and carried on to Estelí: buses always left on time, they were never overcharged, and whenever they wondered if they were in the right place an older man would appear and put them right. To them Nicaragua is a wonderful country with wonderful people, with a friendly vibe, especially up north.
Stephen M, 2023. Read on Tripadvisor
Managua to the Corn Islands without flying
They took the 11:15 a.m. bus from Managua's Costa Caribe terminal to Bluefields: C$320, an assigned seat and about 7 hours with two short breaks. Then the 9 a.m. ferry to Big Corn (C$255, 6 hours) was a perfectly smooth crossing on a glassy sea, with drinks sold aboard; the panga on to Little Corn is C$360. All for far less than flights at around US$200 each way.
Dave Jackson, Jun 20, 2023. Read on Bring Us That Horizon
Estelí to Miraflor
At Estelí's COTRAN Norte they caught the 11:30 a.m. bus towards Yalí and got off at the La Rampla stop in Miraflor: C$33 for a ride of an hour and a half to two hours that Esther calls beautiful. They came back on the afternoon bus from La Pita for C$35, an even prettier ride.
Esther, Jan 11, 2020. Read on Centro Coasting
A bus on an island in Nicaragua
The bus was waiting at the dock: old, with green lights and a windshield decal reading “Pon a Dios en primer lugar”. Forty minutes in, a pregnant young woman who felt unwell got on; two passengers gave up the front seat and an older woman fixed her hair until she felt better.
Robert Klose, Aug 15, 2023. Read on The Christian Science Monitor
Upcoming festivals
Dates are the traditional ones each year and may change; confirm with the organisers.
Photo: SeleneYang, CC BY-SA 4.0 January 17–27
San Sebastián festival and El Güegüense
Diriamba honours its patron saint with El Güegüense, a UNESCO-listed satirical dance-drama, the Toro Huaco and the meeting of the saints with Jinotepe and San Marcos.
Mid-February
Granada International Poetry Festival
A week of readings, music and a poetic carnival in Granada's colonial streets, with poets from dozens of countries.
March or April, dates vary
Holy Week on the beaches
The busiest week of the year in San Juan del Sur, Pochomil, Las Peñitas and Ometepe: concerts, parties and packed buses. Buy your ticket in advance.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an express bus and a local bus?
Express buses (expresos) run directly between major cities with few stops and cost a little more. Local buses (ruteados, the famous “chicken buses”) stop in every town and junction along the way: cheaper but slower. There are also minibuses (interlocales) for 15 to 20 passengers that leave when full, like the ones from UCA in Managua; they are usually the fastest option on short trips.
Which Managua terminal does my bus leave from?
It depends on where you are going. North, centre and Caribbean (Estelí, Matagalpa, Jinotega, Juigalpa, El Rama): Mercado Mayoreo. South (Masaya, Granada, Rivas, San Juan del Sur, Costa Rica border): Mercado Roberto Huembes. West and the Pacific beaches (León, Chinandega, Pochomil): Mercado Israel Lewites. Minibuses to Masaya, Granada, León and Carazo leave from UCA, next to the university.
How much does a ticket cost and how do I pay?
We show an indicative fare range in córdobas (C$) with an approximate US dollar equivalent. You pay the conductor in cash once you are on board, in córdobas; small notes are easier. Fares are set by the cooperatives and can change, especially around holidays.
Are the schedules exact?
Routes marked “Verified” were confirmed with the terminal or the operator on the date shown. Routes marked “Indicative” are based on public information and traveller reports: use them as a guide and arrive early. Buses also tend to leave once they are full.
Can I use the site offline?
Yes. The pages you visit are saved on your phone, so you can check the schedule again even without signal on the road.
Can I buy tickets online?
Not yet. International coaches (Tica Bus, TransNica) sell online on their own websites; for domestic buses you buy at the terminal or on board. Online booking is in the works.