Managua: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Managua is the capital of Nicaragua (Managua Department), 108 m (354 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International Airport (MGA), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 165 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Managua runs from about 11 h 27 min a day in late December to 12 h 53 min in late June (computed for 12.13° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Managua is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International Airport (MGA), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,012 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Managua: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Managua · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 165 places to stay in Managua. Of the 131 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (81), and 8 are five-star. Across 44 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.5 out of 10. Guests have left 18,996 reviews in total.
Hotels in Managua: the full picture, and book
Our booking partner lists 12 hostels in Managua, out of 165 places to stay of every kind — 7.3% of everywhere it lists in the city, which puts it in the top tenth of the cities we hold hostel figures for — a well-established backpacker trail. Guests have left 133 reviews across them.
Hostels in Managua: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Tegucigalpa, 240 km (Honduras) — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- San Salvador, 362 km (El Salvador) — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- San José, 340 km (Costa Rica) — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Soyapango, 359 km (El Salvador) — flights · buses · car rental
- San Miguel, 258 km (El Salvador) — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Danlí, 214 km (Honduras) — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Mejicanos, 364 km (El Salvador) — flights · buses · car rental
- León, 76 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Catacamas, 305 km (Honduras) — buses · car rental
- Masaya, 24 km — tours
Common questions
Which airport serves Managua?
Augusto C. Sandino (Managua) International Airport (MGA), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre.
How big is Managua?
About 973,087 people live in Managua (GeoNames).
What time zone is Managua in?
America/Managua, currently UTC-6.
What currency is used in Managua?
The Cordoba (NIO). Traffic drives on the right.
Are there hostels in Managua?
12 of them, bookable on this site. Hostels in Managua.
How many hotels are there in Managua?
Our booking partner lists 165 places to stay in Managua, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Managua?
Tegucigalpa (240 km), San Salvador (362 km), San José (340 km), Soyapango (359 km), San Miguel (258 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.