Christopher Columbus touched down on the beautiful white sands of Bocas del Toro, where 92 per cent of the land is covered in dense rainforest.
Panama is a land rich in natural wonder and we get right into the meat of things when we board a passenger ferry down the world-famous Panama Canal.
See the intricate process of how boats are elevated with rising and lowering waters controlled by a purely gravity-powered system.
The country is teeming with an immense population of wildlife. In 1985, a world record was set by a team who counted 385 species of birds in Soberania National Park in a span of just 24 hours.
So, it will be no surprise when we become familiar with originally unrecognizable animals, such as a prong-billed barbet or a volcano hummingbird.
On our Pleasures Of Panama tour, you'll be able to take time to absorb the sights of the valleys that support the interspersed coffee plantations or vegetable farms.
Prices below are per person, twin-sharing costs in US Dollars (USD). Pricing does not include airfare to/from the tour and any applicable taxes. For single supplement rates and taxes (if any), please refer to below Prices & Dates table. For general information on flights to/from the tour, click here.
Your Travel and Accommodation Arranged For You
Tips Included for Driver, Restaurant Staff, Local Guides
Authentic Local Experiences With Lots Of Inclusions.
Select a date below to reserve your spot:
Optional Single Supplement: $740 USD (number of singles limited).
Download Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Panama City
Arrival at Tocumen International Airport, Panama City.
The most cosmopolitan capital in Central America, Panama City is both vibrant metropolis and gateway to tropical escapes. Welcoming both east and west, Panama is a regional hub of trade and immigration. The resulting cultural cocktail mix leads to a refreshing attitude that's dynamic and fluid.
Overnight in Panama City.
Included Meal(s): Dinner
Day 2 Partial Canal Transit
We have an early morning pick-up at the hotel for the 15 minute drive to the port of Balboa where we board the passenger ferry that will take us on the world famous journey through the Panama Canal ("partial" transit; one-way). For many, this tour is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. At the MiraFlores Locks we experience how ships are raised 16 m / 54 feet in a two step process. This activity is achieved by sending water from Pedro Miguel's lake by gravity to fill the chambers where the ship is locked. Once the first set of locks is transited, the vessel arrives at the Pedro Miguel locks to be raised up to 26 m / 85 feet. Again no water pumps are used; they take advantage of gravity to transfer water from Gatun Lake, filling the last Chamber of the Pacific site. We cross the Continental divide and narrowest part of the Panama Canal arriving at the town of Gamboa, home to the dredging division, an important part in the functioning of the canal.
The tour includes breakfast and lunch and a specialist guide. Light clothes, insect repellent, hat, sunscreen and very comfortable shoes, are suggested. Do not forget your camera!
Overnight in Panama City.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Not finding what you're looking for?
Our specialists can take away the stress and create a private custom tour tailored to your exact interests and budget.
Day 3 Panama City: Portobelo & Agua Clara Locks
Today we travel by bus to Portobelo, once the main port of entry and exit for all of South America. The exchange of merchandise took place annually at Portobelo in the form of a "fair," which lasted from 30 to 60 days. During this time, this sleepy little place was a beehive of activity; indeed transactions frequently totaled from 10 to 12 million gold pesos! These fairs took place once each year until 1738 when, as a result of continual attacks by pirates, Spain was forced to abandon the Isthmian route for the longer but more secure one around Cape Horn. The frequent pirate attacks forced the Spaniards to adopt a convoy system; each year two fleets of 40 to 70 ships sailed from Spain, one bound for Veracruz, the other for Portobelo. Portobelo is a shadow of it’s former glory but is still quite quaint and charming.
Our visit begins with San Filipe Church, the Church of the Black Christ, named for a wooden statue of Jesus Christ found on the shores of the town's harbour. Life-size, it's adorned with a robe that is changed twice a year, once during the Festival of the Black Christ and also during Holy Week. There are many legends about how the image came to rest in Panama: a shipwreck, a miracle, a saviour from the black death. This was the first church of mainland America.
We then walk to the Customs House, passing by the stone inlay sundial and gold measures. This is where the majority of the gold was stored before being sent to Spain. Next to the Customs House is Fort San Geronimo. A ten-minute walk through town takes us to Fort Santiago -- across the road from the fort, there are steps that lead up to ruins of old battlements. The view from up here is stupendous!
Our last stop is Agua Clara Locks and Visitor Centre, the third set of locks that opened in 2016. Of particular interest are the locks’ fascinating overflow tanks that allow for 60% of the water to be recycled as the ships go through the locks. Hopefully our visit will coincide with a ship in the canal!
Overnight in Panama City.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner
Day 4 Parque Metropolitano & Amerindian Village
Today we head north of downtown to Parque Metropolitano, which protects vast expanses of tropical semi-deciduous forest within the city limits and serves as an incredible wilderness escape from the trappings of the capital. Our walking route takes us to 150m-high mirador (lookout) with panoramic views of Panama City, the bay and the canal all the way to the Miraflores Locks.
This afternoon we visit an Embera / Choco Amerindian village. We take a boat along the route commonly used by the Indians for their daily transport along the river. A short walk through a forest follows, with a local guide to explain botanical novelties and the culture of this authentic village. We return to Panama City.
Overnight in Panama City.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner
Day 5 Panama City Touring - Fly to David, Chiriqui Highlands
This morning, still in Panama City, we include a visit to the ruins of Old Panama and Casco Viejo (the old city compound) dating back to the late 1600's.* We will learn of the events in history leading up to the eventual movement of the capital city to its present location. Casco Viejo is home to monuments to Ferdinand de Lesseps and others who were instrumental in the ill-fated French attempt to construct a canal through Panama. Here we visit the Altar de Oro at the San Jose church. As it's name would suggest this large barouque altar is made of pure gold. The church was built soon after the first Spanish settlement was established on the Pacific Coast in 1519. In the 17th Century this settlement was abandoned and moved to it's present location on the small peninsula that that contains the San Felipe district of the city. When the church itself was moved so was it's most famous possession. Our tour ends with a visit to the Panama Canal Museum.
Later today we'll transfer to Panama City's Albrook domestic airport where we board the scheduled flight to David in the province of Chiriqui.**
This enchanted land is the Chiriqui Highlands, the part of the Cordillera Central that defines the northern border of the province of Chiriqui. Primeval rainforests bedecked with clouds, noisy, chattering birds flash brilliant iridescent colours as they dart about their daily chores, flowering epiphytes bloom en masse high above the forest floor while gurgling streams glisten and tumble hurriedly over great boulders in their dance towards the sea. It is a beautiful landscape of cloud forests, volcanic peaks, coffee plantations and home to most of Panama's Guaymi Indians.
* Flight schedules may have us flying to David this morning in which case the above listed Panama City sightseeing will be accomplished on Day 9.
** Due to 12 kilo weight restriction on this flight and on the flight from Bocas back to Panama City, we strongly recommend that you pack a smaller bag for the next few nights and leave excess baggage in storage at our Panama City hotel.
Overnight in Chirqui Highlands.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner
Day 6 Chiriqui Highlands
Today we will travel to Cerro Punta to explore the area with a local naturalist guide on a nature walk.
This area is good for resplendent quetzal, black and yellow silky flycatcher, prong billed barbet, and the volcano hummingbird. From here we'll travel to the area of La Amistad International Park Headquarters. La Amistad is a bi-national park that stretches from Costa Rica into Panama, a small portion of which extends into the Chiriqui province encompassing mostly cloud forests. Here the land rises in excess of 1500 m / 4,950 feet and warm air ascends the mountains where it meets with cooler air and condenses into a persistent cloud cover. Cloud forests exhibit a unique ecosystem with an astonishing diversity of flora and fauna.
We also tour Haras Cerro Punta, a thoroughbred breeding farm in a mountain valley between Cerro Punta and Guadalupe – the highest inhabited part of Panama. The 100-hectare farm is surrounded by one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the country. With an average population of 200 animals, the farm turns out racehorse champions for Panama and beyond.
NOTE: The order of our Chiriqui sightseeing may vary due to weather, accommodation availability, and other logistical considerations.
Overnight in Chirqui Highlands.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner
Day 7 Chiriqui Highlands - Bocas del Toro
After a leisurely morning we prepare for our drive to Almirante on the Caribbean side of the country. En route we stop to view the impressive Fortuna Dam and spectacular waterfalls along the Continental Divide. We will be crossing the Palo Seco Protected Area that serves as buffer zone to La Amistad International Park. The transition from the cloud forests to the coral reefs of Bocas del Toro is impressive. In Almirante we are met by our boat and transferred to the island.
Five hundred years ago, Christopher Columbus arrived at a tropical paradise he named Bocas del Toro. Overwhelmed by the most incredible contrasts of vivid colour and sheer unspoiled natural surroundings, Columbus decided to drop anchor and spend a bit of time in this idyllic place. Not much has changed since that pristine time with the exception of the provocative Calypso beat and the alluring accent of the Caribbean inhabitants. Bocas is the best place to sink your toes in the white sand, to explore lush tropical rainforests and coral reefs and to look for the faithful sea turtles that have come to these islands for millennia.
Overnight in Bocas del Toro.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner
Day 8 Bocas del Toro
Ninety-two percent of this island is covered by tropical forest that helps keep a natural balance of the ecosystem. This huge national patrimony has 200 species of plants, 55 amphibious and reptiles, 57 mammals, 200 types of birds, 1500 bugs, and more than 58 species of corals.
Bocas del Toro Province is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Veraguas Province to the east, Chiriqui Province to the south and Costa Rica to the west. Most of the province is on the slopes of the Talamanca and Central mountain ranges, but the majority of its 93,000 inhabitants live in low-lying areas along the coast and on islands.
The province contains the large Archipielago de Bocas del Toro at the mouth of the Laguna de Chiriqui, beginning 35km from the Costa Rican border. The chain consists of 68 islands and numerous mangrove keys. Around them are fields of coral, a titanic variety of marine life and water so emerald in colour that Christopher Columbus named the region Veraguas, a contraction of verdes aguas (green waters).
Today we have a boat tour to the surrounding attractions of the island so you can appreciate the incredible beauty of this place. There will be time for swimming in the surf and walking along the coastline to Red Frog Beach where you will be amazed by a sort of symphony of rather non-musical chirping that sounds like it must be coming from crickets. When you look closer, however, you will be surprised to find that this strangely beautiful noise is coming
from a small frog, about the size of your thumbnail.
Overnight in Bocas del Toro.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner
Day 9 Bocas de Toro - Fly to Panama City: Panama City Touring
This morning we hope to have some leisure time in Bocas before flying back to the capital this afternoon.
Balance of the day at leisure prior to reconvening for our evening meal.
Overnight in Panama City.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner
Day 10 Departure
Today we depart from Panama City.
BUEN VIAJE!
Included Meal(s): Breakfast
Inclusions
Breakfast and dinner daily (hotels and local restaurants). All transport, accommodation, sightseeing and entrance fees for sites noted as 'visited' in the detailed itinerary. Gratuities for local guides, drivers, restaurant staff, hotel porters (if available). Airport transfers for land & air customers and for early arriving / late departing land & air customers who book their extra hotel nights through us.
Exclusions
International airfare to/from the tour. Tour Leader gratuity, lunches, drinks, personal items (phone, laundry, etc), departure taxes, domestic and international air taxes (if applicable). Airport transfers for Land Only customers. Optional trip cancellation insurance. Our post-reservation trip notes offer further guidance on not included meal costs, shopping, and locally paid departure taxes.
Seasonality and Weather
This tour is offered during the northern winter and outside hurricane season. Temperatures are high across the whole country throughout the year, though cooler at higher altitudes. The rainy season lasts from May to November.
Transport and Travel Conditions
Road transport by private air-conditioned motor coach, 24-36 seats depending on ultimate group size (see 'group size'). Numerous nature walks and walking tours on uneven surfaces. Internal flights via scheduled domestic carriers in smaller aircraft with limited space for luggage.
Our difficulty level "2" rating refers to the above-mentioned busy days, walking tours on uneven terrain, lack of handrails (public and elsewhere, ie shower stalls), and fatigue that can be caused by heat and humidity and unfamiliar food and drink.
Am I suitable for this tour? Please refer to our self-assessment form.
Activity Level: 2
These are particularly busy tours that feature a lot of moving around, sometimes by train and short journeys on local transport. Walking tours of towns and cities are leisurely but you should be prepared to be on your feet for several hours. Some of our cultural trips that occur at high altitude and/or require greater independence with baggage handling (at hotels, airports, train stations) also fall into this category.
To learn more about the Activity levels, please visit our tour styles page.
Accommodation
Well-located, heated / air-conditioned, mid-range (3 star) hotels with en suite toilet and bath throughout (probably shower only). Single rooms are limited and likely smaller than doubles. Hotel porter service is sometimes available (see 'inclusions') though you should be independent with your luggage. Some hotels have outdoor swimming pools.
Staff and Support
Tour Leader, driver/s, and local step-on guides at various locations.
Group Size
Maximum 18 (plus Tour Leader)
Tour Extensions
This tour is part of a series that can be upgraded to make for a longer trip. For more options, please refer to tour code/s:
Tour Overview Countries Visited: 2 Acivity Level: 2 Tour Style: Cultural
On our Panama & Costa Rica tour you'll see that this bounteous Central American region is one that is often overlooked by the traveller, a factor which, for many, only adds to its allure.
We begin at Panama's most famous attraction; the Panama Canal, an tremendous feat of engineering and human endeavour.
Boarding a ferry, we pass through locks that use not water pumps, but gravity to facilitate our voyage and we cross the Continental Divide before taking to land again and heading to Soberania National Park, whose trails tell stories abundant nature and colonial and history.
We spend time in Amerindian villages and cast off on boats that have been used by the indigenous peoples for centuries before taking to the tracks on the Interoceanic Train, which follows the Canal though spectacular scenery to Portobelo, once the port of entry and exit for all of South America and a city stepped in pirate legend.
We see Panama's nature at its best as our tour leads us through the Chiriqui Highlands with its cloud forests and astonishing arrays of flora and fauna, and when we cross into the Caribbean side of the country to witness the tropical paradise of Bocas del Toro, whose pristine beauty that bewitched Columbus when he first happened upon it centuries ago has changed little.
Coral reefs, white-sand beaches and tropical forest keep us occupied in Bocas del Toro until we head to Panama City for a spot of exploration before crossing into Costa Rica.
With a remarkable 25 per cent of the country protected by national parks and reserves, Costa Rica offers a nature experience like no other.
We amble through lush jungles that come alive with the chattering of monkeys and the squawking of colourful birds and embark on a riverboat cruise to see the remote and untouched areas that other tour companies cannot reach.
From relaxing in the bubbling hotsprings near the magnificent Arenal Volcano, to being spellbound by the mystical atmosphere as we take a canopy walk above Monteverde Cloud Forest, we see the best of Costa Rica and marvel at its nature.
Tour Overview Countries Visited: 2 Acivity Level: 2 Tour Style: Cultural
This Panama and Colombia tour is a nice combination of our highlight-packed tour of Colombia and our ever-popular tour of Panama in one nice three-week package.
Tour Overview Countries Visited: 3 Acivity Level: 2 Tour Style: Cultural
On our Panama, Costa Rica & Nicaragua tour you'll find yourself gliding through the waters of one of the most famous landmarks in the world, the Panama Canal, is the first of many adventures on this exciting 23-day tour through Panama and the naturalist dreamlands of Costa Rica & Nicaragua.
Taking 34 years to reach completion, the Canal stands today as a marvel of design, engineering and human enterprise and is one of the must-see attractions on a tour of the fascinating country. That said, the nation's bounties are by no means restricted to the Canal alone and we discover that Panama in fact has a wealth of other lesser-known attractions, from the historic trails in Soberania National Park and the natural wonder inherent in the primeval rainforests Chiriqui Highlands and Boca del Toro, to the bustling streets of the capital, Panama City.
Crossing into Costa Rica, we begin this stimulating leg of the journey by casting off for a boat trip along interconnecting rivers and canals through remote and untouched wilds to the Caribbean coast. Lush vegetation and unique bird life line the narrows of our course in the Tortuguero region and then it's back onto land for a visit to the museum to learn about the local ecology and to witness it for ourselves with later expeditions into the fairytale-like Monteverde Cloud Forest.
Our time in Nicaragua features beautifully-located Granada, with views of multiple volcanic islands, charming colonial architecture, and some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet.
Regions visited: Central America
Countries visited: Panama
*The red tour trail on the map does not represent the actual travel path.
The following is a list of sample hotels at some locations included on this tour. The hotels shown here are meant to provide a general sense of the standard of hotel we usually aim for; they are not necessarily confirmed for your chosen departure.
