Destination: Panama | Duration: 9 days | Price: from$2,125 per Person
Get up close to the impressive wonder that is the Panama Canal on this 9 day tour, then head to an all-inclusive Pacific Beach Resort to swim, snorkel and lounge in the sand. On the final two nights you will enjoy a wild experience in the rainforest on a visit to Monkey Island. Soar through the canopy on an aerial tram and be dazzled by the biodiversity around you.
Day 1: Welcome to Panama City!
On arrival at Tocumen International Airport you will be met by a representative and transferred to Colonial Casco Antiguo. The American Trade Hotel is a boutique hotel located in the oldest section of Panama City known as Casco Viejo (Old Town) which was founded in 1673 just two years after the original Panama City was torched during an invasion by the infamous Pirate Henry Morgan. It is only about 5 miles from the ruins of Panama la Vieja but is a world apart.
The property occupies a lovely restored 1917 building that stands at the ecological and cultural crossroads of the Americas. It is deeply connected to both the historic Old Quarter and nascent modern Panama City.
Night in Casco Viejo at the Central Hotel – Jr. Suite
Day 2: Panama Canal Partial Transit Tour
Begin your partial transit tour in Gamboa and head south to Gatun Lake. You’ll sail through Galliard Cut, the narrowest section of the Panama Canal. This portion of the Continental Divide was once carved through rock and shale when the canal opened in 1914.
You’ll get a chance to check out the amazing $5.25 billion grand scale expansion project on the Panama Canal, a project that will allow it to accommodate larger ships than ever.
You’ll also sail through the Pedro Miguel Locks, where the vessel will be lowered into Miraflores Lake. Transition from freshwater to saltwater at the Miraflores Locks and then sail under the bridge of the Americas.
Night in Casco Viejo at the Central Hotel – Jr. Suite
Day 3: Panama Railway & Historic Portobelo
You will be picked up at your hotel for the private transfer to Corozal station where you will board the comfortable train for a historical ride alongside the Panama Canal. This railroad, constructed with immense drama, snakes its way past protected rainforests, the river feeding the Canal and the once largest man-made lake in the world, the Gatun Lake. You will have unsurpassed views of the 8th wonder of the world and the giant ships transferring between two seas as well as of the spectacular nature of the isthmus where native Indians still live in the jungles and a vast array of birds and wildlife can be encountered.
Portobelo is a sleepy bayside town full of colonial history where you will feel transported back in time. Here, you will encounter no less than 5 colonial fortifications where the canons are still pointing their mouths towards the bay they once protected.
Night in Casco Viejo at the Central Hotel – Jr. Suite
Day 4: Anton Valley and Canopy Adventure
Take a drive through the rolling green hills west of Panama City to the town of El Valle, nestled in the crater of a giant extinct volcano. Admire the views of the fertile green farmland, jagged mountain peaks and lush forests. El Valle is known as the Land of the Eternal Spring because of its cool and fresh climate.
Take a hike along the Chorro Macho Trail, an easy and short loop through some beautiful mature rainforest to an impressive waterfall. Then, go on a thrilling ride through the treetops with the Canopy Adventure Zip Line Tour.
Afterward, enjoy an authentic local meal at a restaurant and visit a handicraft market to peruse the wares of local Indigenous artisans.
Night Buenaventura Golf and Beach Resort – Deluxe Pool View Room
Day 5: Leisure Time Along the Pacific
On a sprawling Panamanian beach along the serene Pacific Ocean, the Sheraton Bijao All Inclusive Beach Resort has everything you could possibly want for total relaxation at an idyllic beach location. Amenities beyond the beach included an inviting multi-layered pool, access to a 9-hole golf course, a fitness center and much more!
Night Buenaventura Golf and Beach Resort – Deluxe Pool View Room
Day 6: Leisure Day Along the Pacific
On a sprawling Panamanian beach along the serene Pacific Ocean, the Sheraton Bijao All Inclusive Beach Resort has everything you could possibly want for total relaxation at an idyllic beach location. Amenities beyond the beach included an inviting multi-layered pool, access to a 9-hole golf course, a fitness center and much more!
Night Buenaventura Golf and Beach Resort – Deluxe Pool View Room
Day 7: Panama City and Miraflores Locks
See the highlights of vibrant and historic Panama City on this half day tour. You’ll see some of the most significant landmarks, such as the art museum Las Bovedas which was once used for storing gold and the stunning gold-plated altar of the San Jose Church. You’ll also see the National Theatre, the Panama Canal Museum, the National Cathedral and the Presidential Palace.Your guide will give you fascinating insight into the rich historic of the city.
You’ll also visit the famous Miraflores Locks, where an expert guide will take you step by step through the history and operation of this amazing wonder of the world.
Night in Panama City at the JW Marriott Panama – Deluxe Ocean View Room
Day 8: Gatun Lake Expedition & Aerial Tram
Ascend 280 feet from the cool forest floor through the dense rainforest to the sun-drenched canopy filled with a thousand shades of green. Admire the view of Soberania National Park from the observation tower while watching the giant cargo ships make their way through the Galliard Cut.
Then, take a thrilling ride at high speed through the heart of the Panama Canal. Slow down as you enter the jungle-covered islands of Gatun Lake. In this protected wilderness you are likely to spot howler monkeys, three toed sloths, toucans, capuchin monkeys, crocodiles, turtles, caimans, butterflies and other amazing creatures. Your naturalist guide will tell you fascinating facts about Panama’s diverse wildlife as you glide through this beautiful Eden.
Night in Panama City at the JW Marriott Panama – Deluxe Ocean View Room
Day 9: Depart Panama
Today you will be picked up in the lobby of the hotel about 2.5 hours prior to your scheduled departure flight to be transferred to Tocumen International Airport.
This is a private tour so it can be customized to be longer with add-ons to visit the Kuna Yala and San Blas islands or the archipelago of Bocas del Toro.
