Panama Canal Experience Sample Itinerary
Suggested Duration: 7 Days / 6 Nights | Price: Determined by Final Customized Package
The Panama Canal is a truly impressive wonder of the world, so why not see it up close and personally? This Private, Tailor-made Vacation Package is perfect for passionate canal enthusiasts and includes a high-speed boat ride in search of wildlife, a partial Panama Canal Transit Tour, a trip to historic Portobelo on the Caribbean side, a visit to Miraflores and the Expansion Canal Locks Visitors Centers, and a day at an Indigenous Community! Now is the perfect time to personalize your trip and witness the impressive Panama Canal firsthand!
Day 1: Welcome to Casco Viejo and the Central Hotel!
The oldest section of Panama City known as Casco Viejo (Old Town) 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.
Featuring a unique French-influenced design, Central Hotel Panamá is one of many historic buildings recognized by UNESCO for its architectural significance within the Casco Antiguo – a designated World Heritage Site in Panama City. The hotel recently underwent full renovations, including meticulous work to preserve the façade and original structure. The finished property creates a sense of historic luxury that can only be experienced first-hand.
Night in Casco Antiguo at Central Hotel – Premium Room
Day 2: Gamboa Rainforest Adventure Tours and Sloths
Ascend 280 feet from the forest floor through the dense undergrowth to the canopy on the aerial tram. At the top you can climb the observation tower and enjoy stunning views of Soberania National Park.
Next you will take a thrilling 45-minute boat ride through the heart of the Canal and enter the labyrinth of islands on Gatun Lake, where you might spot howler monkeys, three toed sloths, capuchin monkeys, toucans, crocodiles, turtles, caimans and many colourful butterflies. Your experienced naturalist guide will educate you about the amazing wildlife of this diverse region. Lunch will be included.
Night in Casco Antiguo at Central Hotel – Premium Room
Day 3: Canal Expansion Visitors Center & Historic Portobelo
This morning you will be picked up at the hotel for a scenic drive across the isthmus alongside the Panama Canal. The road is mostly highway but does also provide access to views of gorgeous protected rainforests alongside Gatun Lake, once the largest man-made lake in the world. Explore the sleepy bayside town of Portobelo on a historic walking tour and see the colonial fortifications that still point their canons towards the bay. Then, take a tour of the Panama Canal Expansion Visitor Center. Everyone can’t help but be impressed by mammoth tankers that can now fit through the wider set of Locks.
Night in Casco Antiguo at Central Hotel – Premium Room
Day 4: Panama City and Miraflores Locks
Today is your private historic walking tour of Old Panama City, the oldest Spanish settlement in the Pacific and once a bustling merchant center in the mid-17th century. You will also visit the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, an impressive feat of engineering. Watch the ships as they move through the system from an observation deck high above. See the “Causeway”, a group of three islands linked to the mainland by the breakwaters of the Panama Canal that feature fine cuisine, nightlife and shopping. Pick up beautiful handcrafted items including wood carvings, unique jewelry and mola applique fabrics created by the Kuna Yala Indians of the San Blas Islands.
Night in Casco Antiguo at Central Hotel – Premium Room
Day 5: Panama Canal Full Transit Tour
The tour starts at the Flamenco Resort and Marina at approximately 7:30 a.m. where you board the ship for your northbound journey toward the Bridge of Americas, You will be in picturesque Panama Bay where you will be able to admire Panama City’s beautiful skyline. You will enter the Panama Canal after cruising under the Bridge of Americas which is at the Pacific entrance to the Canal. When you come to Miraflores Locks the vessel will be lowered 18 meters in two distinct steps.
You will then enter Miraflores Lake, which is a small artificial body of fresh water that separates Pedro Miguel from Miraflores Locks as you are on your way to the second set of locks which is Pedro Miguel. After transiting Pedro Miguel Locks you will be able to view the Centennial Bridge that crosses over the Canal as you are on your way to Gaillard Cut, where the Chagres River flows into the Canal. After traveling about 13.7 Kilometers you will reach Gailard Cut (also known as Culebra Cut because its curves resemble a snake) is one of the main points of interest for visitors because it was carved through the Continental Divide and this section of the Canal is full of history and geological importance.
Night in Casco Antiguo at Central Hotel – Premium Room
Day 6: Visit to Embera Indigenous Community
Get an early start today as you are transferred to El Corotu on the shores of Madden Lake. This enormous lake supplies the drinking water for the cities of Colon and Panama and supplies 40% of the water for the Panama Canal. Take a motorized dugout canoe ride up the Chagres River and visit the Embera indigenous village. This boat journey will take you through a lush tropical rainforest in Chagres National Park, the largest of the National Parks protecting the Panama Canal Watershed. Keep a lookout for exotic birds including the Great Egret, the Ringed, Green and Amazon Kingfisher, the Keel-billed Toucan and even the Osprey. When you arrive at the village you will enjoy traditional music and dancing, then take a dip in the crystal-clear Chagres River.
Night in Casco Antiguo at Central Hotel – Premium Room
Day 7: Depart Panama
Today you will be picked up in the lobby of the hotel with plenty of time to check-in at the Tocumen International Airport for your scheduled departure flight.
This 6-Day Panama Canal Experience can be customized for your length of stay – 10-days, 12-days or even 14-days! Add-ons might include a journey to San Blas Islands, Bocas del Toro or the Pacific Beaches.