Adventuring Panama The Journey Day 1: Arrive in Panama City: Unfasten, unpack, unwind Upon arrival at the airport in Panama City, you will be greeted by our local crew and escorted to your hotel in the city. Your personal guide will review your vacation plan with you before retiring to your room for some deserved rest. The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy the hotel facilities or take a first peak at the city on your own. Overnight. Private airport arrival transfer Accommodations in Panama City Day 2: San Blas, where the Guna Indians rule More than 350 islands, many nameless, most uninhabited, all pristine. Swaying palms, white sand beaches, azure crystalline waters, some of the oldest coral reefs in the world, and the Guna Indians. A proud people with their own language and traditions, and legends, and gods. They rule their archipelago. Men fish from their canoes while women knit Molas, traditional rainbow-colored patterns emblazoned with fish, birds, jungle animals, and geometric designs. Snorkel, feel the breeze, eat fresh seafood, and mingle with the Guna. You will arrive as a foreigner and leave as a friend. Private transfer to the airport Boat transfer to your hotel Two guided island excursions Lunch and dinner at your lodge
Day 3: Colonial Panama and Miraflores Locks Miraflores Locks, 3pm: massive vessels are lifted to make the transit between two great oceans in one of the world s greatest engineering feats. Your will be there to watch it, from the vantage point at the Visitor Center s sheltered terrace. Your personal guide will answer any doubts and then invite you to join him in a visit to the amazing onsite museum for a great overview of the construction of the Canal, its history, and significance for Panama and the entire world trade. Then, stroll around Casco Antiguo, the beautiful Old Quarter, traveling back in time as you admire the lovely restored colonial mansions, French balconies, narrow alleys, and impressive churches. Listen to the city s fascinating history as you sip a cup of renown Panamanian coffee or hot chocolate before visiting San Jose Church and its golden altar, French Plaza, the city walls, and the Central Plaza. Private, guided tour Miraflores Locks and colonial quarter with coffee break Days 4-6: Boquete Leave behind modern Panama City for the cool highlands of the Chiriqui province. Chiriqui offers the perfect contrast to the steamy lowlands of Panama, to the point that it makes visitors feel like if they were entering a different country. The area, mostly colonized by central Europeans, is a patchwork of coffee plantations and vegetable farms interspersed by cascading rivers and surrounded by pristine cloud forests teeming with tropical birds and colorful butterflies. Life is lived at a slow pace in the quaint village and farms, its inhabitants roasting artisan coffee, breeding horses, and tending to their exuberant orchards while hundreds of species of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles thrive in this idyllic environment. Explore it all from the air on a thrilling canopy tour, from the water as you paddle through canyons and forests, and on firm land as you hike in search of a scarlet and emerald bird that embodies the spirit of the forest: The Resplendent Quetzal. Services included: Private airport transfers in Panama City and Boquete Daily breakfast at your hotel
Accommodations for three nights in Boquete Thrilling canopy tour with private transfers Private, guided hike in the cloud forest Spectacular group rafting excursion Day 7: Across the isthmus and into Bocas del Toro. Chocolate tour en route The Continental Divide looms in the horizon as the car ascends through a meandering road surrounded by pristine cloud forests. In the company of your guide, you are crossing the isthmus, from the Pacific to the Atlantic. On your descent to the Caribbean, Ngabe Indian communities will make their presence along the sides of the road, tiny specks of brown in a sea of green foliage. We take a detour and drive into a cocoa farm, the Ngabe s world famous crop. Led by local guides, we will walk into a forest teeming with tropical birds and sloth to observe the cocoa trees, the harvesting and drying of cocoa beans. Ngabe women will then show us how to make one of the world s best artisan chocolates. We will have lunch and, of course, taste their award-winning chocolate before departing for the docks at Almirante, where a boat is waiting to take us to our hotel in the Bocas archipelago. And you thought a transfer was a lost day! Private overland/boat transfer to Bocas del Toro En route group chocolate tour Lunch with the Ngabe Indians Days 8-9: Frolicking in Bocas del Toro On the Caribbean Sea, near the border with Costa Rica, lies a pristine archipelago of thriving coral reefs, large extensions of mangroves, white sandy beaches, and turquoise waters. You can sunbathe on uninhabited islands, explore national parks, and enjoy one of the last snorkeling and diving areas in the Caribbean. You may also sign up for a bat cave tour or an exhilarating canopy tour or take a boat tour in search of dolphins. Back in town, slow down to the sleepy Caribbean way of life among Georgian architecture, fresh seafood, and intoxicating reggae rhythms.
Services included: Daily breakfast at your hotel Day 10: Exploring the Panama Canal Basin Today you will have the opportunity to enjoy the ecological treasures of the Panama Canal Basin. The Gamboa Resort, located on the banks of the Canal, has been carefully designed to provide a variety of educational and adventure experiences for its guests. Relax by the pool, indulge on a spa treatment, or take a ride on the Aerial Tram. This evening, join a guided rainforest safari in search of nocturnal creatures. Breakfast at hotel Private transfer to Gamboa Rainforest nocturnal safari Day 11: Animal House Jump on a boat and navigate along the canal in close view of those vessels you saw a few days ago at Miraflores Locks; the difference is that they now look much bigger! We explore the islands around Gatun Lake, the Canal s backstage, where packs of monkeys, sloth and many tropical birds are common sights. Then, back in firm land, we join our guide for a hike through the trails of Soberania National Park, a pristine, magical rainforest that is home to spectacular trees and flowers as well as a large variety of mammals, amphibians and birds. Private, guided hike in Soberania National Park Group boat ecotour Overnight accommodation
Day 12: Return home, energized and wiser Time to bid farewell to this magnificent land. Your driver will take you to the airport in time for your departing flight. We hope you have enjoyed your stay with us and look forward to hosting you again in the near future. Safe journeys... (if schedule permits) Private airport departure transfer