Summary
This amazing Panama Itinerary (10 days) will offer you the possibility to visit Panama City and its Old Quarter (Casco Antiguo), which is Panama City’s historic district, Panama la Vieja (the first capital of the country), Ancón Hill (Cerro Ancón), which overlooks the city, Panama Canal and the Agua Clara Locks. You will also discover Perro Chico Island, the most iconic island in the amazing San Blas archipelago and meet with the locals, named Kunas (or Gunas). Between coral reefs and idyllic white sand beaches, you will be able to discover their culture and traditions, which they will happily share with you. Another impressive visit will be at a village where the Emberá indigenous community live. You will have the opportunity to discover their way of life and their traditions, swim in a waterfall in the heart of the surrounding jungle, be introduced to their knowledge about herbal medicinal products, and witness a performance of traditional dances. Your experience will continue with a visit to the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center in the heart of Gamboa, where you will be able to hear the different sounds made by hummingbirds, toucans, blue dacnis, red-lored parrots, blue cotingas. You will also explore one of the most preserved spots in Panama, Bayano Lake, and walk inside the limestone caves that were formed over many centuries on the southern side of the lake. This is a private tour that can be customized upon request.
Individual travel request form Enjoy a private tour
Orane
Local travel expert in Panama
Our agency has more than 15 years of experience in tailor-made trips in Panama. My goal is to make your tour unique and unforgettable. We offer you not only a trip but a whole travel experience.
Itinerary
On arrival in Panama, you will be transferred from Tocumen International Airport to your hotel in Panama City.
Panama City is the capital and largest city of Panama with two worlds sharing the same bay, with the business and finance districts on one side, and the charming historical part with lots of souvenirs to be brought from on the other side. The capital has many cultural, natural, and historical tourist attractions. The admirers of colonial architecture will be seduced by the charming Old Quarter (Casco Antiguo), Panama City’s historic district which dates back to 1673 and features vibrant plazas and picturesque brick-paved streets.
Overnight at Casa Magnolia Inn in Panama City.
Your driver will pick you up at your hotel for a guided tour of Panama City. The first stop of the day is in Panama La Vieja, the first capital of the country before it was destroyed by the famous Welsh privateer Henry Morgan in 1671. Panamá La Vieja was added by UNESCO to the World Heritage list in 1997 specifying that the site is the “oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the Pacific coast of the Americas”.
Next, you will head to Ancón Hill (Cerro Ancón), which is a 199 metres high hill that overlooks Panama City and you will be able discover the city under a new angle. You can enjoy a nice view over the historical centre, the business quarter and the canal. During the walk, you can have the chance to see different animals and birds including sloths, white-nosed coati, nine-banded armadillos or Geoffroy’s tamarins.
You will end the day with a tour in the Old more Quarter (Casco Antiguo), Panama City’s historic district which was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. This bohemian centre of the city will make you travel back in time and immerse yourself into the historical past of the country. You will enjoy a a walk through the narrow streets bordered with colourful buildings leading to the Plaza de Francia. The area is ideal to discover the history and the art-deco architecture of the city and to visit the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Santa María la Antigua and the Panama Canal Museum. You can also taste some of the city’s best gastronomy and the opportunity to speak with locals.
You are recommended to visit the brand new “Biomuseo” designed by the architect Frank Gehry, located on the Amador Causeway. In the evening, you can have dinner on the Amador Causeway while enjoying breathtaking views of the Panama Bay.
Overnight at Casa Magnolia Inn in Panama City.
At 5:20 a.m., you will depart from Panama City in a group service to Port Tupile. You will then take a traditional Kuna boat across the turquoise waters to the island of Perro Chico in the San Blas archipelago, where you will spend the rest of your stay.
There are 378 islands in the San Blas archipelago, of which 49 are inhabited by the native Kuna Indians and are part of the Kuna Yala Indigenous territory. Perro Chico is the most iconic island in San Blas archipelago and everyone should visit this island at least once while in the country. It has a small size (you can see across the island from one point to another) and hides in front of an amazing snorkelling place, a Shipwreck of a gunboat full of tiny coloured fishes. The island also has white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters (it might even be the most transparent water in the world).
After lunch, you will head to another more island in the archipelago for a swim in its natural pools before returning to Perro Chico.
When you are back to Perro Chico Island, you can snorkel in the shipwreck, swim in crystal clear waters or sunbathe on the beach.
In the evening, you will enjoy dinner on the island. The food provided on the island includes various options such as chicken, fish, octopus, and other seafood.
Overnight in a Private Cabin (Cabaña) with private bathroom on Perro Chico Island.
After breakfast, you travel back by boat and road to the Panamanian capital.
You will spend the rest of the day on your own.
Panama City is a perfect departure point to visit the Panama Canal (Miraflores Locks, museums, and cruises) that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, to observe the tropical fauna and flora (monkeys, iguanas, toucans), to embark on a boat excursion in the Pacific Ocean or to enjoy a day of shopping in its various shopping centres.
Overnight at Casa Magnolia Inn in Panama.
In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel in Panama City and visit a village where the Emberá indigenous community live. You will head to Puerto Corotú pier where you will embark on a dugout canoe to one of the villages of the community. On the other side of the river, you will be welcomed by the cacique (spiritual leader) and the children of the village. During the day, you will discover their way of life and their traditions, among which the art of tattoos. You will also have the opportunity to swim in a waterfall in the heart of the surrounding jungle, to be introduced to their knowledge about herbal medicinal products, and to witness a performance of traditional dances. At last, you will be served a typical meal made from fish in banana leaves.
You will return to the pier in the afternoon. Your driver will pick you up at Puerto Corotú pier and will take you to Gamboa, a small more village ideally located between Soberania National Park and the Panama Canal.
Overnight at Summit Rainforest Golf Resort in Panama City.
Early in the morning, you will set off for the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center, located next to the Pipeline Road in Gamboa within the boundaries of Soberania National Park. This is an ecotourism and environmental education project run by Eugene Eisenmann Avifauna Foundation, whose aim is bird conservation through sustainable environmental projects.
You will be able to walk in the area, relax watching the great variety of hummingbirds feeding and buzzing all around you in the Visitor Center and go to the Observation Tower which is 32 metres high above the canopy of the rainforest. Your experience will start right at the base of the Observation Tower, surrounded by nature, and while you climb up, you will notice the different sounds made by toucans, blue dacnis, red-lored parrots, blue cotingas. There are resting platforms every 8 m, which will allow you to have a rest before reaching the more top. Other birds that you can see are the blue-crowned motmot, slaty-tailed trogon, and golden-collared manakin.
Overnight at Summit Rainforest Golf Resort in Panama City.
In the morning, you will visit the Panama Canal and the Agua Clara Locks. Located on the Atlantic side, close to the city of Colon, the Visitor Centre offers a view on all sorts of vessels (container ships, cruise ships, yachts) transiting the Panama Canal and explains its history and how the locks work. Watching giant vessels transiting through the narrow channels in the jungle, before passing through the locks is an unforgettable experience. “You do not know Panama until you have visited the canal”, will proudly say the locals. The area of the Panama Canal offers many excursion options: you can visit the locks and the museums, enjoy a ride in a tranisthmic train, opt for a day cruise, discover the biodiversity (Barro Colorado Island, Soberania National Park), join a historic and nature trek, sail on Gatún Lake.
Next, you will go further North over the coast to discover San Lorenzo Fort more located on top of a high reef overlooking the mouth of the Chagres River. It was built in 1595 by order of King Philip II of Spain to protect the Atlantic terminus of Las Cruces Trail (Camino Real de Cruces) from pirates of the sea. The Spanish used the trail connecting the Caribbean Sea (Atlantic Ocean) and Panama City to move the treasures from Peru and the Pacific to the Atlantic and then on to Spain. The fort was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980 and is considered an extraordinary example of military architecture of the 17th and the 18th centuries. You will dive into Panama’s history walking through the ruins but also in the heart of the vegetation that favours the observation of birds and animals.
Overnight at Central Hotel Panamá in Panama City.
Free day to enjoy Panama City on your own.
If the sun is shining and the view of Panama City is unobstructed, you are recommended to head to Ancón Hill (Cerro Ancón), which offers panoramic views of different parts of the city and the canal.
Overnight at Central Hotel Panamá in Panama City.
On this day, you will explore one of the most preserved spots in Panama: Bayano Lake. It was created when the Bayano River was dammed in 1976 and is the second largest water reservoir of the region. The lake is home to many species of tropical birds and animals including howler monkeys and capybaras that you may see or hear during your trip. You will have the chance to walk inside the limestone caves that were formed over many centuries on the southern side of the lake by an underground river that still flows today and see multiple stalactites and stalagmites. The caves are spectacular and you will be able to observe parts of the caves with light that create incredible views and others that are totally closed where you can see water falling from the ceiling of the caves. Be ready to see bats and discover mini waterfalls before arriving to a crystalline natural pool where you can swim, cool off and relax more a for a while.
Back to the entrance of the caves, your guide will take you to the river, from where the activity continues by kayak. The tour ends on a floating platform where you will enjoy a delicious handmade lunch before you return to Panama City.
Overnight at Central Hotel Panamá in Panama City.
On your departure day (three hours before take-off) you will be transferred from the hotel to Tocumen International Airport.
If your flight is in the afternoon, you will have the option to explore Panama City for a while on your own in the morning and buy some souvenirs.
Prices
Travel dates
Upon request for individual travellers
Price per person in €
2 Pers.
4 Pers.
6 Pers.
3*/4* Hotels (April 16 - June 31, 2024)
2120€
1744€
1630€
3*/4* Hotels (December 15, 2023 - April 15, 2024)
2155€
1778€
1664€
3*/4* Hotels (July 1 - August 31, 2024)
2120€
1744€
1630€
3*/4* Hotels (September 1 - December 15, 2024)
2120€
1744€
1630€
| Travel dates | Accommodation | Price per person in € | ||
| 2 Pers. | 4 Pers. | 6 Pers. | ||
|
Upon request for individual travellers |
3*/4* Hotels (April 16 - June 31, 2024) | 2120€ | 1744€ | 1630€ |
| 3*/4* Hotels (December 15, 2023 - April 15, 2024) | 2155€ | 1778€ | 1664€ | |
| 3*/4* Hotels (July 1 - August 31, 2024) | 2120€ | 1744€ | 1630€ | |
| 3*/4* Hotels (September 1 - December 15, 2024) | 2120€ | 1744€ | 1630€ | |
What's Included
- 8 nights accommodation in a double (DBL) / twin (TWN) room at 3*/4* hotels in Panama City;
- 1 night accommodation in a private cabin with private bathroom on Perro Chico Island (San Blas Archipelago);
- Breakfast at the hotels / private cabin;
- Lunch on day 3, 5, 9 of the itinerary;
- Dinner on day 3 of the itinerary;
- Excursions during the itinerary;
- Entrance fees according to the itinerary;
- Panama City tour with English speaking private guide (2 days);
- Local guide: Meeting with the Emberá indigenous people;
- Local guide: Visit to Bayano Lake and the limestone caves;
- Private transfer: Tocumen International Airport - Panama City and Panama City - Tocumen International Airport;
- Transportation during the entire itinerary (car/minibus and boat).