Panama Highlights

Upon arrival in Panama City, Panama you will be met and transferred to the Bristol Hotel for overnight. This inviting boutique hotel is set in the heart of the city, minutes from cultural attractions, shopping, and nightlife. The Bristol offers travelers delicious cuisine, luxurious accommodations, and absolute privacy in the center of bustling Panama City.

This morning, your guide will begin your private tour at Miraflores to see the huge ships passing through the Panama Canal. You will see the process as the ships are lifted and lowered in two steps through the canal. Then, visit the Miraflores museum and visitor center which will explain the construction of the canal, celebrated as a masterpiece of engineering. Discover the Panama Canal's history and its significance for Panama and world trade. Next, visit the Amador Causeway, a road connecting three islands in the Pacific Ocean with incredible views of Panama City and the Panama Canal. Enjoy lunch at a Panamanian restaurant on the causeway. Then, continue on to Casco Viejo, Panama City's old colonial quarter. Admire the narrow roads, impressive churches, and beautiful colonial homes as you explore the main attractions of the quarter. From here, you have the option to continue the tour to Panama Viejo, the Old Panama. Panama Viejo was the first European settlement on the Pacific Coast for the Americans. Henry Morgan was a famous English buccaneer who looted and destroyed Panama City in 1671 leading to its abandonment. Today, only the ruins remain, but the tower of the ancient cathedral remains standing as a celebrated landmark in the town. Overnight Hotel Bristol.

Your guide will pick you up at your hotel this morning to bring you north toward Lake Alajuela. From there, you will step into small boats which will bring you up the Rio Chagres. Traverse a fascinating dense jungle. Upriver, you'll take a short hike (can get a bit muddy) to a beautiful waterfall in the middle of the rainforest. Relax and enjoy a refreshing swim beneath the waterfall. Next, visit the village of the Embera Indians, one of the seven indigenous tribes of Panama. The people of the tribe will greet you at the pier and share their culture with you! Listen to a brief description of the tribe's history, traditions, cultures, beliefs, and handicrafts. Then, eat a delicious lunch of fresh fish and plantains served to you by local women. In the afternoon, watch a traditional Embera dance and shop for handicrafts. You can also get a temporary Embera tattoo painted on your leg or arm! Overnight Hotel Bristol.

This morning, you will be met and transferred to the domestic airport in Panama City for a scenic flight to David in the western province of Chiriqui. Upon arrival in David, you will be driven approximately 1 hour to Boquete, Panama for overnight at the Panamonte Inn & Spa. Panamonte Inn is a charming little inn with exquisitin cuisine and warm and welcoming hospitality. Located at the foot of the Baru Volcano, it is the perfect base for exploring the Chiriqui Highlands. The rooms are all surrounded by beautiful gardens with butterflies and birds as well as outdoor areas for napping and lounging!

Relatively new the gourmet coffee market, Panama produces shade-grown coffee that is generally considered to be more distinctive and complex than its more famous neighbor, Costa Rica! Many of Panama's coffee plantations are found in Boquete because of the region's high altitude and fertile volcanic soil. On this coffee plantation tour, discover the cultivation and process of the coffee bean, the local Ngöbe-Buglé labor and culture, how the "shade-grown" theory aims to protect the environment, and much more. Your tour will end in a coffee cupping, which allows you the opportunity to try different coffee strengths, flavors, and roasts. Overnight Panamonte Inn.

Today you will be met and transferred by ground approximately 2 hours to Boca Chica. where you will take a boat to Isla Palenque Private Island Resort. Located on the Gulf of Chiriqui, Isla Palenque is an intimate eco-lodge with six rooms with air-conditioning.

Isla Palenque is just waiting to be discovered! Explore the seven beaches and 395 acres of jungle on the island! During your stay, you will have access to paddle boards and kayaks. Explore the coastal waterways of Isla Palenque or add off-site tours such as hiking, snorkeling, or fishing. Overnight Isla Palenque Private Island Resort.

A variety of on-site tours can also be arranged such as Birdwatching, Secrets of the Island Hike, Tree Climbing Canopy Tour, Kayak Tours, Punta Ballena Hike, Rock Fishing, and more. Overnight Isla Palenque Private Island Resort.

This morning, you will be met and driven approximately 1 hour to David where you will take a domestic flight back to Panama City for overnight at Hotel Central. Situated in the historic district of Casco Viejo, Hotel Central combines modern comforts with colonial-era charm in an ideal location overlooking the Plaza de la Independencia and cathedral and the energetic streets of Old Town.

Today you will be met and transferred to Tocumen international airport for your return flight home.