sample panama tours
At Destination Seekers we offer a completely bespoke service, ensuring that your itinerary is perfect for you. For inspiration, please find below a sample tour of Panama.
Introduction to Panama
Day 1 to 3: Panama City
Arrive in Panama City, a thriving metropolitan city at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal. You will find soaring skyscrapers alongside Spanish convents and sumptuous French-style mansions.
The Panama Canal is an astonishing feat of engineering and a highlight of any trip to Panama. Today you will join the canal at the Port of Balboa and disembark at the largest man-made lake in the world – Gatún. At the highest point you will be 26m above sea level before entering the Gaillard Cut where the Chagres river flows into the Canal. In the afternoon you will have the option to visit the Emberá Indians who live on the Chagres River.
The next day you’ll take a guided tour of the ruins of Old Panama City (Panama Viejo), a UNESCO World Heritage site. You will visit the Old Panama Museum, climb up the Cathedral tower, and stroll among the stone walls and the remnants of what was once considered the richest city in the Americas. From the top of old city’s wall you can enjoy views of the Pacific Ocean dotted with fishing boats and the massive ships lined up waiting to cross the Panama Canal.
Day 4 to 5: Boquete
The next stop on your itinerary is Boquete, a small provincial town set in a valley within the Chiriquí Highlands. The surrounding area is stunning and benefits from rich volcanic soils, excellent for crops such as citrus fruit, strawberries and coffee amongst other. The town itself has a few quaint old buildings. Panama’s coffee has been rated the best in the world, and Boquete is where you will find excellent coffee plantations. You can visit a coffee finca as part of your tour.
The next day is for you to spend at leisure in Boquete. You can take part in optional activities including cycling and water rafting. Or if you want something more adventurous you could walk over the mountains to Cerro Punta, where you can spot the resplendent quetzal, symbolic of Central America. An alternate hike will take you to the Baru volcano, or you could spend some time relaxing in the nearby hot springs.
*If you enjoy active holidays we recommend spending more time in this region
Day 6 to 8: Bocas del Toro islands.
After spending some time in the highlands, you will embark on some beach time on the archipelago of Bocas del Toro. These idyllic islets of white sand fringed by palms are an excellent location for snorkelling and diving, plus providing a marvellously laid-back destination for a couple of days. For nature lover the islands offer a plethora of wildlife, especially tropical birds, frogs and butterflies.Take some leisure time on the island – you’re on holiday after all!
Day 9: Gamboa
Leaving paradise by plane, you will head to the next stop of Gamboa. Set on the edge of Gatún Lake, the small town of Gamboa is best known for its surrounding rainforest scenery and magnificent bird-watching.
You will take a tour to Soberanía National Park and walk the Pipeline Road, which was built during World War II as a precaution to transport fuel from one ocean to the other in case the Panama Canal was attacked. There are 525 species of bird ready to be discovered in this area.
Day 10: Flight home
In the morning you will take a boat tour on Lake Gatún with a naturalist guide to help you spot all the wildlife. This includes three-toed sloths, crocodiles, ospreys, snail kites and keel-billed toucans. As you get close to the tree-lining you may be lucky enough to see white faced capuchins, mantled howler monkeys and spider monkeys.
Later you transfer to Panama City airport for your international flight home.
Inspired? Contact Destination Seekers to plan your bespoke itinerary to Panama.
