Day 1: Arrive Panama City
Welcome at Tocumen Airport and transfer to your hotel in Casco Viejo. Evening orientation walk through the historic district’s illuminated plazas. Overnight Panama City.
Day 2: Casco Antiguo & Panama Canal
Morning guided walk through Casco Antiguo, visiting San José Church with its legendary golden altar, the National Theater (opened 1908), Plaza de Francia with its obelisk honoring the French canal builders, and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Afternoon at Miraflores Locks watching ships transit the canal. The visitor center includes a four-story museum and IMAX theater. Sunset at the Amador Causeway. Overnight Panama City.
Day 3: Emberá Indigenous Community
Journey by motorized dugout canoe up the Chagres River through dense rainforest to an Emberá village. Experience traditional dance, music, and storytelling. Learn about the community’s deep knowledge of medicinal plants (the Emberá use over 300 plant species for medicine). Share a lunch of fresh tilapia and patacones. Optional jungle hike to a waterfall for swimming. Return to Panama City for evening at leisure. Overnight Panama City.
Day 4: Panama La Vieja & Gamboa Rainforest
Morning at Panama La Vieja, the 1519 ruins of the first European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas, sacked by Henry Morgan in 1671. Climb the Cathedral tower for sweeping views. Afternoon transfer to Gamboa Rainforest Resort in the Canal Zone. Ride the aerial tram 85 meters above the jungle canopy, then visit the Sloth Sanctuary where rescued sloths are rehabilitated. Evening jungle night walk to spot nocturnal wildlife. Overnight Gamboa.
Day 5: Catamaran to Isla Taboga
Full-day catamaran excursion to Isla Taboga, the ‘Island of Flowers,’ just 20km from Panama City across the Gulf of Panama. This volcanic island—discovered by the Spanish in 1515—boasts the second-oldest church in the Western Hemisphere. Swim in turquoise waters, hike to the island’s summit for Pacific panoramas, explore the sleepy village of colorful houses, and feast on fresh seafood at a beachfront restaurant. Return by sunset catamaran. Overnight Playa Bonita.
Day 6-7: Playa Bonita Beach Resort
Two full days at an all-inclusive Pacific beach resort on Playa Bonita. Optional activities include kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, beach volleyball, spa treatments, and sunset yoga. The resort’s infinity pool overlooks the Pacific, and the beach stretches for kilometers. For the active, nearby options include deep-sea fishing charters, surfing lessons, and mangrove kayaking tours through the Chagres estuary. Overnight Playa Bonita.
Day 8: Departure
Morning at leisure. Transfer to Tocumen Airport for departure.
