6 Days / 5 Nights

Starting on Thursdays.

This tour features a day-long trip through the Panama Canal starting at the Pacific and ending on the Atlantic end of the canal. You will be accompanied by an expert guide who will explain the Canal’s fascinating history – from the French attempts to build a sea level canal, through the final days of the U.S. project.  You will stay at the luxurious Gamboa Rainforest Resort, constructed on the banks of the Chagres River near Lake Gatun at the mid-point of the Panama Canal, a wonderful site surrounded by lush tropical forest, yet only 45 minutes from Panama City.

Itinerary:

Day 1 (Thursday): Arrive Panama

Arrive at the international airport, where you will be met by our driver and taken to your hotel in Panama City. Overnight at hotel of your choice in the city.

Day 2 (Friday): Panama City Tour

This tour includes a drive around “Panama Vieja,” the original city site founded by the Spanish and later sacked by the pirate Henry Morgan. Afterwards we will visit “Casco Antiguo” the walled Spanish colonial city of Panama built in 1673. Then on to Amador Causeway, which unites three islands at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal. There will be time for shopping for arts and crafts and imported goods. Free afternoon. In the evening, your local host will call for you at the hotel for a short drive to the famous Las Tinajas Restaurant to enjoy a Panamanian dinner and a folkloric dance show. Return to your hotel after dinner. (BD)

Day 3 (Saturday): Panama Canal Transit

Today your local host will call for you at the hotel for an early morning transfer to Balboa Harbor on the Pacific side of the canal. There you will board a Panamanian ferry for a Canal Transit. As you approach the canal, you will view the Bridge of the Americas, the only structure that connects both sides of the mainland. Breakfast and snacks are included while cruising. An English-speaking guide is onboard the ferry, narrating the dramatic story of the building of the Panama Canal, completed by the US between 1904 and 1914. A full crossing is scheduled for this Saturday, allowing you to enjoy the cruise all the way to Colon City on the Caribbean Coast. You will reach Colon around 5:00 PM and return to Panama City by bus in the late afternoon. Night at hotel. (BL)

Day 4 (Sunday): Soberania National Park/Gamboa Rainforest Resort

Depart your hotel early for a tour of the rainforest at Soberania National Park. You will have the opportunity to see birds, mammals and the tropical rainforest at its best. Lunch in the field. In the afternoon, transfer to Gamboa Rainforest Resort where you will spend the rest of the day on your own. This resort features Gatun Lake tours, an aerial tram ride through the forest canopy, animal exhibitions, and more. Night at Gamboa Rainforest Resort. (B)

Day 5 (Monday): Gamboa Rainforest Resort

Day at leisure exploring the area on your own, or relaxing in the hotel’s spa, pool or on Gatun Lake. Optional tours include: Arial tram, night tours, birding tours, kayaking, fishing. (B)

Day 6 (Tuesday): Depart Panama

Transfer to the international airport approximately two hours before your flight’s scheduled departure time. (B)