Top Destinations Panama (9 days)

Details:

  • 8 days/7 nights
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Minimum: 2 persons

Includes:

  • Bilingual guide
  • A/C Transportation
  • Daily Breakfast and lunch
  • Entrance fees to included attractions
  • Accommodations in selected hotel

What to Expect

The provinces of Panama, Bocas Del Toro and Chiriquí make the perfect combination for an interesting and diverse visit to the Republic of Panama. 

Start in the cosmopolitan Panama City and enjoy the top tours from the area.  Then move on to the warm waters of the Caribbean and be amazed by the beauty of the Archipelago of Bocas del Toro.  Finish your trip in the fresh mountains of Chiriquí and immerse yourself in this very rich and biodiverse region.

Photos

Itinerary

Day 1. Arrival in Panama

On this day a Dynamo Travel agent will be waiting for you upon your arrival at the International airport of Tocumen to welcome you and organize your transfer to your hotel in Panama City, a 25 minute ride, approximately.

Night at your hotel in Panama City

Day 2. The amazing Emberas

On this day our guide will pick you up early in the morning to take you on a 1 hour dive to the Chagres National Park, where the Emberas will be waiting for you to take you up to their village in their dugout canoes.

Enjoy the beautiful sceneries as you navigate up the Chagres River to reach this community, submerged in the middle of this lush rainforest. 

Discover the well preserved culture of this knowledgeful and friendly people who will amaze you with their art, their music, their food but especially with their warmth. 

Meals included – Breakfast and lunch

Night at your hotel in Panama City

Day 3. Best of Soberania National Park

Start your day enjoying nature up close as you hike through one of the most important natural reserves of the Panama Canal watershed. Then, embark on a speed boat and navigate next to the giant Panamax vessels that transit the Panama Canal.  Our experienced guide will point out exotic plants and animals, perfectly camouflaged in this dense rainforest.

Afterwards, enjoy a delicious lunch at the Gamboa Marina, right on the Chagres River and with an excellent view of the Panama Canal and the ships entering or exiting the area of the “Gaillard cut”.

After lunch, our guide will take you to the domestic airport in Albrook, for your afternoon flight to Bocas Del Toro.

Meals included – Breakfast and lunch

Night at your hotel in Bocas Del Toro

Day 4. Exploring the Bocas archipelago

Start your day at the marina of Isla Colón, the capital city of the Province of Bocas del Toro, from where you will travel to our first stop, the beautiful bay of Bocatorito on San Cristobal Island, a mangrove-surrounded nursery for bottle nose dolphins and their calves. 

From here you´ll navigate on to the area of Crawl Cay to jump in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea and snorkel around a great diversity of coral reefs filled with multicolored fish. 

Here you will have the opportunity to enjoy a delicious Caribbean style lunch before we head to Bastimentos Island where, during our 20 minute walk to Red frog Beach, we’ll search for the elusive Strawberry Poison Dart Frog, endemic to this island.

You will be back in Isla Colón at around 4:00 pm.

Meals included – Breakfast and lunch

Night at your hotel in Bocas Del Toro

Day 5. The other side of Bocas

Today you will go by land across Isla Colon to enjoy a day in the serene waters of Starfish Beach in Boca de Drago, a more secluded area of the island.

You will pass through small villages as you travel through the beautiful, lush tropical rainforest for which Bocas Del Toro is famous.  Once at Boca Del Drago you will go on a 20 minute walk along the palm-lined shore and right by amazing mangrove forests to enjoy a relaxing day in the turquoise waters of Starfish Beach. 

After a couple of hours swimming in the warm Caribbean Sea or enjoying freshly made fruit juices or a refreshing piña colada, we will go by boat for a visit to the famous Bird Island: a series of rocks close to shore where you may spot the rare red-billed tropicbird, an amazing looking bird that is found in only a few places in the world.

From here we’ll go back to Boca Del Drago for a delicious Caribbean style lunch and a visit to the local artisans or one last dip in the water before heading back to downtown Isla Colon.

Meals included – Breakfast and lunch

Night at your hotel in Bocas Del Toro

Day 6. Transfer to the highlands of Chiriquí

This morning you will start your journey over the continental divide with a boat ride from Isla Colon, to mainland.  From here, a Dynamo Travel representative will take you on a beautiful drive over the continental divide, to the town of Boquete.  You will have a chance for some photo stops along the way of breath taking landscapes.

Upon arrival in Boquete, and after a traditional Panamanian lunch, you will go on an easy 3 hour hike to explore the beauties of our cloud forest.

Meals included – Breakfast and lunch

Night at your hotel in Chiriquí

Day 7. Highland Gourmet Coffee

Discover the secrets behind a great cup of specialty coffee by taking part of this interesting tour.

Our guide will walk you through the coffee plantation and describe the different types of coffee varieties growing on the slopes of Panama’s highest mountains.  You’ll learn about the harvesting of the ripe coffee cherries, done by the skilled hands of local Ngäbe and Bugle Natives.  From here you will visit the actual factory where the fruit is classified, processed, dried and stored in huge warehouses, ready for local use or exportation.

This tour wouldn’t be complete without a taste of this delicious beverage, therefore, the last part of the experience is to learn about the cupping process and the qualities experts look for in a blend to place it in global coffee rankings. By now, your taste buds will be craving the last activity of the tour: enjoying a cup of freshly brewed Panamanian coffee. Take back a souvenir from this unique experience in the form of a bag of local coffee to enjoy to share with a loved one back home!

After this interesting experience, you will have a free afternoon to explore the town of Boquete or read back in your hotel. 

 

Note:

Additional optional tours are also available for this afternoon. Choose from:

  • Hiking
  • Birding
  • Canopy Zip Line
  • Horseback riding

 

Meals included – Breakfast and lunch

Night at your hotel in Chiriquí

Day 8. City and Canal tour

This morning a representative of Dynamo Travel will take you to the local domestic airport for your flight back to Panama City. 

Upon arrival, you will start with your City and Canal tour, where you will visit the three cities of Panama and learn about the important role our country has played in world trade from colonization times until our modern era. 

You will visit the ruins of Panama Viejo (UNESCO), the first city founded by the Spaniards on the Pacific side of the new world in 1519.  After this interesting visit, we will drive through the modern city of Panama to our next destination, the Colonial city of Panama (UNESCO).  An area selected by the Spaniards to rebuilt the city of Panama after the famous attack of pirate Henry Morgan, in 1671. 

After walking through its narrow streets, admiring the rich mixture of architectonical styles, which depicts the rich history of the place, and enjoying a nice Panamanian style lunch, we will take you to your final destination for the day, the Panama Canal’s visitor’s center at the Miraflores Locks.  Here you will have a close up look at the operation of this amazing feat of engineering from the beginning of the 20th century and observe as massive PANAMAX ships navigate from one coast to the other, through this important commercial route.

Meals included – Breakfast and lunch

Night at your hotel in Panama City

Day 9. Transfer to International Airport

At the appropriate time a Dynamo Travel representative will pick you up at your hotel to take you to the international airport of Tocumen, for your flight back home.

Map

Tour Highlights

  • Hiking in lush tropical rainforest
  • Observation of wildlife
  • The Panama Canal
  • Snorkeling in the Caribbean

What to bring:

  • Fresh clothes
  • Sun protection
  • Camera
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • Backpack
  • Raingear
  • Water