Itinerary:

Day 1:

• Service: PTY Meet and Greet

Welcome to Panama! As an important client of  Minerva Travel, you will be met by one of our representatives who will address any questions you have at that time. Our Meet and Greet Service also includes our in-country customer service,  available to assist you in booking tours, answering concerns or just for any advice during your trip 24/7.

*Please note that upon your arrival to Panama you must have at least one blank page in your passport and it must be valid for the 3 months following your entry date

• Tour: Private Half Day Historical Panama City Tour

The Half Day City Tour takes you onto a fascinating history journey starting in Panama Viejo, where Pedro Arias de Avila founded the first Spanish City on 15 August 1519, continues to Casco Antiguo, the historic center of Panama city with beautiful restored colonial houses, interesting museums, cathedrals and plazas.

INCLUDED Bilingual naturalist guide, museum and related fees, bottled water, transportation from/to your hotel in Panama City

 

Day 2

Staying at: The Bristol Panama City

• Tour: Partial Canal Transit

View Gallery

Description : Enjoy a morning pick up from your hotel and short ride to the Flamenco Marina, located on the final island of the Amador Causeway. For SOUTHBOUND Canal transits, join your group on a 45 minute bus ride North to the boat dock in Gamboa and board your boat, a spacious 300 passenger Norwegian cruise-liner with 3 viewing decks. Your boat will contain 150 or so other passengers and will have detailed Canal history explained in several languages.

Start your morning through the impressive Gaillard Cut, and take photos of the Centennial Bridge as you cruise to the Pedro Miguel Locks first and then on to the Miraflores Locks. End your trip back at the Flamenco Marina and meet your driver for the return trip to your hotel.

Tip: read David McCullough’s The Path Between the Seas to get a full scoop on how the Canal was built: it will enhance your tour experience.

NORTHBOUND Transits: Same trip (but backwards!). Start at Flamenco, pass through Miraflores, then Pedro Miguel, Culebra Cut and then arrive to Gamboa to take the bus ride back to the Flamenco Marina on the Causeway. Your driver will be waiting to pick you up there for transfer back to your hotel.

Duration: 6-7 Hours

What’s Included: Be prepared for sunny, hot and potentially wet weather. Head below deck for a comfortable, dry ride in the event of rain. Transportation btw Flamenco Pier and your hotel, bilingual guide, buffet lunch, water, soft drinks. Alcoholic beverages and snacks available for purchase on board.

What to bring: Comfortable clothes/shoes, hat, sun screen, rain jacket, camera, motion sickness meds if you are very sensitive to the water (there are no waves on this trip and the boat remains very close to shore), cash with small bills.

 

Day 3:

Staying at: The Bristol Panama City

• Tour: Embera Day Tour

Description : This day trip is an opportunity to immerse and educate yourself in one of Panama’s indigenous groups, the Emberá. Begin with a 90-minute drive North of Panama City to beautifual Chagres National Park, a tropical forest that provides the main source of water to the Panama Canal. Continue your journey in a hand carved, dugout canoe and travel 30-45 minutes upstream to the Emberá Village. Be welcomed with traditional music by the village and gather with the tribe’s elders to learn more about their way of life.

Enjoy a freshly prepared, traditional Emberá meal of fish and plantains. Join in the shamanic dances or sit back and watch. This is also a great opportunity to experience Panamanian wildlife: whitetail deer, countless birds, spider monkeys, salamanders, sloths and more! Gather for a group photo before heading back after midday.

Duration: 6 Hours

What’s Included : transportation, expert bilingual guide, hot meal

What to Bring: Be prepared for warm and potentially wet weather. Bring sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, bug spray and camera. Also bring some cash (smaller bills preferable) in the event that you make artisanal purchases from the village.

 

Day 4:

Staying at: The Bristol Panama City

• Tour: Gamboa Combo Rainforest from Panama City

Get your camera ready: you’ll be riding through the treetops on an aerial tram through the rainforest, visiting nature exhibits and gliding through the waters of the Panama Canal! Start off your day with a ride on the only tram in Panama. Ascend 280 feet from the forest floor over the 1.2 km ride through the dense undergrowth and up to the sun-drenched canopy. The many shades of green will be broken up only by the vibrantly colored flowering trees. At the top, you have the option to climb the 100-foot observation tower for uninterrupted rainforest views. The magic of the virgin rainforest will take your breath away as you’ll have the chance to see colorful birds and butterflies and, with luck, you may come face-to-face with a sloth or a capuchin monkey as you hear the other-worldly sound of a howler monkey in the distance.

. Your next stop is a visit to the orchid nursery, butterfly house, frog house and the sloth sanctuary, before heading out on a 20-minute (or longer if you’re spotting animals!) boat ride through the Gatun Lake. Imagine what the impressive mountains-turned-islands must have been like before the area flooded to form the immense lake. This entire area is a sanctuary for native flora and fauna. You can easily spot monkeys, toucans, alligators, and turtles.

Wrap up this memorable day with a delicious lunch at a local restaurant as you enjoy beautiful views of the Chagres River.

Minimum 2 people per tour

Age limit: 3 years old; Suitable for everyone with the exception of the moderately difficult 100-foot tower climb

The tour includes: Hotel pick-up/drop-off, bilingual naturalist guide, entrance fee, aerial tram, boat ride, lunch

What to bring: hat, sunblock, camera, sunglasses, binoculars, bug spray. Wear comfortable clothes, long pants, and secure shoes.

Duration: Tour Time (6 hours) + Transportation Time (30 minutes each way-depends on hotel)
*morning and afternoon tour times are available, sequence of tour may vary*