One week trip to Panama
Experience the Magic of Panama’s Wonders
Panama is a stunning country, rich in culture and history, and this one-week trip to Panama is exactly what you need. While Panama may be most famous for the Panama Canal, it has so much more to offer. From stunning seas and a history of pirates to beautiful lakes and rivers, it’s a country replete with interesting people and sights. Your tour guide will take you to some of the most impressive places in the country and explain the history to you as you walk where people built hundreds of years ago.
You’ll have a chance to talk with locals, as well, including a group of indigenous people living in the rainforest. From trains, boats, and cars, you’ll travel around the country in a variety of transports, with a focus on experiencing what makes Panama so special.
Panama City
Bridge of the World… Heart of the Universe
Gatun Lake
Key part of the Panama Canal
Soberania National Park
The wild side of the Canal
Caribbean Sea
The barrier reef
Highlights
Your one-week trip to Panama will give you all the top sights in the country. You’ll travel the Trans-Isthmian railway, take a boat through a lock on the Panama Canal, and visit the old city center in Panama City. If you’re interested in seeing more natural areas of the country, there’s plenty of that too. In fact, you’ll get to hike through the rainforest, spot birds and wild animals, and paddle a canoe along the Gatun River.
Panama is a country rich with culture, and nowhere is that more evident than in the Embera Community, which you’ll visit. Meet indigenous people who hold tight to their traditions as they perform traditional dances to live music. You’ll have a chance to learn more about them and how they live off the land deep in the jungle. This is the trip of a lifetime, so make it count.
Itinerary
Our driver will meet you when your flight lands and will take you to your hotel so you can rest up and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime. If you feel up to it, you can walk around and explore the area near your hotel.
Panama City was founded in 1519 by Pedro Arias Davila, a Spanish conquistador. It was the first European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. However, in 1671, it was destroyed by Henry Morgan, a privateer, and the residents relocated to the current location. The original location is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Today, we’re headed to Casco Viejo or the Old Quarter, which refers to the part of the city built after Panama Viejo was ruined. This area is a fun step back through time. The architecture here ranges from Italian and French to Afro-Antillean and colonial Spanish styles. The city was often attacked by pirates, so you’ll see many of the original fortifications still standing, ranging from moats and walls to bastions.
There’s no shortage of sights to see here. You’ll have the chance to check out the Metropolitan Cathedral, La Merced Church, the Plaza de Francia, and the stunning Presidential Palace. Today’s tour will give you a good look at how the old city was built and grew as more and more cultures joined the population.
Before we call it a day, we’ll visit the Biomuseo, or Panama’s Biodiversity Museum. This crazy looking building is a jumble of brightly colored roofs on the Amador Causeway and overlooks the Panama Canal. The building was Frank Gehry’s first Latin American project, and it certainly stands out.
Inside the Biomuseo, you’ll find eight permanent galleries that look at how the country of Panama formed, as well as how its biodiversity came about. You won’t want to miss the beautiful themed gardens outside, including the Garden of Evolution, the Lawn of Microdiversity, and the Crops Garden.
Today, you’ll have the opportunity to not only visit the Panama Canal but to take a ride through part of it, provided there is room in the Canal authority’s schedule. You’ll board the vessel at the north of the Gaillard Cut, where the Chagres River enters the canal. This section was cut directly through the Continental Divide. We’ll move through the locks to the Pacific Ocean and sail to Flamenco Marina, where your driver will return you to your hotel. The tour lets you experience a little bit of what happens daily with roughly 34 ships.
Before the construction of the canal, ships had to sail all the way down and around the tip of South America, a long and dangerous journey, to reach the opposite coast. Originally, the French attempted to build the Panama Canal, but it was extremely difficult. Not only were there financial and engineering problems, but people died by the thousands due to tropical diseases.
The Spanish originally built the Golden Route of Panama to link Spain with its colonies in the Americas and the Philippines. They used the transisthmian passage to move gold and silver from South America to be shipped to Europe. Today, you’ll get to experience the route for yourself as we board the Trans-Isthmian Railway of Panama. The trip takes an hour and a half to two hours each way, as you’ll travel slowly enough to enjoy the sights.
On the train trip, you can expect to see Gatun Lake, the rainforest of Soberania National Park, and plenty of the Panama Canal. Be sure to have your camera ready, as there are lots of photo ops. If you’re lucky, you’ll even spot some wild animals as you travel. We’ll get off the train in Portobelo.
This historic town was a major port for the Spanish colonies, moving gold and silver. This obviously attracted pirates, so several forts were built to prevent them from reaching anything of importance. Forts included San Jeronimo, San Fernando, and Santiago de la Gloria, all of which are now UNESCO World Heritage sites.
We will also visit the Church of San Felipe, where you can see a statue of the Black Christ. Every October, thousands of pilgrims flock to the town to see this particular statue. We’ll take the time to explore some of the more beautiful ruins in the city, the Church of La Merced, the Iron Castle, and some of the forts are on the itinerary before we head to the hotel for the night.
Today, you’ll really dig deep into the culture here in Panama. First, we’ll board a canoe and paddle along the Gatun River to the Embera Community. This is a lovely town of indigenous people living in the tropical rainforest. They’ve worked hard to keep their culture intact and love to share it with visitors through music, dance, and other traditions.
The Embera people live traditionally, using hunting, fishing, and farming to provide for their villages. However, over the years, the tribes have begun offering ecotourism options to share their culture while bringing in income. You’ll hear their language and can talk with them about their handicrafts and methods of living. It’s fascinating to learn history and tradition from the very people who created it.
For your final day in Panama, we’re headed to Rainforest Discovery, where you can enjoy the rainforest and its biodiversity up close in person. We’ll begin in the Visitor Center, where you can watch hummingbirds feed. There are 13 species of hummingbirds to spot.
Next, we’ll head to the famous observation tours. At over 100 feet tall, this tower gives you a birds-eye view of the entire reserve. Platforms are set every 25 feet on the way up, so you can stop to catch your breath and look out at the forest.
The rainforest is full of animals who may or may not be willing to show themselves. Two- and three-toed sloths are often the easiest to spot, but you may see monkeys, crocodiles and coatis, as well as plenty of insects and birds. It’s a great place to hike and birdwatch, depending on your interests. Anyone who loves nature will definitely enjoy walking through the forest here.
It’s time to close out your week-long trip to Panama. The driver will drop you off at the airport, allowing you to catch your flight home.
map, expenses & price
One Week Trip to Panama
Expenses included:
-All private transportation.
-Six nights of hotel accommodations.
-Tours and excursions as listed.
-All park entrance fees.
-Professional local guides.
-Daily breakfast.
