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14 Days / 13 nights

Make the most precious gift to your family: time spent together. Your children and all other family members will be excited to experience amongst others the Panama Canal, a real masterpiece of engineering. Your family will learn a lot about the exuberant flora and fauna at Gamboa, enjoy the picturesque village of El Valle and the marvelous pacific beaches at Playa Blanca. This educational package loaded with adventure will appeal to all members of your family.

Day : 1 - , Sunday: Arrival in Panama City :

Upon arrival to Panama a representative of Panama Trails will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to your city hotel for your firs night in Panama.
Panama City is the capital and largest city in the country. It is home to a diverse blend of cultures and an enormous historical sector in the Old City. The lively and vibrant banking district on the other hand is very modern and often compared to Miami. Panama City is a thrilling location you will surely enjoy during your visit to this gorgeous country.

Overnight at Country Inn and Suites Amador, Standard Room, breakfast included.

Day : 2 - , Monday: Half Day Panama City Tour & Miraflores Locks :

In the morning, your English speaking guide will pick you up at your hotel and take you on a private tour to Panama City and the Miraflores Locks. You will start the tour with a 30 minutes drive to Miraflores to see the huge vessels passing the Panama Canal. The busiest hours are between 09:00 and 11:00, so you will be able to see many ships getting lifted or lowered 18 meters in two distinct steps. You will enjoy the view on the Locks from a sheltered terrace and listen to the explanations of your guide. To complete the visit of the Canal you will visit the Museum and Visitor Center at Miraflores which gives you a good idea on the construction of the Canal – a masterpiece of engineering. You will also learn about the history of the canal and its significance for Panama and the entire world trade as well as on the current expansion project.
After the visit to the Canal you will continue with your guide to the Amador Causeway, a road that connects three Islands in the Pacific Ocean and offers magnificent views on the Canal on one side and on the skyline of Panama City on the other side. The tour continues to the Casco Viejo, Panama City’s colonial quarter. At the Casco Viejo you feel set back in time as you admire the lovely colonial houses, the narrow roads and the impressive churches. While visiting the highlights of this colonial district – the Cathedral, the golden Altar, French Plaza and the Huertas Passway – you will sure get an idea on Panama’s long and interesting history.
This tour includes transportation, English speaking guide and all entrance fees. Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes and don’t forget to bring a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, your camera and a bottle of water.

Overnight at Country Inn and Suites Amador, Standard Room, breakfast included.

Day : 3 - , Tuesday: Embera Indian Village:

In the morning your guide will pick you up at your hotel and take you up north towards Lake Alajuela. There you will step into small boats, which will carry you up the Rio Chagres. A fascinating and dense jungle will accompany you on your boat trip. Upriver, you will step out of the dugout canoes and enjoy a short hike (can be a bit muddy) to a beautiful waterfall in midst of the rain forest. Enjoy this tropical paradise far away from any civilization, take a swim in the refreshing pool just beneath the waterfall and submerge in this true tropical getaway. Now you are ready to visit the village of the Embera Indians, one of seven indigenous tribes in Panama. The people of the Embera tribe will welcome you at the pier and gladly give you an idea on how they still live today. The villages chief will give you a brief explication on the history of the tribe, its traditions, cultures, believes and handicrafts. Then, a traditional lunch of fish and plantains prepared by the Embera women will be served to you. In the afternoon you will experience a traditional Embera dance and have the opportunity to shop for handicrafts. The sale of local products directly benefits the village and helps to pay the school fees for the children. You can also get a temporary Embera tattoo painted on your arm or leg.

Overnight at Country Inn and Suites Amador, Standard Room, breakfast included.

Day : 4 - , Wednesday: Panama City - Gamboa:

Spend the morning at leisure in your hotel or take a walk along the Amador Causeway to enjoy the spectacular views on passing container ships and the astonishing skyline of Panama City. In the afternoon you will be transferred to Gamboa, a small village from the time of the construction of the Panama Canal. The next three nights you will spend at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort in midst of the tropical rainforest. Enjoy the relaxing views on Lake Gatun and the Chagres River. After dinner you take an interesting nocturnal safari to familiarize yourself with the species of the rain forest. You have a good chance to spot tapirs, capybaras, alligators, rare tropical opossums and two–toed sloths.

Overnight at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, Deluxe Chagres River View Room, breakfast included.

Day : 5 - , Thursday: Gamboa:

Today you will take a special boat tour through the famous Panama Canal into secret waterways to find hidden islands that are the favorites of monkeys. Cappuccino monkeys and howler monkeys can be seen leaping in the treetops above you. Occasionally, they become curious of visitors and venture down to take a closer look. This tour provides a unique opportunity for viewing wild monkeys in their natural surroundings, but as closely as you would in a zoo. Other animals you can spot in this tour are sloths sleeping in trees, stoic alligators and turtles that are native to the lake. The boat ride to and from the island passes through the Panama Canal, giving you the chance to spot huge container ships during their passage across the world.

Overnight at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, Deluxe Chagres River View Room, breakfast included.

Day : 6 - , Friday: Gamboa:

Free day at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. Relax and enjoy the comfortable facilities or explore the area on one of the optional tours.

Overnight at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, Deluxe Chagres River View Room, breakfast included.

Day : 7 - , Saturday: Panama Canal Partial Transit - El Valle :

After a transfer from your hotel to the Marina in Gamboa, you will aboard the cruise ship to start the water portion of the tour. You will enter the canal at the north end of the Gailard cut, where the Chagres River flows into the Canal. The Gaillard Cut (also known as Culebra Cut because its curves resemble a snake) is one of the main points of interest for visitors because it was carved through the Continental Divide and this section of the Canal is full of history and geological value. Your boat will travel the Cut's 13.7 kilometres on the way to Pedro Miguel Locks. As you transit the Cut you will be able to appreciate the continuous maintenance that this area requires, because it is very susceptible to landslides. In this area you will also be able to observe the work in process for the Panama Canal expansion project.
After a transfer from your hotel to the Marina in Gamboa, you will aboard the cruise ship to start the water portion of the tour. You will enter the canal at the north end of the Gailard cut, where the Chagres River flows into the Canal. The Gaillard Cut (also known as Culebra Cut because its curves resemble a snake) is one of the main points of interest for visitors because it was carved through the Continental Divide and this section of the Canal is full of history and geological value. Your boat will travel the Cut's 13.7 kilometres on the way to Pedro Miguel Locks. As you transit the Cut you will be able to appreciate the continuous maintenance that this area requires, because it is very susceptible to landslides. In this area you will also be able to observe the work in process for the Panama Canal expansion project.
Before reaching the Pedro Miguel Locks at the southern end of the Cut, you will be able to view the new Centennial Bridge which crosses over the Canal. Next, your ship will enter Pedro Miguel Locks, which is one of the two sets of locks on the Pacific side, and here the vessel is lowered 9 meters in one step. You will then enter Miraflores Lake, which is a small artificial body of fresh water that separates Pedro Miguel from Miraflores Locks, the latter being the final set of locks before reaching the Pacific Ocean. At Miraflores Locks the vessel is lowered 18 meters in two distinct steps.
Once in the Pacific Ocean the vessel will sail to the beautiful Flamenco Marina where you disembark. On the way to Flamenco, you will pass under the Bridge of the Americas, and later, you will be able to admire the Bay of Panama and Panama City's splendorous skyline. Upon arrival at Flamenco you will be transferred to the tranquil village of El Valle, set in an extinct volcano crater. Here you stay for two nights at the charming boutique hotel Los Mandarinos.

Overnight at the Los Mandarinos, Executive Room, breakfast included.

Day : 8 - , Sunday: El Valle :

Take advantage of a free day to explore the El Valle area which is ringed by the lip of the former volcano. Here there are hiking, horse riding, biking and bird watching opportunities and plenty of flowering plants bloom in its "eternal spring" micro-climate. There are small scale local activities including some natural thermal water, mud baths, petroglyphs and a waterfall plus the delights of must visit gourmet restaurant "La Casa de Lourdes".

Overnight at the Los Mandarinos, Executive Room, breakfast included.

Day : 9 - , Monday: El Valle - Playa Blanca:

Spend the morning relaxing in the green nature at El Valle. In the afternoon you will be transferred down to Panama’s Pacific Coast. Enjoy a few days at the wide, white sand beach.

Overnight at the Playa Blanca Beach Resort, Standard Room, all inclusive.

Day : 10 - 12: Playa Blanca:

Free days to enjoy the numerous facilities of Playa Blanca Resort. Participate in one of the many activities offered by the hotel or just spend a relaxing day at the beautiful pacific beach.

Overnight at the Playa Blanca Beach Resort, Standard Room, all inclusive.

Day : 13 - , Friday: Playa Blanca - Panama City:

Enjoy the morning at Playa Blanca Resort. After lunch you will be transferred back to Panama City. Enjoy the last night out in this cosmopolitan city often likened to Miami.

Overnight at Country Inn and Suites Amador, Standard Room, breakfast included.

Day : 14 - , Saturday: Panama City - Departure :

After breakfast you will be transferred to the Tocumen Airport for your international flight back home.