Vacation Package – Culture, Panama Canal, City and Shopping

Starts at 8:30 a.m. from your hotel.

We start with a panoramic tour of Panama City crossing the biggest banking center of Latin America and the Cinta Costera (Coastal Beltway), and a visit to the ruins of Panama la Vieja, founded on August 15, 1519 by the Spaniard, Pedro Arias Davila, and sacked by the English pirate Henry Morgan on the 28th of January, 1671. We’ll also tour the beautiful and historical colonial city “Casco Antiguo”, a World Heritage site, adorned by colonial churches and plazas such as Plaza de France, Plaza Bolivar, Plaza de Independencia and the majestic Metropolitan Cathedral, the stunning National Theater and the Presidency of the Republic and the Old Spanish Customs.

Driving towards the famous and one of the top tourist stops, the Amador Causeway (Coastway) built with rocks and debri from the Panama Canal construction. This coastway joins the Islands of Naos, Culebra, Perico and Flamenco. Today the Causeway is adorned by local food restaurants as well and international, duty free shops and spectacular views of the city skyline and the Panama Canal entrance.

We’ll continue our tour with a visit to the most important lock of the Panama Canal on the Pacific side, The Miraflores Locks where we will have a spectacular view of the locks and the Canal’s operation, completing our tour with a visit to the museum and its interesting display.

Starts at 8: 30a.m. from your hotel.

No matter what type of shopper you are our malls have something for you. Excellent prices and a wide range of brand names from South/North America and Europe. The shopping centers are packed with stores ranging from discounted to designer’s shops, with over a hundred stores making your shopping fun and worry free. From the Albrook Mall to the upscale Multiplaza major credit cards are accepted as well as cash (US dollars). Also ask for our tailored tours offered to shop for Indians handcrafts such as the famous molas tagua. Ending this tour back at your hotel.

Dinner and Folkloric Show

Come and enjoy a delicious typical Panamanian dinner accompanied by a fantastic dance show which features women dressed in the “Pollera”, our traditional typical dress adorned with stunning body and head jewelry, while the men wear traditional outfits with handmade hats created by the local Indians. This evening is full of tradition, from the dresses to the music and food. The music , called “tipico”, is played with accordions, drums and other instruments typical of the region.

Fantastic Panamanian cuisine while you enjoy a show rich in Panamanian heritage.

Tour starts at 9 a.m. from your hotel.

Beginning our transit in Gamboa we will board our boat, to cruise about 40 km in the canal at about 26 mts above sea level, going through Gatun Lake, the second largest artificial lake in the world with 423 km2, to the narrowest and highest part of the canal, the famous Gaillard (Culebra) Cut where the most difficult part of the canal construction took place. We’ll navigate under the Centenario Bridge, built to join the Pacific and Atlantic and where you will have a chance to glance at the construction of the new set of locks. The tour will take you by natural habitats and you may even be able to see some of the tropical birds common to the area. We’ll then start descending the first 10 mts on our way to the Pacific in the Pedro Miguel Locks, then go on to the Miraflores lake and the second set of locks to descend the last 16 mts that will take us to the level of the Pacific Ocean. We’ll continue on by sailing under the Bridge of the Americas and end our canal crossing at the Amador Causeway for transfer back to your hotel.