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Day 1 – Transfer from Airport to Hotel (Thursday) |
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Arrival at Tocumen Intl airport, greeting by one of our representatives and transfer to your selected hotel. |
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Overnight stay does not includes meals |
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Day 2 - Complete City Tour and Miraflores Locks |
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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. |
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Overnight stay includes breakfast |
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Day 3 – Partial Panama Canal Transit |
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Partial Panama Canal Transit
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. |
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Overnight stay includes breakfast and lunch. |
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Day 4 - Tour Eco Canal Journey |
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Starts from your Hotel
Get on the boat and come witness a stunning tropical rain forest rich in wild life and nature. Here you will be able to see different species of monkeys, crocodiles and birds among others, with a visit to a World Word II military radio installation. In our journey through the lake we will find big ships transiting the Canal and kayak rides available to adventure in the waters of the Gatun Lake. This tour ends with a picnic in the Island Sound of Silence. This tour will leave you speechless. |
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Overnight stay includes breakfast |
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Day 5 - Shopping Tour with Dinner and Folkloric Show |
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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.
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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.
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Overnight stay includes breakfast and dinner |
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Day 6 – Embera Culture |
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Starts at 8:30 from your hotel.
Our tour guide will greet you at your hotel to start our journey to the Port of Corotu where you will board a small motor boat for a ride on the Alajuela Lake, one of the artificial lakes created by the construction of the canal that also acts as a reservoir.
Our boat ride will take us through parts of the Chagres River with breathtaking views throughout our entire journey so bring your camara. Upon arrival at the small indigenous town, we’ll have a chance to swim in the river by a stunning waterfall, weather permitted.
This indigenous group of people have preserved their traditions and still live and dress as they did hundreds of years ago. You’ll get to see how they live and enjoy a traditional Embera dance show along with a traditional indian lunch consisting of fried fish and plantain served in banana leaves.
The males of this group, who start training as early as 8 years old, are known for their wood carved handcrafts that include bird, and animal figures, while the women specializing in weaved baskets adorned with flowers and images of tropical animals created using only natural colors from plants and roots. They still rely on plants for medical use and are well known for their knowledge of botanical medicine.
Return will be at about 3 pm. |
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Overnight stay includes breakfast and lunch. |
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Day 7 – Portobelo and Day Beach at Isla Grande with boat trip to other islands |
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Portobelo:
Named Portobelo (Beautiful Port) by the famous Spaniard, Christopher Columbus in 1502. This city was home to the great trade fairs and the point of departure for gold and silver plundered from the Spanish South American colonies. This explains why this city was attacked numerous times by famous pirates such as Henry Morgan and Francis Drake.
The Drake island can be seen in the distance and according to legend was named after the famous pirate who died and was buried at sea near the island.
Attacked in 1668 by Henry Morgan and a fleet of buccaneers, the city was plundered for 14 days in one of the bloodiest battles seen. We will be able to visit the forts that were used to defend the city, the fair trade sites, the Spanish customs house, the San Geronimo Castle, San Felipe church and many other historical locations. The ruins of the city fortifications were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980.
The city is located in Colon and surrounded by crystal clear beaches and islands in a beautiful tropical Caribbean settings. We will have a delicious local lunch before departing back to your hotel. |
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Beach Day at Isla Grande with Boat Trip
Isla Grande is a small island off the Caribbean coast of Panama, about a half hour drive (depending on road conditions) from the city of Colon, Panama. Crossing over to the Island takes 10 minutes by boat with sightseeing tours around the area such as isla Mamey and Sir Francis Drake's island where the famous pirate was, according to legend, buried in a lead coffin.
Depending on the season, the waters between the island and the mainland provides an excellent surfing spot. Also, it is an ideal place for diving and snorkeling. Crystal clear water and white sand will leave you speechless. |
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Overnight stay includes breakfast and lunch. |
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Day 8 – Morning Tour in Amador Causeway and free evening for personal activities |
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Morning Tour in Amador Causeway Then we will visit the Amador Causeway, one of the most popular turistic places in Panama. Three beatiful turistic islands joined together by an artificial road where people ride bicycles, walks or just enjoy the view of the Panama City skyline from any of these islands, Naos, Perico or Flamenco. There are also many restaurants with wide variety of meals. Some with Panamanian Typical Food as well. |
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Free evening for personal activities You can take advantage of this day for personal activities which might include shopping, additional tours (quoted separately) or just enjoying and relaxing at the hotel |
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Overnight stay includes breakfast |
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Day 9 – Transfer to International Airport (Wednesday) |
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Transfer to International Airport |
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