Beautiful Panama | February 6th, 2025
$4299 $3999 per person
⭐⭐⭐⭐+
*Prices are CAD per person, based on 2 people sharing and reflects early booking discount (land only).
*Single Supplement: Add + $1300 CAD (this includes the early booking savings). If you’re a single traveler and looking to be matched up with a roommate, of the same gender, please reach out to us for details.
*Prices are subject to change without previous notice depending on any significant increase in rates, taxes, fuel or due to availability problems.
*This group departure will take a minimum 10 passengers (to a maximum of 18).
*Air Round Trip International Airfare routing/pricing based on requests. Depending on your departure gateway, an overnight flight, and/or, pre or post nights may be required.
Early Booking Price Expires September 1st, 2024 (or until sold out)!
Beautiful Panama: February 6-14, 2025
Explore the Unexplored Beauty…Panama is a land of untamed natural beauty, from the pristine beaches to the dense rainforests teeming with exotic wildlife.
Embrace the Richness of Culture…Delve into Panama’s cultural tapestry as we introduce you to indigenous communities, vibrant cities, and the welcoming spirit of its people. Immerse yourself in age-old traditions and vibrant festivals that celebrate the soul of this extraordinary country.
Itinerary Routing:
3 Nights – Central Panama Hotel – https://www.centralhotelpanama.com/
4 Nights – Playa Tortuga Beach Resort – https://www.playatortugaresort.com/
1 Night – Global Hotel Panama – http://www.globalpanamahotel.com/
Highlights:
- Tour the magnificent Panama Canal!
- Take in the breathtaking views of Panama City from Amador Causeway.
- Explore Old Quarter Panama City and visit the historic center of San Felipe declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.
- Travel by pirogue to Soberania National Park where you will be immersed in the Jungle and its wildlife.
- Enjoy a Folkloric show with traditional music and dances!
- Explore the beautiful Bocas Del Toro islands and everything they have to offer.
- Visit Laguna de Bocatoritos and watch Dolphins dance around your boat.
- Snorkel in Coral Cay!
- Relax at Zapatilla Cays.
- Tour and adventure hike to Oreba Farm, famous for its cocoa production.
- Farewell Dinner at local Restaurant!
What’s Included:
All sightseeing as per itinerary | All meals as per itinerary (15 meals: 8 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 3 Dinners) | All tipping for drivers and guides | All entrance fees as per itinerary | *Group arrival and departure transfers | Local specialty guides | Private air-conditioned coach | Roundtrip air from Panama City to Bocas del Toro/and back | All taxes | Only 10-18 passengers!
Not Included:
International airfare (Trip Merchant is happy to assist you with booking the international airfare from your preferred Canadian air gateway) | Optional excursions | Out of Country Cancellation and Medical Insurance is mandatory (proof of insurance coverage will be required)
Terms and Conditions:
$500 per person deposit | If you cancel prior to September 1st, 2024, then $250 per person is refunded and the remaining $250 per person becomes a Future Travel Credit to be used on any TMJ group departure up to 2 years beyond original date of travel. Deposit becomes non-refundable and cannot be converted to a Future Travel Credit after September 1st, 2024
Final Balance: December 2, 2024 (100% non-refundable after final payment)
Call for assistance: 1-800-481-9739 ext 507
Mention Group Booking Number: TMJPAN25
8 Nights/9 Days
15
Meals
-
Destination
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Arrival City
Panama City, Panama -
Departure City
Panama City, Panama -
Activity Level
This tour includes moderate physical activity. The itinerary blends some longer days with shorter days and more leisure time. Walking tours, as well as walking slightly longer distances, up stairs, or on uneven walking surfaces should be expected. -
Passenger Limit
10-18 passengers
1
Thursday, February 6, 2025: ARRIVAL - PANAMA CITY
Welcome to Panama! Panama City, the capital of Panama, is a modern city framed by the Pacific Ocean and man-made Panama Canal. Casco Viejo, its cobblestoned historic center, is famed for colonial-era landmarks like the neoclassical Palacio Presidencial and bougainvillea-filled plazas lined with cafes and bars. The Miraflores Locks offers views of ships traversing the canal, an essential shipping route linking the Atlantic and Pacific.
Upon arrival to Panama City you will take an included transfer to Hotel Central Panama about 30 mins away.
Enjoy the rest of the day at Leisure.
Accommodation: Hotel Central Panama
Our five-star hotel in the heart of the Casco Viejo historic district has been an iconic resting place for discerning travelers since 1874. Located on the Plaza de la Independencia within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, our beautifully restored property only steps away from the Presidential Palace, National Theater, Panama Canal Museum, and countless architectural landmarks. Central Hotel Panamá’s 135 guestrooms and suites feature charming views of the Old Town and include all the finest luxuries. Venture beyond your room for an indulgent trip to the spa or sparkling rooftop pool.
Meals: Dinner
2
Friday, February 7, 2025: FULL DAY PANAMA CITY & MIRAFLORES LOCKS W/LUNCH
Enjoy an included Breakfast at the hotel.
Today you will have a guided city tour, starting at the Panama Canal, a magnificent work of engineering, actually the greatest and most expensive human feat of the time. After 30/40 minutes of route, you will reach the Visitor Center of Miraflores Locks, from which you will be able to see closely the ships moving along the canal, and the way it operates.
Afterwards, you will visit the Amador Causeway, which offers one of the city’s most spectacular panoramic views. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant.
The tour continues in the Old Quarter of Panama City, the historic center of San Felipe declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997, thanks to its eclectic fusion of colonial, neoclassic and French architecture.
Accommodation: Hotel Central Panama
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
3
Saturday, February 8, 2025: VISIT TO THE EMBERA INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY W/LIGHT LUNCH
After breakfast, you will travel by coach approximately one hour to the little pier of Alajuela Lake where you will board a pirogue, a motor canoe, to arrive to the community of Emberá Biakiru, located at Soberania National Park.
During the journey of approximately forty minutes, you will be able to see in detail the splendid jungle and if you are lucky, its monkeys, butterflies, herons and turtles. The Embera community is located in the Chagres National Park.
Upon your arrival, you will be received by the Indian Chief of the Embera Indigenous Community who will tell you the history of the Tribe and its cultural wealth.
Afterwards, you will travel to a little island inhabited by monkeys. Enjoy a traditional lunch and folkloric show with music and dances. The light lunch consists of fried patacones and fish.
In the afternoon, transfer to from Colon to Panama City.
Accommodation: Hotel Central Panama
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
4
Sunday, February 9, 2025: PANAMA CITY – BOCAS DEL TORO
After breakfast, transfer to the Albrook domestic airport in order to take a flight to Bocas del Toro. Upon Arrival a guide will pick you up and help you with the transfer to the Hotel in Bocas del Toro.
Bocas del Toro Islands are located in the western end of the country, a few kilometers away from Costa Rica. You can get there in approximately 40 minutes by taking a flight from Panama City, then from Almirante, terra firma, by sailing in one of the ships that will take you there in 30 minutes. The archipelago is formed by six main islands: Colón, Bastimentos, Solarte, San Cristóbal, Popa and Cayo Agua, and by several coral atolls and islets offering dream beaches surrounded by palm trees, a spectacular barrier reef, several sea species, emerald-green waters, mangroves, tropical forests inhabited by an incredible fauna and a lush flora. Each island has its own personality and natural beauty. It is a world that turns around water and nature where aquatic taxis are the sole means of transportation.
Enjoy the rest of the day at Leisure.
Accommodation: Playa Tortuga Hotel
Located in Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro, Panama, Playa Tortuga Hotel & Beach Resort provides adventure and relaxation for the guest seeking one or both! Playa Tortuga Hotel and Beach Resort is the best beachfront resort in Isla Colon and boasts 3 oceanfront pools, and one of them is the largest pool in all of Bocas Del Toro. With the warm Carribean waters just steps from the fresh pool and everything you need at your finger tips, it’s the perfect destination.
Meals: Breakfast
5
Monday, February 10, 2025: BOCAS DEL TORO - DOLPHIN BAY, CORAL CAY AND ZAPATILLA CAYS
Today you will discover different shades and tones of the fascinating Bocas del Toro Archipelago on a daylong guided tour. Where you will enjoy its beautiful beaches hidden within the lush vegetation of some of its islands, come across groups of mangroves and its characteristic and flashy marine life, white-sand and crystalline-water atolls surrounded by barrier reefs; a true submarine paradise, ideal for diving and snorkeling.
You will make a stop at Laguna de Bocatoritos where you will be able to watch, if you are lucky, dolphins that dance around boats. Afterwards, you will visit Coral Cay where you will be able to go snorkeling and see varied color fish that hide among coral reefs.
Later on, you will have some relaxing time at the attractive beach of Zapatilla Cays, two of the most beautiful islands of the archipelago, located within the boundaries of Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park. This area offers dream beaches, crystalline waters, magnificent sea beds with splendid coral reefs full of fish, including the angel fish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, moray eel and jewfish, in addition to lobsters and crabs.
Accommodation: Playa Tortuga Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
6
Tuesday, February 11, 2025: BOCAS DEL TORO - CACAO TOUR TO THE OREBA FARM IN THE NGÄBE-BUGLÉ
After breakfast, you will visit the Oreba Farm, famous for its cocoa production in the native Ngäbe community of Rio Oeste. This tour will take you through the process of organic cocoa production cultivated under the tree shades, accompanied by a guide who will explain all the steps including cultivation, harvesting, fermentation, drying, roasting and finally making chocolate.
The tour is conducted by a local Ngäbe guide, and includes an adventure hike through the dense forest to reach the cocoa farm, while the guide explains the process, and luckily you will see a variety of wildlife like frogs, sloths and birds. Local women will teach you how to make chocolate.
The tour ends with a traditional Ngäbe meal based on fresh local ingredients such as vegetables, roots, rice and chicken.
Enjoy the rest of the Evening at Leisure.
Accommodation: Playa Tortuga
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
7
Wednesday, February 12, 2025: DAY AT LEISURE & FAREWELL DINNER
This morning enjoy your included breakfast at the hotel. Afterwards, you will have the rest of the day at leisure.
This evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner at local restaurant.
Accommodation: Playa Tortuga
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
8
Thursday, February 13, 2025: DEPARTURE FROM BOCAS DEL TORO
After breakfast, transfer to Bocas del Toro domestic airport to take a flight to Panama City.
Upon arrival in Panama, transfer from Albrook domestic airport to the hotel.
Spend the afternoon at Leisure.
Accommodation: Global Panama Hotel
Global Hotel Panama, is Twist Hotels Corp first property in Central America and occupies the ground floor plus six upper floors of the newly-constructed 38 floor Twist Tower Office and Hotel development in the heart of Panama City. This magnificent example of contemporary urban architecture lies in the exclusive Obarrio residential and commercial district, home to numerous prestige shops and restaurants. The Twist Tower is just a few minutes and walking distance from the city’s shopping and financial center, provides the perfect luxury boutique hotel in Panama for business, leisure travelers and extended stay accommodations.
Luxury accommodation at this Boutique Hotel comprises 60 bedrooms including one ultra-luxurious suite, a fine dining restaurant and wine bar at ground level and, on the 12th floor, a business center with four boardrooms plus a large stylish event space and a health club with outdoor pool and heated whirlpool Jacuzzi offering spectacular views of the city. Global Hotel Panama, values of elegance and simplicity are expressed in Panama in the context of an energetic, avant-garde building complementing the city’s burgeoning skyline. The Global Hotel Panama as Luxury Boutique Hotel is perfect for a vacation, a city break, a business conference or extended stay accommodation with a boutique feel. A luxury boutique hotel in Panama where everything is at hand – beautifully equipped meeting rooms, a choice of dining, a wine bar plus a gym with state-of-the-art equipment and massage room that provides an oasis within this vibrant city adjacent to Soho Mall and the shopping and financial districts of Panama City.
Meals: Breakfast
9
Friday, February 14, 2025: DEPARTURE FROM PANAMA CITY
After breakfast you will transfer to Tocumen Intl. Airport. where you depart on your flight home!
Meals: Breakfast
10