Itinerary
Day 1 – Panama City, Panama
Welcome to fun, vibrant Panama, home to the Panama Canal, the most important waterway in the world. Enjoy rainforests and sandy beaches. Meet friendly native Embera Indians living in the jungle. Take a day cruise on the Panama Canal. Visit both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Caravan provides transfers from Panama’s Tocumen airport to your hotel for a two night stay. Rooms are available for check in after 3:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. welcome briefing. Dinner is at your hotel.
Overnight Marriott Courtyard Meals (D)
Day 2 – Panama Viejo, Miraflores Locks
Morning visit to the museum and the ruins of Panama Viejo (Old Panama), the city founded by the Spanish in 1519 as a gateway for gold from the Inca Empire. The Isthmus of Panama links North and South America. Panama Viejo is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Lunch. Visit Miraflores Locks and the Canal Museum. Learn about the Canal construction and operation and Panama's prominent role as the major transit route between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, from Pre-Columbian times to present day. Drive along Panama City's bayfront. See the statue of Vasco Balboa, the first European explorer to cross the Isthmus and see the Pacific Ocean. Enjoy dinner.
Overnight Marriott Courtyard Meals (B,L,D)
Day 3 – Panama Canal Cruise
Today enjoy an unforgettable adventure as you cruise the Panama Canal. Your small vessel allows for close-up views of the opening and closing of the enormous six foot thick steel gates of both the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks. See at eye-level how transiting vessels are guided by small tugboats and pulled by small trains. Enter the Gaillard Cut and cross the Continental Divide. Enjoy lunch on board. Disembark at Gamboa on Gatun Lake. Afternoon arrival at your resort located in the rainforest between Soberania National Park and Metropolitano National Park. Enjoy dinner.
Overnight Radisson in Colon Meals (B,L,D)
Day 4 – Portobello, Gatun Locks
Enjoy views of the Caribbean Coast on your morning drive to visit the sleepy fishing village of Portobello. See the famous Black Christ statue at nearby San Felipe Church. Stroll the historic Portobello Fort, built by the Spaniards in the 16th century to guard the Spanish treasure fleets against pirate attacks. Next, a brief sightseeing drive of Colon, the Caribbean port at the north end of the Panama Canal. Drive by the Panama Canal Railway Station and the Free Trade Zone, the largest in the Americas. See the waterfront. Enjoy lunch. Then to nearby Gatun Locks. Gatun is the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. Here you will drive by the three adjoining locks which raise ships 87 feet above the Caribbean Sea on to Gatun Lake. Return to your rainforest resort. The remainder of your afternoon is at leisure. Enjoy dinner.
Overnight Radisson in Colon Meals (B,L,D)
Day 5 – Embera Indians, Playa Blanca
This morning enjoy a cruise on the Chagres River into the jungle to visit an Embera Indian Village. The Embera inhabit the rainforests of Panama and live in simple thatched huts. Listen to the joyful sounds of the rainforest. Learn about their way of life. Watch native dancers as they perform in their traditional clothing. The Embera make tightly woven baskets from palm fibers and exotic handicrafts from tagua nuts and the cocobolo tree. Then, cross over the Panama Canal on the Centenario Bridge en route to Playa Blanca, where you will enjoy a relaxing two night stay on the Pacific coast. Lunch. Afternoon is at leisure to enjoy your resort’s sandy beach and swimming pools. Enjoy dinner.
Overnight Playa Blanca Resort Meals (B,L,D)
Day 6 – Playa Blanca, El Valle
Morning visit to picturesque El Valle, a town situated in the crater of a dormant volcano. Scenic drive of the village’s charming homes. Visit the local artisan marketplace. Lunch. Enjoy a carefree leisurely afternoon at your resort. Enjoy dinner.
Overnight Playa Blanca Resort Meals (B,L,D)
Day 7 – Amador Island, Handicrafts
This morning, return to Panama City via the "Bridge of Americas'. Drive the spectacular Causeway which connects Flamenco, Perico, Naos and Amador Islands. Enjoy views of Casco Viejo and the stunning Panama City skyline. Enjoy lunch on Amador Island. This afternoon visit a Kuna Indian marketplace. Shop for colorful mola embroidery depicing rainforest animals and marine life. Arrive at your hotel in Panama City for another two night stay in this lively cosmopolitan city. Enjoy dinner.
Overnight Marriott Courtyard Meals (B,L,D)
Day 8 – Panama City
This morning enjoy an early morning birdwatching visit to the pond at the "Pipeline Road", the old service road for the Panama Canal. Listen to the joyful sounds of the rainforest. Return to Panama City. Lunch. Enjoy free time in Panama City. Dinner. Next, a night lights drive of this dazzling city. Panama City is a combination of Manhattan, Miami and Las Vegas blended with Latin American flavor and style.
Overnight Marriott Courtyard Meals (B,L,D)
Day 9 – Panama City
Your tour ends this morning, after breakfast at your hotel. Caravan provides transfers to Panama’s Tocumen airport, arriving at 5:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Thanks for vacationing with Caravan. ¡Hasta la vista! Overnight Marriott Courtyard Meals (B)
Panama Canal Daytime Cruise
Your Panama Canal Cruise is a daytime passage. This fascinating journey is usually four to six hours and, depending on canal schedules, the route may be reversed. Your ship has an air-conditioned section and an open-air viewing deck. This is a public ship so you may be joined by other passengers. The smaller size of the ship allows for unique, close-up views. You cruise by the Bridge of Americas, pass through Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks, and then wind through the Galliard Cut to Gamboa on Gatun Lake.