Panama – Jungle & Indigenous Cultures Multi-Sport Tour

Welcome to Panama! We will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to your hotel for check in. At 3:30 PM sharp, we will take you on an exciting street food tour in Panama City, which is the perfect way to learn about the country’s foods, history, and traditions! We will taste many things while exploring Casco Antiguo, the colonial section of Panama City. Chocolate, beer, and rum, just to name a few things that you might try!

Note: the tour’s start time is 3:30 PM and the chocolate tasting is at 4:00 PM; these times cannot be adjusted. If your flight times do not work with this, we can switch to a coffee or ceviche tasting instead. You may also wish to arrive a day in advance, to have more time to explore the area. Please inquire at the time of booking.

Meals: foodie tour/dinner
Duration: 4 hours
Overnight: Panama

Today’s adventure calls for an early start, but it will be worth it! We will drive to the town of Gamboa, where the Chagres River meets the Panama Canal. From here, you will board a boat and head off on an adventure across Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for green iguanas, ospreys, snail kites, firgate birds, and plenty of other wildlife found in the area. The boat tour will circle rainforeset covered islands, allowing us to obersrve and search (from the boat) the mantled howler monkey, white-faced capuchin, and Geoffrey’s tamarin. After the tour, we will make our way to Soverania National Park for a hiking tour around the trials of the lush forest.

Meals: breakfast
Distance: hike is rated easy – mostly flat & 3-10 km; expect mud
Overnight: Panama City

This morning is an early start (8:00 AM) as we make our way to El Corotu, on the shores of Madden Lake. From here, we will board a motorized dugout canoe and travel through the dense jungle up to the Chagres River. The boat journey takes us through the 320,000 acres Chagres National Park, which is the largest of national parks protecting the Panama Canal Watershed. Keep an eye out for many types of birds, such as heron, kingfishers, and osprey. Upon arrival to the Embera village, we will be welcomed with traditional dancing and music. You will learn about the fascinating traditions and their close relationship with nature. The Embera are master artisans, famous for their woven baskets, masks, and carvings. Small items are available for sale, if you wish to purchase a souvenir and support this special community. A short hike is also available while you are here. Before you leave, you will have the chance to be painted with the traditional “jagua,” a natural dye the Embera use to adorn their bodies. After a delicious traditional Embera lunch, we had back to Panama City.

Meals: breakfast & lunch
Highlights: Chagres National Park boat trip, Embera community visit
Overnight: Panama City

This morning starts with your 45 minute flight to Chiriquí Province. Once there, you will be picked up to head into the Talamanca Mountain Range. This transfer takes 1.5 hours, and along the way you will be able to connect with nature as you take in rivers, waterfalls, cows, and stunning views of the Central Mountain Range. Upon arrival to the Ngäbe indigenous community, locals will welcome us into their home and offer coffee or traditional tea. We will have the opportunity to embrace their traditions and culture as they showcase their way of living. We will then tour around the village with the locals to source the fresh farm-to-table produce that will take part of this gastronomic experience. Once we’ve collected what we need, we’ll head back to their home and prepare the most tasty, authentic and organic dishes that the Ngäbe have to offer. Typical staples are rice, starchy root vegetables (such as ñame, otoe, ñampi and yuca), plantains, and raised or wild game. After a delicious meal, we return to the hotel for a restful night.

Meals: breakfast & lunch
Highlights: indigenous gastronomic experience
Note: this is a shared activity in which you will join a group; maximum total of 8 ppl
Overnight: Boquete

The first coffee plants arrived to Panama at the beginning of the 10th century and were immediately brought to Boquete, which has a microclimate perfect for growing coffee. Its elevation, volcanic soils, and salinity from the ocean all contributed to the makings of perfect Panamanian coffee. Today we will tour an organic coffee farm and learn about the environmental processes in place and learn about the whole coffee process, from start to finish. No coffee tour is complete, of course, without tasting the product! Your day ends with a return to your hotel for some relaxation.

Meals: breakfast & coffee tasting
Duration: 3-4 hours
Highlights: coffee farm experience
Overnight: Boquete

Today you will walk in the clouds! This activity has you joining a very small group in what will still feel like a very private experience walking through the massive Highlands canopy. Amaze at the rushing rivers and waterfalls below, as you enjoy the sky walk experience that is high up in the tree tops! Your tour is a 3 mile loop, that takes you across 5 different canopy bridges. Keep your eyes open for the many exotic bird species, as well as the other animals native to this area. Your guide will be there to further educate you and interpret the surrounding ecosystem. The views are breathtaking, and this truly is an incredible experience for all ages!

Meals: breakfast
Highlights: explore & learn about the cloud forest canopy
Note: this is a shared activity in which you will join a group; maximum total of 15 ppl
Distance: 3 miles, 3-4 hours
Overnight: Boquete

This morning we will head to a private nature reserve, which borders the Baru Volcano National Park. During this tour, we will hike through its cloud forests and visit three special waterfalls. The trail parallels the Quebrada La Mina, which is a creek runing through the reserve and then merges with the Caldera river. During the hike, we’ll have the opportunity to explore a small cave and search for tropical birds. We will make our way to the waterfalls after about 2.5 hours of hiking. It is important to note that some sections of the trail are strenuous and can be muddy/slippery during the rainy season. During some parts of the year there is access to a natural pool that forms at the end of one of the waterfalls, where there is the opportunity to go for a swim. Alternative activities are possible on this day; please inquire.

Meals: breakfast
Distance: hike is rated moderate, ~ 4 hours, 4 km roundtrip, +/-1000m
Overnight: Boquete

Today is your departure day. Your transfer and flights back to Panama City are included. From there, you can return home as you like or extend your stay in beautiful Panama or wherever you are headed next!

Meals: breakfast