Rainforest Wonders and Indigenous Connections: A Cultural Adventure in Panama

Welcome to Panama! Your journey begins with a flight to Panama City, the capital city. There you will be met and assisted upon arrival at Tocumen International Airport and transferred to your hotel.  

Panama City is the national capital and economic center of Panama and is framed by the Pacific Ocean and the 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 offer views of ships traversing the canal, an essential shipping route linking the Atlantic and Pacific. 

See Best Things to Do in Panama City. 

Panama's unique location provides the experience of a lifetime. We are gifted with having a wide range of rainforests, a desert, and breathtaking beaches on both coastlines, the Caribbean and the Pacific, all within driving distance of a cosmopolitan city. 

Overnight for 3 nights in Panama City at Hotel Central, 

After breakfast, meet your guide in the morning and head to the ruins of Old Panama, and trace back the colonial roots of Panama City. We will climb the cathedral tower to take in the views of the city and visit the Old Panama City Museum to get a deeper understanding of this Central American nation’s history. 

Continue to the old city compound, the famous Casco Antiguo, and expose your senses to the characterful colonial architecture as you make your way down the picturesque narrow lanes. 

Visit the French Plaza and learn about the ill-fated attempt of the French to construct a canal through the isthmus. All the while, listen to your guide describe the events that led to the establishment of the capital in its current location. 

Afterwards lunch will be served at a local restaurant.  

In the second part of the day, we will visit the Biodiversity Museum, which was designed by Canadian- American Architect Frank Gehry. This museum is his only work in Latin America and the tropics. The building was designed to tell the story of how the Isthmus of Panama rose from the sea, uniting two continents, separating a vast ocean in two, and changing the planet’s biodiversity forever. The Biomuseo’s 4,000 square meters contain eight permanent exhibition galleries designed by Bruce Mau Design. 

Dinner on your own in Panama City 

Duration 7-8 hours 

Day Includes: Bilingual Guide, Entrance to Miraflores Visitor Center and Biodiversity Museum, Lunch, and private transportation. 

Overnight at Hotel Central  (B, L) 

Achiote is a community committed to promoting the transformation of society so we can build a world where people can live in harmony with nature. At the Tucán Center, visitors can enjoy the senses and immerse themselves in an experiential experience, learn, understand and enjoy the trip in an unadulterated local environment. 

After getting picked up from your hotel, you will be transferred to Achiote Road on the west side of the San Lorenzo National Park via one of the most scenic roads in this part of Panama. On the way, you will be able to spot the remains of the old sea-level French Canal, drive through wooded hills and pass by the Panama Canal’s impressive Gatun Locks. 

Upon arrival, you will embark on a forest trail hike in search of the numerous bird species. The Achiote trail has been considered one of the best places in the world for bird watching. In the San Lorenzo protected area, one of the most important protected areas in the Panamanian Caribbean, you can find 436 bird species. 

The expert local cooks can teach visitors how to prepare typical dishes. In the summer, guests can also participate in the coffee process, from harvesting to preparation, through drying and grinding. 

You will enjoy soaking in the pristine natural surroundings and expose your senses to the sights and sounds of the tropical rainforest. Your tour concludes with a private transfer back to your Panama City accommodation’s. 

Includes: private transportation, naturalist guide, snacks and water, lunch, experience with the community. 

Duration: Full day   

Overnight at Hotel Central  (B,L) 

Get ready for an exciting culturally immersive experience in the Ngäbe Indigenous Community!

Your day begins with a private Transfer from City Hotel to Albrook Airport. At the appropriate time you will be picked up by a driver for your 45-minute flight to David located in the Chiriquí Province.

Upon arrival to David International Airport, you will be picked up by your driver-guide for a 1.5-hour private car ride through the Talamanca Mountain Range. Along the way, you will be able to connect with nature as you witness rivers, waterfalls, cows, and get stunning views of the Central Mountain Range.

When you reach the Soloy Community, a local leader will welcome you to their village and you will learn all about their traditions and culture. For the next 2 days you will enjoy their traditional dishes, visit their school, hospital or just mingle with the villagers to embrace their way of life.

Read more here about the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca Region in Panama.

Duration: Full day with overnight in the community

Includes: Domestic fight, private transportation with bilingual driver/guide, local indigenous guide, snacks, water, and local indigenous lunch and dinner, and cultural experience

Overnight at Homestay with Soloy Indigenous Community (B, L, D)

Note, about Overnight in Soloy Indigenous Community: Local homestays within the community. Very rural area, no air conditioning, TV, etc. There is a bathroom for physiological needs, but visitors must shower in the river o with tanks filled with water from the river, as locals do every day.

Rise and shine bright and early for your next adventure – today, you will discover one of the most beautiful, yet untapped waterfalls in Panama. After a local indigenous breakfast, your local driver-guide will pick you up and you will start the day with a transfer into a 4x4 vehicle for 20-minute car ride off the beaten path, towards Cerro Blanco.

Take some time to admire the impressive “KiKi” waterfall, soak into the nearby lagoon for a refreshing swim and appreciate the intact natural environment that surrounds you. After a traditional Ngäbe lunch, you will head back to the community, where you will spend the rest of the afternoon with the community.

*Must be in a good physical condition for the waterfall hike.

Included: transportation with bilingual driver/guide, 4x4 transportation, local indigenous guide, entrance fee to the KiKi waterfall, water, coffee/tea, and traditional lunch and dinner.

Overnight at Homestay with Soloy Indigenous Community (B, L D)

Today, we transfer from Soloy Indigenous Community to Boquete in Chirqui Province. There are several options for you to choose from in Boquete, including zipling, hanging bridges and volcano sunrise experience.

In Boquete you have the unique opportunity to visit a coffee plantation and learn about the process of coffee. Your guide will explain the whole coffee process from the picking of the coffee cherries by the Ngöbe-Buglé Indians to its journey to your cup while you walk through the coffee fields.

You will learn about the coffee plants and how the coffee beans are harvested and processed. We will tour one of the local farms in Boquete where you will be able to admire a clean and modern environmental processing plant or an organic coffee farm. The tour ends in the romantic coffee cupping room in the old mill, where we will taste and cup the product of all the work and craftsmanship.

• Duration: 3 – 4 hours
• Includes: specialist guide, entrance fees, private transportation.

Overnight at Hotel Boquete Garden Inn (B, L D)

The Boquete Garden Inn has one of Panama’s most beautiful gardens, and is home to more than 90 species of birds (some of the best birding in Panama), so you can enjoy some down times here to enjoy all that the property has to offer.

Casco Viejo is home of monuments of Ferdinand de Lesseps and other Frenchmen instrumental in the ill-fated attempt of the French to construct a canal through Panama. If you feel up for it, you can embark on afternoon tour (guided or on your own) to visit the ruins of Old Panama, climb up the Cathedral tower, visit the Old Panama Museum and then continue to Casco Viejo (the old city compound), which dates back to the late 1600's.

Air Ticket David to Panama City

Today at the appropriate time you will be transferred to David airport for your flight back to Panama City. You can check in 23kg of luggage free of charge. Afterwards will have the approximate cost of 2USD. Please note that the amount of extra luggage you can take also depends on flight capacity.

Private Transfer from Albrook Airport to Hotel Central