Costa Rica Tours, Ltd.
Specialists in Costa Rica & Panama
The Pacific Queen
in Miraflores Lock
Panama Canal Railway
Fortress at Portobelo
Ruins of Old Panama
On the way to
Embera Village
Embera Family
Biodiversity Museum
by Frank Gehry
PANAMA WITH CANAL TRANSIT
Next Annual Group Tour
January 2013
Contact Us for a Private Tour on your Dates
throughout the Year
Tour Highlights:
- Daytime full ocean-to-ocean transit of the Panama Canal
- Experience 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Spanish colonial era ports on the Caribbean Coast at San Lorenzo and Portobelo
- Trans Isthmus ride on the Panama Canal Railway
- Tour Panama La Vieja (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Casco Viejo, the former U.S. Canal Zone with Miraflores Locks & Visitor Center
- New! Construction tour of the Frank Gehry designed Biodiversity Museum with presentation on Panama's unique biodiversity
- Full-day visit to Embera Indian Village in the rainforest
Daily Itinerary:
Day 2: Caribbean Coast: First settlements in Portobelo and San Lorenzo; Trans-isthmus Train Ride
In the morning you will travel by land to Portobelo where you visit the Customs House (now a museum), the colonial fort, and the famous local church with the Black Christ. Then, you continue on to Colon to visit Fort San Lorenzo, a well-preserved Spanish-era fort which guarded the Chagres River and the adjoining bay. The fort was the object of reoccurring pirate attacks because of Panama's importance as a world trade center during the colonial period. In the afternoon you embark on an the unforgettable experience of traveling on the Panama Canal Railway. As you cross the isthmus and rainforest you will recreate the experience of the '49ers who crossed Panama on the railway to reach California during the California Gold Rush. (It was safer to cross Panama than to cross the U.S.)
Day 3: Panama City Tour & Biodiversity Museum
You will have a full-day tour of historic Panama City. You begin the day by visiting the Visitor Center and the 16th century ruins of Old Panama (Panama La Vieja), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the Miraflores Locks and Visitor Center, you learn about the history, construction and workings of the Panama Canal.
Next, you visit
Colonial Panama
(Casco Viejo),
first for lunch, and then walking these historic streets with a stop at the
San Jose Church to see its gold-altar.
In mid-afternoon you will have a presentation on the effect of the
isthmus of Panama on global diversity and a construction tour
at the Frank
Gehry designed Biodiversity Museum (which is projected to open
in December 2012).
This is the first work in Latin America by this renowned U.S.
architect. In
the evening you can enjoy the many fine restaurants and
entertainment, including casinos, in this cosmopolitan capital.
Day 4: Panama
Canal Transit
On your full (8 hours) ocean-to-ocean transit through the
Panama Canal, you
will pass through three sets of locks, the Gaillard Cut and Gatun Lake.
The transit on a small ship provides you the opportunity to appreciate the enormity of the locks and to experience the process of the filling of the chambers and the rising of your ship. You
will pass through the Gaillard Cut at the Continental Divide. Your
90-minute return to Panama City is on a motor coach.
Day 5: Embera Village
On your visit to an Embera Village you will have "a National Geographic
experience" that you will long remember. Situated on the banks of the Chagres River in the heart of a tropical rainforest, the village is reached only by sturdy canoes (with motors). You meet the gentle Embera villagers, learn about their culture, and see their ceremonial dances. You can purchase woven baskets and carved tagua nut figurines of jungle wildlife and visit the nearby
community garden where your guide will show you plants from which many known pharmaceuticals are made. In
the evening back in Panama City, we will have a Farewell Dinner at a popular
restaurant on the Causeway.
Day 6: Departure
Transfer to Tocumen International Airport for your return home, or continue on to Costa Rica for our
Variety Tour. Or, extend your vacation with
a stay at a beach resort on the Pacific Coast, at a rainforest resort,
or at a Kuna village on the San Blas Islands.
2010/2011 Passenger Comments:
"The
guide's expert, highly instructive guidance of the Panama Canal was the
reason I made the trip. He was absolutely THE BEST. Thank you for your
expert preparation for it. Everything went perfectly." Jack E, retired (NY)
"I expected Panama to be good and it was great, and I expected Costa Rica to be great and it was fantastic! The trip exceeded my expectations. I think you took the best of the countries and put it together in one combo tour." Linda R, (IL)
Read Article about our tour in International Travel News
Land Tour Cost: $1795 per person in double occupancy ($300 single supplement). Includes 11 meals, all specified activities in the itinerary, hotel for 5 nights, airport and ground transportation by air-conditioned motor coach, a full-time Panamanian bilingual guide, driver, and a U.S. Tour Escort. Not included: international airfare, gratuities (guide, driver, hotel housekeeping and porters), and airport exit tax ($40)