Treasures of Costa Rica and Panama

Make your own way to the International Airport to check in for your flight to San Jose. San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, is surrounded by evergreen mountains and valleys. After clearing customs, you will be picked up by our representative and transferred to your hotel.




Overnight in San Jose

Today you will depart San Jose and travel to the Arenal area, passing through the mountains of the Central Valley via the breathtaking landscape of agricultural plantations and cattle farms. Get ready to reach the town of La Fortuna around noon, home to the magical Arenal Volcano. Spend the rest of the day at leisure or book one of our optional tours* (time permitting).




Overnight in Arenal

Spend a full day at leisure in Arenal among a beautiful unspoiled setting.




Overnight in Arenal

Continue your journey to Monteverde. The transfer will be first by bus and then by boat crossing Lake Arenal. Arrive in Monteverde around noon. In Monteverde, you will have free time to explore. We recommend you visit the breathtaking Cloud Forest which boasts an extraordinarily diverse ecosystem, home to 120 species of reptiles and amphibians, 130 species of mammals, and an astounding 500 species of birds — not to mention more than 3,000 species of plants. You may choose to book one of our optional tours* (time permitting).




Overnight in Monteverde

Today, you will drive to Manuel Antonio, one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica due to its beautiful beaches, rich wildlife, and an endless list of activities. You will reach Manuel Antonio around 1:30 PM. Spend the rest of the day relaxing and exploring the National Park and exotic beaches. You may choose one of the optional tours* such as taking a boat through the complex and beautiful estuaries and mangroves surrounding Damas Island. For something different, perhaps visit the local sustainable organic Villa Vanilla Spice Plantation which grows a variety of spices and essential oil plants, including vanilla, cocoa, pepper, and cinnamon.




Overnight in Manuel Antonio

Spend a full day at leisure. You may choose one of the optional tours we are offering.




Overnight in Manuel Antonio

Today you will be transferred back to San Jose, where you will spend the rest of the day at leisure. You may book one of our optional tours.




Overnight in San Jose

At proper time, transfer to San Jose airport. Upon arrival in Panama City you will be met at the airport by your guide and transferred to your hotel.




Overnight in Panama City

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 nations history. Continue to the old city compound, the famous Casco Antiguo, and make your way down the picturesque narrow lanes. Visit landmarks such as the Flat Arch, The Cathedral, Las Bovedas and 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. Your tour concludes with a private transfer back to your accommodation



 
Overnight in Panama City

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. After that, head out to your tour which starts at Flamenco Marina. You will board the Pacific Queen and set sail towards the entrance of Panama Canal on the Pacific Ocean. Take a moment to admire the Bay of Panama and Panama Citys splendorous skyline before you pass under the Bridge of the Americas. The Panama Canal partial transit tour begins with the Pacific Queen entering the Miraflores Locks where the vessel is raised 18 meters above sea level in two distinct steps. You will then enter Miraflores Lake, which is a small artificial body of fresh water that separates Miraflores from Pedro Miguel Locks. Next, the Pacific Queen will enter Pedro Miguel Locks, which is the second set of locks on the Pacific side, and here the vessel is raised 9 meters in one step. After exiting the Pedro Miguel Locks, you will be able to view the new Centennial Bridge which crosses over the Canal. You will then enter the south end of the Gailard Cut where the Chagres River flows into the Canal. The Gailard Cut (also known as Culebra Cut because its curves resemble a snake) is one of the main points of interest for visitors because it was carved through the Continental Divide and this section of the Canal is full of history and geological value. The Pacific Queen will travel the Cut's 13.7 kilometers on the way to Gamboa Dredging Division. As you transit the Cut you will be able to appreciate the continuous maintenance that this area requires, because it is very susceptible to landslides. You will disembark at the Gamboa Dredging Division where you will board motor coaches for a 45- minute ride back to the Flamenco Marina.




Overnight in Panam City

Early in the morning, after breakfast, your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby to begin your journey to the Soberania National Park. As you leave the Panama City limits, buildings will slowly be replaced by secondary and primary rainforest. You will pass the former Fort Clayton, Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks before entering the park. Here you will board a boat and head off on an adventure across Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal passing by monumental cargo ships transiting the waterway. Along the way, keep your eyes out for green iguanas, ospreys, snail kites, frigate birds, and other wildlife local to the area. The boat will circle rainforest covered islands, allowing us to observe and search for the mantled howler monkey, white-faced capuchin, and Geoffroys tamarin. After the tour, we will hike one of the trails of the lush forest.




Overnight at the Soberania National Park

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel. After that, you will be picked up your hotel and transferred to El Corotu; on the shores of Madden Lake. Here we will board a motorized piragua (dugout canoe) and travel through dense jungle up the Chagres River to one of the Embera indigenous villages for the day experience. The boat journey takes you through the 320,000-acre Chagres National Park, which is the largest of the National Parks protecting the Panama Canal Watershed. Along the Chagres River, you may be able to spot the little blue and green heron, great egret, anhinga, neotropical cormorant and green kingfishers, and ospreys flying above. Upon our arrival at the Embera village, we will be welcomed with traditional dancing and music. You will learn about fascinating Embera traditions and their close relationship with nature. They are master artisans, famous for their woven baskets and masks, as well as their qualitative wooden carvings of cocobolo and intricate tagua. There will be handcrafts available for sale and you will have the chance to be painted with the traditional jagua, a natural dye the Embera use to adorn their bodies. After a traditional Embera lunch we will head back to your accommodation.




Overnight at the Soberania National Park

Today, at the arranged time, your guide will collect you from the hotel and transfer you to Panama City airport for your flight home.