Best of Panama [Panama]

Hosted by Monograms

Dates: 12/26/17 - 12/31/17

Price: from $1,349 per person (includes 10% discount!)

Black Travel Club | PanamaDESCRIPTION:

We’ve arranged your hotel reservations, sightseeing, daily breakfast, two lunches, and transportation between destinations. Plus, you’ll have the services of a Local Host, someone who can let you in on little-known secrets, answer questions, offer suggestions, and help you personalize your trip. All you have to do is have fun!

Your vacation begins in Panama City, where we can seamlessly pick you up at the airport for a transfer to your selected hotel. At your hotel, your Local Host will welcome you with a warm greeting and present you with the materials you need for your vacation. The next morning, after an included breakfast, we will pick you up at your hotel for your exclusive sightseeing tour with a local expert. You’ll hear the inside stories and fascinating history of Casco Antiguo, founded in 1673 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Be sure to ask your Local Guide for the best place to capture photos of the colonial buildings and historical monuments. Of course, you can’t visit Panama and not see the Panama Canal, an engineering marvel like no other. That’s why we’ll take you to the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center, where you’ll learn about the canal’s construction and see vessels transiting through this engineering marvel. And that’s not all…we have included a partial transit of the canal, where your ship will sail go through two locks and be lowered 90 feet to the Pacific Ocean! 

Then it’s time to relax. We’ll take you via private transfer to Gamboa Rainforest Resort in the heart of Soberania National Park. Take a cruise up the Chagres River in a dugout canoe to visit an Emberá Indian Village, where you’ll witness ancient Emberá cultural dances and learn about their mystical rituals and knowledge of medicinal plants. You’ll even get lunch in the village! In Gamboa, you’ll have plenty of free time to take advantage of the many activities, like an aerial tram tour, kayaking, fishing, birding or monkey tour, or just relaxing by the pool or at the spa. 

Monograms includes all of this in your vacation package. Between the sightseeing we’ve arranged, the hotels we have booked, and the transportation we’ve included, we have saved you the cost of your time and the stress to put it together on your own! We do the work so you can just grab your swimsuit and camera, and head to Panama! 

Book an extra night for $165 per person and bring in the New Year in Panama City! Don't freeze your butt off in the US over Christmas Break. If you don't book this trip we guarantee you'll regret it.

All of these things are included with the package:

  • Local Host in Panama City
  • Buffet breakfast daily, 2 lunches
  • Sightseeing with a Local Guide, inside visits, and special features are shown in UPPERCASE on the schedule
  • Transportation as outlined in the day-by-day itinerary
  • Panama City: Hotel Crowne Plaza
  • Gamboa: Gamboa Rainforest Resort

    Why You Should Go: Panama for Christmas Break? Duh, no brainer!

    DON'T FORGET: There is limited space. $200 Deposit due to secure your spot immediately. Remaining balance due October 23, 2017. Passport required.

    SCHEDULE:

    DAY 1 ARRIVE PANAMA CITY

    Arrive in Panama City, a beautiful, colorful, and vibrant city. Built in 1519 by Pedro Arias de Avila, a Spanish conquistador who made it his base for plundering Peru’s riches, today, Panama remains one of the central hubs for commerce and trade in the Americas. Panama offers diverse natural wonders, a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures, and historical as well as modern cityscapes.

    DAY 2 PANAMA CITY

    After breakfast, your Panama City TOUR visits Casco Antiguo or the colonial area of the city, which is the oldest sector of modern Panama City, founded in 1673 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This historic district was built as a protected walled city after Panama City was burned down in a pirate attack in 1671. Here, see the restored colonial buildings, churches, and historical monuments. Next, visit the MIRAFLORES LOCKS at the Panama Canal to witness this engineering genius in operation. During your guided tour, learn about the history of the canal and its construction and observe transiting vessels navigate the locks from just a few feet away. (Breakfast)

    DAY 3 PANAMA CITY - GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT

    Today a special treat is in store when you board a vessel for a Panama Canal PARTIAL TRANSIT. Your boat will enter the canal at the Gailard Cut, where the Chagres River flows into the canal and where the canal was carved through the Continental Divide. Enter the Pedro Miguel Locks, where your vessel will be lowered approximately 30 feet into Miraflores Lake. Continue to the Miraflores Locks to be lowered almost 60 feet to the Pacific Ocean. Disembark your ship and head to Gamboa Rainforest Resort within Soberania National Park. (Breakfast, Lunch)

    DAY 4 GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT

    An enchanting journey takes you deep into the dense jungles of the Chagres, where the Emberá Indians have lived for centuries. The adventure begins with a CRUISE up the river in dugout canoes, the Emberá traditional hand-carved boats. Upon arrival at the INDIAN VILLAGE, you will be taken back in time as you are immersed in ancient Emberá cultural dances and music that have not changed much since Columbus arrived in the 1500s. The Emberás will give you a glimpse into their mystical rituals and amazing knowledge of medicinal plants and other natural remedies. The Indians will invite you to explore the area’s abundant variety of birds and wildlife during a trek that takes you through the untouched jungle and past sparkling waterfalls. Top off your visit with a typical lunch in the village. (Breakfast, Lunch)

    DAY 5 GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT

    Enjoy a free day to take advantage of the resort’s many activities, like an aerial tram tour, kayaking, fishing, or birding and monkey tours. Alternatively, simply relax by the pool or at the spa. (Breakfast)

    DAY 6 GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT - PANAMA CITY

    Your vacation ends with a transfer from the Gamboa Rainforest Resort to Panama City’s airport. (Breakfast)