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9 Days Panama : Wildlife Bridge of the Americas Tour Package
Duration : 9 Days / 8 Nights
Priced From : $3,198 pp dbl. occ.
Dates : January to April, October, November, December
Tour Itinerary
Day 1
U.S. / Panama City / Gamboa
We fly from the U.S. to Panama City and proceed to Gamboa Rainforest Resort, our home for the next four nights.
Day 2
Upper Chagres River / Emberá Village
We venture on the upper Chagres River for encounters with the Emberá Indians, Panamanian natives who maintain their rich traditions to this day. Our guide and the Emberá tell us about the medicinal plants and wildlife of the region. This afternoon we return to Gamboa, where we have time to relax. (B,L,D)
Day 3
The Trans-Isthmian Route
This morning we depart for the Caribbean coast, stopping to see the remnants of Las Cruces, the 400-year-old colonial trail used by the Spaniards to transport gold across the isthmus. We explore Fort San Lorenzo, a stone and coral fortress that overlooks the mouth of the Chagres River, then visit San Lorenzo National Park, which protects wildlife and Spanish colonial fortifications. We look for keel-billed toucans, three-toed sloths and howler monkeys. We continue to the historic town of Portobelo and have lunch at a local restaurant. At Portobelo, one of the most important strongholds of the Spanish Main in the Americas, we explore the forts of San Geronimo and Santiago de la Gloria and the Church of San Felipe. We return to our lodge via the historic Panama Railroad, going coast to coast from the Caribbean to the Pacific in less than an hour! (B,L,D)
Day 4
Barro Colorado Island (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute)
This morning we take a boat on the Panama Canal’s Gatún Lake to world-famous Barro Colorado Island, managed by the Smithsonian since 1946 and a mecca for scientists studying tropical biology. The island is the longest-protected neotropical rainforest on Earth. Accompanied by student scientists working on the island and our naturalist guide, we tour the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and walk the surrounding trails. The Smithsonian monitors climatic conditions, plants and animal populations in the area. They have mapped the exact locations of 238,000 woody plants of 304 species. After our visit, we return on our boat to Gamboa to enjoy a relaxing afternoon. (B,L,D)
Day 5
Soberanía National Park / Miraflores Locks / Boquete
This morning we explore Pipeline Road, located in Soberanía National Park. Over 500 species of birds have been observed here in a single day. Walking these jungle-lined paths, we look for brilliantly colored poison arrow frogs, glass-winged and morpho butterflies, the endemic red-naped tamarin and three-toed sloths. We are then treated en route to a behind-the-scenes look at the Panama Canal. At the Miraflores Locks, we’ll be able to see ships passing through the lock’s massive 800-ton doors. We then take a short flight to the town of David, and transfer to the Chiriquí Highlands and charming Finca Lérida Lodge, situated on a working coffee farm 5,500 feet above sea level. (B,L,D)
Day 6
Chiriquí Highlands & Boquete
This morning we explore highland forest trails in a private preserve contiguous to La Amistad International Park. The lush montane cloud forests are rich in bromeliads, ferns, orchids and mosses and we have good chances of seeing one of the most beautiful birds in the world, the resplendent quetzal, along with other characteristic highland birds such as orange-bellied trogon, three-wattled bellbird and sulphur-winged parakeet. After lunch, we tour the coffee farm where our lodge is situated, and have time to visit the town of Boquete to look for handicrafts and mingle with local residents. (B,L,D)
Day 7
Fortuna Nature Reserve / Pacific Coast Mangroves / Panama City
After breakfast, we travel to the Fortuna Nature Reserve along the Continental Divide, with vistas of the great Pacific slope. We walk on trails near a Smithsonian facility that carries out research on the sub-montane habitats. We may find scaled antpitta, brown-billed scythebill and black-bellied hummingbirds. We then travel to the Pacific port of Pedregal and take a boat through the mangrove channels, looking for whimbrels, white ibis, mangrove black hawk and crab-eating raccoons. We drive to the airport to board our short flight back to Panama City and transfer to our hotel, the Miramar Intercontinental. (B,L,D)
Day 8
Panama Canal Passage / Colonial Panama City
This morning, we board a ship in Lake Gatún for a passage of the Panama Canal’s Gaillard Cut and Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks. After Balboa crossed the isthmus in 1513, becoming the first European to see the Pacific Ocean, the dream of building a canal to connect the Pacific and the Caribbean was set in motion. That dream became a reality in 1913, when the Panama Canal opened. We complete the dramatic partial transit through one of the greatest manmade wonders of the modern world. On arrival at the Amador Marina, we disembark and explore Casco Viejo, Panama City’s colonial district, on foot. We enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B,L,D)
Day 9
Panama City / U.S.
If you’d like to rise early, you can take an optional excursion exploring the canopy of the Metropolitan Nature Park near Panama City. Later this morning, we transfer to the airport for the morning flight home. (B)
Highlights
- Enjoy a passage by ship through the Panama Canal, and see the behind-the-scenes operation of the canal.
- Explore the rainforests and wildlife of the region in depth, including Soberanía National Park and walking along Pipeline Road, where bird counts have set a world record.
- Meet the Emberá Indians of the Chagres River.
- Travel on the Panama Railroad, which dates all the way back to 1850.
- Visit the Smithsonian’s Galeta Marine Laboratory to learn about the ecology of the Caribbean Coast.
- Explore Panama City’s beautiful colonial district.
- Stay in outstanding accommodations.
- Join our outstanding extension to Bocas del Toro.
Save time, money and stress!
For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by our Panama vacation specialist.
Contact : Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252
12/09
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