Classic Panama

9 days
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Small Group Tour
Hold onto your Sombrero Pintao as you embark on a nine-day adventure through the pearls of Panama. Start in the lively capital of Panama City and see how past and present merge, then head upriver to visit the Indigenous Embera people. Spend a morning learning about their sustainable way of life and village traditions, before travelling west to the artisan hub...
19%
$3,641
From$2,960
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy

Highlights

    • Make an unforgettable visit to the Embera people – an Indigenous community who will welcome you with song and dance. Share a meal with the locals that showcases how they live in harmony with the environment.
    • Cruise along one of humanity’s greatest engineering marvels on a tour of the Panama Canal. Learn how the waterway was crafted and the process used to raise or lower the ships that pass through it.
    • Sample local Panamanian delicacies during a cooking demonstration in Penonome. Your host will talk you through all the tips and tricks needed to make favourites like Panamanian tortillas.
    • Learn about crafting a real Panama hat, also known as a Sombrero Pintao from a local maker in the town where they originated.
    • Visit a mask workshop in the city of Chitre, where these intricately detailed costumes are used to represent the devil in a range of religious and traditional festivals.
    • By travelling on this trip, you’ll learn about our Intrepid Foundation partner, Eden Reforestation Projects. Donations help them provide local employment opportunities and tackle climate change one tree at a time as they restore forests across 10 different countries. Intrepid will double the impact by dollar-matching all post-trip donations made to The Intrepid Foundation.

What's this trip about?

    Hold onto your Sombrero Pintao as you embark on a nine-day adventure through the pearls of Panama. Start in the lively capital of Panama City and see how past and present merge, then head upriver to visit the Indigenous Embera people. Spend a morning learning about their sustainable way of life and village traditions, before travelling west to the artisan hubs of Penonome and Chitre. Sample favourites from Panamanian cuisine and visit workshops and museums that highlight local pottery and the real Panama hat. Finish your journey back in the capital with a cruise along the Panama Canal and toast to an incredible adventure.

Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeIntimate group - max of 12 people
Age range15 years and up
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityPanama City
End CityPanama City

Travel Themes

  • High Adventure

Destinations

  • Central America
  • Panama

Attractions

  • Panama Canal
  • Panama City

Trip includes

    • Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer
    • Panama City - Leader-led walk in Panama La Vieja and Casco Viejo
    • Panama City - Panama Canal Museum (entrance fee)
    • Panama City - Mola Museum (entrance fee)
    • Panama City - Embera community visit
    • Penonome - Cooking demonstration and lunch
    • Penonome - Hat maker visit
    • Penonome - Handicraft workshop visit
    • Chitre - Traditional mask workshop
    • Chitre - Herrera Museum
    • Chitre - Leather workshop
    • Panama City - Panama Canal partial transit

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Panama City

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Panama. Your adventure begins in Panama City, Central America's glitziest capital, with a welcome meeting at 6 pm at your hotel. If you arrive early, you might like to take a stroll through the rainforest in the Metropolitan Nature Park. After the meeting, join your fellow travellers and leader for an included dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2 Panama City

Today, uncover more of Panama City as you embark on a leader-led sightseeing tour of the capital. Start with a visit to Panama La Vieja – a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site dating back to 1519. See the remaining sections of the Old Panama Cathedral and climb to the...

Day 3 Panama City / Embera community visit

After an early breakfast, drive north from Panama City on your way to visit the Embera people – a nearby Indigenous community. To get there, you’ll board dugout canoes and sail upriver with members of the Embera community. When you arrive, the village leader will give...

Day 4 Penonome

Depart Panama City after breakfast, hitting the road toward Penonome. There’ll be an optional stop along the way for a batido (fruit shake), before arriving in Penonome around lunchtime. Located right in the centre of the country, the town will be your base for the ne...

Day 5 Penonome

This morning, enjoy a relaxed breakfast, then make you way to a workshop to learn all about Sombrero Pintao (the iconic and original Panama hat). Unlike the ‘Panama hats’ that are originally from Ecuador, the Sombrero Pintao are woven through with black and white desi...

Day 6 Chitre

Say goodbye to Penonome and head south to the city of Chitre. Arrive around lunchtime, then head out for an orientation walk with your leader (who will also be able to point you in the right direction for a good lunch spot). After a bite to eat, rejoin your fellow tra...

Day 7 Panama City

After breakfast, visit a local leather workshop to gain an understanding of another of Chitre’s many crafts. Then, it’s back on the road to Panama City. There’ll be a stop for lunch on the way before you arrive back in the capital in the early afternoon. Enjoy free ti...

Day 8 Panama City / Panama Canal

Get ready for a special day cruising along a section of the Panama Canal. The iconic, artificial waterway connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, allowing for an easier trade route than the Drake Passage at South America’s southernmost tip. As you sail, you’ll learn...

Day 9 Panama City

With no planned activities today, you can depart at any time. If you would like to spend some more time in Panama City, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $2,960
Price per day$329
Last Updated: 4/22/2024
Start Date
Finish Date
Base Price
Availability
27 Jul 2024
04 Aug 2024
$2,975
11 spots left
19 Oct 2024
27 Oct 2024
$2,975
12 spots left
02 Nov 2024
10 Nov 2024
$2,975
9 spots left
30 Nov 2024
08 Dec 2024
$2,975
11 spots left
14 Dec 2024
22 Dec 2024
$2,975
12 spots left
21 Dec 2024
29 Dec 2024
$2,975
12 spots left
11 Jan 2025
19 Jan 2025
$3,310
12 spots left
15 Feb 2025
23 Feb 2025
$3,180
12 spots left
08 Mar 2025
16 Mar 2025
$3,180
12 spots left
05 Apr 2025
13 Apr 2025
$3,180
12 spots left

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Intrepid Travel.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Tour Operator

Intrepid Travel

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The Intrepid Travel Experience

If you’re looking for adventure, you’ve come to the right place. For the past 25 years, we’ve been taking small groups of travelers on unforgettable trips around the world. What makes them unforgettable? Take a look for yourself and discover the Intrepid experience.

Our travelers have three styles of tour to choose from: Basix, Original and Comfort. Each has a different level of inclusions and accommodation, but all have unforgettable real life experiences as part of the package. Travellers can also choose themed trips, such as Family, Sailing or Food, to suit their interests.

Our group size has an average of just ten travellers, which allows us to get off the beaten track, use local accommodation and transport, and really get to know the culture. It also ensures we are contributing to the local economy; by choosing local suppliers we were able to keep AUD 60 million in local economies in 2012. We’re also working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and were the first in our sector to introduce carbon offset trips. This, along with our many corporate sustainability activities, has meant we’re one of the travel industry’s leaders in responsible travel.

Why Intrepid?

  •   Small groups - average of 10 people per trip
  •   Sustainability - pioneers for the industry
  •   Local leaders - authentic perspectives
  •   Local transport - get close and personal
  •   Local accommodation - experience real living
  •   Intrepid travelers - like-minded companions 

History

Intrepid Travel has come a long way since its beginnings in 1989. From two university friends, a typewriter and a kitchen desk, it is now a proud member of The Intrepid Group, taking over 100,000 travelers every year.

Intrepid Travel is part of The Intrepid Group of companies, alongside leading small group adventure companies Peregrine, Urban Adventures and PEAK DMC.

Despite growing into a global business with over 1,000 staff based all over the world and over 800 different trips across every continent, we’ve remained devoted to the same grassroots values and responsible travel philosophies that we had at the very beginning.

 

Values

On every trip we operate and in every interaction we have with a client, supplier or local, we live our core values everyday:

  • Integrity – Doing the right thing
  • Responsible – Think global, act local
  • Growth – Stakeholders in our own success
  • Innovation – Thriving on new ideas and embracing change
  • Fun – It’s engrained into who we are and what we do
  • Passion – We are inspired by the work we do and the trips we offer

 

Why we love this operator
They’re very committed to sustainable and responsible tourism and contribute to important initiatives like climate action.
What they’re known for
Small group tours for active and adventurous travelers at a range of different price points and service levels.

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Logistics

Accommodation

Hotel (8 nights),

Transportation & Flights

Private vehicle,canoe,boat,

Transportation & flights

Private vehicle,canoe,boat
Guides
All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leader or local representative. The aim of the group leader or local representative is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced group leader or local representative however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your group leader or local representative is new to a particular region or training other group leader or local representative. Your group leader or local representative will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your group leader or local representative can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory on all our trips for those travelling internationally. We require that at a minimum you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. If you are travelling within your home country or region please confirm before travel that you are entitled to access the public medical system easily should an accident occur. We strongly recommend all travellers have a policy that also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage or personal effects. For international trips, you will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance and the insurance company's 24-hour emergency contact number has been sighted by your group leader or local representative. If you have credit card insurance your group leader or local representative will require details of the participating insurer/underwriter, the level of coverage, policy number, and emergency contact number rather than the bank's name and your credit card details. Please contact your bank for these details prior to arriving in-country. For travellers who reside within the European Union, Switzerland or USA the requirement to purchase travel insurance cannot be compulsory. However the purchase of travel insurance is still highly recommended, and travellers from these regions who decline travel insurance when travelling outside of their home region must sign a Travel Insurance Waiver Form at the Group Meeting, recognizing personal responsibility for emergency medical and repatriation costs should they arise. For assistance with travel insurance or other services, please visit the link below: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/booking-resources/our-services
Visa requirements
PASSPORT You’ll need a valid passport to travel internationally and most countries require your passport to have a minimum of 6 months validity, so remember to check the expiry date. We need your passport information to get everything ready for your trip so it’s important that the information on your booking matches your passport exactly. Please take care to provide the correct details. We recommend carrying a copy of the photo page of your passport while travelling and leaving a copy at home with family or friends. VISAS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Many countries require a visa and obtaining the correct visa for your trip and any countries you may transit through is your responsibility. We recommend you check your visa requirements as soon as you have booked your trip. This will ensure you have time to prepare your documents and for your visa application to be processed. You can check the entry requirements for your nationality on your government's foreign travel advisories, consular websites or on our page here:  www.intrepidtravel.com/visa-entry-requirements
Health & Safety
Most national governments provide regularly updated foreign travel advice on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest travel information before departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all destinations and activities on your trip. Please refer to our website's safety page for links to major travel advisories and updates on safety issues affecting our trips here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/travel-alerts We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe-keeping of your passport, flight tickets, cash and other valuable items. Leave your jewellery at home - you won't need it while travelling. Many of our hotels have safety deposit boxes, which is the most secure way of storing your valuables. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage. Your group leader or local representative will accompany you on all included activities, however, during your trip you'll have some free time to pursue your own interests or relax and take it easy. While your group leader or local representative will assist you with the available options in a given location, please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your Intrepid itinerary, and Intrepid makes no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgement when selecting an activity in your free time. Please also note that your group leader or local representative has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it's deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Intrepid's operational safety policies can be viewed on our website at the link below. We recommend that you take a moment to read through this information before travelling, and would appreciate any feedback on how safety is being managed on our trips. https://www.intrepidtravel.com/safety-guidelines
Age Requirements
15 years and up
Additional Information

Finish point

  • Riande Urban Hotel
  • Eusebio A. Morales Street
  • El Cangrejo
  • Panama City
  • PANAMA
  • Phone: +507 2044444
Trip ID
intrepid-QBKA

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