Panama & Costa Rica Escape

Our tours are not suitable for children under the age of 10 years old. However, at the discretion of Expat Explore we may consider younger children on certain tours if they meet certain criteria and a request is received in writing via email for consideration. Expat Explore reserves the absolute right to accept or decline a booking at our discretion.

No, you will need to make your own arrangements to get to the meeting destination for the first day of your tour. Make sure you keep departure times and possible delays in mind when booking flights. Please click here to visit Skyscanner - a useful tool for comparing prices from the vast majority of airlines.

No, you will need to make your own arrangements to get to the meeting point for the first day of your tour. Please see the meeting point information for details on how to reach the meeting point.

Most hotels offer Wi-Fi, but there is usually a charge for access. Most cities and towns will have internet cafés where you can access the internet; opening hours will vary. Please speak to your tour leader and the reception staff at hotels for further information.

Before the tour starts, you will receive an email from us requesting your dietary requirements. There is always a vegetarian option, which is a meal without meat. We try as much as we can to offer you the traditional local cuisine.

Expat Explore loves hosting families on tour and making amazing memories together. The request for triple rooms is therefore something that comes up frequently. However, it is not something we offer. This is because many hotel partners do not offer triple rooms, and while they may be available in one location, triple rooms are not guaranteed to be available in all destinations. We please request that where there is an uneven number of travellers in your group, you indicate as early as possible which travellers of the same gender will be sharing a room. Please take note that minors under the age of 18 cannot share with another traveller outside of your group's booking.

The price shown on the website for your departure date on the day you book is the price you will pay. If you would like to make a group booking for 10 or more people please contact us.

On the tour page we have listed the hotels that we mainly use for our tours on our website, but this is not a definitive list. A full list of confirmed accommodation names and addresses for your particular departure will be emailed to you around 1 week before the tour starts.

If you are not starting the tour at the designated start point, and are instead joining later on in the route, please email us to confirm the details of the hotel where you should meet the tour.

We offer tours throughout the year to destinations around the world. Our tours travel to different countries in different hemispheres. This means that the weather you will experience will vary depending on where you choose to travel and the time of year in which you choose to travel.

To see the seasonal averages for your chosen destination(s) please visit https://weatherspark.com/.

Your tour leader will implement a seat rotation policy, so that everyone on board the coach gets the chance to have a different view from their seats each day.

If you have any medical conditions that may be affected by where you sit, please discuss them with your Tour Leader, but note that the seat rotation policy will most likely mean that your request may not be honoured.

Please see our visas page and the pre-departure planning section for more information.

Please make sure you bring with you for the start of the tour the local currency(ies) you will need for at least the first three days, as there may not be an opportunity to change currency at the very beginning of the tour. You should budget for any optional excursions you wish to do in this period (see 'Optional Excursions' tab above, these are paid in cash on tour unless stated otherwise) and non-included meals.

We don’t recommend carrying large amounts of cash with you on tour; you are better off withdrawing enough cash to last you for the next 5-7 days, rather than carrying enough cash to last you for the entirety of the tour. Please refer to your pre-departure information for more information on the currencies you will require for your particular itinerary.

When changing money please ensure that you are not given high denomination notes (for example €200 and €500 notes), as you will find most shops and restaurants will refuse to accept them, and your Expat Explore tour leader cannot accept them as payment for optional excursions.

Expat Explore can provide travellers requiring visas with visa support documents on a request basis. Please note that you are required to pay for your tour in full in order to receive the documents. This is an embassy/consulate requirement by law. Once you have received confirmation that your booking has been paid in full, you can request your visa support documents by emailing info@expatexplore.com - please allow up to 10 working days to receive these documents.

It depends on how many other people book! There could be up to 51 other passengers, so you will have the opportunity to make lots of friends!

Due to weight and space limitations, you are allowed to bring one main piece of luggage weighing no more than 20kg, and one small soft bag (such as a small daypack or backpack) for hand luggage weighing a maximum of 7kg. On all tours, you will have to carry your own luggage (e.g. into hotels and up to your room if hotels don’t have elevators). Please bear this in mind when you are deciding what to pack.

Click here & here to view a diagram showing luggage size restrictions.

This is up to you, of course, and will vary depending on how much you wish to spend on snacks, drinks, souvenirs etc. We do not include entrance fees to attractions and museums. We do, however, provide you with free time to see everything you want, and our tour leaders will have all the information on pricing and locations so you can manage your own budget. Please refer to your tours specific pre-departure information and optional excursions guide for further details.

We believe the best way to get to the heart and soul of a city is on foot, surrounded by the people and the culture. For this reason, we do walking tours through most of the cities we visit. Many of the cities you visit are vast and old, often with steps and cobblestones. Our walking tours can last up to 3 hours with plenty of opportunities to take photographs and soak up the history of these fascinating places, but you do require a certain level of fitness to enjoy your tour to its fullest.

Your deposit payment secures your place(s) on the tour and the price you pay. Your deposit paid at the time of booking is non-refundable, unless you cancel within 30 days of making a booking. T&Cs apply - please refer to our 30-Day Money Back Guarantee page and Terms & Conditions page for more information.

Yes, and you are responsible for arranging your own insurance. Passengers and their personal property travel with Expat Explore solely at their own risk. Please refer to our travel Terms & Conditions for more specific information. For a relatively small price, travel insurance provides you with the peace of mind so that you can enjoy your tour without any worries. To receive a quote from one of our preferred travel insurance partners, please click here

Whilst we fully understand that some nationalities are not accustomed to tipping, this is a normal part of the culture in many of the countries we visit. Tipping has become an increasingly accepted practice in all areas of the service industry, but particularly in restaurants, bars and taxis worldwide.

Expat Explore crew members (your tour leader and driver) will transform your trip experience from just good, to exceptional, and where this is the case a tip (even a modest one) is always highly appreciated. They will be travelling with you from just a few days, up to a few weeks, and you'll soon become good friends. It is sometimes easy to forget that they work hard to ensure that you get a once in a lifetime experience.

At the end of your tour you will have the opportunity to thank your Expat Explore tour leader and driver by offering them a tip. We suggest somewhere between £3-5, €4-6 or $5-7 per person per day. Tipping is entirely voluntary and the above rate is offered as a suggested guide only.

If you take a walking tour with a local guide, tipping these guides at the end of walking tours and excursions is always appreciated, but not expected.

If a tour is displaying as fully booked, then unfortunately at this point in time we do not have any available seats. However, we can sometimes add extra places, and we do occasionally receive cancellations, so if you cannot find an alternative tour or departure date, please contact our customer service team.

Please note, by default all rooms are twin bed rooms.

• Partners: When you book for more than one person, we will by default group you together in a room (unless you specifically request us not to). If you are unequal numbers (3, 5, 7 etc.) and we are unable to secure a triple room then the remaining traveler will be roomed with another passenger of the same gender.
• Single Travelers: If you are travelling alone there is no compulsory charge - you will share a twin room with another passenger of the same gender. There is an optional single supplement/private room upgrade available for single travellers who wish to have a private room. This can be added at the time of booking or by contacting our customer services team. Please note that the room provided may be a single room with a single bed.

Unfortunately, you will be unable to continue the tour and you should make contact with your closest embassy immediately to replace the passport. Your passport is an essential travel document, and should be kept safe at all times.

You will have to make your own way to the next destination at your own expense. Please ensure you are on time for all departures to avoid being left behind.

The tour price includes accommodation for the duration of the tour, transport by private coach, breakfasts and dinner as per your itinerary, ferry crossings (where applicable), and guided walking tours and excursions as per your itinerary. On top of this, you will have a tour leader to assist you along the way with great tips and handy advice! Please refer to the ‘Included’ section of the itinerary where a full breakdown is given.

We have searched and invested in excellent accommodation options, either located in cities or well placed with public transport connections. Clean linen is always included, so you do not need to bring a sleeping bag. Towels are always included; however you may want to bring your own for use at the beach, swimming pool etc, if applicable to your tour. Toiletries (shampoo, shower gel etc) and hair dryers are not always included, so you may wish to bring these with you.

Accommodation is generally provided in twin share en-suite rooms. We use a mix of mostly 2, 3 & 4-star hotels. If your tour features any different styles of accommodation or rooming styles, for example hostels or home-stays, this will be clearly stated in the itinerary and on the tour page.

All travellers are required to carry their own bags, get on and off the coach and use public transport. Our city walking tours can last up to 3 hours and certain places involve walking up and down lots of steps. We want you to enjoy your tour, so read through the itinerary thoroughly and make your own conclusions as to whether you feel that you are fit and healthy enough.

Generally, we like to make an early start, so that you can spend more time at each destination. On your free days, you can have a lie in if you wish!

Our tour leaders come from all walks of life, with different backgrounds and interests. They are all confident and well-travelled with an in-depth knowledge of the destinations they are working in, and a passion for helping you make the most out of your Expat Explore tour.

You will be emailed the name and contact details of your tour leader approximately one week before your tour start date. It is important that you keep a record this number so that you can contact your tour leader if you have any issues when joining the tour or during the tour.

As soon as your payment has been processed by our accounts team, we will send you a confirmation email. Please note this may take up to 5 working days, depending on your method of payment.

You can book online through our website or call our customer service team to make a booking over the phone. You must pay a fixed deposit of 69 GBP (or equivalent if booking in a currency other than GBP) via our online payment platform to secure your place. You can pay the remaining amount up to 60 days before departure, with a debit/credit card or with a bank transfer.