Panama & Costa Rica Escape

Welcome to Panama City and the start of your Latin American adventure! Arrive at the hotel and check-in. Depending on arrival time, the city is yours to explore before meeting up with your tour leader and group in the hotel foyer at 18:00. Tonight, the group will take a walk together to a nearby restaurant for a welcome dinner. Enjoy a taste of traditional Panamanian cuisine on your first night in Central America!

After breakfast, head out on a tour of Panama City and the famous Panama Canal with a local guide! On the tour, see top sights such as Panama Old Town and explore the famous canal and Miraflores Lock where you can enjoy a stop at a viewing deck and a tour of the visitor centre. Visit the Amador Causeway and Flamenco Island. Take a short hike and witness the magnificent views of the city from Ancon Hill. Learn all about the history, culture, operations and day-to-day life in this city that forms an important link between North and South America.

Explore the delights of this vibrant, cosmopolitan city on this free day! Head to the streets to see more of the old town, sample more local flavours, or stroll along the tranquil shores. Panama City is also home to a number of museums - take a look at the Afro-Antillean Museum, Biomuseo and the Natural Science Museum. Alternatively, head out of the city for the day! Join the optional San Blas excursion. Spend the day seeing beautiful islands complete with turquoise waters and beautiful, palm-fringed white sand beaches! Enjoy a catch-of-the-day lunch and learn more about Kuna Yala, the indigenous Panamanian tribe that calls the larger islands home.

Depart early this morning for an hour-long flight to Bocas del Toro. This tropical island archipelago is located just off the northeastern coastline of Panama in the Caribbean Sea. Arrive in Bocas del Toro town, check into the hotel and then head into town for a quick orientation tour. Admire the untamed beauty surrounding this charming seaside village. Discover the best local spots to eat and shop - your tour leader will point these out for you. Enjoy a traditional lunch and the rest of the day is yours to spend as you’d like! Relax near the water, explore the natural scenery, go birdwatching or hop on a boat to visit a nearby island. The choice is yours!

Today is yours to make the most of your time on the island! Choose to explore the area at your own pace or join an optional full-day island-hopping adventure! Experience Bocas del Toro’s top beaches including visits to Starfish Beach and Red Frog Beach. Laze under the sun as you explore the Caribbean waters and islands from the comfort of a catamaran. Tonight, absorb the island atmosphere at night and find a local spot to enjoy dinner in town!

Travel by boat, coach and on foot towards our next destination: Costa Rica! Start the day with a short boat ride back to mainland Panama. Next, travel by coach to Sixaola - a tiny border town located between Panama and Costa Rica. Take in the views and cross the border on foot to arrive in a new country! Next, watch as the surrounding landscape transforms as the tour travels to La Fortuna - a town that is the gateway to the Arenal volcano! Check into the hotel before sitting down for a group dinner. Experience your first taste of Costa Rican cuisine tonight with an included dinner.

Travel to Costa Rica’s green heart today! After breakfast, embark on a four-hour journey to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve - a real bucket-list-worthy destination! Arrive and check into the hotel, which will be home base for the next two nights. This afternoon, it’s time to explore Monteverde’s Cloud Forest! Costa Rica is home to a number of tropical ‘cloud forests’ which are forests crowned by persistent cloud cover at canopy level. Known as the “Crown Jewel” of the world’s cloud forests, Monteverde is by far the country’s most famous and stretches over 10,000 hectares! Wander through the trees and enjoy hiking or birding. Exotic species like hummingbirds, toucans, trogons and bellbirds can be spotted in this area. 

After breakfast, take a short journey to Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast. Stop at the Tárcoles River on the way and see if you can spot huge crocodiles sunbathing on the river banks (weather dependent). Next up is the surfing capital of Costa Rica, Jaco! Arrive and set out on an orientation walk with your tour leader. This sleepy, seaside surf town is home to quirky cafes, restaurants and shops. The afternoon is yours to spend as you wish - you could hit the waves, enjoy a leisurely lunch or just relax under the sun. Ask your tour leader for recommendations on more exciting things to do this afternoon!

Spend time relaxing in Jacó today or join the optional trip to Manuel Antonio National Park. This beautiful spot may be one of the smallest national parks in Costa Rica but has been voted as one of the top 10 in the world! Here you can see sandy beaches bordering lush forests. Along with being naturally beautiful, it is incredibly biodiverse. Keep an eye out for endangered red-backed squirrel monkeys, sloths, capuchin monkeys, iguanas, dolphins and even migrating whales out in the ocean! Back in Jacó tonight, the group will enjoy a delicious feast to celebrate the end of an amazing tour!

Enjoy breakfast in Jacó this morning on the last day of the tour! Choose to continue your stay in Jacó or catch the coach to San José, Costa Rica’s capital city. Arrive in San José and enjoy an orientation driving tour. After this, say adiós to your group as our tour officially concludes here after 12 amazing days!