This is Panama in one unhurried arc: four nights in the colonial old town with the Canal on your doorstep, a morning actually sailing it — through the Culebra Cut and down the locks — then four nights in Boquete, the mountain town where some of the world’s most awarded coffee grows, before two slow beach nights on the Pacific to finish. Private guiding and transfers throughout, with a short internal flight between the city and the highlands, and every stage adjustable to how you like to travel.
Panama — The Old City, the Cut and the Coffee
10 nights — Casco Viejo, a Panama Canal transit, Boquete coffee country and a Pacific beach to finish.
Highlights
Sail the Panama Canal on a partial transit — through the Culebra Cut and down through the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks
Four nights in Casco Antiguo, Panama City's UNESCO-listed colonial quarter
Cross the isthmus for the Agua Clara locks and the old pirate harbour of Portobelo on the Atlantic
Four nights in Boquete: a coffee estate tour, the Los Quetzales Trail and the SkyWalk hanging bridges
Two nights at a Pacific beach resort to end the trip slowly, minutes from the airport for the flight home
Private guiding and transfers throughout, with the internal flights between the city and the highlands part of the package
Your Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Panama City
Land at Tocumen International, where your guide and driver are waiting for the private transfer to your hotel in Casco Antiguo. The evening is yours — the old town’s rooftop bars and restaurants are on your doorstep.
Day 2: Two Panama Cities
A private half-day through the two old Panamas: the ruins of Panamá Viejo, the original city sacked by Henry Morgan in 1671, and Casco Antiguo, the quarter that replaced it — the Flat Arch, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the French Plaza. The afternoon is free.
Day 3: Sail the Canal
The day the trip is named for. Board at Gamboa and sail the Pacific-bound stretch of the Panama Canal: through the Culebra Cut, the narrow reach blasted through the continental divide, then down through the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks with ocean-going ships for company. Lunch is served on board, and the boat’s narrator talks you through every stage.
Day 4: The Atlantic side
A private full day across the isthmus — ocean to ocean by road in under two hours. Watch the giant neo-Panamax ships pass the Agua Clara locks from the visitor centre above Gatún Lake, then follow the coast to Portobelo, the fortified harbour where Spain once loaded its silver fleets.
Day 5: To the highlands
Private transfer to the domestic airport and a short flight west to David, where your driver meets you for the climb to Boquete — a garden town at 1,200 metres in the shadow of Volcán Barú, cooler air, coffee farms on every slope. The afternoon is free to settle in.
Day 6: Coffee, from cherry to cup
A morning on a working highland estate with the people who grow some of the world’s most awarded coffee — Boquete’s prized geisha among them. Walk the rows, follow the harvest through washing, drying and roasting, and finish with a proper tasting.
Day 7: The Los Quetzales Trail
A guided full-day hike on one of Central America’s celebrated cloud-forest trails, threading the flank of Volcán Barú between Boquete and Cerro Punta. The forest is home to the resplendent quetzal — best spotted in the early hours, which is why you start with the birds.
Day 8: Walking in the canopy
The SkyWalk hanging bridges carry you through the cloud-forest canopy itself, eye level with the orchids, hummingbirds and mossy giants you walked beneath yesterday. The afternoon is free for Boquete’s cafés and gardens.
Day 9: Back to the Pacific
Fly back to Panama City and transfer to your beach resort at Playa Bonita, on the Pacific just beyond the canal entrance — close enough to watch the ships queue for the locks from your balcony.
Day 10: A day at the beach
Nothing planned, on purpose. Pool, ocean, a long lunch — the built-in decompression day before the flight home.
Day 11: Departure
Private transfer to Tocumen, timed comfortably ahead of your flight home — or onward: Costa Rica and Colombia are both a short hop from here.
What's Included
- Four nights in a boutique heritage hotel in Casco Antiguo, four nights in Boquete and two nights at a Pacific beach resort, all bed and breakfast
- Panama Canal partial transit, with lunch on board
- Private half-day Panamá Viejo and Casco Antiguo city tour
- Private full-day Atlantic excursion to the Agua Clara locks and Portobelo
- Coffee estate tour, guided Los Quetzales Trail hike and SkyWalk hanging bridges in the highlands
- Internal flights between Panama City and David, both ways
- Private transfers throughout, all local taxes and handling
What's Not Included
- International flights — we arrange these as part of your ATOL-protected package; there are no nonstop UK–Panama flights, so we route you via a European or US hub
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Tips and personal spending
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — this trip includes a partial transit by boat, not just the visitor-centre view. You sail the Culebra Cut and descend the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks alongside ocean-going ships, with lunch and a narrator on board. It is the piece most Panama itineraries leave out.
Ready to Book?
Get in touch with our Latin America specialists to enquire about Panama — The Old City, the Cut and the Coffee.
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Tailor-Made Holiday
Price on enquirytailored to your trip
Private holiday
Flexible dates
10 nights (suggested)
Fully customisable
No commitment, we respond within 24 hours
Tailor-Made Holiday
Price on enquirytailored to your trip
Private holiday
Flexible dates
10 nights (suggested)
Fully customisable
No commitment, we respond within 24 hours
Real reviews
What our customers say
From travellers who visited Panama with us
“
We'd never considered Panama before Travelfab suggested it and we're so glad they did. Bocas del Toro was paradise, we kayaked through mangroves, snorkelled over coral reefs, and ate the freshest fish. The Biomuseo in Panama City was a lovely surprise. Everything ran smoothly from start to finish.
Linda & Keith R.
“
Spent a week in Panama and it packed in more variety than I expected. The cloud forests around Boquete were stunning, we did a coffee plantation tour and hiked part of the Quetzal Trail. The food scene in Panama City surprised us too, especially the ceviche at Mercado de Mariscos. Great value compared to Costa Rica.
David M.
“
Panama was a revelation. We spent three days in the San Blas Islands staying with the Guna people, absolutely pristine islands with crystal-clear water and not a soul around. Then the contrast of Panama City's skyscrapers and the old Casco Viejo quarter was brilliant. The canal locks at Miraflores were genuinely jaw-dropping; you just can't appreciate the scale until you're standing there watching a container ship slide past. Fabian sorted every detail including our domestic flights.
Sarah & James W.
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