The colonial old town, the great locks of the Panama Canal, and a river journey to an Emberá village in Chagres National Park — four nights that turn the stop between flights into the story of the trip. You stay in Casco Antiguo throughout, the city days run as guided half-days so there is time to settle in and wander, and the programme starts any day of the year — before a cruise, into a stopover, or alongside Costa Rica or Colombia.
Panama — The Old City and the Canal
4 nights — colonial Casco Viejo, the Panama Canal at work, and a day upriver with the Emberá.
Highlights
Watch ships climb the Miraflores Locks on a guided half-day at the Panama Canal
Four nights in Casco Antiguo, Panama City's UNESCO-listed colonial quarter
A guided walking tour of Casco Viejo — the Flat Arch, the Metropolitan Cathedral, Las Bóvedas and the French Plaza
By motorised piragua up the Chagres River to an Emberá village — music, weaving, jagua painting and a lunch cooked in the village
Guided half-days with free mornings or afternoons, and private transfers throughout
Starts any day of the year — built to slot before a cruise, into a stopover, or alongside Costa Rica or Colombia
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: The Panama Canal
A free morning to find your feet, then an afternoon at the Canal: past the Goethals Monument and the old Canal Zone to the Miraflores Locks, where you watch ships rise and fall through the chambers while your guide unpicks how it all works.
Day 3: Casco Viejo on foot
A guided walking tour through the old town you are staying in: the Flat Arch, the Metropolitan Cathedral, Las Bóvedas and the French Plaza, with stories of pirates, silver and restoration along the cobbles. Take it in the morning or the afternoon — the other half of the day is free.
Day 4: Up the Chagres to the Emberá
An early start for the day that stays with people: a motorised piragua carries you up the Chagres River, deep into Chagres National Park, to an Emberá village. You are welcomed with music, shown the weaving, carving and jagua body painting, and share a lunch cooked in the village. Back in the city by late afternoon.
Day 5: Departure — or onward
Private transfer back to Tocumen for your flight home — or onward. Costa Rica and Colombia are both a short hop from here, and this is where a twin-centre begins.
What's Included
- Four nights in a boutique heritage hotel in the heart of Casco Antiguo, bed and breakfast
- Private airport transfers, with an English-speaking guide to meet you on arrival
- Half-day Panama Canal tour to the Miraflores Locks, entrance fees included
- Guided walking tour of Casco Viejo
- Emberá village day in Chagres National Park, with lunch
- 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
The included Canal visit is the Miraflores Locks, where you watch ships pass through the chambers a few metres away. If you want to sail the Canal itself, we can arrange a partial transit by boat in place of the locks visit — the boat sails on set days of the week, which vary by season, so tell us when you enquire and we will build your dates around it.
Where does Panama fit in your plans? Start with our Panama travel guide, read is Panama safe? for the practical picture, or pair these four nights with Costa Rica coast to coast for a two-country trip.
Plan your Panama stop
Tell us your dates and where Panama fits in your plans — a stopover, a cruise, or a twin-centre with Costa Rica or Colombia — and our specialists will shape these four nights around it.
We typically respond within 24 hours
Photography courtesy of PROMTUR Panama / visitpanama.com
Tailor-Made Holiday
Price on enquirytailored to your trip
Private holiday
Flexible dates
4 nights (suggested)
Fully customisable
No commitment, we respond within 24 hours
Tailor-Made Holiday
Price on enquirytailored to your trip
Private holiday
Flexible dates
4 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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Costa Rica and Panama Itinerary: Two Weeks from the UK
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