Panama & Colombia Deluxe: Panama City & Cartagena

Upon arrival to Panama City, please make your way through Customs and collect your baggage. Once you have made it to the Arrivals section of the airport, please look for a guide holding a sign with your name on it. This representative will take you to an awaiting vehicle and will transfer you to your hotel.

Accommodation: Hotel La Compañía

Experience the Panama Canal and its lush surroundings from a unique perspective on a privately guided boat tour introducing you to the biodiverse ecosystem of this part of the Isthmus. After an early morning pick-up from your hotel lobby, along with your naturalist guide in tow, you will head to the town of Gamboa, where the Chagres River meets the Panama Canal. Here you will board a boat and start a jungle expedition across Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal. Pass by the giant cargo ships transiting the waterway and notice the sharp contrast they cast against the natural tropical surroundings. Along the way, watch out for the plethora of resident wildlife, including three toed sloths resting on tree branches, ospreys hunting for peacock basses, snail kites, keel-billed toucans, and many others. Your boat tour will circle several rainforest-clad islands on Gatun Lake in search for a variety of primates, such as the white-faced capuchin and mantled howler monkey. Your day continues as you visit Panama Canal’s Miraflores Locks where large ships transit the canal. Learn about the history of the Canal, marvel at the workings of this feat of human engineering and break for a tasty lunch. The tour then continues to the Panama Canal area, stopping by the town of Balboa, a former part of the Panama Canal Zone, and ends in the afternoon with a private transfer back to your hotel.

During this half-day walking tour, which you can begin either in the morning or early afternoon, your private guide will take you to explore Panama City’s historic center, Casco Antiguo, which dates back to the late 1600's and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Step back in time as you walk through the district, surrounded by colonial houses, narrow avenues and impressive churches. Focusing on Panama’s early history, your guide will delve into the backstory of both the city and country as you explore its many sites of interest, such as The Flat Arch, the Cathedral, Las Bovedas and the French Plaza. After exploring historic Casca Antiguo, you will be returned to your hotel.

Following breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Cartagena (flight not included in price).

Welcome to Colombia. After clearing customs and immigration formalities, meet your driver and transfer to the hotel.

This evening experience Cartagena's vibrant day-to-night transformation. Daytime brings lively streets filled with vendors and locals, while nights light up with a different energy. As the temperature cools, Cartageneros take to bars, restaurants, and plazas. Younger residents dance to salsa beats, while their elders enjoy fine dining. This tour offers a taste of Cartagena's nightlife, starting with a cocktail at a sea-view lounge like Café del Mar. Then, enjoy a delightful dinner at a local restaurant, each with its unique charm. The night ends at a local bar, perhaps Cafe Havana, where salsa rhythms and local dances create an unforgettable atmosphere. After a night out enjoying vibrant Cartagena, you will be returned to your hotel.

Accommodation: Ananda Boutique Hotel

This half-day experience takes in two of the most iconic sights in Cartagena. Located just outside the historic old town, the imposing San Felipe de Barajas fortress is one of the city's most distinctive landmarks and is a formidable example of military might and architecture. Rising above the skyline, from this dominant vantage point the Spanish kept watch over the entrances to the city both by land and sea. San Felipe is the largest Spanish-built fortification in the New World, and along with the ramparts and stone walls was part of the city's defence against marauding pirates. Built on top of the San Lázaro hill, construction began in 1536 and continued for some 200 years. Underneath this amazing structure is a labyrinth of tunnels, many of which are still accessible. The sun-soaked fortifications are a living breathing history book, steeped with tales of old. The La Popa Convent sits in a privileged position, and is the highest landmark in the city. The convent started life as a humble and modest wooden chapel in the early 1600s but was later fortified and expanded to its current majesty. The cool, leafy, flower-filled courtyard and patio lead out to a viewing platform. From here there are panoramic vistas that stretch out over the city, old town, the bay of Cartagena, and the Caribbean Sea beyond. Inside the small chapel is the immaculate gold-plated and carved alter and ornate decoration dedicated to the "Virgin de la Candelaria", patron saint of the city. The convent still plays an important role in the life of the city's Catholics and is often full to bursting on religious holidays.

A full day to explore colonial Cartagena at your own pace.

Following breakfast, transfer to the Cartagena airport for your onward flight.