Panama Holidays

Tailor-Made Panama Holidays

An Earth Trip Panama holiday is a private, tailor-made trip built around your dates and interests. Most combine Panama City and the Panama Canal with the cool cloud forest of Boquete and the Caribbean islands of Bocas del Toro or San Blas. You travel with private drivers and expert local guides and stay in hand-picked hotels. Every trip is planned by our Latin America specialist, Jeremy Snelling, and is 100% financially protected by the Travel Trust Association (TTA).

Where to go in Panama

Panama City and the Panama Canal Panama City mixes a modern skyline with Casco Viejo, the UNESCO-listed old quarter of colonial churches, plazas and restored townhouses. A private guide takes you to the Miraflores Locks to watch ships pass between the oceans, and you can take a partial Canal transit by boat or explore Gatún Lake. Nearby, Soberanía National Park and the Pipeline Road are among the best birdwatching spots in Central America.

Boquete and the highlands Boquete sits at about 1,200 metres on the slopes of Volcán Barú, Panama’s highest peak. Days are fresh and nights are cool. It is famous for its coffee, including the prized Geisha variety, and its cloud forests are home to the resplendent quetzal. Tour a family-run coffee farm, walk the Quetzal Trail, or cross the hanging bridges above the forest.

Bocas del Toro Bocas del Toro is an archipelago on the Caribbean coast near the Costa Rican border, with mangroves, coral reefs and quiet beaches. Stay in an overwater cabin or a beachfront lodge, snorkel the reefs, look for dolphins in Dolphin Bay, and visit Starfish Beach.

San Blas (Guna Yala) The San Blas archipelago has about 365 small, palm-covered islands off the Caribbean coast. It is run by the indigenous Guna people, who control who can build and visit, so there are no big resorts. Stay in a simple island lodge or on a private crewed sailing boat, swim in clear water and learn about Guna culture and their famous mola textiles.

Pacific islands and wildlife The Pearl Islands are a short flight or boat ride from Panama City. Humpback whales pass along the Pacific coast between July and October. Further west, Coiba National Park is a UNESCO-listed marine reserve known for diving and snorkelling.

Sample Panama itineraries

These are starting points. Every trip is changed to suit you.

Classic Panama: Canal, Cloud Forest and Caribbean (10 nights)

• Panama City, 3 nights: Casco Viejo, the Miraflores Locks and a rainforest day in Soberanía National Park.
• Boquete, 3 nights: fly to David and drive up to Boquete for coffee farms, cloud forest walks and hanging bridges.
• Bocas del Toro, 4 nights: reefs, mangroves and beaches before flying back to Panama City.

Panama’s Caribbean Islands (10 nights)

• Panama City, 3 nights: the old town, the Canal and a boat trip on Gatún Lake.
• San Blas, 3 nights: a Guna island lodge or private crewed sailing boat.
• Bocas del Toro, 4 nights: snorkelling, Dolphin Bay and lazy beach days.

Costa Rica and Panama (11 nights)

• Arenal, Costa Rica, 3 nights: volcano views, hot springs and rainforest.
• Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, 2 nights: Caribbean beaches and Cahuita National Park.
• Bocas del Toro, Panama, 3 nights: cross the border at Sixaola and continue by boat to the islands.
• Panama City, 3 nights: Casco Viejo and the Panama Canal before flying home.

When is the best time to visit Panama?

The best time to visit most of Panama is from mid-December to April, the dry season on the Pacific side and in the highlands. The Caribbean coast is wetter all year, but Bocas del Toro is often at its driest in February and March and again in September and October. May to November is the green season, with afternoon rain, lush forests and fewer visitors. Panama lies south of the main hurricane belt, so hurricanes are rare.

How booking works

1. Talk to Jeremy by phone, email or video call about where you’d like to go and what you enjoy.
2. Receive your itinerary, with hotels, routes and a clear price.
3. Change it until it’s right. We adjust hotels, pace and routes with you.
4. Book with confidence with full TTA financial protection, then receive your travel documents and departure pack.

Ready to plan? Call Jeremy on 020 8935 5685 or send us an enquiry. For entry rules and practical tips, read our Panama travel guide.