PANAMA CANAL: THE UNBOUND STORY
8 days / 7 nights
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Itinerary Overview
Experience Travel to Panama in 2015 and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal
with unprecedented opportunities to witness the massive expansion to accommodate more and
larger ships. One of the greatest human engineering achievements of all time, the canal was built
out of the jungle by the laborious work of more than 75,000 men and women over the course of
10 years facing unprecedented challenge. The first crossing from ocean to ocean in 1914 changed
the world forever.
Following in the wake of the USS Ancon's first transit in 1914, you gain an insider's view of the
canal operation transiting a whole day through the locks between two continents and two seas,
from Pacific to the Caribbean. Accompanied by expert Panama guides you'll see the construction
of the two new sets of locks in one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever
undertaken. On this special Panama trip, we venture beyond the canal itself up the Chagres
River where native Embera live, explore the abundant rainforest wildlife of Soberania National
Park, delve into the colorful pirate and Spanish history in the historic UNESCO heritage
settlements of Portobello and Casco Viejo, and ride the Panama Canal Railroad. Optional addon excursions to Boquete cloud forests and Bocas del Toro.
DAY
OVERNIGHT
HOTELS
MEALS
HIGHLIGHTS
1
PANAMA CITY
Radisson Summit
Hotel
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2
PANAMA CITY
Radisson Summit
Hotel
BLD
Travel the Chagres River, visit
Embera Indians.
3
PANAMA CITY
Radisson Summit
Hotel
BLD
Jungle boat tour on the Panama
Canal.
4
COLON
Melia Panama
Canal
BLD
Visit the Spanish Main in the
Portobelo & the Canal Extension.
5
PANAMA CITY
Country Inn
Panama Canal
BLD
San Lorenzo National Park &
Panama Railway.
6
PANAMA CITY
Country Inn
Panama Canal
BLD
Walking tour of Panama City, tour
the canal zone.
7
PANAMA CITY
Country Inn
Panama Canal
BLD
Ocean to ocean Panama Canal
transit.
8
DEPARTURE
-
Transfer to airport for return
flight home.
Arrive and transfer to hotel.
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Itinerary in Detail
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN PANAMA CITY
On arrival to Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, you transfer to hotel located
approximately 45 minutes from Panama City in the buffer zone of Camino de Cruces National
Park adjacent to Soberania National Park. Tonight meet with your Naturalist guide for a group
briefing. Overnight at Radisson Summit Hotel.
DAY 2: CHAGRES RIVER & EMBERA INDIANS
Depart the hotel lobby for a one-hour drive to El
Corotu on the shores of Madden Lake. The main
reservoir of drinking water for the cities of Panama
and Colon, Madden also supplies 40% of the water
required for the operation of the Panama Canal. Here
you board a motorized piragua to travel up the
Chagres River. The dugout canoe journey takes you
through the rainforests of the 320,000-acre Chagres
National Park, the largest of the national parks
protecting the Panama Canal watershed. Along the
Chagres River, you may be able to spot Little Blue and
Green Heron, Great Egret, Anhinga, Neo-tropical
Cormorant, Amazon, Ringed, and Green Kingfisher, along with Red-lored Amazon Parrot and
Keel-billed Toucan flying above. You reach the Embera village where you are greeted with
dancing, music, and a sumptuous lunch made up of fresh fish, plantains, and tropical fruits
prepared by your hosts. Learn about Embera customs and their relationship with nature while
visiting the village. The Embera are famous for their basketry and wood carving skills.
Handcrafts are available for sale and you have a chance to be painted with the traditional jagua,
a natural dye used by the Embera to adorn their bodies. Early in the afternoon you return to El
Corotu for the drive back to your hotel. Overnight at Radisson Summit Hotel. [BLD]
DAY 3: JUNGLE BOAT TOUR ON THE PANAMA CANAL
Depart the hotel lobby for a short transfer to the Soberania National Park in the Panama Canal
Watershed. Soon after you cross the Chagres River, you reach Pipeline Road, where the
Audubon Society held its world Christmas bird count record for 19 years straight, with 357
species of birds identified in a period of 24 hours. Your first stop is at the Rainforest Discovery
Center where you enjoy spectacular views of Soberania's vastness and canopy bird species from
the 32 meters (100 feet) observation tower. Standing above the canopy, you witness the morning
flight of Keel-billed Toucans, Red-lored Amazons, and the silent and stealthy movement of
Mantled Howler Monkeys. You continue to explore the network of trails surrounding the
Discovery Center and enjoy the hummingbird feeders that provide up close and personal views
of 10 species of hummingbirds! During World War II a pipeline was built along the Panama
Canal to transport fuel from one ocean to the other in the event the waterway was attacked.
Fortunately, it was never used. The now abandoned gravel road built to maintain the pipeline
provides excellent walking access to Soberania's 22,000 hectares (55,000 acres) of tropical
rainforest. The park boasts an impressive list of 525 species of birds including the black hawkeagle, black-cheeked woodpecker, black-breasted puffbird, broad-billed motmot, blue cotinga,
purple-throated fruitcrow, masked tytira, violaceous trogon, fasciated antshrike, shining
honeycreeper, and a great array of North American migrants. Soberania is also home to 105
species of mammals including large felines, tamandua, two and three-toed sloth, 4 species of
monkeys, agouti, some of which are listed under CITES (endangered species) and 59 endemic
plant species in 4 life zones.
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At the Gamboa Marina where the Chagres River
meets the Panama Canal board a small expedition
boat to glide across Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal
passing by gigantic cargo ships transiting the
waterway. Along the way, you have the opportunity
to spot green iguana and three-toed sloth resting on
tree branches, crocodile, osprey in the hunt for
peacock bass, snail kite, and keel-billed toucan
among other wildlife. Gatun Lake was formed as part
of the Panama Canal in 1914. At the time of its
creation it was the largest man-made lake in the
world. The flow of all the rivers within the Panama
Canal Watershed is contained in Gatun Lake to
provide water for the operation of the lock system. More than 52 million gallons of fresh water
are used for every ship that transits through the Panama Canal from one ocean to another. Your
expedition boat will allow for close approximations to rainforest covered islands (former hill
tops) in Gatun Lake to search for white-faced capuchin, mantled howler monkey, Central
American spider monkey, and Geoffrey’s tamarin. Overnight at Radisson Summit Hotel.
[BLD]
DAY 4: THE SPANISH MAIN IN THE PORTOBELO & CANAL EXTENSION
Check out with your bags ready to cross the Isthmus of Panama to the Caribbean province of
Colon to the historic town of Portobelo. Famous for its trade fairs during the 17th century,
Portobelo is a World Heritage Site. During colonial times it was one of the most important
strongholds of the Spanish Main in the Americas. You visit Forts San Geronimo and Santiago de
la Gloria as well as the Church of San Felipe. Return to Colon for lunch and visit the Panama
Canal expansion site on the Atlantic which can be admired from the observation deck of the
Gatun observation center. The US$5.25 billion project includes dredging works to increase
water depth and the straightening of the pathway to allow larger ships to transit. The most
important aspect of the project, however, is the building of two new sets of locks, one at each
terminus of the canal, which will increase the waterway’s capacity to move cargo from one ocean
to the other by 50% within the next 15 years and will allow the passage of bigger ships (almost 3
times the capacity of Panamax, the largest size vessels currently transiting through the canal).
An astonishing 4.2 billion cubic meters (13.7 billion cubic feet) of structural concrete are
currently being poured in the excavations where the new locks will be operating soon. You will
experience history in the making as the Panama Canal projections call for another 100 years of
successful operation using the new technology that will be implemented. Visit the Gatun Locks
to observe the transiting ships before checking in at the Melia Panama Canal on the shores of
Gatun Lake. Overnight at Melia Panama Canal Hotel. [BLD]
DAY 5: SAN LORENZO NATIONAL PARK & PANAMA RAILWAY
This morning cross the Gatun Locks and visit the Castle of San Lorenzo, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. Built at the mouth of the Chagres River, this Spanish bastion served to fortify and
protect the river entrance to Las Cruces Trail that led to Panama City on the Pacific Ocean and
was later also used as the port of entry for gold diggers on their way to California during the
second half of the 19th century. You travel through lush rainforest within San Lorenzo National
Park, where you might have the opportunity to see monkeys, two and three-toed sloth,
coatimundi, toucans and other wildlife. On the return back to the hotel, drive by the former
military bases. Lunch is served at the hotel.
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Return to Panama City aboard the Panama Canal Railroad. The railway follows a similar route
as the original train built to transport gold prospectors, the 49ers, in the mid to late 1800s
coming from the east coast of the United States across the Isthmus of Panama to continue their
journey by steamboat to California. The route was diverted when Gatun Lake was formed to give
way to the Panama Canal. The train takes you along the magnificent waterway, flanked by the
exuberant rainforests of Soberania National Park. After a 1-hour train ride you arrive at Corozal
Station in Panama City and transfer to the hotel. Dinner will be held at the Balboa Yacht Club,
within walking distance from the hotel. Overnight at Country Inn Panama Canal. [BLD]
DAY 6: PANAMA CITY & CANAL ZONE
This morning enjoy a historical walking tour of the
Casco Viejo neighborhood, UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Casco Viejo is home to the Presidential Palace,
the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Theater, the
French Plaza and several other iconic landmarks that
offer testament to the city’s rich history, culture, and
heritage. From the top of the old city’s walls are
spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean dotted with
local fishing boats near port and massive ships lined
up waiting to cross the Panama Canal as well as the
impressive skyline of modern Panama City.
Visit the Biodiversity Museum, designed by world renowned architect Frank Gehry. As a
Smithsonian Affiliate museum, the Biodiversity Museum presents the latest information about
biodiversity and natural history of the Isthmus of Panama. Did you know that the Isthmus of
Panama has more bird, mammal, reptile and plant species than the US and Canada combined?
In fact, 3 million years ago, the emergence of the Isthmus of Panama changed both the climate
and the biodiversity in the planet and played a key role in the creation of the world we know
today.
After lunch at a local restaurant on Causeway Amador with Panamanian cuisine looking over the
Panama Canal bay area and city skyline you visit the Punta Culebra Nature Center (PCNC), a
non-profit initiative that relies on the support of the Smithsonian Foundation of Panama and
international entities. It offers visitors an open-air museum focusing mainly on marine science
and education, conservation, and interpretation of marine coastal environments. Return to your
hotel to freshen up and relax before your dinner tonight. This evening you are taken to a special
dinner venue, located right above the Panama Canal! After a short drive through the former
Panama Canal Zone, including the town of Balboa and the old US Amador Army Base you reach
Miraflores Locks where you enjoy a buffet dinner with close-up views over the locks’ operation.
Marvel at the workings of this feat of human engineering. Overnight at Country Inn Panama
Canal. [BLD]
DAY 7: OCEAN TO OCEAN PANAMA CANAL TRANSIT
The Panama Canal tour starts with an early morning pick up at your hotel in Panama City. After
a short transfer to Flamenco Island on Causeway Amador you embark on a 250 passenger ferry.
You will first sail under the bridge of the Americas, which raises over 100 meters above sea level
and reunites the land divided during construction of the canal forming another link in the PanAmerican Highway. Breakfast is served buffet style. The Panama Canal is 80 kilometers long. It
was cut through the lowest and one of the narrowest saddles of the long mountainous land
bridge connecting North and South America. The original elevation was 95 meters above sea
level where it crosses the Continental Divide.
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Northbound on the Panama Canal, the first stop is at
Miraflores locks, which are the tallest in the locks
system due to the extreme tidal variation of the Pacific
Ocean. The boat will be raised 17 meters (55 feet)
above sea level in two steps to enter Miraflores Lake
which is almost 2 kilometers (1 mile) long. A transition
from salt water in the Pacific Ocean to fresh water in
the locks chambers lake takes place here. The ship is
raised another step, this time 9 meters (30 feet), at the
Pedro Miguel locks. At this point the ship will be
sailing in Gatun Lake at 26 meters (85 feet) above sea
level and entering Gaillard Cut, the narrowest section
of the Panama Canal. The 13.7-kilometer (8.5 mile) long portion of the waterway was carved
through rock and shale and it is flanked by the backbones of the Continental Divide. The original
width of Gaillard Cut was 92 meters (300 feet) and was increased to 152 meters (500 feet) in the
early 1970s. In order to accommodate to the demands of today's transit needs, the Panama
Canal Authority recently completed the monumental task of widening the Cut to 192 meters
(630 feet) in straight sections and up to 222 meters (728 feet) in curves. This allows for
unrestricted two-way traffic of Panamax vessels, the largest ships that fit in the Panama Canal
locks. Gaillard Cut opens up into Gatun Lake where the Chagres River flows into the waterway
near the town of Gamboa, site of the Panama Canal's Dredging Division. The Chagres River has
the distinction of being the only river in the world that flows into two oceans and it is the main
source of fresh water which guarantees the operation of the waterway.
Lunch is served on board half way through the voyage in Gatun Lake passing by Barro Colorado
Island where the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute has been carrying out research on
rainforest biodiversity since soon after this area was flooded and the lake was formed. Gatun
Lake covers an area of 423 square kilometers (263 square miles) and the islands in it are
actually the tops of hills and mountains that were not flooded. Gatun Lake was once the largest
man-made lake in the world. Just before reaching the Gatun locks on the Caribbean side of the
Panama Canal you will see Gatun Dam. The locks at Gatun lower the ship 26 meters (85 feet) to
sea level in three steps and the ship then continues along a channel to the Port of Cristobal. You
will disembark in Cristobal and return to Flamenco Island on a 1:30-hour comfortable ride. At
Flamenco Island, you will return to the hotel.
Together we enjoy BBQ dinner with a folkloric pollera dance presentation and bid farewell to
these past exciting days and your guide. Overnight at Country Inn Panama Canal. [BLD]
DAY 8: DEPART PANAMA
Transfer to Tocument Airport and return home with fascinating memories about Panama and its
100th year anniversary of the Panama Canal! Optional pre-tour and post-tour extensions are
available to Bocas del Toro, San Blas & the Kuna Indians, and the Chiriqui Highlands.
END OF SERVICES
Actual routes and activities may vary. Local trip coordinators reserve the right to
change accommodations to similar quality alternatives.
Note: You may be joined by other travelers up to a maximum group size of 12
people. Private departures for two or more persons are available on request for
custom dates.
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PRICING AND DATES:
For current pricing please click here: Pricing
For scheduled departure dates please click here: Dates
Private departures can easily be arranged. Please ask the Panama program director for more
information.
INCLUDED SERVICES
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All guided tours and excursions
English-speaking naturalist guides
Airport-hotel transfers, land and sea transportation and Internal flights
7 nights hotel accommodation as indicated
Meals as indicated [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner]
Wildland Adventures travel consultation and pre-departure services
Airport departure taxes
NOT INCLUDED SERVICES
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International Airfare
Tips and gratuities
Drinks, alcoholic beverages and meals other than listed above
Personal expenses for extra services, optional activities or changes in your itinerary for
reasons beyond our control
Travel insurance for trip cancellation, medical services or evacuation
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Wildland Adventures, Inc. has arranged your trip utilizing the travel services
of local in-country ground operators who are independent contractors. These local outfitters, lodges,
hotels and other suppliers of your travel services will make every effort to conduct this trip as described in
the itinerary; however, it is possible that due to transportation schedule changes, weather, delays and
unforeseeable acts of God, humans or nature, this itinerary may vary from what is described. Participants
must assume all risks whether identified in advance or unforeseen. All optional activities are at your own
risk. Extra costs due to unexpected changes in your itinerary for reasons beyond our control are not
included. We highly recommend purchasing traveler’s insurance for trip delay, trip cancellation, baggage,
accident or sickness. Representatives are available for assistance at any time during your trip. If preferred
hotels are not available, every attempt will be made to reserve alternative accommodations of similar
quality (if upgrade is necessary, higher rates may apply). All information and services provided are subject
to our Terms and Conditions
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Accommodations
RADISSON SUMMIT HOTEL, PANAMA CITY
Situated just 40 minutes outside of Panama City and
nearby the breathtaking Miraflores Locks on the
Panama Canal, the Radisson Summit Hotel & Golf
Panama sits on 160 acres of picturesque, tropical land.
Providing guests with an idyllic escape the hotel
features 103 exquisitely decorated rooms, a
challenging 18-hole golf course, a complimentary
breakfast buffet, a Fitness Center, free wireless
Internet access, and swimming pool.
MELIA PANAMA CANAL, COLON
Located in lush rainforest just outside the city limits
of Colon on the Atlantic entrance of the Panama
Canal. 285 spacious rooms offer guests views over the
rainforest and Gatun Lake. Enjoy the large swimming
pool, tennis and basketball court, massage and spa
services, Kids Club and nearby excursions on the
Gatun Lake, fishing, biking, visit to indigenous
communities, rainforest zip-line and nature walks.
The Miraflores restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch
and dinner and the Darien restaurant offers excellent
a la carte dining.
COUNTRY INN, PANAMA CANAL
Country Inn is located at the beginning of the
Causeway Amador, where you can experience and
enjoy the grandest view of the entrance to The
Panama Canal, the Pacific Ocean, and the Bridge of
the Americas which spans the entrance. All of the
rooms have AC, TV, security safe, balcony, Garden or
Panama Canal view, and wireless Internet access.
Within walking distance, you will have a stunning
view of Panama City, charming restaurants and cafés,
and bike rental shops. The city center and shopping
malls are just within 10 min taxi ride and the Tocumen International Airport around 30 min
from the hotel.
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Booking your Wildland Adventure
HOW TO RESERVE A TRIP
You can book online using our Reserve a Trip form or by calling 1-800-345-4453. Your space on
a trip is confirmed once we receive your reservation form and initial trip deposit. All travelers
must sign and submit a Release of Liability.
Deposit requirements are as follows:*
 $700 per person for all trips in Central America, South America, the Middle East, Asia
and the Far East, the Mediterranean and North America.
 20% of land cost for all trips in Africa. This deposit is generally non-refundable.
*Some trips require additional non-refundable deposits, especially when yachts have been chartered, or if
permits to visit archaeological or wildlife sites have been purchased in advance.
CUSTOM TRAVEL
This trip isn’t exactly what you’re looking for? We are happy to design a private custom itinerary
to accommodate your travel dates, interests and style of accommodations. Call us at 1-800-3454453, send an email to [email protected], or use the Ask The Program Director button on the
trip itinerary page on our website.
PAYMENTS, CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS
Full payment of the trip balance is due 90 days prior to departure. If you must cancel before
departure, money will be returned less the cancellation fees charged by WA Inc. plus any
additional non-refundable cancellation fees and payments already advanced to airlines, hotels
and local operators:
Days Prior to Departure: Fee per person
91 or more: $300
61-90 days: Initial deposit amount
31-60 days: 50% of land cost
30 or less:
100% of land cost
PRE-DEPARTURE SERVICES
Upon receipt of your deposit and completed reservation form, we will send you a comprehensive
Pre-departure Dossier. This contains important information to help you prepare including
immunizations, visas, trip insurance, packing checklist, reading list, maps, cross-cultural
information, optional trip extensions and more. You will receive a final trip packet including
Final Reminders and local contact information in your destination 2-3 weeks prior to departure.
REFERENCES AND QUESTIONS
Have any questions or concerns? Call us a 1-800-345-4453 or email [email protected]. We’re
here to help and are happy to provide you with references from previous Wildland travelers.
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