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PANAMA

Panama Tour March 20 – 28th. 2025.

Panama is a country in Central America that sits at the crossroads of the Americas, connecting two oceans. Panama is best known for its famous canal, but it also has an astonishing biodiversity and a diverse cultural heritage of Spanish, Afro Caribbean, and interesting indigenous cultures.

Panama is one of the most expensive countries in Central America, but we have managed to organize this 8/9-day tour for a low price, especially taking into consideration that we include flights, all activities, all Accommodations at 3-4 stars hotels and resorts, all local transportation, and 14 meals as well.

 

$1,949 (Per person based on double occupancy)

$2,349 (Single room, must be 18 years old.)

Please let us know if you do not have a traveling partner and you want us to help you find another person of the same gender to share a room with to save $400. 

To reserve a seat for this tour, you must pay a $449 non-refundable deposit per person. Remaining balance is due latest February 7th, 2025. If the remaining balance is not received on that day, the reservation will be considered cancelled with loss of the deposit. Reservations for this tour made after February 7th, 2025, must be paid in full at time of reservation (if seats are still available).

 
Prefer to pay with a payment plan?
If you prefer to pay the remaining balance after you have paid the initial $449 non-refundable deposit with a payment plan, you can make your own payment schedule by paying with:

PayPal to sales@hinestours.com or Zelle to nickhines@yahoo.com.

Please just make sure that you have paid the total balance no later than February 7th 2025.

 

The following is included in the price:

  • Airline tickets roundtrip from Newark Airport to Panama
  • Airline ticket taxes
  • Panama departure tax
  • Carry-on luggage + personal item with the flight    
  • Friendly & professional tour coordinator traveling with you the whole tour from Newark Airport
  • Airport transfers to and from the airport in Panama.
  • Local Panamanian guide and driver all days.
  • All local transportation in Panama w. private van
  • 7 Nights' accommodations at 3-4 Star Hotels and Resorts
  • 7 Breakfasts at hotels
  • 6 Lunches
  • 1 Dinner
  • Boat tickets to and from Isla Grande
  • Ticket for IMAX movie about the Panama Canal
  • Entrance fee for Miraflores Locks visitor center
  • Walking tour of Casco Viejo (Old colonial Panama City)
  • Boat tour on Lake Gatun/Panama Canal to Monkey Islands
  • Mi Pueblito Open-air Museum entrance fee
  • Metropolitan Natural Park entrance fee
  • Altos de Campana National Park entrance fee
  • Embera Village day tour fee 
  • Guided Waterfall Hikes
  • Visit to El Valle de Anton region
  • Ruinas de Portobelo entrance fee
  • El Chorro Macho (Natural swim hole and waterfall) entrance fee
  • El Nispero Zoo entrance fee
  • Sloth Rescue and Rehabilitation Center entrance fee
  • Butterfly Farm entrance fee
  • Wifi in all hotels

 

Not included in price:

  • Any meals and snacks not mentioned above ($100 - $200)
  • Any insurance
  • Any bags you need to check in with the airline ($40 each way. A carry-on bag is already included for free)
  • Gratuities for your guides (Tipping is left to your discretion)

 

Tour Start
We will meet at the gate in Newark airport on Thursday March 20th. Our flight is a direct flight to Panama departing at 2:42 pm, it is recommended to arrive at the airport 3 hours before an international flight, which will make the recommended time 11:42 am. We will meet by the gate for our flight. We did try to find flights leaving from LGA or JFK airport, but they were either too expensive or had very long connecting flights.

You can take a NJ Transit train from NY Penn Station to Newark Airport Railroad Station, and then transfer to the Airtrain that will take you direct to the terminal. Or you can take an express bus from either Grand Central Station, Bryant Park or Port Authority Bus Terminal to Newark Airport.

 

This is our flight schedule with United Airlines:

Thursday 20 March UA 1021 EWR 2:42 pm - PTY 7:02 pm

Thursday 27 March UA 1703 PTY 10:55 pm – Friday 28 March EWR 4:58 am

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Panama Canal - Miraflores Locks

A visit to Panama is not complete without a visit to the world-famous Panama Canal. Here you will learn about one of the world’s greatest engineering wonders. Visit the Miraflores Locks with a large panoramic viewing deck to see the canal’s operation and take photos of this engineering marvel. We will also see a 45-minute IMAX movie about the Panama Canal's history and operations.

 

 

Embera Village

We will board a motorized dugout canoe and journey into the heart of Panama's rainforest. Here we will visit an indigenous Embera tribal village.

 

You will learn about their local lifestyle and traditions and see how they live their daily lives.

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You will also experience the Embera people’s traditional music and dance.

 

You will also have some time to explore the village, and we will eat a delicious traditional lunch there, prepared by the indigenous people of the village.

 

One of the members of the Embera community will guide us on a hike through the jungle to a pristine waterfall where you can jump in the water and cool off.

 

You will also have an opportunity to support the Embera community by purchasing some handmade crafts.

 

Casco Viejo (Old Colonial Panama City)

Enjoy a guided walking tour of the historic district of Casco Viejo. In addition to viewing old beautiful historical buildings, you can also see the city’s modern skyline.

 

Panama Canal Boat Ride (Lake Gatun)

Enjoy a boat ride on the very scenic Lake Gatun. At about 85 feet above sea level, it forms a major part of the Panama Canal, carrying ships more than 20 miles of their transit through Panama. The lake was created in 1913 when the gates of the spillway at Gatun Dam were closed, and the lake became at that time the largest manmade lake in the world.

 

Monkey Islands

During the boat ride, we will visiting several protected islands looking for different kind of monkeys living there.

 

 

Metropolitan Natural Park

The Metropolitan Natural Park (Parque Natural Metropolitano) is the largest city-based natural park in all Latin America. It is more than 573 acres large. We will hike to a great natural viewpoint, where we will see the skyline of Panama City. During the hike through the forest, you will be able to see wildflowers, tropical birds, huge trees, and maybe a sloth, deer, coatis and monkeys.

 

 

Altos de Campana National Park

We will visit Altos de Campana National Park (Parque Nacional Altos de Campana). Established in 1966, the park became the first national park in Panama. The park consists of mostly mountainous terrain with elevations from 1,300 to 3,871 feet. The park covers an area of 4,818 acres and is a great place for hikers and other nature lovers. We will drive to a few amazing viewpoints. 

 

 

Pacific Coast Beach

We will also visit a beach on the Pacific coast of Panama. Here the beaches can feature both black and pearl-white sand. On this tour you will be able to swim in both the Pacific and the Caribbean Ocean.

 

Mi Pueblito

We will visit this open-air museum and cultural attraction which showcases Panamanian culture, traditions, and historical heritage. The name means "my tiny village," and the site contains several houses designed to represent various Panamanian cultures, including Afro-Panamanian, Indigenous Indians, and Spanish colonial heritages. You will also visit small shops that showcase and sell local handicrafts.

 

 

Sloth Rescue and Rehabilitation Center

Visit Panama’s first sloth rescue and rehabilitation center. All animals are only kept for rehabilitating and releasing. Learn about these gentle mammals at the rescue center.

 

 

El Valle de Anton

We will visit and stay a night in the town of El Valle de Anton. This town is in the crater of an extinct volcano, surrounded by mountains and cloud forest. This is one of very few places in the world where people live inside a volcano crater. Because of its elevation of about 2,000 feet, the area is cooler than most of the other places that we will visit in Panama.

 

In El Valle de Anton we will really immerse ourselves in nature by staying at a very unique hotel with incredible mountains views, seen in the photo above.

 

El Chorro Macho (Natural swim hole and waterfall)

We will visit the most famous waterfall in the El Valle region, this is the 115 ft tall El Chorro Macho. It is a relatively short walk to the waterfall. Below the falls, surrounded by the rainforest, you will find a natural swimming pool, although water levels may be too low for us to swim because we will be visiting during the dry season.

 

El Nispero Zoo and Botanical Garden

We will visit this 7-acre zoo that houses both local Panamanian animals and a few imported from around the world. You will have time to stroll around and enjoy the animals and beautiful surroundings.

 

Isla Grande

We will stay one day and night at the Caribbean Island called Isla Grande. Despite its name, this Island is actually pretty small and lies off the north coast of Panama.

 

This beautiful island is home to around 1,000 inhabitants, mostly people of African descent tracing back to black African slaves and those known as Cimarrones.

 

The relaxed vibe of the island is partially due to the fact that there are no roads, only footpaths. We will visit and stay on the island and experience a true Caribbean atmosphere, as well as local Afro-Caribbean cuisine characterized by flavorful ingredients such as curry, coconut, fresh seafood, and local vegetables. We will stay at the ocean resort/hotel that is in the photo above. This will be a relaxing beach experience surrounded by palm trees, white sand, and turquoise waters. 

 

 

Portobelo Fortress Ruins

Since its foundation in 1597, Portobelo has been a vital port on the Caribbean coastline. The town was a key trading center and port that supported and supplied the Spanish silver and gold trade from the 16th to the 18th centuries. As a defense the Spanish built fortifications. These fortifications are today recognized as a protected UNESCO World Heritage site. Learn some of the history and explore the ruins.

 

Accommodation

During our tours, we usually stay in basic 2-3-star hotels, but for this tour we will stay in 3–4-star hotels. All the rooms will always have a private bathroom, and all places will have free Wifi. Every night except for one we will stay at hotel with both a pool and a gym. The photo above is from a 4-star Rainforest Resort where we will stay one night. The photo below is from our hotel in Panama City where we will stay for 4 nights.

 

Panama General - Practical Info.

Panama is a country in Central America, located on the Isthmus of Panama, which connects North and South America. It's bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the south, Costa Rica to the west, and Colombia to the southeast. Panama is about the size of South Carolina, with an area of 29,000 square miles. The tropical nation is renowned as the site of the Panama Canal, which cuts through its midsection.

Panama has a population of about 4.5 million people, with about 2 million people living in and around the capital city of Panama City.

 

Currency: The currency of Panama is the Balboa and the U.S. dollar. You do not have to exchange your US dollars before or upon arrival to Panama.

 

Guides

You will have one English speaking tour coordinator joining you from the airport in Newark and in Panama you will have an additional local English-speaking tour guide and driver as well. 

 

Food and Water

Eating local is a big part of traveling and provides an important insight into local ways of life. To give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom you eat, we have chosen not to include some of the meals. This will also give you more budgeting flexibility. Central American food is delicious, nutritious and varied and most places there usually are quite a few options of restaurants to choose from, but sometimes we might be in more rural areas where options will be much more limited.

Fruits and vegetables in Panama are generally safe to eat. Panama is a tropical country with many farms, and its food standards and hygiene are better than other Central American countries. 

Panama City has good water quality and water is generally safe in Panama to be consumed from the tap. However, we do recommend that you drink bottled water to avoid any possible illness, and it is always a good idea to bring an antacid (like Tums) with you. 

 

Food Included in price

Day 1: None (We recommend that you bring some food for the flight)

Day 2: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 3: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 5: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 7: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 8: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 9: None

Panama is in general a bit cheaper than the US when it comes to buying food. Calculate with $100 - $200 for meals not included, depending on your eating habits.

 

Weather

We will be traveling to Panama in March, this is during the dry season with an average of only 0.5 inch of monthly rain. The daily temperature in March is pretty consistent with temperature from a low of 75 to a high of 90 degrees. 

 

Spending Money

You need to bring enough money to cover meals not included in the price ($100 - $200), drinks, tips, incidentals and souvenirs. Panama is more of a cash society than the US. Panama's main form of currency is the US dollar, which is accepted at a one-to-one conversion rate with the Panamanian Balboa. You don’t need to exchange your US dollars. If you decide to pay on a local market with a $20, you can count on that they won’t have change, so it is always a good idea to bring a lot of single dollar bills, and it is also a good idea to not bring larger bills than a twenty. As international travelers attract pickpockets, we recommend that you have a money belt underneath your clothes or similar.

 

Liability Waiver

We will mail you our liability waiver about 3 - 4 weeks before the tour, which must be mailed back in a provided stamped envelope no later than 10 days before the tour.

 

Visa

If you are a US citizen, you will not be required to apply for and acquire a visa beforehand. Once you enter the country, you will be granted a free 180-day tourist visa. Panama does require that all travelers entering the country have a passport that are valid for up to six months from the date that you are flying back home again, and your passport must have a minimum of one blank visa page. This is very important, otherwise you will not be allowed to enter the country.  We recommend that you also bring copies of all your important documents, and maybe even email them to you self. If you are not a US Citizen, please investigate for yourself if you have any visa requirements,

 

Electricity/Plugs

Panama uses the same electricity 110 volts, 60 cycles AC as in the US, and plugs/outlets are also the same. However, some sockets in Panama may be 220 volts, so it is a good idea to ask the hotel before plugging in any devices.

 

Travel Health Insurance

We do require that you have a travel health insurance for this tour, to cover for medical emergencies, cancellation/interruption insurance is optional. Check if your regular health insurance covers out of country, if so then you don’t need to purchase a separate insurance unless you want cancellation/interruption to be covered as well. We can recommend www.insuremytrip.comor www.squaremouth.com  (Hines Tours are not affiliated with either of these sites in any form). Here you should be able to find a travel medical health insurance for 9 days in Panama for about $25-35.

 

Vaccines

No vaccines are required for your visit to Panama flying in from the US, but the CDC does recommend some vaccines. Please consult with your doctor before leaving and please take your time and read more about the CDC’s recommendations here: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/panama

 

Cancelation Policy

MULTI DAY FLYING TOURS Cancellation Fees per person applies for ANY reason for cancellation, no tour credits are given. Please get a travel cancellation insurance with a "cancel for medical reasons" benefit, allowing you to claim a refund if you need to cancel your trip due to an unexpected illness or injury before departure.

40 days or more before departure - Loss of deposit

20 – 39 days before departure - 50% of tour price

19 days or less before departure - No refund or tour credit.

(We reserve the right to change the departure time or return arrival time with up to 6 hours from the original planned itinerary. This would only happen if the airline changed the itinerary, or if we must find another airline because the original airline changed the itinerary with more than 6 hours difference.)

 

Panama Suggested Packing List

BAGS: We recommend that you only bring a carry-on bag and a personal item. We will fly with United Airlines; you are allowed a carry-on bag of 9” x 14” x 22” and one personal item which must fit underneath the seat in front of you and be maximum 9” x 10” x 17”. Since we have limited space in our transportation vehicle, we suggest that you don’t bring more than that, especially since you only need to bring summer clothes. If you feel the need to bring a bigger bag to check in (up to 50 pounds) you will have to pay $40 extra each way. For your carry-on bag, please make sure that any liquids containers are limited to 3.4 ounces (100 ml).

 

DOCUMENTS

□  A valid passport, must be valid for 6 months after the return date

□  Health Insurance papers/card (your regular plan and/or supplemental travel health insurance plan)

□  Copies of any prescriptions (Make sure prescriptions include generic names. Bring prescriptions for medicines, eyeglasses/contacts, and other medical supplies)

 

CLOTHES

Comfortable loose summer active wear, we will probably experience temperatures from 75 to 90 degrees. 

□   Underclothes and socks

□   T-shirts

□   One sweater

□   Hiking pants

□   Shorts

□   2 Swimsuits

□   Hiking shoes/sneakers with good traction

□   Flip-flops

□   Rain poncho

□   Sun hat

 

ELECTRONICS

□   Phone and charger

□   Flashlight

□   Power bank, (Maybe if your phone run out of battery fast)

 

MEDICATION

□   Allergy medicine if needed

□   Pain relievers

□   Motion sickness medicine if needed

□   Anti diarrhea medicine

□   Mild laxative

□   Any prescribed medication

□   Small first aid kit, could include: hydrocortisone cream, antifungal and antibacterial ointments, antiseptic wound cleanser, aloe gel for sunburns, anti-itch gel for insect bites, band-aids/Bandages, disposable gloves, scissors and safety pins, cotton swabs, tweezers and eye drops

 

TOILETRIES

□   Toothbrush and toothpaste

□   Travel-sized lotion, shampoo, and body wash

□   Contact lens case and solution

□   Hand sanitizer

 

MISCELLANEOUS

□   Insect repellant (liquids in carry-on luggage are limited to 3.4 ounces, so maybe bring wipes)

□   Sunglasses and sunscreen

□   Earplugs

□   Towel (If made out of microfiber it is lighter and smaller)

□   Cash and credit card

   

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