Itinerary for your Pre-Programme

Day 1:   Arrival, Gamboa

Spend the night at Gamboa Rainforest Resort or similar. This lodge is located by the banks of the Chagres River in the jungle reserve of Soberanía.

Day 2: Gamboa, Rainforest Discovery Center, Night Safari

Join a morning excursion to the nearby Rainforest Discovery Center. The visitor center is a self-sustainable open-air structure that stands in the middle of the jungle. The observation tower rises 32 metres tall, offering amazing views just above the forest canopy. Hiking trails run a circuit through the forest, perfect for spotting flora and fauna like butterflies, over 350 bird species, and even howler monkeys. We return to the hotel for lunch and have the afternoon to relax at the hotel swimming pool. In the evening, you’ll embark on a Night Jungle Safari by boat on the Chagres River before spending the night back at Gamboa Rainforest Resort.

Day 3: Gamboa, Sloth Sanctuary, Jungle Cable Car

Start the day with a visit to the Sloth Sanctuary, the only one in Panama, and created for the rehabilitation and liberation of these slow but hardworking “gardeners of the forest”. We enjoy lunch back at the hotel and then it’s off to the Jungle Cable Car, the only one of its kind in the country. The ride up takes approximately 20 minutes, journeying 1.2 km over the lush canopy of Soberanía natural reserve while you keep an eye out for toucans, monkeys and iguana. Once at the top of the hill, there is a quick walk to an observation tower offering a stunning view of the Panama Canal, the Chagres River, the jungle and the village of Gamboa. Return to the hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.

Day 4: Encounter with the Embera people, and transfer to Colón

Today you’ll transfer to the Chagres National Park. Here we ́ll board a motorized canoe that will take us on the Lake Gatun and River Chagres to an Embera community in their village of wooden houses with thatch roofs. The Embera people are one of the seven ethnic groups of pre- Columbian Indians who live in Panama.

Upon arrival, and before enjoying a traditional lunch prepared by village woman, we’ll be welcomed by the tribe ́s chief. In the afternoon you’ll be offered the chance to learn about local medicinal plants, walk around the village and visit the school, or see a demonstration of arts and crafts. Before saying goodbye to our hosts there will be a performance of traditional dance and music. Afterwards, return by canoe to your transfer bus and continue to Colón where your expedition ship awaits you.

Please note that the order of sights might vary.