Itinerary for your Pre-Program

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 Soberanía jungle reserve.

Day 2: Gamboa, Rainforest Discovery Center, Night Safari

Join a morning excursion to the nearby Rainforest Discovery Center. The visitor center is a sustainable open-air structure that stands in the middle of the jungle. The observation tower stands 105 feet tall and offers amazing views just above the forest canopy. There are hiking trails that form a circuit through the forest. They are perfect for spotting flora and fauna like butterflies, over 350 species of birds, 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 returning to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort to spend the night.

Day 3: Gamboa, Sloth Sanctuary, Jungle Cable Car

Start the day with a visit to the Sloth Sanctuary, the only one in Panama, which was created for the rehabilitation and liberation of these slow but hardworking ‘gardeners of the forest’. After lunch back at the hotel, we’ll head to the Jungle Cable Car, the only one of its kind in the country. The ride up takes approximately 20 minutes as you travel 0.75 miles over the lush canopy of Soberanía National Park. Keep an eye out for toucans, monkeys, and iguanas. At the top of the hill, take a quick walk to an observation tower offering stunning views 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: Meet the Emberá people and transfer to Colón

Today, you’ll transfer to Chagres National Park. We will board a motorized canoe that will take us through Lake Gatun and the Chagres River to the Emberá community in their village of wooden houses with thatched roofs. The Emberá people are one of the seven pre-Columbian, Indigenous ethnic groups who live in Panama.

Upon arrival, the tribe’s chief will welcome us, and we will enjoy a traditional lunch prepared by women in the village. In the afternoon, you will have the chance to learn about local medicinal plants, walk around the village, visit the school, and see an arts and crafts demonstration. Before saying goodbye to our hosts, we will enjoy a traditional dance and music performance. Afterward, you will return by canoe to your transfer bus and continue to Colón, where your expedition ship awaits.

Please note that the order of sights might vary.