Welcome to Panama! Your private driver will be awaiting your arrival holding a Latin Excursions sign with your last name on it. Continue to the American Trade Hotel for check-in and a night of rest to prepare for you Insider’s Tour of Panama City.

Begin the day by hiking 200 meters above sea level on Cerro Ancon (Ancon Hill), for a picturesque view of the entire city. Your private guide will explain the historical importance of this unique geographic location and how it allowed the Spanish to invade the Americas further. Continue to the local famous fish market for a ceviche tasting at lunch, and onward to the Casco Viejo neighborhood, a UNESCO World Heritage site founded by the Spaniards in 1673 after the First City of Panama was destroyed, for a privately guided walking tour. Finally, end your full day Panama City Tour at Miraflores Locks of the Panama canal featuring a tour of the Museum and locks to learn the history of this magnificent architectural wonder.

Explore beyond Panama City today by visiting the nearby Soberania National Park a 55,000 acre area of protected rain forest where over 525 different species of birds have been identified. When you arrive, your guide will lead you through nature trail to sport howler monkeys, sloths, anteaters, white-faced capuchin monkeys and coatis. If you’re up to it, climb the 40-meter observation tower for a better view of the toucans and famous blue cotinga. After a picnic lunch at the park, continue to Gatun Lake to explore Barro Colorado Island via boat, a nature reserve protected by the U.S. Government since 1923 and one of the most important scientific research regions in the world.

Travel to the City of Colon on Panama’s Caribbean Coast today via the Transisthmian Train. Built in 1850 to transport goods from ocean to ocean, this railway vehicle eventually went bankrupt in 1877, and was revamped in 1999. Since then, it has improved canal logistics by transporting people and supplies from coast-to-coast efficiently. Upon arrival in Colon (train ride 1 hr.) your guide will help you to your private transfer for a 30-minute ride to San Lorenzo Fort, a fortress built by the Spanish (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) to combat pirates from entering the Chagres River. After exploring the fort, return to Panama City via private transfer and stop for lunch at a local-favorite restaurant along the way. Top the day off with a private insider-access tour of the Frank Gehry Biodiversity Museum located at the entrance of the Panama canal. Here, you will learn about the art and science that has influenced Panama and the country’s impact on our planet’s unique biodiversity.

Depending on the time of your flight, return via boat across the channel to Portobelo town where a private transfer will take you to the Panama City International Airpot for your return flight home, or extend your journey within Panama or other countries in the region.