Peru, Ecuador and Mexico: Machu Picchu, Galapagos and Mayan Ruins
Mexico, Peru, Argentina and Brazil: Chichen Itza, Machu Picchu, Buenos Aires, the Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro
Galapagos, Machu Picchu and Costa Rica or Maya Ruins
Peru and Costa Rica: Cuzco, Machu Picchu with Rainforest and Beaches
Panama and Colombia
- Brief Panama and Colombia - Panama City and Canal, Gamboa Rainforest and Embera Indians, Cartagena and Bogota
- Complete Panama and Colombia - Panama City and Canal, Rainforest, Anton Valley and San Blas, Cartagena, Tayrona National Park and Bogota

Starting Price:	£4,050.00
Trip Length:	11 days

Cartagena

Zipaquira Church

Panama City

Brief Panama and Colombia - Panama City and Canal, Gamboa Rainforest and Embera Indians, Cartagena and Bogota

Description Pricing Itinerary Hotels

This combination takes us to two exciting countries: Panama and Colombia. Enjoy crossing the Panama Canal, the rainforest and the mystical culture in Panama. We will also travel to Bogota and Cartagena in Colombia. Both of these cities are influenced by Spanish, Indian, and African cultures. This tour also includes time to relax and enjoy the Caribbean Sea.

Starting in the Soberania National Park and Gamboa Rainforest Resort, we will take an aerial tram that traverses a mile-long tract of Humid Forest which features the sound of birds and howler monkeys. Yampu travelers then take a partial transit on the Panama Canal and return to Panama City for an evening folkloric night show with dinner. On the last day of the tour, we visit the Embera Indian community. All transfers and most services (except at Gamboa and the canal) are provided on a private basis.

In Colombia, we will spend 3 days in Bogota visiting the Gold Museum, Monserrate, Plaza Bolivar, La Candelaria and Zipaquira’s Underground Salt Cathedral. We will spend 3 days in Cartagena, tour the walled city of Old Cartagena, enjoy the beautiful beaches and crystal, clear water of the Rosario Islands and visit the Totumo Volcano. You may also choose to add a few nights in a beautiful Caribbean Island or escape to a remote beach in a jungle of Tayrona National Park.

In this highlight, we offer a choice of 3, 4, and 5-star hotels. In Cartagena, the 5 star option includes the Sofitel Santa Clara, in Bogota includes the Charleston Hotel and in Panama the Riande Continental or similar. Please inquire about these options with one of our Travel Consultants.

Panama Canal Transit Market operates only on Saturdays, so ideal start date for this trip is Thursday (or Friday if you tour Soberania National Park the day after). This can be modified to suit your schedule by rearranging the itinerary.

The US State Department has issued a travel warning for Colombia to advise American citizens of the ongoing security concerns in this country. Please visit the US State Department website for current information regarding traveling in this country: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued a travel warning for Colombia to advise British citizens of the ongoing security concerns in this country. Please visit the UK Foreign and Commonwealth website for current information regarding traveling in this country: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/.

Additional information on this trip:

Days of Week the Trip can Start:
Thursday
Visited Cities:
Panama City, Cartagena, Bogota

Day 1

Thursday
Upon arrival in Panama City, private transfer to your hotel.

Day 2

Friday
Mini-hiking and aerial tram ride: Soberania National Park and Gamboa Resort Depart from Panama City early in the morning for Soberania National Park and world-famous Pipeline Road, the right place for bird watchers and ecologists. It was site of the 1985 world record Panama Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count (385 species of birds were identified in 24 hours). During World War II, a pipeline was built to transport fuel from one ocean to the other. Fortunately, it was never used. Today, the road built to maintain the pipeline provides excellent access to primary forest within Soberania National Park with the comfort and safety of vehicle support. After this short hike, we will head to Gamboa Rainforest Resort. There you will be taken into an aerial tram that takes you from the shadowy rainforest floor through the understory, and into the sun- drenched canopy. You will enjoy a bird's-eye view of a thousand hues of green interspersed with the fluorescent exclamation points of flowering trees. The aerial tram is located in 100 hectares of rainforest licensed to Gamboa Rainforest Resort. Here one finds an exuberant flora and fauna typical of Panama's neo-tropical forests. The resort has built five exhibits that showcase local flora and fauna as well as a replica of an Embera Indian village. Afterward, you will be transferred back to your hotel. The tour includes transportation, entrance fee to Soberania National Park and water. Overnight at Gamboa Resort.

Day 3

Saturday
Pick up from Gamboa for a Partial Canal Transit (operates only on Saturdays) Your trip departs from the Flamenco Marina, and you will travel from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. You will be able to admire the Bay of Panama and Panama City's skyline, and later you will pass under the Bridge of the Americas. At Miraflores Locks, the vessel will ascend 54 feet in two distinct steps. You will then enter Miraflores Lake, which is a small artificial body of fresh water that separates Pedro Miguel Locks from Miraflores Locks. Next, the Pacific Queen will enter Pedro Miguel Locks, which is one of the two sets of locks on the Pacific side, and here the vessel will be raised the last 27 feet to get into Gatun Lake. Once at Gatun Lake, you will sail through the north end of the Gaillard Cut, where the Chagres River flows into the Canal. The Gaillard Cut is also known as Culebra Cut because its curves resemble a snake ("culebra" in Spanish) and is one of the main points of interest for visitors because it was carved through the Continental Divide. The vessel will travel the Cut's 13.7 kilometers on the way to the Panama Canal Dredging Division in Gamboa where passengers disembark and transfer back to Flamenco Pier.
Note: Exact itinerary may vary depending on where the transit starts.
Panamanian night tour
Enjoy an oasis of flavor and folklore characteristic of the countryside, and taste delicious Panamanian-style dishes in comfortable and elegant surroundings at Las Tinajas Restaurant in the center of Panama City. Includes transfer to and from hotel, typical Panamanian dinner, cover charge, service charge and dance show. Available only on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Day 4

Embera Indigenous Encounter (Private Tour)
This adventure takes us to the indigenous community in Chagres National Park. We will get to know the culture of the Embera Indians, and witness the artisans and enjoy their knowledge of botanical plants. Their cultural dances and music will take you back centuries. If you would like, you can paint your body as they do with the fruit known as Jagua. We can also observe the grand variety of birds found in the area. Walk in the jungle, explore waterfalls, and learn from a magical culture—all in one day. Includes ground and river transportation, snacks and soft drinks, lunch and a specialized guide.

Day 5

Monday
Transfer to the airport to take the flight to Cartagena. Upon arrival, transfer to you hotel. Cartagena is the fifth largest city in Colombia and an important port city on the Caribbean coast. After numerous pirate attacks during the colonial era, a wall was built to surround the historic city center and protect its inhabitants. Cartagena is now a popular tourist destination that retains its colonial architecture and charm.

Afternoon Old Town Walk Guided walk along the walled old town, watching the streets, churches, colonial houses with their balconies, the Museum that was the residence of the five times president of the Republic, Rafael Nuñez; the Santa Catalina bastion, the craftsmanship place at Las Bovedas (The Dungeons) where you will find handmade souvenirs.

Day 6

Tuesday
Cruise to Rosario Islands, to the south of the Bay of Cartagena. These Islands are a National Natural Park with a group of coral islands surrounded by a crystal clear sea, the habitat of a great variety of marine fauna. Opportunity to swim and snorkel. The 23 coral islands were formed by volcano activity which raised the seabed to create ideal conditions for the development of coral reefs. Lunch Included. Return to Cartagena.

Day 7

Wednesday
Tour the Totumo Volcano, known for its medicinal properties, only 50 minutes away from Cartagena. You will be able to get into its crater to enjoy a healthy mud bath, and then you will be able to take a regular bath at El Totumo Lagoon. Lunch included.

Day 8

Thursday
Transfer to the airport to take your flight to Bogotá. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Bogota has a combination of influences: Spanish, Indian and African, which create a diverse and rich culture heritage. With an intense and vibrant intellectual and social life, this modern city provides travelers with a unique look in the heart of Colombian culture.

Day 9

Friday
Visit to the famous Gold Museum, the Museo del Oro which houses 30,000 gold objects and 20,000 in stone, ceramic, textiles and precious stones of the Quimbaya, Calima, Tairona, Sinu, Muisca, Tolima, Tumaco and Magdalena cultures. The Museo del Oro has the most important collection of its kind worldwide. Our tour continues to the historic center known as La Candelaria where the center square is Plaza Bolivar. The square named for the statue in the center of Simón Bolívar. La Candelaria, the oldest part of the city, boasts grand houses of profound Spanish influence with iron windows, thick wooden doors, balconies and internal patios that hide beautiful gardens. Once we leave this area we will continue on to Quinta de Bolivar, the country house of Simon Bolivar. Set at the foot of Cerro de Monserrate, with magnificent surrounding gardens, the museum is filled with documents, letters, maps, uniforms and personal possessions that help to piece together events in his life. We travel by cable car up to 10,500 feet, top of the Mountain that looks over Bogotá. Note: Museums closed on Monday.

Day 10

Saturday
We take the Pan American highway north towards Zipaquirá, traveling across the central region of the savanna, passing some typical villages villages to reach Zipaquirá where the Salt Cathedral is located. The Salt Cathedral is an impressive work of engineering. The visit begins in a tunnel that exhibits the fourteen stations of the Way of the Cross and leads to the dome where you can observe the great cross sculpted in low relief. You finally arrive at the three naves of the cathedral joined by openings that represent the birth and death of Christ. The central nave houses the main altar, a 16 meter cross, and the Creation of Man, a marble statue by the sculptor Carlos Enrique Rodríguez.

Day 11

Transfer to the airport to take your flight back home.

Suggested Hotels by City and Category *

Panama City
3-star	El Dorado Country Inn & Suites (standard room), or similar.
4-star	Granada (standard room), or similar.
5-star	Marriott (luxury room), Intercontinental Miramar (deluxe room), or similar.
Boutique	Canal House, Deville Boutique, or similar.
Deluxe	Intercontinental Miramar (club intercontinental room), Playa Bonita (deluxe), or similar.
Cartagena
3-star	Hotel Caribe, Almirante Estelar, Hotel La India Catalina, or similar.
4-star	Hotel Hilton Cartagena (Bocagrande area), Hotel Bovedas de Santa Clara (Old Town), or similar.
5-star	Sofitel Santa Clara (Old Town), La Merced Hotel Boutique (Old Town), or similar.
Deluxe	Casa del Arzobispado Hotel Boutique (Old Town), Quadrifolio Hotel Boutique (Old Town), La Passion Hotel, or similar.
Bogota
3-star	Dann Norte
4-star	Morrison
5-star	Sofitel Victoria Regia
Deluxe	Charleston Bogota

* Subject to confirmation at time of booking

Occupancy Type	3-Star	4-Star	5-Star
Double	£4050	£4347	£4996
Single	£5732	£6572	£7737

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