Compare The Panama Canal & Costa Rica - Westbound 2019 by Tauck vs Highlights of Costa Rica by Explore!

Day 1 Arrive Panama City

Tour begins: 6:30 PM, Hilton Panama or InterContinental Miramar Panama. Welcome to Panama! A transfer awaits to take you from Tocumen International Airport to the Hilton Panama or InterContinental Miramar Panama. Meet your Tauck Director and your fellow travelers at our welcome cocktail reception and dinner this evening at your hotel.

MEALS : D

LODGING : Hilton Panama or InterContinental Miramar Panama

PORTOFCALL : Panama City, Panama

Day 2 Exploring Panama City

Begin today's exploration of Panama City in its key historic district, Casco Viejo; a walking tour will show you this walled cobblestoned city, built in the 1670s at the foot of Ancon Hill, to provide safety from attack. The area is a gem of Spanish colonial architecture in various stages of redevelopment, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site; you'll also have free time to explore on your own. After lunch at a local restaurant, tour the former Canal Zone, driving through Ancon Hill, a lush residential enclave that was home to US military facilities until a 1977 treaty granted Panamanian sovereignty over the "Zone;" Albrook, a former US Air Force Base; and Clayton, once a US Army base. Then enjoy a fascinating visit to the exhibits and gardens of the Biomuseo, the Panama City biodiversity museum designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. The evening is yours to spend as you please in Panama City.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : Hilton Panama or InterContinental Miramar Panama

PORTOFCALL : Panama City, Panama

Day 3 Canal Zone, Gamboa Rainforest & your cruise begins

From Panama City, start across the Isthmus of Panama; during a stop at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, you'll choose between an aerial tram ride with a naturalist through the rainforest at eye-level with exotic birds and animals (aboard the only gondola of its kind in Panama), or a boat cruise along waterways leading to hidden islands, where you might spot monkeys at play. After lunch at a local restaurant, learn more about the Panama Canal on a visit to the Agua Clara locks. In the late afternoon, arrive at the pier in Colón to board your Explorer Class yacht for 7-night Panama Canal cruise.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Champlain or Le Dumont d'Urville

PORTOFCALL : Panama City, Panama

Day 4 The Guna people of the San Blas Islands

Your yacht arrives in the archipelago of San Blas today, where you'll transfer by Zodiac for a wet landing at Holandes Caye. Here, you'll visit Guna Indians, whose language and customs reflect lives with few outside influences, women sell handmade molas - reverse-appliquéd fabrics with brilliant images of fish, birds and jungle animals - and fishing is still done by canoe. After your visit to a Guna village, you can spend a leisurely afternoon swimming and snorkeling before returning by Zodiac to your ship. This evening, your Explorer Class vessel begins preparations for tomorrow's entrance into the Panama Canal.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Champlain or Le Dumont d'Urville

PORTOFCALL : Transiting the Panama Canal

Day 5 Transiting the Panama Canal

Opened in 1914, and considered an engineering marvel of the 20th century, the Panama Canal opened trade to the Americas by creating a transit path between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Thanks to the canal, today ships traveling from New York to San Francisco save over 7,000 miles by not having to chart a course around South America. Early this morning, your ship will arrive at Gatun and position outside the canal for her full transit from the Atlantic to the Pacific. We'll welcome aboard a canal pilot, the local navigation professional who will guide our ship into the Gatun Locks, Lake Gatun and into the narrow Gaillard cut. Later, we transit the Pedro Miguel locks before finally clearing Miraflores locks and passing beneath the Bridge of the Americas to the Pacific Ocean at Balboa. Your Tauck Director, Tauck Naturalist and an official of the Panama Canal Authority will provide both technical and historical information about this engineering wonder. The process may take approximately eight to ten hours; while passing through the three locks, your yacht will be be raised up a total of 85 feet before reaching the Pacific Ocean!

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Champlain or Le Dumont d'Urville

PORTOFCALL : Casco Viejo, Panama

Day 6 The Embera people of the Darien

Today you'll stop in the beautiful but remote Darien region of Panama, calling on Play del Muerto for a wet landing by Zodiac craft to visit an indigenous community of the Emberá people, whose lifestyle remains largely unaffected by modern times. You'll meet the locals, watch them perform traditional dances, see how they live, and perhaps purchase some of their "Cocobolo" wood or "Tagua" vegetable ivory carvings. Return to the ship for lunch; enjoy a naturalist lecture this afternoon.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Champlain or Le Dumont d'Urville

PORTOFCALL : Pacific Ocean

Day 7 Day at sea

Enjoy a relaxing day at sea on the Pacific Ocean today, taking advantage of your Explorer Class ship's many amenities. Throughout the day, your Tauck Directors and naturalist guides will circulate about the ship answering questions - sharing their experiences and scanning the horizon for marine mammals and pelagic birds - and will also offer compelling lectures.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Champlain or Le Dumont d'Urville

PORTOFCALL : Puerto Jimenez, Panama

Day 8 Manuel Antonio National Park

Call on the city of Quepos this morning, a perfect jumping off point for your excursion to Manuel Antonio National Park, where you'll find coral reefs and white sand beaches, considered among the most beautiful in Costa Rica, lined with rainforest. Your choices here include a walking tour of the park with your local naturalist guide; an exciting river float trip* on the Savegre River (which will include lunch either before or after the trip); or a horseback ride through a mountain forest. Back aboard the ship, enjoy dinner at your leisure tonight, as your yacht sets out from Quepos.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Champlain or Le Dumont d'Urville

PORTOFCALL : Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica

Day 9 Carara National Park & Pura Vida Gardens

Your ship arrives at Playa Herradura for a choice of shore excursions offering a range of eco-activities. One includes a walking tour and a mangrove cruise in Carara National Park with a local naturalist guide. Following your jungle walk through the park, enjoy a local lunch before learning about various coastal bird and wildlife species on a mangrove boat tour. Another choice features a visit to Tropical Forest Sky Walk near the boundary of Carara Biological Reserve, where you'll hike across suspended cable bridges skimming the top of the rainforest, up to 126 feet above the ground; from your lofty perch, you'll see the marshlands of the Tarcoles River and views of the ocean in the distance. Your guide will point out species of birds, monkeys, butterflies and other mammals that you may encounter. Still another possibility is a visit to the spectacular Pura Vida Gardens, whose beautifully manicured gardens are bordered by one of the tallest waterfalls in the country. Pura Vida is home to over 60,000 flowering plants, including 60 varieties of heliconia, ten varieties of ginger, and orchids; look for butterflies, macaws, parrots, parakeets, toucans, kingfishers, birds of prey, and waterfowl. After your tour, enjoy a traditional lunch in the garden restaurant. You'll also stop at the Tarcoles Bridge for a chance to observe an immense population of crocodiles that live just several meters below the bridge. Join us for the Captain's farewell dinner tonight, as your yacht sails to Puerto Caldera.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Le Champlain or Le Dumont d'Urville

PORTOFCALL : Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

Day 10 Ox carts in Sarchi and gold in San José

As your cruise ends in Puerto Caldera, bid farewell to your Explorer Class ship and her crew, and set off to discover Costa Rica's fascinating interior en route to the capital city of San José. Visit the artisan village of Sarchi, known for the production and painting of the traditional ox carts (carretas) and other handmade products seen all over the country, bearing the colorful starburst designs that have become a symbol of Costa Rica. Continue on to Costa Rica's capital city, San José. Here, sightseeing includes a visit to the National Theatre, an ornate symbol of civic pride dating back to 1897; the theatre's interior shines with Baroque gold and Carrara marble. You'll also take in the Museo del Oro Precolombino (Pre-Columbian Gold Museum) and its collection of pre-Columbian works of gold. After lunch at a local restaurant, arrive and settle in at your hotel; the evening is yours to spend as you wish in San José.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : InterContinental Costa Rica at Multiplaza Mall or Costa Rica Marriott Hotel San José

PORTOFCALL : San Jose, Costa Rica

Day 11 Coffee, waterfalls & rainforest wildlife

Coffee has long been one of Costa Rica's most important exports. Today you'll visit the Doka Coffee Plantation, located on the fertile slopes of Alajuela's Poás Volcano, where the soil and altitude make for ideal growing conditions. Your guide explains how the beans are produced and roasted and how different microclimates affect the taste. Also explore and have lunch at La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a private rainforest eco-park and wildlife refuge known for spectacular waterfalls and flowing white rivers; this protected reserve buzzes with the sounds and sights of wildlife including toucans, butterflies, spider monkeys, two-toed sloths and red-eyed leaf frogs - to name a few of the 100+ species. Join us this evening for a farewell reception and dinner at your hotel in San José.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : InterContinental Costa Rica at Multiplaza Mall or Costa Rica Marriott Hotel San José

PORTOFCALL : San José, Costa Rica

Day 12 Journey Home

Tour ends: San José, Costa Rica. Fly home anytime. A transfer from the Costa Rica Marriott Hotel San José or InterContinental Costa Rica at Multiplaza Mall to Juan Santamaría International Airport is included. You should allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : San José, Costa Rica

Day 1 Join trip in San Jose

Arrive in San Jose. The cosmopolitan Costa Rican capital lies in a fertile valley at an altitude of 1150 metres. Coffee and sugar cane are big industries here and coffee is even planted between new buildings and along the roadside on the outskirts of the city. For those arriving on time our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 7pm for the welcome meeting, and for those that wish there is the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in San Jose at any time. If you would like to receive an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into San Jose's Juan Santamaria International Airport (airport code SJO) which is 18km, around thirty minutes from our hotel. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, perhaps you might choose to head out to explore the city which is easy to navigate with a grid pattern of avenues and streets with a good choice of local eateries, which you may choose to sample this evening. The National museum (Museo Nacional De Costa Rica) is also well worth a visit.

Meals Provided : None

Day 2 Visit the Poas Volcano; try out traditional oxcart painting

This morning, an hour's drive will take us to the Poas Volcano National Park, where the smoke from one of Costa Rica's most active volcanoes rises majestically from the tropical rainforest. At almost a mile in diameter, the main crater is one of the largest in the world. Due to recent volcanic activity, time at the crater viewpoint is restricted to 20 minutes. If activity increases again the authorities may choose to close the park, and in that case you'll visit the Doka coffee estate, including a tasting session of Costa Rica's finest export. After our visit to Poas, we'll continue on to the town of Sarchi, well known throughout Costa Rica for its beautiful and intricate arts and crafts. It is famous for producing colourful and decorative oxcarts, which are a huge part of Costa Rican culture today, and even considered one of Costa Rica's national symbols. We're going to meet one of the town's hard-working artisans and learn to paint a traditional oxcart with some of the patterns and designs familiar to the area. Finally, we travel to Arenal (approximately 2.5 hours), where we will catch our first sight of the famous Arenal Volcano. This classic cone, which rises to 1633 metres, is covered by a tangled mass of vegetation on one side, while the other is starkly barren. Our accommodation for the next two nights is in La Fortuna. The town was renamed after a big eruption in 1968, when it was seen as being 'fortunate' that its location, on the volcano's eastern side, saved it from decimation. This evening, we can make the most of the local geothermal activity by enjoying an optional bathe in nearby hot springs.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 3 Wildlife float trip on the Penas Blancas river; free afternoon with options including a waterfall hike

The Arenal area is well known for its diverse wildlife, and this morning we'll set out on a tranquil rafting safari to spot some of the most sought-after species. There is no white-water here, we'll simply be floating down calmly with our local guide, who will scour the water and the canopy to point out a variety of colourful creatures from toucan and sloth to jesus-christ lizard and caiman. We'll most likely see capuchins swinging from the trees, and a wide array of birdlife during the float trip. In the afternoon we're free to explore Arenal as we choose. There are beautiful local hikes to waterfalls and along lava trails, whilst those keen to relax can enjoy an optional trip to the local Hot Springs. Our Tour Leader will be able to provide information on all the options available.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 4 Drive to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve; night walk through the forest

Today we will travel around Arenal Lake up into the cloud forest region of Monteverde - one of the most well-known places in Costa Rica to see wildlife. Perched on the Continental Divide between the Pacific and the Caribbean, it is thought that there has been indigenous habitation in Monteverde since 3000 BC. However, the turning point in its recent history came in 1950, when a group of pacifist Quakers from Alabama moved here to avoid subscription in the Korean War. They sought a lifestyle in a country in which they could embrace their peaceful beliefs and continue to cultivate their dairy farms. These families went on to establish the community of Monteverde and some of its famed cloud forest reserves. The drive takes approximately 5 hours from Arenal, and on arrival we are at our leisure to enjoy one or several of the many optional activities available in the area. One of the most popular activities in the area is to walk the hanging bridges that extend over the reserve, giving you the chance to take a bird's eye view over the canopy. Couple this with the thrill of zooming through the trees on a zip wire and it makes an exhilarating afternoon. For something less adrenaline-filled, choose to visit the local butterfly or orchid garden. This evening we will have the adventure of a guided night walk in the cloud forest, in search of nocturnal species such as pacas and tarantulas.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 5 Free morning in Monteverde; drive to Manuel Antonio National Park

We leave Monteverde at approx. 10:30am. For those who wish, there is the option to revisit the cloud forest reserve in the early morning (the reserve opens at 7:00am). The paths here wind their way through gigantic ferns, underneath the lichen and moss that hangs from the giant trees. The famous, but now very rare, resplendent quetzal is fairly commonly seen in this area, one of the last remaining places in Central America where its habitat has been preserved. Sacred to the ancient Maya and Aztec peoples, it is considered one of the most beautiful birds in the world and the best time to see it is during its breeding months of March and April. Leaving the cloud forest behind us, we descend to the Pacific Coast, enjoying staggering views over the Gulf and Peninsula of Nicoya. Heading south, we cross the Rio Tarcoles Bridge from which huge crocodiles are regularly seen. We then pause at Carara Biological Reserve, famed for the scarlet macaws and abundant birdlife which populate this transitional forest. Finally, we continue along the Pacific Coast to Manuel Antonio National Park, where we will spend the next two nights.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 6 Explore Manuel Antonio's wildlife and beaches

Manuel Antonio National Park is famed for its beautiful beaches and rich wildlife. We'll spend the morning exploring the park, where white-faced capuchin monkeys swing from the trees, and poison-dart frogs hide under a protection of lush tropical plantlife. Coatimundi (part of the raccoon family), tiny squirrel monkey and howler monkey also make their home in the park - we may well see them on our exploration. Manuel Antonio is also one of the best places in Costa Rica to see sloths. As their diet of leaves and buds provides little energy, sloths move only when necessary and even then very slowly, making them very easy to spot. Our guides will know where they are most likely to be found. The remainder of the day can be spent relaxing on the white sandy beaches, enjoying a swim in the warm azure waters. The sunsets from this coast are spectacular and have to be seen to be believed.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 7 Free morning in Manuel Antonio National Park; return by vehicle to San Jose

This morning is free to relax in Manuel Antonio. You could choose to revisit the park*, or relax on the beaches around the town of Manuel Antonio. There are also lots of other activities on offer if beach time isn't for you, including white water rafting or snorkelling trips. In the early afternoon we'll leave the Pacific Coast, driving back inland to San Jose, a journey of approximately four hours. *Please note that Manuel Antonio National Park is closed on Tuesdays.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 8 Trip ends in San Jose

The trip ends this morning at our hotel in San Jose. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like to receive an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Juan Santamaria International Airport (airport code: SJO), approximately a 30 minute drive from our hotel.

Meals Provided : Breakfast