Day 1
Arrival To Panama

Upon arrival to Panama you will be met in the Tocumen International airport by a bilingual, interpretive, and birding expert and escorted to your accommodations.  From your lodging, guests can wander the tree-lined streets of this former Canal Zone neighborhood.  Frequent evening and morning visitors to this area include a variety of tanagers, toucans, thrushes, flycatchers, and more.  This evening we will host a “Get Acquainted” event with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and a tour briefing.

Day 2
Metropolitan Park & Panama Viejo

Metropolitan Nature Park, located only ten minutes from downtown Panama City is the only Tropical Forest Park within a capital city in all of Latin America. The area has remained largely undisturbed for the last 80 years and is a great place to experience dry, deciduous, lowland tropical forest.

What makes Metro Park so unique is that it is adjacent to the Panama Canal watershed land that consists of of national parks and protected reserve land. Within the 265 hectares that make up Metro Park you can find up to 267 species of birds including national endemic Yellow-green Tyrannulet, Blue-crowned Motmots, Rufous-and-White Wrens, Lance-tailed Manakins, Greenlets, Flycatchers, Honeycreepers, and Tanagers.  Among the many birds one also can find 3 species of monkeys, two and three-toed sloths, many reptiles, and much more.  They don’t know they’ve entered the city limits!  From the Mirador, the park’s highest point located at 150 meters above sea level, the view of the Bay of Panama and the islands of Perico, Naos, Flamenco, Taboguilla and Taboga and observing the Panama Canal entrance on the Pacific side, the Bridge of the Americas, and Ancon Hill is breath taking.

After lunch we will visit the ancient city of Panama Viejo. Founded in 1519 by the conquistador Pedrarías Dávila, Panamá Viejo is the oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. It was laid out on a rectilinear grid and marks the transference from Europe of the idea of a planned town.  In 1671 the city was sacked and burned by the Welsh privateer, Henry Morgan.  Today, the remaining ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site flanking the mud flats of the Bay of Panama, a key resting spot for millions of migratory sea birds.

Meals Included: B, L, D

Day 3
Pipeline Road, Discovery Center, & Summit Ponds

Pipeline Road and Summit Ponds located in and near Soberania National Park, with access to both forest and wetland birds, is considered by many to be two of the best birding locations in all of the tropics. In a single day it is possible to see up to 300 species. Due to the nature of the inhabitants of the forest it is not uncommon to encounter army ant swarms attended by antbirds.  Mixed flocks are frequent flyers. 

The many birds found within the park on Pipeline road include: trogons, wrens, puffbirds, hummingbirds, hermits, and motmots. Forest-falcons are commonly heard and sometimes seen. Exploring the nearby wetlands one can often find Rufescent Tiger-herons, White-throated Crakes, Wattled Jacanas, Purple Gallinules, and many other aquatic species. But birds are not the only animals one encounters when exploring this area of Panama. Many other abound, including the monkeys, sloths, iguanas, frogs, toads, and rodents such as the Agouti, Paca, and Capybara.

Meals Included: B, L, D

Day 4
Achiote Road, & San Lorenzo National Park

Early this morning we will set out for the area of Escobal and Achiote Road, the site of Panama Audubon Society's world-famed Christmas Bird Count, which regularly reports over 340 species in a 24-hour period.  The road extends through open habitat and features a variety of Caribbean specialties not likely to be seen on the Pacific side of the Isthmus.  Here we will search for diurnal raptors and specialties such as Spot-crowned Barbet, Black Hawk-Eagle, Rufous-crested Coquette, Montezuma Oropendola, Brown-hooded Parrot, Black-bellied Wren, Pied Puffbird and rarities like Bare-crowned Antbird and the White-headed Wren. 

San Lorenzo National Park is located on the cliffs at the mouth of the Chagres River where it finally meets the Caribbean ocean.  Fort San Lorenzo, well known for its historical significance, is also a great place to look for wildlife and birds.  For the journey back to Panama you will enjoy a scenic ride through Soberania National Park flanking Gatun Lake on the Panama Canal Railway.

Meals Included: B, L, D

Day 5
Cerro Azul and Cerro Jefe

This morning we head to,the eastern foothills of Panama, adjacent to the Chagres National Park. Here we will explore the area of Cerro Azul  looking for species of birds not found in the Canal area, species like the Yellow-eared Toucanet, White-tipped Sickebill, White-ruffed Manakin, and Rufous-winged Tanager.

Our next stop will be the adjacent Cerro Jefe, an area dominated by elfin forest. Here we will be looking for specialitis such as the Tacarcuna Bush Tanager, Black and Yellow Tanager, Purplish-backed Quail-Dove, and the Speckled Antshrike.

Meals Included: B, L, D

Day 6
El Valle & Cerro Gaital

Today we will head to the town of El Valle.  Nestled in the crater of a Volcano this area possesses a diverse variety of habitats and birds.  Species accounted for include the Flame-rumped Tanager, Orange-billed Sparrow, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, and the Violet-capped Humingbird.

Today we also visit Cerro Gaital Natural Monument where we will be on the search for Blue-throated Toucanet, Trush-like Schiffornis, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, Black-crowned Antpitta, Barred Hawk, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, White-tipped Sicklebill, Green-crowned Brilliant, Blue-throated Goldentail, and many more.

Meals Included: B, L, D

Day 7
Panama Departure

Today we’ll say “hasta luego” to this enchanting country and return home, where you’ll be eager to share your incredible Panama birding experiences and your newly expanded life list!

Meals Included: B

Each departure itinerary may vary slightly. Although the day in which a stop is listed may differ, you will enjoy the same experiences listed here.