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Experience Panama

8 days in Panama City and Chitré

Optional 1 day extension

Skyscrapers of downtown Panama City near the water in Panama.
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OVERVIEW

Explore how Panama bridges the past and present through tradition, art, and discovery

Experience Panama through creativity and innovation. Students explore the country's many identities, from the ancient ruins of Panama Viejo to the biodiversity workshops at the Smithsonian's tropical research center. In Chitré, they meet master artisans who share traditions passed across generations, crafting drums, masks, and dresses that bring Panamanian culture to life. Each activity blends history with hands-on learning to show how heritage and science thrive side by side. Students return with expanded perspective and a deeper appreciation for the connections between people, art, and the natural world.

Experience Panama route map

What you’ll do

Explore a sample itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Panama

Board your international flight to Panama City

Meet your Tour Director at the destination airport

Day 2: Panama City

Visit Panamá Viejo, the ruins from pirate attacks on the original Panama City

Take a tour of Casco Viejo

Visit the Biomuseo

Take a group photo by the Panama sign on the Amador Causeway

Day 3: Panama City

Visit a tropical research institute at Punta Culebra

Participate in a workshop with local scientists

Explore Panama City on your own

Add this in-depth experience

Boat ride on Gatun Lake

Board a boat for an exciting, guided boat tour of Gatun Lake. Motor through a stretch of the Panama Canal and watch as massive tanker ships make their way to another ocean! Try to spot monkeys as your boat circles Monkey Island, then learn how so many species are able to survive in the middle of the Panama Canal.

Day 4: Panama City • Chitré

Travel to Chitré

Enjoy (and help prepare) lunch with locals

Visit a local farm to learn about the agriculture of the Azuero Peninsula

Day 5: Chitré

Visit with local artisans and learn how traditional Panamanian crafts are made

Participate in a pre-Columbian painting workshop

Enjoy a folklore dance show

Day 6: Chitré • Panama City

Travel to Panama City

Visit the Miraflores Visitor Center at the Panama Canal

Stop for a photo at the Panama Canal Administration Building

Hike to the top of Ancon Hill for a stunning view of the Panama City skyline

Travel to Panama City

Day 7: Panama City

Enjoy a hike in one of the parks that surround Panama City

Explore Panama City on your own

Day 8: Depart for home

Board your flight home from Panama City

What makes this tour special?

Spend a day learning how to craft traditional drums, Diablo masks, and Panama's iconic pollera dress with master artisans

Spend a day learning how to craft traditional drums, Diablo masks, and Panama's iconic pollera dress with master artisans

Participate in a hands-on tropical biodiversity and conservation workshop alongside Smithsonian scientists

Participate in a hands-on tropical biodiversity and conservation workshop alongside Smithsonian scientists

Walk the ruins of Panama Viejo, one of the oldest surviving European settlements on the Pacific Coast of the Americas

Walk the ruins of Panama Viejo, one of the oldest surviving European settlements on the Pacific Coast of the Americas

All of our tours are powered by our proven EF Method

Learn more

Your experience includes

Airfare & transportation
Hotels
Regional-style meals
Guided sightseeing
Entrances
Experiential learning
Full-time Tour Director
Expert Local Guides
Personalized Learning Support
Continuous Support

Travelers save when you lead this tour before October 1, 2027

See 2027 pricing

Unlock your lowest price

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Payment plan options

Pay over time interest-free or pay all at once

Fundraising

Every traveler receives a no-fee donation page

Global Citizen Scholarship

Every year EF awards $100,000 to student travelers

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Frequently asked questions

Let’s unpack that

We’ll connect you with your personal Tour Consultant—someone who works with other teachers in your area and specializes in planning EF tours. They’ll walk you through this itinerary (along with other tours in our portfolio that match your curriculum or catch your eye), explain student pricing, and show you just how easy it is to partner with EF.

Once you decide to lead a tour, your Tour Consultant will help you get school administrators on board, students excited, and families ready to enroll. You’ll host an informational meeting to kick off the enrollment period, and we’ll provide everything you need—from a digital presentation to printed handouts, parent resources, and more.

You’ll have a dedicated Tour Director who will guide your group from the moment you land in your first destination until your final goodbye. They:

  • Take all the same transportation and stay in the same hotels as your group

  • Speak the local language (but lead the tour in English!)

  • Support you 24/7 as your right hand

  • Offer deep cultural context to help students feel connected to their destination

  • Handle all the logistics, so you don’t have to

  • Are the secret ingredient that makes your tour truly shine

Yes! You earn a free spot on tour as soon as six paying travelers enroll. For every additional six paying travelers, you earn another free spot for an adult chaperone of your choosing. For example, if 30 students sign up, that’s four free chaperone spots in addition to yours.

All travelers on international EF tours must have a valid passport. When it comes to documentation, every traveler and destination is different, so once your group starts enrolling, we’ll help direct you and your families to relevant resources.
 
Passports should have at least three blank pages and be valid for at least six months after your return date.

EF has set the standard for travel-based learning for over 60 years. Not only do our educational tours amplify the lessons you’re already exploring in your classroom, but they also help build more empathy, open-mindedness, confidence, and cross-cultural understanding.
 
Our educational philosophy, the EF Method, is built into every itinerary, so your students are immersed in a continuous journey of engaging, hands-on learning in real-world situations from the moment they step off the plane.

Yes! Plan to explore each destination primarily on foot, so be sure to pack your comfiest sneakers. You’ll have time to rest on the bus while traveling between cities and activities. If any travelers need accommodations, just let your EF Travel Team know in advance.

Every hotel your group stays in is required to meet EF’s rigorous standards for quality, safety, and cleanliness. (We have an entire team dedicated to ensuring that!) However, it’s important to remember that international hotels designed for student travel may feel a little different from what students are familiar with. For example, some hotels may not have an elevator. Rooms will have multiple single beds or shared double beds, and every room will have a private bathroom.

You’ll receive more detailed meal information closer to your tour, but here’s an overview of what to expect:

  • Daily breakfast is served continental-style at your hotel.

  • Most tours include daily group dinners, which take place at local restaurants (or your hotel) and feature a mix of familiar favorites and local dishes from a set menu.

  • Lunches are usually not included, but this varies by itinerary. If lunch isn’t included, this is the perfect opportunity for students to explore local markets and discover their new favorite food.

Travelers will share allergy or dietary information with EF after signing up, and we’ll help make the necessary accommodations.

We’re here to help! Start a live one-on-one chat with a team member.

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