Self-Drive Tours Panama
Discover Panama your own way on a self-drive tour: flexible round trips from the Caribbean coast to the Pacific, carefully planned and backed by English-speaking support throughout your journey.
Self-Drive Tours Panama
Discover Panama your own way!
- Your trip, carefully planned
- Explore both the Caribbean and the Pacific
- Hiking, nature and culture, your way
- English-speaking support throughout your journey
Panama: an extraordinary travel destination
Striking landscapes, lush rainforests, mountains over 3,000 metres high, tropical islands and, of course, the lively capital Panama City and the Panama Canal. Panama also has a rich history, from pre-Columbian cultures and the discovery of the Americas to English pirates, the colonial era and the remarkable events that made building the Panama Canal possible. And on any trip here, the warmth and easy-going nature of the Panamanian people leave a lasting impression.
No two travellers are alike. Everyone wants to discover the country their own way while still seeing all the highlights. So we’ve put together trips with different focuses and activities: hiking, rainforest, the San Blas Islands, Caribbean and Pacific beaches, trekking and much more. Browse the programmes and discover just how varied Panama can be!
A guide to our round trips
Our self-drive tours come with all sorts of requirements and activities, from discovery trips with gentle walks to hiking trips and full trekking tours. That way you can experience Panama your own way, exactly as you like it.
Discovery trips
Our discovery trips show you the full range of Panama: its nature, its people and its sights. They suit anyone who enjoys the occasional walk. We include a stroll through the old town and the odd easy hike in the rainforest or the highlands.
Walks usually last between one and two hours, occasionally just under three, and we can tailor them to your fitness level and preferences (just let us know your fitness and preferences in the booking form).
Hiking trips
On our hiking trips we set out for a hike or a walk roughly every other day, depending on what’s on offer and worth seeing nearby. Most walks and hikes last 2–3 hours, with one or two running between four and six hours. Longer hikes are optional (for example, the climb up Volcán Barú).
On these trips we may also spend a night or two camping in a rainforest village (where conditions allow; we can arrange a hotel stay instead on request).
Trekking trips
Are you a hiker through and through, happy to take on a multi-day trek of 7–8 hours’ walking a day, and keen to do it in Panama’s rainforest? Then our trekking tours are made for you. We head out on a multi-day camping trek through Panama’s rainforests (for example, along the Camino Real, in Darién National Park or Santa Fé National Park), plus further hikes in El Valle and the Chiriquí highlands. Good fitness, training and sure-footedness are essential.
One thing to know: you will get wet. Hiking in the rainforest often means muddy trails and a rain shower or two.
All about Panama
All the important travel information about Panama:
Why a trip with Panamatura is something special
English-speaking guides
Experienced English-speaking guides are with you for the whole tour. We’ve been leading groups in Panama since 2007.
Easy booking
Payment on site in US dollars, or by bank transfer on request.
Small groups
Small groups mean a personal, up-close experience of the country and its culture.
Careful planning, long experience
Well-organised trips and punctuality are our hallmarks.
Trips in this category
5 trips
Panama Self-Drive Tour 4 Weeks – Pacific & Caribbean
Panama Self-Drive Tour Caribbean & Pacific
Four weeks combining guided tours around Panama City, an excursion to San Blas, and your own self-drive tour through western Panama from the Caribbean to the Pacific.
Panama Self-Drive Tour Caribbean & Pacific – 21 Days
A 21-day self-drive tour from Panama City: twice to the Caribbean, three times into the mountains and once to the Pacific, taking in El Valle, Santa Fé, Playa Jaguar, Santa Catalina, Coiba, Chiriquí, Boquete and Bocas del Toro.
Panama Self-Drive Tour Pacific & Caribbean with Playa Jaguar – 4 Weeks
Guided tours around Panama City, an excursion to San Blas and a self-drive tour through western Panama pack all the country's highlights into 29 days.
Panama Self-Drive Tour with San Blas – 3 Weeks
A 22-day combination of guided tours around Panama City, an excursion to the San Blas Islands, and an individual self-drive tour through the western provinces of Panama.