Upon arrival at the airport in Panama City, you will be transferred to the beautiful and historic Old Town for a 1-night stay.

You will be collected from the Old Town and drive to the western cloud forests of Panama Canopy Lodge. Nestled at 2,400 feet within the mountains of the Cerro Gaital Natural Monument, you will immediately notice the cooler, refreshing climate of the cloud forest. Following an orientation and time to settle in, the afternoon is yours to relax and observe the vibrant activity around the lodge’s carefully maintained feeding stations and grounds.

Your morning begins with an ascent along the Las Minas ridgeline. This trail offers sweeping views over forested mountains and, on a clear day, panoramic vistas of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In the afternoon, we contrast the morning's lush highlands with a visit to the Cara Iguana Trail, where you can explore one of the region’s last remaining stands of high-quality Pacific dry forest.

You will join a guided morning walking La Mesa: an area characterised by a visually striking blend of secondary forest, overgrown pastures and grassy borders. After lunch at the lodge, your guide will take you to venture to the Watercress Trail. This accessible, easy path winds through rich secondary forest, beautifully framed by the imposing mountain peaks of Cerro Gaital.

A full-day excursion takes you out of the highlands to explore unique coastal scrubland and Pacific dry forest habitats. You will enjoy a picnic lunch on the sandy shores of Santa Clara Beach before spending the afternoon exploring the coastal shrubbery and the wetland habitats of the Juan Hombron rice fields.

Today we tackle Cerro Gaital, navigating the steep, mist-shrouded cloud forest trails that reach elevations of 3,500 feet. The mature canopy here offers a dramatically different ecosystem to explore. In the afternoon, you will join a guided walk along the newly paved routes of Valle Chiquito, an area characterised by dense woodland intersected by two tranquil rivers.

You will join a visit to the higher elevations of El Candelario this morning, walking a ridge-line trail that separates open agricultural fields from dense, moss-covered cloud forest. After a midday siesta, explore dark, vine-tangled undergrowth along winding streams. The afternoon concludes with an optional visit to the El Valle artisan market to view traditional local crafts.

You will depart early in 4x4 vehicles to reach the highest elevation of this trip: Altos del Maria, situated at 3,600 feet. Here, you will spend a full day exploring the misty elfin forests, highland lakes and clear mountain streams. You will enjoy a picnic lunch alongside a scenic lake before walking a paved trail that follows a waterway through the dense western foothills.

Following a relaxed morning enjoying the lodge grounds, you will be driven two hours east into the Canal Zone. Your destination is the world-renowned Canopy Tower: an ingeniously repurposed radar installation perched atop Semaphore Hill in Soberanía National Park. Spend the afternoon taking in unparalleled, eye-level views of the rainforest canopy and the Panama Canal from the sweeping observation deck.

After an early morning observation session from the Tower’s deck, you will join a guided walk down Semaphore Hill Road. This winding, fully paved route offers excellent visibility into the interior forest and edge habitats. In the afternoon, visit the Ammo Dump Ponds near Gamboa - an exceptional wetland habitat surrounding the Canal waterways.

This morning, board an open-air vehicle to access the entrance of the legendary Pipeline Road, widely regarded as one of the premier rainforest trails in the Neotropics. In the afternoon, visit Summit Gardens: a botanical centre dedicated to Panama’s tropical diversity. Your visit includes an educational stop at the national raptor conservation exhibit to learn about the country's ecological history.

A short ride takes you to the base of Semaphore Hill to walk the Plantation Trail. This gentle, accessible path follows the Rio Chico Masambi through spectacular mature rainforest. In the afternoon, explore the rich riverside habitats and lush grounds lining the Chagres River, the primary tributary feeding the Panama Canal.

Today is dedicated entirely to venturing deeper into the world-famous Pipeline Road. You will navigate river crossings and primary rainforest, utilising a picnic lunch in the field to maximise our observation time in this globally celebrated biodiversity hotspot.

You will travel towards the Pacific coast to explore Metropolitan Park, a vast protected area on the outskirts of Panama City offering exceptional access to characteristic Pacific dry forest. After a midday rest, explore the semi-dry forests and quiet, sheltered lagoons of the Summit Ponds and Old Gamboa Road.

You will ascend the foothills of the San Blas Mountains for a full-day excursion to Cerro Azul and Cerro Jefe. Reaching elevations of 3,300 feet, the climate shifts noticeably as we explore these towering cloud-forested hills and elfin peaks. Lunch will be hosted at a picturesque private residence featuring highly active nectar feeders.

Departing central Panama, you will begin a scenic five-hour journey east toward the wild frontier of the Darién Lowlands. We break the journey with exploratory stops at the Bayano Lake bridge and the Río Mono riverbanks to observe waterside habitats. By late afternoon, you will arrive at a comfortable African-style tented camp immersed in the forest.

You will awake to the sounds of deep rainforest and spend the morning exploring Nando’s Trail, which winds through the towering Cuipo trees of the camp's private primary forest reserve. In the afternoon, you will be driven towards Yaviza – the literal end of the Pan-American Highway – to explore swampy meadows and lowland forests, concluding with an after-dark spotlighting walk.

This morning focuses on El Salto Road, which cuts through open dry forest and culminates at the mighty Río Chucunaque. Mid-morning, visit the Tierra Nueva Foundation to explore trails surrounding a sustainable agriculture school. The afternoon is spent exploring the rural farmland, dry scrub, and rich aquatic habitats of the Las Lagunas road and Aruza Lagoons.

You will be taken to venture into the Filo del Tallo Hydrological Reserve and hike Quebrada Felix, navigating a rocky stream entirely enveloped by mature, tall-canopy lowland forest. In the afternoon, visit the area surrounding Lajas Blancas, the closest indigenous Embera community to the camp, exploring a diverse mix of open pastures and mature secondary forest.

A full-day cultural and ecological excursion takes us to the Embera village of Nuevo Vigia. You will travel in traditional dugout canoes (piraguas), navigating the Chucunaque and Tuquesa Rivers to reach remote secondary dry forests and hidden lakes. After a picnic lunch, you will meet local people who craft traditional masks and wood carvings, before returning to camp.

Your final full day in Darien begins with a morning expedition to Aligandi, an expansive area defined by its unique scrub forest and colossal canopy trees. The afternoon is reserved for a relaxed exploration of the camp's immediate trails and vibrant flowering verbenas. You will conclude your Darién adventure with a farewell dinner and a final evening listening to the nocturnal sounds of the forest.

After a final breakfast in the Darién rainforest, you commence our journey back to civilisation. The tour officially concludes upon arrival at the airport hotel in Panama City, marking the end of an extraordinary Neotropical wildlife experience.

Depart Panama City.