About this package
Central Panama packs an amazing variety of birds into a small area. In four days you bird four different habitats, all within about an hour of Panama City: the Pacific dry forest of Metropolitan Nature Park, the tall rainforest of Soberanía National Park along Pipeline Road, the wetter Caribbean slope at Achiote Road and Fort San Lorenzo, and the ponds, marshes and scrub of Old Gamboa Road. Birders often see 200 species or more.
The trip is private: just you, your bilingual local bird guide and a driver. You stay all five nights at the same quiet hotel next to Albrook airport, so there is no packing up, and the guide adjusts the plan to the weather and to the birds you most want to see.
Itinerary
Day 0: Arrival in Panama City
We meet you at Tocumen International Airport and take you to the Albrook Inn. Rest, or bird the hotel garden if you arrive early.
Day 1: Metropolitan Nature Park
A gentle start in the dry forest of Metropolitan Nature Park, ten minutes from the hotel: trails, a lookout over the city and the Canal, and specialties of Panama's Pacific slope. Lunch, then a free afternoon.
Day 2: Pipeline Road and the PRDC tower, all day
The famous Pipeline Road in Soberanía National Park, one of the best birding roads in the world. We start at dawn, look for antbird swarms, manakins, trogons and puffbirds, and climb the tower of the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center to see the canopy at eye level. Lunch in the field.
Day 3: Achiote Road and Fort San Lorenzo
We cross the isthmus to the Caribbean side, over the new Atlantic bridge near the Canal locks, to bird Achiote Road and the forest around the ruins of Fort San Lorenzo at the mouth of the Chagres River. Different birds from the Pacific side, and a beautiful drive. Lunch on the way.
Day 4: Old Gamboa Road, Summit Ponds and Plantation Road
Wetlands and forest edge on Old Gamboa Road and the Summit Ponds, a good place for herons, owls and Boat-billed Heron, then the forest trail of Plantation Road. Lunch, and back to the hotel for a last evening in Panama City.
Day 5: Departure
Transfer from the hotel to Tocumen International Airport. Want more birding? Add a day in the foothills at Cerro Azul, a boat trip on the Canal, or extra nights.
What's included
- 5 nights at the Albrook Inn, with breakfast (sharing a double room)
- Airport transfers from and to Tocumen International Airport
- Private bilingual local bird guide with spotting scope and field guide, 4 birding days
- Private transport with driver on all birding days
- Entry fees: Panama Rainforest Discovery Center and tower, Metropolitan Park, national park and San Lorenzo fees
- Lunch on the 4 birding days, drinking water and fruit
- A Guided Bird Tours thermal cup to keep
- 7% ITBMS tax
Not included
- International flights and travel insurance
- Dinners and drinks (the hotel has a restaurant, and Albrook Mall is a few minutes away)
- Tips for the guide and driver
- The small card or payment fee added at checkout
Birds to look for
A short selection of the specialties; your guide will plan each day around your own target list.
Metropolitan Nature Park
- Yellow-green Tyrannulet (Panama endemic)
- Lance-tailed Manakin
- Rosy Thrush-Tanager
- Keel-billed Toucan
Pipeline Road
- Great Curassow
- Ocellated Antbird (at ant swarms)
- Golden-collared Manakin
- Black-throated Trogon
- Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo (very rare)
Achiote Road and San Lorenzo
- Spot-crowned Barbet
- White-headed Wren
- Pied Puffbird
- Blue Cotinga
- Black-chested Jay
Old Gamboa Road and Summit Ponds
- Boat-billed Heron
- Capped Heron
- Spectacled Owl
- Jet Antbird
- Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant
How booking works
- Request your dates. Send us your arrival and departure dates and the number of travelers, by WhatsApp or email.
- Get your quote. We check guide and hotel availability and send you the itinerary and your final price, usually within one or two days.
- Pay a deposit. We send you a private, secure payment link (WeTravel). A 30% deposit confirms the trip.
- Pay the balance. The balance is due 60 days before arrival, on the same link. Booking less than 60 days ahead? You pay in full.
Cancellation rules for packages are in our Terms.
Practical information
Lodging
The Albrook Inn is a quiet, comfortable hotel with a garden, next to Albrook airport and close to the Canal and the birding sites.
Fitness
Easy walks on flat roads and trails; the PRDC tower has stairs. Days start early, around 6:00 am, to catch the best birding.
What to bring
Binoculars, light long-sleeved clothes, comfortable walking shoes, a rain jacket, sunscreen and insect repellent.
When to go
All year. The dry season (about January to April) is easiest; the rainy season is greener, quieter and great for birds.
