About this package
This is our most complete Central Panama trip. In seven days you bird the lowlands on both sides of the Canal and the foothills on both sides of the city, from the Pacific dry forest of Metropolitan Nature Park and the rainforest of Pipeline Road to the cloud forest of Cerro Azul and the highland valley of El Valle de Antón. Birders often see 250 species or more.
The trip is private: just you, your bilingual local bird guide and a driver. Seven nights are at the same quiet hotel next to Albrook airport, so you only pack once, for the night in El Valle. Your guide adjusts the plan to the weather and to your target birds.
Itinerary
Day 0: Arrival in Panama City
We meet you at Tocumen International Airport and take you to the Albrook Inn.
Day 1: Metropolitan Nature Park
A gentle start in the dry forest of Metropolitan Nature Park, ten minutes from the hotel, with specialties of Panama's Pacific slope and a lookout over the city and the Canal. Lunch, then a free afternoon.
Day 2: Pipeline Road and the PRDC tower, all day
The famous Pipeline Road in Soberanía National Park: antbird swarms, manakins, trogons and puffbirds, and the tower of the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center for the canopy at eye level. Lunch in the field.
Day 3: Birding by boat on the Chagres River and Gatún Lake
A morning on the water from Gamboa, along the Chagres River and the islands of Gatún Lake: herons, Limpkin, kingfishers, raptors, and monkeys along the shore, with the big ships of the Canal passing by. Lunch.
Day 4: Achiote Road and Fort San Lorenzo
We cross to the Caribbean side, over the Atlantic bridge near the Canal locks, to bird Achiote Road and the forest around the ruins of Fort San Lorenzo. Lunch on the way.
Day 5: Cerro Azul and Cerro Jefe
Up into the foothills east of the city: cloud forest, tanagers, hummingbirds at the feeders, and specialties of the Darién highlands that reach this far west. Lunch.
Day 6: El Valle de Antón
Drive west to El Valle de Antón, a village inside an old volcanic crater, birding the forest trails and gardens on arrival. Night at a small guesthouse in El Valle.
Day 7: El Valle morning, back to Panama City
A last morning of foothill birding in El Valle, lunch, and the drive back to the Albrook Inn.
Day 8: Departure
Transfer from the hotel to Tocumen International Airport.
What's included
- 8 nights with breakfast (sharing a double room): 7 at the Albrook Inn, 1 at a guesthouse in El Valle
- Airport transfers from and to Tocumen International Airport
- Private bilingual local bird guide with spotting scope and field guide, 7 birding days
- Private transport with driver on all birding days
- Boat on the Chagres River and Gatún Lake
- Entry fees: Panama Rainforest Discovery Center and tower, Metropolitan Park, national parks, San Lorenzo, Cerro Azul and El Valle sites
- Lunch on the 7 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
- 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
Pipeline Road
- Great Curassow
- Ocellated Antbird (at ant swarms)
- Golden-collared Manakin
- Black-throated Trogon
Birding by boat
- Cocoi Heron
- Limpkin
- Purple Gallinule
- Wattled Jacana
Achiote Road and San Lorenzo
- Spot-crowned Barbet
- White-headed Wren
- Pied Puffbird
- Black-chested Jay
Cerro Azul and Cerro Jefe
- Tacarcuna Bush-Tanager
- Rufous-winged Tanager
- Yellow-eared Toucanet
- Violet-capped Hummingbird
El Valle de Antón
- Tody Motmot
- White-ruffed Manakin
- Orange-bellied Trogon
- Snowy-bellied Hummingbird
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 next to Albrook airport, close to the Canal and the birding sites. In El Valle we stay at a small, simple guesthouse.
Fitness
Easy walks on roads and trails; the PRDC tower has stairs. Days start early, around 6:00 am. Cerro Azul and El Valle are cooler: bring a light jacket.
What to bring
Binoculars, light long-sleeved clothes, comfortable walking shoes, a rain jacket, a light jacket for the foothills, 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.
