Panama · 12 nights · Both coasts and the highlands

Grand Panama, Two Oceans: 12-Night Itinerary

Couples
Adventure

In short. Twelve nights across Panama with no backtracking: Casco Viejo, the Caribbean at Tranquilo Bay, the Boquete coffee highlands, then a private island in the Gulf of Chiriquí. The Canal, two oceans and a quetzal in one trip.

Nights: 12
Stops: 4
Fly in / out: PTY
Best months: Dec to Apr

Facts checked 10 November 2026

Why this route

The whole country in twelve nights, in an order that never doubles back.
Both oceans: the Caribbean reef at Bocas del Toro and the Pacific islands of the Gulf of Chiriquí.
It ends on Isla Palenque, a private island with eight beachfront casitas, not on the mainland.

Our team

The route at a glance

Numbered stops in order. Solid line by road, dashed line by air or boat.

Casco Viejo, Panama City 3 nights
Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro 3 nights
Boquete 3 nights
Isla Palenque, Gulf of Chiriquí 3 nights

Day by day

Days 1 to 3 · 3 nights

Casco Viejo, Panama City

Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo

Getting here: A private transfer from Tocumen International Airport (PTY) to your hotel in Casco Viejo.

Day 1
Arrive in Panama CityLand at Tocumen International Airport and transfer to Casco Viejo. The evening is yours, for a first walk through the old quarter's plazas.
Day 2
The Canal and the old quarterA morning at the Miraflores Locks watching ships move through the Panama Canal, then the afternoon in Casco Viejo.
Day 3
Casco ViejoA slow day in the old quarter: its plazas, rooftops and the waterfront.

Days 4 to 6 · 3 nights

Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro

Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge

Getting here: A one-hour Air Panama flight from Albrook to Bocas del Toro, then a boat to Isla Bastimentos.

Day 4
To the CaribbeanThe flight to Bocas del Toro and the boat to the lodge.
Day 5
The reefSnorkeling at the Zapatilla Cays, and a night kayak among the bioluminescence.
Day 6
RainforestBirding from the lodge's canopy tower and a guided rainforest walk.

Finca Panda Coffee Farm & Luxury Casitas

Days 7 to 9 · 3 nights

Boquete

Finca Panda Coffee Farm & Luxury Casitas

Getting here: A boat to Almirante, then about three hours and twenty minutes by road over the mountains to Boquete.

Day 7
Over the mountainsThe boat to Almirante and the drive up to Boquete.
Day 8
CoffeeA private coffee cupping on a farm in the hills, Geisha included.
Day 9
Barú and the cloud forestA morning on the trails of Volcán Barú National Park looking for the resplendent quetzal.

Days 10 to 12 · 3 nights

Isla Palenque, Gulf of Chiriquí

Isla Palenque Resort

Getting here: By road down to Boca Chica, then a 15-minute boat to the island.

Day 10
To the islandThe drive to Boca Chica and the short boat across, then the afternoon on the beach.
Day 11
Beach and reefSnorkeling and kayaks from the island.
Day 12
A day of your ownThe beach, the forest trails or a boat out to the gulf's islands.

Day 13

Fly home Back to the mainland and David, a flight to Panama City, then on to Tocumen International Airport (PTY) for your flight home.

Where you stay

Casco Viejo, Panama City

PremiumHotel La Compañía Casco Antiguo

A restored Jesuit convent with five restaurants and a rooftop pool

LuxurySofitel Legend Casco Viejo

A 1917 club building on the Casco Viejo waterfront

Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro

PremiumTranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge

Nine cabanas, a canopy tower and guided reef and rainforest days

Boquete

PremiumFinca Lérida

A working coffee estate and cloud forest reserve near Boquete

LuxuryFinca Panda Coffee Farm & Luxury Casitas

Five private casitas on a working coffee farm in Boquete

Isla Palenque, Gulf of Chiriquí

LuxuryIsla Palenque Resort

A private 400-acre island with eight beachfront casitas and seven beaches

Is it for you?

Perfect if you

have twelve nights and want to see all of Panama
like a mix of nature, coffee and beach
are fine with one long road day over the mountains

Think twice if

want to unpack once or twice: Casco Viejo and a Private Island is our shortest route
have a week or less

How it compares

Route	Nights	Stops	Best for
Grand Panama, Two Oceans	12	Casco Viejo, Panama City, Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro, Boquete, Isla Palenque, Gulf of Chiriquí	A first trip that wants to see the whole country
Cloud Forest and Caribbean	10	Casco Viejo, Panama City, Boquete, Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro	Active couples who want both oceans' worth of nature
Coffee Highlands and the Pacific Islands	10	Casco Viejo, Panama City, Boquete, Isla Palenque, Gulf of Chiriquí	Couples who want the city, coffee country and a beach

Questions travelers ask

How do we travel between the regions?

A one-hour flight from Albrook to Bocas del Toro, a boat and about three hours and twenty minutes by road over the mountains to Boquete, then road and a short boat to the island, and a flight back to Panama City at the end.

Could we end on Islas Secas instead?

Yes. Islas Secas is a private archipelago of 14 islands, all-inclusive, reached on the resort's own plane from Panama City. We rebuild the end of the trip around it.

When is the best time to go?

Mid-December to mid-April is the dry season on the Pacific side, where this trip spends most of its nights.

Can we change the hotels or the nights?

Yes. Every trip is built around you, from the Panama City hotel to the island at the end.

Why book with us

Built by My Costa Rica, a destination management company based in Costa Rica since 2004, trusted by more than 25,000 travelers.

Make it yours

Tell us your dates and who is coming, and we will shape this route around you.

Make it yours

Sources: Air Panama schedule (airpanama.com, last updated October 2026); Boquete to Almirante and David to Boca Chica by road (maps, read 9 November 2026); Pacific dry season (birdingpanama.com, read 9 November 2026); the hotel pages on this site, read 10 November 2026.