Restored colonial houses with iron balconies on a street in Casco Viejo, Panama City

Kosher Tour of Panama, July 2027

Panama City and the Panama CanalWhere

July 12–19, 2027Dates

$4,500 per personFrom

The tour

An eight-day kosher tour of Panama in July

Our kosher tour of Panama runs from Monday, July 12 to Monday, July 19, 2027, with the group and an English-speaking guide. You see the Panama Canal at the Miraflores Locks, the old quarter of Casco Viejo, the rainforest and Gatun Lake, an Emberá village on the Chagres River and the Caribbean coast, and you spend Shabbat with the Jewish community of Panama City. Every meal is kosher, and the touring, the transport and the hotel are arranged for you. The Canal, the Jewish community and the places on the route are described in our guide to kosher Panama.

8 days, 7 nights: Monday, July 12 to Monday, July 19, 2027, when schools in the US, Canada and Israel are out for the summer. Arrive in Panama City on the first day, fly home on the last.
One hotel: Seven nights at the five-star JW Marriott in Panama City, so you unpack once. The day trips return to the hotel each evening.
Meals: Three Glatt Kosher Mehadrin meals a day. Dinners are at Panama City's kosher restaurants: meat, dairy, Mediterranean and Italian.
Shabbat: With the Jewish community of Panama City: Friday night services at Ahavat Sion and a Shabbat dinner, then Shabbat lunch with the community.

A canal locomotive on its rails beside the lock gates, the white Miraflores control house behind — A locomotive at the Miraflores Locks

Thatched round houses on a forested hillside — An Emberá village

Panama City's skyline across the bay under blue sky and white clouds — Panama City across the bay

What the tour includes

Seven nights in a five-star hotel
Three kosher meals a day, with dinner at Panama City's kosher restaurants
Every activity on the itinerary, with an English-speaking guide
All transportation around Panama
A complete Shabbat program
Assistance 24 hours a day while you travel
Meeting you at the airport on arrival, and the transfer to Tocumen International Airport on the last day

Flights to and from Panama and travel insurance are not included. The recommended tip for the tour is $100 per person.

Kashrut

Kosher in Panama, at every meal

Every meal on the tour is Glatt Kosher Mehadrin. Panama City has a range of kosher restaurants, serving meat, dairy, Mediterranean and Italian food, and the group eats dinner at them over the week. On Shabbat you eat with the local Jewish community.

A minyan is arranged three times a day throughout the tour. Tell us about any allergy or dietary need when you reserve.

Green forested islands in Gatun Lake under a bright sky — Gatun Lake, Panama

The hotel

Seven nights in Panama City

The hotel: The JW Marriott, a five-star hotel in Panama City, for all seven nights.
Day trips: Gamboa, the Chagres River, the Caribbean coast near Colón and San Carlos are day trips: you come back to the same room every evening.
Your room: A king bed or twin beds, chosen on the reservation form.

The palm-lined Cinta Costera curving along the bay toward the towers of Panama City — The Cinta Costera, Panama City

Panama Bay from above, a coastal viaduct in the foreground and ships at anchor off green islands — Panama Bay, with ships at anchor

Day by day

The Panama itinerary, day by day

Day 1 · MondayArrival in Panama City. We meet you at the airport and take you to the hotel. After you settle in, a first walk through Casco Viejo, the restored colonial quarter, with its colorful streets, plazas, cafés and old buildings.Overnight: Panama City
Day 2 · TuesdayThe rainforest and Monkey Island. At Gamboa, choose between a zipline and an aerial tram ride over the rainforest canopy. Then a boat across Gatun Lake to Monkey Island, home to several kinds of monkey, with ships passing through the Panama Canal beside you.Overnight: Panama City

The white towers of the cathedral in Casco Viejo, Panama City, under a blue sky — The cathedral, Casco Viejo

Restored colonial houses with iron balconies in Casco Viejo — Balconies in Casco Viejo

A young black howler monkey climbing through green leaves — A howler monkey at Summit, on the road to Gamboa

The turquoise mouth of the Chagres River between forested banks — Panama's rainforest

Still lake water reflecting clouds and blue sky between low forested shores — Gatun Lake

A small forested island with a tall palm in green lake water, wooded hills behind — Gatun Lake

A white-faced capuchin monkey standing upright in long grass, holding a piece of fruit — A capuchin at Gatun Lake

A black howler monkey climbing a tree trunk with a baby clinging to its back — Howlers at Gatun Lake

Day 3 · WednesdayThe Emberá. A traditional piragua canoe up the Chagres River into the rainforest, a short walk to a waterfall, and a visit to an Emberá village for its music, dance and way of life, with lunch in the village.Overnight: Panama City
Day 4 · ThursdayThe Caribbean. A day at a beachfront resort on the Caribbean coast near Colón: white sand, clear water to swim in, and optional activities, before the drive back to Panama City.Overnight: Panama City

A row of painted wooden dugout canoes pulled up on a lakeshore under a tall tree, forested hills across the water — Dugout canoes at Puerto Corotú, Chagres National Park

The Chagres River winding through green rainforest on a sunny day — The Chagres River

A raised walkway across still water leading to thatched houses at the forest edge — An Emberá village

A winding river through dense mangrove forest to the sea, from above — Colón province, on the Caribbean side

Day 5 · FridayJewish Panama. Visits to the Jewish community's institutions and neighborhoods. In the evening, Shabbat services with the community at Ahavat Sion, followed by a Shabbat dinner.Overnight: Panama City
Day 6 · ShabbatShabbat in Panama City. Lunch with the local Jewish community, then an afternoon to rest or walk nearby at your own pace until Shabbat ends.Overnight: Panama City

The lit towers of Panama City at night along the water — Panama City at night

Day 7 · SundaySan Carlos. A full day off-road through the countryside west of Panama City: jungle tracks, beaches and waterfalls.Overnight: Panama City
Day 8 · MondayThe Panama Canal and home. After breakfast, the Miraflores Locks, to watch ships pass between the Atlantic and the Pacific and hear how the canal was built. Then the transfer to Tocumen International Airport for your flight home.Departure

Eroded red hills and forest in morning mist — The hills of San Carlos

A tent on the grassy shore of a still lagoon beneath forested hills — The lagoon at San Carlos

The white control house of the Miraflores Locks beside a lock chamber — The Miraflores Locks

Your guide

An English-speaking guide who knows Panama

An experienced English-speaking guide leads the tour from the first evening in Casco Viejo to the last morning at the Miraflores Locks, with every activity on the itinerary included.

On Friday and Shabbat the guide is joined by the community itself: you visit its institutions and neighborhoods, pray with it at Ahavat Sion and share its Shabbat table.

Families

Who the tour suits, and how active it is

The tour runs in July, when schools in the US, Canada and Israel are out for the summer, so school-age children can come, and the days are active: a zipline or an aerial tram, a canoe, a walk to a waterfall, a beach day and an off-road day.

A choice on the rainforest day: the zipline, or the aerial tram for anyone who prefers to sit
A short walk to the waterfall on the Chagres day
A beach day on the Caribbean, with time to swim or rest
Shabbat is a rest day, with the afternoon at your own pace
The reservation form asks for a short health declaration, because some tours are more active than others

Forested hills in morning fog, the towers of Panama City on the horizon — Rainforest along the Panama Canal

White sand and clear green water on the Caribbean coast, seen from above — The Caribbean coast near Colón

Price

What the Panama tour costs

The July 2027 tour is priced at $4,500 per person, sharing a double room, with a single supplement of $1,000. Children under 12 sharing with two adults pay 70% of the adult price.

The price covers the seven nights at the hotel, three kosher meals a day, the guide, the transportation, every activity on the itinerary and the Shabbat program. Flights to Panama and travel insurance are extra, as is anything you buy along the way.

Deposit and terms

What you pay, and when

Payment

On booking$1,000 per person
Balance120 days before departure

All prices and payments are in US dollars.

If you need to cancel

120 days or more before$500 per person
45 to 120 days before50% of the invoice
Within 45 daysNo refund

We strongly recommend travel insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage.

What happens after you inquire

You send a short inquiry
A few questions, with this tour already filled in.
We reply within one working day
The person for your region will be in touch with the itinerary and the reservation form.
We answer every question
Kashrut, rooms, children, the activities, flights, deposit and balance. We are happy to answer all of your questions so you can make an informed decision.
Places are confirmed in order of booking
The group has a fixed number of places. Your reservation form and deposit confirm yours.

Your hosts

Who is looking after you

David Walles
Tours
David runs our tours with Chana. They made Aliyah from Melbourne in 2008 and took over Eddie's Kosher Travel.
Chana Walles
Tours
Chana manages our tours with David.

Before you travel, send us your flight times so we can meet you at the airport. For anything else, the simplest route is an email or a call to the line for your region; every missed call and message is returned.

A brick lane in Casco Viejo between restored houses, lined with palms and potted plants — A lane in Casco Viejo

What our guests have to say

What guests said

“At the same time, you were able to customize the program to accommodate our own requests and suggestions, all seamlessly integrated.”

Elisheva and Anthony Leibler · Jerusalem · Iceland, with the children

“All we had to do was show up and things were taken care of for us.”

Tziporah and Eric · Chicago · Dubai, Chanukah 2022

Questions

Asked before booking the Panama tour

When is the next kosher tour of Panama?

Monday, July 12 to Monday, July 19, 2027: eight days in July, arriving in Panama City on the first Monday and flying home on the second. Send an inquiry for later departures.

Is there kosher food in Panama?

Yes. Panama City has a range of kosher restaurants, meat, dairy, Mediterranean and Italian, and the group eats dinner at them during the week. On the tour every meal is Glatt Kosher Mehadrin.

How is Shabbat kept on the tour?

Shabbat is spent in Panama City with the Jewish community: Friday night services at Ahavat Sion and a Shabbat dinner, then Shabbat lunch with the community and a quiet afternoon. A minyan is arranged three times a day throughout the tour.

Do we see the Panama Canal?

Yes, twice. On the second day you cross Gatun Lake, part of the canal, with ships passing beside the boat, and on the last morning you visit the Miraflores Locks to watch ships pass between the Atlantic and the Pacific.

Are flights included?

No. You book your own flights to and from Panama City. We meet you at the airport on arrival, so send us your flight times, and on the last day we take you to Tocumen International Airport.

Can we bring the children?

Yes. The tour runs in July, when schools in the US, Canada and Israel are out for the summer. Tell us the ages of your children when you inquire; children's prices and any age limits are given with the itinerary.

I am traveling on my own. Is there a single supplement?

Yes: $1,000 for a room of your own, on top of the per-person price.

Do I need travel insurance?

We strongly recommend insurance covering cancellation, medical care and luggage, bought soon after you pay your deposit so the cover is complete.

More escorted tours

Our other kosher tours in 2027

Kosher Tour of Japan, May 2027

Every escorted tour we run, with its dates, is on the kosher tours page.

Discover

The world beyond the ordinary.

Connect

Friendships that outlast the trip.

Enrich

Memories that touch the soul.

From$4,500 per person

The Old City of Jerusalem walls and the Dome of the Rock in golden light, trees and yellow flowers below

Inquire

Speak to someone about your trip

Call the line for your region, or send an inquiry and we will come back to you.

info@koshertravelers.com

Speak to Shelley in reservations. Every missed call and message is returned.

Since 1991 · Glatt Mehadrin