Description
Authentic Embera Village Day Trip at Chagres National Park
This tour has the perfect mix for a relaxing day in the jungle along with learning, sharing, and experiencing the lifestyle of the indigenous Embera people. You can admire the scenery while your canoe makes its way through the jungle, have the experience of walking in a tropical rainforest, enjoy swimming or wading at the locals’ favorite waterfall, and eat a delicious typical meal. These are some of the highlights for the day.
After your hotel pickup, you will ride by car to the port where our hosts will be waiting to start with a canoe ride up the river through the jungle. After 20 – 30 minutes of traveling by canoe, a walk through the rainforest will take you to the waterfall for relaxing, swimming or wading. Our day will continue with the visit to the community. Arriving at the village you will be greeted by its members, and will be able to explore the community and get a feel for how its people live and work. Many community members and their families will be around and happy to visit with you. A representative of the village will give a brief talk about the local culture, lifestyle, and crafts, as well as answer any of your questions.
General Details:
- Location: Chagres River and National Park
- Departure: 7:45 am (Approx.)
- Duration: 7 hours (Approx.)
- Start/Finalize: Your hotel in Panama City center
- Level of difficulty: Easy
- Group size: Small (Min. 2, Max. 8)
- Staff: Certificated Nature Guide
- Tour category: Outdoor & Cultural experience
What is included?
- Private transportation
- Hotel pick-up & drop-off
- Entrances fees to Chagres National Park
- Embera traditional lunch (Plantains, fresh fish and tropical fruits)
- Dug-out canoe ride, short jungle hike and waterfall visit
- Spanish & English-speaking tour leader
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Prices shown are in USD, per person, and based on a minimum of 2 people.
- Tour details may change due to severe rain, river conditions, or unforeseen events.
- Prices shown apply for participants 12 and up. Children from 5-11 receve a 50% discount.
- Before booking, please make sure to read and understand our cancellation policy.
What to bring?
- Bathing suit and water shoes
- Insect repellent
- sunscreen
- Hat and extra clothes
- Camera
- Rain gear (Rainy season: May to Dec.)
Is this experience for me?
Participants should feel comfortable entering and exiting a canoe and some trail walking through the jungle crossing small creeks. For those with physical limitations, there is also the option to wait for the other participants in the community instead of walking the trail, or skip this portion of the tour.
This tour is done with a small group. The tour will be guided by a certified guide, with an average of 4-6 people on the tour.
Small groups • Ethical wildlife experiences • Secure Booking
-
Pipeline/Gamboa Tour - We had a planned 8 hour lay over at PTY and honestly it was the best lay over ever! Natalia met us at the airport, we drove to Gamboa/ Pipeline,... read more and the driver stayed with our bags in the van as we explored several different areas. In addition to monkeys, a sloth, and a crocodile, we saw three different toucans, parrots, motmots, a trogon, a beautiful tiger heron, plus an additional 30 plus different birds. We also saw Natalia’s favorite - the ocellated antbird. Beautiful! Natalia was an excellent guide and we highly recommend her!
dezersky
January 6, 2026
Fun experiences with very good naturalist guides - Miguel ( first day) and Gaseth (boat, 2nd day) worked hard at showing us (my wife, young daughter, and myself) some of the most interesting wildlife and habitats in the... read more area around Gamboa, Panama. Both are excellent naturalists and were willing to flex so as to help us get close to and photograph quite a few wildlife species that we hadn't seen before.
Jet42756927473
December 3, 2025
Literally, the best guides in Panama City - We had the most amazing time with Panama Road Trips! Catherine was so helpful arranging our time in Panama City, with 4 excursions over 4 days. From planning, to pick-up... read more and drop-off at our lodgings, to the expert guides, we could not have asked for a better and more seamless experience. Miguel Ibarra guided us hiking Ancon Hill and Metropolitan Park; on a rainforest boat tour and nature walk in Soberania National Park; and on a Caribbean beach trip. His expert wildlife spotting made our trip! The scope he brings along allowed us to see the animals up close and he also photographed them through the scope for perfect memories. Miguel is so personable and knowledgeable about the area flora and fauna. We learned so much from him and really enjoyed our time together. We were guided by Juan Carlos on our city and canal tour, and were equally impressed by his knowledge and attentiveness. He also recommended a great restaurant for lunch in Casco Viejo when our tour concluded, which we appreciated and enjoyed. Panama Road Trips is an outstanding company, with professionals who care about the environment and welfare of the wildlife. We hope to return to Panama and join Miguel in Bocos del Toro someday! Highly, highly, highly recommend!!
Susan K
December 11, 2025 -
Excellent time! - I cannot say enough great things about our guide, Miguel. He was excellent. So knowledgeable and so skilled at spotting wildlife! He was friendly and made our experience so enjoyable.... read more The communication from both Catherine and Miguel was excellent. Best experience with a tour company I've ever had. I highly recommend this company !
BrendaBKB
January 13, 2026
Amazing Nature Experience - It was a fantastic experience. Miguel is a wonderful guide—kind, funny, and extremely knowledgeable about wildlife. He respects nature and the animals, which we really appreciated. I highly recommend him... read more if you want to spend an amazing day in the Panamanian monkey forest.
tarnora
February 9, 2026
A fantastic day in Soberania National Park - My friend and I had a lovely time on the Soberania National Park walk tour with Panama Road Trips. Our tour guide (Miguel) and driver (Jorge) were the best.... read more We were picked up at our hotel, and enjoyed the day in the park looking for wild life. Miguel went out of his way to find everything from sloths, toucans, lizards, caimans, lots of birds..even the ants and plants! He compiled a list for us and gave us pics and videos! All very much appreciated and enjoyed by us.
Celia L
February 3, 2026
Reserve this Tour
Please fill out the form below with your booking request. Payment is not requested until we verify availability for the dates that you are requesting, and also review any special request that you might have. By booking with us you are accepting our Terms & Conditions. If you have any question of how booking works, please see our Frequently Asked Questions for booking, and our 3 easy steps to book with us.
Are you ready for a great adventure?
Just 1 minute to start planning your experience in Panama.








