All-inclusive San Blas Islands Day Tour From Panama City

San Blas Islands trip was absolutely fabulous. Well worth the long drive from Panama City up the mountains to the Atlantic Ocean in the Guna people's speed boat ferry, taking us to four of the 365 isles for beach time and tasty lunch. Shout out to our driver Jhony. Our tour guide Nitie was excellent and organized and ran a really tight ship. We took lots of photos starting fron the San Blas Hills on the mainland. Some of the young visitors were overheard saying they go to the islands every weekend! Lucky them. Panama just keeps on giving.

This trip was absolutely amazing. It was the trip of my dreams. Each staff member from texts before you go, the driver, the boat drivers, the staff on the islands were beyond amazing. Thank you for such a wonderful trip.

I absolutely enjoyed the view of the islands, the only downside is the long ride & tight roads a long the way. I know they do warn you before booking, but this is my honest opinion. I enjoyed the food & the tour guides were very friendly . I would book again the views were just so amazing you cannot get this experience in the city of Panama

The Islanda are spectacular. Our driver to the site was very knowledgable and gave us a deep historical intro to the site. I wanr to ask the organizers to thank him. It was worth every penny and of course met some great people there.

This experience was amazing so I will start from the beginning. I took my 10-year-old son to the sandblast Islands. We left from Panama City where picked us up promptly and communicated. Well. We drove about an hour and stopped at a market, but just a small place we could buy somefood and or snack snacks and use the bathroom and then we continued on. We went through the mountains at this point and the road was paved. was new. It was very windy up down around. I typically don’t feel well as a passenger in the vehicle on a regular basis anyways and I took medication so I would lesson the nausea. It did help given that the car ride was already approximately three hours just being tired and a bit hungry and then adding the windy roads didn’t help much, but it was bearable and it was a very nice drive. The guide pointed out birds and animals in the trees such as sloths there was also a lot of iguanas things of that nature we arrived to the I guess the dock where we were we gonna take the boat to the island or islands and we had to wait about 30 minutes once we got there which was good because it was busy, but also you want to use the bathroom before you go given that the ride was pretty long. Most people had had coffee and breakfast by that point so they were anticipating using the bathroom as well as just being on land and not being moving in some kind of vehicle felt good. Gave you time to get a little bit organized and then once we got on the boat, it was very nice. It was covered. You don’t get wet much at all on the water was very calm so perhaps if it was rough you would you might get wet and we went to the first island we spent about two hours there it was so beautiful. The water was clear. You could see everything. The sand was white white. I would bring a lot of sunblock and drink a lot of water even if you’re paying attention, you’re getting dehydrated if you aren’t drinking. On the island you can buy some small food. There was chicken. It’s fried and french fries there was some little snack snacks you could get andof course they sold alcohol and nonalcoholic beverages. They did accept card. There was a little bit of a charge for the card because the percentage that get charged, they pass onto the consumer, which was maybe a dollar or so then we left this island. We went to another very very small island which had a sandbar which was also amazing there were starfish in thewater you could walk around on the sandbar and on the tiny island they sold things to you buy like little memorabilia’s they only accept cash and most the indigenous people they didn’t speak any English or Spanish. They have their own language, but they could tell you how much they wanted for each item they didn’t appreciate pictures most of them you you have to be very respectful. They are a person they’re not just there for entertainment. We then went another island where we had lunch and the food was very delicious. I had chicken and as well as my son had chicken members of our group hadfish. There was a vegetarian dish and there was also shrimp. Kind of look like a stirfry with rice and beans and you could choose like fried banana or different veggies so that was that was really yummy and it came with a drink of your like some kind of soda or juice or water. We didn’t stay there very long and maybe an hour so if you finished eating, you couldgo explore there were swings in the water. The water again was crystal crystal clear it was so beautiful. There’s also bathrooms that you can use you weren’t charged to use any of the bathrooms. I know some places you have to pay $.25 that’s also something I should mention when you get to the port when you first arrive where you’re gonna get on the boat to the islands you need to have some coins so $.25 per person to use the bathroom bathrooms there. After we ate and our visit was done on that island we went to the final island and we stayed there for just maybe 30 mins, then we made our way back to the dock and at this time, it was now nearing 4 o’clock in the afternoon boat ride back was very nice. It was relaxing. A lot of people were very tired and falling asleep. After which we arrive to the dock, we could use the bathroom prior to leaving. Just know that it’s gonna be quite busy cause everybody’s coming back aboutthis exact same time because it will be dark shortly and that’s why we’re leaving around that time. So we drove back we made one stopat a little convenient store. Could use the bathroom. If you wanted a snack you could buy something once again. And we arrived to our condo around 8 PM. There was a bit of traffic which is perfectly normal. There’s a lot of traffic in Panama City. There’s only three ways in and out. All in all it was an amazing experience. I highly highly recommend visiting the sandblast islands. It was pictures ass pictures. Do not do it justice. It was just an outstanding experience. If I would’ve known, I would have stayed on the sandblast island at least for a night if not too, there’s things to do if you water and there’s volleyball you know you can relax in the sun and if you enjoy reading or just playing games with family or if you’re solo, you just wanna look out I mean it’s beautiful. You can really just spend time being present. One of the most memorable things I did on my holiday in Panama. I would 💯 go back just to stay on the San Blas islands!

Excellent trip, very well organized and a must if you are like to explore and experience different cultures and scenes. Everything from the pickup, ride and boat ride was well executed. Guna Yala aka San Blas(t) islands are truly a blast.

Had a very good experience. It was exactly as described. The drive was long on very windy roads. One teenager (not our family but sharing ride) got nauseous on the drive and we gave him some Dramamine. Our guide (Richard), driver (Joel), etc. were very courteous and helpful. At the dock area, where our driver dropped us off and we waited to board the boat, we were waiting with 60 or 70 people for boats. The restrooms there were disgusting and one needed to pay a quarter to use the facilities. When we got there it was initially unclear that payment was required and we got yelled at. This was not the fault of Tau Travel. Several companies had people waiting there. It was just the dock area. But, Tau might let people know and have some quarters available. Also, pressure the dock to improve the facilities. They were REALLY bad. Also, be aware that entering the indigenous area requires an actual border crossing with passports. It’s not like driving onto an Indian reservation in the U.S. It’s almost like entering another country. The islands were beautiful. It was a lovely day.

Best ever the prole the place all the Service is great join this trip never forger

We had the best time on this trip Excellent value for money. Our driver Javier was friendly, an expert on the twisty roads and determined to spot a sloth for us which he did! The boat was bumpy, our guide was v friendly The islands we visited were absolutely beautiful. We had a good amount of time on each. The food was good, vegetarian option too Even some WiFi and card payments on some islands!

This was an amazing trip. I read a lot of negative reviews about the long bumpy trip and I would have to say disregard those. Those have to people that have never travel. It took about three hours to get to our destination. Along the way, the driver stopped so we can buy some snacks. Once we reached the boats, the experience on the water was beautiful. I enjoyed the time on the different islands.

I am a seasoned traveler, and this was the worst tour, if you can call it that, ¡that I have ever taken! I booked the All-Inclusive San Blas Islands Tour (+$170 per person) and was not given what was stated during the booking. My time in Panama was limited; unfortunately, my chance to experience what I planned (and was sold) was ruined. Although I can’t return in time, I hope Viator attempts to make it right. The night before the scheduled tour, I contacted the supposedly “guide,” Adrian, to confirm the 5 a.m. pick-up time. I am glad I did, as he then said he would be there at 4:45 a.m. It's no big deal here, but I thought it was odd that there was no communication on the time change. He was late and showed up shortly after 5. Again, no big deal here. We were about one hour into the trip to the Island when Adrian stopped at a gas station so people could buy snacks (there were four other visitors in our car). We were there for almost an hour, and he was behind the counter, serving food to customers at this establishment. It was very strange. On the way to the islands, he stopped and left the car in the middle of the road. Another guy (I have no idea what his name was as he never introduced himself) started driving the car we were in. It was scary. He never said a word until we arrived at the Island entrance and asked all six ppl in the car to pay $20 per person. I told him in Spanish, as he did not speak English (although, as per the Viator description, our guide would speak English), that our fees were included in the package. I had the proof, but he didn't care, so I had to pay an additional $44 cash to enter. When we arrived to take the boat, we had to wait another 20 minutes to get more people, who turned out to be locals. When we finally started heading to the island, the boat they put us in, apart from being in terrible shape, was exuding strong fumes and was extremely loud. It felt like a hostage takeover rather than a vacation tour. We were not allowed to get out when we got to the island. To my surprise, we were there to take in more passengers! We didn’t arrive on an island until 11 AM! I have no idea about the name of the island as we didn't have a guide – again, Adrian, who I thought was our guide, left the car before we even made it there. Lunch was served cold at the second island around 1:30 pm. One hour later, the gentleman transporting us via boat said we could either go to the last island (the description said four islands) or stay one more hour on this island before heading back. He said all the others in the group wanted to stay, so I was stuck visiting only two islands or creating a very uncomfortable situation with others in the group. The islands were packed with camping tents and tons of tourists. So much for “visit quiet destinations that aren’t full of tour groups,” as described on the tour I purchased from Viator. Also, I didn’t bring goggles to snorkel because the description stated, “snorkeling gear will be provided,” and a shocker, it was not. Back to the parking lot from the loudest boat, after serving as a taxi and stopping to drop people not on our group off at the island we were not visiting, Adrian magically showed up again to take us back to the hotel. He stops at the same gas station and offers the passengers a 10-minute bathroom break. He was gone for over 30 minutes! I was not given the tour I purchased. Not even close to the description. This was a horrible experience, and my only beach day in Panama was robbed from me.

This was a fabulous tour. We got to explore 3 separate islands and the snorkeling was excellent. There was a wreck on one island, the water was crystal clear on all the island and colors beautiful. Would definitely recommend.

The ground transportation was pretty good but the day was horrible! (Rainy cloudy and cool ) Talking with someone from the isles the weather was horrible the last three days, and Tao did not cancel the day trip, even knowing that. I felt cheated. We did not enjoy at all the experience. I hope nobody buy in advance as me the tour.

Johhny!! Thank you for driving us so safely up and down those winding roads! Was definitely like a roller coaster...lol, but in a safe non screaming way. Day started off so cloudy and rainy, once we got on the boat and headed to the islands, Sun was out and we had a blast in the water! The local food was good as well! More spices would have been great, but being Caribbean we always like more spice...lol Worth the trip!

Great experience!! The drive and boat ride to islands are long but thats what is needed to get a chance to visit these beautiful islands. The day was very relaxing and you can honestly nap for most of the car ride. Lunch was fantastic too. Our driver Johnny picked us up right on time, and basically we remained on the exact schedule laid out in itinerary. I would 100% do this again without hesitation and recommend anyone traveling to Panama to experience thid

Amazing experience, beautiful islands, nice beaches. Great trip to enjoy Mother nature with people you care the most

Great day! It's a wonderful experience that is well handled. It's a long travel day but the tour operators handle everything and were prompt with all timing. The islands were beautiful and lunch was delicious. I will absolutely do this activity again when I'm back in Panama City!

This was a beautiful tour of the four island which was amazing. The people were amazing. Davies was our tour guide he was super nice. The food on the third island was really good. The only negative thing was the last island it started to rain and the boat ride back was very very bumpy. The drive there and back was 3 hours each way from our hotel but definitely worth it

This is a long journey to get to the boat transfer. When you get to the boat transfer you wait around for awhile til someone tells you to get on a boat. We got the back of the boat which has a gas smell. The 1st island we went to was flooded and nothing to really do. Then it was time to go 2 hours later which it started to rain hard. Then a boat ride in pouring rain to the next stop. After that spot we went to the next island for lunch which was inside which was great because of the rain. It finally stopped rain which was nice and sun came out and everybody’s mood got better. It was a great trip once sun was shining. The staff were all great and can’t change the weather but glad it got better because it sure started off rough. It is a long day but in the end worth it.

If you have ever been to an island or a beach before, I would not recommend this excursion. It is not worth the 5-6 hours of drive time plus all of the time in a 'boat'. If you cut the drive out, it might be ok. They literally 'drop you off' at an island which is very tiny with nothing to do and repeat this 3-4 times. If you just want to lay out on a beach and hang in the ocean for a few hours, then this might work for you.

A geat opportunity to get out of Panama City and get to the tranquility of the islands. The ride to the boats is long from Panama City but it's worth the effort. The San Blas Islands are a must see part of any Panama City trip.

Wonderful trip to the beautiful islands of San Blas in March. Great experience for one day. Although it is a long journey to go there and back from Panama City, but is is as stated in the travel description. The tiny islands and the warm sea are worth it. Don't forget sun protection!

I had an amazing time here. The food was good. Blanco was a great tour guide. I enjoyed myself immensely. It is a beautiful place to visit.

Beautiful place! It was a journey to get there from our resort, but a must see if traveling to panama 🌞

The journey to get there is a long one, but this excursion is worth the effort. Our driver was excellent as there are many steep hills on the two hour plus drive. You MUST bring your passport or they will not let you in. I suggest bring a dry bag as the boat ride to the island can get you wet. Also, bring a beach blanket as tables and chairs on limited on the islands. The water is beautiful, lunch is provided, there are stops at multiple islands and a sand bar. Don't disturb the starfish and bring your snorkeling gear. Prepare yourself for an all day adventure and yes it really is worth it.

The weather wasn’t very good but it was still a great day! Our guides were wonderful and the scenery was still amazing!! Also, the road was paved for the most part getting there so not as bumpy as I was expecting. All in all it was a great day!!

The trip was worth it! Here's a timeline to know what to expect. 0500 Hotel Pickup 0600 Store stop at big supermarket with food spot 0820 Dock Arrival 0900 Departure for First Island 0940 First Island 1140 Second Island with Lunch 1330 Sand bar stop for 20 minutes 1400 Last Island 1500 Return to Dock 1830 Arrival at Hotel

The only reason I didn’t rate this as a 5 is because there was not much of an explanation or discussion about where we were or the indigenous peoples/community we visited. I think this is because our guide didn’t speak much English. Otherwise a fantastic experience and our driver was very funny and engaging.

Tour put too many people in the van....ride is 4 hrs from Panama and very hilly and bumpy....everyone should have had a headrest and been more comfortable in the van. Don't be so cheap!

I thought that the last island we could have missed it was so close to the 2nd island, it took as much time to get on and off the boat as the time we had on the island

Our tour guide Adrian drove us to the port. We left the hotel at 5am. On the way there we stopped on the side of the highway because another Tao tour had a mishap in passengers and Adrian decided to waste our time for 20 mins and did not mention anything until the end of the 20 mins when we all asked what happened. We stopped at small place for coffee but the vendor had no coffee so Adrian took us to an authentic Panama stall where we had fried dough and coffee simple but good and appreciated. We visited 3 islands of which we were not informed their names. Lunch sucked. For the price paid for this tour lunch was not filling at all. The fish is small. The sides are a joke and the cheap things like white rice they give you more than the chicken fish or the unpeeled shrimp. If you are vegetarian the lunch will really suck for you. We were not offered one bottle of water by Adrian during the trip. Everyone was hungry, dehydrated and tired. The 3rd island nirban is the name I think is dirty from water to the Shelly sand. The first island had beer glass and garbage in the sand and water. The bathrooms rate really gross esp for women. On the way back, we got stuck on highway for 3 hours due to Panama protests. Adrian knew about the protests as he drove us in full speed down the wavy steep roads and his friends were WhatsApp him messages about the protest which I could see from back of the seat yet he did not tell us. Once on the highway he moved the car to an auto shop parking lot which was dirty with dogs wandering there. No bathroom no food stuck for 3 hours in hot humid weather where we smelled car fuel for 3 hrs. Adrian parked the car at the auto shop lot and left the car and ac on and disappeared and left us in the car for 3hrs. Other tour guides from other tour companies had to move our car as it was in the way amid protest chaos. Another tour guide came and shut our car off so it does not lose battery. We asked him where Adrian was and they said they had no clue. It is disappointing that he left us in a country during a protest in a car by ourselves in u safe environment. We had one passenger who was sitting in back of the car and had no way out as there was no door to get out. We could have been harmed. The tour car sucks as well. It can only comfortably hold 3-4 people the back part of the car has NO leg room and no door to get out. The car was dirty and the seats were sandy and not cleaned the night before. We have yet to be comprnsated in some way for this inconvenience.

Overall, it was a great day. We‘d almost backed out of the trip due to the reviews and warnings about the road to the port from Panama City…let me reassure you that those are overblown. You get picked up at 5am. It takes 90min of straight roads to get to a gas station for a comfort break before you even reach the hills. The roads up are windy with many steep ups and downs but they have all been fixed recently - there were no potholes and overall, it was a nice 90min drive along beautiful lush vegetation. We had taken some meds against motion-sickness as a precaution but it probably wouldn’t have been necessary. At the port, we unfortunately had to wait for almost an hour - one that we would have very much preferred to spend in our beds before the tour. The guide that showed up did speak some English but he told us that we had 2h on island 1, when it was effectively 2.5h and didn’t tell us we would go from there to a sandbank to look for starfish before lunch. Thus, we had changed out of our wet clothes, sat around for half an hour waiting, then had to jump into the water with the fresh clothes…it could all have gone a bit smoother with better communication. That said, lunch was lovely and the islands were stunningly beautiful. I went snorkeling on all 3 islands and the sandbank and saw a giant eagle ray, 2 large starfish, a ship wreck and some beautiful corals. The beaches are white and a bit wild, like from a Robinson Crusoe movie. Overall, we would have liked to spend 2-3 more days there but if someone is only in Panama City for a short time, this day-trip is a must-do.

First Viator made the process of booking very easy, straight forward and smooth. I particularly liked Viator's clear, precise and accurate description of the tour which in my opinion is not as rustic as stated. Edgar our driver for the day was simply fantastic and drove with due care. As stated in other reviews, he indeed knew all the bumps and pot holes to avoid so the ride was very smooth despite the many bends and corners. All the crew on the boat were most pleasant and ensured we had an enjoyable experience. I would recommend this tour, just a friendly caution that it is indeed a full day but in my opinion worth the drive and enjoy beautiful nature at it's best.

Had a great time. To get to the islands takes a while and it’s rough terrain but the staff is great and once there, heaven!!

Adrian was very friendly and accommodating. He knew exactly what he was doing and got us to the port at a good time.

The islands were awesome! The whole experience was amazing. Well organised, well cleaned vehicle, safe driving. Amenities on the islands basic, but that’s why they are still unique and genuine.

The island’s are beautiful! I had a great time on the tour. My favorite part is watching the boat captains and the guided figuring out how to make sure everyone gets the specific tour they paid for… not everyone is seeing what you are. For example I opted to have lobster for lunch and not everyone did. Just before lunch I was moved to a different boat of lobster eaters and we went to the island where lobster are cooked then. Its quite an art. They took great care of us and we all had an awesome day!

Islands are wonderful. Great views, serene waters with no waves, shallow warm water and no rain when I was there. Only downside is the long ride to and back from the islands from Panama City. If you can spare some time and overnight stay would be better instead of a 14 hour day.

We had a wonderful day trip from Panamá City. The roads were not bad and the islands were stunning! Loved it!

The San Blas islands are a magical place. The beaches and the water are some of the most clean waters I've ever seen. Free from man made pollution and sea weeds. Everything from the guide to the Kuna people were so friendly. The lunch was very simple but delicious. Some of the best freshly caught fried fish I've ever had. The 4x4 expedition through thr jungle was scary at times and my son did puke but it was all worth it to us at the end. One day is not enough. Next time we will do an overnight stay.

We had such a blast! I feel like they did an excellent job preparing us for what to expect and managing expectations. I am an extremely motion sick person, extremely, so the info about the drive there made me a bit nervous. To prepare I wore the pressure point wrist bands, motion sick patch behind the ear and I took oral medication from the pharmacy there too. I’m so glad they use a 4x4 vehicle because it really absorbed all the movement and was really smooth. Our driver was also excellent, I felt like he could have driven those roads with his eyes closed. He knew where every pothole was, how to take every turn, and when to press the brakes and gas. I couldn’t believe I didn’t need them to pull over for me. The islands were also incredible, views like you’d see on your computer’s screen saver. I was surprised I had cell service and one of the islands had delicious pina coladas. I almost didn’t do this activity and I’m so glad we did, 100% worth it.

I really enjoyed the tranquil surroundings, and free time to just relax on the beach. The water is so clear, and the snorkeling is great. However, my snorkel was collected before we went to the starfish stop. An older gentleman attempted to get out of the boat, only to be told by the guide that "it's for the young people." I guess that was why my snorkel was collected to; although I'm in just as good shape as "the young people." So, I didn't really appreciate that, but still an overall wonderful experience. I think also the stops at the convenience store, both going and coming were too long, and cut into our tour time. The scenery on the way to the port is beautiful, too, and a great way to see a little more of Panama if you have limited time.

San Blas is like Maldives Island of Panama, a beautiful archipelago not many people have the chance to visit due to its remote location. Our guide, Adrian, was very nice and friendly. He stopped many times on the way and showed us many animals and for photos.

It was a long trip but it’s so worth it. The San Blas islands are so beautiful. Highly recommend the trip. I was traveling solo and I met nice people. Go for it

Very good trip and visited some lovely and beautiful beaches full of blue water and white sand. Highly recommend the trip to anyone else.

Our driver was on time and friendly. He made a stop for us to pick some snacks up before we headed to the boat. The islands are beautiful but I am not sure it is worth the time to get there. We left our hotel at 5am and where on our first island at 9:45am.

The drive is no joke. Neither is the boat ride. Read the disclaimer! Not for anyone with back issues. A really fun day adventure! Islands are beautiful!

It was worth the long and bumpy trip. We left PC on a busy highway for the first half of the trip in the morning darkness. If you must sleep after leaving the hotel at 5; 30 am, then is the time. But after stopping at a Texaco food mart and meeting several other 4 WD SUV s, the adventure begins. It is a bumpy, curvy mountain road with some spectacular views, Kuna Indian check points (don't forget your passport) till you get to a basic, rustic parking lot with a host of small primitive boats. Its a pounding ride, but our boat pilot did the best to keep the passengers dry for a 35 minute trip to islands that are paradise. Google the pictures, they are accurate. We snorkeled on a ship that wrecked 10' from the beach. The sand and water is warmer than the Pacific, much shallower as well. Lunch was provided and was decent, but you only get one soda. (we brought rum, hint) Then it is off to more islands, for snorkeling, swimming on a sand bar (they call it a natural pool) and finally, to a shack bar on an island across the channel from the first stop. There are rudimentary hotel shacks and of course, native made souvenirs to purchase. They are mostly the same as other places. Then a 35 minute boat ride back, which was a bit more pleasant than outbound, due to following seas. The good news is the mountain road on the Kuna side is being currently paved, so part of that ride will be smoother.

Definitely a beautiful and incredible day. The islands were gorgeous and the tour guides very attentive. I only took a star off because of the amount of us crammed into the SUV for such a long ride. The dolphins at the end of the boat trip was an excellent surprise