Hotel Pick-Up in Panama City Your adventure begins with pick-up from your hotel in Panama City at 7:00 AM. Relax in spacious, air-conditioned transport as we make the scenic 2.5-hour drive to Panama’s Caribbean coast. Along the way, enjoy rolling hills, lush jungle landscapes, and charming local villages. Extra charges apply for pick-ups from Tocumen Airport area, Playa Bonita, and Costa del Este.
Isla Linton – Monkey Island & Natural Pool At around 9:30 AM, board a boat to Isla Linton, also known as Monkey Island. Famous for its wild howler monkeys, the island offers a magical experience as their calls echo through the dense jungle canopy. Here you’ll also find a crystal-clear natural pool surrounded by mangroves, perfect for a refreshing swim in calm, shallow waters. As you float, listen to the symphony of birdsong and the occasional monkey call—a surreal moment in untouched Caribbean nature.
The Tunnel of Love On the way to Isla Mamey, we pass through the enchanting “Tunnel of Love”, a narrow mangrove passage where the trees form a natural canopy overhead. Here, we make a stop so guests can take a refreshing swim and enjoy a shallow sandbank—a peaceful, postcard-perfect spot surrounded by nature.
Isla Mamey Next, we arrive at Isla Mamey, known for its long white-sand beach and calm, turquoise waters. Just offshore, a shallow coral reef offers excellent snorkeling, while the palm trees provide plenty of shade for relaxing on the sand. It’s the perfect balance of adventure and relaxation in a true Caribbean paradise.
Isla Grande – Relax, Lunch & Local Culture At midday, enjoy a short 10-minute boat ride to Isla Grande, a lively Afro-Caribbean island known for its colorful culture and laid-back vibe. There are no roads here—just a charming coastal path lined with pastel houses, fishing boats, and reggae rhythms. We’ll bring you to a seafront restaurant where you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch of fresh seafood or local dishes like fried plantains (patacones). Spend the afternoon snorkeling, swimming, or relaxing on the private beach with a cold Balboa beer in hand.
Historic Portobelo, Panama At 3:00 pm, we return by boat to the port, and from there continue by car to the historic town of Portobelo on the Caribbean coast of Panama. “Puerto Bello” (“Beautiful Port”), named by Christopher Columbus in 1502, became one of the most important Spanish ports between the 16th and 18th centuries, serving as a key hub for exporting silver and treasures to Europe. On this guided history and culture tour, your local expert will walk you through the fortress ruins of San Felipe de Portobelo, where stories of pirates and battles come alive. Hear about legendary figures such as Sir Henry Morgan and Admiral Edward Vernon, whose invasions shaped the destiny of the town. Though Portobelo was rebuilt in 1751 after repeated attacks, it never regained its former glory. Today, you’ll experience it as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, blending fascinating history with the laid-back charm of the Caribbean. This is a highlight of any day trip from Panama City.
Return to Panama City Relax on the return journey and arrive back at your hotel by evening, full of memories of Panama’s Caribbean coast, pristine islands, and colorful history.
We had wanted to visit the Caribbean side of Panama so we took this tour. This is a good trip for older folks as long as you can get in and out of a small boat. Great trip for families who want to swim. Would not recommend this for someone who uses a wheelchair. Daniel was a great guide. Very laid back and chill
If you are lucky enough to have Daniel as your tour guide you are in for a real treat. The day was magical from the "Love Tunnel" to the beaches - Mamey was the best!. The lunch was even a special - going to a local cafe for real Panamanian food. Daniel was amazing - I would recommend this day trip to anyone looking for a true Panama experience.
This excursion had it all! My husband was looking for beautiful beaches and I wanted some local history. This tour gave us the combination to satisfy each of our interests and more. We got to swim and enjoy 3 amazing beaches and swim through the mangroves. We got up close to feed the spider monkeys and have a delicious lunch before ending our day. Our tour guide Mario, was so patient and knowledgeable with all of the questions we asked. He’s young, but filled with a wealth of knowledge about the history of Portobello and Panama in general. Our driver and the captain of boat were so warm and inviting. They took excellent care of all of our transportation needs. We would definitely recommend anyone visiting Panama to take this tour to get all of what you need: history, beaches, food and fun!
This was an amazing excursion, a semi private tour averaging between 11-12 hours. Ana Lorena was amazing, knowledgable, and passionate. All of the tour was excellent, but the highlight for my group was swiming in the natural pool within the mangroves. Overall this was an excellent way to explore Colon and the surrounding areas.
The freshwater pool and feeding the monkey was nice. However the tour was a little too long for our taste.
The tour from the beginning with the pick up from Ali was great. Ali was extremely knowledgeable about everything Panama. The entire drive through the Panamanian country side on our way to Colon was filled with little historical information. Ali was very attentive the entire day and made sure we had everything we needed and always made sure we were ready for the next thing. The Caribbean side of Panama is beautiful and really blew me away with the history and natural environment. Ali is fantastic at what he does and I would highly recommend this tour and Ali as the guide specifically. He really made our day special and I felt like we got a very local experience with him.
Great trip from standing by cannons in Portobello that had been uses to fight off the Spanish, to feeding spider monkeys, swimming in the mangroves and relaxing on beautiful sandy beaches a trip not to be missed
We booked directly through TAO. Communication was efficient. We did not realize this would be a private tour. Our tour guide, Ana, was terrific. She's a proud Panamanian who loves to show off her beautiful country. She provided knowledgeable commentary throughout the tour. Her SUV was comfortable for four guests. Our first stop in Portobelo was limited as a movie was being filmed at one of the forts. The island stops were interesting. We brought snorkeling gear, although Isla Moray has a very shallow reef. Lunch on Isla Grande was good, but the pina coladas were excellent!
We had Anna as our guide. She was great and on time, she hit every stop on our toue and was very informative. We spent all day with her as it was an 11 hour trip from start to finish. I was worth every penny!!!
Anna was right on time and got us to everything we wanted to see. Would recommend this trip to everyone
This was a ton of fun, very nice driver, explained a lot about the culture and took us on a fun adventure.
This was a nice trip but a bit overpriced. We saw some nice beaches and visited some ruins. No food is included. Not even a bottle of water. The beach location seemed like it was abandoned and restrooms were not clean. Water was beautiful and calm. Driver/tour guide was awesome. He was friendly, informative and very helpful. Boat driver was also friendly and knew his way around the waters very well.
The driver took us to grocery store restrooms which were not pleasant and we only went to one out of the three islands. We did see the fort though. Oscar was basically a driver and not a tour guide. He was talking to locals the whole time while we were bored at the first island. We went up to him several times to tell him to go to the next place. We were his only guests (no others on the tour). No one from their team responded to our messages or emails either afterwards to get some kind of refund. It was not worth the money and half of our day was wasted. Other tours were great and informative and productive but not this one.
My husband and I enjoyed ourselves so much. Our tour guide, Ana Lorena, from Tao Travel 365, was AMAZING!!! She made sure to give us all the information possible. She was energetic, funny, happy, enthusiastic, and informative. We enjoyed ourselves so much. I definitely recommend this tour.
It was much easier than getting ourselves there independently and finding a boat, but that’s all it was. I had hoped for a guide who was interested in telling us about the history, the life in the islands, but we did not get that. She basically escorted us, and was very nice, but it wasn’t a tour. It was a very expensive ride. I know the monkeys are habituated to people and are used to being fed. I don’t think it’s ok our guide gave the monkey the empty peanut wrapper to then be discarded on the island or end up in the ocean. Even my nine year old was unhappy about this, she knows not to endanger wildlife or pollute. Overall we had a good time but I don’t think the cost for the experience we had was worth it. With a guide who is more than a driver, I think it could be very different.
Having the opportunity to feed the monkeys and swim in the mangroves was the best! We also enjoyed Isla Grande but Isla Mamey was very rocky so water shoes are highly recommended. Everywhere we stopped, we enjoyed the clear water. Beautiful!
This trip was incredible. Highly recommend. All of the stops were so special and unique. We were blessed to have an amazing tour guide, Aura, who really made the entire experience memorable. She really went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and to the ensure we were having fun. The natural swimming pool in the middle of the mangroves was a highlight. The water was crystal clear and it felt like you were in your own private Paradise. Both islands that we visited were gorgeous and had their own different vibes. The restaurant for lunch serves delicious seafood at a reasonable price. I enjoyed the historic fort and the visit to Portobello. Jesus, the captain of the boat, was fantastic. All around this experience was a 10/10 Thank you Aura!
Don’t look any further, this is the best time I ever had in Panama. Daniel our guide was incredible, definitely passionate about what he does and the history of Panama. The lunch was epic and the agency communicated with me before during and after the tour to make sure that everything was ok. I highly recommend and really appreciated the professionalism throughout the whole experience
This was by far one of my favorite adventures. It was a private tour. My tour guide Aura was on time, fun, and so interesting to meet. The attention to detail and our safety was wonderful
Yesterday, I went on a whole day of experience with Tao Travel 365. I have been to Panama before and based on experience with three different companies in Panama, I can say that my experience with Tao travel 365 was top rated #1. Punctuality: Michael, the tour guide was extremely professional and tour van arrived clean and on time. Space in the van was more than enough! Driving: Michael is an excellent driver and his interactions with tourists and traffic police were excellent! Visiting the fort and islands was on time! We visited three islands and there were lots of locals, felt safe. Ocean surf was nice! Sand on the islands was enough and there were some sea shells also. Restaurant: We went to nice clean restaurant and food was delicious! Prices were reasonable! Office staff: Tao travel 365 has the excellent staff! Both Fernanda and Sarahi speak clearly in English. Handling was payment safe, correct, and a receipt with tour descriptions was provided in both Spanish and English. Time of start was clearly listed! Everytime, I called the phone was immediately answered! Remember, that does not always happen in other travel businesses! Based on this phone experience alone, I will rate Tao Travel 365 number #1. Excellent beyond 💝 many other travel companies in the World! Whole experience such as spending time in three islands, going through mangroves, boat experience between islands, paying tolls, paying attention to bathroom needs, lunch and driving was excellent by Michael. He is a good gentleman! Thank you Michael, for such a fun day on beautiful beaches on the Caribbean Coast! I highly recommend Tao Travel 365 in Panama for all your tour needs of the Caribbean Coast and San Blas Islands! Cheers!
Great tour! Gus our guide was awesome! All the venues were great and the people are so friendly. I recommend this trip for anyone visiting Panama.
Highly recommended. This is not as famous as the San Blas tour which made this tour amazing as there are not a lot of tourists in the islands and stops. Our tour guide was amazing explaining things in detail and making sure we are comfortable and enjoying. I've had a number of tours where the drive is long but the experience and beauty of the places visited and experience was all worth it. Just knit picking on the driver stopping twice to pick up things for personal matters.
We changed our original plan to visit San Blas Islands due to COVID to this tour and it was great! We were able to visit three different islands and see the mangroves as well. Our Captain, Charlie was awesome and we all had a blast! The best tour we had in Panama. We all had an amazing time because of the crew. Thank you!
Taotravel tours have been simply amazing . Mike and Ms P have been exceptionally warm and accommodating . Who said in this season of change that one cannot enjoy a relaxing vacation ? As a couple we enjoyed the privacy and seclusion.... If single, you can still enjoy safe comradry .... there is definitely a sense of health and Safty with the Covid mask and sanitary regulations strategically in place. It was a vacation well spent , fun, food , friends , refreshing ... With so much fun the only difference from two years ago was really the site of people in the mask 😷 but well worth it .!!! Thank you M&P !!
Great tour! My hubby and I had hoped to go on a San Blas tour, but were offered this one as an alternative, due to the continued closure of San Blas. Naturally we were pretty disappointed not being able to take the tour we originally had booked. However, Tao Travel 365 came through with this awesome alternative. While the islands you visit don't have the amazing paradise beaches of San Blas we loved this tour. Every island was very different and we got to see monkeys :))) Good job on this San Blas alternative!
This was by far the best tour we did while visiting Panama. Since San Blas is still closed we were recommended this tour. The tour was well organized and took us to three very different islands and we got to see monkeys playing on the beach. Highly recommended!
We had originally booked a San Blas Day Tour. However, since San Blas remains closed due to Covid, we were recommended this tour, which visits three islands in the Caribbean and also the old pirate town of Portobelo. The drive took about three hours ad I did not mind the windy drive through little Panamanian villages and the lush green countryside. The actual tour was absolutely amazing. Each island is very different from each other. While one island has a beautiful white sand beach for sun bathing and plunging in the warm waters, the other one was overgrown with mangroves and palm trees, inhabiting monkeys. The last island, which is inhabited, was our favorite one, exhibiting a little bit of everything. Portobelo is quite small, but it was pretty cool to visit the old ruins and stand in front of ancient canons. Would highly recommend to take this tour
It is a long trip, with a 2.5-3 hour drive in one direction. Franklin the driver was there on time, the car was comfortable. Portobelo is not a ruin that blows you away; unfortunately, it is not taken care of enough (although it is a UNESCO World Heritage site), but with the history of the port, it is definitely worth a stop. Monkey Island is just a completely normal, unspectacular island where a monkey (supposedly there were 5, but 4 have already died) sits in a tree over the water, watches, and does not want your banana. So that part was worth zero if you have already seen monkeys in the wild. The stop at the mangrove forest was nice, as was the drive through it. Isla Mamey is not a beauty island, and you also pay approx. 60 USD for admission (family, 4). What was nice was that you could see colorful fish while snorkeling, so a nice pastime, but it costs approx. 60 USD. Isla Grande was a disappointment for me; there were shipwrecks everywhere, trash lying around, and dilapidated houses. The island had definitely seen better days before... The lunch was good. The beach at the "hotel" was basic. I would not book the trip again for the price.
Very good! The guide Mario was fabtastico! I recommend muiyo travel with it, I will repeat the next time you are in Panama. Super attentive!!! I will ecommend all my friends!
Long drive from Panama City. Our guide was friendly but having made 2 days later the San Blas we find better this outing.
I thought it was super expensive for what we did. Spending time on a couple of islands is not worth about €300 a couple. Besides paying us for food and paying the boatman part of it. If we had done it on our own give us €60 per person at most
In nature, with animals Beautiful water You have to drive a bit to get there compared to Panama City, but it's definitely worth it
The destinations of the day tour are very worth seeing and varied. You can see monkeys, mangroves and beautiful Caribbean islands. Our guide on 06.04.2023 was very friendly, but spoke (virtually) no English. This way you can collect many scenic impressions, but you don’t notice anything from the tour / the hints. This is contrary to the tour description, where an English-language tour was explicitly presented. So you should be able to understand and speak Spanish well when booking this tour.
I recommend it. Wonderful experience, the best choice to explore the Panamanian Caribbean coast, with Cesar de Guía and Michael a captain with all the experience and kindness made my trip unforgettable with my friends. Take it!.
After a prolonged period of confinement in my country Peru, I booked with my friends a full Day to the Caribbean Islands and Puerto Bello ; and my experience was the best in terms of Service. The guide has that vocation of Service that every foreign tourist needs to feel "at home" ; mobility that picked us up very comfortable. I could really feel that for one day I was in earthly PARADISE. The Service was 5* and at the landscape level, it has nothing to envy to the San Blas Islands (which is currently closed =[ )
Excellent in every way!! Very organized. No time is wasted. They responded correctly and promptly to my inquiries. Very professional. 100% recommended!!
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email