Panama

An independent, self-launched version of G Adventures' 18-day San José-to-Panama City adventure. You'll ride local buses and shared boats across the Costa Rica–Panama border, surf and cycle the Caribbean coast at Puerto Viejo, snorkel starfish coves in Bocas del Toro, hike cloud forest and coffee trails around Boquete, sleep inside a volcanic crater in Valle de Antón, and finish with three off-grid nights with the Guna Yala on the San Blas Islands. All transport, activities and beds booked yourself — same route, a fraction of the price.

Travel Crew

~£866

A self-launched version of G Adventures' 14-day 18-to-Thirtysomethings run from San José to Panama City. You'll hit Caribbean surf towns, island-hop the Bocas del Toro archipelago, cool off in the Boquete cloud forest, chill on the Pacific at Santa Catalina, and finish at the Panama Canal. The original trip already runs on local buses, boats and shared shuttles with hostel dorms and simple hotels, so doing it yourself is straightforward — book the same hostels, use the same public transport, and self-book the optional activities via GetYourGuide, Klook or local operators. Expect to save roughly a third versus the guided price while keeping the same route and experiences. All costs are approximate, per person, in GBP.

Travel Crew

~£471

A self-launched version of G Adventures' 16-day Cycle Central America trip, running from Granada, Nicaragua to Panama City. You'll pedal the backroads around Granada and the twin volcanoes of Isla de Ometepe, cross into Costa Rica for lake riding near Arenal, coffee-country cycling through Cartago and Orosí, a rafting day on the Pacuare River, beach time in Puerto Viejo, and Caribbean island-hopping in Bocas del Toro before crossing to Panama City. All transport is by local bus, ferry, water taxi and your own rented bike — no group, no CEO, no markup. Costs are rough per-person estimates in GBP and assume budget guesthouses and dorm beds.

Travel Crew

~£689

A self-launched, independently-booked version of G Adventures' 62-day Mexico City to Panama City odyssey. Two months, seven countries, one epic overland route — Mexico City's street food and Roma/Condesa vibes, Oaxaca's markets, the Sumidero Canyon and Palenque ruins, Bacalar's lagoon, Chichén Itzá and Tulum, Belize's Caye Caulker snorkelling and San Ignacio caves, Tikal and Flores, Rio Dulce and Livingston, colonial Antigua, Lake Atitlán, Copán, El Salvador's surf coast, colonial León and Granada, Ometepe's volcanoes, Costa Rica's cloud forest and Caribbean beaches, and Panama's Bocas del Toro and San Blas Islands. All travel is by public bus, shuttle, ferry and shared boat; all accommodation is hostel/guesthouse/homestay level. Built for solo travellers comfortable organising their own logistics on the fly.

Travel Crew

~£2,662