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Embera Village Tour: Cultural Immersion Experience
4.9
81 Ratings
Panamá
Immerse yourself in the beauty of the rainforest and the rich indigenous culture of the Embera tribe on this eco tour from Panama City. Explore the village, enjoy traditional food and dances, and shop for unique handicrafts.
Immerse yourself in the beauty of the rainforest and the rich indigenous culture of the Embera tribe on this eco tour from Panama City. Explore the village, enjoy traditional food and dances, and shop for unique handicrafts.
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Chagres National Park - Chagres NP is the most easily reachable national park from Panama City, making it an ideal nature-filled day trip for families.
- Indigenous Embera - The Embera, historically referred to as the Chocó or Katío Indians, are an indigenous group from Panama and Colombia. In the Emberá language, the term ẽberá can mean…
- Chagres National Park - Chagres NP is the most easily reachable national park from Panama City, making it an ideal nature-filled day trip for families.
- Indigenous Embera - The Embera, historically referred to as the Chocó or Katío Indians, are an indigenous group from Panama and Colombia. In the Emberá language, the term ẽberá can mean person, man, or indigenous person, depending on the context. Approximately 33,000 individuals in Panama and 50,000 in Colombia identify as Emberá.
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Seasonal fruits (pineapple, banana, orange)
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- Seasonal fruits (pineapple, banana, orange)
- Lunch
What's Not Included
- No Waterfall Walk (due to safety concerns we do not visit it)
- Entrance fees
- No Waterfall Walk (due to safety concerns we do not visit it)
- Entrance fees
Additional Information
Start with a convenient pickup and enjoy a picturesque 45-minute drive from Panama City to the Chagres River, located within the Panama Canal watershed. Upon arrival, board a motorized canoe for a serene 40-minute journey along the river, surrounded by lush scenery.
After disembarking, take a brief walk to visit an Embera village. Renowned for their rich…
Start with a convenient pickup and enjoy a picturesque 45-minute drive from Panama City to the Chagres River, located within the Panama Canal watershed. Upon arrival, board a motorized canoe for a serene 40-minute journey along the river, surrounded by lush scenery.
After disembarking, take a brief walk to visit an Embera village. Renowned for their rich cultural heritage, the Embera people live in harmony with nature and are celebrated for their distinctive songs, dances, and colorful traditional attire.
Discover their customs and lifestyle. Savor a traditional lunch, followed by an enchanting dance performance that showcases the Embera’s profound connection to the natural world.
Before leaving, explore handcrafted souvenirs and traditional artworks made by village artisans. Conclude your adventure with a canoe ride back to the dock and then return to Panama City.
This tour does not include hiking and is perfect for those who wish to enjoy the experience without the risk of falls.
- We do not visit the Walterfall because of safety concerns. Many accidents occur because of the slippery path and rocks.
- On this tour, you will be with other people as it is a shared tour.
- Please note: There is an additional fee of $35 for adults and $25 for children, payable in cash only on the day of the tour to your guide.
- Meeting point is Herrera Plaza near American Trade Hotel 10 mins away from any city hotel
Location
Plaza Herrera
Avenida A
Meeting Point: Plaza Herrera, in front of the American Trade Hotel, Casco Viejo. Look for our guide near the main entrance of the hotel, by the statue in the center of the plaza.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(81 Ratings)
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Navigate29248301427
Apr 22, 2025
A great ending to my Panama trip! - I really enjoyed learning about the Embera history and culture. The food was great! My tour guide lead me throughout the experience and he was very knowledgeable and personable!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kingtut204
Mar 25, 2025
Once in a lifetime experience! - The Emberra people were genuine, down to earth and incredibly welcoming. Our guide Saul was informative, insightful and lots of help. I wouldn’t do anything differently.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Terri_p
Mar 24, 2025
It was a fun day on the... - It was a fun day on the water in a motorized canoe! We learned about the Embere people and ate an excellent lunch.
Review provided by Viator
Devi_r
Mar 11, 2025
Great tour! Highly recommend! - The experience was exactly as described, we were looking for an option of this tour that didn't include the waterfall hike and this was it! We got picked up at our hotel and drove to the Chagres River where we took a very nice trip in a motorised canoe down the river and to the Embera Village. We were welcomed by members of the village and learnt about their history and way of life. The lunch was delicious along with the fruits that we were treated to. The music, dancing and crafts by the Embera people were all fantastic. We encourage you to support them by buying crafts or getting a temporary tattoo. Levy is a great and knowledgeable guide and we truly enjoyed every moment of the tour! Highly recommend! ❤️
Review provided by Viator
Margie
Mar 1, 2025
A wonderful visit to the (Embera Express Tour) on the chagrin River … the best!! - Not knowing what I was going to observe for this morning tour I was totally surprised that during the ride to the Embera village our driver and host, Rafael, gave us a very informative history of the different tribes still active, and the Panama Canal, and much about the country’s history. Upon arriving at to the village, we were greeted with a warm welcome by a women dancing and a man playing a drum…We were given a tour of all the native homes, the wildlife, flowers, and fruit and then we gathered in this big open room to learn about the different tribes and rituals, especially of the Embera people. The highlight of the day was watching several native dancers by manyin the tribe, and at the end of their performance, we were invited I grown-ups and little ones to dance, and everybody was celebrating. That was followed by a beautiful lunch wrapped up in a banana leaf plant of fish and tostadas and an abundance of fruit for dessert!! Our group had a lot of fun together and all of us could not have been more different. I highly recommend RNK tours and our tour guide Rafael who was absolutely WONDERFUL!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Margie_t
Mar 1, 2025
A wonderful visit to the (Embera Express Tour) on the chagrin River … the best!!! - Not knowing what I was going to observe for this morning tour I was totally surprised that during the ride to the Embera village our driver and host, Rafael, gave us a very informative history of the different tribes still active, and the Panama Canal, and much about the country’s history. Upon arriving at to the village, we were greeted with a warm welcome by a women dancing and a man playing a drum…We were given a tour of all the native homes, the wildlife, flowers, and fruit and then we gathered in this big open room to learn about the different tribes and rituals, especially of the Embera people. The highlight of the day was watching several native dancers by manyin the tribe, and at the end of their performance, we were invited I grown-ups and little ones to dance, and everybody was celebrating. That was followed by a beautiful lunch wrapped up in a banana leaf plant of fish and tostadas and an abundance of fruit for dessert!! Our group had a lot of fun together and all of us could not have been more different. I highly recommend this tour company and our tour guide Rafael who was absolutely WONDERFUL!!
Review provided by Viator
Camilarz1787bz
Feb 23, 2025
Visit to Emberá tribe - Really recommended. Our guide (Rafael) was very friendly and throughout the tour gave us historical details about the country and the indigenous community, both in English and Spanish. The beautiful canoe ride. Finally we shared with the Emberá families lunch, typical dances and we could appreciate their craftsmanship. I recommend taking this tour
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oulaoula
Jan 28, 2025
Best tour with the best guide - First thing, I was very very impressed with Rafael’s English accent. I always have a hard time understanding strong spanish accent of guides, but Rafael and all the guides that work for him have perfect English accents. Rafael is also very fun to be with and I loved how he transmits history of his country in a very entertaining way. He is also flexible and tried to accommodate us as much as possible without rushing us. I love how his website is very well done and very professional. Totally recommend him for your Panama tours
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bob_w
Jan 18, 2025
Jungle tour - There is a short long boat ride. Ours was leaking from several places, which was a bit conserning. The guide was friendly and the tribes man were helpful. The Waterfall, food music and dancers were good.
Review provided by Viator
Tourist34577448678
Jan 12, 2025
What a day with Embera Tribe ! - It was a great experience, thanks to the exceptional execution by our guide.
Rafael arrived ahead of time and picked us up from the hotel in Panama City.
The transfer to the river, where we got into small boats, was nice and comfy.
Rafael was very knowledgeable and shared a lot of background information, allowing us to better understand the history of Panama and Embera people. The ride down the river with stop by the waterfall and the time in Embera village were truly magical.
We were looked after at all times, and the transfer back to the hotel was same easy.
Overall, the tour was great. If you have a chance, ask for Rafael to be your guide !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
