The Real Deal: Round-trip airfare on a Copa Airlines carrier to Panama City, five nights' accommodations, transfers, hotel taxes, breakfast daily and sightseeing with an English-speaking tour guide, from $599 per person — plus estimated taxes and fees of $250.
When: Jan. 1 through May 31, 2009.
Gateways: Miami; add $70 for Orlando; $150 for D.C., New York City; $250 for L.A. Other gateways are not available.
The fine print: Airport and government taxes and fuel surcharges are an additional $250 per person. Based on double occupancy; single supplement is $230. Read these guidelines before you book any Real Deal.
Book by: No deadline; based on availability.
Contact: Escapes Unlimited, 800/243-7227, escapesltd.com.
Why it's a deal: According to a recent Kayak search, round-trip airfare between Miami and Panama City starts at $233 including taxes for departures in early February (American). For an additional $616, this Escapes Unlimited package covers international airfare as well as five nights' hotel accommodations, round-trip airport-hotel transfers, breakfast daily, sightseeing, the services of English-speaking tour guides, taxes and fuel surcharges.
Included highlights: A half-day guided tour of the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, where you can watch ships being raised or lowered 54 feet.
Lodging: Five nights at the 84-room Hotel Marbella located on a quiet street in Panama City's financial district. Add $40 per person to stay at the Country Inn and Suites El Dorado; $100 per person for accommodations at the Plaza Paitilla Inn or the Country Inn and Suites Hotel Panama Canal. Other hotels are available at an additional cost.
More: Additional nights at Hotel Marbella are $38 per person for a double room. Or choose one of several extension packages, which start at an additional $209 per person for an all-inclusive night at the Royal Decameron Beach Resort, Golf, Spa and Casino at Playa Blanca and from $285 per person for two nights at Kuanidup Island Lodge in the San Blas archipelago. An alternate package, Panama City and Sand, starts at $999 per person for air and two nights in Panama City at Plaza Paitilla and three nights at the Royal Decameron.
Before you go: For more tips on what to do in the area, visit Panama's official tourism Web site. A Panama tourist card can be purchased from the airline for $6 per person, or you can obtain a visa from a Panamanian embassy or consulate before traveling to Panama. Check the consular information sheet for details. Pack light as Panama enjoys a warm tropical climate throughout the year with temperatures in the 80s and 90s; the dry summer season lasts from January through March.