Large Group Adventure

This one is almost always booked by a coordinator rather than a traveller: someone organising a company offsite, the day after a wedding, a reunion where four branches of a family fly in from three countries, or a school or church trip. The person writing to us is judged on one thing — whether everybody had a good day together — and has very little control over the twenty-odd people who decide whether that happens.

Where a shared tour quietly breaks

Shared departures are built around a fixed vehicle and boat capacity. Once a group exceeds it, the booking silently becomes two or three separate tours, which means different vehicles, different departure times, and a group that spends the day waving at each other across water. Nobody notices this at the booking stage; everybody notices it at seven in the morning.

Going private is therefore a transport decision before it is a luxury one. Private 4x4s from the city to the Carti embarkation point and a private boat — or several, depending on the final count — keep the group on one schedule, and the route between islands can then be built around what the group actually wants rather than around a standard circuit.

Pickups are the messiest part

Large groups are rarely in one hotel. Multiple pickup points are normal and workable, but they have to be fixed in advance: a change of address needs at least twenty-four hours’ notice, and cannot be arranged on the morning itself. Send us the full list of hotels with the names attached to each, and expect the earliest pickup to be the one that sets the alarm for everyone.

The number everything hangs on

Vehicles, boats and cabins are all allocated against a headcount, so an accurate figure is worth more than an early one. Send the real number, the date, and whether the day ends back in Panama City or with a night on an island.

Frequently asked questions

How many people does it take before this makes sense?

There’s no single threshold, because it depends on the tour: each has its own vehicle and boat capacity. The practical test is simpler — if splitting your group across separate departures would spoil the point of the day, you want the private version.

Can you collect us from several different hotels?

Yes, within the usual pickup zones of Panama City, and it’s routine for groups. Give us every address in one message rather than in fragments, confirm at least a day ahead, and warn everyone that the first pickup of the morning determines the wake-up time for the whole group.

Do we all travel in the same vehicle?

Not necessarily. A 4x4 seats a limited number, so a large group means a convoy rather than a bus, and the same is true on the water. The point of the private version isn’t one vehicle — it’s one schedule, with no strangers in it.

What if our final headcount changes?

Tell us as soon as it does. Small movements are usually absorbed; a swing of several people can change how many vehicles and boats are needed, and that has to be resolved before the day, not on it.

Can the group choose which islands to visit?

On the fully private option, largely yes — the itinerary is decided with you, within what the weather and the timings allow that day. It is the one thing a shared departure can never offer, and for a group with a specific plan in mind it’s usually the deciding factor.