How to Book a San Blas Day Trip: Deposit and Cancellation

To book a San Blas day trip, you pick a tour and a date, pay a deposit that holds your seat, and pay the rest on the day of the tour. You can cancel for free up to 72 hours before. In high season (December to April) and on holidays, book as soon as your travel dates are set; on weekdays there’s usually more room.

How booking with a deposit works, step by step

Pick a tour and a date from the 15 day routes. If you’re still fitting San Blas into your itinerary, trips to San Blas from Panama City helps you sort it out.
Tell us how many are going, adults and children, and your contact details.
Pay the deposit online. You see the exact amount before you pay.
Get your confirmation by email or WhatsApp.
Pay the rest on the day of the tour. The comarca tax is separate and paid to the driver, in cash or by card.

What each route costs is covered in what a San Blas day trip really costs.

Why is there a deposit?

Every departure has a set number of seats in the 4x4 and on the boat leaving from the port of Cartí. When you book, your seat is held and taken off sale for everyone else; the deposit is what holds it.

It works for you too: you don’t prepay in full for a tour you haven’t seen, and you don’t turn up to a pickup unsure whether you have a seat.

How far in advance should you book?

It depends on when you travel:

High season, December to April. It’s the dry season and the busiest time. Book as soon as your dates are fixed, especially for a Saturday or Sunday.
Panamanian holidays: Christmas and New Year, Carnival, Easter week and the national holidays in November. Local travelers join the international ones, and seats run out sooner; what changes on those dates is covered in the day trip at Christmas, Carnival and Easter.
The rest of the year, on weekdays. The easiest: there’s usually space a few days out, though leaving it to the night before isn’t wise. Not sure which day to pick? See the best day of the week for the trip.

Since cancelling is free up to 72 hours before, booking early doesn’t lock you in. A scheduling tip: you’re back at your hotel between 6:00 and 7:30 PM, so don’t book the day trip on the same day as an afternoon or evening flight out. And if you land in the middle of the night, leave a day in between: pickup is around 5:00 AM.

What details we’ll ask for

The address where you’re staying in Panama City for the pickup. If it’s an apartment, add a landmark: the driver arrives while it’s still dark.
Your name and a phone number with WhatsApp, which is how we reach you if anything changes.
How many adults and how many children, because children aged 0 to 9 don’t pay the comarca tax.
Your passport, on the day. Guna Yala is an autonomous indigenous territory (comarca) with its own entry checkpoint, and foreigners show their passport. More in documents you need for San Blas.

Cancellation: free up to 72 hours before

If you cancel 72 hours or more ahead, your deposit is refunded or your date is changed at no cost. Inside those 72 hours the deposit is no longer refundable, because your seat in the 4x4 and on the boat is committed and nobody else can use it; even so, if you let us know, we try to reschedule. The full terms are on the cancellations and refunds page.

What if the weather turns?

Rain alone doesn’t cancel the day trip: in the Caribbean it comes down hard and short, and the tour goes ahead. What decides it is the sea. The captain can change the route depending on conditions, and if an island can’t be visited it’s swapped for a similar one.

If the sea makes the crossing unsafe and we call off the departure, you choose: another date at no cost or a full refund of what you paid. More in what happens if it rains on your San Blas day. Don’t cancel over a forecast several days out: if the sea isn’t right, we’ll tell you.

Booking online or on WhatsApp

Online. Choose your date and travelers, see availability and pay the deposit right away: book here.
On WhatsApp. If you’re torn between routes, traveling with kids or older relatives, or need a special pickup, message us; we help you choose and send the deposit link.

Either way, the deposit and cancellation terms are the same.

Frequently asked questions

How much do I pay to book? Just a deposit, which holds your seat. The exact amount shows before you pay and depends on the tour and how many of you are going. The rest is paid on the day of the tour.

How far ahead should I book a San Blas day trip? In high season (December to April), on weekends and on holidays, as soon as your dates are set. On weekdays outside the high season a few days is usually enough, though waiting until the night before isn’t a good idea.

Can I cancel if my plans change? Yes, for free up to 72 hours before the tour: your deposit is refunded or your date is changed. Inside 72 hours the deposit isn’t refunded, although we try to reschedule if you let us know.

What do I need to bring on the day? Your passport for the Guna Yala checkpoint, the comarca tax (in cash or by card) and the balance of the tour price. We pick you up where you’re staying around 5:00 AM.