How to Plan a Trip to the San Blas Islands: 3, 5 or 7 Days

Short answer: plan a San Blas trip in this order: pick your season, decide how many days you have, choose where you will sleep, book the journey from Panama City, then bring cash for the Guna Yala fees. Day 1 and your last day are mostly travel, so a 3-day trip gives you two nights in the islands, 5 days give you four and 7 days give you six. The more nights you have, the farther out you sail: two nights stay around Cayos Limones, four reach Cayos Holandeses, and six add Coco Bandero and Coco Blanco.

Step 1: Pick your season

San Blas has two seasons, and both make a good trip. They are simply different trips.

• Dry Season, mid-December to April: steady trade winds and reliable sun. It is the classic sailing season and the busiest stretch of the year.

• Green Season, May to mid-December: calm, glassy water and fewer boats. It is the season our own captains prefer.

Dates around Christmas, New Year and Easter go first, and several boats add 20% on Panamanian public holidays. More in the best time to visit San Blas.

Step 2: Decide how many days: 3, 5 or 7

Count the days of your trip, not only the nights. You leave Panama City at dawn on day 1, and the boat back to the mainland leaves the islands at 7:00 AM on your last day, so you always have one night aboard fewer than days of travel. Your captain sets the order of the route each day according to wind, sea and community permissions.

Short on time? Charters start at one night, around Cayos Limones. If you can stretch to six days, five nights aboard is what we recommend for a first trip: the Guna Odyssey route. What each length unlocks, night by night, is in how many days to spend in San Blas.

Step 3: Choose where you will sleep

There are no big hotels or resorts in Guna Yala. The islands are managed by the Guna people, and visitors stay in one of three ways:

• An island cabin. A simple room on a Guna island, where bathrooms, electricity and meals differ from one property to another. You stay in one place and take boats to the other islands.

• A cabin on a shared sailing trip. A fixed departure with other travellers, sharing the common areas of the boat.

• A private crewed boat. The whole boat is for your group, with a captain and a chef, and every morning starts at a different anchorage. It is also the easiest way to reach the outer island groups, such as Cayos Holandeses.

Day tours from Panama City also exist, but they only reach the closest islands and spend four to five hours on the road and the water each way. We do not run them: our trips start at one night. Compare the options in where to stay in San Blas.

Step 4: Plan the journey from Panama City

There are two ways in, and neither is part of the charter rate: we coordinate the transfer and quote it separately.

• By road and boat, the usual way: pick-up in Panama City between 5:00 and 5:30 AM, a 4×4 drive across the mountains of Guna Yala, a stop at the territory checkpoint, then a lancha from the port to your boat. About 4 to 5 hours in total, at USD 150 per guest for the round trip.

• By air: a chartered light aircraft leaves Albrook Airport (PAC), not Tocumen, and lands on the Corazón de Jesús airstrip in 40 to 45 minutes. It costs USD 400 per guest, and luggage is limited to 12–15 kg per person.

Boats back to the mainland leave the islands at 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM. After the 7:00 AM boat you are usually back in Panama City around midday or early afternoon, so plan any onward flight with that in mind. On some dates you can stay aboard until the 3:00 PM boat, at 50% of the daily rate. Full details in how to get to San Blas from Panama City.

Step 5: Budget the whole trip

A private charter is priced per night for the whole boat, and the rate grows with each guest. The whole trip is the charter, plus the transfers, plus the Guna Yala fees. Here is one boat, the Lagoon 400 catamaran, for a couple and for a full boat of eight, with the road transfer added:

The rate includes the crew, three meals a day plus snacks, the boat’s bar drinks, fuel, water and the water toys. It does not include the Guna Yala entrance fee, USD 20–22 per foreign visitor and USD 5 for residents, or the port tax of USD 2–5 per person: both are paid in cash on the way in. These are the published rates on each boat’s page, which lists the price for every group size; your written quote confirms the total for your dates. See all our boats and how to budget a San Blas charter.

Step 6: Pack light and bring cash

• Your original passport. Guna Yala is an autonomous territory, and you show it at the checkpoint.

• Cash in small bills. There are no ATMs on the islands and no card machines at the checkpoint. Bring the fees for everyone travelling, money for molas and tips, and USD 50–100 per person as a buffer. Details in what you pay in cash in San Blas.

• A waterproof bag for your passport and cash: the lancha ride gets wet.

• Light luggage, especially if you fly (12–15 kg per person). The rest is in our San Blas packing list.

Step 7: Book in the right order

Start with your dates and the number of travellers, because availability is per boat and per week. Then choose the boat, then the transfer, and finally get the cash ready. Send us your dates, how many of you are travelling and the ages of any children, and we will check which boats are free and send a written quote with every cost itemised.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do you need for a trip to San Blas?

Three days give you two nights around Cayos Limones; five days reach Cayos Holandeses. For a first trip we recommend five nights aboard. Charters start at one night, and there is no maximum.

How much does a trip to the San Blas Islands cost?

On a private catamaran, a 3-day trip for a couple starts at USD 2,300 on the Lagoon 400, road transfer included; on the Bavaria 35 sailboat it is USD 1,800. With eight guests on the Lagoon 400, a 3-day trip works out at USD 700 per person. Add the Guna Yala entrance fee and the port tax, in cash.

Can you visit San Blas on a day trip?

Day tours from Panama City exist, but they reach only the closest islands and spend four to five hours travelling each way. Nomad Sailors does not run day trips: our charters start at one night. More in the truth about San Blas day trips.

When is the best time to plan a San Blas trip?

There is no bad season. Mid-December to April brings wind and sun, the classic sailing season; May to mid-December is calmer, with glassy water and fewer boats.

Do I need a passport to visit San Blas?

Yes. You need your original passport at the Guna Yala checkpoint, together with the entrance fee in cash.

Plan your trip

Compare our 24 crewed boats, browse the sailing itineraries, or tell us your dates and we will check which boats are free.