Shared means you travel with other guests and pay per person. Private means your group has the car or the boat to itself and you pay per group. Our San Blas day tour runs as a shared trip, and our private boats are mostly overnight charters, so for most people the real choice is between a shared day, a private overnight, and the options in between.

	Shared	Private
Day trip	San Blas Full Day Tour, $148 per person, shared 4×4 and shared boat, 3 stops	The day tour runs shared. Full Day with private transport for your group: ask us
Getting there	Shared 4×4 + water taxi, $140 per person round trip	Private 4×4 + shared water taxi, from $580 round trip for 2, per group
Sleeping on a boat	Shared cabin on a catamaran, from $280 per person per night	Whole boat, priced per night, from $250 per person per night at 2 guests
Sleeping on an island	Island cabin, private cabin on a shared island, from $200 per person	Cabins are private; the island is shared with other guests
Who you share with	Other travellers in the car, the boat or the cabin deck	Only your group in the car (up to 6) or on the boat
What you pay for	Per person	Per group (car) or per boat per night
Start time	Pickup 5:00 to 5:30 AM, about 4:30 AM in December and January	Same early start. Private transport does not change it
Guna Yala tax	Included in the day tour. Extra on stays and charters, in cash	Extra, in cash, per person
Food and drinks	Day tour: lunch and 1 drink. Island stays: meals, no drinks	Charter: crew, all meals and drinks (terms differ by boat, never an open bar)
Route	Fixed: Perro Chico, Diablo Island, the Natural Pool	Your captain plans it with you
Minimum stay	None for a day	Depends on the boat and the dates. Peak dates need more nights
Best for	Budget, solo travellers, one-day visits	Groups, families, privacy, time to explore

What “shared” means for us

We use the word three ways, so here they are plainly.

The day tour. The San Blas Full Day Tour is $148 per person. You ride in a shared 4×4 and a shared boat, with up to 12 guests per departure. It has three stops, lunch and one drink. The Guna Yala tax is in the price. The boat’s snorkel gear is free to use at the snorkel stops. Extra drinks are not included.

Shared transport. A shared 4×4 with a water taxi is $140 per person round trip. The car carries up to 6 travellers with other guests. Island stays include this ride in their price.

Shared cabins on a boat. You book a cabin, not the boat. The Lagoon 52-G sleeps up to 10 guests. A double cabin with a private bathroom is $335 per person with two sharing. A bunk is $280 per person. Shared cabins on this boat are sold in the normal season only, not at Christmas and New Year, Carnival or Holy Week. From 1 December 2026 the Lagoon 37 shared charter is $280 per person per night, with a solo private cabin at $425 and a maximum of 5 guests. Like the Lagoon 52-G, it is sold in the normal season only.

What “private” means for us

A private charter. You book the whole boat for your group. The price is per boat per night, and it drops per person as the group grows. Prices start at $500 a night for 2 guests on a Bavaria 35 sailboat, which is $250 per person. From 1 December 2026 a Lagoon 37 catamaran is $920 a night for 2 guests, or $1,325 for 5, about $265 each. Crew, all meals, drinks with and without alcohol (terms differ by boat, never an open bar), snorkel gear and fuel are included. Catamarans carry a captain and a cook; on some sailboats the captain also cooks.

A private 4×4. Only your group rides in the car, up to 6 people. It is $290 one way for 2 people, so $580 round trip. It is $330 one way for 3, $370 for 4 and $410 for 5. The water taxi from the port is still shared.

A private cabin on an island. The cabin is yours. The island is shared with other guests. Franklin‘s sand floor cabin is $200 per person for one night, with a shared bathroom block. Pelicano‘s cabin with a private bathroom is $230 per person for one night. Meals and round-trip transport are included, and Franklin adds one boat excursion per stay. Drinks are not included.

Who you will be with, and what you give up

Shared is the cheaper way in. The trade is that you follow the group. The day tour runs on a set schedule with set stops. On a shared cabin charter you share the deck and the meals with other travellers.

Private buys control. A captain plans the route around your group, the weather and the wind. You choose how long to stay. The trade is cost.

Island cabins sit in between. Expect simple cabins on small islands in Guna territory, run under Guna rules. Power, signal and WiFi are limited on many islands, and some bathrooms are shared. Bring cash, because there are no ATMs in San Blas. Our island cabins page shows each island side by side.

The costs people miss

• Guna Yala tax. It is $22 per tourist and $7 per Panamanian resident, including the $2 port fee. Children under 9 are exempt. It is included in the day tour only. On stays and charters you pay it in cash at the checkpoint.
• Transport. It is not in a charter price. Add $140 per person shared, or from $580 round trip for 2 in a private 4×4.
• Drinks on island stays. They are not included.
• The road. It is the hardest part of the day, on every option: a winding two-lane mountain road, 2.5 to 3 hours each way. Pickup is 5:00 to 5:30 AM, and about 4:30 AM in December and January, when the queue at the Nusagandi checkpoint is longest. Private transport gives you the car to yourselves, not a later start. Take motion sickness tablets if you get carsick.

Cancellation differs too

The day tour gives a full refund, minus the card or bank fee, if you cancel at least 48 hours before. Charter deposits are not refundable, and charters booked over New Year, Carnival or Holy Week are non-refundable once confirmed. Shared cabins on the Lagoon 52-G follow the boat’s own terms: bad weather does not cancel the trip and there is no refund if you decide not to come.

How to choose

Choose shared if

• You have one day and want the main sights at the lowest price.
• You are travelling solo or as a couple and want a boat stay without paying for a whole boat.
• You are happy to follow a set schedule and meet other travellers.
• You want the tax included in the price (day tour only).

Choose private if

• You are a group or family and want the car or boat to yourselves.
• You want to choose the route, the anchorages and the pace.
• You have at least one night to spend on the water, and more over the holidays.
• You get carsick and want the car to yourselves on the road, even though the start time stays the same.

For a comparison of one day against a night away, see San Blas day trip vs overnight.

Ready to book?

Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and group size and we will suggest the right mix. See the San Blas Full Day Tour, San Blas transportation, island cabins and San Blas charters. To budget the full trip, read how much San Blas costs.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Is there a private San Blas day tour?

The San Blas Full Day Tour runs as a shared trip, and our private boats are mostly overnight charters. If you want a private day in San Blas, or the Full Day with private transport for your group, message us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what is possible for your dates and group.

Is a shared San Blas tour worth it?

For one day, yes. The Full Day Tour is $148 per person with transport, lunch, one drink and the Guna Yala tax included, and the boat's snorkel gear is free at the snorkel stops. Expect a long day: pickup 5:00 to 5:30 AM (about 4:30 AM in December and January) and back around 7:00 PM.

How much is a private charter per person?

It depends on the boat and the group. At 2 guests the cheapest boat we list is $500 a night, which is $250 per person, and larger groups pay less per person. Transport and the Guna Yala tax are extra.

Does a private 4x4 make the trip shorter?

No. The road, the early start and the shared water taxi stay the same. A private 4x4 gives your group the car to itself, up to 6 people, from $580 round trip for 2.

Can I book one cabin on a boat instead of the whole boat?

Yes, on some boats. The Lagoon 52-G is sold by the cabin from $280 per person per night, and the Lagoon 37 shared charter starts on 1 December 2026. Send us your dates and we will tell you what is available.

Is the Guna Yala tax included?

In the day tour, yes. On island stays and charters, no. You pay $22 per tourist, or $7 per Panamanian resident, in cash at the checkpoint, and children under 9 are exempt.