First time · Panama City
First time in Panama CityCiudad de Panamá
Panama City is a morning city: Casco Viejo and the Miraflores Locks before 11:00, indoors from midday, taxis by app after dark.Panama City is a morning city: Casco Viejo and the Miraflores Locks before 11:00 AM, indoors from midday, taxis by app after dark.
The honest verdict
Panama City packs a colonial old town, a working Canal and a tower skyline into one hot, wet, traffic-heavy city. The trips that go wrong walk Casco Viejo at noon, plan the Canal locks without checking the ship schedule, or add a long transfer on a rainy afternoon. Four areas cover a first visit; the airport, the locks and the causeway are car rides away from one kept bed.
You will like
- Old-town evenings
- Ships in the Canal
- Short flights to the islands
What wears you down
- Midday heat
- Rush-hour traffic
- Afternoon downpours
Five things not to miss
- 1Miraflores LocksShips lifting through the Canal.Best Morning, when a ship is due · about US$20 to 30
- 2Casco Viejo plazasThe old town's heart.Best Before 10:00 · Free
- 3Panama Canal MuseumThe Canal's story before the locks.Best Midday · about US$10
- 4Plaza de Francia sea wallThe skyline across the bay.Best Dusk · Free
- 5BiomuseoA Gehry building and Panama's wildlife.Best Morning · about US$25 to 30
Where to stay on a first visit
- Casco ViejoFor: First visit, want old streets and dinner on footThe plazas and restaurants are a walk away.
From the airport
Tocumen International Airport (PTY)
- Fastest and cheapest
- Airport taxi or ride-hailing car to the door · about 45 min · about US$35
Typical ride times and fares, 2026 desk estimates (check). Last services and night options are on the gateway page.
How long to stay
- 1 day
- A stopover
- 2 days
- The usual short stay
- 3 days
- First visit with the causeway
Show 5 more blocksHideThree mistakes to avoid, Money and SIM, Etiquette, The best time to go, A first day
Three mistakes to avoid
- Street taxis that name a high price for tourists or refuse the meter: use a ride-hailing app or agree the total before you get in.(Scams)
- Do not walk the streets of El Chorrillo, Curundú or Santa Ana at night, even close to Casco Viejo.(Survive · red lines)
- Casco Viejo is busy and patrolled in the evening; the streets around its edge (toward Santa Ana and El Chorrillo) are not: take a car at night.(Survive · safety)
Money and SIM
- Budget day
- $25–45 excl. bed
- Paying
- Cards work in hotels, malls and most restaurants; cash for markets, small cafés and taxis. US dollars are the paper money; Panamanian coins are used for small change.
- Cash
- Keep $20 in small notes; use ATMs inside banks or malls, and refuse to pay with $50 or $100 notes at small shops.
- SIM
- eSIM bought before you fly: Works on landing; no counter.
Etiquette: the top three
- Greetings
- Say buenos días or buenas tardes when you enter a shop or a restaurant.
- Dress
- Cover shoulders and knees in churches; smart casual in restaurants.
- Photos
- Ask before photographing people, and do not photograph police or guards up close.
The best time to go
Jan: Dry season; hot, breezy.
Dry season (Dec to Apr) (Dec to Apr): Sunny mornings and fewer showers.
A first day
Day 1 — Casco Viejo morning, a 12:30 lunch table
Start about 07:30
- 1Metropolitan Cathedral
- 2Panama Canal Museum (Museo del Canal Interoceánico)
- 3Plaza de Francia
- 4Iglesia de San José (Golden Altar)
Fixed point: Lunch table 12:30 (Casco Viejo)
Hotel or AC café 13:00–16:00; the sea wall at sunset if energy allows.Hotel or AC café 1:00 PM–4:00 PM; the sea wall at sunset if energy allows.
An air-conditioned coffee at 15:30 if the afternoon rain has not started.An air-conditioned coffee at 3:30 PM if the afternoon rain has not started.
Timed version: Panama City in 3 daysYour Panama City checklist
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