Panama City Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Plan Your Trip

Panama City was the first stop of my three-week trip through Central America, and if I am being very accurate, we did not exactly arrive with a master plan.

We landed at night with no accommodation booked, took public transportation from the airport, eventually found our way to Casa Areka, spent one full day exploring the city, and that same evening got on a night bus toward Bocas del Toro.

So my first Panama City experience was fast, cheap and slightly chaotic.

I have separate posts covering things like where to stay, safety, how many days you need and exactly what I would do with one day. This Panama City travel guide is the page that puts everything together so you can actually plan the trip without me repeating every single thing I have already written elsewhere.

Is Panama City Worth Visiting?

Yes, especially if you are already traveling through Panama.

I would not personally build an entire long trip around Panama City alone, but the city is interesting enough for one or two days and works really well as the beginning of a wider Panama trip.

You have Casco Viejo, the modern skyline, the waterfront, the Panama Canal and a completely different atmosphere from the islands and beach destinations you can visit afterward.

→ Read: Is Panama City Worth Visiting? My Experience Visiting Panama’s Capital

How Many Days Do You Need in Panama City?

For most people, I think one or two days in Panama City is enough.

We had one full day and managed to explore quite a lot because we walked an absolutely ridiculous amount. If I went back, I would give myself two days instead.

I would spend one day exploring Panama City itself and use the second for something like the Panama Canal, Monkey Island or another experience outside the normal city sightseeing.

If you are only stopping in Panama City before moving somewhere else in the country, you really do not need to force yourself to stay for four or five days just because you think you should.

→ Read: How Many Days in Panama City Do You Really Need?

→ Read: Panama City in One Day: The Itinerary I’d Follow If I Went Back

Best Time to Visit Panama City

We visited Panama City in August, during rainy season.

Neither of us had apparently thought to check that before planning an entire trip through Central America, which was excellent work considering we both hate rain.

It rained for a huge part of our only full day in the city.

You can still travel to Panama City during rainy season, but if you only have one or two days, bad weather can be annoying because you simply have less time to move things around.

If weather is important to you, I would personally choose the drier months instead.

→ Read: Best Time to Visit Panama City

Getting to Panama City

Most international travelers will arrive through Tocumen International Airport, which is outside the main city center.

Panama City is also an obvious stop if you are traveling around Central America overland, although the exact route will depend on where you are coming from.

We flew directly from Madrid to Panama City because we found an affordable last-minute flight and decided Panama would become the starting point of our three-week Central America trip.

From there, everything else happened by land.

Getting From Tocumen Airport to Panama City

You have a few options for getting from Tocumen International Airport into Panama City, depending on how much you want to spend and how tired you are when you land.

The cheapest option is the metro. The airport is connected to Line 2, and depending on where you are staying, you may need to transfer to Line 1. It is extremely cheap and works well if you are traveling light and your accommodation is close enough to the metro route.

That is basically what we did.

The stupid part came afterward when my friend decided we should walk from wherever we got off to our hostel rather than pay for an Uber. I had two backpacks, was jet-lagged, exhausted and sweating like a donkey, and the walk took more than an hour.

We probably saved €2 or €3 each.

Absolutely not worth it.

If you do not feel like figuring out public transportation after a long flight, you can also take an Uber or taxi directly from the airport.

And if you want the easiest option possible, especially if you are arriving late, traveling with a lot of luggage or simply do not want to deal with anything after a long-haul flight, you can pre-book an airport transfer and have someone waiting for you when you land.

→ Book your Panama City airport transfer

Getting Around Panama City

Public transportation in Panama City is extremely cheap.

The metro is useful for longer distances, while regular buses can cost only a few cents. Uber is also useful when public transport is inconvenient, especially at night or when you have luggage.

And yes, you can walk a lot.

We definitely did.

My health app showed around 24 kilometers in 24 hours, which is probably more Panama City walking than any normal person needs.

Traffic is the other thing to keep in mind. We took a bus back toward the hostel after going to the main bus station, and the traffic was so bad that the bus barely moved.

My friend wanted to get off and walk again.

I was perfectly happy sitting there doing absolutely nothing.

For me, the best combination would be public transport when it makes sense, Uber when it saves you a ridiculous walk, and walking only when you are actually exploring somewhere rather than trying to punish yourself to save a few euros.

Where to Stay in Panama City

Where you stay depends mostly on what kind of trip you want.

For a short first visit, I would prioritize location instead of choosing the cheapest accommodation somewhere that leaves you wasting half your day getting around.

We stayed at Casa Areka, where we paid around €10 each for a dorm bed. It had breakfast included, a kitchen and a supermarket directly behind the hostel, which was perfect for our budget.

If you want a hotel instead, I have a separate guide covering the different areas and accommodation options.

→ Read: Where to Stay in Panama City: Best Areas & Hotels

→ Read: The 5 Best Hostels in Panama City

→ Read: Casa Areka Hostel Review: What €10 Gets You in Panama City

How Much Does Panama City Cost?

Panama City was more expensive than we expected.

That said, we were backpacking Central America on around €20 a day, and we still managed to keep our Panama City spending around that level.

Our accommodation cost roughly €10, breakfast was included, public transportation was incredibly cheap, and we usually had one affordable meal outside before buying supermarket food for dinner.

The biggest thing is deciding where you want to spend money.

You can keep accommodation, food and transport cheap and then use the extra money for something actually worth doing instead of spending everything on expensive restaurants and taxis.

→ Read: Panama City on a Budget: How I Did It on €20 a Day

Things to Do in Panama City

If you only have a short time, do not try to turn Panama City into a giant sightseeing checklist.

I would start with Casco Viejo, which is where we spent most of our time. Wander around the streets, see the plazas and old buildings and actually enjoy the area instead of trying to visit every attraction individually.

I would also see the waterfront and some of the modern city because the contrast between the old and new sides of Panama City is part of what makes it interesting.

Then choose one or two bigger experiences depending on your time and budget.

→ Read: 12 Things to Do in Panama City Beyond Just Walking Around Casco Viejo

Best Tours and Experiences in Panama City

This is where I would spend extra money if I went back.

We skipped the major paid experiences because we were moving quickly and trying to spend as little as possible, but I would definitely change that on another trip.

Panama Canal and Monkey Island

This would probably be my first choice.

You get the Panama Canal experience while also getting outside the city and seeing wildlife, which makes it much more interesting to me than spending another full day visiting buildings.

→ Book here: Panama Canal & Monkey Island Tour

Embera Village and Waterfall

If I had an extra day in Panama City, this is the kind of tour I would actually look at because it gives you something completely different from the city.

The trip takes you out of Panama City and into the rainforest to visit an Embera community, learn about their culture and way of life, and then continue to a waterfall. It is the sort of experience that gives you a completely different side of Panama from Casco Viejo, skyscrapers and the canal.

For me, that is much more interesting than adding another random city tour just because I have a free day.

→ Book here: Embera Village and Waterfall

San Blas Islands

If you have an extra day and want something completely different from the city, San Blas is another popular option from Panama City.

This is a much longer day and something I would personally treat as an additional experience rather than part of a one-day Panama City itinerary.

→ Book here: San Blas Islands Day Trip

What to Eat in Panama City

One of my favorite meals in Panama City happened completely by accident.

We were walking around when we noticed a line of locals outside Fonda San Felipe. We knew absolutely nothing about the place, but our logic was that if locals were lining up, it was probably worth trying.

I paid around €6 for a plate of food and a Coke, which was exactly the kind of meal we were looking for because Panama City had started feeling expensive.

For the rest of our meals, we kept things simple. Breakfast was included at Casa Areka and we bought things like eggs and sausages from the supermarket to cook at the hostel.

If you are trying to save money, local fondas, markets and supermarket meals can make a huge difference.

Is Panama City Safe?

I did not have any major safety problems in Panama City.

However, this was one of the few trips where I was traveling with a male friend instead of alone, and that completely changed how relaxed I felt.

I did not have to constantly think about whether I should walk somewhere alone, whether I needed to get back before dark or whether a situation felt uncomfortable in the same way I normally do when traveling solo.

So while I personally felt safe, I also think it is important to acknowledge that my experience on this particular trip was different from my normal solo travel experience.

→ Read: Is Panama City Safe? My Experience Traveling With a Man Instead of Solo

Staying Connected in Panama

Having mobile data makes everything easier in Panama City, especially if you are using maps, checking metro routes, ordering Ubers or booking accommodation as you go.

And considering we arrived without accommodation booked, I can confirm that having internet when you land is useful.

I normally use an eSIM when traveling because I would rather have data working as soon as I arrive than spend my first hour looking for a physical SIM.

→ Get an eSIM for Panama with Yesim

Travel Insurance for Panama

I also travel with insurance, especially on longer trips where one country is only part of a much bigger route.

Our Panama stop included international flights, night buses, boats and moving between several completely different places in only a few days, so there were plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong.

I currently use SafetyWing for my own long-term travel.

→ Get travel insurance for Panama with SafetyWing

Practical Things to Know Before Visiting Panama City

Panama uses the US dollar alongside the Panamanian balboa, so if you already have dollars, you do not need to deal with a completely unfamiliar currency system when you arrive.

Spanish is the main language, and knowing even some basic Spanish can make things much easier. I ended up using mine when we needed to navigate the huge bus station and find the correct counter for our tickets to Bocas del Toro.

I would also keep some small cash available for local transport, food and smaller purchases instead of relying completely on cards.

And do not underestimate distances. Panama City is much larger than Casco Viejo, and something that looks manageable on a map can turn into a very long walk, especially in the heat.

Where to Go After Panama City

Panama City was never supposed to be our final destination.

It was the starting point of a much bigger trip.

After one full day in the city, we took an Uber back to the bus station and boarded a night bus to Almirante, where we continued by boat to Bocas del Toro.

That was when the trip changed completely from skyscrapers, traffic and old city streets to islands, motorbikes, beaches and terrifying boat rides.

From Bocas, we eventually continued toward the Costa Rica border and left Panama by land.

→ Read: My Panama Itinerary: The Start of My 8-Country Central America Trip

→ Read: Backpacking Panama: My Chaotic First Stop in Central America

Panama City Travel Guide: Final Thoughts

Panama City is not somewhere I would overcomplicate.

For a first trip, I would give yourself one or two days, stay somewhere convenient, explore Casco Viejo, see some of the modern city, eat somewhere local and choose one experience that is actually worth spending money on.

Use the metro and buses when they make sense, take an Uber when saving €2 would require an hour of suffering, and do not feel like you need to visit every attraction just because you are there.

Panama City worked perfectly as the beginning of our Panama trip, but I would definitely do a few things differently if I went back.

I would slow down slightly, see the Panama Canal properly, add a wildlife experience and then continue toward the islands.

Because for me, Panama City was never really the whole trip.

It was where the chaos started.