Panama City is the only capital in the Americas with primary rainforest inside its municipal boundary, and you can see the skyscrapers from inside it. That contrast is the city in miniature: a banking skyline that would not look out of place in Asia, a restored colonial quarter of balconies and rooftop bars, the ruins of the original city burned by pirates in 1671, and a canal that made all of it possible. For the wider country, see our Panama travel guide.
The quick answer
Two to three days covers the city and the canal properly.
Tocumen airport is 30 to 45 minutes from Casco Viejo, roughly 30 to 40 US dollars by taxi or ride hailing, more in rush hour.
Stay in Casco Viejo unless you are here for business, in which case the banking district makes more sense.
The metro is fast, cheap and clean, and you need a rechargeable card to use it. Buy one at any station.
Time the canal to a transit window. The visitor centres publish when ships pass; outside those, you are looking at an empty concrete chamber.
Skip the Amador Causeway at midday. It is a windy strip of restaurants and cruise terminal. Go at sunset for the skyline view or not at all.
The thing people get wrong: giving the city one night on the way to the islands. It deserves two or three.
Getting in from the airport
Tocumen International (PTY) sits roughly 25 kilometres east of the centre. The drive is 30 to 45 minutes to Casco Viejo outside peak hours and can stretch beyond an hour in weekday traffic.
Ride hailing apps operate and are typically cheaper than the airport taxi desks, which run fixed zone fares in the region of 30 to 40 US dollars. There is an official taxi counter inside arrivals where you pay a set price, which removes the negotiation. Airport buses exist but connect awkwardly for most visitors with luggage.
Albrook, the domestic airport, is a separate facility close to the centre and is where flights to Bocas del Toro and David leave from. Do not confuse the two when booking.
What to book and what to skip
Book: a partial canal transit if you want it, since these run on set days and fill. Also book dinner at the better Casco Viejo restaurants on weekends.
Do not bother booking: Miraflores or Agua Clara visitor centres, the Biomuseo, Panama Viejo, or the Metropolitan Natural Park. All are walk up.
Skip: the Amador Causeway as a destination in itself. It is a strip of chain restaurants on reclaimed land, notable mainly for a skyline view that is better at sunset from a Casco Viejo rooftop with a drink in hand.
Skip: the hop on hop off bus. The metro plus ride hailing covers the city faster and for a fraction of the price.
What to actually see
Casco Viejo. The colonial quarter, UNESCO listed and heavily restored over the past two decades. Plaza de la Independencia, the golden altar at San Jose that legend says was painted over to hide it from Henry Morgan, the ruined arch at Santo Domingo, and a rooftop bar scene that is genuinely good. Half a day to walk, an evening to enjoy.
The canal. Miraflores has the fuller museum and is closer to the city; Agua Clara on the Atlantic side shows the newer expanded locks and the larger vessels that use them. Check transit times before you go. Both have viewing terraces where you watch a ship rise or fall through the chamber, which takes longer and is more absorbing than you expect.
Panama Viejo. The ruins of the original 1519 city, sacked and burned in 1671, with a cathedral tower you can climb. Less immediately picturesque than Casco Viejo and more historically interesting.
Biomuseo. Frank Gehry’s brightly coloured building on the causeway, telling the story of how the isthmus forming three million years ago changed the planet’s biology and climate. Small, well done, and the one causeway stop worth making.
Parque Natural Metropolitano. Rainforest trails within the city, with sloths, toucans and a viewpoint over the skyline. Go early for wildlife. It is a 20 minute drive from Casco Viejo and it is genuinely rainforest, not a park with trees.
Mercado de Mariscos. The fish market at the edge of Casco Viejo, where the upstairs restaurants and downstairs stalls serve ceviche in plastic cups for a few dollars. Lunch, not dinner.
Neighbourhoods
Casco Viejo is where most visitors stay and the right answer for a short trip. Restored colonial buildings, boutique hotels, the best restaurants and bars, and walkable. It is also the priciest area and busy with weekend nightlife. The quarter has been gentrified unevenly, and a couple of blocks at its northern edge are noticeably rougher, which is worth knowing rather than worrying about.
Marbella and the banking district is the skyline: business hotels, malls, chain restaurants and metro access. Efficient, characterless, and often better value than Casco Viejo.
El Cangrejo sits between the two, a residential area with a long standing food scene, older apartment buildings, decent midrange hotels and no tourist premium. The value pick.
Amador and the causeway have a few hotels with skyline views and nothing within walking distance. Only for a specific reason.
Eating and drinking
Panama City eats better than the rest of the country by a wide margin, helped by a large international population and a genuine seafood supply.
The fondas and the menu del dia are the local lunch, a set plate of meat, rice, beans and plantain for 5 to 9 US dollars, found across El Cangrejo and the working parts of the city. Ceviche at the Mercado de Mariscos costs a few dollars and is the city’s best cheap eat.
Casco Viejo is where the ambitious kitchens are, and dinner there runs 20 to 40 US dollars a head. The rooftop bars are the reason to be there at sunset.
Look for sancocho, the chicken and root vegetable soup that is the national dish, and carimanolas, fried yuca fritters stuffed with meat, sold from breakfast stalls.
Day trips
The Agua Clara locks and Colon on the Atlantic side make a full day, often combined with the Gatun Lake boat trips where monkeys approach the boats. The Pearl Islands, particularly Contadora, are an hour by ferry and give you a beach day. Gamboa and the Chagres river put you in rainforest 40 minutes from the city, with the embera community visits and canopy options. Portobelo, a Spanish colonial fort complex on the Caribbean, is roughly two hours.
When to go and what it costs
Mid December to April is dry and the reliable window. May to November brings afternoon storms that rarely ruin a day if you plan mornings outdoors. The city is hot and humid year round, typically low 30s in the day, and the humidity is the part that surprises people.
Costs: hostel dorms 15 to 25 US dollars, midrange doubles 60 to 120, Casco Viejo boutique hotels 150 and up. Metro rides cost small change. Canal visitor centre entry runs in the region of 10 to 20 dollars depending on which and whether you take the film.
Frequently asked questions
How many days should I spend in Panama City?
Two to three. That covers Casco Viejo, the canal, Panama Viejo and either the Biomuseo or the Metropolitan park. A single night on the way to the islands sells the city short.
Where should I stay in Panama City?
Casco Viejo for atmosphere and walkability, the banking district for business and value, El Cangrejo if you want local prices and good food without a tourist premium.
How do I get from Tocumen airport to the city?
Ride hailing or the official airport taxi counter, roughly 30 to 40 US dollars and 30 to 45 minutes to Casco Viejo. Traffic on weekday afternoons can push that past an hour.
Is Panama City safe?
The tourist areas are generally safe and the city is among the calmer capitals in the region. Standard urban caution applies at night, and a few blocks at the northern edge of Casco Viejo are noticeably rougher than the restored core.
Which canal locks should I visit, Miraflores or Agua Clara?
Miraflores is closer to the city and has the fuller museum. Agua Clara shows the newer expanded locks and larger ships. Either is fine; timing your visit to an actual transit matters far more than the choice.
Is the Panama City metro useful for tourists?
Yes. It is fast, cheap, air conditioned and connects the banking district, El Cangrejo and Albrook. You need a rechargeable card, sold at any station. It does not reach Casco Viejo directly, so pair it with a short taxi.
What is the best area to eat in Panama City?
Casco Viejo for ambitious dinners and rooftop bars, El Cangrejo for value and variety, and the Mercado de Mariscos for cheap ceviche at lunch.
Do I need cash in Panama City?
Less than elsewhere in the country. The currency is the US dollar and cards are widely accepted in the city. Keep small notes for taxis, fondas and market stalls.
Is Casco Viejo worth staying in?
For most visitors, yes. It puts the restaurants, bars and sights within walking distance and is the most pleasant part of the city to be in after dark. It also costs more and is loud on weekend nights, so light sleepers should check which street a room faces.
