Panama: 2-Day Itinerary

The Panama Canal moves 13,000 to 14,000 ships per year and took roughly 25,000 lives to build, most of them during the failed French attempt that preceded the American project by two decades. Standing on the observation deck at Miraflores and watching a Panamax container ship squeeze through a lock with about half a metre of clearance on each side is one of the genuinely impressive engineering spectacles accessible to tourists anywhere in the world. Two days is enough to do that properly and add Casco Viejo and one of the Caribbean island groups.

Getting In

Tocumen International Airport (PTY) is 25 kilometres east of Panama City. The standard licensed yellow taxi from the airport to the city centre runs about $30 to $35 depending on your destination zone; the taxi desk in the Arrivals hall charges fixed rates by zone, which removes the need to negotiate. Uber and Cabify operate from a designated rideshare pickup area and typically run $25 to $30. Journey time is 25 to 40 minutes; in rush hours (7 to 9 am, 5 to 7:30 pm) allow 60 to 75 minutes.

An important rule: do not hail street taxis from the kerb. Use only the taxi desk at the airport, or booked app rides. Uninvited street taxi drivers charge tourist rates that bear no relation to the official zone fares.

Visa

Most nationalities receive a 180-day tourist permit on arrival. Confirm current requirements with your embassy before departure. The US dollar circulates as the national currency alongside the Panamanian Balboa; the two are at exact parity and interchangeable.

Day 1: Panama City

Morning: Arrival and Casco Viejo

Casco Viejo is the colonial-era core of Panama City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It sits on a small peninsula at the Pacific entrance to the Canal, close enough to the modern skyline of Punta Pacifica that the contrast is immediate. The neighbourhood was largely derelict in the 1990s and has been renovated progressively over the past two decades; parts of it remain under construction while others have become genuinely upscale.

Plaza de la Independencia, the central square, has the Metropolitan Cathedral on one side and the former Hotel Central (now closed) on another. The Iglesia de San Jose houses a famous gilded baroque altar, the Altar de Oro, which according to local tradition was painted black by a friar to disguise it from English pirates in the 17th century. Whether the story is accurate, it is a good one.

For breakfast, the independent cafes around Casco Viejo serve good coffee and traditional food. Gallo pinto (rice and beans) is the standard Panamanian breakfast; sancocho, a chicken and root vegetable soup, is the national comfort dish.

Afternoon: Panama Canal

The Miraflores Locks Visitor Center is roughly 10 kilometres from Casco Viejo; take a taxi or Uber. Admission is $17.22 for adults, $7.22 for children aged 6 to 12. The facility has four floors of exhibition on the Canal’s construction history, engineering, and ecology, plus an IMAX theatre and observation decks above the locks.

Ships transit Miraflores at all hours; check the Canal Authority’s live ship schedule online before you go (pancanal.com) to time your visit for a Panamax or New Panamax vessel transit. These are the large container ships; watching a 366-metre vessel navigate a lock that allows it about 60 centimetres of clearance on each side is considerably more dramatic than the smaller vessels.

The Miraflores locks are on the Pacific side of the Canal and process roughly 36 to 38 ships per day in both directions.

Evening: Casco Viejo Rooftops

Return to Casco Viejo for the evening. The neighbourhood has the highest concentration of rooftop bars in Panama City: Tantalo on Calle 8, Salvaje, Casa Casco, and Lazotea are the main options, each with different character. Tantalo is reliable and has a hostel downstairs; Lazotea tends toward a more local crowd. Dinner at a rooftop restaurant with views over the Pacific and the canal entrance runs $25 to $45 per person for a full meal with drinks.

Day 2: Guna Yala (San Blas Islands)

What to Know Before You Go

The San Blas archipelago, properly called Guna Yala, consists of around 365 islands on the Caribbean coast of Panama, administered autonomously by the Guna people. It is self-governing, separate from Panamanian national jurisdiction, and has its own rules. Entry costs $22 per foreigner. Cash is essential; there are no ATMs anywhere in Guna Yala.

Day tours from Panama City cost approximately $79 per person and upward for shared tours including 4x4 transfer over the mountains (about 2 to 2.5 hours each way), boat transfers between islands, and a basic lunch. Overnight stays in island cabins start around $140 per person per night with meals.

The overland route crosses the Continental Divide on roads that become rough tracks after rain. The boat transfers between islands use open speedboats. Neither section is particularly comfortable; both are worth it for what is on the other side.

Morning

Depart Panama City at 4 to 5 am for the earliest transfers; most day tours collect from hotels in the city centre. The drive takes you through Chepo and into the mountains before descending to the Caribbean coast at El Porvenir or Carti.

Afternoon

The islands are low-lying, palm-fringed, and genuinely look like the images used to market the Caribbean to tourists. The water is clear. The Guna people live on most of the inhabited islands in traditional conditions; their economy is based on fishing, mola textile production (densely stitched fabric panels sold as crafts), and tourism. Ask before taking photographs of people; the customary fee for a portrait is around $1.

The dry season (December to April) offers the most reliable weather and calmest seas. Outside dry season, particularly September and October, the seas can be rough enough to cancel or significantly delay boat transfers. If you are visiting in the wet season, book with a reputable operator who will refund or reschedule if conditions are bad.

Evening

Return transfer to Panama City arrives in the late afternoon or early evening. Allow a late dinner in Panama City: the area around Calle Uruguay in Marbella has a dense cluster of restaurants at all price levels, and is the alternative eating district to Casco Viejo for a final meal.

Practical Notes

Tap water in Panama City is safe to drink. Electrical outlets are Type A and B (North American standard). Tipping in restaurants is 10 to 15 percent; many bills include a suggested service charge, so check before adding more. Uber works well throughout the city and is the recommended way to move between Casco Viejo and other neighbourhoods; the official taxi alternative is to use the airport-style zone fares, but these are only consistently enforced at the airport desk.

The rainy season runs roughly May to November, with the wettest months being September and October. Panama City itself remains functional year-round; the Canal tours, rooftop bars, and Casco Viejo neighbourhood are unaffected by rain. The Guna Yala trip is the one activity that genuinely depends on dry-season weather for a reliable experience.