Panama City, Panama 5-Day Itinerary

Panama City contains two skylines that have almost nothing to do with each other: a cluster of modern glass towers that looks more like Singapore than anywhere else in Central America, and Casco Viejo, a crumbling-graceful colonial peninsula where 17th-century Spanish and French buildings share the same blocks as rooftop bars and the oldest operating cafe in the country. Three kilometres of waterfront separate them, and navigating between those two worlds is the central experience of visiting the city.

Panama uses the US dollar as its official currency (called the Balboa locally, but always in USD notes and prices). No currency exchange required for American visitors; for everyone else, USD is easily obtained from ATMs at the airport.

From Tocumen International Airport into the city centre takes 25-35 minutes depending on traffic. Taxis are white, do not use meters, and charge a fixed fare agreed before departure: the standard rate is USD 30-40 to most central hotels and Casco Viejo, cash only, no cards. The risk with unmetered taxis is well-documented; unofficial drivers who approach you in arrivals charge more. The better option is Uber, which operates widely in Panama City, costs around USD 20-25 to the centre, is tracked, and can be booked from the arrivals area before leaving the terminal. Bolt also operates and is often slightly cheaper than Uber.

Day 1: Arrival and Casco Viejo

Check in, then walk Casco Viejo in the afternoon. The neighbourhood sits on a small peninsula south-west of the modern city and its cobblestone streets, painted in faded pastels, are compact enough to cover in two hours on foot. The Catedral Metropolitana on Plaza Bolivar anchors one end; the ruins of the old city wall and a series of interconnected plazas fill the rest. The rooftop views from various bars and restaurants out across the Pacific look back at the modern towers, which creates a dissonant panorama that is specific to Panama and worth seeing at sunset.

Cafe Coca-Cola near the entrance to the old town opened in 1875 and is the oldest cafe in Panama City. Unremarkable food, entirely worth stopping in for one coffee just for the age of the thing.

For dinner, Fonda Lo Que Hay on Avenida A is a more interesting choice than Maito (good but tourist-familiar) for a first night: Panamanian street food elevated and served in a loud, colourful room that leans into it rather than dressing it up. Sancocho (the national chicken soup), ceviche, and fried plantain-based dishes are the backbone of Panamanian cooking and this is where to try them first.

Casco Viejo is the safest neighbourhood in Central America to walk at night according to most assessments, but the area just north of the historic core is less secure. Stick to the illuminated central streets after dark, or take Uber for anything beyond the main plaza.

Day 2: Panama Canal and the Biomuseo

Ships transit the Panama Canal in two main waves: northbound (Pacific to Atlantic) from roughly 9 to 11 am, and southbound from 2 to 5 pm. Go in the morning for the first wave and better light for photography. The Miraflores Locks Visitor Center is 10 km from the city centre, a USD 10-15 Uber ride. Admission is USD 17.22 for adults and includes four floors of exhibits and an IMAX theatre. Check the Panama Canal Authority’s website the morning of your visit for the live transit schedule.

The Miraflores viewing platform is at water level, about 25 metres from the lock gates. Watching a container ship or cruise vessel slide through with a few feet of clearance on each side is one of those things that is more startling in person than in photographs: the ships are enormous and the canal was not built for them.

The Biomuseo, about 20 minutes from Miraflores, was designed by Frank Gehry and opened in 2014. The building’s exterior is among the more visually chaotic things Gehry ever produced (eight brightly coloured angular volumes intersecting at odd angles), while the interior traces Panama’s role in connecting North and South America and the ecological consequences of that 3-million-year-old land bridge. Admission is around USD 22 for adults. Allow 90 minutes.

Dinner at El Trapiche, an established Panamanian restaurant in the Via Argentina area, covers the traditional end of the local food spectrum: rice and beans, guacho de mariscos (seafood rice porridge), and ropa vieja served in a setting that is pleasant rather than pretentious.

Day 3: Metropolitan National Park and Gamboa

Metropolitan National Park is 15 minutes from Casco Viejo and is the only metropolitan park in the Americas with tropical rainforest inside city limits. Several short trails connect through the forested hills, and it is entirely reasonable to see sloths, toucans, and howler monkeys here before 9 am on a weekday. The Summit Cross viewpoint at the top gives a panorama across the city and the canal. Entry is a few USD. Go early: both wildlife and heat increase at different rates as the day progresses, and early morning strongly favours the former.

Gamboa, a 45-minute drive north through the Canal Zone, sits where the Chagres River meets the canal. The Gamboa Rainforest Resort offers boat tours through Gatun Lake and the river, spotting caiman, capuchin monkeys, and birds. Tours run from about USD 60-80 per person for a morning excursion; book ahead at the resort website. The Canal Zone road to Gamboa passes through the old American Canal Zone housing, a strange preserved suburb of US-style houses from the 1950s that the Panamanian government took over in 1999 and which still feels like a neighbourhood displaced from Florida.

The dinner recommendation in the original itinerary (Nakamura Sushi Bar) is fine but not specifically why you came to Panama. Consider instead one of the cevicharías in the Marbella area for evening: Panamanian ceviche is made differently from Peruvian (no tiger’s milk, more citrus-forward), and the city’s Pacific coast access means the ingredients are good.

Day 4: Modern Panama City and the Causeway

The Amador Causeway connects the mainland to three small islands and offers the clearest view of the modern city skyline from the water. The causeway itself is a walking and cycling path with the financial district towers rising behind you and container ships on the canal visible to the right. Bike rentals are available at the causeway entrance for around USD 5-8 per hour.

Miraflores and Multiplaza Pacific in the Punta Pacifica area are upscale malls of the standard Central American type. More interesting is Soho Mall in the banking district, which has better restaurant options including Maito (Chef Mario Castrellón’s flagship, regarded as one of the best restaurants in Central America, reservation required). The tasting menu is around USD 80-100 per person; it is the splurge option in this itinerary and worth it if the budget stretches.

The financial district skyline is most effectively seen from the water: sunset Casco Viejo walking tours sometimes include a short boat leg that crosses the bay and returns with the towers behind you.

Day 5: Final Morning and Departure

If your flight is afternoon or evening, the morning belongs to whichever gap remains. The Mercado de Mariscos (Seafood Market) near Casco Viejo opens early and sells fresh ceviche from stands starting at 7 am. The upstairs restaurant section is tourist-oriented but the downstairs stands are where locals buy: order a cup of ceviche (USD 3-4) and eat it on the waterfront.

The Ancon Hill walking trail (30-minute climb) gives the best elevated view in the city, specifically because Ancon sits between the old and new districts and shows both simultaneously. No entry fee.

Uber to Tocumen takes about 30 minutes without traffic, more during morning rush hour. Tocumen recently expanded with a new Terminal 2 for Copa Airlines international flights; confirm which terminal your departure uses before leaving the hotel, as the terminals are several minutes apart by shuttle and the signs inside are less clear than they should be.

One planning note on seasonality: December through April is the dry season and the most comfortable time to visit. May through November brings afternoon downpours that cool the city briefly but make outdoor activities messy. The rain is predictable (usually afternoon, an hour or two) rather than constant, and most attractions operate regardless. Humidity is high year-round.