Panama City Attractions: Hours and Tickets

Five attractions anchor most visits to Panama City, and each has its own opening pattern. Knowing the hours first saves a wasted taxi ride, especially on Mondays.

Miraflores Locks

The Pacific-side locks sit about 15 to 20 minutes from downtown. The site is open daily 08:00 to 18:00, and the ticket office closes at 17:00. Non-resident prices are tiered from $7.22 to $17.22: a child aged 6 to 12 pays the lower figure and an adult ticket with the IMAX film the higher. The open-air decks put you a few metres from ships squeezing through the chambers. Current rates and the ship schedule are on Visit Canal de Panamá .

Biomuseo

Frank Gehry’s colourful museum on the Amador Causeway costs $20 for non-resident adults. It opens Tuesday to Friday 09:00 to 15:00 and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 15:00. It is closed on Mondays. Allow two hours for the eight galleries. Details are at Biomuseo .

Panamá Viejo

These are the ruins of the city founded in 1519, about 10 km northeast of downtown, and a different site from the colonial quarter of Casco Viejo. Foreign adults pay $15. The site is open Tuesday to Sunday 08:30 to 17:30, with the ticket office closing at 16:30. Climb the cathedral tower for a view across the bay to the modern skyline. The park’s own pages are at Panamá Viejo .

Guided tours worth paying for

  • Canal partial transit. A 5 to 6 hour cruise from Flamenco Marina passes under the Bridge of the Americas and through locks, roughly $130 to $170 depending on the operator.
  • Casco Viejo walk. Local historians lead two-hour tours at about $15 to $25 a head, covering plazas, churches and courtyards.
  • Afro-Antillean Museum. The 1910 wooden mission church tells the story of the West Indian workers who dug the canal.
  • Mola shops. Cooperatives in Casco Viejo sell reverse-appliqué panels stitched by Guna women.

You can compare canal cruise departures on GetYourGuide before choosing a date.

Booking tips

Arrive at opening for the clearest deck views, and check the ship schedule the night before. Bring a hat, water and a light layer for the air-conditioned theater.

Fitting it together

Cluster by area. The Biomuseo shares the Amador Causeway with Punta Culebra and the ferry dock, so pair them. Miraflores works best in the morning. Panamá Viejo and the Casco Viejo plazas fit a second day. For a full plan, see the two-day itinerary .

Verdict: if you buy only one ticket, make it Miraflores; if you buy two, add the Biomuseo. Check the day of the week before you set out, since Monday closes two of the five.