Panama City With Kids: Fees and Rain Plans

Children in Panama City can watch a container ship rise in a lock in the morning and ride a four-seat surrey bike along the sea in the afternoon. The trick is putting the outdoor plans in the cool hours and the indoor ones around the midday rain.

Morning picks

  • Miraflores Locks. Open daily 08:00 to 18:00. Children aged 6 to 12 pay $7.22, under-6s are free, and adults pay up to $17.22 with the IMAX film. Ships pass at set times, so check the day’s schedule on Visit Canal de Panamá and arrive before the heat.
  • Metropolitan Natural Park. Forest trails inside the city, $4 for foreign adults, open 06:00 to 16:30. Look for tamarins and coatis. There is also a butterfly house in the park.

Midday indoor option

Biomuseo. The Gehry building is open Tuesday to Friday 09:00 to 15:00 and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 15:00, closed Mondays. Non-resident children aged 5 to 17 pay $12, under-5s are free, and adults pay $20. Galleries are interactive and take about two hours. Details at Biomuseo .

Afternoon on the Amador Causeway

The 6 km breakwater is flat, car-light and lined with sea views. Rent a surrey bike for roughly $10 to $15 an hour. The Smithsonian’s Punta Culebra nature centre sits on the causeway, so check opening times on the Smithsonian site before heading out.

A full day out

  • Gatún Lake monkey boat from Gamboa. About 45 minutes by road, with boat trips around $30 to $45, usually with capuchins and tamarins on the shoreline.
  • Taboga. A 30-minute ferry from Amador at $24 return per adult, with a calm beach, no cars and plenty of shade. Bring ID for every passenger.

Practical tips

  • The tap water is safe, so bottled water is unnecessary.
  • The Metro is clean and air-conditioned, at $0.35 on Line 1 and $0.50 on Line 2, but needs a rechargeable card.
  • Pack rain jackets between May and December, and a hat and sunscreen all year.
  • In the evenings, stick to the restored Casco Viejo core and use Uber for longer hops.
  • Hotel search can help with a family room: compare family rooms on Booking.com .

For parents without a car, the activities page gives low-cost options by price.

Verdict: the best single day is Miraflores in the morning, a lunch break, then surrey bikes on the causeway at 16:00. Leave Panamá Viejo’s ruins for older children.