Panama City skyline shows glass skyscrapers in the background. Closer to the water is a red, yellow and blue abstract designed building.
Home » Top Places to Visit In Panama – A Perfect 5 day Itinerary for First-Time Visit

Top Places to Visit In Panama – A Perfect 5 day Itinerary for First-Time Visit

Have you always wanted to sail the Panama Canal or maybe you’re already planning your trip and searching for top places to visit in Panama, Central America?

Why not check out our Panama City Itinerary? Panama is a beguiling, if perhaps a lesser known Central American travel destination. However, having spent time in both Guatemala and Belize we can assure you that Panama does not disappoint!

Clay tile rooftops of Old Panama City and behind them skyscrapers of modern Panama City.
Vista of Panama City old and new

From the world-famous canal, Panama hats (or so we thought!) at every turn, to indigenous life in villages up river from the capital, there are many layers to discover.  Our trip is a perfect 5 day Itinerary to Panama for first-timers. So we’ve created this guide with all the details to help you plan your own adventure to this fun destination.


A Quick History Lesson

Panama City was founded back in 1519. Before long its unique location solidified it as a main highway for 16th/17th century inter-continent transportation. It perhaps was a bit like one of the huge Amazon fulfillment centers today. Goods came in from the region – Costa Rica, Peru, Nicaragua, Ecuador etc, and were shipped on from Panama City elsewhere.  

Like Istanbul, Panama City was a crossroads of trade.  In particular, silver from America and gold from Peru was brought through Panama  and on to Spain after the Spanish took control. 

If you are interested in visiting Istanbul in the future, use our 3 day Best Of Istanbul itinerary for ideas of things to do.

Panama City vista of harbour area with boats anchored.
Boating & sailing is big in Panama

The city grew from simple huts to more elaborate stone homes and buildings as wealth increased. But a Welsh pirate by the name of Captain Morgan (Henry Morgan) attacked Panama  in 1671 (yes, the same name as the rum 🙂

Sadly, Panama City was decimated and abandoned for many years with the capital moving elsewhere. Work continues now to reconstruct more of the original old city to its former splendor but it remains one of the top places to visit in Panama for most visitors.


The Panama Canal’s Arrival

Turmoil continued over the centuries, bringing many changes to the country. Finally in 1903, Panama got its independence and a year later the building of the incredible Panama Canal kicked off.  A failed French attempt resulted in the US taking over.  At a cost of $352 million (in the day), the canal was fully operational in 1914.  

It was handed back to Panama on 1st January 2000. More on the canal and our sailing on it later. First, let’s delve into a few helpful basics as you plan a trip to Panama.


A Few Panama Basics

Spanish is the official language along with around 7 indigenous languages spoken around the country.

The currency is the Balboa which is pegged to the US dollar.

It’s on the same time zone as Miami (east coast US).

A country of huge variety, it has over 300 rivers and 1500 islands. Most of the country is thick rain forest and this is home to over 9000 species of flowering plants alone! Also, abundant bird and wildlife from tuscans to sloths, call Panama home.


Panama City Geography

You’re going to be near the equator when you visit Panama. It sits just 9 degrees above it!

As a country, it’s quite small but growing fast! The country’s population is c. 4.5 million in Panama and just under 2 million live in the capital. It’s small in comparison to many major cities of the world. But don’t be put off by the size, as its geography means you can take a vacation here and in the course of a day, travel between Caribbean Sea and Pacific oceans!. 

Two countries border Panama – Colombia and Costa Rica. Costa Rica is easy to combine with Panama for a 2-country itinerary but the dangerous jungle like the roadless Darian gap prevents tourist movement into Colombia by land.

Don’t worry – it’s miles away from Panama City which today is a modern city. In fact, it is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Central America.

Old City streets with red brick pavement in Central America
Stroll around old city streets

How to get to Panama City

For a 5 day Panama City Itinerary you really want to fly direct. There is one main airport in Panama City – Tocumen International Airport. Numerous flights arrive daily from Houston, Miami, and Atlanta. There are a few also from Madrid, Paris, Istanbul and Amsterdam if you’re looking to fly direct from a European hub.

We flew with Copa Airlines from Tampa (USA) which is a short flight of 3 hours!

Onward transport links into the heart of Panama City from the airport are private transfer, taxi, metro or bus. It’s a 22 kilometres / 13.7 mile  journey and takes 30 minutes on average.  

We strongly suggest you book an airport transfer either via booking.com when you reserve your hotel or ask your hotel directly. Other options are not easy with luggage especially if you’re tired after a long flight as they take a good bit longer. Also some involve changes of routes depending on your final destination.  Explore Panama City Airport to City transfer options is a useful resource site.

Other Panama Transport Tips

The metro system in Panama City is excellent for getting around independently if following our Panama City Itinerary. Simply buy a metro card at any of the stations and off you go! They don’t accept cash so get your card before you board.

Uber is the other easy reliable way to navigate the city. It’s cheap and safe. Your hotel or Air B&B Host can advise if there are other options based on your itinerary and location.

Container ship sailing through the Panama Canal.
Ship navigating the Canal

Best Time to Visit Panama City

We travelled to Panama City in March and the weather was good with temperatures in the mid 80s. This temperature is fairly constant year round. From December to April, you can expect less rain although a deluge can happen any time in the rainforests.  From May to November, you will experience more tropical rain but there are fewer tourists and rainforests are at their peak.   

If you’re into surfing, go April to December. Or if you’re after seeing ocean wildlife, then go August to September for best sighting opportunities.

Plaza in the center of a square with a building and white arches around it.
Plaza de Francia

Where to Stay in Panama City

Casco Viejo (the old city) is home to many of Panama’s historical sights.  Because of that and only having 5 days, it’s where we chose to stay.  You want to be close by the top places to visit in Panama City and be able to easily connect to the canal, train etc. The Central Hotel is in the heart of the Independence Plaza district and only 600 or so feet from the Presidential Palace. 

The rooftop pool area was an oasis at the end of a busy day and breakfast fueled us for the day ahead.

Rooftops old in red tile contrast to high rise buildings over the harbor.
The Old and New of Panama City

If you are looking to stay in the more modern part of Panama city, there are numerous apartments and hotels. So we suggest first decide your itinerary and how you plan to get around,  then select a location that’s right for you. Pop over to  booking.com to check the different modern city options.


What to Pack for a Trip to Panama

The climate is tropical in Panama so be prepared for hot, sticky, humid weather. Pack light clothes that are ideally breathable. Loose dresses, skorts and t-shirts will work well for our Panama City Itinerary and for sailing on the Panama Canal.  You will need good shoes for walking, hiking and if you’re heading to the rain forest, pack accordingly with a rain jacket etc.  I’d bring a hat (unless you plan to buy one as a souvenir).

Also bring a light jacket or scarf for evenings as it can cool off.  In the capital, people tend to dress up at night, but if you’re traveling around the country as part of your trip, it will typically be more casual.

Freso of a woman lounging on a chair and having a siesta.
Take it easy – enjoy siesta time!

Pack sunscreen, sunglasses, and insect repellent as the rain can bring them out. However, we weren’t bothered by any when we visited.

9 Top Places To Visit In Panama City

We stayed 5 nights giving us four full days to explore the city.  It didn’t feel rushed and we were able to see plenty in that time.  Over several days we were able to pack a lot in but still have lots of relaxation time too.  Here’s 9 of our favourite things to do in and around Panama City. 

1. Casco Viejo (Old City)

Start with a FREE walking tour of the historic districts of Panama’s capital.  We enjoyed GuruWalks Panama City but we suggest you go on-line and pick what suits your interests and available time.

Highlights include visiting the Cathedral Plaza with it’s weekend craft and flea markets. Don’t miss the Catedral Metropolitan with its white towers. Across the city, you will stumble upon interesting plazas and boulevards brimming with fun stalls. 

It’s easy and safe to wander around on your own in this area during the day.  But with a guide, the history and culture come to life in a way that just isn’t the same with an App or guidebook! Afterwards, pick a central cafe and watch life go by. 

Convent Santo Domingo in Panama City, Panama lit at night showing the original building and later additions in a white brick.
Convent Santo Domingo

Not just any old arch!

When you’re exploring the old city, you will likely walk by the Convent Santo Domingo and its Flat Arch. What’s so special about this, you might ask?

Well, built in the 17th century, its unsupported 50 feet arch was a means to demonstrate that Panama (not Nicaragua) was the country to build the canal in. Why? No earthquakes of any scale caused it damage.

Famous arch in Panama City, Panama
Flat Arch

2. Visit Miraflores Lock & Panama Canal

This is a truly fascinating day of getting to understand not only the history of the canal but to appreciate its scale and importance to Panama and the world. Not only is this one of top places to visit in Panama, it’s a world top destination! 

It’s easier to combine a visit to the nearest lock called Miraflores with a boat ride through part of the canal. To get here independently, take the metro from the city center to Albrook Mall Bus Station. From the station, you can pick up an Uber to take you to the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center.

Miraflores Lock - a white building on a canal ensures ships transit safely.
Miraflores Lock System

As you stand and watch huge container ships or cruise ships go by you feel like an ant – they are so humungous! 

It can get busy as it’s the nearest lock to the city. To improve your chance of seeing more ships, head here before 11am or after 3pm.  The visitor center opens at 8am and you can find more details about entry fees and directions on the Panama Canal Visitor website.

Top Places to Visit in Panama – Panama Canal

Don’t miss the experience of going through one of the locks on a boat. It’s quite fascinating! Fun fact – did you know that the canal averages only 87m (285 ft) in altitude. There are many tours that take you from downtown to the canal and then onto a few hours trip.  It’s fun and really educational.  Catering for tourists, most of these boats serve refreshments and snacks.  It’s a great way to share stories and tips with fellow travellers too. Don’t forget a hat!

Sailing on a boat on a Canal this is a view from the boat. The concrete walls of the canal are visible as are ships further ahead.
Sailing the Panama canal

It’s incredible to imagine that if the canal wasn’t here, ships would have to sail around South America or transfer goods across by rail or road to get from A to B. Think about the difference between a journey of 48 miles (77km) vs. about 8,000 miles (12,875km).

Massive cranes of the Panama Canal
Cranes on Panama Canal tower above us

When you are back on dry land, don’t miss the exceptional Museo del Canal Interoceanico. It’s housed in 3-story classic French building and gives an excellent insight into geopolitical history as well as presenting fascinating maps and accounts of what it took to complete this engineering marvel.  

Also downtown is the Panama Canal museum. It also offers a fascinating view of the 100+ years from opening in August 1914 to the 1,000,000th passage on 4th September, 2010.

3. Paddle the Chagres River

After a full first day or two in the city, it’s time to head out to Panama’s Chagres National Park. We drove some way through small villages towards Lake Alajuela, stopping here and there for some delicious roadside fresh fruit.  We then transferred into traditional dug out canoes to travel up the river towards the village.

Traditional dug out canoe in Chagres River National Park
Heading up the Chagres River

The journey was such fun as we threaded our way through rocks jutting out of lower waters whilst surrounded by thick, lush, green forest growth. Our guides were so skillful and fun – to be honest we had it easy!  At times,  the current flowed fast, ebbing and flowing in different directions and then it went calm and was like a pond. On arrival, we pulled onto a pebbled beach and hiked a short distance to an Embera village.

Embera Village in Chagres region of Panama reveals traditional round homes in small villages.
Traditional Embera Home on riverside.

Lunch at the village

This is a popular tour so don’t expect a wilderness experience but we thoroughly enjoyed it. We were guided up to the main village and then had a tour around with one of the leaders.

Embera village of round homes shows earthen floored, straw thatched homes.
Embera village in Chagres

Housing was simple, open and each family had a small garden. There was activity everywhere from children at school to artisans making unique pieces from wood mainly. Being able to visit the school and meet the children was a real highlight. It was a basic set up, but vibrant!

Following our time meeting villagers, we were invited to join other guests for a traditional lunch.  Everything was home caught or home grown – fish, vegetables, drinks and it was delicious.

To work off all that food we were then entertained by a group of village musicians and encouraged to dance. It was pretty humid and hot so definitely worked off a few of the calories from lunch before we headed back to the canoe and shore of the lake.

Fresh fruits on a tray in a village near Panama City, Panama. Watermelon, banana and pineapple cut fruits are displayed.
Delicious Fresh Fruit
Banana leaves in Embera village on a table are being used as plates for a lunch in Panama.
Banana Leafs are our plates.

4. Explore Chagres National Park

As we drove back from the lake to Panama City we spent more time in the national park. This is also a great spot for hiking, white water rafting as well as enjoying the abundant wildlife from jaguars, monkeys to the national bird of Panama  – the harpy eagle!

We only saw the monkeys out of this list but we did have an encounter with a sloth! It was up a tree and it’s not the best photograph but as predictable as ever, it didn’t really move, just hung around 🙂

Such a contrast between the chattering noisy monkeys and the silent sloths – guess they make it work!

Sloth in Panama
Yes, its a sloth!
Toucan in Panama has a huge green and red beak. It's neck is yellow and it's eye is blue.
Toucan

5. Explore Old Pirate Sites

San Lorenzo and Portobello Forts

These are also more of our top places to visit in Panama. It’s a fun excursion to get a feel for how treacherous the waters were around Panama when many precious goods were moved around in the Spanish era.

Travelling the Trans-Isthmian Highway, you’ll pass by the Gatun locks on the Atlantic end of the canal. Whilst this does not have the visitor center like Miraflores, this is another great spot to get up close up to the cargo ships from their viewing platform.

An old look out tower stands on the bank of the Chagres River.

Then keep going to Fort San Lorenzo, a fortress built by the Spanish back in the 16th century to defend their trade against pirates.  Today, it is up to us to use our imagination in terms of how it must have been to live in this era. The views out over the Caribbean are simply stunning.

Continue on to Portobello Fort which has a claim to fame in that this is where the Welsh Pirate Henry Morgan attacked Panama. Most of what is left today are ruins built after the pirate attacks to help to strengthen the coast.

Forts from the day of pirates in Panama are today mainly stone ruins overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Forts to defend against Pirates

6. Ride the only Trans-Oceanic Train in the World

If you love travel by train, this is not to be missed!

Continuing on from Portobello, you can take the train 50 miles or so from Colon across country back to Panama City. Remarkably, it’s only around an hour but it’s such fun and a unique experience. Much of the track runs along side the canal so you’re moving along and often side by side with these massive ships.

A red and orange painted Panama Canal Railway which takes tourists across the country.
Take a trans-oceanic train ride

We did this with a tour guide as there’s quite a bit of logistics and our time was limited. An example of a Viator tour that includes forts and the train ride gives you a sense of cost and duration of this trip.

All aboard - family getting ready to board a Panama railroad train
All aboard!

7. Find a Perfect Panama Hat

Panama City has its fair share of shopping!  For us ‘browsers’ it’s great fun strolling around in the early evening, checking out the array of goods on offer. Why not treat yourself to a hand made Panama Hat?  The fun fact here is that the Panama Hat actually originated in Ecuador and is still made there in large numbers.

Searching for a Panama hat in Panama City
Searching for the perfect Hat!

But, a US President was seen wearing such a hat in Panama and the name just stuck! This doesn’t change the fun experience of searching for the perfect hat for you as your Panama souvenir 🙂 

8. Enjoy Rooftop Bar sunsets

In Casco Viejo, you will be surrounded by lounge bars with stunning views so take your pick.  If you’re staying in the more modern part of town, many hotels have their equally amazing private rooftop terraces.

Two women sitting on a rooftop open air bar terrace on a sofa in Panama City.
Cooling Breeze of Rooftop Terraces
Roof terrace in Panama City. Shadows fall onto the rooftop terrace as sun starts to set. A string of bulbs overhead will illuminate once darkness falls.

9. Try Delicious Local Foods

With an abundance of seafood and fresh tropical fruits and vegetables, Panama is a gourmet heaven. From top city restaurants to casual family river side cafes, there are countless options. Don’t miss picking up fresh fruits from a roadside stall – cheap and so fresh. Yum! 

Seafood in a coconut in Panama City
Seafood served in a coconut
Woman has a cocktail served in the shell of a green coconut.
Panamanian Cocktail!

So there you have it.  Our best places to visit in Panama itinerary gives you all you need to plan a trip to Panama City.  We feel this destination is a perfect option whether you enjoy city life or getting out into rainforest.  

There truly is a magical mix of nature and modern marvels. Don’t miss the Canal or getting to know people in the villages. Oh, and do try a coconut based cocktail – delicious with that Henry Morgan rum 🙂


Venture Beyond Panama City

Maybe you would like to combine the city with a slower pace for a few days. If relaxing on the beach is your idea of travel bliss, head to the San Blas Islands and soak up the sun. The picture postcard perfect sands of Guna Yala are word class and that’s saying something!

This San Blas Islands site has all the resources to help you decide how to get here.

Relax on Panama's beaches
Time to relax at the beach

Other Central American Spots

Neighbouring Colombia has many incredible travel destinations. For a long weekend break, head to Cartagena on the Caribbean coast. Alternatively you can fly between Panama City and Cartagena and make this a 2-city travel experience.

Traditional seafood restaurant in Panama
Local restaurant

Wrap Up: Top Places to Visit In Panama City, Panama

Central America capitals like Panama City are perhaps sometimes overlooked in favor of their larger South American neighbours like Buenos Aires with scale.  

However, with a small country capital, it’s easier to travel around the country and absorb more of the culture in a shorter period of time. Panama City offers an enticing mix of centuries old culture along with its engineering marvels.

Couple this with the simplicity of getting ‘off the grid’ up river with local communities or meeting a sloth, and you’ve got a special destination.

2 Comments

  1. Loved this! We visited Panama nearly 20 years ago but you’ve made me want to head back. Thanks for such an interesting and inspiring article.

    1. Judithluberski says:

      Sue thanks so much. It’s great isn’t it when going back somewhere feels like it could be as much an adventure as the first time! So glad you enjoyed the read and so appreciate the feedback.

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