Panama City mixes a modern skyline, the Casco Viejo old quarter and the Panama Canal, with rainforest and Pacific islands close by. Dry season is December to April.
Good to know
- The US dollar is the currency (called the balboa).
- Visit Miraflores Locks in the morning when ships pass.
- Use Uber and metro; avoid unlit areas at night.
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Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
UNESCO old town with plazas, rooftop bars and cobbled lanes.
Panamanian fusion tasting menus in restored colonial buildings in the old quarter.
Frank Gehry's colorful museum on Panama's biodiversity.
Waterfront causeway path for walking or biking with views of the skyline and ships awaiting the canal.
Watch ships transit between oceans, with a museum.
Rainforest with some of the world's best birding, a short drive from the city; go early.
Ruins of the first Pacific coast Spanish city.
Fish market with ceviche stands serving cups of fresh seafood in lime, a Panamanian classic.
Visit an Embera Indigenous village by dugout canoe for dance, crafts and a traditional lunch.
White-sand islands run by Guna people; day trips or overnight.
Waterfront park and promenade with views of the Panama City skyline, ideal at sunset.