Things to Do in Panama City
Prices, opening hours, best times to visit and the stuff nobody tells you, everything you need for a first trip to Panama City, Panama, plus one pigeon's opinions on all of it.
Right, Panama City. Skyscrapers looking out over a canal that quite literally reshaped world shipping, genuinely worth the detour to watch a ship pass through, a striking Central American skyline shaped by the city's role as a regional banking hub, sitting right at one end of one of the most consequential engineering projects in modern history. This is the proper, no-nonsense guide to things to do in Panama City: what things actually cost, when to go, what to skip, and which bits are worth the wait. Three main stops below, plus a quiz elsewhere on this site to see if you were paying attention.
The Panama Canal
Panama City sits at one end of the Panama Canal, an engineering project connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific, a shortcut that dramatically reduced shipping times between the two oceans when it opened in 1914, genuinely one of the most consequential infrastructure projects in modern history, avoiding the long, dangerous route around the southern tip of South America entirely.
The Miraflores Locks visitor centre offers genuinely excellent viewing platforms to watch ships actually pass through the lock system, a fascinating, slow-motion piece of engineering in action, worth timing your visit around the current transit schedule for the best chance of seeing a full passage.
Hours Daily, roughly 9am–5pm
Getting there About 20 minutes from central Panama City
Panama City's Skyline
Panama City's skyline is often noted for its unusually dense cluster of skyscrapers, for a Central American capital, a genuinely striking, Miami-like skyline shaped largely by the city's role as a regional banking hub, Panama's use of the US dollar and its position as a financial and logistics centre tied to the canal have driven significant modern development, a skyline that genuinely surprises many first-time visitors expecting something considerably more modest.
Cinta Costera, a waterfront promenade running along the bay, offers a good, free way to appreciate this skyline from a distance, particularly striking in the evening when the towers light up.
Best time Evening, for the illuminated skyline
Address Cinta Costera, Panama City
Casco Viejo
Panama City's old town, Casco Viejo, was built after the original settlement was destroyed by a pirate attack, a notorious raid led by a famous privateer (Henry Morgan) forced the city to relocate and rebuild nearby, a genuinely significant piece of colonial-era history, the original Panama Viejo settlement, now ruins, sits a short distance away and is worth visiting alongside Casco Viejo for the fuller picture.
Casco Viejo itself, genuinely well-restored colonial architecture, plazas, and a lively evening bar scene, is worth a proper full day, worth combining a daytime historical wander with an evening return for the district's good restaurants and rooftop bars.
Best time Morning for history; evening for dining and drinks
Address Casco Viejo, Panama City
Best time to visit Panama City
December through April is the dry season and genuinely the most comfortable window, less rain than the rest of the year for the amount of walking this list involves.
The wet season (roughly May through November) brings heavier, more frequent rain, still workable if you plan around afternoon downpours, though the dry season is genuinely the more pleasant time to visit.
Getting around Panama City
Panama City's metro is genuinely efficient and covers a good portion of the city. Taxis and ride-hailing apps cover Casco Viejo and the Miraflores Locks.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Panama City worth visiting?
- Yes, particularly for the Panama Canal, genuinely one of the great engineering achievements of the modern world, and Casco Viejo's colonial history adds real depth alongside the strikingly modern skyline.
- How many days do you need in Panama City?
- Three days covers the Panama Canal, Casco Viejo, and the Cinta Costera comfortably.
- Is Panama City expensive?
- Moderate, generally affordable for food and local transport, the Miraflores Locks visit is the main planned expense on this list.
- What is Panama City famous for?
- The Panama Canal, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, its unusually dense skyscraper skyline for a Central American capital, and Casco Viejo, its colonial old town.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
