Panama City walking tour & city guide

Casco Viejo

Casco Viejo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has restored colonial buildings, plazas, churches and rooftop bars with skyline views. The Cinta Costera is a seaside promenade linking the old town with the modern city.

The canal

At the Miraflores Locks, visitors watch huge ships pass through the canal. The colorful Biomuseo, designed by Frank Gehry, tells the story of the isthmus. The Amador Causeway leads to small islands.

A day in Panama City

Start at the Miraflores Locks visitor center to watch huge ships being raised and lowered through the Panama Canal; arrive in the morning or mid-afternoon, when ships are most often passing. Then head to Casco Viejo, the UNESCO-listed old quarter, with restored colonial buildings, plazas, churches and rooftop views of the modern skyline across the bay.

In the late afternoon, walk or cycle along the Cinta Costera, a seafront park, to the fish market for fresh ceviche. At sunset, drive out along the Amador Causeway, which links small islands with views of ships waiting to enter the canal.

Good to know

Panama uses the US dollar alongside its own balboa coins. The city has a modern metro, and ride-hailing apps are cheap and convenient.

The dry season, from mid-December to April, is the best time to visit. Just outside the city, the Metropolitan Natural Park and Soberanía National Park offer rainforest walks with sloths, toucans and monkeys, and the Biomuseo, designed by Frank Gehry, explains Panama's natural history.