El Chorrillo tour Panama City: Locals, salsa, dominoes

Dominoes with locals, salsa in the streets, lunch cooked by residents

A three-hour walking tour of El Chorrillo, the neighborhood just blocks from Casco Viejo, led by Victor Perez. You meet residents in their homes, play dominoes and dance salsa with them, eat traditional sancocho or chicken soup, and hear how rapid gentrification pushed poor families out of the historic district into the surrounding areas. The tour runs in English or Spanish with pickup included.

The experience

El Chorrillo sits a few blocks from the trendy colonial restaurants and boutique hotels of Casco Viejo, but the two neighborhoods could not be more different. While Casco Viejo has been restored and filled with tourists, El Chorrillo is where the people the gentrification displaced ended up. Victor Perez takes you into homes and onto streets most visitors never see, introducing you to locals who live there now. You'll learn how the U.S. invasion of Panama shaped the neighborhood's history and hear directly from residents about what happened when the government and private investors decided Casco Viejo was worth developing.

The day moves between sitting with locals (playing dominoes, dancing salsa, trying local drinks), and eating food they prepare. Lunch is sancocho y arroz or sopa de pollo con arroz, cooked by the people you've just met. You see where boxer Roberto Duran trained and watch locals playing soccer. The pace is set by conversation and connection, not by a schedule of monuments.

When you spend money at local businesses in El Chorrillo, you're supporting the people and dreams that stayed when the money moved next door. That's the point Victor built LOCAL IN PTY around.

What’s included

• Lunch (sancocho y arroz or sopa de pollo con arroz).
• snacks.
• alcoholic beverages.
• pickup.
• live guide in English or Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 11:00 and 15:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 to 50 years) · Senior (60 to 82 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 5 years)

GroupUp to 10 · max 6 per booking

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 13 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Public transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Local in PTY

Is this one for you?This is a shared tour led by Victor, so you're walking and eating with other travelers alongside residents. It suits anyone who wants to meet locals and hear directly from them rather than observe from a distance. If you need private transportation to and from the neighborhood, arrange it separately. The tour includes pickup but not a private car for the day.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (6 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 5 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is El Chorrillo like compared to Casco Viejo?

El Chorrillo is the neighborhood directly adjacent to Casco Viejo's restored colonial district, but it was left behind during gentrification. While Casco Viejo filled with boutique hotels, fancy bars, and stylish restaurants catering to tourists, El Chorrillo is where the poor residents displaced from that area ended up. It's now a safe neighborhood to walk around, and the tour shows you both the reality of that contrast and the people living there today.

Who is Victor Perez and what does he do on the tour?

Victor Perez is the founder of LOCAL IN PTY and leads the tour himself. He takes you into residents' homes, introduces you to locals, and walks you through the neighborhood while sharing its history, including how the U.S. invasion affected it and how gentrification reshaped the area. He's built the tour around meeting people and supporting their businesses rather than sightseeing.

What do you actually do during the three hours?

You walk the neighborhood with Victor, meet residents in their homes, play dominoes with them, dance salsa, try local drinks, watch people playing soccer, and eat lunch (sancocho y arroz or sopa de pollo con arroz) that locals cook. The day is built around conversation and time with people, not a list of stops.

Is this tour safe to walk around in?

Yes. El Chorrillo is now a safe area to walk around. The neighborhood's reputation for crime and violence is part of its history, which the tour addresses, but it's a secure place to spend the day with Victor and the residents who live there.