Panama City Buggy Safari: Open-Air Dune Buggy Ride
Drive your own open-air buggy through lively streets, catching waves and smiles from locals
A private 2-hour dune buggy tour of Panama City with a live guide in English or Spanish, starting with pickup. You ride in an open-air vehicle through Obarrio's modern towers, down Avenida Balboa's waterfront, and into Casco Viejo's colonial quarter, then out to the Amador Causeway islands and the Frank Gehry-designed BioMuseo. The guide drives while you take in the city from the open buggy, stopping for photos at Plaza de Francia, the iconic Panama sign, and other landmarks.
Step-by-step itinerary
Panama City Buggy Safari Tour
- Drive through Obarrio district
- See Panama’s tallest skyscrapers
- Cruise along Avenida Balboa waterfront
- Drive past Parque Urracá park
- Pass by Mercado de Mariscos market
- Enter Casco Viejo historic district
- Visit Plaza Herrera square
- Visit Cathedral Plaza
- Drive through Hat Street
- Glide along Cinta Costera boulevard
- Pass Simón Bolívar square
- Drive along Cinta Costera 3 highway
- Pass Canal treaties bronze sculpture
- Visit Plaza de Francia
- Pass Naos Island
- View BioMuseo building
- Pass Perico Island
- Pass Flamenco Island promenade
- Stop at Panama Sign on Flamenco Island
- Avenida Balboa passing by
- Casco Viejo passing by
- Plaza Herrera 5m
- La Calle De Los Sombreros passing by
- Cinta Costera passing by
- Plaza de Francia passing by
- Biomuseo passing by
What’s included
- Pickup from your location.
- a private open-air dune buggy with a live guide in English or Spanish.
- soda or pop and bottled water.
Times
- Every day 09:00 12:00 15:00
Information
Tour Panama City's colonial streets, Amador Causeway, and skyline in a private open-air dune buggy with a local guide, including the BioMuseo in 2 hours.
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Traveler reviews
The experience
What makes this different from a bus tour is the vehicle itself. Instead of sitting behind windows with a crowd, you're in an open-air dune buggy where the breeze, the noise, and the scale of the city hit you directly. The guide handles the driving while you watch the city shift from one face to another: starting in Obarrio with its sleek skyscrapers, including the 284-meter JW Marriott tower (the tallest building in Central America), then rolling down Avenida Balboa with the Pacific on one side and the skyline reflecting off the water.
The route moves from modern Panama into Casco Viejo, the walled colonial district that dates to the 1600s. You'll pass through Plaza Herrera and the Cathedral Plaza (where Panama declared independence from Colombia in 1903), cruise down the famous "Hat Street" with its bright walls and overhead strings of Panama hats, and glide along the Cinta Costera with its view of glass towers facing the old town across the bay. The Mercado de Mariscos (the city's seafood market where fishermen unload the day's catch and pelicans circle overhead) comes into view as you leave the historic quarter behind.
The final stretch takes you out to the Amador Causeway islands: Naos Island with its marina views, Perico Island's restaurants and sailboats, and Flamenco Island where you stop at the iconic Panama sign for photos with the ocean and skyline behind you. The BioMuseo, Frank Gehry's bold geometric structure in shades of color, sits at the start of the causeway and makes for a striking photo moment from the open buggy. Soda and bottled water are included. The whole experience runs 2 hours, and the guide speaks English or Spanish.
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Spanish.
What is the BioMuseo and why is it worth seeing on this tour?
The BioMuseo is a museum designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry that celebrates Panama's biodiversity and its role as a bridge between continents. Its striking geometric rooflines in bold colors are visible from the open buggy and make it one of the most distinctive buildings in Latin America: a natural photo stop on the route.
Does the buggy stop at Casco Viejo, or do you just drive through it?
You drive through Casco Viejo in the open buggy, passing the main squares and streets like Plaza Herrera, the Cathedral Plaza, and the famous "Hat Street." The route is designed to show you the colonial architecture and street life from the vehicle. Photo moments happen as you roll past, though the guide can point out the history and details as you go.
What is the Amador Causeway and what will I see there?
The Amador Causeway is a series of islands connected by a coastal highway at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. On this tour you'll cruise past Naos Island with its marinas, Perico Island with restaurants and sailboats, and Flamenco Island where you stop at the iconic Panama sign for photos with the skyline in the distance.
Is this tour good for someone traveling alone?
Yes, the tour is designed for solo travelers. You get a private open-air buggy with a local guide, so you're not sharing the vehicle with strangers. The guide speaks English or Spanish and handles all the driving while you take in the city and take photos.
What's included in the tour price?
The tour includes pickup, the 2-hour ride in the open-air dune buggy with a live guide, soda or pop, and bottled water. Entry to attractions like the BioMuseo is not included, though you'll see it from the buggy.
Operated by TOMI TOURS. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 10 days ago
Panama City Buggy Safari: Open-Air Dune Buggy Ride
2h · EN · ES · at your hotel
from US$ 149 per group
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