Private Panama City tour: Old Town, Canal & Amador Causeway

The Panama Canal's Miraflores locks are busiest in the morning, and your guide adjusts the day around them.

A private half-day tour of Panama City with a licensed guide in English or Spanish, hotel or airport pickup, and air-conditioned transport. You visit the Miraflores visitor center to watch ships pass through the Canal locks, walk the UNESCO Old Town, see the Amador Causeway's city views, and stop at Plaza de Francia and the Poin observation deck. The guide adjusts time at each stop based on what interests you, and can detour to a gourmet coffee spot if you ask.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each3 stops

1. Amador Causeway1h 30m
2. Casco Viejo40m
3. Plaza de Francia15m

Panama City private half-day tour

• Visit Miraflores visitor center
• Watch Panama Canal 3D IMAX movie
• Explore Amador Causeway views
• Walk through Old Town streets
• See Cathedral Basilica in Old Town
• Visit Plaza de Francia square
• Stop at local artisan market
• Enjoy Poin 360° city views and activities

The experience

What makes this tour different from booking four stops on your own is that the guide knows the timing: the Canal locks move ships on a schedule, the Old Town's streets are easiest to walk before midday heat, and the Causeway restaurants fill up by lunch. You don't have to figure out the sequence or the traffic. The tour runs 5 to 6 hours and includes pickup from your hotel or the Amador Cruise Terminal, so you're collected and returned without arranging a separate transfer.

The day starts at the Miraflores visitor center, where you watch container ships and tankers rise and lower through the locks on the IMAX screen and from the observation deck. The scale of it is something a photo doesn't prepare you for. From there, the Amador Causeway gives you the view of the Canal's entrance and the city skyline in one frame. You can stop for lunch at one of the restaurants there or move on. The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a walk through narrow streets where the guide explains the colonial history and points out the Cathedral Basilica of Santa María la Antigua, consecrated in 1796. Plaza de Francia, a square honoring the French contribution to the Canal's construction, and the Poin observation deck with its 360-degree city views round out the stops.

Because the tour is private, you set the pace. If you want to linger in one neighborhood or skip another, you tell the guide and the schedule shifts. The vehicle is air-conditioned, bottled water is included, and the guide is a licensed professional. If you're a coffee enthusiast, you can ask to visit a gourmet coffee spot (that experience has an additional cost and is not included). The public market and artisan souvenir shops are optional stops as well.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned transport.
• pickup from your hotel or the Amador Cruise Terminal.
• a licensed guide in English or Spanish.
• bottled water.
• visits to the Miraflores Canal locks, the UNESCO Old Town, the Amador Causeway, Plaza de Francia, and the Poin observation deck.
• optional stops at a public market and artisan shops.

Options for this experience

4 options

Private, departing from the centerGuide in English or Spanish · 10 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 14:30Pickup is included

From Westin and DreamsGuide in English or Spanish · 10 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 14:00Private tour from Veracruz (Dreams and Westin hotels), pickup included

PRIVATE from AmadorGuide in English or Spanish · 7 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 13:00Private tour, includes pickup

PRIVATE Tocumen AirportGuide in English or Spanish · 10 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 14:00Airport pickup, with pickup included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 5h–6h, runs every day, 13 start times, from US$ 75 per person, with a live guide in English and Spanish, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesMonday to Friday: 07:00, 07:30, 08:00, 09:00, 09:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00Saturday and Sunday: 07:00, 07:30, 08:00, 09:00, 09:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 14:30

GroupPrivate1 group tour ›

Live guideEnglish and SpanishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Infant (under 6): free

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Jose angel espinosa

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a private guide who adjusts time at each landmark based on your interests, rather than following a fixed itinerary with set stops.

Traveler reviews

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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 (under 6): free.

What exactly happens at the Panama Canal Miraflores locks on this tour?

At the Miraflores visitor center, you watch ships pass through the locks from an observation deck and on an IMAX screen. The locks raise and lower vessels between sea level and Gatun Lake, and the timing is live. You see the actual traffic moving through the Canal.

Can I spend more time in the Old Town if I want to skip another stop?

Yes. The guide adjusts the time at each location based on what interests you. If you want to walk the Old Town longer, you tell the guide and the schedule shifts: that flexibility is built into the tour.

Does the tour include entry to the Poin observation deck and activities there?

The Poin stop is included in the tour route and you visit the observation deck, but entry fees and activities like the zip line, swing, or glass floor skydeck are not included and cost extra if you choose them.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to arrange separately?

The price covers private transport with an air-conditioned vehicle, a licensed guide in English or Spanish, hotel or airport pickup and return, and bottled water. Entry to attractions like the Canal visitor center is not included in the tour price.

How long does the whole tour take, and what time does it start?

The tour runs 5 to 6 hours total. The start time depends on your pickup location and preference. Confirm that when you book.

Is there a stop for food or coffee during the tour?

The Amador Causeway has restaurants where you can eat, and that's a natural lunch stop. A public market with local food like ceviche and rice with coconut is an optional stop if you request it. Gourmet coffee is available at a separate location if you ask the guide, though that experience costs extra.