Panama Viejo 2-Hour Tour: Ruins and Bay Views

Walk the oldest Spanish settlement in Panama and climb the tower for views of the modern city beyond.

A 2-hour guided tour of Panama Viejo, the first founded city of Panama, starting at 1pm with transport, museum entry and a tower climb included. You walk through the ruins of convents and forts from the conquest, ride an internal bus through mangrove wetlands to see the oldest convent in America, and end at a viewpoint overlooking both the ancient site and the modern city across the bay.

Step-by-step itinerary

Panama La Vieja historical tour

• Depart at 1:00 p.m. passing Seafood Market
• View Cinta Costera and Hilton Hotel
• Arrive at 1:25 p.m. start walking tour
• See statues, monuments, and cannons
• Enter fort to the South
• Transfer by bus to La Merced Convent
• Observe ruins, hospital, mangroves, and wildlife
• Tour La Concepción Convent on foot
• Option to climb tower viewpoint
• Enter Museum of Pre-Hispanic remains
• Visit weapons room and original city exhibits
• Use bathrooms and shop souvenirs

The experience

The tour leaves at 1pm and picks up pace quickly. You pass through the Seafood Market and along Cinta Costera, the coastal boulevard lined with tall buildings, then head toward Calle 50 and the banking district before arriving at Panama Viejo itself. Once there, you walk among statues, monuments and cannons from the conquest era, then enter a fort on the southern edge of the site.

An internal bus carries you through mangrove wetlands to La Merced, the oldest convent in America, where you see the ruins of the San Juan de Dios Hospital and observe the crustaceans, fish and birds that live in the wetland connecting the ancient and modern city. You walk through La Concepción Convent and have the option to climb the tower for views across the Bay of Panama toward the modern skyline. The Museum of Pre-Hispanic Remains holds weapons, instruments, models of the original city layout and kitchen crockery from the settlement's earliest days.

The tour wraps at the souvenir shop and bathrooms, giving you time to buy handicrafts before the 3:15pm end. An air-conditioned vehicle and bottled water are included throughout.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle.
• bottled water.
• museum entry.
• internal bus ride through the mangrove wetlands.
• access to the tower climb at La Concepción Convent.
• pickup included.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 95 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese

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

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 10 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Paradise Green Panama

Is this one for you?The 1pm departure works if you have a free afternoon and want to see the ruins without an early start. A moderate level of fitness is needed for the walking and optional tower climb, and the tour is not suitable for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy or cardiovascular concerns.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

What is Panama Viejo and why does it matter?

Panama Viejo is the first Spanish-founded city in Panama, established during the conquest. The ruins you walk through (convents, hospitals, forts and monuments) are what remains of that settlement, and the tower gives you the vantage point the Spanish colonists had over the bay.

Can I really climb the tower, or is it just a view from ground level?

You have the option to climb the tower at La Concepción Convent. The climb is optional, so you can choose whether to go up or stay at the base.

What does the internal bus ride show you?

The bus takes you through the mangrove wetlands that separate the ruins from the modern city, and you pass the San Juan de Dios Hospital ruins and La Merced convent on the way. The wetlands are home to crustaceans, fish and birds, so you see the ecosystem that connects the ancient and modern Panama.

Is there time to buy souvenirs at the end?

Yes. The tour ends at a souvenir shop where you can buy handicrafts, and bathrooms are available before the 3:15pm finish time.

What's included in the tour price?

Air-conditioned transport, bottled water, museum entry and the internal bus ride through the wetlands are all included. Pickup is also included in the price.