Things to do in Panama
Panama Canal Tours26 optionsPanama City Tours15 optionsDay Trips from Panama City11 optionsPanama City Walking Tour19 optionsBoat Tour Panama Canal5 optionsCasco Viejo Tours33 optionsBoat Tour Panama City33 optionsSnorkeling Tour Bocas del Toro5 optionsBoquete Coffee Tour5 optionsPanama City Rainforest7 optionsGatun Lake Tours11 optionsFood Tour Panama City15 options
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Panama City: Gatun Lake Monkey & Wildlife Boat TourYou're picked up from your Panama City hotel and driven to Gamboa Marina on the Panama Canal. A certified guide takes you by boat across Gatun Lake for ninety minutes of wildlife viewing — white-faced capuchins, howler monkeys, Geoffrey's tamarins, sloths, tropical birds, and possibly crocodiles. The boat ride itself is part of the experience; the lake is surrounded by rainforest and the canal's infrastructure. You return by boat and vehicle to your hotel, with water and guide commentary included throughout.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Panama's rainforest monkeys and canal wildlife without arranging your own transport or guide — the fixed pickup and return times mean you don't have to navigate Gamboa or time the boat rides yourself.
Casco Viejo Walking Tour Panama City: Colonial StreetsA guided walking tour of Casco Viejo, Panama City's historic district, led by a local guide through colonial architecture, hidden alleyways, and landmarks shaped by centuries of Panamanian history. The tour runs 2 to 3 hours and includes hotel pickup from anywhere in Panama City or a meeting point start; a guide in English or Spanish; and an umbrella if rain arrives. Some churches request a small donation to enter.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want the history and layout of Casco Viejo explained by someone who knows the district—the guide handles the route and the stories, so you walk without planning stops or reading plaques. The small-group format and hotel pickup mean the logistics are arranged; you show up and the day unfolds.
Panama City: Embera Village Canoe Tour & Waterfall LunchYou’ll travel by canoe from Panama City into Chagres rainforest, swim beneath a hidden waterfall, then share lunch and music with the Embera community. Expect muddy shoes and honest smiles—plus fresh fruit you helped choose yourself. If you want a day that lingers long after you’re home, this is it.
Panama City: Canal Entry, Casco Viejo & BioMuseo Park WalkYou’ll trace Panama City’s shifting skyline from your hotel door to Casco Viejo’s cobbled streets, watch massive ships squeeze through Miraflores Locks with your guide explaining every move, snack on local chips under bright Gehry colors at BioMuseo Park, and finish gazing over Panama Bay from ancient ramparts. It’s not polished—it’s real Panama.
Panama Canal & Gatun Lake: Monkey Islands Jungle Boat TourYou’ll ride a fast boat alongside ships on the Panama Canal to Monkey Islands, spot wild monkeys and sloths around Gatun Lake, walk jungle trails with your guide, snack on fresh Panamanian treats—and maybe get rained on (ponchos included). It’s lively, messy fun that leaves you grinning long after you’re back in town.
Panama Canal: Ocean to Ocean Boat Ride & Fort San Lorenzo Day TripYou’ll start early with hotel pickup in Panama City and cruise along the Panama Canal beside massive ships before exploring Gatun Lake’s wildlife-rich shores. Watch vessels navigate Agua Clara Locks from a panoramic deck and enjoy a homemade lunch overlooking Caribbean cliffs at Fort San Lorenzo. Expect real stories, rainforest smells, and some moments that stick with you long after.
Taboga Island Catamaran Tour: Open Bar, Lunch & Panama City ViewsYou’ll leave Panama City behind for a full day on Taboga Island: cruise past city landmarks by catamaran with open bar and snacks, swim in a quiet bay, stroll through flower-filled village streets, then relax over lunch before heading home—all with local crew who make it feel easygoing and real.
Waterfall & Embera village tour from Panama City: Swim & cultureA full-day tour from Panama City into Chagres National Park combines a canoe ride upriver, a 20-minute jungle hike to a waterfall where you swim, and time in an Embera village for lunch and cultural exchange with community leaders. The tour runs seven hours with pickup from downtown Panama City or Casco Viejo, and includes bottled water and a traditional meal of fried fish, plantains and seasonal fruit. Entry tax to the park and village (USD $35 cash per person) is paid to the guide at pickup.Is it for me?Choose the private experience if you want the flexibility to move at your own pace and spend extra time at the waterfall or in the village; the small-group option keeps costs lower and pairs you with other travelers. The Waterfall + Kayaking variant replaces part of the village time with a paddling section upriver, so pick it if you prefer water time over cultural immersion.
Private Panama City Tour in a Classic VW SafariA private Panama City tour in a classic 1970s VW Safari convertible with a live guide in English or Spanish. You ride in an open-air vehicle through Casco Viejo's historic plazas, along the Amador Causeway, past the Biomuseo and modern skyline, with the driver using your phone to capture photos at each stop. Pickup is included; the tour runs two hours and covers water and soft drinks.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want to see both the modern skyline and historic Casco Viejo in a single morning or afternoon without driving yourself or standing in a crowded bus. The open-air convertible and photo stops at each landmark make it a way to move through the city and document it at the same time, rather than a walking tour or a standard coach ride.
Panama City and Canal tour: 6 hours, private or sharedA half-day tour of Panama City and the Panama Canal visiting the Bridge of the Americas, Miraflores Locks Visitor Center, Amador Causeway and Casco Viejo with a professional guide, hotel pickup and air-conditioned vehicle. Private tours start at any time you choose; shared departures run on a fixed schedule. Canal entrance fees are optional and paid separately.Is it for me?Book the private option if you want to set your own departure time and travel with your group alone; choose the shared tour if you prefer a fixed schedule and don't mind joining other travelers.
Panama City Casco Viejo: Afrobeats Bar Crawl & 5 DrinksYou meet your host in Casco Viejo and move through five bars in one night, with each stop including a drink and cover charge already paid. The route changes based on the night of the week — your host knows which venues are live when — so you skip the planning and the door fees. You leave with the people you came with plus whoever you met along the way.Is it for me?Book this if you want a night out in Panama City's Afro nightlife scene without planning the route, paying cover charges separately, or showing up alone — the host and the group take care of all three.
Panama City: Casco Viejo & Cinta Costera Bike TourYou’ll ride through Panama City’s lively streets with a local guide, pausing for photos along Cinta Costera’s waterfront views and weaving into Casco Viejo’s colorful alleys. Taste local treats at the fish market and share laughs with fellow travelers. Expect moments that stick with you long after you leave.
Panama Canal: Wildlife Boat Safari & Casco Viejo BrunchYou’ll glide through Gatun Lake spotting monkeys and sloths up close before sharing a traditional Panamanian brunch in historic Casco Viejo. Expect real wildlife encounters, friendly local guides who know every sound in the trees, and flavors you might never have tried before—all with pickup included so you can just relax into it.
Panama City: Canal & Casco Viejo Half-Day Tour with PickupYou see the Canal's lock system and watch the water-level change in person, walk the colonial streets of Casco Viejo, cross the Bridge of the Americas at its viewpoint, and stop at Plaza de Francia—all without arranging your own transport or timing the stops yourself. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, along with a bilingual guide and bottled water.Is it for me?Book this if you're in Panama City for only a day or two and want to see the Canal and old town without arranging taxis, timing your own stops, or figuring out which sights matter most—the 5-hour format and included transport handle all of that.
Panama Canal Partial Tour: Miraflores & Pedro Miguel LocksYou board a coach to Gamboa, then transit the Panama Canal southbound on a comfortable ship, passing through Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks and under the Centennial Bridge. Lunch and drinks are included, and you can meet the captain and canal pilot on the bridge. The tour returns you to Flamenco Marina by early afternoon.Is it for me?A good fit if you want to see the Panama Canal locks in action without arranging your own transport to Gamboa—the coach pickup and ship transit are handled, and lunch is included. Plan for a four-hour outing from Flamenco Marina, which is what lets you experience both lock systems and the Gaillard Cut in one morning or afternoon.
Panama Canal & Gatun Lake Boat Tour: Skip-the-Line EntryYou skip the Miraflores Visitors Center line and watch ships pass through the locks live, then board a boat tour through Gatun Lake where you float past vessels in transit while spotting wildlife in the surrounding rainforest. Hotel pickup, entrance fees, water and an air-conditioned vehicle are all included, so you show up and the logistics are handled.Is it for me?Pick this if you want to understand how the Panama Canal actually works and see it operating without arranging transport or standing in an entry line — the skip-the-line access and guided boat tour through Gatun Lake are what compress the full experience into one morning or afternoon.
Panama City: Canal Locks & Old Town with Bilingual GuideYou spend six hours moving through Panama's defining landmarks: the Miraflores Locks with a documentary, the Amador Causeway islands, Old Town's colonial churches and convents, and Plaza de Francia overlooking the canal's entrance. Hotel pickup, bottled water and a bilingual guide are included, so you're not arranging transport or navigating between stops yourself.Is it for me?Right for travelers who want to understand Panama's defining landmark and history without arranging their own transport or piecing together multiple stops. The six-hour pace lets you linger at each place—the locks, the colonial churches, the causeway views—without feeling rushed through any of them.
Panama Canal boat tour: Monkeys, sloths & wildlife spottingA boat tour through the Panama Canal and Gatun Lake from Panama City with a live guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese, where you search for monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, iguanas and birds in a protected rainforest area. Pickup from downtown Panama City or Casco Viejo is included; the tour runs 3.5 hours and covers the route by car to the Chagres River, then by boat through the canal's scale and into the lake's islands. Bottled water is provided, and children from age 1 travel free on an adult's lap.Is it for me?Choose the private option if your group wants a guide focused entirely on your pace and questions; the small-group tour works well if you're traveling solo or prefer to share the cost and meet other travelers while keeping the boat intimate.
Panama City: Canal & Colonial History Private TourYou visit the Miraflores Locks visitor center and watch ships pass through the canal's water chambers while learning how the engineering works. Then you explore the colonial ruins of Old Panama and climb San Felipe Fort for a view of the bay and the city. Hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, and museum entry are included; the whole day is private, so you move at your own pace.Is it for me?Book this if you want to understand how the canal actually works and why it matters to global trade, rather than just see it from a distance—the private format and museum access mean you get the full story without rushing through a group schedule.
4h Cooking Class in Panama City: 10 Recipes & DrinksA 4-hour hands-on cooking class in Panama City where you prepare 10 traditional Panamanian dishes—Carimanõlas, fish ceviche, arroz con pollo and more—guided step-by-step by a bilingual local instructor in her home kitchen. You cook, learn practical techniques, enjoy unlimited mojitos and other drinks throughout, then sit down as a small group to eat the full meal you prepared together. Vegetarian and non-pork options available. Includes a digital recipe book and Panama City food guide to take home.Is it for me?Book the shared group class if you want to meet other travelers while cooking and keep the price lower; choose the private option if you're traveling with people you know and prefer a more intimate kitchen experience. Either way, the 4 hours includes everything—ingredients, instruction, unlimited drinks and a full meal—so there's nothing else to arrange or pay for once you arrive.
