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🇵🇦Things to Do in Panama
From watching ships cross the Panama Canal to the San Blas Islands - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Panama is best known for one piece of engineering, and the canal genuinely earns the attention - but the country around it holds a walkable colonial old town, a Caribbean archipelago governed by an indigenous nation, and cloud forest highlands within a few hours of the capital. Panama City serves as the natural hub for all of it. Here are 6 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Panama Canal
One of the great engineering achievements of the 20th century, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific. The Miraflores Locks visitor center lets you watch full-sized cargo ships pass through at close range.
📍 Miraflores Locks, Panama City
🚉 Nearest station: Albrook on the Panama City metro, then bus or taxi to the Miraflores visitor centre 20 minutes away - the Agua Clara locks on the Caribbean side are reached from Colon.
Casco Viejo, Panama City
Panama City's restored colonial old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site of plazas, balconied buildings and rooftop bars with views across the bay to the modern skyline.
📍 Panama City
🚉 Nearest station: 5 de Mayo on metro line 1, a 15-minute walk into the old quarter, or the Cinta Costera cycle path along the bay from the modern centre.
San Blas Islands
An archipelago of around 365 small Caribbean islands, governed autonomously by the indigenous Guna people, with palm-covered cays and some of the clearest water in the Caribbean.
📍 Guna Yala
🚉 The Guna Yala islands are reached by 4x4 from Panama City to Carti, about three hours over the mountains, then a boat - the road requires a permit and the transfer is arranged with your lodging.
Soberanía National Park
Rainforest just outside Panama City, with the Pipeline Road trail regularly ranked among the best birdwatching sites in the world for the sheer number of species recorded there.
📍 Near Panama City
🚉 The park runs along the canal 40 minutes from the city: buses to Gamboa from Albrook terminal pass the Pipeline Road trailhead, one of the best birdwatching walks in the Americas.
Boquete
A cool-climate mountain town in Chiriquí Province, known for coffee farms (including some of the world's most expensive geisha coffee) and hiking on the Sendero Los Quetzales trail.
📍 Boquete, Chiriquí Province
🚉 Buses from Panama City's Albrook terminal take seven hours to David, then a local bus climbs 40 minutes to Boquete - the town is small enough to walk, with taxis to the coffee farms.
Bocas del Toro
A Caribbean archipelago near the Costa Rican border, with a laid-back island-town atmosphere, surf breaks, and some of Panama's best-preserved coral reefs for snorkeling.
📍 Bocas del Toro
🚉 Buses run to Almirante, nine hours from Panama City, then water taxis cross to Isla Colon in 30 minutes; flights from Panama City to Bocas town take an hour.
Mark Panama, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Panama?
A week suits Panama City and the Canal plus one region - San Blas or Bocas del Toro. Ten days lets you add Boquete's highlands without rushing.
What's the best time to visit Panama?
December-April is the dry season and the most popular time to visit, especially for the San Blas Islands. The wet season (May-November) brings frequent but usually short afternoon downpours.
Is Panama good for a first-time visit?
Yes - Panama City is modern and easy to navigate, the US dollar is used alongside the Panamanian balboa, and domestic flights make Bocas del Toro and other regions simple add-ons.
Do I need a visa to visit Panama?
Many nationalities, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of the EU, can visit visa-free for short tourist stays (typically up to 90 or 180 days depending on passport); other nationalities need a visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: migracion.gob.pa.
What are some things to do in Panama on a tight budget?
Walking Casco Viejo's streets and watching ships from the free viewing areas near Miraflores Locks cost nothing, local fondas (small eateries) serve Panamanian food cheaply, and Panama City's metro is inexpensive for getting around the capital.
Can I rent a car in Panama, and what licence do I need?
Yes, and it makes the interior and the western highlands much easier. A foreign licence is valid for 90 days from entry, and no International Driving Permit is strictly required, though carrying one alongside a non-Spanish licence helps at the counter. Minimum age is generally 23 to 25. Mandatory local liability insurance is added at pickup and is not part of most online quotes. The road to Carti for San Blas needs a 4x4 and a permit, and the Darien Gap beyond Yaviza is not a driving route in any sense. Official visitor information is published by the Panama Tourism Authority at tourismpanama.com.