Panama City

The city of Panama is a shopping center recognized internationally for its wide range of brands and variety of products from all over the world..

Panama is a cosmopolitan and dynamic city where the modern and the colonial come together to create a happy and vibrant atmosphere. In love with the peaceful sea with which it was born, it has risen from its shores to the heights of heaven in towering skyscrapers, many of which are now icons known throughout the world..

“Thank you for making all the arrangements for our private tour of Panama City. All the transfers and tour operators were on time and the guides were knowledgeable and spoke English. The highlight of our trip was the full transit passage thru the Panama Canal, which was truly impressive.”

While there are so many exciting things to do and see in Panama in addition to the Panama Canal, no trip to Panama would be complete without experiencing the Canal. All of our customized vacation packages can include tours to see and experience the 8th wonder of the world and the Panama Canal. Choose among taking a Panama Canal Transit Tour, riding the Historic Panama Railway along the Canal, or going to the Miraflores Locks, Gatun Locks and/or Panama Canal Expansion Center.

Plan your Panama City Vacation

Founded nearly five centuries ago, Panama city is steeped in history, yet much of it is remarkably modern. The baroque facades of the city's old quarter appear frozen in time, while the area around Punta Paitilla (Paitilla Point) is positively vaulting into the 21st century, with gleaming skyscrapers towering over the waterfront.

Panama City is home to races, religions, and cultures from around the world. Whereas the high-rises of Punta Paitilla and the Area Bancária (banking district) create a skyline more impressive than that of Miami (really!), the brick streets and balconies of the Casco Viejo evoke the French Quarter of New Orleans. The tree-lined boulevards of Balboa are a mixture of early-20th-century American architecture and exuberant tropical vegetation. The islands reached by the nearby Calzada de Amador (Amador Causeway) are full of bars and restaurants and a marina.

The city's proximity to tropical nature is astounding, with significant patches of forest protected within city limits on Cerro Ancón (Ancón Hill) and in Parque Metropolitano, and the national parks of Camino de Cruces and Soberanía just to the northwest of town. You could spend a morning hiking through the rain forest of the Parque Metropolitano to see parrots and toucans, then watch pelicans dive into the sea while sipping a sunset drink at one of Amador Causeway's restaurants. There are plenty of spots in and around the city to view massive ships moving in and out of the Panama Canal.

An array of restaurants, an abundance of shops and handicraft markets, and a vibrant nightlife scene round out Panama City's charm. Panama City can also serve as a base for a bunch of day trips, including Panama Canal transit tours, a boat ride to Isla Taboga or Isla Contadora, a trip on the Panama Canal Railway, a day exploring the colonial fortresses, beaches, and coral reefs of Portobelo, or hikes through various rain-forest reserves.