Panama City
Panama City Tours | Best Guides & Tours for 2024
Explore Panama City, the most cosmopolitan capital in Central America with our Panama City tours. A Panama vacation offers something for everyone. Being both a vibrant metropolis and gateway to tropical escapes, visitors will be assured to stay busy and intrigued during their stay.
The first time we visited Panama City, we knew that this place will keep us in its spell forever. Having travelled all around the world, we have never found a place that holds so much diversity in both culture and nature, all reachable with a day trip from Panama City. According to Statistica, in 2022 over 2 million visitors flock to this beautiful country to explore the rich culture and biodiversity. Ranging from the rainforests of the Darien, the the island paradise of San Blas, to the mountain regions of Anton Valley and Boquete, Panama offers something for everyone’s taste and liking. We started offeringPanama tours to show the world the beauties of this country.
Why Visit Panama City
Many worlds coexist here. Welcoming both east and west, Panama is a regional hub of trade and immigration. The resulting cultural cocktail mix leads to a refreshing 'anything goes' attitude, more dynamic and fluid than that of its neighbors.
Unflinchingly urban, the capital rides the rails of chaos, with traffic jams, wayward taxis and casinos stacked between chic clubs and construction sites. A center of international banking and trade, it has a sultry skyline of shimmering glass and steel towers that is reminiscent of Miami. In contrast, the colonial peninsula of Casco Viejo has become a hip neighborhood where cobblestones link boutique hotels with rooftop bars and crumbled ruins with pirate lore.
Escape is never far away. Go on a day trip from Panama City to sandy beaches (Pacific or Caribbean), admire the Canal, explore lush rainforests of howler monkeys, toucans and sloths on Monkey Island Panama, or discover many more sights with our Panama tours.
Our Top 5 Panama City Tours
While we find it very hard to choose amongst the treasures of Panama, we have assembled our top picks that we feel should not be missed on a Panama vacation.
All of our tours are handpicked and carefully curated to guarantee that your Panama vacation is filled with unforgettable memories and new impressions.
Our friendly Tao Travel 365 team will be happy to put together a Panama City travel package that fits your needs, preferences, and time schedule.
Monkey Island & Sloth Sanctuary tour
During this tour you will get to visit Monkey Island Panama, having close encounters with up to 3 species of monkeys. Guests also visit the gorgeous Gamboa Rainforest Resort, housing the newly updated Sloth Sanctuary, Orchid Exhibition and Ranarium with different varieties of poison frogs. We are confident that our Monkey & Sloth Sanctuary tour will delight you and give you many perfect photo opportunities.
San Blas Day Tour – Enjoy freedom in the islands
A perfect day trip from Panama City and a Panama tour that should not be missed is our San Blas Day Tour - Enjoy the freedom of the islands tour. While this is a long day with a 2.5 hour drive each way, we feel that visiting the paradise islands of San Blas is worth every effort. The tour includes a visit to 3 islands and the Natural Pool, snorkel mask, a freshly cooked meal, one drink and roundtrip transportation from Panama City. We have one of the highest rated San Blas Day tours and we proudly say so.
Embera Indian Village, Chagres River and Waterfall
The Embera tribe still maintains to this very day a very authentic, primitive way of life. During our Embera Indian Village, Chagres River and Waterfall tour, guests will have the opportunity to meet them and learn about their traditions, dances and food. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit this beautiful village, which we believe to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Panama Canal Tour
A definite classic is our Panama City & Panama Canal Miraflores Locks tour. Visit Panama City highlights and marvel at the famous Panama Canal. Join our knowledgable English-speaking guides on this 5-hour tour and learn about Panama’s intriguing culture, history and traditions.
Isla Grande Panama – Caribbean Island Hopping & Portobelo Fort
Those who want to mix a little Panama history, monkey encounters and tropical Caribbean beaches of Panama really love our Isla Grande Panama – Caribbean Island Hopping & Portobelo Fort tour. Visit Isla Grande, Isla Mamey, Isla Linton (a.k.a Monkey Island) and the famous Love Tunnel and the historic Portobelo fort on a 9-hour Day Trip from Panama City.
How to Prepare for the Panama City Tour
Planning ahead
During the high season lasting from December until May, we recommend our guests to book as early as possible, as most of our tours get booked out fast. The same goes for hotels in Panama City. We find that a one-week stay in Panama City is sufficient to see most of the highlights. Those who want to explore some of the other beautiful areas in Panama, should plan for a minimum of 2 weeks. A two to three night stay in San Blas should be on every visitor's bucket list, while visiting Panama.
What to pack for the trip
Panama is located in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, meaning that the weather can be variable. It is usually warm with occasional showers. The online weather forecast cannot be trusted. Oftentimes the forecast can show rain and thunderstorms for the entire week, while in reality the weather is calm and sunny. Packing shorts, shirts, bathing suits, sandals, sunglasses and sunscreen is a must when visiting Panama City. Most importantly don't forget to bring a good attitude and remember that Panamanian culture and ways of doing things ca be different than what you are sued to from home. Everything moves slower here, people are louder and trash can often be seen on the side of the road. We find that those who arrive with the right expectations usually return home with unforgettable happy memories.