Two Days in Panama City A Simple Itinerary
A two day itinerary for Panama City: the Canal and the modern city on day one, Casco Viejo and the old town on day two, with dinner planned.
Two days is the most common amount of time visitors give Panama City, usually on the way somewhere else. It is enough, provided you do not try to cross the city more than twice a day.
Day one · The Canal and the modern city
- Morning: Miraflores Locks, arriving by 9 to catch the northbound transits. Two hours including the museum.
- Midday: Amador Causeway and the Biomuseo, with lunch looking back at the skyline.
- Afternoon: Cinta Costera at the end of the day, when the heat drops and the city comes out to walk.
- Evening: dinner in Casco Viejo. Book it before you land.
Day two · The old town, slowly
- Morning: Casco Viejo on foot. Plaza de la Independencia, the cathedral, Iglesia de San Jose and its golden altar, and the Paseo Esteban Huertas along the sea wall.
- Midday: coffee in the quarter, which takes its coffee seriously, and the Panama Canal Museum if the story caught you.
- Afternoon: Metropolitan Natural Park for a forest walk inside the city, or the fish market if you would rather eat than hike.
- Evening: sunset from a rooftop, then a long dinner. This is the night to make it count.
What to skip
Do not try to add a beach day. The Pacific beaches are ninety minutes each way and the day disappears in the car. Do not schedule anything that requires crossing the city between 5 and 7 p.m. And do not leave dinner to chance on a Friday or Saturday.
If you only have one evening
Spend it in Casco Viejo: a walk at sunset along the sea wall, dinner at 8, and a rooftop after. It is the version of Panama City that people remember.
Frequently asked questions
Is two days enough for Panama City?
For the Canal, Casco Viejo and the waterfront, yes. Three days lets you add the rainforest or the Pacific islands.
Can I do this on a layover?
A long layover of eight hours or more covers either the Canal or Casco Viejo, not both comfortably.
Where should I have dinner both nights?
Casco Viejo on at least one of them. It is the neighborhood where dinner is the plan and not just a stop.
Santa Rita in Casco Viejo
Spanish kitchen and Argentine grill on Avenida Eloy Alfaro and Calle 11, in the heart of Casco Viejo. Open Monday to Thursday 5:00 to 11:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 1:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Sunday 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. Phone +507 303-0991 · WhatsApp +507 6629-6315.
Keep reading
Book a table at Santa Rita
Spanish kitchen and Argentine grill in the Casco Antiguo of Panama City, Avenida Eloy Alfaro and Calle 11. Live music Thursday to Saturday.