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1. Take a City Tour

A good way to get to know Panama City is to take a City Tour with a tour operator—see the link below or ask your hotel for tour info. Panama City Tours include a visit to the "three" Panama Cities: the ruins of the 16th century original city—Panama Viejo or "Old Panama", Casco Viejo—the Spanish colonial city, and the modern skyscraper city. You'll also want to see the Panama Canal which is included in some city tours. Panama City was the first city on the West coast of the Americas, the major crossroads for the Spanish empire, the target of famous pirates and the home to one of man's greatest accomplishments — The Panama Canal. Ask your hotel for tour information, contact a Tour Operator, or visit our Panama City destination page for more info.

2. Visit the Panama Canal at the Miraflores Visitor Center

The place to see the Canal is at the Miraflores Visitors Center at the Miraflores Locks, 20 minutes from downtown Panama City. The visit will be more interesting than you think. The center features a museum with interactive exhibits as well as a film on the building of the Canal. There's an outside terrace for close-up views of ships transiting through the locks. Visitor Center admission is $10.
Recommended: Have lunch at the Miraflores Restaurant on the terrace overlooking the locks as ships pass through. People tell us this meal was the highlight of their Panama City experience. Call 232-3121 to make a reservation to get a table on the terrace.

3. Casco Viejo—Panama City's Historical Sector- a UNESCO World Heritage Site

A stroll through Casco Viejo, the 341 year old Spanish colonial sector built in 1671 is a must-do. Casco Viejo showcases Panama's Spanish Colonial and Canal-Era history. It has undergone a renaissance in the last decade: beautifully restored buildings line the historic streets, along with ramshackle unrestored buildings. Casco Viejo is a small promontory, so you'll enjoy sea breezes and ocean and bay views. There's a good selection of restaurants and hot nightlife spots.
Casco Viejo was recently featured in The Bachelor program filmed in Panama- check out Havana night club where the Bachelor and his prospects danced the night away.
Many foreigners are choosing Casco Viejo as a place to live. Arthur Frommer of Frommer"s Guides, writes that Casco Viejo is on the way to becoming one of most beautifully restored Spanish colonial cities in the New World.
You can choose to either go on your own walking tour using one of the walking tours in the Lonely Planet or Frommers Guide or hire a Tour Operator.

Highlights: Beautifully restored buildings, 17th century churches, 16th century convict dungeons, a French monument to the 22,000 Frenchmen who died building the Panama Canal and the city's best souvenir shops. For souvenirs we recommend Reprosa, for a snack the Granclement Ice Cream shop, an old fashioned French creamery. For the evening, Casco Viejo also has great night life spots. For more complete info see our Casco Viejo Destination Page.

4. Enjoy the Nightlife

A night out in Panama City pleases every traveler in search of an exciting nightlife scene at casinos, night clubs and happening spots in the city. Calle Uruguay offers an English Pub, rooftop vistas and DJs that rival Miami—restaurants, bars and dance hall options for all tastes. Elsewhere in the city, like at breezy Zona Viva nightlife complex in Amador, the dress-code-strict LiBar in San Francisco or Rana Dorada in El Cangrejo, the city holds many special spots that make the short trip worth it. Casco Viejo is host to an organic, East Village style uprise, and nightlife has not been left behind in this romantic section of the city.

5. Go out to Amador Causeway

With four islands and spectacular views of Panama City's skyline and of the Panama Canal, the Amador Causeway is a scenic place for fresh air activities. Created by connecting four small islands using rocks excavated from the Panama Canal, the Causeway serves as a breakwater to protect the entrance to the Panama Canal.
Swept by pleasant sea breezes, there are bicycle and jogging paths (bicycles for rent for just $2 a hour!), restaurants for a variety of budgets, souvenir shops, a cruise port and a yacht marina. Many restaurants have ocean and Canal views both day and night. One of the best views is at the TGIF's at the Country Inn and Suites, with close views of the Panama Canal and ships passing under the Bridge of the Americas that connects North and South America.

6.Dine Out: Panama City- In the Top Ten Latin American Cities for Dining

Panama City's Restaurants are rated by Trip Advisor as one of the Top Ten Best Latin American cities for restaurants. As an international crossroads, Panama City restaurants offer a great variety of local and world cuisines for every budget. Most restaurants are located in the business district, historic Casco Viejo or on the Amador Causeway.
To enjoy Panamanian cuisine we recommend you try the ceviche, arroz con pollo, sancocho soup, hojadras, and catch a dinner show of folkloric dancing at either Tinajas and Los Diablicos. Greek cuisine takes on a continental Panamanian feel at Bucanero's on the Causeway with choice cuts and succulent seafood from near and far. In Panama City, ceviche, sushi and sancocho are a available everywhere.
Most restaurants are located in the business district, historic Casco Viejo or on the Amador Causeway. To enjoy Panamanian food, you can also find gourmet Panamanian cuisine at Barandas in the Bristol Hotel.

For more restaurants we recommend you visit our Restaurants page, and our Panama City Restaurant Picks.

7. Try Your Luck- Casinos

Panama City is also a casino destination—some of the best casinos are at the Sheraton, The Marriott, and the El Panama Hotel. The Veneto Wyndham Grand Hotel comes closest to a Las Vegas style casino and also has $700,000 prize poker tournaments.
For more Nightlife info see our page: Panama City's Top Nightlife Spots.

8. Rainforest in the City: Ancon Hill and the Metropolitan Park

A Nature Hike With Views: Ancon Hill
There's no better way to see Panama's past, present and future than to take a hike up Ancon Hill where you'll have a bird-eyes view of Casco Viejo, modern Panama City and the activities of the Panama Canal. The path is also in the middle of a rainforest. It should only be done in the morning to avoid midday sun and afternoon tropical showers and takes about 2 hours. You can take a taxi there and as the driver to come back for you in a couple of hours.

Metropolitan Park Eco Tour
Panama City has the only Rainforest in the world within the city limits of a metropolis. Tour operators offer guided nature tours of the park—you'll need a professional guide to help you spot animals and explain rich tropical flora and fauna. At the top, enjoy panoramic rainforest and city views. The park is 15 minutes from your city hotel. Tour Operators offer guided nature tours of the park—you will need a professional guide to explain the tropical flora and fauna. There are beautiful rainforest and city views from the summit of the park.

At the Metropolitan Park - the Canopy Crane Tour: The Canopy Crane tour by Ancon Expeditions takes you up in a crane used by the scientists of the Smithsonian Institute to research the rainforest canopy and experience nature as close-up as it gets. A eco-experience plus spectacular views of the city, bay and Panama Canal. (Tel: +507-269-9415)

9. Golf

Just 30 minutes from downtown Panama City, play golf on a course in a lush tropical setting at the Summit Radisson Resort in the former American Canal Zone. Arrange transportation with your hotel. Tel: 322.4000. For more information visit our page on Golfing in Panama.

10. Shop for Souvenirs and Native Handicrafts

Panamanian native handicrafts rival Mexico's in their beauty and creativity. Don't leave Panama without an authentic souvenir made by one of Panama's seven living Indian tribes. The most popular handicrafts are "molas," intricate reverse appliqué embroidery sewn by the woman of the Kuna Indian tribe. Other handicrafts include the hand-woven baskets of the Embera Indians of the Darien jungle—similar to baskets woven by Navajo Indians—and tagua nut sculptures, which are tiny figures skillfully carved from the tropical tagua nut.

For a special jewelry gift, visit the Reprosa jewelry store and Rainforest Design cameo jewelry.
Reprosa has shops in the Business District and in Casco Viejo. Its jewelry collection includes authentic reproductions of Pre-Columbian Indian art, reproductions of Spanish colonial jewelry and collections inspired by Panama's flora and fauna. There is a gift for every budget. (Tel:269-0457)
Rainforest Designs are stunning cameo jewelry with rainforest motifs carved by the Wounan Indians. They can be found at the Marriott Hotel Gift Shop,

Where else to find souvenirs: In Casco Viejo we recommend the Galeria de Arte Indigena—just off the French Plaza—and for jewelry the beautiful Reprosa store. You can find also a large selection souvenirs at the Balboa Artisans Market and the "Kuna Cages" in Balboa in the former American Canal Zone and in Gran Morrison variety stores.

Coming soon: Frank Gehry’s Biodiversity Museum

Frank Gehry’s Biomuseo will open in January 2012 on Panama City’s Amador Causeway in Panama City. The museum also hired the top notch Bruce Mau to do exhibit design and Edwina von Galand to do the landscaping. The $90 million project ocean front project will feature interactive rain-forest-like gardens and biosphere gallery exhibits.

More Things to Do in Panama City

For History Buffs: Panama Viejo- Ruins of the Original Panama City

It may already be on your city tour, Panama Viejo (Old Panama) was founded in 1519 by the Spanish. It was the first city on the West coast of the Americas serving as the gateway city for the Spanish conquest of Latin America. All the loot sacked from the Inca empire came through here. Once a thriving city of 10,000, today's extensive ruins are the result of an attack by English pirate Henry Morgan in 1671 which, along with a fire, leveled the city. There is a small museum, but go with someone who speaks Spanish, because the exhibits are mostly in Spanish.

Check Out Our Top Ten Things to Do Near Panama City: Make some day trips right out of the pages of National Geographic to Indian villages and monkey island, to watch whales and more. Check them out in our article Top Ten Day Trips from Panama City.