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Aerial view of the Cinta Costera coastal loop curving past the red rooftops of Casco Viejo, Panama City

BALCONIES · LOCK GATES · COFFEE MIST

Panama Holidays

Where ships climb over a continent through a staircase of locks, and the coffee alone is worth the flight.

See our Panama holidays
Central America
Every trip tailor-made

WHAT TO SEE

Panama highlights

  • The Panama Canal

    Watch enormous ships transit the locks at the Miraflores Visitor Center on the Panama Canal

  • Casco Viejo

    Explore the restored colonial streets, rooftop bars, and seafood stalls of Casco Viejo

  • Bocas del Toro

    Snorkel coral reefs and visit Starfish Beach in the Bocas del Toro archipelago

  • The Quetzal Trail

    Hike the Los Quetzales Trail through cloud forest in search of the resplendent quetzal

  • Geisha coffee in Boquete

    Taste Geisha coffee at a highland plantation near Boquete, one of the world's most prized varieties

  • The Amador Causeway

    Walk the Amador Causeway for skyline views and visit Frank Gehry's Biomuseo

Holidays in Panama

Aerial night view over the rooftops and lit streets of Casco Viejo, Panama City
Panama
Tailor-Made

Panama — The Old City, the Cut and the Coffee

10 nights
From£3,499
ATOL protected
View Details
Red-tiled rooftops and the cathedral bell tower of Casco Antiguo under a blue sky, Panama City
Panama
Tailor-Made

Panama — The Old City and the Canal

4 nights
Price on enquiry
View Details
Aerial view of Isla Gámez, a palm-covered islet with white sand in the Gulf of Chiriquí, Panama
Panama
Tailor-Made

Panama: Tailor-Made

Tailor-made · 9–14 daysEasy to ModeratePrivate to your own party
Price on enquiry
View Details

A specialist replies within one working day. No payment, no commitment. Tell us what you have in mind

Watch the holiday

Panama in ten nights

Panama in 10 Nights: Sail the Canal, Old Panama City and Boquete CoffeeSail the Panama Canal through the Culebra Cut and down the Miraflores locks, wander the colonial old town of Casco Antiguo, and wake up in the cool coffee country of Boquete. This is our 10-night Panama holiday, from the Canal to the cloud forest.Watch on YouTube
Read the video script

Giant ships gliding through the locks of the Panama Canal. A colonial old town glowing at night. Coffee farms on the slopes of a volcano, and at dawn, deep in the cloud forest, the resplendent quetzal. Visit Panama with Travelfab. Spend four nights in Casco Antiguo, Panama City's colonial old town, with rooftop bars on your doorstep. Walk the ruins of Panamá Viejo, the first city, sacked by Henry Morgan. Then sail the Canal itself, through the Culebra Cut and down the Miraflores locks, alongside ocean-going ships. Cross to the Atlantic in under two hours, to the old Spanish forts of Portobelo, where Spain once loaded its silver fleets. Fly west to Boquete, a cool mountain town below Volcán Barú. Walk a highland estate growing some of the world's most awarded coffee, and hike the Los Quetzales Trail through the cloud forest. Then finish slowly, with two nights on the Pacific at Playa Bonita, watching the ships queue for the Canal. 10 nights, with private guides and transfers throughout, flights included, and full ATOL protection. Dreaming of the islands of San Blas, or Bocas del Toro? Our UK team will tailor-make any trip across Panama, for any length of time. Plan your trip at travelfab.co.uk.

When to go

The best time to visit Panama

  • Mid-December to April

    The dry season and the classic time to go.

  • May to mid-December

    The green season. Short afternoon rains, greener hills and quieter trails.

  • July to October

    Humpback whales in the Gulf of Chiriquí.

Where to go

The best places to visit in Panama

Every film starts with an arrival. Yours opens on a rooftop in Casco Viejo, rum in hand, watching the skyline light up across the bay — and from there Panama keeps handing you new sets: a 350-year-old old town, the canal that redrew world trade, cloud forest where quetzals hide between coffee farms. You're not watching this one. You're in it.

Holidays to Panama from the UK, built around the three things worth the flight: the balconies of Casco Viejo, a dawn transit of the Canal, and coffee-farm mornings above the clouds in Boquete. We book the flights with the trip, so the whole holiday is ATOL protected, and the route is yours to shape: four nights of city and canal, ten nights across the country, or something in between. Each trip is priced around your dates, so ask us for a quote. See our tailor-made Panama holidays, or tell us what you have in mind and we will build the trip around you.

Casco Viejo cathedral lit up at night among red-tiled rooftops, Panama City

THE FIRST MEMORY

Casco after sunset

Panama City's old quarter, rebuilt in 1673 and still warming up.

Colonial balconies on a street in Casco Viejo, Panama City

THE OLD CITY

Inside the old quarter

Casco Viejo has been setting scenes since 1673, when the city rebuilt here behind sea walls after Henry Morgan burned the first Panamá to the ground. UNESCO listed the district in 1997; the bougainvillea never got the memo and keeps climbing the balconies anyway.

Days here are plazas and gold-leaf altars, coffee tastings and paleta stands; evenings are rooftop bars where the rum list outruns the food menu. You stay inside the old town itself — ten minutes' walk from everything, a world from anywhere.

Start your Panama enquiry

BETWEEN PLACES

Where the city meets the canal

A ship in the Miraflores Locks, filmed by us
The skyline from the Casco Viejo sea wall
The Panama Canal winding through green hills past the Miraflores Locks, seen from the air

THE SECOND MEMORY

Dawn on the canal

Not the viewing platform. The water.

You transit it

Most visitors photograph the canal from a platform. You board before the heat with a narrator on deck, your ship enters the Miraflores locks and the water starts to rise — two chambers here, one more at Pedro Miguel — until you're floating 26 metres above the sea, then sliding through the Culebra Cut, the channel dynamited through the continental divide for the canal's 1914 opening.

Freighters pass close enough to read the hull names. It is the world's greatest shortcut, and the best seat is yours.

BETWEEN PLACES

Two oceans, one breath

Guna Yala: the San Blas islands, run by the Guna people
Paddling the mangrove channels at Boca Chica, Gulf of Chiriquí
Isla Gámez in the Gulf of Chiriquí: humpback season runs July to October
Hikers watching cloud pour over the green ridges of Cerro Artillería above Boquete, Chiriquí, Panama

THE ONE YOU'LL TELL FOR YEARS

Above the clouds

Boquete, where the mist makes rainbows and the coffee breaks records.

The town of Boquete in its green valley below the cloud-capped Chiriquí highlands, Panama

THE HIGHLANDS

Geisha country

Boquete sits at around 1,200 metres in the foothills of Volcán Barú, Panama's highest peak at 3,475 metres — high enough for the bajareque, the drifting mist that hangs rainbows over the valley through the dry months.

This is geisha country: coffee from these slopes has broken world auction records, and the growers will walk you through why over a cup you'll think about for years. Walk the Sendero Los Quetzales through the cloud forest, take breakfast above the clouds, and understand why nobody hurries up here.

Build in Boquete nights

YOU, IN PANAMA

Choose the memories you'll make

Freshly picked red coffee cherries at Finca Lérida, Boquete, Chiriquí, Panama

TEN NIGHTS

Old city, canal & coffee

Ten nights: Casco's balconies, a dawn canal transit and coffee-farm mornings in Boquete. Flight-inclusive from the UK, ATOL-protected, built around you.

See the ten-night tour
The Panama City skyline across the bay, seen from Casco Viejo through pink bougainvillea

THE CITY ESCAPE

Four nights, city and canal

Four nights in and around Casco Viejo with the canal on your doorstep. The natural second act to a Costa Rica trip.

See the four-night city break
Swimmers and a panga boat off the beach at Boca Chica, Chiriquí, Panama, seen from above

THE SHARED ADVENTURE

Travel together

A fixed-date, small-group Panama we're building now. Tell us you're interested and help shape the departure.

Register interest

Practical answers

Know before you go to Panama

  • Getting there

    One change, 14 to 17 hours

    There is no direct flight from the UK. Most routes change once, in Madrid, Amsterdam or Paris, and take around 14 to 17 hours in total to Panama City. We book your flights with the trip, so the whole holiday is ATOL protected.

  • Language

    Spanish

    Spanish. English is common in Panama City hotels, in the Canal zone and in Bocas del Toro, less so in the highlands and the countryside.

  • Money

    US dollars

    The US dollar, alongside the balboa, which is fixed one to one and only exists as coins. Cards work widely in Panama City and resorts; carry small dollar notes for taxis, markets and the islands. ATMs are common in cities, scarce on San Blas and in Bocas.

  • Plugs

    Type A and B, 120 V

    Type A and type B plugs, the flat two-pin and three-pin US style, at 120 V and 60 Hz. UK devices need a UK-to-US adapter. Chargers are dual voltage; a UK hairdryer is not.

  • Phone and internet

    An eSIM is easiest

    Buy an eSIM before you leave or a local SIM from +Movil or Tigo at Tocumen airport or a city shop. 4G is good in Panama City and along the Pan-American highway; on San Blas and parts of Bocas there is little or none. Hotels have wifi.

  • Time zone

    5 hours behind the UK

    Eastern Standard Time, UTC minus 5, all year with no daylight saving. That is 5 hours behind the UK in winter and 6 hours behind in British Summer Time.

  • Tap water

    Safe in the city and mainland

    Yes in Panama City and most of the mainland, where tap water is treated and safe. On the islands, in Bocas del Toro and in remote areas, use bottled or filtered water.

  • Tipping

    About 10 percent in restaurants

    Tipping is appreciated. About 10 percent in restaurants if not included, USD 5 to 10 per person per day for guides and drivers, and USD 1 to 2 a bag for porters.

  • Visa and entry

    No visa for up to 90 days

    UK passport holders can currently visit Panama for tourism without a visa for up to 90 days. If you connect through the US you also need an ESTA. Check gov.uk before you book and again before you fly.

These answers are a guide as of 2026. Entry rules change, so check the UK government travel advice for Panama before you book and again before you fly.

Which eSIM should I buy for Panama?

An eSIM gets your phone online as soon as you land. You buy it online, install it at home on wifi and switch it on when you arrive. Most phones from the last few years take one: if yours does, its settings will offer "Add eSIM". All three below work in Panama; where they differ is how you pay for data.

  • Best for set data

    Airalo

    Airalo has the widest choice of plan sizes and a Latin America plan if you are visiting more than one country. When we checked, it was usually the cheapest for a set amount of data, such as 10 GB.

  • Best for a laptop

    Saily

    Saily is priced close to Airalo, the app is simple, and it puts no limit on hotspot use, so it is a good pick if you need to connect a laptop.

  • Best for unlimited

    Holafly

    Holafly sells unlimited data only, priced by the number of days, so you never have to keep an eye on it. Sharing it as a hotspot is capped at 1 GB a day. Our code TRAVELFAB takes 5 percent off.

For maps, WhatsApp and photos, 5 GB is plenty for two weeks, and a set amount of data is the cheaper way to buy it. For video calls or working on the road, go unlimited.

We may earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It never adds to your price, and it does not change which one we suggest.

Before you book

Your Panama holiday questions

Mid-December to April is the dry season and the classic window. The green season means short afternoon rains, greener hills and quieter trails — and humpback whales in the Gulf of Chiriquí from July to October.

Wondering how you get there? Read our guide to flights to Panama from the UK, with routes, flight times and what a return costs in 2026.

Two coasts, one country

Panama is compact enough to combine in a single trip: the Canal and Casco Viejo in Panama City, a few unhurried nights out on the islands, and the cool cloud forests and coffee country of the Boquete highlands. We'll build the route, pace and hotels around your dates, tailor-made, ATOL protected, with a specialist who has actually been there.

See our tailor-made Panama holidaysSee our 4-night Panama city break

Plan Your Panama Adventure

Our specialists can put together a Panama itinerary that combines the Canal, Caribbean islands, and highland cloud forests in a single trip. Every holiday is ATOL protected and designed around your interests and pace.

Make an Enquiry
We typically respond within 24 hours

Photography courtesy of PROMTUR Panama / visitpanama.com

Real reviews

What our customers say

From travellers who visited Panama with us

“
We'd never considered Panama before Travelfab suggested it and we're so glad they did. Bocas del Toro was paradise, we kayaked through mangroves, snorkelled over coral reefs, and ate the freshest fish. The Biomuseo in Panama City was a lovely surprise. Everything ran smoothly from start to finish.

Linda & Keith R.

“
Spent a week in Panama and it packed in more variety than I expected. The cloud forests around Boquete were stunning, we did a coffee plantation tour and hiked part of the Quetzal Trail. The food scene in Panama City surprised us too, especially the ceviche at Mercado de Mariscos. Great value compared to Costa Rica.

David M.

“
Panama was a revelation. We spent three days in the San Blas Islands staying with the Guna people, absolutely pristine islands with crystal-clear water and not a soul around. Then the contrast of Panama City's skyscrapers and the old Casco Viejo quarter was brilliant. The canal locks at Miraflores were genuinely jaw-dropping; you just can't appreciate the scale until you're standing there watching a container ship slide past. Fabian sorted every detail including our domestic flights.

Sarah & James W.

Travel Guides & Tips

Casco Viejo old town glowing at night with the modern Panama City skyline across the bay

Do You Need an ESTA to Transit the USA? How to Fly to Latin America Without One

Yes, even for a two-hour connection. What a US transit involves, who cannot get an ESTA, and how to reach Latin America from the UK without the USA.

Rainforest meeting the Caribbean Sea at Punta Uva in Costa Rica beside the colonial balconies of Casco Viejo in Panama City

Costa Rica and Panama Itinerary: Two Weeks from the UK

How to combine Costa Rica and Panama in one two-week trip from the UK: a night-by-night route, how to cross between the two, and when to fly instead.

Large container ship passing through the Panama Canal locks

Panama Canal Cruise: What to Do on Land

Booked a canal cruise? How to see the locks from land, what is worth your time in Panama City, and how many days to add before or after you sail.

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Tailor-made · ATOL 10898

Plan your tailor-made Panama trip

Tell us when you want to travel, who with, and roughly what budget you have in mind. A Latin America specialist replies within one working day with a bespoke proposal.

Plan a tailor-made Panama trip