How long is the flight from London to Panama City?

Around 14 to 17 hours in total via a European hub, including the connection. Via a US hub it is more like 15 to 18 hours. The Madrid to Panama City leg itself is about 11 hours.

Which airport do I fly into for Panama?

Tocumen International Airport (PTY), about 30 minutes from the centre of Panama City. Domestic flights to David and Bocas del Toro leave from Tocumen with Copa or from the smaller Albrook airport (PAC) with Air Panama. We book the domestic flight with your international one.

Do I need a visa for Panama?

UK passport holders can currently enter Panama for tourism without a visa for up to 90 days. If you connect through the US you need an ESTA even to transit. Always check the latest UK government travel advice before you travel.

When are fares to Panama lowest?

Outside the school holidays. When we checked on 6 October 2026, returns from London in February, May, June and November started at about £600 to £720. Christmas, Easter and the summer holidays are the most expensive.

Can I combine Panama with Costa Rica?

Yes, and it is one of our favourite twin-centres. Copa flies Panama City to San Jose in about an hour and a half, so you can fly into one country and home from the other. We book the open-jaw international flights and the hop between them as one ATOL-protected trip.

Do you sell flight-only to Panama?

No. We are a tailor-made holiday specialist. We build complete, ATOL-protected Panama holidays with flights, hotels, transfers and experiences in one package.

Large container ship passing through the Panama Canal locks

Flights to Panama from the UK

Q: How much does a flight to Panama cost?

As a 2026 guide, a return economy fare from London to Panama City is roughly £600 to £800 for most of the year, £800 to £1,100 over Easter and the summer holidays and £1,000 to £1,400 or more over Christmas. We include flights in our Panama holidays, so you see one price.

Routes, airlines, flight times and the best months to fly in 2026, with tailor-made Panama holidays built around you.

There is no direct flight from the UK to Panama, so every trip to Panama City is a one-stop journey. The good routes are short and easy: Iberia or Air Europa via Madrid, KLM via Amsterdam, Air France via Paris, or American, United and Delta through a US hub. With one change in Europe you are looking at 14 to 17 hours, and Madrid has a connection every day.

Panama City is the gateway and most trips start there, in the old town of Casco Viejo with the Canal a short drive away. Boquete coffee country and the Caribbean islands need an internal flight or a long drive, so we book the international and internal flights together, time the arrival around the Canal transit days and hold the hotels early. Flights are included in every Panama holiday we sell, so the whole trip is ATOL protected.

Flights to Panama at a glance

Distance
About 5,250 miles
London Heathrow to Panama City is 5,253 miles (8,454 km) in a straight line.
Flight time
14 to 17 hours with one change
About 11 hours of it is the long flight from Madrid, Amsterdam or Paris. Via the US it is more like 15 to 18 hours.
Direct flights
None from the UK
As of 2026 there is no non-stop flight between the UK and Panama, so every route changes planes once.
Time difference
5 hours behind the UK
Panama is on UTC minus 5 all year: 5 hours behind in the UK winter and 6 in summer.
Airports
Panama City Tocumen (PTY)
Every flight from Europe lands at Tocumen, about 30 minutes from the centre. Flights on to Boquete and Bocas del Toro leave from Tocumen or the smaller Albrook airport.
Cheapest months
Outside the school holidays
When we checked Google Flights on 6 October 2026, returns from London in February, May, June and November started at about £600 to £720. Christmas, Easter and the summer holidays are the dearest.

How to fly to Panama from the UK

As of 2026 there are four ways to fly from the UK to Panama City, each with one change. The times include the connection.

Via Madrid with Iberia or Air Europa
14 to 15 hours in total
About two and a half hours from London to Madrid, then about 11 hours to Panama City. Flights every day.
Via Amsterdam with KLM
14 to 15 hours in total
Just over an hour to Amsterdam, then about 11 hours to Panama City, with connections from Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh and other UK airports.
Via Paris with Air France
14 to 15 hours in total
About an hour and a quarter from London to Paris Charles de Gaulle, then about 11 hours to Panama City.
Via the US
15 to 18 hours in total
American Airlines through Miami, United through Houston or Newark, or Delta through Atlanta. You need a US ESTA even to change planes.
On to Boquete and Bocas del Toro
About an hour from Panama City
Copa flies from Tocumen to David, the airport for Boquete. Air Panama flies to David and Bocas del Toro from Albrook, on the other side of the city, so allow time to cross town. We book it with your flight from the UK.

How much do flights to Panama cost

As a 2026 guide, return economy fares from London to Panama City run roughly £600 to £800 for most of the year, £800 to £1,100 over Easter and the summer holidays and £1,000 to £1,400 or more over Christmas. Add around £150 to £250 for a Panama City to David return. Our Panama holidays are priced with the flights in, so you see one figure.

When to fly to Panama

The dry season runs from mid-December to April, which is the best weather and the busiest time, with Carnival in February or March. The green season from May to November brings afternoon showers but mornings are usually clear, and Panama City runs as normal. April, May, November and early December give the best mix of weather and price. One thing to plan around: outside the high season the Canal transit boats mostly sail at weekends, so if the transit is on your list we time the flights so you are in Panama City over a Saturday or Sunday.

Before you go: UK passport holders can currently visit Panama for tourism without a visa for up to 90 days, but always check the UK government travel advice for Panama before you book. Panama uses the US dollar, so bring some with you.

Vaccinations: TravelHealthPro, the UK travel health service, lists what it recommends for Panama, and our Panama guide sums it up. Panama asks for a yellow fever certificate only if you arrive from a country with yellow fever, so a change of planes in Madrid, Amsterdam, Paris or the US does not need one. See your GP or a travel nurse 4 to 6 weeks before you go.

Frequently asked questions: flights to Panama

No. As of 2026 there is no non-stop flight between the UK and Panama. Every route connects once: in Madrid with Iberia or Air Europa, in Amsterdam with KLM or in Paris with Air France.

Panama holidays with flights included

Every trip includes flights from London and is ATOL protected.

Panama

Tailor-Made

Travel Insurance for Panama

Panama trips usually include boat days on the Canal or the islands and walking in the cloud forest. Check that any policy you buy covers boat trips, hiking and the adventure activities you plan, alongside medical costs and repatriation. Arranging cover as soon as your trip is confirmed also means you are covered if you have to cancel.

Visit Just Travel Cover

We are not insurance advisers and we do not recommend a particular policy or provider. The link above is to an independent company and we may be paid a commission if you buy through it.

eSIM for Panama

An eSIM gets your phone online as soon as you land. You buy it online and install it at home on wifi. All three work in Panama:

Airalo: the widest choice of plan sizes, usually the cheapest for a set amount of data.
Saily: priced close to Airalo, with no limit on hotspot use.
Holafly: unlimited data priced by the day. Code TRAVELFAB takes 5 percent off.

Visit Airalo

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.

Let us plan your Panama holiday

Our specialists sort the flights and connections, time the Canal transit, book the hop to Boquete or the islands and choose the hotels, so your ATOL-protected Panama holiday comes together as one trip.

Plan your Panama holiday

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Flights to Panama from the UK

Flights to Panama at a glance

Distance

Flight time

Direct flights

Time difference

Airports

Cheapest months

How to fly to Panama from the UK

Via Madrid with Iberia or Air Europa

Via Amsterdam with KLM

Via Paris with Air France

Via the US

On to Boquete and Bocas del Toro

How much do flights to Panama cost

When to fly to Panama

Frequently asked questions: flights to Panama

Panama holidays with flights included

Panama — The Old City and the Canal

Panama: Tailor-Made

Panama — The Old City, the Cut and the Coffee

Let us plan your Panama holiday