How do I get to Panama from the UK?

There are no nonstop flights from the UK, and that is exactly why this trip works: you connect via a European or US hub, and Panama City is the hub for the whole region. Many travellers take these four nights on the way to Costa Rica or Colombia rather than as a standalone long-haul.

Can I get to Panama without going through the USA?

Yes — and it matters, because even changing planes in the USA requires an ESTA. There are no nonstop UK–Panama flights, but KLM (via Amsterdam), Air France (via Paris) and Iberia (via Madrid) all fly nonstop from their hubs to Panama City, so you never touch US soil. From Panama City, Copa Airlines' network covers most of Latin America — which is why these four nights work so well en route.

Is four nights enough?

For the old town, the Canal and a day in the rainforest, comfortably — the pace is deliberately unhurried, with free half-days built in. If you want more, we extend it as a tailor-made add-on: the Chiriquí highlands for coffee and cloud forest, or a Pacific beach stay.

Can I take this before or after a Panama Canal cruise?

Yes. Panama City is a major cruise turnaround port, and this itinerary runs neatly either side of an embarkation. If your ship makes the full Canal transit, we shape the days so nothing repeats what you saw from the deck.

What is the Emberá village visit like?

The Emberá communities along the Chagres host visitors on their own terms, and the day supports them directly — the crafts are made and sold in the village, and lunch is cooked there. One practical note: the jagua body painting is optional, and the ink fades over a week or two.

When is the best time to go?

The dry season, from mid-December to April, is the most reliable. The green season brings afternoon showers rather than washed-out days, and this programme runs any day of the year.

Red-tiled rooftops and the cathedral bell tower of Casco Antiguo under a blue sky, Panama City

Panama — The Old City and the Canal

Name: Panama — The Old City and the Canal
Brand: Travelfab
Rating: 4.7 (3 reviews)

4 nights — colonial Casco Viejo, the Panama Canal at work, and a day upriver with the Emberá.

PanamaTailor-Made4 nightsFlights IncludedPrice on enquiry

The colonial old town, the great locks of the Panama Canal, and a river journey to an Emberá village in Chagres National Park — four nights that turn the stop between flights into the story of the trip. You stay in Casco Antiguo throughout, the city days run as guided half-days so there is time to settle in and wander, and the programme starts any day of the year — before a cruise, into a stopover, or alongside Costa Rica or Colombia.

Highlights

Watch ships climb the Miraflores Locks on a guided half-day at the Panama Canal

Four nights in Casco Antiguo, Panama City's UNESCO-listed colonial quarter

A guided walking tour of Casco Viejo — the Flat Arch, the Metropolitan Cathedral, Las Bóvedas and the French Plaza

By motorised piragua up the Chagres River to an Emberá village — music, weaving, jagua painting and a lunch cooked in the village

Guided half-days with free mornings or afternoons, and private transfers throughout

Starts any day of the year — built to slot before a cruise, into a stopover, or alongside Costa Rica or Colombia

Your Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Panama City

Land at Tocumen International, where your guide and driver are waiting for the private transfer to your hotel in Casco Antiguo. The evening is yours — the old town’s rooftop bars and restaurants are on your doorstep.

Day 2: The Panama Canal

A free morning to find your feet, then an afternoon at the Canal: past the Goethals Monument and the old Canal Zone to the Miraflores Locks, where you watch ships rise and fall through the chambers while your guide unpicks how it all works.

Day 3: Casco Viejo on foot

A guided walking tour through the old town you are staying in: the Flat Arch, the Metropolitan Cathedral, Las Bóvedas and the French Plaza, with stories of pirates, silver and restoration along the cobbles. Take it in the morning or the afternoon — the other half of the day is free.

Day 4: Up the Chagres to the Emberá

An early start for the day that stays with people: a motorised piragua carries you up the Chagres River, deep into Chagres National Park, to an Emberá village. You are welcomed with music, shown the weaving, carving and jagua body painting, and share a lunch cooked in the village. Back in the city by late afternoon.

Day 5: Departure — or onward

Private transfer back to Tocumen for your flight home — or onward. Costa Rica and Colombia are both a short hop from here, and this is where a twin-centre begins.

What's Included

International flights from the UK, booked and ATOL protected together with the trip. There are no nonstop UK–Panama flights, so we route you via Madrid, Amsterdam or Paris.
Four nights in a boutique heritage hotel in the heart of Casco Antiguo, bed and breakfast
Private airport transfers, with an English-speaking guide to meet you on arrival
Half-day Panama Canal tour to the Miraflores Locks, entrance fees included
Guided walking tour of Casco Viejo
Emberá village day in Chagres National Park, with lunch
All local taxes and handling

What's Not Included

Travel insurance
Meals not listed
Tips and personal spending

Frequently Asked Questions

The included Canal visit is the Miraflores Locks, where you watch ships pass through the chambers a few metres away. If you want to sail the Canal itself, we can arrange a partial transit by boat in place of the locks visit — the boat sails on set days of the week, which vary by season, so tell us when you enquire and we will build your dates around it.

Where does Panama fit in your plans? Start with our Panama travel guide, read is Panama safe? for the practical picture, or pair these four nights with Costa Rica coast to coast for a two-country trip.

Plan your Panama stop

Tell us your dates and where Panama fits in your plans — a stopover, a cruise, or a twin-centre with Costa Rica or Colombia — and our specialists will shape these four nights around it.

Make an Enquiry

We typically respond within 24 hours

Photography courtesy of PROMTUR Panama / visitpanama.com

Tailor-Made Holiday

Price on enquirytailored to your trip

Flights Included

Private holiday

Flexible dates

4 nights (suggested)

Fully customisable

No commitment, we respond within 24 hours

Call us

Tailor-Made Holiday

Price on enquirytailored to your trip

Flights Included

Private holiday

Flexible dates

4 nights (suggested)

Fully customisable

No commitment, we respond within 24 hours

Call us

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.

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

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