This five-day itinerary takes you from cosmopolitan Panama City to the archaeological sites of Panama Viejo and the Caribbean jungles of Isla Bastimentos. Begin by touring food markets and tasting traditional dishes before wandering the centuries-old Panama Viejo, a historic city where the Spanish settled in the 1500s. Witness the world-renowned Panama Canal in action before spending your last few days exploring the nearby Bocas del Toro islands and snorkeling among ocean life.

Highlights

  • Taste traditional seafood and a refreshing Panamanian frozen treat
  • Visit the area's first European settlement at Panama Viejo
  • Watch cargo ships pass through the world-renowned Panama Canal
  • Observe rainforest and marine wildlife at the Bastimentos Marine National Park

Brief Itinerary

Day Highlights Overnight
Day 1 Arrive in Tocumen, Self-Guided Exploration in Panama City & Market Tour Panama City
Day 2 Watch Ships at the Panama Canal, Tour Panama Viejo & Casco Antiguo Panama City
Day 3 Transfer to Bocas del Toro, Arrive at Isla Bastimentos  Bocas del Toro
Day 4 Coral Snorkeling & Bastimentos Marine National Park Wildlife Experience Bocas del Toro
Day 5 Rainforest Lake Cruise, Transfer to Tocumen & Depart  

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Tocumen, Self-Guided Exploration in Panama City & Market Tour

Panama City
Skyscrapers line the coast in Panama City

Welcome to Panama, where skyscrapers and ancestral lands collide in a tropical paradise between North and South America. Your driver will transfer you to the capital, Panama City, 40 minutes from the Tocumen airport. After settling into your hotel, take some time to explore at your own pace. You may opt to visit the coast at one of the many parks in the city, like Paitilla or María Carter Pantalones, where skyscrapers border beaches. A great ending to your personal tour may include walking along Avenida Central (Central Avenue) past bustling shops and colonial churches lining the street. 

Dive deeper into your exploration with a guided market tour in Plaza Santa Ana, a historical city center. Begin your excursion at the historic Cafe Coca Cola, the city's oldest café and the only one in the world named after the popular beverage. Next, taste locals' favorite Chinese snacks in old Chinatown and learn about the city's biggest gastronomic influences before sipping local juice from San Felipe Neri Food Market, where the abundant aisles are lined with seasonal Panamanian products. End your day at the local seafood market to taste traditional ceviche paired with a satisfying national beer.

Day 2: Watch Ships at the Panama Canal, Tour Panama Viejo & Casco Antiguo

Tour the colorful and historic Casco Antiguo and sample local specialties

This morning's tour will introduce you to the Panama Canal and the Miraflores Locks, an engineering feat completed in 1914 that made Panama famous. You'll be picked up from your hotel and taken to Miraflores Locks to witness giant ships transiting the canal between the Atlantic and Pacific. Learn about its incredible construction and its global economic importance.

The tour continues to the old city compound, Panama Viejo (Old Panama), the first European settlement on the American Pacific coast. Abandoned in the late 1600s, its people relocated to Casco Antiguo (Old Quarter), also called Casco Antiguo, a UNESCO World Heritage site now known for its gastronomy. Spend the next few hours enjoying food and refreshments within this historic area, where you'll sample geisha coffee, local chocolate, ceviche, and a refreshing raspao (shaved flavored ice with condensed milk). Wash it all down with Panama's first artisanal rum, Pedro Mandinga, made from raspadura (raw sugar cane).

Enjoy lunch at a local fonda, one of many streetside eateries serving Panamanian cuisine. You'll also visit the Biodiversity Museum, San José Church, and the bustling folk market along the way. Finish at the Plaza de Francia (French Square) in the southern part of Panama City, from where you'll have a panoramic view of the modern city center and the ships waiting their turn to transit the canal. A return transfer to your hotel is included.

Plan your trip to Panama
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.

Day 3: Transfer to Bocas del Toro, Arrive at Isla Bastimentos 

Arrive on Isla Colón and catch a boat to Isla Bastimentos, part of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago

Today you'll make your way to Isla Bastimentos, a secluded biodiverse island that's part of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago on the northern shore of Panama. These nine islands are home to some of the largest Central American rainforests, teeming with exotic animals like sloths, monkeys, toucans, and marine wildlife. The journey starts with a transfer from your hotel to the Tocumen airport for a one-hour flight to Isla Colón, a charming tourist hub within Bocas del Toro.

From here, an hourlong boat transfer will take you past palm trees and through blue waves and ocean air to reach Isla Bastimentos, where you can get settled in at your hotel before exploring your surroundings at your leisure. The island is home to the Indigenous Ngöbe-Buglé tribe and is wild, beautiful, and undoubtedly one of the highlights of the archipelago. Around the coast, you'll encounter beaches where sea turtles nest, mangrove forests, and protected coral reefs that provide amazing snorkeling and diving opportunities. 

Day 4: Coral Snorkeling & Bastimentos Marine National Park Wildlife Experience 

Snorkel around an island south of Bastimentos

Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Isla Bastimentos today as you travel with your group to observe dolphins, see sloths hanging in the trees, and snorkel among coral gardens. You'll begin your experience at Cayo Coral, a small island south of Bastimentos, to discover the colorful coral reefs and its remarkable wildlife with your mask and snorkel. As you swim among the corals, come face to face with schools of saltwater fish. Afterward, head to a seaside restaurant to refuel before your next adventure.

For the rest of the afternoon, discover the beautiful Zapatilla Cays, two uninhabited islands that are part of the Bastimentos Marine National Park. Created in 1988 to protect over 250 species of animals and 32,682 acres (13,226 ha) of land, Bastimentos Marine National Park is one of 13 national parks in Panama. Walk across the sand and dip your toes into the crystal-clear waters or walk through the jungle to hear howling monkeys and exotic birds sing. You'll be transported back to your hotel at the end of the day.

Day 5: Rainforest Lake Cruise, Transfer to Tocumen & Depart

Take a boat trip across the wildlife-rich Lago Gatún in the Panama Canal area

Today your time in the tropical paradise has come to an end as you say your goodbyes to island life—returning by boat to Isla Colón and catching the 1.5-hour flight back to Panama City. If your flight departs later in the day, you may have time to take a boat tour across Lago Gatún in the Panama Canal area to see wildlife and watch cargo ships.

The excursion starts with a transfer to Gamboa, just 45 minutes away, to start your adventure, where the Río Chagres meets the Panama Canal. Green iguanas, three-toed sloths, crocodiles, ospreys, and keel-billed toucans all live in this area, and by sailing close to the lake's islands, you can spot different species of monkeys. The tour ends with a light picnic lunch before returning to the city. When the time comes, your driver will take you to the Tocumen airport to catch your departing flight. Safe travels!

More Great Panama Itineraries

Looking for more inspiration for your trip to Panama? Check out these other Panama itineraries, explore different ways to spend five days in Panama, or discover the best time to visit Panama.

Map

Map of History & Nature in Panama City & Bocas del Toro - 5 Days
Map of History & Nature in Panama City & Bocas del Toro - 5 Days