Country guide
Flights to Panama
The country most travellers connect through and never stop in
Panama occupies a peculiar position in Latin American travel: enormous numbers of people pass through it and comparatively few stop. Tocumen is the region's most connected airport, and the airline based there built a network specifically to link cities that have no direct service to one another.
That makes Panama the easiest country in the Americas to add to a trip. The hub carrier's stopover programme lets you break the journey for up to fifteen days at no extra airfare, which is close to a free destination if you are passing through anyway.
The country itself is more varied than its reputation suggests. It is narrow enough that you can reach the Caribbean and the Pacific on the same day, and it has highlands cool enough to grow coffee alongside island archipelagos on both coasts.
Cities we have guides for
Where to go beyond the obvious
Panama City and the Canal
A skyline of glass towers next to Casco Viejo, the restored colonial quarter, with the canal locks a short drive away. The Miraflores visitor centre is the standard way to watch a ship transit, and the rainforest of Soberanía National Park is genuinely within the city's reach — you can be among howler monkeys half an hour from the towers.
Bocas del Toro
A Caribbean archipelago in the northwest, reached by a short domestic flight or a long drive plus boat. Wooden buildings over the water, reef snorkelling and a relaxed pace. Wetter than the Pacific side for much of the year.
Boquete and the Chiriquí highlands
Coffee country in the western mountains, cool and green, with hiking around the Barú volcano. It is the standard escape from the heat and has a substantial community of foreign residents as a result.
San Blas and the Guna Yala islands
Hundreds of small Caribbean islands governed autonomously by the Guna people. Basic accommodation, exceptional water, and access controlled by the Guna administration rather than by tour operators. Usually reached by 4x4 and boat from Panama City.
When to go
The dry season runs roughly from mid-December to April on the Pacific side, which includes Panama City. This is the most reliable window and the busiest.
May to November is the rainy season, again mostly heavy afternoon downpours rather than continuous rain. The landscape is at its greenest and prices are lower.
The Caribbean side, including Bocas del Toro, does not follow the same pattern and can be wet when the Pacific side is dry. If both coasts are on the itinerary, check them separately rather than assuming one season covers the country.
Getting around
Domestic flights connect Panama City with Bocas del Toro and David in the west, and they save many hours against the road for a trip of a week or less.
The Pan-American Highway runs the length of the country and long-distance buses are comfortable and cheap. Panama City to David is a long but straightforward journey.
Panama City has a metro, which is unusual in Central America, and it reaches the airport on a Line 2 spur. It is slow relative to a taxi but costs almost nothing.
The basics
- Currency
- US dollar (alongside the balboa)
- Main airport
- Panama City (PTY)
- Airport to city
- 25–40 minutes
- Dry season
- Mid-December to April, Pacific side
- Stopover allowance
- Up to 15 days on the hub carrier
- Language
- Spanish
Before you book
Use the stopover if you are connecting anyway
The hub airline allows a break of up to fifteen days in Panama without additional airfare, booked through the multi-city or stopover option rather than as separate tickets. For anyone routing between North and South America, it is the cheapest extra country available.
The dollar is used everywhere
Panama uses the US dollar in practice, with local coins alongside it. There is no exchange step for travellers from the United States.
A short layover is not enough to leave
The airport is around fifteen miles from central Panama City. Below roughly six hours, the round trip plus re-screening consumes the layover without leaving time for anything. Either stay airside or plan a proper stopover.
Routes to Panama
Flight times are non-stop estimates from great-circle distance. Actual schedules and whether a non-stop exists on your dates come from a live search.
Airport guides
FAQ
Flights to Panama — common questions
If yours isn't here, just call — we're happy to explain.
Can I leave the airport during a layover in Panama?
If you have the right to enter Panama and enough time, yes. The city is twenty-five to forty minutes by taxi or about an hour by metro. Below about six hours it is not worth the round trip once re-screening is counted.
What is the Panama stopover programme?
The hub carrier lets you stop in Panama for up to fifteen days on an itinerary that would otherwise connect there, without paying extra airfare. It has to be booked as a stopover rather than as two separate tickets.
When is the best time to visit Panama?
Mid-December to April is the dry season on the Pacific side, including Panama City, and the most reliable window. The Caribbean coast follows a different pattern, so check Bocas del Toro separately if it is on your itinerary.
Still have a question? We're happy to explain — just call.
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