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Tourist Offices in Panama City

The tourist office in Panama (Autoridad de Turismo Panamá or ATP) provides information, guides, pamphlets and tours related to all the beautiful things to see and do in the country. A lot of services that the tourist office will suggest will be affiliated with the office, so it is good to be aware of that and make your tourist itinerary accordingly.

Everyone you encounter in the office speaks English and some staff can speak other languages like French or Portuguese.

The main Tourist Office in Panama City:

Central Building, Samuel Lewis Avenue and Gerado Ortega St., Panama City

Sightseeing in Panama City

1. Panama Canal(open daily 9 am to 4:30 pm, $5 entrance fee)
2. Panamá Viejo (open daily 9 am to 4:30 pm)
3. Chagres National Park
4. Casco Viejo
5. Metropolitan National Park (open daily 6:30 am to 4:30 pm)
6. Casco Viejo
7. Ancon Hill
8. Island tours

Tours in Panama City

Panama is a beach destination and tropical island paradise in many regions of the country. Naturally there are plenty of day tours to choose from.

Different tour groups offer these day trips, so be sure to compare and contrast offers from various operators.

Here are some of the most sought-after tours:

• San Blas Island Hopping
• Panama Canal full rainforest tour
• Soberania National Park (for bird-watching and hiking)
• San Lorenzo Fort (abandoned fortress in Chagres)
• El Valle de Anton (a peaceful valley near a volcano)
• Embera Indian Village (cultural village with performances by indigenous people)
• Isla Taboga (colorful island 10 miles from the coast of Panama City)
• Miraflores Locks (engineering of the Panama day tour)

Festivals in Panama

Festivals in January in Panama

Feria de las Flores y del Café (Flower and Coffee Festival) in Boquete - World Flower Festival

Jazz Festival in Panama City – 3-day jazz festival

Festivals in February in Panama

Carnaval – 4-day festival that precedes Ash Wednesday. The largest celebrations are in small towns on the Azuero Peninsula, such as Las Tablas.

Festivals in March in Panama

Feria de David in Chiriquí - 500 exhibitors of industrial products

Festivals in April in Panama

Feria Internacional del Azuero in La Villa de Los Santos - Multi-day festival similar to a county fair

Festivals in June in Panama

Festival Corpus Christi in La Villa de Los Santos - A two week religious festival known for dance exhibits in devil masks

Festivals in July in Panama

Festival Patronales de La Virgen de Santa Librada in Las Tablas – 3-day festival that showcases Panama's most beautiful pollera dresses

Festivals in September in Panama

Feria Internacional del Mar (International Festival of the Sea) in Bocas del Toro – 5-day festival featuring local and international cuisine

Festival de la Mejorana in Guararé - Folkloric festival featuring hundreds of dancers, musicians, and singers.

Festivals in November in Panama

Independence Days - A celebration of three independence days, November 3rd and 4th, as Independence Day and Flag Day, and November 10th as First Call for Independence Day.

Many of the dates for the following festivities and events vary from year to year. You can double check with the tourism board by calling (800) 962-1526, or by visiting the Visit Panama website.

Discounts in Panama City

For discounts, check out The Panama Tour Site, which gathers information from all the tour operators in the country to provide you with the latest attractions, offers and discounts.