Perfect 9 Day Itinerary Panama (ONLY MISS 1 WEEK OF WORK)

I already shared an itinerary for a short weekend trip to Panama – but what if you have more time and want to spend it exploring this beautiful country?  Well, I’ve got an itinerary for you!

Panama really has it all – big city, nightlife, volcanos, rainforest, highlands, beautiful beaches, etc.  And this itinerary gives you a little bit of everything….a perfect sampler to a great destination.

The 4 day itinerary just allowed you to do Panama City, with a day trip to San Blas.  Whereas with 9 days, you can add in Boquete & Bocas Del Toro as well.  I spent two and a half weeks in Panama because I was working while I was there (and didn’t run out of things to do) – but I’ve condensed my favorite parts of the trip down to 9 days.  ONLY MISS ONE WEEK OF WORK

It was a relatively easy country to visit – English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants, etc.  And they even use the US dollar for currency. I didn’t find it as cheap as other countries I’ve been to – in fact, prices seemed almost about what they would be in the US for food, drinks, and activities (but that’s likely because I was doing touristy things & dining in touristy areas).  

The people are very warm & friendly.  I made friends with several locals which was fun (for some reason I don’t feel like I meet locals as much as you’d think you would….just other travelers).

There are also lots of direct flight options to Panama City from the US – making it an easier destination to get to and visit!

It’s a great destination. Take my word for it.  And see below for a great 9 day itinerary!

As always, make sure you are traveling safely with TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE

PANAMA 9 DAY ITINERAR

Day 0 - Friday

• Take a red eye flight to Panama City (PTY), arrive Saturday morning

Day 1 - Saturday

Storyx Rooftop - great view

• Morning: Wake yourself up after that red eye flight with a cup of Panama’s premiere Geisha Coffee at Cafe Unido.

• Afternoon: Take a walking tour around Casco Viejo, helping to orient yourself and learning about it’s genesis, history, and current landscape.

  • I did my Casco Viejo tour thru Airbnb Experiences with Sharon, which was great! I’ll link it HERE.

• Evening: Dinner at the Panama Canal restaurant, watching the sunset and ships come thru.

  • Recommended timing is 5-7PM as this is when ship activity is most active.

  • Restaurant is a bit pricy, but atmosphere is nice.

Day 2 - Sunday

San Blas - Chichime Island

• San Blas Islands Full Day Trip - for paradise-like beaches, white sand, clear blue water, and few people.

  • If you have time to stay overnight, they will recommend this as it’s a long journey. But I still felt the full day trip was totally worth it (I personally don’t love staying overnight SUPER remote). But for the all day tour, keep in mind that you are leaving at 5:30AM and don’t get to the island until 10AM ish. It was quicker on the way back though.

  • Try to visit Chichime Island if you can - it’s generally regarded as the most beautiful (and was hands down my favorite stop).

• Night time: Walk Cinta Costera - waterfront blvd that is easily accessed from Casco Viejo. It’s well lit and perfectly safe at night (you’ll see lots of couples and families late).

Day 3 - Monday

LAZOTEA

• Daytime: Panama Canal Jungle Tour - this will get you onto the Panama Canal in search of wildlife, as well as a visit to Monkey Island!

  • THIS company comes highly rated on TripAdvisor or you could do a tour that also includes a stop to visit an indigenous tribe.

• Evening: Do a DIY rooftop bar crawl! (You could also join a tour like THIS one if you didn’t want to do it on your own) .

  • If you walk around, you’ll find no shortage of cute bars and rooftops (with staff outside trying to beckon you to come in). I’ll write a separate blog post on a nice itinerary though as well if you are like me and like a plan :

Day 4 – Tuesday

• Fly Panama City to David on Panama Air

• Afternoon Zipline Tour with Boquete Tree Trek

  • These guys were really fun and I highly recommend booking a canopy tour thru them!  

Lost Waterfalls Hike - Waterfall #2

Day 5 – Wednesday

• Lost Waterfalls Hike in AM

  • This hike took us about 2.5 hours roundtrip (with stops to take pictures and swim a little).  It is a good workout (although not TOO strenuous), and there’s lots of shade cover.  The waterfalls are very lovely too.  

• Coffee Tour in Afternoon

  • I visited Don Pepe and it was a great experience!  My guide was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about coffee, making it fun to learn from him!  After the tour, we got to do a tasting with their various coffees (and a tea as well!)

Day 6 – Thursday

• Shuttle Boquete to Bocas Del Toro, arrive 1PM

  • Hello Panama offers a shuttle at 8AM, the ride lasts about 3.5 hours - arriving at Taxi 25 boat dock in Bocas Del Toro (Bocas Town is tiny & it’s very easy to find your way around town – or to another island from here).

• Rent Bikes & Ride to Playa Bluff

  • From Bocas Town, it takes about 1 hour to ride to Playa Bluff (and 1 hour to return)

  • It’s a relatively nice, easy ride along the water.  The road starts out paved but then switches to sand/rocks about midway there.  It can be a little harder to pedal on the sand, especially when it’s wet.  But not too terrible. 

• Evening Bioluminescence Tour 7-9PM 

Day 7 – Friday

Filthy Friday

• Filthy Friday Island Party OR Starfish Beach

  • I recently wrote an article on Filthy Friday – it’s a blast and I highly recommend doing it if you’re passing thru Bocas.

• But if that’s not for you, check out Starfish Beach!  

  • It’s about a 20 minute boat ride away or 40 min bus ride + 15 min walk. 

  • Once there you’ll find restaurants and bars along the water, and plenty of lounge chairs to rent (or just buy items from a restaurant to use for free).  

  • There aren’t a ton of starfish in the water (like there used to be), but you’ll see a few, and there are nice vibes on the beach.

Day 8 – Saturday

Sloth on Sloth Island

• Zapatilla Island Tour

  • Zapatilla is a beautiful island about 40 min away from Bocas Town.  There aren’t really restaurants or much here, but it’s great to just relax on the sand or in the clear blue water.

  • This tour is usually combined with a 2 hour stop on Zapatilla Island, lunch + snorkeling, then Sloth Island.  

  • Sloth Island was another highlight for me!  You don’t get off the boat, but pull right up alongside the mangroves and there are tons of them in the trees.  Very cool seeing “perezosos” in the wild!

Day 9 – Sunday

• Fly Bocas to Panama City on Air Panama

  • There are 2 daily flights between Panama City & Bocas Del Toro.  The airport is a 5 min walk from town and teeny tiny - make sure you are early because flights often leave early!!

  • Flights arrive into the regional airport, PAC

• Panama City back home

  • You’ll have to transfer to the international airport PTY from PAC – so just make sure to factor that time into your travels.

Have you been to Panama? Do you think this is a good sampler of the country’s highlights? Would love any input!

xoxo

Lauren