COLON TO PANAMA CITY TOUR: AMAZING ONE DAY IN PANAMA
We’ve recently visited Panama on our Caribbean cruise, and since we only had a limited amount of time, we booked a Colon to Panama City tour. If you’re wondering whether it’s worth it and what one of these tours actually looks like, you’re in the right place!
While we really appreciate all our ports, Colon really isn’t the best or nicest stop to spend your day at. However, Panama City is quite charming, so I’d definitely recommend checking it out instead. It’s a bit far, but you still have more than enough time to visit, either on your own or with a tour. Here’s everything you need to know about this day trip!
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WHY VISIT PANAMA CITY?
Firstly, Panama City is a lively, modern capital with tall skyscrapers, colorful neighborhoods, and a wonderful historic area, Casco Viejo. That part of town is full of charming streets, old buildings, and great cafés where you can relax and take in the local culture (recs coming later!). The city feels quite safe, and you can enjoy strolling around, shopping, and exploring. Panama City blends old and new in a really special way that’s definitely worth seeing!
Secondly, we really didn’t like Colon. It looks quite harsh, with abandoned buildings, crumbling facades, and infrastructure that hasn’t been maintained. There’s not much to see or explore, so if you want to make the most of your day in Panama, taking a day trip to Panama City is definitely the best option in my opinion.
HOW TO REACH PANAMA CITY FROM COLON:
There are a few options for getting from Colon to Panama City. However, not all of them work well if you’re visiting by cruise with limited time. Here are all the options:
COLON TO PANAMA CITY BY TRAIN
There is a train from Colon to Panama City. It’s run by the historic Panama Canal Railway, but it doesn’t operate very frequently. Passenger service is limited and usually runs only on select dates, so you’d have to check schedules and availability in advance. While it would definitely be a memorable way to travel between the two cities, I’d skip this option if you’re visiting by cruise for just one day. If you’re staying longer, do a bit of research beforehand to see if the train is running and whether it could work for your trip.
COLON TO PANAMA CITY BY BUS
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option and don’t want to pay for a tour, you can get from Colon to Panama City by bus. Buses leave about every 15 minutes throughout the day, and the ride takes around 1 to 1.5 hours depending on traffic. That means you have plenty of flexibility, and with good planning you can easily go and return within your cruise schedule. Tickets are only a few dollars, and most buses are comfortable and air-conditioned. Once you arrive in Panama City, you can take a quick taxi or Uber to Casco Viejo.
COLON TO PANAMA CITY BY CAR
Driving from Colon to Panama City by car is straightforward and gives you the most flexibility. However, I wouldn’t recommend renting a car and doing this on your own. It’s much easier to get a private transfer, taxi, or Uber to take you there. The trip usually takes about 1 to 1.5 hours depending on traffic. Additionally, you’ll be driving along the well-maintained Autopista Panama–Colon, so it’s actually a really pleasant ride. Plus, if you have a private driver, you can make a few extra stops along the way.
Overall, traveling by car is the most convenient option, but also the most expensive. Our Uber round-trip would’ve cost around $130. Instead, we booked a tour at the same price directly in the cruise port. We ended up with a private driver who took us to several great spots (including the Panama Canal!) which we wouldn’t have been able to see with just an Uber.
IS PAYING FOR A COLON TO PANAMA CITY TOUR WORTH IT?
In short, yes, booking a tour from Colon to Panama City is absolutely worth it. Since your time in port is limited, a guided tour helps you see all the highlights without stressing about transport, routing, or anything else.
These tours are specifically designed for cruise passengers arriving in Colon, since almost everyone wants to go to Panama City. They include pick-up from the terminal, transport to and around the city and canal sights, and then drop-off back at your ship. You can book ahead of time, or simply walk out of the cruise terminal on the day and see what the local guides offer.
We booked on the day. They start with really high prices at first, but you can negotiate them down. If you want a guide with very good English, expect to pay more. But if you know a bit of Spanish, you can hire a taxi driver who will take you everywhere you want to go. In the end, we paid $130 for two people for the entire day. It was definitely better than taking an Uber because we got extra stops and a friendly local giving us insight into different places along the way!
OUR COLON TO PANAMA CITY TOUR EXPERIENCE:
We left our cruise port around 10 in the morning. Right outside the terminal there were several locals offering day trips to Panama City. After chatting with a few of them, we decided we’d visit the Panama Canal, New Panama City, and Old Panama (Casco Viejo).
Our first stop was the Miraflores Locks, about an hour’s drive from Colon. This is where you can watch ships passing through the Panama Canal. Moreover, you can visit the Visitor’s Center, and even see an IMAX movie about the canal. Tickets are $17 per person. We didn’t enter the Visitor’s Center because we were short on time, but we still enjoyed the views of the canal!
After that, we continued into New Panama City, which is modern, full of skyscrapers, and has an incredible skyline. We walked around a bit, took some photos, and enjoyed the city. We didn’t stay too long since we wanted to spend most of our time in Casco Viejo.
Finally, we made it to Casco Viejo! Our driver dropped us off for a few hours so we could explore on our own. We really loved the old architecture, narrow historic streets, beautiful plazas, and all the small markets and souvenir stands. The souvenirs we got there were some of our favourites of the whole trip. The views of New Panama City from here are amazing, too. We stopped for a drink at Marzola Parrilla Argentina and absolutely loved it. The interior and atmosphere were really unique!
Unfortunately, shortly after that it started pouring rain, so our tour got cut a bit short. We couldn’t really walk around much in that weather. But even with the rain, we still loved our time in Panama City, both old and new!
CONCLUSION: PANAMA CITY TOUR
I really recommend visiting Panama City if you end up in Panama by cruise, since there’s really nothing that exciting to see in Colon. We really enjoyed the tour/private transfer we booked in the cruise port. I honestly think that’s the best way to see as much as possible in one day!
