Panama City travel guide

Panama City Tourism | Panama City Guide

You're Going to Love Panama City

With a population of 36,484, Panama City is a must-see destination in Florida, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Panama City has to offer.

Where to Eat in Panama City

If you’re looking for affordable options, G. Foley's (3212 W 23rd Street) and Dreamers Restaurant & Bar (1136 Thomas Dr) are great picks.

When to visit Panama City

Panama City in November
Estimated hotel price
$89
1 night at 3-star hotel
Panama City in November
Estimated hotel price
$89
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Panama City in July, when the average temperature is 80.6 °F, and the highest can go up to 87.8 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 44.6 °F, with an average temperature of 53.6 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in July, when precipitation is around 7.9″. In contrast, May is usually the driest month of the year in Panama City, with an average rainfall of 2.8″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Panama City

Plane

When flying to Panama City, you’ll arrive at Panama City NW Florida Beaches (ECP), which is located 26 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Panama City include American Airlines, United Airlines and Air France. The shortest domestic flight to Panama City departs from Austin and takes around 4h.

Car

Another option to get to Panama City is to pick up a car rental from Pensacola, which is about 152 km from Panama City. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Turo, among others, in Pensacola.

Bus

Panama City’s bus station is located 3.0 km from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Panama City, you’ll arrive at Panama City NW Florida Beaches (ECP), which is located 26 km from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Panama City include American Airlines, United Airlines and Air France. The shortest domestic flight to Panama City departs from Austin and takes around 4h.

Car

Another option to get to Panama City is to pick up a car rental from Pensacola, which is about 152 km from Panama City. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Turo, among others, in Pensacola.

Bus

Panama City’s bus station is located 3.0 km from the city center.

Airlines serving Panama City

Lufthansa
Good (4,665 reviews)
KLM
Good (858 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,487 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,602 reviews)
Air France
Good (981 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,557 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,941 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,126 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,483 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,788 reviews)
Finnair
Good (880 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (5,571 reviews)
JetBlue
Good (1,606 reviews)
Spirit Airlines
Good (4,535 reviews)
Frontier
Okay (1,352 reviews)
Korean Air
Excellent (772 reviews)
ANA
Excellent (464 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (963 reviews)
Aeromexico
Good (818 reviews)
Copa Airlines
Good (772 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Panama City

Average rates range from around $309 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $427 and up for a 5-star experience.

Where to stay in popular areas of Panama City

Most booked hotels in Panama City

Hilton Garden Inn Panama City Airport
3 stars
Excellent (9, 332 reviews)
$152+
Holiday Inn Resort Panama City Beach
3 stars
Excellent (8.9, 2064 reviews)
$284+
Hampton Inn & Suites Panama City Beach-Beachfront
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, 1204 reviews)
$229+
Holiday Inn Panama City
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, 273 reviews)
$171+
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Panama City
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, 723 reviews)
$108+
Casa Loma Inn
2 stars
Excellent (8.1, 5329 reviews)
$168+

Renting a car in Panama City

Renting a car in Panama City costs $70 per day, on average, or $210 if you want to rent if for 3 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Avis are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Panama City is the Budget branch at 6300 West Bay Parkway, which is 26 km from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 3% cheaper than airport locations in Panama City.

Expect to pay $3.94 per gallon in Panama City (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $47.24 and $62.99. The most frequently booked car type in Panama City is Standard (Hyundai Santa Fe or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Hyundai Accent or similar) are, on average, 40% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Panama City costs $70 per day, on average, or $210 if you want to rent if for 3 days. Alamo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Avis are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Panama City is the Budget branch at 6300 West Bay Parkway, which is 26 km from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 3% cheaper than airport locations in Panama City.

Expect to pay $3.94 per gallon in Panama City (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $47.24 and $62.99. The most frequently booked car type in Panama City is Standard (Hyundai Santa Fe or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Hyundai Accent or similar) are, on average, 40% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.