Panama City - Boquete - Bocas
Planning a Week-Long Vacation in Panama
When visiting Panama, most people travel between Panama City, Boquete and Bocas del Toro. And why not? They are accessible and they represent much of what is Panama. A complete vacation—especially if you only have a week to 10 days to do it.
Even though this itinerary is common, it can still be tricky to plan. Message boards are full of questions about how to navigate these three destinations in a limited span of time. The purpose of this entry isn’t to write tour book descriptions of each stop: You’ve done your research. We’re strictly talking logistics.
The order of this itinerary is by design—a key factor is availability of flights (at this time, there are no flights between David and Bocas del Toro). Add or subtract days in each location depending on how many days you are in Panama and the time your international flight takes off.
DAY 1: Panama City. Most tourists enter and exit via Tocumen Airport. Depending on when your flight lands, you can cover a lot of Panama City on your first day.
Must-sees:
• Casco Viejo: Beautiful architecture, rich history, excellent restaurants and great photo ops. This is also where you want to buy your souvenirs. The Kuna Indians sell beautiful jewelry, molas and crafts here and the prices are reasonable
• Amador Causeway Great place to dine out. Breathtaking views of the city and of the ocean
• Panama Canal
• Panama Viejo
DAY 2, 3, 4: Boquete
• Take a regional flight from Albrook airport to David (Air Panama or Aeroperlas)
• Rent a car (this will allow you not only to explore Boquete, but surrounding areas). Thrifty Car Rental is your best bet, as they also have a Boquete location. This will come in handy later
• Stay at Boquete Garden Inn! It is the perfect home base to explore Chiriqui province
Day trips:
• Volcan/Cerro Punta
• Caldera
• Las Lajas
• Las Olas
(Boquete Garden Inn provides maps for each of these day trips—ask at our front desk!)
• Return your rental to the Boquete Thrifty location
• Take either a shuttle bus ($40 per person) or a private taxi (about $130 for 2 people) to Almirante. There you will catch a water taxi to Bocas. (There is currently no surcharge for picking up your rental car at the David Airport location and dropping it off at the Boquete location. But that could change!) Boquete Garden Inn can book the shuttle or taxi for you – just ask!
DAY 5 and 6: Bocas del Toro
• Island tours
• Snorkeling
• Scuba Diving
DAY 7: Fly from Bocas del Toro to Panama (Albrook airport)
• Whatever you couldn’t fit into day 1, do it on day 7
• Afternoon heat buster: Some people are turned off by the idea of going to a mall on vacation, but if you find the heat of Panama City oppressive, malls provide great cool-down time
• Try the steak at Leños y Carbon!
• Have a mocha batido at Gelarti
• Get a seated massage…20 minutes for only $10!