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
$90
1 night at 3-star hotel
Panama City in November
Estimated hotel price
$90
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 16 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Panama City include American Airlines, Qatar Airways and United Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Panama City departs from Killeen and takes around 4h 52m.

Car

Another option to get to Panama City is to pick up a car rental from Pensacola, which is about 95 miles from Panama City. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Turo, among others, in Pensacola.

Bus

Panama City’s bus station is located 1.8 miles from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Panama City, you’ll arrive at Panama City NW Florida Beaches (ECP), which is located 16 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Panama City include American Airlines, Qatar Airways and United Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Panama City departs from Killeen and takes around 4h 52m.

Car

Another option to get to Panama City is to pick up a car rental from Pensacola, which is about 95 miles from Panama City. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Turo, among others, in Pensacola.

Bus

Panama City’s bus station is located 1.8 miles from the city center.

Airlines serving Panama City

Lufthansa
Good (4,679 reviews)
KLM
Good (843 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,616 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,583 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,601 reviews)
Air France
Good (977 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,112 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,436 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,977 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,989 reviews)
Finnair
Good (856 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (5,754 reviews)
JetBlue
Good (1,582 reviews)
Spirit Airlines
Good (4,544 reviews)
Frontier
Okay (1,357 reviews)
Korean Air
Excellent (773 reviews)
ANA
Excellent (487 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (960 reviews)
Aeromexico
Good (811 reviews)
Copa Airlines
Good (780 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Panama City

Average rates range from around $316 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

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Panama City Beach - Beachfront
3 stars
Excellent (9.1, 1703 reviews)
$213+
Hilton Garden Inn Panama City Airport
3 stars
Excellent (9, 343 reviews)
$142+
Holiday Inn Panama City
3 stars
Excellent (8.8, 259 reviews)
$175+
Hampton Inn & Suites Panama City Beach-Beachfront
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, 1168 reviews)
$191+
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Panama City
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, 717 reviews)
$107+
Casa Loma Inn
2 stars
Excellent (8.1, 5310 reviews)
$168+

Renting a car in Panama City

Renting a car in Panama City costs $74 per day, on average, or $221 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 Hertz branch at 6401 West Bay Parkway, which is 16 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 2% cheaper than airport locations in Panama City.

Expect to pay $3.90 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 $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Panama City is Compact (Nissan Rogue or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Nissan Sentra or similar) are, on average, 59% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Panama City costs $74 per day, on average, or $221 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 Hertz branch at 6401 West Bay Parkway, which is 16 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 2% cheaper than airport locations in Panama City.

Expect to pay $3.90 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 $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Panama City is Compact (Nissan Rogue or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate rental cars (Nissan Sentra or similar) are, on average, 59% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.