One day in Panama City, Panama
One day in Panama City is best spent at the canal. Watch the ships from the Miraflores locks in the morning, see the canal museum in the old town at midday, and in the afternoon finish on the Amador Causeway, four islands joined by rock excavated during the building of the canal, where people walk, skate and cycle.
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Updated October 2026
The locks at Miraflores in the morning
Start at the Miraflores Visitor Center. The visit lasts about one and a half hours, and the building has a terrace on the ground level and bleachers on the first level for watching the ships transit the locks.
Ship transit times vary, so check the transit schedule on the canal's official visitor site before you go. The newer locks, part of the canal expansion, have their own visitor centre, Agua Clara at Gatún near Colón, on the Caribbean side, an hour's drive from the capital; the tour there lasts about three hours.
The canal museum in the old town at midday
The Panama Interoceanic Canal Museum is on Plaza Catedral, between 5th and 6th Streets, in the Casco Antiguo, in the former Grand Hotel. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday until 6 pm, and the ticket office closes at 5:30 pm.
The Amador Causeway in the afternoon
Finish on the Amador Causeway, four islands joined by rock excavated during the building of the canal. People walk, skate and cycle there, and the causeway also has the Biomuseo, the Panama Convention Center and a Smithsonian centre for exploring the natural world.
For a view of the city instead, go to the Metropolitan Natural Park, where you can hike, watch birds and look for wildlife.
Plan your one day in Panama City
Panama City is three cities in one: the modern capital; the Casco Antiguo, a walled colonial city; and Panamá Viejo, an archaeological site with the ruins of the first city, founded in 1519. UNESCO has declared the Casco Antiguo and Panamá Viejo World Heritage Sites.
From downtown Panama City, the Miraflores Visitor Center is a fifteen-minute drive and Tocumen International Airport about forty minutes.
Sources
- Official page of the canal's visitor-centre site on the Miraflores Visitor Center: the tour lasts about one and a half hours, the building has a terrace on the ground level and bleachers on the first level for watching the canal's operation and the ships passing through the locks, transits of ships may vary depending on the schedule, and the site's menu links to a Transit schedule. — visitcanaldepanama.com (checked 21 October 2026)
- Official page of the canal's visitor-centre site on the Agua Clara Visitor Center at Gatun: it is on the Caribbean Sea side, near Colon City, with views of the expanded canal's operations, and the tour lasts about three hours. — visitcanaldepanama.com (checked 21 October 2026)
- Official site of the Panama Interoceanic Canal Museum: it is on Plaza Catedral, between 5th and 6th Streets, in the Casco Antiguo of Panama City, in the former Grand Hotel; it is open from Tuesday to Sunday until 6:00 p.m., and the ticket office closes at 5:30 p.m. — museodelcanal.com (checked 21 October 2026)
- Official page of the Panama tourism authority on Panama City: under the heading Three Cities in One, the modern city holds two other cities, Panama Viejo, an archaeological site with the ruins of the first city, founded in 1519, and the Casco Antiguo, a walled colonial city, both declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO; the Amador Causeway is four islands joined by rocks excavated during the construction of the canal, where people walk, skate and bike, and the Biomuseo, the Panama Convention Center and a center the Smithsonian Research Institute set up to explore the natural world are also there; the city has natural parks for hiking, birding and wildlife observation, with views of the city from the Metropolitan Park, which the page links to as the Metropolitan Natural Park; and Tocumen International Airport is 40 minutes from downtown. — tourismpanama.com (checked 21 October 2026)
- Official page of the same authority on the canal: the Miraflores Visitor Center is a fifteen-minute drive from downtown Panama City, the Agua Clara Visitor Center is an hour's drive from the capital, close to the city of Colon, the Agua Clara locks are part of the expansion project, and the Panama Canal Museum is in the old town of the city. — tourismpanama.com (checked 21 October 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What can a family do in one day in Panama City?
Watch the ships from the Miraflores locks in the morning, see the Panama Canal Museum in the old town at midday, and in the afternoon walk the Amador Causeway, four islands joined by rock excavated during the building of the canal.
How long does the visit to the Miraflores locks last?
About one and a half hours. The visitor centre has a terrace on the ground level and bleachers on the first level for watching the ships transit the locks.
Where is the Panama Canal Museum?
On Plaza Catedral, between 5th and 6th Streets, in the Casco Antiguo of Panama City, in the former Grand Hotel. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday until 6 pm, and the ticket office closes at 5:30 pm.
What is the Amador Causeway?
Four islands joined by rock excavated during the building of the canal, where people walk, skate and cycle. The Biomuseo, the Panama Convention Center and a Smithsonian centre for exploring the natural world are also on the causeway.