Panama City: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Panama City is the capital of Panama (Panamá), 17 m (56 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Tocumen International Airport (PTY), 17 km (11 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 791 places to stay.
Key facts
Open Panama City in Google Maps
Daylight in Panama City runs from about 11 h 38 min a day in late December to 12 h 41 min in late June (computed for 8.99° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Panama City is served by 3 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Tocumen International Airport (PTY), 17 km (11 mi) from the centre, whose 10,006-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Marcos A. Gelabert International Airport (PAC, 5 km), Enrique Adolfo Jimenez Airport (ONX, 56 km).
Flights to Panama City: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Panama City · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 791 places to stay in Panama City. Of the 570 with a star rating, the largest group is 2-star (252), and 29 are five-star. Across 158 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.2 out of 10. Guests have left 228,023 reviews in total.
Hotels in Panama City: the full picture, and book
Our booking partner lists 32 hostels in Panama City, out of 791 places to stay of every kind — 4% of everywhere it lists in the city, an above-average share: hostels here compete with each other rather than filling a gap. Across 9 hostels with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.3 out of 10, level with the city’s hotels. Guests have left 7,351 reviews across them.
Hostels in Panama City: the full picture, and book
What people come for
UNESCO World Heritage in the city: Archaeological Site of Panamá Viejo and Historic District of Panamá.
Tours, tickets and day trips from Panama City
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- San Miguelito, 8 km
- Juan Díaz, 10 km
Twin towns and sister cities: Taipei, Fort Lauderdale, Guadalajara, Incheon, Miami, Tel Aviv, Paita, Mexico City, Madrid, San Diego, Manila, Barranquilla, Callao, Imabari.
Common questions
Which airport serves Panama City?
Tocumen International Airport (PTY), 17 km (11 mi) from the centre, plus 2 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Panama City?
About 408,168 people live in Panama City, across 275 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Panama City in?
America/Panama, currently UTC-5.
What currency is used in Panama City?
The Balboa (PAB). Traffic drives on the right.
Are there hostels in Panama City?
32 of them, bookable on this site. Hostels in Panama City.
How many hotels are there in Panama City?
Our booking partner lists 791 places to stay in Panama City, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Panama City?
San Miguelito (8 km), Juan Díaz (10 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.