Sightseeing in Panama City with Tomi Tours

One of the absolute highlights of my trip to Panamá was doing an evening of sightseeing with Tomi Tours! I had found the tour through Viator, and was so excited for it from the moment I saw it. Tomi Tours offers English-speaking tours around Panama City in a bright green, open top1971 VW Safari (the only one in the country!), led by none other than Tomi himself. You truly feel like a celebrity cruising around the city with the top down. In fact, the locals all love it too- we were getting beeps and cheers throughout the entire tour!

I opted to do the night tour, which started at 7:30 pm and lasted about 2 hours. This was perfect for me as a solo traveler, as I wanted to explore the city at night but also wanted to make sure I was safe. At night, the weather was perfect. I was never too hot, the bugs didn’t bother us as we were driving, and we really got to take in the city with the top down. If you opt for a day tour, sunscreen and sunglasses will be a must! Here is my experience sightseeing in Panama City with Tomi Tours!

Read More: My Top 8 Tips for Visiting Panama City, Panamá

Pick Up

Pick up for the tour was an absolute breeze. Tomi messaged me earlier in the day and explained exactly where to meet him. The standard meeting place for the tour is in Casco Viejo, in Plaza Simón Bolívar. It’s not very hard to miss the bright green car waiting for you! A hotel pickup was offered, but since I was staying nearby at the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo, I opted for the short walk to meet him there. However, if you’re staying at a hotel outside of Casco Viejo, pickup and drop off directly at your hotel is complementary! Once we met, we loaded up right away and set off to explore the city!

Amador Causeway

Our first area on our drive was down the Amador Causeway. This area of the city was not even on my radar despite all my planning, so it was really interesting to see what it had to offer! The long road jets out from the city and connects three islands: Naos, Perico, and Flamenco Islands. This area of the city felt really bright and safe, despite it being at night! Plenty of people were out walking, running, and riding bikes along the pathways. The islands were full of life as restaurants, bars, and clubs lined the streets. When cruise ships dock in Panama City, they do so at the end of Flamenco Island, therefore it felt very tourist-friendly, but also had a local vibe. If I had more time on my trip, I would have loved to come back out and spend an entire day exploring these islands!

Cruising Downtown

Next, we made our way back down the Amador Causeway into downtown (complete with Bridge of the Americas views!). We first drove around the Cinta Costera, which is a road that circles around Casco Viejo, giving you stunning nighttime views of the Old Town, while also having the juxtaposition of the city’s modern skyscrapers in the background. My favorite part of this drive was cruising down Avenue Balboa, a main thoroughfare that runs along the water. On one side, you’ll have towering buildings, and on the other a calm night sea. Truly spectacular! Tomi took the time to explain some of the more interesting buildings, such as the Poin (with a rooftop zipline), the F&F Tower (a crazy cool spiral building), and the former Trump Tower (now the JW Marriott) which is so uniquely shaped! We then took some time to cruise through the more local neighborhoods to get a taste of how Panamanians live. This city really has it all!

Casco Viejo

The tour then makes its way back to Casco Viejo for a slower more historical twist. Once we made it into the old town and found a place to pull over, Tomi even put down the windshield which made for an even more premium experience (and much better photo ops!). We slowly made our way down the narrow brick streets and learned about the history of the city. Fun fact- this isn’t Panama City’s original old town! The original is actually Panama Viejo and burned down in 1671. We made our way past sites such as Independence Square, the Museum of Panamanian History, France Square, and Arco Chato. Tomi also pointed out some of his best restaurant, bar, and shopping recommendations. Selina is the place to be for a rooftop drink, and Benissimo is where you want to go for the best gelato!

Read More: How to Spend One Day in Casco Viejo, Panama City

Photo Ops!

One of the best parts about the tour was getting able to stop for photo ops! As a solo traveler, I often wonder how I am going to get photos of myself in my new destinations, and sometimes need to go to great lengths to get them. Or worse yet, the embarrassment that sometimes comes with the full tripod-and-self-timer setup. However, Tomi insists on stopping at landmarks along the tour and will even snap photos for you! I really appreciated how, even without me asking, he took dozens of photos so I could keep posing and he kept clicking. Classic girl stuff, but he seemed to understand the assignment even without prompt! When safe to do so, we stopped at a few murals in the city for photos, but my favorite one was at this Panamá sign on Flamenco Island! If you go to Panamá and don’t have this photo to prove it, did you really go to Panamá?

How to Book

If cruising through Panama City in the coolest car, and feeling like a total celebrity sounds like a good time to you, then you must book a tour sightseeing with Tomi Tours! You can book directly on his website here, but he is also bookable through Viator. You seriously will not regret exploring the city and sightseeing in Panama City with Tomi.

Read More: 7 Reasons Your Next Trip Should be to Panamá

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