S
Good experience
My tour guide Richard was super nice and very informative. It was a super hot day and he even stopped to get us water which was so nice. Definitely book!!
Panama City travel guide: tickets, best time & real costs
Casco Antiguo & Panama Viejo World Heritage eXpedition
+2 photos
At a glance
- Duration
- 2–4 hours
- Price from
- $36 / person
- Location
- Panama City, Panama
- Rating
- 5.0 / 5 · 9 reviews
- Languages
- EN, ES, ES
- Group
- Small group, up to 15
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Confirmation
- Instant
- Ticket
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operator
- Lift-Intl
- Meeting point
- In Casco Antiguo by General Tomás Herrera who sits on the horse in the middle of the square or block that has his name, in front of Casa Casco and The American Trade Hotel.
Description
Do one or both sites, for the walking tour we can meet in the colonial city or arrange pick up by writting us a message. Casco Antiguo de San Felipe is where the new City of Panama was founded in 1673 (the 350 year anniversary was in 2023), built only 5 miles Southwest from where the first city (Panama Viejo archeological site) was left in ruins after the fires started by the Spanish colonials themselves, in an effort to save the strategic position crucial for World Trade since the Pacific Ocean was discovered in 1513, and to avoid the collapse of the Spanish Empire right there and then, to the most famous pirate of the second half of the Spanish Colony, their nemesis who commanded the "Rogue" attack in 1671: Captain Henry Morgan. Both are World Heritage Sites as per UNESCO.
Schedule & prices
- Runs
- Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, and Sun
- Start times
- 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM
- Next available
- Sat, Oct 17
- Adult (ages 18–56)
- $36
- Senior (ages 57+)
- $35
- Youth (ages 13–17)
- $30
- Child (ages 3–12)
- $16
- Infant (ages 0–2)
- Free
Prices change with the date; the lowest is shown.
Prices are per person when two book together; a solo traveller pays $38.
Larger groups pay less per person.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 16.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Plaza Tomas Herrera
We will start walking to the main squares and town center of the San Felipe area, if we have both sites in your tour we will cover the highlights of San Felipe for about 1 hour before going to Panama Viejo archeological site.
Plaza de Francia
As we walk down Avenida "A" (Ave.) we will stop by St. Joseph's Church, where we can get a glimpse of the Gold Altar and a Nativity Scene that is inside the Spanish Colonial Church founded in 1675. We will also stop by the Society of Jesus Ruins (Jesuit monks) and the flat arch ruins (used by the french as evidence that Panama was suitable for the waterway they wanted to build).
Church Of Saint Francis Of Assisi
On B Ave we will visit the church and the San Felipe Neri Oratory ("cloister") for the Sisters of Charity that are around the Plaza Bolivar area.
Plaza Mayor
Once we walk up Avenida B (Ave.) we will proceed to the main square in the historic World Heritage Site city of San Felipe, Casco Antiguo, Republic of Panama, which is accurately positioned in front of the Basílica Metropolitana Santa María La Antigua (construction started in the year of our Lord 1688 and consecrated 108 years later in 1796) where we will see some of the relics and tradition, and to then walk up Central Ave where we will see evidence of the tracks of the old Trolley as we walk out towards the Church of Our Lady of Mercy inside the entrance of the city.
Iglesia Santa Ana Panama
And we will end our tour walking by the place where the gates to the city would separate the citizen's by hierarchy, meaning the european settler's and the Spanish born in the new world had the right of living within these limits and the native, indigenous and blacks lived outside in the suburbs ("los arrabales"), then we will head back to Plaza Herrera where the tour begun to send off the guests that booked the * "Ruined City tour" optional variation.
Museo de la Mola
We highly recomend to check out this museum on your own time, ask your guide where it is located, pre columbian heritage of the inhabitants of San Blas.
Museo Panama Viejo
The visitors Center for the archeological site blows our guides away with the knowledge gained.
What's included
Included
Free museums in Casco Antiguo de San Felipe
Guided tour and transport when visiting both sites
Not included
Foreign Univ. Students w/ school i.d.
Children (6-17)
Panama Viejo archeological Park
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick ups at PTY Airport will have a $35.00 "cash to guide" fee for two +$10.00 each if three guests or more (anytime, each way), and $15.00 +$3.00 each if 3 guests or more, each way. Note: Doing both sites together - NO FEE, EXCEPT airport or out of town pick ups.
Traveller Ratings
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
5.0
9 reviews
How it compares in Panama City
- Starting price $36 is 34% below the typical $54 for tours of similar length in Panama City
Excurgo comparison of 858 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
1+ days before100% refund
0–1 days before0% refund
Frequently asked questions
How long does Casco Antiguo & Panama Viejo World Heritage eXpedition take?
Casco Antiguo & Panama Viejo World Heritage eXpedition lasts about 2–4 hours. The itinerary has 7 stops.
How much does Casco Antiguo & Panama Viejo World Heritage eXpedition cost?
Prices start at $36 per person for this Panama City experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. That is the per-person price when two book together; a solo traveller pays $38. There are 2 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
What days does Casco Antiguo & Panama Viejo World Heritage eXpedition run?
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, starting at 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
How much does Casco Antiguo & Panama Viejo World Heritage eXpedition cost for children?
Children aged 3–12 pay from $16, adults from $36. Infants go free.
Can I cancel Casco Antiguo & Panama Viejo World Heritage eXpedition for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, pickup is offered. Pick ups at PTY Airport will have a $35.00 "cash to guide" fee for two +$10.00 each if three guests or more (anytime, each way), and $15.00 +$3.00 each if 3 guests or more, each way. Note: Doing both sites together - NO FEE, EXCEPT airport or out of town pick ups. Pickup points include Hotel Parador Panama City.
What languages is Casco Antiguo & Panama Viejo World Heritage eXpedition offered in?
The experience is available in EN, ES, ES.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 15 participants.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Is the tour wheelchair accessible?
Wheelchair accessible Transportation options are wheelchair accessible All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Reviews(9)
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
A
Alex was a spectacular guide and terrific story-teller! Exploring Casco Antiguo with him is a must!
Alex was an absolutely fabulous guide! He has a vast amount of knowledge about the history of Casco Antiquo and was very generous in sharing lots of interesting stories about the buildings he was showing us! We covered a temendoud amount of ground in 3 hours - but he really paced us well and welcomed all our questions! We learned so much from him! And we had a renewed appreciation for both the ruins and all the restored buildings!
Operator response
You are very welcome, we have passed on your kind words to guide Alex and thank you very much for using our services.
O
Highly recommended
Richard was an excellent knowledgable guide. Would definitely recommend him. He was patient and kind and took some excellent photos of us
Operator response
Your kindness is inspiration and we are boldly growing thanks to it, please recommend us to your family and friends
A
Highly knowledgeable guide
The Richard was extremely informative and I learned so much about Panamá. I was solo on trip and felt safe. I would have liked to see more places, but the weather made it more difficult because I don’t really want to be outside in the rain. He did a good job of finding indoor locations and helped me take lots of pictures. We did see many historical sites.
Operator response
Glad we were useful, and we truly value the time you used to leave a kind word for other travelers to use our services. Your words are very encouraging.
N
A History Buff's Dream Tour
Richard is a knowledge and intelligent guide. He knows the history of the Panama Canal and the roles played by France, Spain, and the United States. I would recommend this tour to anyone who has a penchant for historial events. Any history educator or history buff will be enthralled with Richard's level of knowledge of the Panama Canal, while moving through the historical event sites.
Operator response
Our team is very honored to share time with travelers, specially with guests that want to get the most out of the culture and national perspectives (since history is learned differently depending where we learn it, hence the value of going to see the world for your own self), I personally want to thank you for recommending our service to the National Board of Education, Principal Nathalie.
R
Awesome Time in Panama!
My wife and I had a great time touring with Richard at the Casco walking tour, Gamboa Rain Forest and Ancon Hill in Panama. Richard was very friendly, punctual and knowledgeable. The goal was to see a sloth at the rain forest and Richard came through! We highly recommend him!
1 people found this helpful
Operator response
Well, it is a very nice gesture on your part to provide details like these for others to see. We value our heritage, cuture and the natural environment is not the least of the three at all, there are things we can control and others we can't, what we want to provide as a constant is a friendly attitude and the love for what we do. Thanks for encouraging my business partner Alex and I.
B
A beautiful and educational peak at the Magic of Panama
Richard was a very knowledgeable guide and did a fantastic job at giving us a an experience of the rich history of this amazing city. There was a fair amount of walking at a comfortable pace, but no one even seemed to notice because there was so much to see and hear about. When we finished, Richard recommended a restaurant for us to have lunch. It was the best meal we had the entire month we were in Panama. I can highly recommend hiring Richard to enhance your experience as you visit Panama.
1 people found this helpful
Operator response
This is something our team greatly appreciates, we consider it the highest reward for the great effort made to give you our best quality service. Please share our Viator account on your social media posts, some of your friends will want to know more and you can feel confident sending them our way for details of what we do, we will treat them like they were your family.
D
Amazing time in Casco Viejo (and much more)!
My husband and I had a wonderful experience with Alex as our tour guide! He is very friendly, knowledgeable, charismatic and engaging. He took us through some of the most interesting parts of Casco Viejo and at the end, we ended up booking yet another tour with him. The next day he took us to the canal, we stopped to check out a sloth, and then headed to see the monkeys at Monkey Islands. It was a wonderful day! I can’t recommend Alex enough! He went above and beyond to make our experience authentic all while catering to what we needed. Thank you Alex! We hope to see you again in the future!
1 people found this helpful
Operator response
Thanks for the review, you help us do better with those kind words. Alex
R
Monkey Island, Panama Canal, and Casco walking tour
Alex was great, he picked me up at my hotel at 6:30am and took me to a local coffee shop. From there we drove an hour to catch a boat out to monkey island. It was just he and I on the boat which was awesome because all the other boats were packed. From there he offered to show me the Panama Canal but I didn’t have an interest so he drove me back to Casco and gave me a walking tour and showed me a great place to grab a bite to eat. Incredibly friendly and willing to go the extra miles. Literally!
1 people found this helpful
Operator response
Thank you for your review, we are encouraged by your words, Alex
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casco Antiguo & Panama Viejo World Heritage eXpedition | 2–4 hours | 5.0 (9) | $36 | |
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from$36
5.0(9) Free cancellation