Panama Hop On Hop Off Tour Experience
Flexible, Affordable & Overall A Great Value
What do London, Paris, Barcelona, Lisbon, Los Angeles, Panama City, and Edinburg all have in common? Besides being amazing tourist destinations, these cities each cater to your vacation needs with the Worldwide City Sightseeing Tour, “Hop On, Hop Off”. The Real Deal Tours is now proud to partner with this globally renowned company and offer you the most flexible and cost effective way to see all the incredible sights of Panama City, Panama. So of course we had to send one of our team members to try it out, here is her experience.
I’ve seen the Hop On, Hop Off bright red bus in my current city, San Francisco, and have always been curious as to how these tour buses function. Come to find out, it is exactly as the title suggest. You can choose the city location where you would like to “hop on”, enjoy the sights and audio descriptions of important landmarks, then “hop off” the bus whenever you feel like it and/or when you arrive to the destination you are trying to reach. I decided to hop on board my second week in Panama City, and here’s what I discovered.
Hop On Hop Off Panama City Tour Route
The first Panama City Hop On Hop Off tour bus leaves the Multicentro Mall at 8:30 a.m. Latin American countries are not particularly known for their punctuality, so I was surprised that when I arrived at 8:15, the bus was already there waiting. They accepted my voucher and traded me for a map of the route and the day’s current schedule. I stepped on board into the cool AC and felt immediate relief. The summer months are rainy and humid in Panama City, so any tour that includes air-conditioning is a bonus! The bus driver smiled at me and another assistant handed me ear phones and told me that #2 was in English. I sat downstairs for a bit to cool off in the AC, then headed up to the top of the bus to really get a feel for Panama City.
The bus first passes Parque Urraca, and the audio guide explains the significance of this area. I found it funny that the driver hopped off himself to grab breakfast here, so take note if you haven’t eaten before the city tour, this is where the locals like to go! Up next the audio explains the symbolism behind the statue of Vasquez Nuno de Balboa, which I did not know prior to Hop On, Hop Off. If you’re on the 8:30 bus, it will not stop at Albrook Mall because it is not open at this time. If you are a bargain shopper, then catch the 9:00 and prepare yourself for a shopping experience like no other! Wear comfortable shoes and bring your “A-game”, because Albrook Mall is the largest in Latin America and the 13th largest in the entire world!
The route then takes you out to the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal. You’ll pass through the US ex-military base Fort Clayton where you will learn how the “City of Knowledge” contributed to science and technology worldwide. You can then hop off at the Panama Canal Miraflores locks. Here there is a 4 story museum with the observation deck at the top so you can view the ships go through the Panama Canal and wave to the crew on board. It is kind of cool to see how excited the ship’s crew gets to be passing through the canal. You can see their beaming smiles as they wave back, take photos. With Hop on Hop off buses passing every half hour or so, you can plan to stay as long as you like here. Just keep in mind that the last depature with full tour begins at 4:00 from Muticentro, but the Miraflores Locks Museum closes at 5 and you really need a full hour to get through the entire museum.
After Miraflores Locks, the city tour heads out to the Amador Causeway, which was built by the rocks excavated from the Culebra Cut during the Panama Canal Construction. Waste not want not! These 4 islands have served many purposes over the years, from breakwater protection to WWII protection against the Japanses. They are now a thriving tourist area, and the first stop here is the colorful and unique BioMuseum. The audio-guide explains how this unique structure was created by celebrated architect Frank Gehry who also created the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
The second-to-last stop is Flamenco Island, the last island of the Amador Causeway. Here you can enjoy duty-free shopping as well as many restaurants and cafes while you watch ships entering the canal and enjoy a stunning view of Panama City. This is also where the Panama Canal cruise ships tender when stopping in Panama City. There is an office right there for cruise ship passengers so they can just hop on as soon as they tender. Be sure to take out your cameras and take advantage of the unique view of the Panama City skyline.
The city tour then winds back down in Casco Antiguo. If you have not experienced this Panamanian gem, then by all means, HOP OFF! Best experienced on foot, Casco Antiguo (or Casco Viejo) is the old part of the city that heralds the Spanish architecture and style from Panama’s discovery. Don’t forget to sample some ceviche from the famous Panama Fish Market. The atmosphere feels different here, and it is hard to believe that it’s just a half hour walk back to Panama City’s skyscrapers.
Too hot to walk? Then don’t! Catch the next Hop on Hop off bus at the same place you jumped off and enjoy the ride along the Cinta Costera back to Multicentro Mall. So there you have it, that’s the complete circuit! Overall, Panama’s Hop On, Hop Off tour is an awesome and affordable way to discover all the unique tourist attractions in Panama City!
My Personal Recommendations For The Hop On Hop Off Panama City Tour
There is a couple of things I really think are important to know before you go.
First of all, be sure to “hop on” this tour the first day of vacation. It is the perfect introduction of Panama City & Panama Canal so you can decide where you would like to spend more time on the rest of your Panama Vacation.
The phrase “early bird catches the worm” definitely applies here. It is important to note that the 8:30am departure is the best route to choose if you really want to arrive to the Miraflores Locks in time to see the giant ships pass through the Panama Canal. The next tour departs at 9:00am and stops at the Albrook Mall first (you do not have to get off there, but it takes a bit more time), so you only catch the last of the ships if you hurry to the observation deck first thing.
Another good idea is to bring your own ear buds. The ones they provide you are just fine inside the Air Conditioned bus, but when on the open-air rooftop you are subject to the background symphony of traffic and honking horns which Panamanians seem to have no qualms about using. I had mine in my purse so I tried swapping them out and was able to hear the audio-guide much better.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE SCHEDULE!! I cannot emphasize this enough. Although most of the year they operate 2 buses and stops every 30 minutes, during holidays and out of tourist season they make some changes. They will put the current schedule in your map so you can refer to it throughout the day.
Speaking of the audio guide, it has SIX different language channels! You can choose to listen in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. My co-worker’s first language is French and she said he guide in French was perfect. I tested both Spanish and English and found them both to be great. Unfortunately they do not offer any Asian language options…yet.
Finally, the Panama Hop On Hop Off tour is the most flexible and economical way to get a taste of Panama City and a great value. However, this is an audio-guide, not a real live guide so you do not get the personalized service or extra details you would with a guided Panama city tour. If you are a history buff who likes to ask a lot of questions and learn as much as you can when visiting a new city and new culture, we would recommend one of small group tours of Panama City instead.
PS. Yes all the “Hop On” & “Hop Off” puns were intended…just couldn’t resist.