Frequently asked questions
We’ve put together some commonly asked questions to give you more information about our company, our services and Panama in general.
General
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Q: Are meals included in the tour prices?
A:In general no, however some tours have a lunch included. Please refer to the tour description to see what is or isn’t included.
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Q: Do all your drivers/guides speak English?
A:Yes all our drivers and guides speak fluently English. We also have French and Spanish speaking staff.
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Q: Do I need to tip my driver/guide?
A:It is not mandatory, but it is common courtesy to do so and very appreciated by our drivers and guides as they strive to provide you with the best service and would go the extra mile to make your day a very pleasant one.
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Q: What kind of vehicle do you use?
A:We use new/recent, clean and well maintained vehicles. Our fleet includes sedans, SUVs and minivans. We can also provide 7 to 28 passengers minibuses or coach bus based on the size of your groups.
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Q: Are your vehicles air-conditioned?
A:Absolutely! All our vehicles have functional air-conditioner.
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Q: Can I drink or eat in the car?
A:We don’t mind that you drink water, but we’d rather keep our vehicles clean for the next client as some of our drivers/guides have more than one assignment a day and won’t have time to clean their cars in depth in between. Clean cars is an important aspect in our dedication to provide our clients with an excellent service. We appreciate your understanding.
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Q: Can I have a private driver just for a few hours?
A:Yes, please contact us by email at info@panamayourway.com with the details of your request and we’ll send you a quote.
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Q: I'm traveling with a baby; can you provide a car seat?
A:Yes, we have infant and toddler car seats (0 to 4 years-old). In Panama it is mandatory for all children under 5 years-old to be seated in a car seat. Please let us know if you need a baby car seat and for what age when making the booking. You can also bring your own.
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Q: Do you accept credit cards?
A:We accept all major credit cards at the time of booking through our website.
Tours
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Q: Can I change an attraction that is listed on the tour?
A:Yes absolutely! As long as the request is feasible, our team will gladly customize any tour to your liking. Some extra fees may apply if the requested attraction has a higher cost or will extend your time with the driver/guide. All changes must be made before the reservation is confirmed.
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Q: Can I change the start time of my tour?
A:Yes, we can change the start time of your tour, but generally do not recommend because there’s a reason why each tour has its specific start time. When building a tour, many things are taken into consideration to provide you the optimal itinerary based on traffic, sites’ opening hours, ships’ schedule, wildlife, the heat, the rain (during rainy season) among other things.
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Q: Do I pay an entrance fee to the different activities/sites visited?
A:For the majority of our tours, our prices include all activities, attractions & sites fees and taxes. Only your lunch and your driver/guide’s gratuities are not included. Some specific tours include lunch as well. Other tours, like the layover tour or the shared tour do not included the activities entrance fees in the listed price. Please read the tour description carefully before booking.
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Q: What if an attraction is inaccessible or closed during my tour, do I get a discount?
A:If an attraction is inaccessible or closed for any reasons out of our control (heavy rain, accident, heavy traffic, site maintenance, change of schedule etc…), your guide will offer you some alternatives. Should you not want any of the alternatives offered, we can only discount/reimburse you the equivalent of the entrance fees, if any, of that activity.
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Q: What are your cancellation and refund policies?
A:You can find our terms and conditions by visiting our Terms and Conditions page.
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Q: Can I change a tour date due to the rain?
A:Panama is a tropical country with 8-9 months of rainy season a year. Normal rain doesn’t affect our tours and can be carried out without any issues. Rain usually comes in the afternoon and in the morning you will still have nice sky. Bring a little rain poncho or umbrella and you’re good to go! Unless there is a major storm that would disrupt the normal flow of our tours, then we will cancel your tour and offer an alternative date or refund.
If you really don’t like rain, we suggest you visit our beautiful country during the dry season, between January and April. -
Q: I see that your private tours require a minimum of 2 people. I'm a solo traveler, can I book?
A:Yes. We accept solo travelers, but for our private tours the price will be the same as for 2 people. Our private tours have almost the same cost as those shared tours offered elsewhere, this is why we required a minimum of 2. We also offer a shared tour option which often solo travelers choose.
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Q: Are you open during holidays? (Christmas, New Year, Carnaval, Semana Santa, Fiestas Patrias, etc...)
A:Generally yes. But because holidays here can greatly disrupt the normal flow of our tours on different levels, certain holidays make it very difficult to provide a quality tour. Please contact us and we will determine if it’s feasible.
Sights & Attractions
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Q: What is the best time to visit the Panama Canal?
A:Miraflores Visitors Center: Either early in the morning at 8:00 am when the visitor’s center opens (75% chance to see ships) or after 2:00 pm until closure (99% chance to see ship)
Agua Clara Visitors Center: Anytime during the day between the opening hours.
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Q: Is the trans-isthmus train (Panama Canal Railway) open?
A:Unfortunately, since the Covid closure, the tourist train service has ceased operations indefinitely. It’s possible to charter the train for groups between 150 and 300 people.
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Q: Can you customize a tour with an attractions or specific sight I have in mind?
A:Absolutely! We can custom build a tour just for you and our staff will be more than happy to assist you with that. Simply send your request by email to info@panamayourway.com and we’ll get back to you within 24h.
Transfers
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Q: Where do I meet my driver?
A:For airport pickups, our drivers will meet you at the arrival hall after you collect your luggage, clear customs and exit the secured area. Your driver will be holding a sign with the name that appears on your booking confirmation.
For hotel and condo/AirBnB pickups, our drivers will wait for you in front of the building’s main entrance with a sign to the name that appears on your booking confirmation. Please be outside a few minutes ahead as those areas are not made to park our vehicle. It only allows 30 seconds to pick-up passengers.
For beach resort pickups, please send us an email with your room number after you checked-in as the garita will ask for it in order to let our drivers through. Once our drivers enter the resort, they will wait for you in front of the main entrance with a sign to the name that appears on your booking confirmation.
For cruise ship pickups, whether you get tendered to shore or dock at the cruise terminal and get shuttled out, our drivers will know the location and will wait for you there with a sign to the name that appears on your booking confirmation.
If there is any peculiarity with your pickup location, we will communicate the details via email before your date.
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Q: If my flight is delayed, will the driver wait for me?
A:Yes! He will not leave without you. As best as we can, we try to monitor all flights online and make sure that your driver is there when you arrive.
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Q: What happens if my flight is cancelled or rescheduled?
A:Please notify us ASAP. We will do our best to schedule a new driver for the time your rescheduled flight arrives (subject to availability) and based on our normal cancellation policy.
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Q: What if my flight landed much earlier than anticipated?
A:Tracking flights arriving earlier is much more difficult as the fight trackers usually update the arrival time after the flight has landed. On rare occasions that your flight arrived more than 30 minutes ahead of it’s scheduled time and you can’t find your driver, please wait as he’s on his way. You can also contact us for assistance.
About Panama
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Q: How are the roads conditions and traffic in Panama?
A:The road conditions are good in general, unless you go out of the beaten tracks. Traffic however, is generally very heavy, especially during the morning and afternoon rush hours. It can often take over 2h to drive just a few kilometers. We will do our best to organise your tour in such a way to avoid as much as traffic as possible, but you must understand that sometimes it is simply impossible and this is out of our control.
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Q: Are credit cards accepted around Panama? Should I bring cash money?
A:Credit cards are widely accepted in Panama City. However, the further you get out of an urban area, the less likely that credit cards will be accepted.
The majority of stores and restaurants do accept credit cards, however, smaller stores and restaurants might only accept cash. In more secluded areas, even if a merchant has a credit card POS, sometimes the network is not stable and the payment won’t go through.
Before you leave, we suggest contacting your bank to let them know that you will be traveling to Panama. This will avoid unnecessary freezes of your credit cards. Also check with your credit card company to see if there are additional charges for international transactions and ATM fees.
It’s also a good idea to have some cash (in small denominations) with you as backup.
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Q: Is Panama secure, will I feel safe?
A:In general, Panama is very safe. Like in any big cities of the world, there are some areas to avoid for tourists and our staff will never take you to an unsafe place.
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Q: Do I need to tip in restaurants or for services I receive?
A:Yes, Panama is no different from any other North American country; therefore tipping is a common courtesy.
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Q: What is the rainy/dry season in Panama?
A:We have many microclimates in Panama, but generally speaking, the rainy season is from May to December while the dry season is from January to April.