Casco Antiguo on
foot

How to use this guide

This guide is for walking Casco Antiguo in half a day, between squares, churches and two museums. The streets and squares are free to walk; museums and churches charge separately. Go between Tuesday and Sunday, because the Panama Interoceanic Canal Museum and the Mola Museum (MuMo) are both closed on Mondays.

Start at Plaza de la Independencia, home to the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Santa María la Antigua, begun in 1688 and completed in 1762, and to the Canal Museum, on the history of Panama and its Canal. The museum is the priciest ticket on the walk, US$15 for non-resident adults, so decide beforehand whether it interests you. Then go to San José Church (Golden Altar), on Avenida A, for its 18th-century Baroque altarpiece covered in gold leaf. Carry on to the Mola Museum, which shows more than 200 molas of the Guna people across five exhibitions.

Plaza de Francia and Las Bóvedas have been closed for restoration since May 2026, for about two years. To finish the walk, head instead to Plaza Bolívar and San Francisco de Asís Church and its bell-tower viewpoint: the seafront church has Venetian-style mosaics, and its bell tower is the highest point in Casco Antiguo. If money is tight, the streets and the free Mola Museum are enough for a morning. If time is tight, keep to Plaza de la Independencia and San Francisco de Asís.

Tips

• Canal Museum tickets are sold at the desk or online, and the ticket desk closes at 5:30 p.m. Non-resident students and children aged 6 to 12 pay US$7.50.
• In November 2025 the Casco churches announced a tourist entry fee from US$2, with Mass and prayer exempt; the current amount is unconfirmed.
• Guided visits to the cathedral and tickets for the San Francisco de Asís viewpoint are booked by email or phone with Iglesias del Casco Antiguo (ICA). Viewpoint tickets are also sold at the church's visitor centre.
• If you arrive by car or coach: since 1 July 2026 vehicles over 7 tonnes may not enter, and there is parking at Puerta Sur, opposite El Chorrillo, managed through the Parkea PTY app.
• At night, stick to busy streets and take a taxi or a ride-hailing app back.