The Best and Cheapest Time to Visit Panama
Panama is a beautiful vacation destination all year round. That is not to say that there aren’t optimal times to visit, and most certainly cheaper times of the year, too. Read up on the best times, cheapest, and most popular for visiting Panama.
Weather preference
Panama is a place of two seasons only – dry and wet. The dry season, which locals refer to as their summer, begins in December and wraps up before the end of April. That leaves April to December as the wet season, also known as the green season, and to locals, winter.
Hardly any rainfall occurs during the dry season. On the contrary, it will rain almost daily in the wet season, though these spurts don’t always last longer than an hour.
November is typically the worst month with the hardest, most constant rainfall. If you wish to avoid the most extreme of the rainfall, don’t go in November.
The rainy season does have its perks, however, such as offering a break in the heat during a daily shower, and everything is a vibrant green, as opposed to during the dry season, where what’s normally green turns a bit brown because of the lack of rainfall.
When tourists flock
Panama sees the most tourists during the dry season between December and April. This is more about snowbirds in America and Europe fleeing their freezing homelands than it is about Panama’s lack of rain.
Best price possible
The wet season is best if you are traveling on a budget. Both prices and availability are best during this stretch of time.
Caribbean weather wildcard
Panama’s Caribbean side throws a wrench into the wet and dry season weather schedule. Seaside towns such as Colon, Bocas del Toro, and San Blas have their own unique weather patterns with scattered rainfall all year round.
Areas like Boquete, Chiriqui, and el Valle de Anton located in the highlands of Panama fall into the same wet and dry seasons, but they also see scattered rainstorms throughout the dry season, similar to the Caribbean towns, but not as frequent.
Just avoid November
Ultimately any time of the year is fantastic for visiting Panama with one exception: November. Not only is the rainfall the worst of all, November is also a month full of national holidays. This means locals fill up the hotels and many Panamanian businesses that are normally open take holidays themselves. In order to maximize your experience in Panama, book your stay any time of the year except during November.
Culture Trips launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes places and communities so special.
Our immersive trips, led by Local Insiders, are once-in-a-lifetime experiences and an invitation to travel the world with like-minded explorers. Our Travel Experts are on hand to help you make perfect memories. All our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.?>
All our travel guides are curated by the Culture Trip team working in tandem with local experts. From unique experiences to essential tips on how to make the most of your future travels, we’ve got you covered.