Panama Tips:

Panama is pretty dang cheap and they use the US dollar so that’s really convenient
Panama City is awesome but I would highly recommend exploring some more of the country as well

Isla Taboga: Highly recommend a day trip from Panama City to this gorgeous island a quick boat ride away. There are wild horses, insanely cheap drinks, friendly locals, and it is beautiful.
Do a day trip to the jungle!
- We did this incredible day trip from Panama City with Jungle Land Panama where we got picked up at our hotel, taken to a boat where we cruised through the Panama Canal and Lago Gatun to a floating lodge where we had lunch and hung out in hammocks over the water, then kayaked through the jungle to a hidden waterfall. We also got to hang out with some cool monkeys. Cannot recommend this enough!
Rooftop bar at the Hard Rock: The views are insaneeee (only open at night, as a heads up)

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting—Panama City:

The Panama Canal: One of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. The locks are actually very intense and very interesting.
Casco Viejo: The old part of town where you want to spend a majority of your time. This is where to eat/drink/explore

Other ideas—Panama City:

La Rana Dorada: Panama’s first microbrewery! Right as you enter Casco Viejo the brewery greets you. Great beer, fun place to hang out and soak up the culture
Ancon Hill: A giant hill overlooking the city. It’s an aggressive climb to the top, but all paved. You get fantastic views on your way up and from the top.
Casa Sucre Coffeehouse: A great coffee shop in Casco Viejo
Panama Viejo: The ruins of the ancient city, cool to explore. Bring bug spray.
Bridge of the Americas: There’s a lot of hype about this bridge, but it’s just a bridge. You can see it from the top of Ancon Hill and if you’re driving in certain parts of the city, so I wouldn’t recommend just going to the bridge itself

Beach. It. Up. Duh, that’s the whole point
I’d recommend staying at Popa Paradise, it’s gorgeous, the staff is super friendly, and we truly loved it. The food was fantastic and not some crappy buffet like a lot of resorts in the area, everything was made individual to us and the place is quite small so you’re not overwhelmed by other guests. There were max 5 people there while we were there

The Classic Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting—Bocas Del Toro:

Green Acres Chocolate Farm: Explore the jungle, see how chocolate is made, and eat some amazing chocolate while you’re at it!
Red Frog Beach: Depending on what island you’re staying on Red Frog is either going to be way bigger than your island (as was the case for us, we stayed on Isla Popa) or way smaller (if for example you stay on Isla Colon, the main island). It’s a cool place to hang out

Volcan Baru: I woke up at 3:30AM to Jeep it up to the top of the highest mountain in Panama. Seeing the sunrise over both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea at the same time is unreal [also very very cold, come prepared]. You can also hike to the top if you’re ambitious

The Lost Waterfalls: Amazing hiking just outside of downtown Boquete. Take a cab, ask them to return 2-3 hours later (they’ll actually do it, so that’s cool). Hike through the cloud forest to three different waterfalls-or just one or two, whatever you prefer. The hike is pretty intense with lots of ups and downs, so be prepared. Totally worth it!

Other ideas—Boquete:

Boquete Brewing Company: Boquete’s only brewery! Fun place with live music and a food truck. Beer is just okay, but what do you expect in a small Panamanian mountain town!
Los Cangilones: Take a day trip to the canyons, you can jump in and swim!
RetroGusto Restaurant: The best restaurant in Boquete and one of the best restaurants I’ve ever eaten at. It was incredible