Casco Viejo a Panama's Hidden Treasures Walking Tour
Description
✨ Exclusive VIP Experience!!! To ensure the highest quality, I strictly limit group sizes. You’ll join an exclusive, tight-knit, small group where you can easily hear everything, ask questions, and never feel rushed. Because we travel light, we visit hidden gems and unique spots that larger tour groups completely miss! Explore the historic district of Casco Viejo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stroll through vibrant streets dating back to 1673 and uncover the secrets of this must-see destination with a knowledgeable local guide. Highlights: Expert Guide: Fully bilingual local insider with deep historical knowledge. Hidden Treasures: Access unique, off-the-beaten-path sites. Immersive History: Discover the rich cultural heritage from 1673 to today. We begin our journey at Plaza Herrera. I'll happily share the best commission free local recommendations for Panama hats, authentic food, drinks, and souvenirs!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Welcome! We'll start with a warm meet-and-greet and a brief overview of the exciting sights and hidden treasures we'll discover together on the tour.
Stop by this beautiful, historic municipal building to admire its classic architecture and learn about its role in the civic history and local governance of Panama City's historic district. If open we will be able to access unless there is a special meeting or event ongoing.
One of Panama's most historic churches, dating back to the founding of the new city in 1673. Marvel at its original baroque facade, brought piece by piece from Panama Viejo.
A beautifully restored 1917 landmark that went from a luxury palace to a gang hideout before becoming Casco Viejo's most elegant boutique hotel.
A fascinating cultural space dedicated to the traditional textile art of the indigenous Guna women, full of vibrant colors and deep ancestral meaning. If open we will enter.
The mystical ruins of an 18th-century convent and university that were frozen in time after a devastating fire in 1781.
Known as Mayor Plaza or Independence Plaza. Sorrounding it the Metropolitan Cathedral, also The Central Hotel which is the first hotel in Panamá dating back to 1874,
Admire the beautiful architecture and history of Casco Viejo's main cathedral, located right beside Independence Plaza.
We will and stop at The hat street as it's known for your pictures, selfies and videos. Here we end our great journey knowing you have enjoyed and learned some more of our small but beautiful country.
Built in 1922 to honor France as they were the first ones to attempt to build the Canal de Panamá. A beautiful tribute to the French effort to build the Panama Canal, located at the tip of the peninsula with spectacular views of the modern skyline. Here ends our fantastic journey..
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(14)
Rick was so through and gave us so many memorable facts. Spent way more time than needed. Very caring and warm. Highly recommend him.
Our memorable trip to Panama (party of 5 August 4th) was marred with this supposed city tour which Ricardo(RG Travel Pty)was to be our tour guide. Our tour was scheduled to begin at 10am, we got to the starting area at 9:34am. 10am there was no tour guide, another tour guide tried calling RG 3 times on our behalf, he got no answer. At approximately 10:20 am same tour guide pointed out Ricardo who said he had not seen us, although we had been waiting at the agreed location since 9:34am. Ricardo refused to provide the booked tour as he had another booking and even requested $20 additional to get another guide to do our tour. We refused and requested a refund he then said he had already marked us as a no- show and refused to correct it. We have photos with time stamped. We are requesting our refund of $150. I see you are trying to dispute our experience and review. Our photos back up what we had said. Do the right thing, refund us. Very unprofessional, will not recommend RG Travel Pty to no one.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We strive to provide punctual and reliable service for all of our guests, as reflected across our customer reviews not only here but all partner platforms.Our tours follow a strict 10:00 AM departure time to respect the itinerary of all travelers and our scheduled operations for the day. We are aware you would do this because you mentioned you would leave many negative reviews, however I was not going to do a refund just for being scared at the end customers can see many feedbacks from many customers not from newly opened accounts with the purpose of harminhg our well established and earned reputation. Thanks God customers can have good judging and I continue getting booked and providing my excellent service for guests that are on time at departing point. Being that said ... According to our operational records for this reservation (Ref: 1428564747), our guide was present at the designated Plaza Herrera meeting point for the scheduled 10:00 AM start time. When the party could not be located at the meeting point at 10:00 AM, an automated absence alert was dispatched via the platform chat at 10:02 AM, and the reservation was subsequently logged as a standard administrative no-show in accordance with platform policy. When contact was made after 10:00 AM outside the agreed meeting spot, we immediately offered to coordinate an alternative guide so your group would not miss out on touring Casco Viejo. We regret that this alternative resolution was declined. Regarding pricing, rates and third-party booking fees vary by platform and dynamic booking terms; however, all charges reflect standard platform pricing structures. Furthermore, we note that this single shared booking has resulted in three separate negative reviews posted from different individual accounts representing the exact same party of 5. While we respect every guest's right to leave feedback, cross-posting multiple negative entries for one shared transaction artificially distorts our operator rating. We have escalated this duplicate review activity to the platform’s Content Integrity team for review.
This tour did not happen. We (a party of 5) arrived at the designated meeting point, Plaza Herrera, at 9:34 a.m. for our scheduled 10:00 a.m. tour with RG Travel Party. This happened on August 4th 2026. Shortly after we arrived, one tour guide saw us waiting and told us that, if they saw our guide, they would let us know because they knew him. That guide then left to begin their own tour. After we had been waiting for some time, a different tour guide noticed us waiting. They kindly attempted to call our guide three times, but the calls went unanswered. At approximately 10:20 a.m., this second tour guide pointed out our guide to us. Our guide claimed that he had been there and had not seen us, even though we had been waiting at the designated meeting point since 9:34 a.m. We showed him timestamped photos and videos proving that we had been there throughout the waiting period. Instead of providing the tour we had booked, he told us that he had another booking and asked us to pay an additional US$20 to get another tour guide to do the tour and cover the difference in cost. When we declined and requested a refund, he stated that he had already marked us as a "no-show" and refused to correct it or issue a refund. We arrived early, remained at the agreed meeting point, and did not receive the service we paid US$150 for. We have requested a full refund. We found this service to be extremely unprofessional and were very disappointed, especially given that we have enjoyed all of our other experiences in Panama. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this tour operator, as we paid for a service that we did not receive, despite providing timestamped photo and video evidence showing that we were present at the designated meeting point. — A Dissatisfied Customer
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We strive to provide punctual and reliable service for all of our guests, as reflected across our customer reviews not only here but all partner platforms.Our tours follow a strict 10:00 AM departure time to respect the itinerary of all travelers and our scheduled operations for the day. According to our operational records for this reservation (Ref: 1428564747), our guide was present at the designated Plaza Herrera meeting point for the scheduled 10:00 AM start time. When the party could not be located at the meeting point at 10:00 AM, an automated absence alert was dispatched via the platform chat at 10:02 AM, and the reservation was subsequently logged as a standard administrative no-show in accordance with platform policy. When contact was made after 10:00 AM outside the agreed meeting spot, we immediately offered to coordinate an alternative guide so your group would not miss out on touring Casco Viejo. We regret that this alternative resolution was declined. Regarding pricing, rates and third-party booking fees vary by platform and dynamic booking terms; however, all charges reflect standard platform pricing structures. Furthermore, we note that this single shared booking has resulted in three separate negative reviews posted from different individual accounts representing the exact same party of 5. While we respect every guest's right to leave feedback, cross-posting multiple negative entries for one shared transaction artificially distorts our operator rating. We have escalated this duplicate review activity to the platform’s Content Integrity team for review.
My family of 5 had a city tour booked with RG Travel Pty for 10am on August 4th 2026. We arrived at 9:34 am at the allocated meeting point. RG Travel Pty was not present and still not present at 10 am. Tour guides noticed our plight and tried to assist in contacting our tour guide. One of the tour guides even called him 3 times to which RG Travel Pty did not respond. Upon his arrival at 10:22am, he said he had another tour booked and had not seen us. He wanted to get another tour guide to do our tour but we would now need to pay $20 USD more. When we rejected the offer and asked for a refund, he said he could not give us a refund. I am deeply disappointed, after such a great time on vacation with my family it is saddening that we had to have such an experience. I cannot recommend this tour guide to anyone. We have pictures and videos showing the time stamp of us being at the meeting point and are requesting that our $150USD be refunded.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We strive to provide punctual and reliable service for all of our guests, as reflected across our customer reviews not only here but all partner platforms.Our tours follow a strict 10:00 AM departure time to respect the itinerary of all travelers and our scheduled operations for the day. According to our operational records for this reservation (Ref: 1428564747), our guide was present at the designated Plaza Herrera meeting point for the scheduled 10:00 AM start time. When the party could not be located at the meeting point at 10:00 AM, an automated absence alert was dispatched via the platform chat at 10:02 AM, and the reservation was subsequently logged as a standard administrative no-show in accordance with platform policy. When contact was made after 10:00 AM outside the agreed meeting spot, we immediately offered to coordinate an alternative guide so your group would not miss out on touring Casco Viejo. We regret that this alternative resolution was declined. Regarding pricing, rates and third-party booking fees vary by platform and dynamic booking terms; however, all charges reflect standard platform pricing structures. Furthermore, we note that this single shared booking has resulted in three separate negative reviews posted from different individual accounts representing the exact same party of 5. While we respect every guest's right to leave feedback, cross-posting multiple negative entries for one shared transaction artificially distorts our operator rating. We have escalated this duplicate review activity to the platform’s Content Integrity team for review.
DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS GUIDE! My family and I booked and paid for this tour with Ricardo on July 26th 2026. Our tour was scheduled to begin at 10am on Aug 4th 2026. We arrived at the meeting point, Plaza Herrera at 9:35 am and began waiting. We waited and waited and waited. Another tour operator asked if we were getting through as he was about to begin his own tour, we explained that we were waiting on RG travel pty tours. Another tour guide came and asked us if we were getting through (both before 10am). This tour guide assisted us by calling RIcardo’s phone about 4 times. No answer. Around 10:20, the second tour guide saw Ricardo and told him we were waiting for him. Ricardo said he cancelled our tour because we were not there for 10am. We explained to him that we there since 9:35am. We showed him photos with time stamps that we took by the statute beginning at 9:35. First he said he was sitting by a nearby bench. Then he admitted that he was by a nearby hotel waiting. That was not the agreed meeting point as per his confirmation email. He then said he has another trip booked and had to leave. This guy double booked. Then accused us of not being there. He then said we had to pay $20 additional dollars for him to get someone to take us around. In total usd170. Since we had already paid 150 prior to the day of the tour. He is a dishonest man. When we asked for a refund, he said he already cancelled our booking via visitor at 10. If Ricardo was really there waiting like he said, both tour operators who tried to help us locate him would have seen him. My family and I waited where you told us to meet. You are a dishonest human being.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We strive to provide punctual and reliable service for all of our guests, as reflected across our customer reviews not only here but all partner platforms.Our tours follow a strict 10:00 AM departure time to respect the itinerary of all travelers and our scheduled operations for the day. According to our operational records for this reservation (Ref: 1428564747), our guide was present at the designated Plaza Herrera meeting point for the scheduled 10:00 AM start time. When the party could not be located at the meeting point at 10:00 AM, an automated absence alert was dispatched via the platform chat at 10:02 AM, and the reservation was subsequently logged as a standard administrative no-show in accordance with platform policy.While photos may show arrival in the plaza at 9:35 AM, you agreed you were sitting in another location after pictures were taken in this case Starbucks. Phone logs confirm calls were received after 10:18am. The second tour guide you mentioned called me at 10:43 AM so also after 10:00AM. When contact was made after 10:00 AM outside the agreed meeting spot, we immediately offered to coordinate an alternative guide so your group would not miss out on touring Casco Viejo. We regret that this alternative resolution was declined. We were just trying to resolve something that was caused on your end. You also mentioned you inquired with another guide about late-arrival waiting windows and investigating no-show refund terms because when you asked about refund I advised we follow Viator’s Policies and Procedures you mentioned I had to say you were there. This indicates an awareness that the central assembly point was missed. The tour operators you mention one was in briefing after 10:00AM I even had walked up to them at 10:06 AM and they stated they were not the ones I was looking for I told their guide was soon to arrive. The second tour operator you mentioned is just a person that walks around different Plazas offering tours and taking people to restaurants for commissions, that is why you saw him so late still walking around. My other tour was a Private City Tour at 2:00PM if I started your tour at almost 11:00 AM I would not be on time for or very rushed to reach the Pickup location which was Riu Hotel that is why an alternative solution was offered to still try and assist you further and declined several times.There was no double booking records of tours booked are handled by Viator’s Platform and is well stated this was not double booked. Then one of the ladies started saying it was because a reduced number of 5 that I didn’t want to perform tour. In my reviews you can find what I strive and prefer are small groups. When finally realized there was no way around to work a solution with you, because I even offered to assign another guide for $10.00 and you could perform the tour even though it was way outside starting time and you still declined that is when I decided there was no fix that could please you. Regarding pricing, rates and third-party booking fees vary by platform and dynamic booking terms; however, all charges reflect standard platform pricing structures. Furthermore, we note that this single shared booking has resulted in three separate negative reviews posted from different individual accounts representing the exact same party of 5. While we respect every guest's right to leave feedback, cross-posting multiple negative entries for one shared transaction artificially distorts our operator rating. We have escalated this duplicate review activity to the platform’s Content Integrity team for review.
Rick met us in plaza Herrera, and after exchanging pleasantries offered us a comprehensive historical analysis of the area. The tour was really chilled at a good pace where Rick - very knowledgeable and readily answered our many questions. A definite must do in casco viejo, Rick was generous enough to give us good tips which has been beneficial while out here in Panama city. Meandering through the old historical town, we had the opportunity to see how the best speciality coffee (geisha) is made, the amazing museo de la mola (a definite must see), local craft market and many more. You will not be be disappointed and Rick, is certainly worth every cent in gold.
Rick did a great job and provided helpful information for the rest of our stay. Pace was perfect and he even provided cold water for us.
Walking in the heat, but all flat. It was great, only six people very intimate and informative. The small group got to see out of the normal things like the restaurant museum.
Small group, low-key tour of the city and its history. We were able to move at our own pace, which was great. Highly recommend.
The tour and tour guide was great! He was very knowledgeable about not only the buildings he showed us but also of the whole area. Very patient, accommodating and responsive to all our questions. I would definitely recommend him to anyone who appreciates history and culture.
