Which Hotels and Areas of Panama We Pick You Up From

The tour includes transfer from your hotel, and that phrase hides some logistics worth understanding before booking: pickup is a round, not a door-to-door service at a time you choose.

How the round works

The 4x4s leave between 5:00 and 5:30 in the morning and collect several passengers along the way. The driver sets the order the night before based on where everyone is staying, looking for the shortest route.

That means your exact pickup time is confirmed the afternoon before, not when you book. You might be picked up at 5:00 if you are early on the route, or 5:40 if you are last.

Our advice: be in the lobby ten minutes before the time you are given. The driver has a round to complete, and waiting for one passenger delays everyone else.

Areas we cover at no extra cost

The standard round covers the areas where most visitors stay:

Casco Antiguo
Marbella and Bella Vista
El Cangrejo and Obarrio
Punta Paitilla and Punta Pacífica
Avenida Balboa and Cinta Costera
Costa del Este (depending on the day’s route)
Albrook and surroundings

If your hotel is in any of these, the transfer is included and there is nothing to arrange.

Areas that fall outside

Three cases do not fit the standard round:

Tocumen airport. It lies east, in the opposite direction from the exit towards the comarca. Pickup is at city hotels, not at the terminal. We explain it in fitting the tour around your flight.

Panamá Oeste (Arraiján, La Chorrera, Coronado). Crossing the bridge before dawn adds too much time to the round. If you are staying there, the answer is to sleep in the city the night before.

Pacific beaches and the interior. Same case: the distance does not fit the schedule.

If your hotel is outside

We do not write it off. Two solutions that work:

Meeting point. We give you a central hotel on the route and you get there under your own steam at that time. This is the most common option and it costs nothing.
Special pickup. Depending on the day and availability, it can be considered with a surcharge. Ask before booking, not after.

What we do not do is accept the booking and sort it out on the day. If your hotel is outside the round and we have not discussed it, the 4x4 will not come by.

Apartments and Airbnb

They work like a hotel as long as they are in a covered area and have a clear pickup point on the street. Residential buildings in the city usually have a lobby with 24-hour security: that is the spot.

What causes problems are addresses with no visible number, or complexes with several entrances. If that is your case, send us the exact location when booking, not just the building name.

One detail that avoids trouble

When you book, give us the exact hotel name and address, not just the neighbourhood. Panama City has chains with three branches a few kilometres apart, and a driver waiting at the wrong one at five in the morning is the worst possible start to the day.

And if you change accommodation between booking and the tour date, tell us. It is one WhatsApp message and it avoids the only logistical problem that can genuinely leave you behind.

The way back

The return runs in reverse order, so if you were picked up first, you will probably be dropped off last. You will reach your hotel between 5 and 7pm.

Unsure about your area? Message us on WhatsApp with the hotel name and we will confirm in a minute. And if you are ready, pick your day trip and book with the deposit.