Hiking Tour At Panama City

Incredibly fun and beautiful hikes! Juan Carlos is very knowledgeable and you can tell he loves Panama's diverse nature. The way he ties the flora, fauna and history together, gives this tour a unique twist. His ability to spot creatures high up in the trees is impressive. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes and clothes, and expect some stairs and steep hills to climb. It was a great experience and would definitely recommend!

Juan Carlos was awesome. He had encyclopedic knowledge about wildlife, plants, ecology, the canal, and Panama generally (including esoteric subjects, such as which Panama restaurants are kosher, that we would not have expected him to know about). On our 5.5 hour tour of Ancon Hill and Metropolitan National Park, he pointed out lots of animals, such as toucans, >7 sloths, >12 monkeys, spiders, ants, lizards, and a lot of flora. He also showed the animals to us through his telescope, and was the only person we saw in the parks carrying a telescope! He is extremely bright, well educated (he has a Master’s Degree from a selective private college), and this view is from a couple with six degrees from elite U.S. schools, including a doctorate and three Masters degrees. We and our two teenagers thoroughly enjoyed our tour.

I enjoyed this tour very much and the guide Carlos Acosta was very knowledgeable and friendly! I would highly recommend it.

I had a pleasure of attending this hiking tour and really enyoyed it! The tour guide was knowledgeable and provided a great service. He showed all the flora and fauna of the area, shared the history of Panama/culture/current state and also shared tips for my stay in Panama (thank you❣️). You get your exercise (walking is manageable, just bring comfortable shoes :), knowledge and amazing view of the city as well. Definetely recomend it as part of your Panamian stay activity! ❣️

Juan Carlos was a great tour guide. In addition to being willing to give me a personal tour, he was fabulous at locating animals big and small, including some beautiful birds in the metropolitan park. I saw sloths, monkeys, toucans, a trogan, and many others, plus great views of the city, both old and new, from the tops of the hills. You definitely get sweaty making it to the top, but if you are in reasonable shape its not too strenuous.

My wife and I spent a wonderful morning hiking with Juan Carlos on Alcon Hill and in the Metropolitan Park. Juan Carlos really knows about nature -- not just identifying birds, animals, plants, and trees -- but sharing many interesting facts about them.

Juan Carlos is an excellent guide. His knowledge of Panamanian history as well as the fauna and flora of the region is just right. He set the pace perfectly for my friend and I. We booked this hike for our first full day in Panama City. It was perfect as it helped us determine how to spend our six remaining days. This tour has it all, a leisurely walk up Ancon Hill, panoramic views of the city, and bird sightings (the Toucans put on quite a show). A secondary rain forest minutes from the heart of a large urban area is special and worth the early morning start. Juan Carlos had lots of recommendations for restaurants and other attractions. Because it was a private tour he tailored the tour for our needs. His English is excellent for those who don’t speak Spanish. Highly recommend

The hike to Cerro Ancon was spectacular. It is a moderate effort hike uphill. The knowledge that Juan Carlos shared with the group was invaluable. Stopping to spot wild animals was an added bonus to the hike. We were able to spot an iguana, a tucan, a woodpecker and a three toed sloth! The views from the city are awesome. I recommend this hike 100%.

I would highly recommend this tour if this is your first time to Panama City and also if you are short on time. The tour provides great insights to the history of Panama and the building of the Panama Canal. The tour also includes a small comfortable walk of Casco Viejo, the older part of the city. Our guide, Juan, was very informative and made it a very memorable experience.

Beautiful views of the city! Great walking trails and accessible for most. Take it at your own pace. Excellent tour guide!

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour to Ancon Hill and Metropolitan Park with Juan Carlos. He picked us up as scheduled and explained what our day would include as we drove to Ancon Hill. He explained some of the history of the area as we walked uphill, looking for birds and wildlife. After Ancon Hill, we stopped for fresh empanadas and had a coffee break at the park. The walk to the overlook was quite steep in a couple of places, but the views from the top were worth it. Juan Carlos also told us about some of the history of the park and how important it is to the city. On our hikes we saw sloths, a howler monkey, parrots, toucans, a type of hawk, flycatchers, and a couple of other types of birds. Juan Carlos’s spotting scope allowed us to see the wildlife up close. He was also able to take pictures of the wildlife through the scope using our phones, so we have some great pics. We had a great time on this active, educational tour.

We are so glad we hired Juan Carlos to guide us on hikes while we were in Panama City!!! He was waiting at our hotel at our agreed time of 6:15am. You want to start early to beat the heat of the day and experience a sunrise as you start your hike up to the top of Ancon Hill to a view of the Panama Canal and the city. He was very friendly and possesses a wealth of knowledge about nature, Panama, and the Canal history. He speaks perfect English. I really enjoyed our conversations along the way. We saw sloths, monkeys, toucans, frogs, and interesting insects, all of which he seemed to magically find. We learned a lot! We had empanadas and coffee after the first hike with an opportunity for a restroom break. He also had water in an ice chest for us. It was a perfect way to start the day and an excellent use of time during our Panama trip. Highly recommend!!!!!

Great! Very knowledgeable, good sense of humor, friendly. We really enjoyed having Juan Carlos as our guide in beautiful Panama. Highly recommend! Thanks Juan Carlos!

Juan Carlos provided excellent service and thorough guides in Panama! He is an expert in the history and culture of the area. Thank you so much for an excellent four days in Panama!

Juan Carlos is such a fun guide to see Panama with. He is a well of knowledge on the history and culture of Panama. He was able to provide our group a fun and engaging experience, it wasn't just spewing facts, he was able to relate, connect and make it fun. His passion for his country can be felt in everything he does.

Juan Carlos is a great person, very polite and professional, he knows the best places in Panama, and no matter your purpose of the trip, he has the best ideas. I highly recommend him.

We had a great experience on our Lake Gatun excursion. We got up close and personal with the wildlife (monkeys, iguanas, etc.) and rode our small boat along the giant barges making their journey to the other side of Panama. Impressive to see were the huge ships entering the locks and making their way through them. We even had enough time to see the IMAX movie to learn more about the history, importance, and mechanics of the Panama Canal. What a fantastic and educational afternoon! One of my favorites. Thank you, Panamax Tours, for the diligent preparation and guidance. We hope to be back :)

Juan Carlos was so informative and made sure that everything ran smoothly. We really appreciate the hard work he put into our group making sure that we were everywhere were we needed to be on time, make sure that we knew when we had the best picture opportunities, and gave us great advice on food. When you talk about going the extra mile, one of the things that stood out was that on our way to the Panamá Canal he knew that the ships had been delayed going through and that the place was going to be packed. So he pulled over at another location and let us get a good view with less people of ships going through the locks. Our trip in Panamá would not be the same without him!

My experience in Panama with Carlos as my guide was absolutely unforgettable! Exploring Ancon Hill was like stepping into a nature documentary—seeing monkeys, sloths, and toucans in their natural habitat was incredible. Carlos's keen eye and knowledge of the area made every moment special. Watching the sunrise over Casco Viejo was breathtaking, and seeing ships pass through the Panama Canal was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, made even better by Carlos’s fascinating insights into its history and operations. Carlos was fantastic—attentive, kind, and incredibly knowledgeable. He went above and beyond to make sure every detail of the trip was perfect. If you're planning a trip to Panama, I can't recommend Carlos enough!

Juan Carlos was a fantastic ambassador for Panama and a great host for me and my students. He anticipated our needs and made our trip go incredibly smoothly.

Juan Carlos was an excellent guide, everything went well from pick-up to hiking. The excursion, in a small group, allows to observe many animals, including birds. Juan Carlos gives a lot of information and thanks to his long view, which he brings during the hike, you can observe the animals in detail. This hike to Ancon Hill and Metropolitan Park allows you to escape the noise of the city and find a peaceful and pleasant setting.