How to Get From Panama City to Boquete Without A Car

Posted 27/01/2025 | 27th January, 2025
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Panama City and Boquete are both incredible, must-visit places in Panama. I love them both but for completely different reasons. Panama City is filled with cool restaurants, bars and, of course, the famous canal. Boquete, on the other hand, is all about hiking, coffee and chocolate!
If you’re anything like me and love to experience variety when travelling, then you will love combining these two stops on your Panama adventure.
There are two main options when travelling between Panama City and Boquete without your own vehicle. I’ve done both of these and there are clear benefits to each. The first will save you a lot of time but cost you more money, and the second will do the exact opposite.
✈ Fly from Panama City to David. Then take an Uber or bus from David airport to Boquete.
🚌 Take the Bus from Panama City to David. Again, take an Uber or bus from David to Boquete.
There is a third option, which is to book a shared shuttle between Panama City and Boquete. However, this is both time-consuming and expensive. For that reason, I wouldn’t recommend it.


Option One: Fly (More Money Less Time)
You cannot get from Panama City to Boquete without passing through David. There isn’t much for tourists to do or see here, and therefore it is typically just used as a transport hub.
I recommend taking an Uber to Panama City Aiport which will take around 45 minutes providing the traffic isn’t too bad. An Uber from Casco Viejo to the airport costs around $20 depending on the time of day.
Flights between Panama City and David are regular and relatively affordable. Copa Airlines operates multiple flights per day which start from around $100 per person. If you are flexible with your dates, the budget airline Wingo offers extremely cheap flights starting from around $30 per person – this only operates a couple of times per week though.
As it’s a domestic flight, the queues are typically small but they still ask you to check in around two hours before your flight departs. Be warned though, once you are through security there is nothing but a few seats. There isn’t a toilet or place to buy anything.
The flight between Panama City and David takes around one hour. Vacating David airport is very quick and easy as there is no immigration to pass through.
Once you land at David, I again recommend taking an Uber. There will be plenty of taxis waiting but their prices were substantially higher than Uber which cost us $20 to Boquete. This drive takes around 50 minutes.
If you would prefer to take a bus from David to Boquete, you need to first take a taxi to David bus station. Then, catch the onward bus from David to Boquete.
Option Two: Bus (More Time Less Money)
The bus from Panama City to Boquete isn’t difficult to navigate – it’s just an extremely long day. You will first need to make your way to Albrook bus station. It’s attached to Latin America’s largest shopping mall, so yes, it’s just as manic as you would imagine.
The drive should only take around ten minutes from Casco Viejo. However, with the crazy traffic in Panama City, I would allow a little extra time. An Uber to Albrook will cost around $4.
You need to take the bus to David, as there is no direct bus from Panama City to Boquete. The first bus leaves Panama City at 6 am and they depart roughly every hour. The coach is large and comfortable with a toilet onboard. Tickets cost $15.25 and you will need to show your passport to purchase one.
The bus advertises itself as being just over six hours, but it takes around eight. Therefore, I recommend getting the earliest bus you can.

From David to Boquete
There are two options from David to Boquete. The first is an Uber or Taxi. This will take around 40 minutes and cost roughly $20. Although much more expensive than the bus, it might be worth it if there are a group of you.
The second option from David to Boquete is the local bus (pictured above). The David bus station is hectic and confusing with very limited signage. Therefore, I recommend asking around and someone will point you in the right direction of the bus to Boquete.
The bus from David to Boquete is a ‘chicken bus’, but don’t let this put you off! It might not have the air conditioning and TVs like the first bus, but it’s efficient and very cheap! This bus departs roughly every twenty minutes. Expect lots of stops on the way – it will take around 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach Boquete.
The bus costs $2.25 and you pay when you get off the bus. Boquete is a small town and all accommodations (unless you’re staying in the mountains) are walkable from the bus stop in town.
Useful Links for Travelling Panama:
🛌Booking.com / Hostelworld for the best-priced accommodation
🚗 Discover Cars for comparing car rentals
🌎 Viator / Get Your Guide for tours across Panama
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Excellent & extremely helpful info to navigate from Panama City to Boquete.
Greatly appreciated!!