How to Budget One Week in Panamá: San Blas, el Valle de Anton and Panama City

My graduation present to myself after completing my master’s degree was a week long trip to Panamá.  This trip was by no means a total “backpacker” trip but I also stayed within a reasonable budget. We stayed in hostels with a private room, splurged a little on food in Panama City, and visited the remote San Blas Islands.

My husband and my sister tagged along to help me celebrate, but I’ve broken down our 3-person trip costs to what it cost per person.

Accommodations:

While we shared basic private rooms for most of the trip, if you divide up the room cost per person, it amounts to about the same as what a bed in a dorm costs. Keep this in mind if you’re traveling in a group! Sometimes it can be the same price or even cheaper than dorm beds if you all share a private room together.

Private rooms in hostels are usually around $30-50 dollars per night.

Food:

We did not skimp here on food!  I love to eat and Panama City has some amazing restaurants!  Check out my Panama City post to read about some of the great places we ate!

The cost of the 3 day tour to San Blas included all food, so we didn’t have to spend anything extra on those days.  We brought our own rum and purchased a few $2 beers on the islands, but that was it!

Per person, we spent about $30-40 per day on food and drinks in Panama City and el Valle de Anton.  Our hostels all included breakfast, usually pancakes and coffee, which helps out with that cost.

Activities and Transportation: 

Aside from our San Blas tour, we really didn’t do many tours or guided activities.  We explored Panama City on our own and all of the hiking around el Valle de Anton can be done easily on your own.

Around Panama City, we mostly used Uber to get around.  Prices to get from Punta Pacifica where our hostel was located to Casco Viejo were about $3-5 USD each way.  During high traffic times the price would increase, so I recommend avoiding traveling during rush hour.  Getting to the Albrook mall and bus station was $5-8 during low traffic times.

Our bus to el Valle de Anton from Panama City cost $4.25 each way. What I love about el Valle de Anton was that all the hiking trails were very close to the town.  You could walk to the start of the trail in about 20 minutes or grab a taxi for $2-3.  There was a small entrance fee of $3.  We also visited the hot springs after our hike for $4.

San Blas Islands:

My main priority on the trip was visiting the San Blas islands, which I am in LOVE with!  The islands and the beaches were so beautiful and pristine.  Think crystal clear, turquoise waters…undeveloped and untouched island beaches… it truly is paradise!  The land and islands are controlled by indigenous people so you need to book through a tour company that acts as the middle man and makes arrangements with them.

I did some research and while it wasn’t the cheapest option, I chose the Ultimate San Blas Island Tour organized through Panama Travel Unlimited.  I am so glad we chose to book through them.  We chose to go for 2 nights and 3 days in the shared cabanas for $280 per person.  This included all meals, activities visiting other islands, snacks beer and cuba libres on our day trips, accommodation, and all transportation to and from Panama City.

When we booked through them, we paid a deposit and paid the final bill at the Mamallena Hostel in Panama City the day before our departure for San Blas.  I was very happy with our experience and I highly recommend booking through Panama Travel Unlimited.  I had heard from other travelers that they saw a lot of trash on the beaches in San Blas… But I never saw any of this, it was all very pristine.

 

Enjoying the beautiful San Blas Islands!

 

Final Thoughts

Depending on the cost of your flight to Panama City, a week long trip to Panama can easily cost you $1000 or less without feeling like you are on a budget.  I flew out of New Orleans in the United States, so if you are flying from further away your flight costs may be different than mine.

Once you arrive in Panama, there is so much that you can visit and explore without needing a guide. Public transportation throughout the country is very affordable and you can travel anywhere within the country by bus within a day.  It really is a great destination to explore for all budgets!

Have you visited Panama?  Where did you go?  What are your budget recommendations? 

Please share your thoughts and experience in the comments below!