Last Updated on August 17, 2025 by Retire in Panama

Best Way to See Panama for Retirement
The business model of Retire in Panama Tours is unique in this country’s relocation tour business. Most companies, relocation, tourists, and real estate tours, travel the country in big buses, with 25 – 40 guests per tour. We understand why they do this. Their business model is volume.
Our groups are semi-private, with only 8 – 15 people per group. This is done so you will have more time with Oscar, Megan, Rod, and all the experts you will meet on tour. We understand that taking a tour like this is a financial commitment, so the fewer people in the group, the more we can cater to your needs, and the better the value there is for you.
When you give us a call, that call is answered by one of us in Panama, or your email is returned by us, actual expats living in Panama. And with our smaller groups, we can offer better post-tour services if you decide to move here.
The first goal of our Panama retirement tours is to show you the best places in Panama that an expat would be comfortable living in. The tour includes seven nights in beautiful hotels around Panama. You will be spending time in different towns, so you can understand what Panama is like. Of course, we provide hotels, transportation during the tour, and three delicious meals a day. You will have an opportunity to try famous Panamanian cuisine. Still, there will also be a lot of classic, international food.
The second goal of the tour is to provide you with the resources you need on the ground here in Panama if you decide to move here. With Oscar, Rod & Megans’ many years of experience helping expats move to Panama, we know the best immigration lawyers, health insurance options, real estate/rentals experts, and bankers to help you get set up in Panama. Not only will you personally meet and speak to people from each of these areas of expertise, but you will also meet experts in shipping who can help you move some or all of your belongings, help you with the receiving of mail or packages in Panama once you live here, and so much more.
Throughout the tour, we will introduce you to past tour guests, now expats living in Panama, to get even more advice from them. With the small group size, you can have lengthy conversations with them and possibly make new friends in Panama.
This is a more personal and intimate experience, so we get reviews from past tour members telling us they love the small groups. Here is a quote from a previous client from our May 2019 tour who wrote on our TripAdvisor page that sums up our business model.
“Remember those big tours I mentioned? We ran into one with their big bus, and as we said hi as we crossed paths, I mentioned jokingly to Oscar
“they have name tags, we don’t “(sad voice). He said, “that’s right because I know your name, Dave”!”
So no buses, no crowds of 25 or more people, and no name tags on our tours. Just more personal, one on one service from us.
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The BEST all inclusive tour for expat searching - This was my first trip with a group searching for places I might want to move to as an expat. And oh my was this the BEST CHOICE I... read more could have made. From the moment I signed up and had questions, to the days leading up to the trip, to the trip itself, everything was taken care of. I was completely at ease. Oscar, Megan, and Rod, (and driver Juan) made certain no detail was overlooked.
I never had to worry about places to book to stay along the way nor food nor any other issue. This was absolutely all inclusive and the places they picked for us to stay and to eat were all perfect for where we were going and what we were hoping to learn.
Not only that, but I lucked into a group, (I think there were 16 of us) of the most joyful warm people from all over the country and Canada.
For me, i’m not sure I will be settling in Panama. It was my first look-see. But I know many in my group will be And the Services of retire in Panama, continues on from our trip. I know they help people find property and settling and pick them up from airports and I know that their help goes on and on and on. I’m so impressed and I wish every group tour for ex-pats that I get to go on in the future no matter where, will be as good as this one. But I have a feeling I’ve been terribly spoiled!
TruthintravelUS
May 2, 2025
Fantastic tour of Panama - Tour agenda promised
Yes, they covered what they said, adjusting where needed, plus there were some extras. Plenty of rest stops. They gave us a map of Panama.
Accommodations<br... read more />
Excellent, I would stay at any of them again. Our view of the Baru Volcano from the Hotel Ladera in Boquete was truly special.
Food
Fantastic variety: wood-burning oven pizza, pastas, chicken and beef dishes, fish and seafood dishes, and introduction to my favorite Panamanian foods hojaldres and patacones. Enjoyed Balboa beer and Abuelo rum.
Knowledge of tour guides
Oscar very knowledgeable about the areas and the culture, shared interesting details and fun stories. Juan very patient and skillful with the driving. Rod very knowledgeable about things like insurance, dog importing, and immigration requirements. Megan kept us all organized with the logistics and the menus.
Tour extras
Visit homes of ex pats (including Rod’s, Oscar’s and Megan’s homes)
Visited two food stores
Sugar cane farm visit
Stop at San Ramon waterfalls
Time alone
Opportunity to tour the towns to see what we want to see
Relocate to Panama
Yes this tour did everything possible to help you make up your mind on whether living in Panama is for you
Kevin R
April 19, 2025
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Planned, Organized, Friendly and Covered Everything We Wanted to Know - If you're considering retiring or relocating to Panama, Panama Relocation Experts is hands down the best resource out there. From the moment I reached out, their team was incredibly responsive,... read more knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in making the transition as smooth as possible.
The Retire in Panama Tour was a game-changer. It’s one thing to read about Panama online, but seeing everything firsthand with expert guidance made all the difference. We traveled extensively across the country, covering a lot of ground and spending plenty of time in the vehicle as we explored different regions. At each stop, we met people who had already relocated and heard firsthand about their experiences—the good, the challenges, and the lessons learned. It was incredibly insightful to see how others had successfully made the move.
Panama Relocation Experts has built an incredible network and provides invaluable guidance every step of the way. Their experience and connections make the transition much easier, and the support doesn’t stop when the tour ends—you’ll always have someone to turn to for advice.
If you're even slightly considering a move to Panama, this tour is worth every penny!
JamieLeighMyles
March 31, 2025
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A Great 7-Day Panama Retirement Tour - My husband and I took the tour in November 2024. We had been looking to relocate to a warmer place for our retirement, and the itinerary of this 7-day tour... read more looked very appealing, so we booked it — and we didn’t regret it. The tour was excellent, focusing on the process of retiring in Panama and living there. It also included some history-related excursions.
In Panama City, we visited the old town, explored historical buildings, learned more about Panama, and visited the Panama Canal. This was very interesting.
Then we traveled through different parts of Panama, met expats living there, and learned about their experiences — what they like, what they don’t, how much they spend day to day, and why they choose certain options over others (e.g., location, renting vs. buying, etc.). Many expats invited us into their homes so we could see how they live and how much they spend on rent, utilities, and other expenses. This was incredibly helpful. It’s one thing to know you can rent something in a specific range, and another to actually see what you can get for your money.
We also learned from everyone we met that Oscar, Rod, and Megan not only complete the tour but also remain actively involved in helping people after their relocation. Knowing that this kind of support would be available was very reassuring. Oscar didn’t try to sugarcoat any of the negative aspects of living in Panama; he simply provided us with all the information so we could make an informed choice.
In Coronado, we met with a real estate agent who showed us some properties and answered questions about the real estate market. At the end of the tour, we had meetings with an immigration lawyer and an insurance agent. By that point, we had gathered a lot of information, so we were able to ask detailed questions. The timing for this meeting was perfect.
The tour group is usually quite small, which gave us the chance to bond with others, make new friends, and learn about their experiences and reasons for relocating. I also want to mention our driver, Juan, who was with us for all seven days — we truly appreciated his skill and professionalism.
I highly recommend this tour to anyone considering relocation to Panama. You’ll learn a lot about the country and its culture, and you’ll have the opportunity to see if it meets your needs while getting answers to all your questions from people with firsthand experience.
Galina L
November 24, 2024
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Retiring in Panama with confidence - From start to finish, we felt that the utmost care and attention went into making sure that we had a helpful and diverse experience. The big surprise was how much... read more fun we had! Great hotels, great food, great information, and great advice for making the decision to move to Panama. We met many Expats who had come initially to Panama with Rod, Oscar, and Megan who made sure to explain to us that not only are they great friends, but they have become family. Not only do they take you on tour, they stay in touch with you to help you move, do things like buy a car, and muddle through any government requirements. We are so impressed, and we feel like we have made great new friends. They go above and beyond. They took us to the Panama Canal and other places they wanted us to see, which we felt like was extra. They do small groups, so we highly recommend Retire in Panama if you are considering relocating to this beautiful country.
Traveler34691
September 22, 2024
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Here is a brief run-down of our tours.
During the first day of the tour, you can explore living options in Panama City. The tour starts on a Friday morning, so we suggest you arrive the day before. We will pick you up at the Panama City airport and take you to your hotel, where you can relax and prepare for the following day.

On our first day, we will show you the most beautiful parts of Panama City. It is a very modern and busy city with great cultural offers and amenities, which is why many people choose to retire here. We will visit the Panama Canal because when you get home, all your friends will ask, “did you see the Canal?” Next, we will visit the Casco Viejo area to learn the history and culture of the country. After that, we are off to the Amador Causeway, then to a modern residential area of Panama City.
The next day, we will visit the beautiful beach towns of Nueva Gorgona and Coronado. They are the most popular beach retirement locations because they combine urban life and the beach. Also, it is only one to two hours from Panama City, so that you can visit it often. In the afternoon, we will travel to Chitre on the Azuero Peninsula.
The next day is dedicated to the Azuero Peninsula, where we will visit three charming places: Chitre, Las Tablas, and Pedasí. We will explore together the best locations for living here, meet some expats, look at rental prices and cost of living, and spend the night in Pedasi.
Our favorite day during our Panama retirement tours is the next day – a Beach day! You will have time to relax and have fun on the beach. Then we will talk about the best housing options in the province of Chiriqui for beach towns such as Las Lajas, Boca Chica, and La Barqueta.

The following day we will visit Boquete, one of the favorite destinations of people from the USA, Canada, Europe, and Australia. It is a beautiful mountain community located near the city of David, with many shopping malls, good hospitals, cinemas, and so on.
We will arrive in Boquete at about 10:30 am, just in time to visit the Tuesday Market, where you will have an hour to explore. The Boquete Tuesday markets are one of the highlights of our tours for many guests. They meet other expats there, interact with them, and check out all the fresh-grown produce and Panama-made souvenirs. Also, all the volunteer organizations display at the Tuesday Markets so that people can check out volunteer opportunities in Panama. In the afternoon, we will visit some rentals in Boquete and check out the town.
On the last day of our Panama retirement tour, in the morning, we will meet and listen to experts on Immigration, Health Insurance, freight, banking, and more. You will be able to get all your questions asked and answered by the experts, mainly because you are in such a small group. In the afternoon, we will see more residential areas and get you back to your hotel early so that you can explore the town before our evening wind-up dinner.
But that is not all. We want to show you that life in Panama is excellent and that there are many things you can do. At our wind-up evening event, you will meet more expats that have made the move, and you will be able to ask them why and what challenges they had. There are a lot of expats from English-speaking countries, which means there are many opportunities to make new friends and have a great time in Panama.
We created this tour because you need to know all your options before you decide to move to Panama. Because of our experience and connections, in the one week we take you across this county, we will show you more than you could see yourself in three weeks. It is a big decision, and we want to show you all locations, so you can see the advantages of each of them and choose the most suitable one. And most importantly, getting the experience and honest experts to assist you if you decide to make the move.
Join Retire in Panama Tours today, and experience Panama.
Retire in Panama Tours
It’s more than a tour . . it’s an experience.
I see that you did not mention Puerto Armuelles. My wife and I visited all of the town’s you mentioned, then we visited Puerto. We have been here 14 months.
Hi there. Puerto Armuelles did make it into my top 10 list in this article. I hear a lot of people love it there, and I am planning to do a feature article on it soon. Maybe I could interview you about why you live there?
Thanks, Rod
Hi, I’m Dave :)
This is the best thing you can do for the money to learn about Panama. The care and information we received made our mind up for us, it also gave us he information and time to make a good decision. So the tour is over and you go back to your home country to decide. These guys are a phone call and or email away for answers. Plus they become your friends. When we moved Oscar was the first person we saw as we got off the plane in PTY (Not planned). He found a car for us, took it (and me) to the tire shop so I could get the tires changed. The peeps we met from our lawyer to our rental agent (Samm) were all tops and took great care of us.
This is the tour for you.
Hi Dave, thank you for the comment.
Hi, how many people are normally in your tours? The next tour is scheduled in July, is that correct?
Thanks
Hi there, we have a maximum of 12 people on our tours. Our average is 10. Our next available tour is one spot in April. here is the list of available tours.