Why You Should Add a Stopover in Panama City on Your Next Trip

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In recent years, Panama City has positioned itself as a major gateway to destinations throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean. Copa Airlines, the flag carrier of Panama, has rapidly expanded its route network to offer nonstop service to 17 U.S. cities.

With several convenient connections now available through Copa Airlines’ Hub of the Americas^®, Panama City has become an increasingly attractive stopover airport for American travelers. Best of all, Copa Airlines offers a free stopover program that lets travelers spend anywhere from 24 hours to 15 days in Panama City at no additional airfare cost. This offers a unique opportunity to explore everything Panama has to offer: 2 destinations for the price of 1.

Here’s how to build your next trip, and why a stopover in Panama is an easy win.

What Is a Stopover?

Breaking up long travel days with a stopover is one of the most underrated travel hacks.

If you’ve ever traveled to a far-flung destination that requires 10 hours (or more) of flying, you know how exhausting the journey can be. In other cases, you could be flying to a niche destination that isn’t easily reached with nonstop flights from the U.S.

That’s where building an intentional stopover into your itinerary can make all the difference for resting and recharging before your next flight.

A stopover is an extended break in your journey that allows you to spend time in a connecting city and explore before continuing on to your final destination. Unlike a typical layover, which might last just a few hours, a stopover lasts at least 24 hours, depending on the airline’s rules.

For example, let’s say you’re flying from Chicago to Argentina, with a connection in Panama City. Rather than spending a couple of hours waiting around for your next flight, you could choose to spend 3 days exploring everything Panama has to offer before continuing on to Argentina.

Copa Airlines Stopover Program Rules

Copa Airlines’ hub at Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City is known as the “hub of the Americas.” It’s true, as travelers can connect to 88 destinations across Central America, South America, and the Caribbean in 32 countries.

The airline’s dedicated stopover program allows you to add up to 15 days at no additional airfare cost. As Copa Airlines has expanded its nonstop route network between the U.S. and Panama, the program continues to grow. In fact, more than 215,000 travelers have taken advantage of the free stopovers in 2025.

How To Book a Stopover Flight With Copa Airlines

The easiest way to build your stopover trip is to book directly on copaair.com. However, you can also book stopover itineraries through Copa’s reservation center, ConnectMiles service center, and even sales offices in the network and select travel agencies.

Just know that you have to specify a “Panama Stopover” before purchasing your ticket. Once you hit this button, the website will automatically direct you to the multi-city and stopover booking system.

For example, let’s say I want to travel to explore the beautiful Lake Atitlán and Antigua in Guatemala, but there aren’t any nonstop flights to Guatemala City (GUA) from my home airport in Raleigh-Durham (RDU). I can simply build an itinerary that includes a stopover in Panama City for a couple of days before arriving in Guatemala City:

The resulting itinerary includes 2 days in Panama City at the front end, and on the way back, there’s a quick layover there before I get home. The total? On the date I looked, the cost was just $426 round-trip for the entire itinerary (rates are subject to availability at the time of booking).

If you can’t commit to booking now, Copa Airlines also offers a 24-hour free price lock, but keep in mind that those reservations will be automatically canceled if they’re not purchased during that window.

Where Copa Airlines Flies

Copa Airlines operates roughly 2 dozen nonstop flights between Panama City and the U.S. and Canada:

And where else can you go with Copa Airlines? The carrier’s extensive route network makes it easier to visit those hard-to-reach destinations.

In fact, Copa Airlines offers service to popular destinations such as Cartagena, Colombia; Lima, Peru; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Guanacaste, Costa Rica; Managua, Nicaragua; Santiago, Chile; and Quito, Ecuador, just to name a few.

Plan the Rest of Your Stopover Trip With Copa Airlines

The stopover program goes beyond booking your flights. Copa Airlines partners with trusted hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and rental car companies to offer discounts for your trip in Panama.

Copa Airlines has several attractive hotel deals. For example, a promotion with the Hotel Las Américas Golden Tower Panamá allows travelers to book 3 nights for the price of 2 or 5 nights for the price of 3. Plus you can save at brand you already love including 30% off at the Waldorf Astoria Panama or 15% off at the Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo. Deals like this can stretch your travel budget and help you determine how many days you’d like to spend in Panama City during your stopover.

There are also helpful travel guides that offer great insights into what to see, eat, and do on your trip. When planning your stopover on Copa Airlines’ website, you can find activities such as sightseeing tours, coffee tastings, dance lessons, and more.

Beyond the sights and attractions within Panama City, the country has pristine white-sand beaches, tropical islands, lush rainforests, and rugged mountain trails.

Final Thoughts

If you’re already connecting through Panama City, why not stay a little longer? The Copa Airlines Stopover Program is a brilliant way to turn a routine connecting flight into an entirely new vacation — all without spending extra on airfare.