Plan your trip
What to pack for Panama in January
Pack for sun first. A January trip to Panama City needs hats, sunscreen and light clothes far more than rain gear, since the city’s weather station averages only 29 mm (1.2 in) of rain this month. Add a layer for air-conditioned shuls and hotels, a warmer one if you’re going up to Boquete, about 1,100 m up and cooler than the coast in the evenings, and an umbrella only if your trip reaches the Caribbean, where San Blas averages 93 mm (3.7 in).
Your list
January · Panama City · 2 adults · 28 items
- Panama City92° / 65°F · 29 mm
Documents
Heat and sun
January is a dry month in Panama City: about 29 mm (1.2 in) on average at most.
Average daytime highs of about 92°F in January.
Clothes and shoes
Casco Viejo’s streets are cobbled.
Health and sun
Panama is about 9° north of the equator, so the midday sun is high all year.
Some nature reserves ask visitors to bring them.
Shul
Modest dress is expected.
For Shabbat (most stays include one)
Or ask your hotel first what it allows in rooms.
Food
Phones, plugs and power
Panama uses Type A and B sockets at 120 V and 60 Hz, like the US and Canada. Source: WorldStandards
Buying a local SIM needs a passport.
Shabbat and Yom Tov in January 2027
Shabbat · Shemot
Fri, Jan 1 – Sat, Jan 2, 2027
Candles 5:52 PM on Fri, Jan 1. Ends 6:46 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 6:45 PM (Chabad).
Shabbat · Vaera
Fri, Jan 8 – Sat, Jan 9, 2027
Candles 5:55 PM on Fri, Jan 8. Ends 6:50 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 6:48 PM (Chabad).
Rosh Chodesh Sh’vat
Shabbat · Bo
Fri, Jan 15 – Sat, Jan 16, 2027
Candles 5:59 PM on Fri, Jan 15. Ends 6:53 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 6:51 PM (Chabad).
Shabbat · Beshalach
Fri, Jan 22 – Sat, Jan 23, 2027
Candles 6:02 PM on Fri, Jan 22. Ends 6:56 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 6:54 PM (Chabad).
Shabbat Shirah · Tu BiShvat
Shabbat · Yitro
Fri, Jan 29 – Sat, Jan 30, 2027
Candles 6:05 PM on Fri, Jan 29. Ends 6:59 PM (Shevet Ahim · Beth El) or 6:56 PM (Chabad).
Day trips in January
- Panama City
- Dry: 29 mm, drier than December (105 mm); rain on about 3 days at the station. Sea about 81°F. From Paitilla or Punta Pacífica, the Cinta Costera waterfront is a walk, with no transport needed, so it works on Shabbat too.
- Boquete
- Some rain: 86 mm, drier than December (144 mm). It’s coffee harvest season (December to March; Autoridad de Turismo de Panamá). Too far for a day: fly to David or drive about six hours, and stay over with Chabad Boquete’s kosher food.
- Pacific beaches
- Dry: 30 mm, drier than December (120 mm). Sea about 81°F. No kosher food on the way: pack a cooler.
- Gamboa
- Dry: 25 mm, drier than December (92 mm). About 25 km from the city; go at dawn for wildlife, and bring all your food.
- San Blas (Guna Yala)
- Some rain: 93 mm, drier than December (200 mm). Sea about 82°F. A very long day by 4x4 and boat from Cartí: bring every passport, all your food and drinking water.
- Bocas del Toro
- Some rain: 124 mm, drier than December (200 mm). Sea about 82°F.
Questions people ask
- Do I need a rain jacket for Panama in January?
- Not for Panama City, whose weather station averages only 29 mm (1.1 in) of rain in January. Pack one if you’re going to Boquete (86 mm (3.4 in)) or the Caribbean islands (124 mm (4.9 in) in Bocas del Toro).
- What should I wear in Panama in January?
- Light, breathable clothes, sun hats and sunglasses: Panama City’s weather station averages 92°F by day and 65°F at night in January (WMO, 1971–2000). Add modest clothes for shul, a light layer for strong air-conditioning, and a warmer one for Boquete.
Lists by month
Where the numbers come from
- Monthly averages: NASA POWER daily data for 2016–2025 (fetched Tue, Nov 10, 2026), averaged by us: the average day’s high and low, the month’s total rain, humidity and cloud. Each figure covers a grid square of roughly 55 by 70 km of land and sea, so Panama City’s afternoons come out about 4.2°C cooler than at the city’s own weather station.
- Panama City’s figures lead with its weather station normals (1971–2000): World Meteorological Organization, from Panama’s weather service (IMHPA). A rain day there is a day with at least 0.1 mm.
- Left out on purpose: NASA POWER’s rain-day counts, because its model drizzles on most days and counts about 27 “rain days” in a wet-season month where Panama City’s station records 14 to 20; and its UV index, which is a 24-hour average far below the midday peak you feel. Rain days on these pages are the station’s, for Panama City only.
- Our rain bands: “dry” is under 60 mm in the month, “rainy” over 200 mm, and “some rain” in between.
- Forecasts: Weather data: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), refreshed at most every half hour.
- Sea temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1 (NOAA NCEI’s daily 0.25° sea-surface temperature analysis, Version v02r01), 2016–2025, averaged by us for one grid cell per sea: Panama Bay (Pacific) (8.625°N, 79.375°W, the open bay south of Panama City); Guna Yala coast (Caribbean) (9.625°N, 78.875°W, off the San Blas islands); Off Bocas del Toro (Caribbean) (9.625°N, 82.125°W, just north of the Bocas del Toro islands). Fetched Tue, Nov 10, 2026. US government data, free to use.
Talk to a person
Questions about Panama? Ask us.
Two people answer: Jack and Shlomo. WhatsApp is usually fastest. You can also write to info@panamaunpacked.com.