Panama Canal
Panama Canal
4.5
About
Operating since 1914 and considered one of the wonders of the world, this fifty-mile waterway transports ships by raising them from sea level to more than 85 feet via a series of gravity-powered locks.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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- Claudia PBuenos Aires, Argentina43 contributionsWorth to watchI must admit that we went because since we were in Panama, it was like an obligation to meet him. We were greatly surprised. It is a wonderful work. Everything perfectly organized with schedules and route. We really learned things we didn't know and we were delightedVisited February 2024Travelled with familyWritten 21 February 2024
- Martin PRingwood, United Kingdom419 contributionsAmazing ExperienceThis was something I always wanted to do. Breakfast on the Atlantic/Caribbean Sea and dinner on the Pacific side is quite something. The transit took all day as the size of our cruise ship meant that we could not pass under the Bridge of Americas until late night. A guide explained much about the canal as we passed through. The canal is a wonder of engineering and it was great to experience this major contributor to world trade.Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 1 March 2024
- calandracasMadrid, Spain9,201 contributionsImpressive work of engineering.Now we visit the new one, which is called Agua Clara. The one from the GatĂşn locks is no longer worn, although I liked this one better because it seemed more endearing to me. The new one is still impressive but it's more impersonal. Anyway it's still amazing. In the new one there are also explanations over the public address system.Visited April 2023Travelled with familyWritten 5 March 2024
- Andrea438Milan, Italy542 contributionsOf great historical, economic, hydraulic and engineering interestIt's the centerpiece of a visit to Panama, you can't miss it. Of great historical and economic interest, both technical and hydraulic. It's better if you go with a guide who explains all the back ground of the canal and gives you a historical overview. Thousands of people died due to its creation, from accidents at work, but above all from illnesses. Take your time for the visit which, without a passing ship, becomes meaningless.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 7 March 2024
- stephie1013 contributionsModern Wonder of the World!!Great experience at the Panama Canal. I recommend watching the IMAX film first as it explains the history, building and workings of the canal. It is an amazing feat of engineering. We viewed the ships passing through the canal from the Miraflores visitor centre viewing deck. Highly recommend visiting during your trip to Panama City.Visited March 2024Travelled with familyWritten 11 March 2024
- WalterMontaldoLima, Peru20 contributionsPanama Canal.Magnificent...it was an earring that I wanted to know. The passing of the ships is spectacular and the film about how it was built is unmissable. If you want to buy souvenirs there is a store inside the establishment, but I would recommend a small place that is on the outskirts a few minutes away where you will find everything and with better prices.Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 13 March 2024
- Rafael AzevedoSao Paulo, SP37 contributionsNostalgia and grandeur on this visit.I remember hearing about the channel at school and visiting this place was really above expectations. Seeing how the vessel transit process works and the grandeur of the work carried out in that location, the people involved, the difficulties, is simply impressive. Highly recommended visit.Visited February 2024Travelled on businessWritten 13 March 2024
- Inna_ToniGruenheide, Germany3,355 contributions...we were the first......very impressive. And we had a really good guide who planned everything so that we were the first there when the ships went into the locks and were able to secure the best places to watch. Little by little it got very crowded and if you arrive too late you usually don't have a good place to take photos. All in all, a destination that you absolutely have to see. As always, this is our purely subjective opinion and may differ from that of other guests.Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 16 March 2024
- LondonLola1London, United Kingdom36 contributionsPanama canalWe visited the canal as my husband is interested in this kind of thing and I enjoyed it much more than anticipated. There is a movie theatre inside the complex where you can watch a film narrated by Morgan Freeman which tells the history of the canal and how it came to be built with all the challenges it presented. I would say it’s a must see if in Panama City.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 20 March 2024
- HanniMexico City, Mexico1,247 contributionsRemarkable work of EngineeringThe Panama Canal is undoubtedly a work of enormous dimensions. We crossed it on a 140,000 ton ship that was slowly raised almost imperceptibly through the locks. Even with this, I must say that since this process takes a long time, it is unattractive once the first one has passed, since the process is identical in all of them.Visited April 2023Travelled with familyWritten 23 March 2024
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4.5
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Nino Riveroll
Coatzacoalcos, Mexico3 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
We took the red city SIGHTSEEING truck that you can buy through this application, and it was a success; one of the stops was the Panama Canal at the Miraflores locks. Then they come back for you on the next bus ride, they themselves tell you what to do and inside it is a piece of cake. You pay for the IMAX movie with the explanation of the construction and operation of the canal and then see a ship pass by live, nothing like it in the world. The boats start passing after 1 p.m. so you take the bus around 11 a.m. and it has several stops around the city where you can get off and get on again later. These options are recommended.

Written 22 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DaniloNikiti
Rio de Janeiro, RJ390 contributions
Jan 2025 • Family
We went by quiet public transport: metro to the Albrook final line station (US$0.35 per trip), the ticket is debited directly when you put your credit card or international debit on the roulette, I used Wise and it worked perfectly. Then at the bus terminal attached to Albrook Station we picked up the bus C810 in sector D (US$0.50 per trip). The ticket is purchased at the bus terminal totem: first buy a card that costs US$2 to recharge as many tickets as you want (go and return) for your entire family. There in the canal there is a feeding square, an IMAX cinema telling the story of the work and if you go in the afternoon around 14:00 there is live ship crossing operation with archibancada and narration in English and Spanish. Adult tickets cost $17 and you avoid queues if you buy online.
Automatically translated
Written 26 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
designtraveler2015
Philadelphia, PA72 contributions
Jan 2023
Be sure that you find out what time the boats go through each day before you go out or you could miss seeing the lock experience. We took an Uber from the old city to Marioposa for $7.00,(return trip was 12 due to heavy traffic time) There is a huge line for tickets, if you plan to see the IMAX ( was good) you buy separate tickets for IMAX and canal viewing. You can only go out to the lock area once and that uses up your ticket. The IMAX is a separate entrance and ticket outside the canal viewing area. Food is like French fries, soda and pizza so don’t expect much. The boat viewing area was a mob scene but you could maneuver around to get views.We learned a lot from the movie and combined that with the great exhibit at the old city Canal Musuem we feel that we it was a worthwhile albeit somewhat hectic experience.
Written 2 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
L3740IF
Royal Tunbridge Wells, UK31 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
I can’t complain about the canal itself, obviously a lock is a lock, but I wasn’t disappointed in that. I was disappointed at the experience- having to pay $17 with no concessions each, which includes a mandatory cinema ticket ($8). The IMAX film plugging its Morgan Freeman narration was absolutely dreadful and if it weren’t for the air conditioning and comfortable chairs providing a good nap spot we definitely would have left during. It was 45 minutes which was 10 mins of information painfully dragged out. It was in English with Spanish subtitles. The movie was awfully blurry and put me off of going to another IMAX in the future. I felt it was an ultimate tourist trap for IMAX to shamelessly promote themselves and charge extortionate amounts for the gimmick of popcorn and nachos. The viewing point for the canal itself was absolutely tiny and nowhere near enough room for people to stand and watch. The voiceover on the viewing platform was hard to hear too. This was in the afternoon but friends told us it was even busier in the mornings with fewer ships passing through. If you’re going to go and see it, skip the movie altogether and save yourself 45 minutes. We have been recommended to go and see the boats at Flamenco island or Colon instead. Also if you leave the canal at 2:45pm onwards wave goodbye to at least an hour of your life you’re sacrificing to sit in the daily rush hour traffic into Panama City.
Written 4 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kev
Palm Bay, FL193 contributions
May 2023
Amazing visit! I highly recommend observing the step-by-step process of positioning the ships into the canal. It will be lengthy but worth it. You get to see the tug boats (worth $12 million each) position the boats into the canal. Afterward, you begin to see the canal draining to transition into the next section of the canal. On this trip, I was with my dad (71), and he said he would like to stay all day and watch the ships pass through. I think you need maybe 1 hour tops at this place. Again, highly recommend if you're in Panama for a few days.
Written 2 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kresten
Hinton, Canada211 contributions
Nov 2024 • Couples
Visiting the Miraflores locks on the pacific side of the canal in Panama City was an awsome experience ! It is a stop on the hop on hop off bus and I highly recommend spending time there . The information center has some great exhibits and viewing platforms of the locks , the imax theater has a very good documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman that explains the history of, building and expansion of the canal . We were lucky enough to see a large cargo ship pass through the locks . My wife also quite enjoyed our afternoon there , staff were very friendly and informative . There is a restaurant/ theater style food court and of course a gift shop lol. If at all interested in the canal this is a must do .
Written 19 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Don R
Salem, MA46 contributions
Feb 2022
It goes without saying that partial (recommended) or full transit tour should be apart of any itinerary when visiting Panama. I would highly recommend staying at one of the hotels where the tour operator picks you up, because making arrangements to do it yourself can be a little onerous and you have to get up at the crack of dawn. The transit itself was really nice. My tour started in Gamboa, traversed the MiraFlores Locks and ended just outside the northern aspect of Panama City. The guides were informative and it was interesting to learn the history of the canal.
Written 25 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christine L
Kissimmee, FL2 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
Visiting the Panama Canal was truly an incredible experience. I was highly skeptical to its value as a place to visit as a tourist but was proven quite wrong. The canal itself is not the most interesting to watch as some ships are quite slow to pass through, but with some snacks and friends, I'm sure it could be interesting to watch the progression. The true value is in the Imax movie, narrated by Morgan Freeman, that you can see the the visitor center. In the 45-minute movie, I learned about the history of building the canal, technical challenges, how it operates today, and the future outlook of the canal. The story was told in such a compelling manner that even as someone uninterested in international trades routes, I cried at how powerful it was. The film was truly one of the most informative and memorable movies I have seen. I highly recommend adding this to your stop in Panama City to both understand how this man-made wonder of the world operates and how climate change may threaten its very operation.
Written 7 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aline Z
Curitiba, PR18 contributions
Jul 2024 • Solo
The Canal is worth a visit for those in Panama City. You pay $17.22 for access to a 3D display (half an hour) in the cinema room and access to the viewpoint, where you can see the ships passing. Amazing!!
The detail is that it does not pass ship all the time, but at specific times. The official channel website shows all the timetables.
Pay attention to which viewpoint you are going to visit (Miraflores or CĂłlon), as the ships pass at specific times in each of them. Access to the Canal is easy, quiet and cheap by public transport (subway to Albrook station and then Metrobus- Miraflores bus, which leads to the entrance door of Miraflores viewpoint) but you have to be patient to wait, as the buses pass by 1/1 hour.
The detail is that it does not pass ship all the time, but at specific times. The official channel website shows all the timetables.
Pay attention to which viewpoint you are going to visit (Miraflores or CĂłlon), as the ships pass at specific times in each of them. Access to the Canal is easy, quiet and cheap by public transport (subway to Albrook station and then Metrobus- Miraflores bus, which leads to the entrance door of Miraflores viewpoint) but you have to be patient to wait, as the buses pass by 1/1 hour.
Automatically translated
Written 21 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cnj840
Dillon, CO66 contributions
Feb 2022
We took a cheap Uber to the Panama Canal (~$5 for 20min drive, but you could take a bus for 25¢ if you figured out the bus system). We didn’t have a reservation even though the website says you need one (this may be a Covid thing, I’m not sure). The website fails to mention that boats only pass through between 8 and 10am and then 2-6pm, but trust me, this is important! It would be a huge disappointment to miss watching boats passing through the canal! We couldn’t find any info on how many boats are expected for the day, but I’d recommend showing up around 2pm and planning to spend a few hours there. It’s worth it!
Due to Covid, the IMAX movie and museum were closed, but the entry price seems to be reduced because of that. And there were employees making announcements on the upper viewing deck and explaining what was happening in front of us (English and Spanish). The upper viewing deck is the best spot for viewing, and not the bottom floor like they may encourage (just to clear out the crowd a little). The Panama Canal is DEF worth a visit! I thought it might be overrated, but I really, really enjoyed it.
There wasn’t wifi to call an Uber after, but there are taxis waiting and we negotiated them down in price. Or, you could take the bus into town and get an Uber from there.
Due to Covid, the IMAX movie and museum were closed, but the entry price seems to be reduced because of that. And there were employees making announcements on the upper viewing deck and explaining what was happening in front of us (English and Spanish). The upper viewing deck is the best spot for viewing, and not the bottom floor like they may encourage (just to clear out the crowd a little). The Panama Canal is DEF worth a visit! I thought it might be overrated, but I really, really enjoyed it.
There wasn’t wifi to call an Uber after, but there are taxis waiting and we negotiated them down in price. Or, you could take the bus into town and get an Uber from there.
Written 13 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Qual a diferença entre o passeio de barco pelo Canal do Panamá na direção norte e na direção sul?
Written 9 October 2024
I wanted to take a partial transit tour through the Panama Canal but unfortunately I am only in Panama City during the week, and these tours are available only on the weekends. My question: has anyone tried a tour that goes alongside the canal? Is it worth it? Thanks in advance for your advice!
Written 30 June 2024
I wanted to take a partial transit tour through the Panama Canal but unfortunately I am only in Panama City during the week, and these tours are available only on the weekends. My question: has anyone tried a tour that goes alongside the canal? Is it worth it? Thanks in advance for your advice!
Written 30 June 2024
Is it possible to book for one person? The option isn't available on the site.
Written 12 February 2024
My family & I purchase the ticket when we arrived at there. We booked a Uber from our hotel. Not sure how the website work. There’s no hassle to get the ticket on the spot so don’t worry about getting in, just show up & purchase your ticket
Written 22 October 2024
Yes, lifts and ramps. With the visit
Written 28 December 2022
Can I get a tour to pick me at airport.
Arriving at 6:30am
Departing at 15:20
Written 27 December 2022
Personally I booked my flight & airport pick up to & from before my travel date. However Uber service is readily available everywhere and surprisingly you don’t have to book online to use Uber. You can just flag one down tell them where you want to go & hop in. It is that easy.
Written 22 October 2024
Can I get a tour to pick me at airport.
Arriving at 6:30am
Departing at 15:20
Written 27 December 2022
Are you already in country? Not sure the date of your travels but a trip in the morning to the locks is very doable. You can use this link to reserve a time. Panama Canal- visitcanaldepanama
Taxis are ready to help at the airport. You may ask if there is an English speaking taxi driver if you don't speak spanish. There are a few. Just negotiate what you want to do and the cost before you leave the airport.
Written 28 December 2022
Estaré viajando a Panama en abril 2020 pero quisiera saber si para conocer el canal debo comprar un tour en linea o fácilmente puedo adquirirlo estando en Panama?
y aproximadamente cual es el costo de un tour completo por el canal.
Written 22 January 2020
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