When people hear about Panama, the first thing they think about is the Panama Canal. Often, it is the only thing most people from the United States know about the country. However, very few people know why this engineering marvel is so important to the world, and even fewer know about the best Panama Canal excursions and Panama Canal Tour Packages.
With its popularity rising and its fame being enhanced by political news, the Panama Canal is not just a source of income for the country, but a must-see spot for any tourist visiting Panama.
Likely, if you come to Panama and return home, the first thing anyone is going to ask you is, “Did you see the Panama Canal?”
Read along with us as we show you the best time to visit the Panama Canal, the ultimate Panama Canal tourism experiences, and the must-do tours from Panama City. Within just a few short paragraphs, you will have all the information you need to plan a trip to Panama and see the canal for yourself.
Are you ready?
What exactly is the Panama Canal?
The Panama Canal is a manmade waterway that stretches over 50 miles (82 Kilometers) from the Pacific Ocean by Panama City to the Atlantic Ocean in Colon and vice versa. After some failed attempts to build overland trade routes that started as early as the 1690s by the Scottish, the real project was finally begun in 1881 by he french architect who had built the Suez Canal.
However, unprepared for the tropics, the project failed and was later taken up by the United States, which opened its gates in 1914 and was given over to Panamanian control in 1999. Since then, the Panama Canal has been running 24/7 and has developed some remarkable innovations in the way of engineering. The Panama Canal was once again enlarged in 2016 to be able to handle larger vessels. More about the history behind this project can be seen in the Interoceanic Canal Museum in Casco Viejo in Panama City.
How does the Panama Canal work?
The whole system works by taking the ships through a steady set of locks, which work as water lifts, slowly locking the ship into a contained section of water and quickly raising or lowering that level of water to match the level at the other side.
Why does the Panama Canal need locks?
The reality is that excavating a canal down to sea level is near impossible. Not only do the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans have different tide levels, but the route across Panama has high elevations and requires a hilly incline. The locks raise the water level to allow ships to pass over these hills, raising the ships by 85 feet before then lowering them down again.
Why is the canal in Central America so important?
To put it simply, the Panama Canal allows ships to avoid the long trek around South America and instead cut across the continent to the oceans that lie beyond, making it vital for trade and travel across the globe.
This modern wonder of the world cuts shipping times and costs down dramatically, and has about 5% of the world’s maritime travel through its smooth embrace each year. However, it should be noted that over 70% of the cargo ships traveling through the canal either come from the United States or are headed there, making it an essential part of the United States cargo industry.
Whilst Panama does not have its own military, there are also talks from the United States of it being a strategic location for economic control in relation to world power; however, whilst these conversations carry their own logic, much of this is speculative and will receive different opinions based on who you ask.
When is the best time to visit the Panama Canal?
It is 100% a better experience to tour the Panama Canal when the sun is out. For this reason, you should travel in the hot season, which is generally from around mid-December to late April. However, even whilst enjoying the canal in the sun, you should take into account that at certain parts of the day, the viewing spots offer little in the way of shade, so you may want to bring a hat, some sunscreen, and an umbrella. After all, the word “Parasol” literally means “For the sun”.
If you are traveling at other times of the year, you will need to go for the tour and hope for the best. The good news is that when it does rain, it chucks it down in bucketloads for a short time, and then the sun comes out again. Some people prefer to visit the canal during the rainy season simply because the heat is not quite so burning, and there are a lot fewer tourists during this time, making it easier for you to avoid the queues, get the best seats, and enjoy the best views.
Different ways to see the Panama Canal
Explore the Miraflores visitor center
By far the most popular Panama Canal tour is a visit to the Miraflores locks by way of the Miraflores visitor center.
Here you will be able to enjoy an IMAX theater 45-minute movie showing the history behind the Panama Canal, which is surprisingly narrated by Morgan Freeman. There are multiple viewing decks with terraces and roof options (watch out for the sun) where you can watch anything from small sailboats to massive container ships pass through the canal. Then there is also the Panama Canal Museum, a Panamanian coffee shop, a tourist gift shop for souvenirs, and a restaurant where you can eat.
Where are the Miraflores locks, you ask? They are right on the Pacific side near the port of Balboa, which is about a 20-minute drive from the center of Panama City, Panama.
If you type in Waze or Google Maps “Miraflores Visitor Center,” you will likely be able to find it. However, with a guided tour, you will get there even more easily, and you will find from the list below that many of the Panama Canal tour packages either start or end with a visit to the Miraflores visitor center.
Sail through the Panama Canal
An exciting way to see the Panama Canal is from within the canal itself. Rather than sitting on the sidelines and seeing other boats or ships pass through the canal, you can be on the boat and sail through the Panama Canal in style. There are different lengths of journeys that you can do, but it is a truly relaxing and mesmerizing journey to behold. Some tourists take a Panama Canal cruise, but the real experience lies in a small sailboat where you can experience the magnitude of the immense size of the Canal, its locks, and the boats on the water with you. In addition, the views of the city, the Panamanian countryside, and the waterway itself are breathtaking to behold.
Visit the Agua Clara Locks
On the Caribbean side near the city of Colon is a Canal tour experience that is much less frequented by tourists but still very enjoyable. At the Agua Clara visitor center, you can enjoy panoramic views of the Panama Canal, a projection room that is a movie theater with a 12-minute video on the history of the Canal, and multiple trails that you can walk nearby. Within a short ride away, you can also enjoy the Gatun Lake viewing decks with even more spectacular viewpoint opportunities of ships passing via the Panama Canal.
Can you visit the Panama Canal on your own?
Whilst you can technically explore some parts on your own without a guide, like the Miraflores locks visitor center, hiring a guide or booking a tour package ensures that you are taken care of, and get to enjoy the full width and breadth of each Panama Canal experience without missing any of the key points. They will also be able to help you with the language and serve as a personal translator so that you can follow the guidelines and ask any questions.
The 6 best Panama Canal tours
Whilst many think that visiting the canal is just a single tour, there are in fact many different ways to enjoy this fun activity. Here we will give you a guide to some of the best tours and Panama Canal tour packages so that you can select the activity that you desire for your next vacation.
1) Panama Canal partial transit tour
Take a 45-minute bus tour up to Gamboa, where your Panama Canal experience begins. Take a boat from the jungle marina and sail southbound through the canal as you pass through the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks until you reach your destination of Panama City, Panama. Lunch is included, and alcoholic drinks are available for an additional cost. This partial transit tour through the canal will give you hours of stunning views and up-close sights of the interior workings of this waterway.
- Length: 6 hours.
- Cost: $160 USD.
2) Panama Canal full transit tour
If 6 hours is not enough, then let’s double the time with a full transit tour where you will sail from one ocean to the other, all the way through the Panama Canal. Board a small boat from Panama City, Panama, and head through all of the locks from the Pacific side all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, where you disembark in Colon. There, a shuttle will pick you up and take you back to the city. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are included, and unlimited soft drinks are at your disposal.
- Length: 12 hours.
- Cost: $215 USD.
3) Panama Canal and Panama City tour:
This is a great tour for travelers visiting the city for the first time, as in just half a day, you will get to see some of the main city highlights and the Miraflores Visitor Center for the Panama Canal. This can be a private or shared group tour; they can pick you up from your hotel and show you some of the best parts of Casco Viejo in Panama City. It’s the simplest and most essential Panama Canal tour, offering a concise overview of some of the highlights at a very affordable price.
- Length: 5 hours.
- Cost: $60 USD.
4) Monkey & Sloth Panama Canal Boat Safari:
Experience the monkey islands of Gatun Lake with a tour that starts from Panama City and gives you a casual eco-tour where you can see monkeys, toucans, crocodiles, and all manner of coastal jungle wildlife. It’s the perfect riverboat-style tour that starts in the width of the canal and then widens out to the connecting lake, which is perfect for nature lovers. Brunch, sightseeing, and laid-back boat vibes are yours to enjoy.
- Length: 4 1/2 hours.
- Cost: $60 USD.
5) Ocean to ocean – Agua Clara Locks and Fort Lorenzo:
Uncover adventure with a full-day tour of the Panama Canal that shows it all from the Pacific to the Atlantic. It begins with a pickup from your hotel, where you will head to Lake Gatun for a cruise around the islands, which is then followed by a visit to the Agua Clara visitor center where you learn more about the Panama Canal, and then a stop at the San Lorenzo National Park where you will enjoy a picnic lunch in the old ruins of Fort San Lorenzo as you overlook the Caribbean ocean.
- Length: 8 hours.
- Cost: $135 USD.
6) Panama Canal, old town, and causeway:
Experience the best of Panamas vibrant activities in just half a day with a tour of the Panama Canal at the Miraflores visitor center, a casual walking tour of Casco Viejo’s colonial sector, a stop at the famous bridge of the Americas that connects North and South America, and then a brief exploration of the Amador Causeway which is adjacent to the entrance of the Panama Canal.
- Length: 5 hours.
- Cost: $167 USD.