Panama Canal Full Transit Tour - Official Operator

Highlights

Leistungen

Ablauf

1. Our check in point is at Flamenco Marina, located on the last island of the Amador Causeway. It is right next to the Panama sign and behind the Duty Free Shop. The exact tour time will be confirmed the day before. The time shown on the booking platform is approximate. Please check your email the day before the tour for the final details.

   30 Min.

2. The Bridge of the Americas is a road bridge in Panama, which spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. Designed by Sverdrup & Parcel, it was completed in 1962 at a cost of US$20 million, connecting the north and south American land masses.

   Vorbeifahrt

3. The vessel will then transit through the first set of locks, the Miraflores Locks, where it will ascend 18 meters in two distinct steps. Next, the Pacific Queen will enter Miraflores Lake, which is a small artificial body of fresh water that separates Pedro Miguel Locks from Miraflores Locks. The vessel will transit through Pedro Miguel Locks, which is one of the two sets of locks on the Pacific side. After exiting Pedro Miguel locks, the Pacific Queen will travel through the Gaillard Cut, where the Chagres River flows into the canal. The Gaillard Cut (also known as Culebra Cut because its curves resemble a snake) is one of the main points of interest for visitors because it was carved through the Continental Divide and this section of the Canal is full of history and geological value.

   Eintritt inbegriffen

4. During your Panama Canal full transit tour you will enjoy a trip through Gatun Lake, which was formed by erecting the Gatun Dam across the Chagres River. As you transit through Gatun Lake you will pass the Smithsonian Research Station at Barro Colorado. You will also experience the Gatun Locks, which are the only set of locks in the Atlantic sector. In Gatun Locks, the vessel will be lowered a total of 26 meters in three distinct chambers. Upon arriving at Colon, you will disembark at Colon 2000, where transportation back to Panama City will be provided.

5. The Chagres River in central Panama, is the largest river in the Panama Canal’s watershed. In the past, this river was an important means of communication between one coast and the other, as it was part of the famous colonial road “Cruces”, originally built by the Spanish crown during the 16th century and of massive use by adventurers and explorers during the following centuries until the creation of the Panama Canal. During the 20th Century the river was dammed twice, and the resulting reservoirs – Gatun Lake and Lake Alajuela – formed an integral part of the canal and its water system.

   Vorbeifahrt

6. Prior to the construction of the Panama Canal, the vast jungle area that is now the Gatun Lake was teeming with an overwhelming abundance of wildlife. As the region was flooded to create the lake, animals took refuge in the mountain peaks, which are now the many islands that dot the renowned lake. Barro Colorado Island is the biggest island formed where the Smithsonian Research Institute has established the most important research center in Panama due to its biodiversity.

   Vorbeifahrt

7. Panama's Centennial Bridge is a major bridge crossing the Panama Canal. It was built to supplement the overcrowded Bridge of the Americas and to replace it as the carrier of the Pan-American Highway. Upon its opening in 2004, it became the second permanent crossing of the canal.

   Vorbeifahrt

8. Gatun Lake forms a major part of the Panama Canal and it was created between 1907 and 1913 by the construction of the Gatun Dam across the Chagres River. The lake is situated in the Valley of the Chagres River and the geography was ideal for the creation of a large lake. The damming of the river flooded the originally wooded valley and hills although many hilltops became islands. At the time it was created, Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world.

   Vorbeifahrt

Stornierung

Kostenlose Stornierung bis 24 Stunden vor Beginn, mit voller Rückerstattung.

Bewertungen

Die Bewertungen stammen aus 301 Rezensionen, die unser Buchungspartner gesammelt hat. Es sind die eigenen Worte der Reisenden, in der Reihenfolge ihres Entstehens — nie umsortiert, damit das Erlebnis besser dasteht.

Angezeigt werden auf Englisch verfasste Bewertungen.

• 5Ocean to ocean

  Very cool, would definitely recommend, some of the lock crossing can be a bit long but it's part of the experience!

  Robert_LAugust 2026über Viator

• 5A wonderful experience

  The full transit tour is a long day. Getting to experience everything ocean to ocean is worth it. The guides provide wonderful commentary along the way. The staff provides attentive care.

  Trudi_WAugust 2026über Viator

• 5Canal Transit Tour

  This was an excellent once in a life type of tour experience.. You get complete experience of how how big ships are going through the whole channel. It’s a engineering marvelous.. Excellent boat with food and services.. well worth it …

  JAGDISH_PAugust 2026über Viator

• 5Great Tour

  Once in a lifetime experience! Highly recommend. You get to experience the canal first hand!

  60indiragJuli 2026über Tripadvisor

• 5Well worth it

  Very good trip. Prepare for a long day (10 plus hours) but you get to see it all and appreciate what a wonder this is.

  roberteC2286DNMai 2026über Tripadvisor

• 5A perfect way to see history in action

  Fascinating to see the canal and how the locks work in person. Our narrator and the entire crew was excellent, and even the food was good, too! The full Pacific to Atlantic transit is a long day, but so worth it. Be sure to bring sunscreen!

  Sharon_SMai 2026über Viator

Gut zu wissen

How it compares in Panama City

• Its from-price is 47% above the median of the 166 tagesausflüge we list in Panama City.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 7 of 166.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Panama City

Panama City is the capital at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, with a colonial old quarter, a glittering skyline and rainforest at its edge.

Panama City sits on the Pacific coast beside the entrance to the Panama Canal, and ships queue in the bay for the passage. The Miraflores Locks, a short drive from the centre, let visitors watch vessels being raised and lowered. Casco Viejo, the old quarter founded in 1673, has restored colonial plazas, churches and balconied houses, and the Amador Causeway runs out into the bay with views back to the skyline.

Top-ranked sights in Panama City: Casco Viejo, Panama Canal, Amador Causeway (Calzada de Amador).

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