Panama Canal Partial Tour - Northbound direction
Description
• Be the protagonist in your Panama Canal Tour • Navigate through the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks. • Enjoy the action of the Panama Canal's operation. • Get indulge in history dating more than 100 years old! • Experience the Panama Canal in the comfort and spacious M/V Pacific Queen. • The M/V Pacific Queen offers two areas for better comfort: opened and air conditioned decks • Meet our Captain Claudio and the Panama Canal's pilot in our open Bridge.
Tour Options
Itinerary
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. The tour starts at Flamenco Marina. You will board the Pacific Queen and set sail towards the entrance of Panama Canal on the Pacific Ocean. Take a moment to admire the Bay of Panama and Panama City’s splendorous skyline before you pass under the Bridge of the Americas.
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.
The Panama Canal partial transit tour begins with the Pacific Queen entering the Miraflores. You will then enter Miraflores Lake, which is a small artificial body of fresh water that separates Miraflores from Pedro Miguel Locks. Next, the Pacific Queen will enter Pedro Miguel Locks, which is the second set of locks on the Pacific side, and here the vessel is raised 9 meters in one step. After exiting the Pedro Miguel Locks, you will be able to view the new Centennial Bridge which crosses over the Canal. You will then enter the south end of the Gailard Cut where the Chagres River flows into the Canal. The Gailard 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.
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. You will disembark at the Gamboa Dredging Division where you will board motor coaches for a 45-minute ride back to the Flamenco Marina.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please Note: The exact check-in time will be confirmed the day before your tour via email. Please make sure you check your inbox.
Reviews(244)
This was a very interesting "behind the scenes" tour of the canal. It does not stop at the visitor center, which should be visited separately. The communication about this trip was very good with a confirmation of the exact starting time the day before. The tour provided everything it promised -- breakfast, a trip through five locks, lunch, narration in English and Spanish and a bus ride back to the start, which in itself was a vibrant tourist area. Nothing to complain about. I would recommend this trip to others.
What a thrill to travel through the Panama Canal on the Pacific Queen. The whole tour was excellent. Good communication on logistics, great boarding process, nice tour boat, generous meals offered. The best part of the tour was Iann our guide. He was professional, friendly and exceedingly knowledgeable about the canal operations, the ships that use it and the complex history of building and maintaining the canal. This is a must-do tour. Don’t just see the canal from land, sail through the locks!
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so happy you enjoyed the canal transit and that Iann helped make the experience extra special with his knowledge and enthusiasm. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back to Panama in the future! 🚢😊
The tour guide Edwin was the best tour guide I ever experienced. He provided both English and Spanish throughout the entire experience, he was always positive, upbeat. Every detail was exciting to hear about in the way he articulated details. An absolute pleasure the entire tour. Best ever tour guide!!!
Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that Edwin made such a lasting impression. His enthusiasm, professionalism, and ability to engage guests in both English and Spanish truly make him exceptional. We'll be sure to share your compliments with him. Thank you for traveling with us! 😊👏
A father experience, that if you come to Panama you have to live it, the attention is very good and Yesenia guides it, very nice and explained the tour very well. Very good tasting breakfast and lunch... !
A great trip. Very hospitable and informative information about the life and history of the canal. Good food too. The crew was kind and respectful.
My late Grandfather migrated from Barbados to help build the canal. He would always tell me that one day I should take a tour. I finally got a chance to and learning how this amazing canal was built, how it runs now and how it’s maintained is like no other. Everyone should have this on their bucket list!
Operators were prompt, very pleasant. Knowledgeable and accommodating. Ian was excellent! Food was very good. Latianna kept in touch from beginning of booking to end of tour. Pacific Queen crew were all professional and made sure the boat was returned to dried seats and the water was pushed off of the decks after the sudden thunderstorm passed. Going through the canal was truly amazing to actually feel and see the waters rise to allow the ships through. Each landmark, the history of the canal and the current projects were explained by Iaan completely. It was worth the money. Go for it!
We had a great time on the tour! We were able to get an unopposed view of the canal locks as there were no large ships and we were the first in. The operator said this is extremely rare so we felt very blessed to have the Pacific Queen on this particular day. There was an issue with our group tickets being found so even though we were though first to arrive, we were the last on the vessel which sucked because we didn’t have the best seats as we planned. I wish they had taken more time to actually find our reservation real time versus having a step aside. Breakfast was great, Lunch was average for me only because I don’t like pasta salad, which was the main course. We met an absolutely wonderful tour guide as well who sat with us a bit during lunch to personally share Canal and Panama history with us. He is a Gem 💎 Would recommend 10 out of 10.
Great walk. Knowing this work of modern engineering was a dream. Well organized and delicious lunch. A tour that must not be missed during your visit to Panama.
This is an easy, comfortable way to experiece the canal for family members of all ages. We spent all of our time on the upper deck where viewing was best, but the airconditioned areas on the lower decks also offered good viewing. Breakfast and lunch were basic but both were quite good and made with fresh ingredients. Our tour guide was very knowledable about all aspects of the canals history and current operations. On the whole, an excellent experience.
