Panama Canal Partial Tour - Southbound Direction

Everything was perfect, from the pickup. The guide was really warm and professional.

Ingenuity at its best. The French thought they could simply cut a ‘ditch’ through Panama as both the Atlantic and Pacific are at sea level. Seems good until you realize that their tides are different. Oops. Enter the United States - let’s make a large lake 80ft above sea level in the middle, use our experience from the Erie Canal, and build locks to reach the lake from both sides. It worked perfectly and over 100 years later we are still using the same locks sans minor updates. Ships hauling cars, natural gas, fruits, and up to 14,000 shipping containers fill the passage. Tiny by comparison, we joined the convoy on a ferry boat with 100 passengers. We were definitely not a priority on the canal. Ships pay millions of dollars in tolls based on weight (water displacement) and we are very light. Therefore, we had to wait for a moderately sized cargo ship small enough to join us in the locks as most ships maximize their space in the locks, leaving as little as 12 inches on all sides of their massive bulk. So wait we did, a lot. Unfortunately it’s just the nature of the beast. Although the locks are fast for shipping, it takes nearly an hour to pass through one lock. We had to traverse three. And we waited and waited. Without question, this is an experience of a lifetime and one not to be traded. However, the ‘half day’ trip was literal. Start to finish was nearly 12 hours, mostly spent waiting. Waiting for the bus to the dock, waiting for our canal captain, waiting for our position in the canal, waiting for our companion cargo ship, waiting for the ship ahead of us to clear the lock (3times), waiting for our bus after disembarking. We estimate 8 of the 12 hours were spent waiting. We strongly discourage anyone from taking a full day cruise and reconsider booking with children as they will bore quickly. Nevertheless, adults wanting to experience sailing the Panama Canal, this was still worth a one time trip. Our guide was exceptional, keeping us well informed on the history and technical details of the canal. He spoke both Spanish and English fluently changing his accent to properly match. Unlimited bottled water and soda was included, as was a hot lunch. Our advice to the tour operator is to replace the hot lunch with a boxed cold lunch. The food had to be kept warm for hours using sterno and warming bags. Food was cold when finally served cafeteria style. It was ‘meh’ and most passengers had to eat from their laps. Final verdict: okay, not great. Take the trip for their generous hospitality and the significance of the traveling through this amazing canal and its locks. If you’re looking to simply see the locks and some big ships, go to the visitor center at the locks and just watch. Glad we did it, but…

Ingenuity at its best. The French thought they could simply cut a ‘ditch’ through Panama as both the Atlantic and Pacific are at sea level. Seems good until you realize that their tides are different. Oops. Enter the United States - let’s make a large lake 80ft above sea level in the middle, use our experience from the Erie Canal, and build locks to reach the lake from both sides. It worked perfectly and over 100 years later we are still using the same locks sans minor updates. Ships hauling cars, natural gas, fruits, and up to 14,000 shipping containers fill the passage. Tiny by comparison, we joined the convoy on a ferry boat with 100 passengers. We were definitely not a priority on the canal. Ships pay millions of dollars in tolls based on weight (water displacement) and we are very light. Therefore, we had to wait for a moderately sized cargo ship small enough to join us in the locks as most ships maximize their space in the locks, leaving as little as 12 inches on all sides of their massive bulk. So wait we did, a lot. Unfortunately it’s just the nature of the beast. Although the locks are fast for shipping, it takes nearly an hour to pass through one lock. We had to traverse three. And we waited and waited. Without question, this is an experience of a lifetime and one not to be traded. However, the ‘half day’ trip was literal. Start to finish was nearly 12 hours, mostly spent waiting. Waiting for the bus to the dock, waiting for our canal captain, waiting for our position in the canal, waiting for our companion cargo ship, waiting for the ship ahead of us to clear the lock (3times), waiting for our bus after disembarking. We estimate 8 of the 12 hours were spent waiting. We strongly discourage anyone from taking a full day cruise and reconsider booking with children as they will bore quickly. Nevertheless, adults wanting to experience sailing the Panama Canal, this was still worth a one time trip. Our guide was exceptional, keeping us well informed on the history and technical details of the canal. He spoke both Spanish and English fluently changing his accent to properly match. Unlimited bottled water and soda was included, as was a hot lunch. Our advice to the tour operator is to replace the hot lunch with a boxed cold lunch. The food had to be kept warm for hours using sterno and warming bags. Food was cold when finally served cafeteria style. It was ‘meh’ and most passengers had to eat from their laps. Final verdict: okay, not great. Take the trip for their generous hospitality and the significance of the traveling through this amazing canal and its locks. If you’re looking to simply see the locks and some big ships, go to the visitor center at the locks and just watch. Glad we did it, but…

Nice walk. Organized. You could have audio in Portuguese.

An absolutely wonderful experience, well narrated by our tour guide. Loved the infinite refills and the air conditioned inside.

Everything was excellent. The guide was super informative about history and practical things concerning the Panama Canal. My recommendation…! Flemming Friis, Denmark

If you choose one thing to do to experience and learn about the Panama Canal, this is your tour! We learned so much from Patrick, the tour narrator, during this canal excursion. You won’t be disappointed If you want to see how the canal really functions. The lunch they provided was good as well!

When I share with friends and family that we actually experienced traveling through the canal, everyone is amazed and intrigued. A bucket list item for sure with a delicious buffet and icy cold air conditioning, we may take the north bound direction when we return to Panama because it was just that good.

The cruise down the Canal was the highlight of my trip to Panama. We were there on a family vacation. The Canal tour was relaxing, informative and an overall wonderful experience. Seeing the operation of the locks up close was awesome! The arrangements were seamless and the staff was very professional. The tour guide was excellent and kept us well-informed throughout the duration of the tour. We visited the Miraflores locks the previous day, however, transiting the Canal and seeing the operation up close, give a far greater appreciation of the engineering feat that is the Panama Canal. I highly recommend this tour.

The tour company was very efficient and provided a great experience. The boat was comfortable, with air conditioned spaces, and provided a constant narrative and the lunch was good. We would definitely use this company again.