How to Visit the Panama Canal: Everything You Need to Know

Wondering how to visit the Panama Canal? This guide shares the best way to see the Panama Canal from all three viewpoints – both independently and with a guide.

One of the unmissable things to do when visiting Panama City is to visit the Panama Canal. It’s on every to-do list and itinerary.

Synonymous with Panama, it’s an engineering feat that has to be seen in person to be believed.

To be honest, I’m not usually that interested in visiting or seeing engineering marvels, but I was completely blown away by the size, power and ingenuity of the Panama Canal.

Looking down on the huge torrents of water flowing through the locks and the massive steel doors that slam shut to control the flow of water, it’s hard not to be impressed.

I was so impressed with the Panama Canal that we visited not one but two of the three viewing areas.

To help you plan your visit so you can also be awed, read on for my tips on the best way to see the Panama Canal. I’m including information on how you can visit each of the viewing areas either independently or with a guide, depending on your preference.

A brief history of the Panama Canal

Today we know the Panama Canal as a handy shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This saves vessels around two weeks if they were to navigate all the way around the tip of South America, and avoids the perilous Cape Horn and Drake Passage.

But the idea of a canal was first floated (pun intended) way back in the early 1500s by Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, the Spanish explorer.

Despite the early idea, it wasn’t until the 1800s that the French made attempts to create a canal – all of which failed.

During those failed attempts, it’s estimated around 22,000 people died, mostly due to diseases like yellow fever. (A further 5,000 died during the later construction period.) The French abandoned the project in 1889.

In 1904, the United States took control and construction was underway in earnest. The canal was officially opened in 1914, but it wasn’t actually handed over to Panama until 31 December 1999.

In 2007, the Panama Canal expansion project began, designed so the canal could handle today’s megaships. The project aimed to double the capacity of the canal by adding a new shipping lane, and increasing the width and depth of the locks so that larger ships could pass through. The first commercial operation through the expanded canal was in 2016.

How does the Panama Canal work?

So how does the Panama Canal work exactly?

In very simple terms, ships enter into a lock and gates close around it, making a watertight chamber. Water flows in to fill the space, causing the ship to rise up to the water level of the next lock.

Once the ship is at the right water level, the gates open and the ship transits to the next lock and the process begins again.

When you visit the Panama Canal, you’ll have a chance to see all of this in action – and right up close.

The canal’s three lock systems control the flow of water, lifting and lowering the water level to allow ships to pass through from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, and vice versa. These locks are required because the Atlantic and Pacific oceans are at different levels.

The Miraflores Locks raise and lower ships 16 metres, the Pedro Miguel Locks 9 metres, and the Gatún Locks raise and lower vessels 26 metres.

As the ships pass through the locks, they must relinquish control to a pilot from the Panama Canal Transit Authority. This is one of the few times this ever happens on a ship!

The amount of fresh water that is flushed into the sea as each ship passes through is staggering: 100 million litres. Did I say per ship?

Ships are designed and built to fit through the canal – and with the now-completed expansion, larger ships are being built. It takes 8-10 hours for boats to transit through the 80-kilometre-long Panama Canal, and about 15 minutes to pass through each lock. Around 13,000 tankers, container ships and cruise ships pass through the canal every year.

For the most part the Panama Canal is a two-way street, but there are sections that are too narrow for ships to pass each other, so there’s a tight schedule to manage this. Ships pass from north to south for 12 hours a day and then the direction changes for the next 12 hours.

Every ship that passes through must pay a toll. The largest toll ever paid was almost $4 million by a Japanese shipper who wanted to jump the queue. The lowest toll ever paid was a mere 36 cents in 1928 by adventurer Richard Halliburton who swam the canal.

How to visit the Panama Canal

To see this incredible sight in action, you need to head to one of the three locks along the canal:

• Miraflores Locks – closest to Panama City, this is the busiest of the three locks and how most people tour the Panama Canal. On site is a modern visitor’s centre with videos showing the construction of the Panama Canal. This is the best and easiest way to visit the Panama Canal.
• Gatun Locks – located in Colón, about 80 kilometres from Panama City, these locks receive fewer tourists.
• Pedro Miguel Locks – while these locks can’t be visited, they can be seen from the highway.

If you’ve got a bit of time, you could consider a Panama Canal cruise to see all three locks. It’s not something I’ve had the chance to do yet, but cruising through the Panama Canal is on my bucket list!

Several companies offer partial transit options that go through only one or two locks. This boat cruise is southbound, while other boat tours are northbound. Or go all the way and book a full transit of the Panama Canal.

How to visit the Miraflores Lock

The easiest way to see the Panama Canal is to visit the Miraflores Locks.

It’s got a great museum with several exhibitions that share a heap of Panama Canal facts, an IMAX theatre, a restaurant and three observation terraces that overlook the canal.

Of course, with all these facilities and its proximity to Panama City, it is also the busiest of the three locks.

The best time to visit the Panama Canal is between 9am and 11am and from 3pm and 5pm when ships are more frequent. Around 11am the Panama Canal changes direction, which takes some time, so there’ll be no ship sightings at this time. You can view the schedule online or call ahead to confirm.

While the thought of watching a ship pass through a lock may not sound exciting, trust me when I say that I was completely in awe of this incredible sight.

During our visit to the Panama Canal we joined the crowds along the windswept terrace and gazed down upon the gushing water and huge ships passing through. It was impressive, but it certainly wasn’t intimate. So, read on for what I think is the best way to see the Panama Canal!

Miraflores Locks Cost

B/.17.22 for non-resident adults (around US$16.92).

Opening hours

The Miraflores Locks visitor centre is open daily (including holidays) from 8am until 6pm.

How to get to the Miraflores Locks

A drive from downtown Panama City will take around 45 minutes, whether by private car, taxi or Uber.

Alternatively, you can take any Paraíso or Gamboa bus from the Albrook Bus Terminal. Get off at the Miraflores Locks sign. Bus rides in Panama City are very affordable and, since the crazy Diablos Rojos buses (red devils) were abolished, safe and easy to use.

The city’s hop on and hop off bus also has a stop at the Miraflores Locks.

How to visit the Gatún Locks

After visiting the Miraflores visitor centre, we decided to see another side of the canal, and boarded the Panama Canal Railway bound for Colón, located on the Atlantic Ocean.

The glass-domed train is a two-hour round trip, and the journey to Colón is a picturesque journey along the canal.

Before I go on, it’s worth mentioning that Lonely Planet once described Colón as “best avoided” and capable of sending “shivers down the spines of hardened travellers and Panamanians alike”.

We had no problems while we were there, and I didn’t feel unsafe, but our driver did surreptitiously show us the gun he kept in his glove box (although he wouldn’t tell us if he’d ever had to use it before).

He also cautioned us against travelling alone, and was very reluctant to drop my female friend and me off at the bus stop by ourselves after we’d finished visiting the Panama Canal. While I had my suspicions about his motives, and guessed that he would have preferred to keep us scared so we’d continue to use (and pay for) his services throughout the day, I’m not going to argue with a big guy with a gun.

Having painted that wonderful picture, I would still strongly urge everyone to visit these locks. The train ride there is spectacular and the viewing area is so much quieter than the Miraflores Locks.

The Gatún Locks – only about 10 minutes by car from the train station – were amazing. We were the only people there, and the viewing platform was so close we could almost reach out to touch the vessels inching past, each barely centimetres from touching the sides of the lock.

The Agua Clara Visitor Centre at the Gatún Locks has a projection room showing a historical video, a coffee shop, restaurant and a children’s area.

We got the full treatment from the man in charge. He told us the history of the canal, showed us the records of some of the ships that had passed through that day, and explained how the pilot system works (a ship captain has to hand over control to one of the Panama Canal pilots, who guides the vessel through the entire length of the canal – it’s the only place in the world where this happens).

Cost

B/.15 for adults and B/.10 for children 6 to 12 years. Free for children under 6 years of age.

Opening hours

The Agua Clara Visitor’s Centre is open daily, including holidays, from 8am until 4pm.

How to get to the Gatún Locks

The best way to get to the Gatún Locks is via the Panama Canal Railway, which runs between Panama City and Colón. Tickets are around US$40 per adult. You’ll then need to take a taxi from the station to the locks. Negotiate to get the best price!

Note that the train runs Monday to Friday only.

Tour companies can organise day trips, such as this tour to the Gatun Locks from Panama City.

How to visit the Pedro Miguel Locks

The Pedro Miguel Locks does not have a visitor’s centre, but you can get a good view of the activity at the locks from the car park and the highway.

This is the cheapest way to see the Panama Canal, although you’re not going to have the same experience as you would at the other Panama Canal locks. You really can’t see a whole lot.

Cost

Free

Opening hours

24 hours – there’s no visitor centre (see above)

How to get there

The Pedro Miguel Locks are a 10-minute drive from Miraflores.

The best time to visit Panama City

Located in the tropics, Panama City has a balmy year-round temperature of 24°C to 29°C (75°F to 85°F).

The best time to visit Panama City is from mid-December to mid-April during the summer dry season. Of course, this is also the high season with more tourists and higher prices.

Humidity is high, particularly during the wet season. During the wet season, from May to early December, you can expect plenty of short-lived downpours throughout the day – but you’ll still be able to get out and about to see the city.

How to get around Panama City

It’s fairly easy to get around Panama City, with plenty of transport options:

• Taxis are plentiful and cheap. Negotiate with the driver before you get in, as taxis don’t have meters.
• Uber is thriving in Panama City. It’s just as simple to use as in any other major city in the world.
• Panama City has an extensive bus and metro system that is cheap and easy to use.
• The city also has a hop on hop off bus that makes stops at the major tourism attractions.

Where to stay in Panama City

By far the best area to stay in Panama City is Casco Viejo (also sometimes referred to as Casco Antiguo). It’s full of beautiful old buildings that are a stark contrast to the skyscrapers of Panama City.

Recommended accommodation options in and out of Casco Viejo include:

• W Panama brings the hotel’s usual hip luxury and great dining and bar options (Calle 50 and Aquilino de la Guardia). Check prices and availability.
• The American Trade Hotel has the bonus of a swimming pool – perfect after wandering the streets all day (Plaza Herrera). It’s in a beautiful building. Check prices and availability.
• Tantalo Hotel is a hip boutique hotel with a happening rooftop (Calle 8 Este con Avenida B). Check prices and book your room online.

Safety in Panama City

A lot of people ask me: Is Panama City safe to visit? I can only speak to my experience, and we felt very safe and had no issues.

Considered the most modern city in Central America, you can stay safe in Panama City by following a few precautions:

• Only use the yellow licensed taxis.
• Don’t wander around at night, and don’t stroll into unknown neighbourhoods alone even during the daytime.
• Be careful with your cash and only carry with you what you need.
• Keep your eyes on your belongings at all times.
• Don’t flash around your expensive camera and phones.
• Don’t carry your passport around with you, take a copy instead.
• If something does happen, don’t fight back! Valuables can be replaced, your life cannot.

Have you visited Panama? Did you visit the Panama Canal when you were there? Leave your best tips for visiting the Panama Canal in the comments below!

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