Panama Canal Full Transit Tour
4.5
Panama Canal Full Transit Tour
By Panama Marine Adventures
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About
Discover the Panama Canal and its remarkable 20th-century engineering, on this tour that takes you all the way from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. Traverse the entire Panama Canal in one day; navigate the Miraflores, Pedro Miguel, and Gatun Locks; and enjoy spectacular views of Gatun Lake, Culebra Cut, the Chagres River, and Barro Colorado Island. Travel by small boat from Panamá City and return by bus from Colon.
Please Note: The exact check-in or pick-up time will be confirmed the day before your tour via email. Please make sure you check your inbox.
from per adult
S$280.37
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 180 per group
Duration: 12h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Spanish
More
Highlights
- Cruise the Panama Canal: travel through three famous locks
- Magnificent views and wildlife sightings around Gatun Lake
- Breakfast, lunch, and return transfers from Colon included
- Hassle-free pickup and drop-off from your Panama City hotel
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Professional guide
- Snacks in the afternoon
- Unlimited sodas and waters
- Bus transportation from Colon back to Panama
What's not included- Alcoholic beverages onboard
- Start:
- Panama Marine Adventures Tour Office, WF6H+JM3 Flamenco Island, Panamá, PanamaLocated behind the Duty Free, next to the PANAMA sign. Please Note: The exact check-in time will be confirmed the day before your tour via email. Please make sure you check your inbox.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 32283P2- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Most travellers can participate
- Please Note: The exact check-in or pick-up time will be confirmed the day before your tour via email. Please make sure you check your inbox.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 180 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 32283P2
Reserve your spot
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- WF6H+JM3 Flamenco Island, Panamá, PanamaLocated behind the Duty Free, next to the PANAMA sign. Please Note: The exact check-in time will be confirmed the day before your tour via email. Please make sure you check your inbox.
- 1Our 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.Pass byBridge of the AmericasPanama CanalCentennial BridgeBarro Colorado IslandGatun Lake
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- ABIODUN D0 contributionsOnce in a lifetime experience.IMAX video doesn't do this experience any justice. From the locks to the transfer of water, it's just memorable. The sights you see on the boat that are not visible from the shoreline are great.Written 26 August 2024
- melissahelland10 contributionsHighly recommendI truly believe this was an adventure of a lifetime to say I traveled on a boat through the Panama Canal:). I loved this experience so much. The reviews from others are correct in that yes it’s a long day. However the experience is again so worth it. My husband and I met a van near our hotel where we drove 45 minutes-1 hour to the boat. I will say the only negative part was at that point there’s one person scanning your ticket and no lines so people were pushing and shoving to get their tickets scanned. Then two people put wrist bands on and you walked onboard. Definitely need an obvious checkin point with more than one scanner. The food for lunch (chicken, sausage, salad, rice) was very good. You could purchase beverages. Edwin the boats announcer was phenomenal! He gave so much history and knowledge in both Spanish and English flawlessly and was so great. It made the trip much more lively. Once completed the van took us back to the hotel— very easy. Time total was about 6.5 hours but again highly recommend!Written 12 August 2024
- petermO5327UP0 contributionsMemorable tripPanama Canal southbound boat trip was memorable. Very scenic. Going through the locks was awesome. Well coordinated tripWritten 7 August 2024
- balamuc0 contributionsUnique experienceIt was a unique experience! The boat could use some improvement.. food was pretty basic and minimal and they run out of drinks which were not included anyway. We had to buy drinks from the boat next to us. Plan for a long day.Written 1 June 2024
- Axnaus0 contributionsPassing through the Canal LocksWe wanted a canal tour that took us through the locks instead of observing from land. We asked around and did online research. Our hotel staff referred us to PanAmazing, as did another source we asked. We used WhatsApp to correspond and arrange payment. We learned that our hotel pick-up time would be 5:30 am, so we knew to get to see relatively early in Friday night. Victor met us outside hotel, ad arranged, and made sure we had our color-coded wristbands. He later met us by the ticket area for the return trip to our hotel. Victor was very nice and his van is quite comfortable. The cruise itself was extremely informative and pleasant. Breakfast and lunch were served buffet -style in a very organized manner. The multilingual tour "emcee" was wonderful with details galore plus opportunities for 1:1 engagement. After going through 3 sets of locks over the course of several hours, we arrived at transfer point. There, we transitioned from boat to bus, which gave interesting views of the canal zone buildings, some still being used and others abandoned. The fellow passengers and staff were very nice and conversational. We returned to hotel before 2 pm and we're able to relax before going out for dinner.Written 28 May 2024
- Tony H0 contributionsWeekend stop over b4 epic fishingCrew was great. The food was ok had good knowledgeable people explaining the history of the canal and met wonderful people from all over the world.Written 26 May 2024
- I9609YCjoanr0 contributionsNot happySome friends went and some of us could not because of getting sick. But what upsets me is that they were not to put a charge on the credit card until day of trip. It was put on my friends credit card 2 days prior to the trip and then they would not give her a refund when we tried canceling that morning. The ones that went said they were not given any tickets when arriving to take tour. There was noone around, just told to get on boat. They liked the tour, but why was my friend charged before she was supposed to be? That's very sad that a company would take advantage of people like that. So when signing for these tours be very careful because we had to pay $150 for not going. 😪👿Written 29 April 2024
- BegoniaB0 contributionsInteresting but departure time was not scheduled wellThe canal was interesting, the boat comfortable and the food was good. I give my reviews only 3 stars because the picked us up at 9:00 am and by 10:00 am we were already at the boat and we had to wait until noon to depart. We ended up waiting another 2 extra hours for a big ship to reach the locks so we could pass but that's not the tour's company fault. What was supposed to be a 6 hours tour ended up being a 10 1/2 house tour.Written 1 April 2024
- Geo89_120 contributionsBreathtaking is an understatement!Highlight of my trip to Panama was traversing the canal on the Pacific Queen. We lucked out as it was a very busy day on the canal and our tour was full of boats going through the lock. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience. The boat crew was nice, drinks and lunch was also great. Tour might be a bit expensive but it’s definitely worth it.Written 13 March 2024
- NPCerto0 contributionsA Canal DayOur excursion left and returned on time. All of the onboard help were polite and helpful. The ship we were on was comfortable and the food wasn't bad! The tour highlights were the proximity to huge ships making the transit with us and the history of the place. Its long and there are downtimes waiting for ships to move but theu weren't unpleasant. One warning - our ship was just a little more than half full and it felt crowded at times. A full ship might be a real drag.Written 11 March 2024
- ad220430 contributionsPanama Canal TourIf you want to see the Panama Canal this was an excellent option, just be aware that the amount of time it takes is out of control of the tour companyWritten 9 March 2024
- Passport604551749890 contributionsLoved itJust what you should expect- guide was helpful- staff very friendly- on canal time so cannot be in a hurry- a great bucket list experience.Written 4 March 2024
- Jane51820140 contributionsWell worth time!Fabulous experience. Up front and personal with cargo vessels..amazing engineering challenge. Well organized service pickup. Great narrator on board.Written 2 March 2024
- Meander6783300 contributionsMemorable time in PanamaThanks to the guide, who was witty and knowledgeable, we learned a great deal about Panama! We recommend that trip to everyone who wants to spend a few pleasant hours on the boat and learn at the same time!Written 25 February 2024
- bipsychle0 contributionsMash to PeaceAll good. Typical mash of people on the upper deck at the start, but it quieted down. I would do the tour again. Beautiful experience.Written 24 February 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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Lev740
Sacramento, CA105 contributions
Dec 2022
Panama Canal, Fuerte Amador tour
On December 28, 2022 the Emerald Princess arrived to Panama Canal. We were asked to be at the meeting point at 6:30am. Main buffet breakfast area was scheduled to be opened at 6 am, so we went for the abbreviated breakfast on the deck five to the International Cafe. It is a very small 24 hr counter service area with just one person trying to serve a long line growing with every minute in order to be on time for the 6:30 am tour meeting time.
Passengers were not informed that the main breakfast area was already opened earlier than 6 am. So, we made in time for the shore excursion just to wait for another 43 minutes before entering the tenders for about twenty-five minutes ride to the shore. It took about 1.5 hours driving in air conditioning bus to reach to canal observation Center. Bus moved swiftly on a very modern two lane each way highway with speed limit of 110 km/hr.
We spent about 1.5 hr. at the new locks observation Center,
watched 10-minute short video and observed one container ship passing from Atlantic to Pacific side of the canal.
On the way back to the ship our guide provided a bottle of water to each passenger.
To summarize: about 3.5 hrs. total driving time for about 1.5 hr. of learning and watching canal operations.
Some passengers felt that it was too much driving for about 1.5 hours of sightseeing, but it was right for us and our two teenagers.
Next day during cruise passing the Atlantic set of locks we observed same but this time from the board of the cruise ship.
Good Travels.
On December 28, 2022 the Emerald Princess arrived to Panama Canal. We were asked to be at the meeting point at 6:30am. Main buffet breakfast area was scheduled to be opened at 6 am, so we went for the abbreviated breakfast on the deck five to the International Cafe. It is a very small 24 hr counter service area with just one person trying to serve a long line growing with every minute in order to be on time for the 6:30 am tour meeting time.
Passengers were not informed that the main breakfast area was already opened earlier than 6 am. So, we made in time for the shore excursion just to wait for another 43 minutes before entering the tenders for about twenty-five minutes ride to the shore. It took about 1.5 hours driving in air conditioning bus to reach to canal observation Center. Bus moved swiftly on a very modern two lane each way highway with speed limit of 110 km/hr.
We spent about 1.5 hr. at the new locks observation Center,
watched 10-minute short video and observed one container ship passing from Atlantic to Pacific side of the canal.
On the way back to the ship our guide provided a bottle of water to each passenger.
To summarize: about 3.5 hrs. total driving time for about 1.5 hr. of learning and watching canal operations.
Some passengers felt that it was too much driving for about 1.5 hours of sightseeing, but it was right for us and our two teenagers.
Next day during cruise passing the Atlantic set of locks we observed same but this time from the board of the cruise ship.
Good Travels.
Written 27 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Inspiration746797
6 contributions
It was a great opportunity to go through the canal. Once in the lifetime.. But we were not able to enjoy it. The boat was overcrowded, the food was without any taste, at the last 2 hours the toilets were broken . We were not able to hear most of the information the guide was telling. He was very knowledgeable and answered all the questions. But due to the loud crowd did not hear anything. I wish there would be smaller group trips as well. Was well organized, picked up right on time and dropped off at the hotel door.
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ruth M
5 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
My husband and I took the tour on April 20, 2024. The night before the departure, the tour operator sent an email to let us know what time we would be picked up from our hotel. The driver arrived on time and the ride in the van to the ship was comfortable. When we got on the ship, we selected a table on the second deck that had a window. That is a perfect spot as the ship has airconditioned and we were not out in the hot sun. Once we were underway, we were called for breakfast based on the color of our wristbands. This prevented everyone from coming at one time. The same process was used for lunch and an afternoon snack. The food was very good! Water and soda were included also. The bathrooms were cleaned and stocked. The narrator did an excellent job of explaining all the magnificent sites along the way. The employees on the ship were very friendly also. I thoroughly enjoyed going through the locks. It was amazing! This was a bucket list adventure for me!! Once we got to Colon at the end of the cruise, buses were waiting for us and we boarded based on the color of our wristbands. The bus ride was comfortable. Once we arrived back to the port in Panama, our van driver was waiting and took us back to our hotel. It was a perfect day without rain! I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to experience the Panama canal up close and personal.
Written 23 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maya
Norfolk, UK434 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
Book direct with Panama Marine Adventures and you receive efficient concise information and instructions, keeping you updated.
The tour is a very long day and yes you could could find it boring (as other reviews), there are 6 locks in total to go through and they take a long time each. However, we found the whole experience so interesting as there are variations (maybe in front or behind a huge ship), plus guide commentary always adds more information. Our guide (over tannoy speaker) was excellent and very informative and knowledgeable about the Canal. Do not expect all the history, go to the Canal Museum in Casco Viejo for that. Of course lovely scenery too. The more you experience as you go along, the more you see, the more questions and our guide anticipated most!
Food onboard is more than than adequate, quite decent too. There is a cash bar for beer/ wine.
My only disappointment was that on return, we are coached back (about 4 coaches for all pax) to the Amadour marina (where we alighted the boat), where the many smaller buses are waiting to take us to the specific hotels. It means almost an extra 45 minutes as it is quite a distance, also as it is a weekend, there is a lot of traffic on the Causeway in the evening. Of course it is understandable why they do this, just a pity there is not a closer location to the City.
Tip: If you are staying in Casco Viejo (old city), they easy to take the pick up bus that stops at American Trade Hotel.
The tour is a very long day and yes you could could find it boring (as other reviews), there are 6 locks in total to go through and they take a long time each. However, we found the whole experience so interesting as there are variations (maybe in front or behind a huge ship), plus guide commentary always adds more information. Our guide (over tannoy speaker) was excellent and very informative and knowledgeable about the Canal. Do not expect all the history, go to the Canal Museum in Casco Viejo for that. Of course lovely scenery too. The more you experience as you go along, the more you see, the more questions and our guide anticipated most!
Food onboard is more than than adequate, quite decent too. There is a cash bar for beer/ wine.
My only disappointment was that on return, we are coached back (about 4 coaches for all pax) to the Amadour marina (where we alighted the boat), where the many smaller buses are waiting to take us to the specific hotels. It means almost an extra 45 minutes as it is quite a distance, also as it is a weekend, there is a lot of traffic on the Causeway in the evening. Of course it is understandable why they do this, just a pity there is not a closer location to the City.
Tip: If you are staying in Casco Viejo (old city), they easy to take the pick up bus that stops at American Trade Hotel.
Written 30 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jonneyrocket
Ann Arbor, MI2 contributions
Feb 2020
Tour guide Gus was excellent. Took time to answer everyone's questions, even difficult customers. Trip was long, but that was expected by the description and other reviews. Tour had enough going on during the whole trip that not once was I bored enough to read the book I brought along. My favorite part was seeing Lake Gatun and the geography in that area. Locks became monotonous after seeing the first one, but I had to do the full trip to say I did. Boat and Busses were nice.
Written 10 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SOR
3 contributions
Sept 2022
I had a great day transiting the entire Panama Canal! Everything went very smooth and exactly as promised in the description of the tour. September might be a good month to do it, as the boat was not at all full. Also, ¾ of the people got off at Gamboa having done the partial transit, and for the last part of the tour we therefore had plenty of space and great views. Both the food (pasta and pesto with a green salad on the side and a cookie for dessert) and the service were good.
The best part was without a doubt the guide’s comments! Edwin was extremely knowledgeable and provided loads of interesting information both on the history of the canal and of its present-day operations. It also seemed he could answer every possible question. He spoke loud and clear and was easy to follow in Spanish as well as in English.
Highly recommend the excursion!
The best part was without a doubt the guide’s comments! Edwin was extremely knowledgeable and provided loads of interesting information both on the history of the canal and of its present-day operations. It also seemed he could answer every possible question. He spoke loud and clear and was easy to follow in Spanish as well as in English.
Highly recommend the excursion!
Written 22 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GobblerFan
Cuero, TX3 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
This is a great family trip. Food was excellent. The boat has plenty of room to move around and go into a covered area when needed during the periodic rain showers. I took my teenage children and elderly parents and no complaints by our entire group
Written 19 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pchristmas01
Henley-on-Thames, UK2 contributions
Feb 2020
Great trip with very entertaining and informative guide. The only problem was a few people hogging the front of the boat and not stepping aside from time to time to allow others to see .An announcement to ask people to do that may have helped or asking people to go round and stop for a few minutes to take pictures and then move along ilke they do for the crown jewels at the Tower of London. I am talking hours not minutes!
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DMHKH
Minneapolis, MN17 contributions
We went on the full day tour of the canal & the locks & we absolutely amazed at the engineering marvel. It was everything and more than we could have asked for. Our tour guide, JC, was fluent in both English & Spanish and was informative, funny and so kind. The food was average, but the helpings were good sized and the entire crew was great. We would highly recommend this
Written 11 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Flyer826264
12 contributions
May 2023
Wonderful experience, everything was great, the food, the boat, the pick up back and forth to the hotel was punctual, Jose who spoke during the full 12 hours was knowledgeable and friendly. Plenty of room to move from the upper deck to seating inside when you wanted air conditioning. Girls working the snack bar were always available, clean restroom.
Written 24 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear that you had a seamless and enjoyable experience on our Panama Canal tour. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another memorable tour in the future!
Written 12 June 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
hola, en Abril vamos 7 adultos y 2 niños y queremos pasar bien, y para eso contamos con vuestra experiencia. Sobre todo par que los niños no se aburran. Nos interesa saber el tiempo de
recorrido total??
a que hora inicia?? y el almuerzo es recomendable para niños??
como puedo hacer las reservas ??
gracias
Written 31 January 2022
Hola , quiciera hacer este recorrido en una embarcación privada. Es esto posible?
Written 30 October 2021
Hello, Is the canal open for visitors the week of June 6, 2021? What attractions are and are not open during this time.
Written 3 June 2021
Do you have limited weekends? We will be in Panama Feb 6, 2021, however this date is not available for reservations.
Written 31 October 2020
What area around Lincoln are you from ?
Written 1 December 2019
Hi, we will be staying at the Hilton Panama in Panama City do you pick up from there? and drop off? it will be 2 adults thanks
Written 28 September 2019
Hi, we will be staying at the Hilton Panama do you pick up from there? and drop off? it will be 2 adults thanks
Written 28 September 2019
During the registration process, you’ll see the list of the hotels they can pick you up from.
Written 29 September 2019
Buenas tardes. Qué nivel de seguridad brindan a los turistas que abordan en el crucero completo, ej: chaleco salvavidas. Gracias!!!
Written 2 July 2019
Is it possible to get glutenn free meals?
Written 5 February 2019
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