Panama City

Panama Canal Partial Transit Boat Tour

Panama City, Panama
Panama Canal Partial Transit Boat Tour
  • 5 to 6 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Travel through the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks of the Panama Canal on this 5- to 6-hour boat tour from Panama City. Experience how the locks work firsthand aboard a boat; tour includes refreshments and a buffet lunch.
  • Family friendly
  • All entrance fees included
  • Buffet lunch included
  • Travel by boat and see the sights from the water

What's Included

  • Lunch
  • Water
  • Soft drinks
  • Coffee and/or Tea
  • Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Amador Causeway
    Calz. de Amador, Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama

    We have 3 starting points. At the time of your reservation we will tell you which one you should go to.

Start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

Opening hours

  • 5/18/2024 - 5/19/2024
  • 5/25/2024 - 5/26/2024
  • 6/1/2024 - 6/2/2024
  • 6/8/2024 - 6/9/2024
  • 6/15/2024 - 6/16/2024
  • 6/22/2024 - 6/23/2024
  • 6/29/2024 - 6/30/2024
  • 7/6/2024 - 7/7/2024
  • 7/13/2024 - 7/14/2024
  • 7/20/2024 - 7/21/2024
  • 7/27/2024 - 7/28/2024
  • 8/3/2024 - 8/4/2024
  • 8/10/2024 - 8/11/2024
  • 8/17/2024 - 8/18/2024
  • 8/24/2024 - 8/25/2024
  • 8/31/2024 - 9/1/2024
  • 9/7/2024 - 9/8/2024
  • 9/14/2024 - 9/15/2024
  • 9/21/2024 - 9/22/2024
  • 9/28/2024 - 9/29/2024
  • 10/5/2024 - 10/6/2024
  • 10/12/2024 - 10/13/2024
  • 10/19/2024 - 10/20/2024
  • 10/26/2024 - 10/27/2024
  • 11/2/2024 - 11/3/2024
  • 11/9/2024 - 11/10/2024
  • 11/16/2024 - 11/17/2024
  • 11/23/2024 - 11/24/2024

    Saturday : 07:00 AM - 10:00 AM

    Sunday : 06:00 AM - 07:00 AM

  • 11/30/2024 - 11/30/2024

    Saturday : 06:00 AM - 07:00 AM

  • 12/7/2024 - 12/8/2024

    Saturday : 07:00 AM - 10:00 AM

    Sunday : 06:00 AM - 07:00 AM

  • 12/14/2024 - 12/15/2024

    Saturday : 06:00 AM - 07:00 AM

    Sunday : 07:00 AM - 10:00 AM

  • 12/21/2024 - 12/22/2024

    Saturday : 06:00 AM - 07:00 AM

    Sunday : 07:00 AM - 10:00 AM

  • 12/28/2024 - 12/29/2024

    Saturday : 06:00 AM - 07:00 AM

    Sunday : 07:00 AM - 10:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Tour may be canceled by the Panama Canal Authority, due to weather conditions, for the safety of passengers. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
  • All passengers must contact us one day before the tour to reconfirm the exact time of check in, as the time may vary. Departure Time: Generally the tour departs in the morning between 6:00am and 10:00am, although it is the Panama Canal Authority who assign the exact departure times for the ships. It is for this reason that we request passengers to email us the day before you tour so that we can confirm the exact time of your tour. Departure times do vary, and the Canal Authority communicates to us one day in advance the axact time of our scheduled departure.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 200 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Featured review
Don_K
The trip was very Educational and informative. We now have a better appreciation for Panama and the Canal. JC was very knowledgeable about not only the canal but Panama and its history The services were great Highly recommend this tour to everyone.

Reviews

3.5
63 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
0
0
0
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 63 reviews
Reconnect
Claude_I, Jul 2021
I enjoyed receiving the information about the locks. Oscar, my guide had a wealth of knowledge. He had so much information to share. I wish I had more time with him.
Do not ever use this company - worst ever!
Sheila_S, Dec 2020
In over 20 years of traveling abroad and touring, this was the worst experience ever. My friend and I were scheduled for this tour on Sunday and we called the tour operator on Friday to confirm this tour was still scheduled (due to COVID) and our pickup time from the hotel. He told us to email him on Saturday for pickup time - no mention of cancellation. I emailed him twice, sent messages via the Viator link twice, and texted him once. (My phone showed a read receipt so I know he got the text.) At no time did I even get the courtesy of a response. I called Viator for assistance and their representative was unable to reach the operator either. On Sunday morning when noone from Ivantours Costa Rica Panama came to pick us up, we checked Viator to find that availability for this date was crossed off. By this time we couldn't even plan a different tour for the day. We understood the tour might be cancelled; just let us know. Finally, when we requested a refund, the operator sent a message several days later, "we are very sorry we were unable to reach you". Seriously???
Super smooth
malin, Jan 2020
Everything whent super smooth. From very early pick-up to drop off before noon. Food was plentyfull and okay. Guide J.C was exellent!
Panama Canal partial transit boat toue
Resort797386, Jan 2020
The tour, while it lasted was very good. But the logistics and the company's empty promises regarding hotel pick up and drop off are unacceptable. I urge Viatour to look into it and not recommend this company any longer. Although it promises pick up and charges for it, it asks you to get a cab and then wait for over an hour, enough time to do the pick ups as all other companies have done. Their excuses are lies.The drop off is an unacceptable lie and behavior of the company employees. The guide and driver tell you to get the bus, I told the drive the hotel, the guide told me to go to the drop off bus. However a company employee got on the bus in the city and told me to get off, he was rude and reckless.he wanted me to get off under the freeway in a dangerous area telling me that that is the adresa of the hotel as if I cannot read street names and do not know where I stay. In that dangerous location where he was trying to get rid of me there was no taxi stand. I told him forcefully to drop me off at a taxi stand by a reasonable hotel. It was night and I am a solo woman traveler, who paid much more $ 184.00 than people with pick up and drop offs, who only paid $130.00. The company employee forced me to get off at a hotel with no taxi stand and mocked me showing me a busy road and telling me those were taxis. The road was very busy. I had to beg the reception to find me a cab and they offered me a ride at 4 times the price, $10.00 for a few minutes ride in what they said was a hotel cab, but I wa thankful as I was very scared to be left alone in the middle of an unknown city at night.The company owes me money for these empty rpmoses they have charged me for, namely hotel pick up and return drop off. It also owes me a huge apology and has to fire the employee who was rude, reckless, an: unacceptable, endangering my life and runining what otherwise would be a good day. Viatour, you should research the companies you recommend and not use this company ever again! The company should return all the money for the disaster they created.
Response from Host, Jan 2020
I'm sorry, but we are not the company you describe. Please ask for the name of the company with which you hired the tour and also remove this publication. We are sorry for your bad experience, but it has not been with us. Thank you
An up close experience at the Panama Canal.
Donald_D, Dec 2019
We enjoyed the small boat tour through the two sets of locks on the Pacific side of the Canal. Went through the old locks trailing larger ships, saw the new locks but did not go through them. Pros: see the locks and fixtures up close, very good narration, pick up at and return to our hotel. Cons: Very early (5am) start required to meet the Canal schedule, food was passable but not inspired. This is a very good way to learn about and experience the Panama Canal.
Add it to your Bucket List
DRBillJ, Nov 2019
Everything about the trip was fun. Even with rain the trip was excellent. The breakfast and lunch were not great but this experience is not about the food. Every aspect of the trip is well orchestrated.
This was a disappointment. After a...
MaryLou_H, Apr 2018
This was a disappointment. After a lot of research, we went with this particular tour to satisfy three generations of interest in the Panama Canal. While I am glad we all saw and experienced the Canal together, the tour itself was such a let down. I know things are slower in Panama than in the US where we were visiting from. And I know it is a long wait for boats to go through the canal. But I have experienced really well run tours in slower paced countries. This wasn't that. We waited endlessly on the bus more than once. There was no education history about the Canal or what we were about to see. There was no video. There was no passion for what was happening. Just droning on about how it's not his fault. These people have clearly led the tour and dealt with visitors for too many years. It showed and we felt it. Once we did get on the boat, the food and drink and boat itself are all fine. But again, the bland voiceover and lack of engagement with the visitors made this such a disappointment. And a very very expensive disappointment. I'd find another option. Maybe a half day. Maybe a different company. Maybe a private tour with a guide who cares and can make your visit meaningful and memorable.
The trip was very Educational and...
Don_K, Jan 2018
The trip was very Educational and informative. We now have a better appreciation for Panama and the Canal. JC was very knowledgeable about not only the canal but Panama and its history The services were great Highly recommend this tour to everyone.
While the Canal of course is very...
Florian S, Jan 2018
While the Canal of course is very impressive the tour was spoiled by the constant chatter of a very, very annoying tour guide who talked and talked and talked... and all that extremely loud vial 15 big speakers that hang in every corner on every floor of the ship. Not good!
After a slow start due to canal...
Allan P, Jul 2017
After a slow start due to canal traffic, the trip lived up to my expectations. I would recommend it.
Wonderful experience. The only...
Vera Lucia de O S, Jun 2017
Wonderful experience. The only problem is it takes too long, on a very hot and crowded ship, making it tiring for everybody. Panama Canal, however, is marvellous and the locks deserve to be known. The lunch offered is very good, simple food, but well prepared and plentiful. Lots of water bottles, but the soft drinks are of very poor quality. The tour guide is attentive and knowledgeable and is ready to answer your questions. We left our hotel at 9 o'clock and only arrived back at six PM, very tired.
This tour is great. You get right...
James J, Apr 2017
This tour is great. You get right down to the operation of the Canal and see everything that happens. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and the tourboat uses Bose speakers so you can hear everything. However, prior to the tour, contacting the tour operator is almost impossible. The do not respond to emails and no one answers the phones.
Being able to take a boat on the...
Catherine N, Feb 2017
Being able to take a boat on the Panama Canal and experience going through the locks is a must when in Panama. The tour we participated in was ok. The boat, crew and food on the boat were all great. The guide did a wonderful job, however, the speaker system only worked on part of the boat so if you weren't on the one level, you missed everything he said. There is so much to know about the canal so missing the information is unfortunate. The other problem we had is we were told to meet at this one place at 8:30 am. We arrived that morning and ended up waiting until about 10:30 before we took off. We rode on the bus to the boat launch area which took about another hour. Personally I would have preferred to have taken a taxi to the boat launch area and meet up with our group there. Eliminate the 2 hours of waiting around. Once we got on the boat the rest of the tour went fine. I understand that tours are at the mercy of the canal authority as far as departure times but there were certainly things in the schedule that could change to make it much more efficient.
This tour gave us a really good...
David_F, Nov 2016
This tour gave us a really good overview of the Panama City and the most interesting sites. Ed, our guide, was very knowledgeable and most of all very engaging and had a great sense of humor. The traffic in and around the city is horrendous in the early morning and late afternoon so we got picked up at 10am which really made the travel easy and fast between sites giving us more time to explore. I recommend Ed.
Muy buena
olopez1157, Jun 2022
Excelente recorrido. Una experiencia extraordinaria, yo en lo personal estaba muy curiosa de cómo ver el funcionamiento del canal
Genial una de las mejores...
Andres C, Sep 2017
Genial una de las mejores experiencias q puedes tener al pasar el canal de panama no solo lo ves pero experimentas lo q es pasar por las exclusas genial 5 estrellas ademas q la tripulacion es atenta y entretenida
el recorrido excelente, para...
HUGO T, Aug 2017
el recorrido excelente, para instruirse en el Canal de Panamá. El guía excelente y con muy buen sentido del humor. Recomiendo el Tour.

From $220.00

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

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