Panama Canal Locks and City Tour

Start your day with a hotel pick up and a warm up introduction to the inner workings of the Panama Canal en route to the Miraflores Locks Visitors’ Center. Once there, you’ll be able to not only witness the process of ships being raised from sea level to 16m (54ft), but also make sense of it all thanks to the Visitors’ Center interactive displays.

After that, we make our way back toward the city through the former US Canal Zone. Meanwhile, your guide will take your questions about what you saw at the locks and fill you in on the general history of the area.

We stop at the Balboa Artisans’ Market where you can browse through a variety of handicrafts made by the local Kuna, Emberá, and Wounaan people (and other assorted souvenirs, something for everyone).

From there, we move on to the Amador Causeway, a key breakwater that protects the Canal’s Pacific entrance where you’ll learn of its historic importance, all the while getting a great panoramic view of the city’s skyline and the Canal’s entrance, spanned by the Bridge of the Americas.

Depending on everyone’s appetite at that point, we choose a place for lunch (not included), or leave that for later and head into the 17th century Casco Viejo (Old Town) for a guided tour of some iconic historic landmarks and some insight into the historic background that ultimately led to Panama’s independence and the construction the Panama Canal.

Finally, we’ll share some present-day insight into the city, answer last minute questions, and drop you at your hotel or any other spot in the city that you’d prefer (within reason, of course).