Panama Canal Ultimate: 6-Hr Southbound Lock Passage Tour

My husband and I really enjoyed this outing. It was well organized: easy transfer out of the marina on a comfy bus, staff very friendly, yummy lunch on board. The guide was great: he guided us through the whole experience and explained how the locks worked and told us about the surrounding area and the history of Panama. So glad we did this!

I understand there is a process to how the canal works. But, there should be some entertainment. People were falling asleep. No music, no video of the history to watch. All we kept hearing is we will be waiting here for 45 minutes, then move and another 25 minutes.We did more waiting than seeing any action. With the heat, and just sitting and sitting, boring. Staff was friendly.

Well organized, but a rather unanonymous event. The bus-tour, about 1 hr could be used in a better way, inform about the canal or similar.

This is a great way to experience the Panama Canal. We started from Panama City, where a comfortable coach took us to Gamboa Dock where we boarded the Pacific Queen. The seating on board the Pacific Queen is both interior and exterior (where some is undercover, which we needed as it rained on our trip). After leaving Gamboa Dock we sailed through the Culebra Cut. This stretch, just under 9 miles from Gamboa to Pedro Miguel, was excavated by mainly Spanish workers. There is a monument to them in Panama City on the Amador Causeway, which was constructed out of the rock from the Culebra Cut. After the Culebra Cut we experienced our first lock and, as the tour always goes through the lock with a cargo ship, we had to wait for one to arrive. This was when we had our lunch. The wait was worthwhile because it was extremely interesting to watch how the cargo ship (which towered above us) was manoeuvred into the lock behind us. Although it took most of the day, our trip was over all too soon. On our return to Panama City, our pilot through the locks left us and we entered the harbour, where our transport back to our hotel was waiting for us.

We enjoyed the trip on the canal. The bus ride was nice and the interpreter on the boat was knowledgeable and entertaining. The lunch was good too

This was an amazing experience!! The tour guide was super knowledgeable, shoutout to Luis. Going through the locks was awesome and really cool. Even though it’s labeled as a partial tour you should block out the whole day for it incase the locks take a bit. The drive wasn’t bad, AC buses. The boat is great, 2 floors are indoor with AC and the third has great views of everything. The lunch was delicious, chicken with rice and vegetables and a yummy chocolate chip cookie. It was great to have water throughout for free as well.

It is a very good educational tour. We took the southbound tour, lasting 6 hours. They pick you up from hotel and take you via shuttle to Gamboa dock and then take the ferry back to Panama city. Other than going and taking a cruise, there is no other first hand way to experience how the canal works. You are sharing the locks with one big ship and will get to experience everything. It is slow paced but that is not unexpected due to the nature of the tour. The ferry is old but decent size. AC works. Food is ordinary. They should combine this tour with the visit to Visitation center and to watch the IMax movie and or museum to have a complete experience. If you are doing North bound tour (which is conducted every Saturday unlike the southbound tour which is on Sunday), you start very early at around 6 and can finish by Noon. But southbound tour starts at around 10 and then your whole day is occupied. But I am overall glad that we took this tour.

Great experience passing through three locks. Very educational, and the service on the ship was great. They provided a good lunch.

Great tour would recommend! Tour guides were very knowledgeable and friendly. The food was good as well.

This was an excellent tour. Very well run, informative, excellent team that got you from the start to finish with comfort and excellent information. Would recommend it 100%. Worth the price and more. For ease, if taking a taxi or uber to the meeting point, put the Amphora Duty Free Shop as the location.