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I visited Panama with a friend in June 2023. Since we only had one full day in Panama, we decided to book Panama Canal & City Tour in Half Day: Old Town & City Views. Here’s what the experience was like, and whether I think the tour was worth it.
Panamá Sign
We started at the colorful Panama sign along the Amador Causeway. It’s a classic photo stop with great views of the skyline, but the stop felt a bit long because the tour gave people time to browse nearby shops.
Monumento a Goethals
A symbolic tribute to George Washington Goethals, the chief engineer of the Panama Canal. It fittingly sits next to the Panama Canal Administration Building. We had a brief photo stop, but it was meaningful with explanation from the guide.
Panama Canal
This was the highlight of the tour. There are two main visitor centers for the canal: Miraflores on the Pacific side, and Agua Clara on the Atlantic side. Miraflores Visitor Center is the most popular, and where the tour took us.
We began with a short IMAX video (narrated by Morgan Freeman!) explaining the mechanics. It’s essentially a massive system of water elevators:
- The Lift: Locks raise ships from sea level to the level of Gatun Lake (26 m / 85 ft above sea level), an artificial lake formed by damming the Chagres River
- The Transit: Ships travel 53 km / 33 miles across the lake for 3 to 4 hours
- The Drop: The process is reversed on the other side
Miraflores is the final stage for ships exiting to the Pacific Ocean (or the first for those entering from it). After waiting some time for the water level to shift, we watched a massive freighter leave the canal up close! It was so cool to see the engineering marvel in person right after learning about how it works.
Plaza de Francia
A historic landmark dedicated to the French effort to build the canal. It was sad to hear the story of Suez Canal builder Ferdinand de Lesseps’s stubborn insistence on building a sea-level canal that resulted in over 20,000 workers dying from diseases like yellow fever. Hearing that history with views of the Pacific and the canal entrance nearby made the engineering achievement of the Panama Canal feel even more impressive.
Casco Viejo
We ended with a stroll through the cobblestone streets of Casco Viejo, Panama City’s UNESCO-listed historic district. Our guide told us more about Panama’s history while pointing out iconic landmarks like the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Hat Street. Apparently the Panama hat is actually from Ecuador! It was misnamed because Theodore Roosevelt famously wore one while visiting the Panama Canal in 1906.
Verdict
Overall, we had a great time. It was really helpful having a guide to ask questions to at the Panama Canal. The additional stories and surrounding history also made all the stops way more interesting. I would’ve loved to also visit Agua Clara Visitor Center given how cool the Miraflores one was, but that would require a full day tour. If you only have limited time in Panama City, this half-day tour is one of the easiest ways to see the Panama Canal and the highlights of the city without planning everything yourself!
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