The tour starts as we pick you up at your hotel and be taken to the Pier at the Causeway. You will board our fully equipped ship and set sail towards the entrance of Panama Canal on the Pacific Ocean. Take a moment to admire the Bay of Panama and Panama City’s splendorous skyline before you pass under the Bridge of the Americas.
The Panama Canal partial transit tour begins entering the Miraflores Locks where the vessel is raised 18 metres above sea level in two distinct steps. You will then enter Miraflores Lake, which is a small artificial body of fresh water that separates Miraflores from Pedro Miguel Locks. Next, you will enter Pedro Miguel Locks, which is the second set of locks on the Pacific side, and here the vessel is raised 9 metres in one step. After exiting the Pedro Miguel Locks, you will be able to view the new Centennial Bridge which crosses over the Canal.
You will then enter the south end of the Gailard Cut where the Chagres River flows into the Canal. The Gailard Cut (also known as Culebra Cut because its curves resemble a snake) is one of the main points of interest for visitors because it was carved through the Continental Divide and this section of the Canal is full of history and geological value. The tour continues as you travel the Cut's 13.7 kilometres on the way to Gamboa Dredging Division. As you transit the Cut you will be able to appreciate the continuous maintenance that this area requires, because it is very susceptible to landslides.
You will disembark at the Gamboa Dredging Division where you will board motor coaches for a 45-minute to one hour ride back to your hotel.