While the ingenuity of the Panama Canal is world renowned, few know about the amazing history that shaped Panama and this tour invites you to discover it. Enjoy a scenic view of the skyline while traveling to the old Panama City, founded in 1519 and destroyed by the infamous Welsh Captain Henry Morgan in 1671. This scenic excursion takes you to see the ruins of the churches and convents, colonial palaces, bridges and military buildings that attest to the city’s history and grand past.

As you make your way along the coastline, take the opportunity to discover the tales of gallantry and piracy that wait in the narrow streets of Colonial Panama. You’ll walk through the old French Quarter, founded in in 1673 by French colonists. On a leisurely 45 minute walk, you’ll appreciate the many changes of the city by viewing its unique architecture, influenced by a combination of French, Spanish and Italian styles.

Step back in time and visit the Embera tribe who still live in traditional villages within Panama’s rainforest. The tribe is proud to share their culture and traditions with you. Your expedition starts with a transfer by coach to the jungle, while your guide provides you with an overview of Panama and prepares you for your visit with the Embera people. You’ll travel to the village aboard traditional dugout canoes, which were critical in establishing supply lifelines.

As your motor up the river, keep your eyes open for wildlife which is abundant along the water’s edge. Upon arrival at the village, the chief will welcome you with traditional Embera hospitality and a series of dances will be performed for you. The Embera are very talented craftsmen and have produced some beautiful items which are available for purchase as souvenirs of your unique experience. A light lunch is included.

Hop aboard the hemisphere's first transcontinental railroad and see the Panama Canal from the comfort of a deluxe 1938 vintage car. During your journey you’ll travel across the isthmus and see Gatun Lake. Then, visit Agua Clara Locks Observation Center (Expansion Locks) for an up close look at this engineering marvel.

You’ll board your transportation for a short drive to Colon and board this unique train. Reminiscent of the golden age of railway travel, the passenger cars feature luxurious wood paneling, tables, carpeted floors, air conditioning, large windows and open-air viewing decks. You’ll ride in a restored executive rail car with booth seating on one side and rows of two seats with small tables on the other. Your car has a restroom and shares a small open-air observation deck with the dome car and glass dome viewing area.

You’ll leave the Colon station on an approximately one-hour train ride to the Pacific terminus of the Panama Canal, passing Gatun Lake and the dense rainforest. During your railroad journey, your guide will provide commentary on the railroad, history and the canal, as you enjoy a light snack and beverage. Upon arrival in Panama City, you’ll transfer to the Agua Clara Locks Observation Center (Expansion Locks) where you’ll have the opportunity for a close up view.

Hailed as a major feat of early 20th-century civil engineering and one of the most testing building projects ever undertaken, the Panama Canal served to revolutionize global shipping when it was inaugurated after 10 solid years of construction work in 1914. Removing the need to navigate either around the notoriously hazardous Cape Horn in the south of Chile or the equally tricky Strait of Magellan, the 48-mile ship canal provided an easily navigable link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via the Caribbean Sea.

Your trip to this iconic structure begins with a short drive to the waterway’s Expansion Observatory Platform to learn a little about the current construction project that aims to add capacities for a larger shipping lane by building a new and bigger set of locks. This experience at the canal will give you the opportunity to see the former Canal Zone, residential and military facilities that were built by USA at the beginning of the last century. Your fascinating tour of the Panama Canal then comes to a close with your return to the ship.

Experience the full wonder of crossing the Panama Canal by ferry boat on this daylong adventure. You’ll travel by ship's tender to the Gatun Yacht Club to board your transportation for the narrated drive through the isthmus to the small village of Gamboa. Here, you’ll board your ferry for your canal transit through two sets of locks.

You’ll cross the Gaillard Cut and enter the Pedro Miguel Locks, which will lower your vessel 28 feet on its way to the Pacific. Your boat will settle on Miraflores Lake and then you’ll sail over to the Miraflores Locks. Enjoy a light lunch during your scenic cruise of the lake and locks. Your canal experience ends at the port of Balboa where you'll board your transportation back to the ship.

Unwind and enjoy a relaxing boat trip on the Gatun Lake. The lake was formed as a result of the damming of the Chagres River during the construction of the Panama Canal. Wild life abounds in this area, including various species of monkeys, sloths, anteaters, iguanas and exotic birds.

You and your interpretive guide will slowly cruise the back channels, island and bays that make up this unique ecosystem where you’ll discover many of the wildlife residents of the area in their natural habitat. Cameras are a must, as this is considered a premier location for viewing monkeys in the wild. National Geographic, the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet all have filmed documentaries on these islands.

OVERVIEW

Watch a ship pass through the Miraflores locks and gain a deeper understanding of this engineering marvel through an IMAX film that describes the Panama Canal’s operation. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the documentary clearly explains the complexities and challenges of the canal, past and present. Through extraordinary shots from the air, historical re-creations and up-close views of various ships passing through the canal, you will discover just how ingenious the locks are. Amazingly, they operate by gravity without a single water pump. In time, you will drive through the land bordering the canal, an area known as the Canal Zone until Panama assumed control of it in 1999. There you will see Fort Clayton, the former U.S. Army base for the Southern Command Headquarters, and the former Albrook Air Force Base, parts of which have been converted into a high-end commercial and residential area that includes an airport.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Watch an IMAX documentary movie with incredibly detailed footage of the Panama Canal.
• Gain a deep understanding of the canal’s history and the challenges to keep it operating.
• Watch a ship pass through the canal’s Miraflores locks from an elevated terrace.
• Pass through two former U.S. military bases, one for the Army, the other for the Air Force.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

You’ll visit the Miraflores Locks Visitors Center which offers exhibits about the canal operations with interactive modules, video presentations and models of the Panama Canal. Hopefully you’ll also have an opportunity to see a vessel transit the Miraflores Locks’ chambers.

This historical excursion will take you past the former, old Panama Canal Zone where the military installations of the American administration are a gentle reminder of the strategic importance of the area. Your specially trained guide will provide a narration, during your scenic drive of the City of Knowledge, Clayton, Albrook Airport, a former US Air Force Base. A photo stop will be made at the Panama Canal Administration offices.

Enjoy a scenic drive over the palm-lined Amador Causeway with fantastic views of the downtown skyline. This causeway was built with excavated material during the construction of the Panama Canal, it took 18 million yards of solid rock. Originally part of a military base, this is now a popular recreational area with shops, restaurants and a marina attracting locals and visitors alike. A short stop will be made at Fort Amador, before your return to the ship.

Glide through the jungle on an Aerial Tram and see the rainforest from the same perspective as the monkeys and birds do. You’ll travel to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort located within the Soberania National Park for your tram adventure.

Your gondola will take you from the shadowy forest floor, through the under story and high into the sun-drenched canopy. Keep an eye out for the monkeys and exotic birds that make their home here. You’ll also have an opportunity to explore the various resort exhibits, including a butterfly farm, aquarium and orchid garden.

OVERVIEW

See the Panama Canal’s newest, most innovative set of locks and enjoy a panoramic tour of the surrounding area. The Agua Clara locks were built to provide an alternative lane for ships that are too long and too wide to pass through the canal’s original locks. The guide will explain their complex operation in easy-to-understand terms so you can truly appreciate this marvel of engineering. You will also learn some the fascinating history of the land bordering the canal, an area known as the Canal Zone until Panama assumed control of it in 1999. The Amador Islands that you will see just offshore are manmade with rock excavated from the canal when it was dug. Driving through Panama City will present a glimpse into its pre-canal history, as the oldest section was founded in 1519. For centuries, it was the starting point for pack animals to carry cargo across the isthmus to the Caribbean Sea.

HIGHLIGHTS

• View the Aqua Clara locks and learn about their cutting-edge engineering.
• See the attractions in the surrounding area, which Panama didn’t govern until 1999.
• Drive through Panama City for an understanding of its past and vision for the future.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Behold the technologically advanced Aqua Clara locks – which doubled the capacity of the Panama Canal – and become immersed in Panama’s most iconic products while browsing the innovative Brand Experience Center. The Aqua Clara locks were built to provide an alternative lane for ships that were too long and too wide to pass through the canal’s original locks. Although the guide will explain the complex operation of the locks, there is nothing like seeing the locks in action as the massive ships pass through them. You will have that opportunity while standing atop the roof terrace of the Aqua Clara Observation Center. Your experience at the BEC will be just as eye-opening as you can sample many of the brand-name products that define Panama’s heritage and identity. You might enjoy tastings of Boquete coffee – whose beans are grown in mineral-rich volcanic soil – and the country’s national beer, another uniquely flavorful product.

HIGHLIGHTS

• View the Panama Canal’s innovative Aqua Clara locks as massive ships pass through them.
• Learn about the engineering behind the locks, which doubled the canal’s capacity.
• Sample some of Panama’s most iconic products in the Brand Experience Center.
• Spend free time in old town Casco Antiguo, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Explore the ruins of a massive fortress built centuries ago to protect transatlantic trade and view a modern set of locks that have greatly expanded the Panama Canal and increased shipping. San Lorenzo Fort is considered such an extraordinary example of Spanish military architecture that UNESCO deemed it a World Heritage site. While walking through the ruins, you will see old cannons aimed over the sea, earthwork battlements, underground tunnels and rooms that were prisons. All the while, the guide will describe the history of the fort, dating back to 1595 when King Phillip II ordered its construction to protect the mouth of the Chagres River. Visiting the Aqua Clara Visitor Center will be equally enlightening as you will learn how the newest locks there enable much larger ships to pass through the Panama Canal. The three-chambered Aqua Clara locks are marvels of engineering and look especially impressive when seen from the center’s observation deck.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Walk through the ruins of a Spanish-built colonial fort that is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Admire the sweeping views of the Chagres River from the strategically located fort.
• See the Panama Canal’s newest locks, which were built to accommodate much larger ships.
• Learn about the cutting-edge engineering behind the Aqua Clara locks.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.