Miraflores Locks
Container ships lifted twenty-six metres, a few metres from the viewing deck.
Duration
2 hrs – 3 hrs
Best time
By the transit schedule
Open
Every day
Entry price
17.22 USD
The canal is eighty-two kilometres long and works by lifting: ships are raised twenty-six metres to Lake Gatún, cross, then descend on the other side. Each transit uses hundreds of millions of litres of fresh water, which makes the canal dependent on rainfall — drought has cut traffic in recent years.
Miraflores is the lock set nearest the city, with a viewing terrace metres from the gates. Ships pass at set hours: check which direction is running that day, mornings generally being reserved for Pacific-bound traffic.
Getting there
Fifteen kilometres north-west of Panama City, twenty minutes by taxi. The visitor centre has several levels, including a lower terrace level with the locks.
Hours
8am – 6pm, every day
What the price covers
foreign visitor entry, viewing platforms and the IMAX film included. $7.22 from 6 to 12, free below. The balboa is at par with the dollar, which circulates.
What to bring
- 1.5 L of water
- Cap
Rules on site
With no ship transiting there is nothing to see: check the day's transit schedule before you go — it is published. The terrace is in full sun and the wait can run to an hour.
Checked on 30 August 2026 at Visit Canal de Panamá — Miraflores centre
Other places in Panama City
- Casco ViejoThe restored colonial quarter, its iron balconies, and the modern skyline facing it.
- Metropolitan Natural ParkTwo hundred and thirty hectares of rainforest inside the city, with sloths above the trails.
- San Blas IslandsThree hundred and sixty-five islands run by the Guna people, white sand and coconut palms.