Miraflores Locks Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience the Miraflores Locks. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Panama Canal & City Tour in Half Day: Old Town & City Views

• Half Day of Panama City and Canal Tour: Shared and Private

• Private Group Layover Panama Canal & City Tour

• Panama City's Top Tour

• Private City Tour + Canal + Old Town + Amador + 360° Views

Tickets to the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center for non-residents cost US$17.22 for adults and US$7.22 for kids aged 6–12. Discounts are given to Panamanian residents and to people with a registered disability. Guided tours with exclusive access to behind-the-scenes areas of the locks cost an additional US$200.

Yes, the Miraflores Locks are worth visiting if you want to see how the Panama Canal operates and aren't taking a boat through it. The visitor center at the Miraflores Locks is the best place to learn about the history and engineering of the canal, with its IMAX theater, and it also offers great views of ships passing through.

Per one customer who booked the Panama Canal & City Tour in Half Day: Old Town & City Views, "We really enjoyed our tour with guide Roberto. We took the morning tour and arrived at Miraflores just before they opened at 8. We were the first to get tickets and got great spots to watch the cargo ship transit the first lock. After the canal, Roberto gave us great info (in both English & Spanish) about the 5-mile exclusion zone all around the canal."

The Miraflores Locks are one of the three sets of locks built on the Panama Canal. These locks enable vessels to pass to and from the Pacific Ocean. The Miraflores Locks are open for visitors to view the ships passing through; there is also a visitor center on-site.

Visitors go to the Miraflores Locks mainly to watch the ships pass through the Panama Canal. There is a viewing deck, terrace, and bleachers where visitors can watch the ships. Visitors can also explore four halls of exhibitions and watch a 3D movie in the IMAX theater.

Yes, the Miraflores Locks is a popular Panama City attraction suitable for all ages, including families and younger children. The youngest kids will enjoy seeing the ships rise and fall, but be aware that crossing between the locks is a relatively slow process requiring patient viewing.

A tour of the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center takes approximately an hour and a half, but spending up to three hours at this attraction is relatively easy. The visitor center has four exhibition halls showcasing the Panama Canal’s history and an IMAX theater screening a 3D movie about the Panama Canal.

Ships pass through the Panama Canal around the clock, but the Miraflores Locks Visitor Center and its observation areas are only open during daytime operating hours. The best time to visit to see ships passing through is early when the Visitor Center opens and within a few hours before it closes.

The Miraflores Visitor Center has a small concession area where visitors can purchase snacks and drinks. These light fare options are mainly meant for consuming while watching the vessels pass through the locks. There is no formal cafe or restaurant on-site that serves full meals.

There are tons of fun things to do when you're done visiting the Miraflores Locks. According to travelers, these are some of the top attractions in Panama City:

• Panama Canal

• Casco Viejo

• Amador Causeway

• Bridge of the Americas

• Gatún Lake

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in Panama City.