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Panama

Grit and Glory: Exposing the Panama Canal

Program No. 9901RJ
Learn the story of the Panama Canal as you journey through this feat of engineering, get close-up views of the new locks and visit historic sites during explorations along the canal!

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Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Jan 15 - Jan 20, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Jan 22 - Jan 27, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Jan 26 - Jan 31, 2024
Starting at
2,099
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

Feb 5 - Feb 10, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Feb 19 - Feb 24, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Feb 23 - Feb 28, 2024
Starting at
2,099
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

Filling Fast!
Mar 1 - Mar 6, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Mar 8 - Mar 13, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Apr 8 - Apr 13, 2024
Starting at
2,099
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

Aug 19 - Aug 24, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Sep 23 - Sep 28, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Oct 14 - Oct 19, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Oct 21 - Oct 26, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Nov 11 - Nov 16, 2024
Starting at
2,299
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Nov 16 - Nov 21, 2024
Starting at
2,099
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

Jan 10 - Jan 15, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Jan 17 - Jan 22, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Jan 24 - Jan 29, 2025
Starting at
2,149
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

Feb 7 - Feb 12, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Feb 14 - Feb 19, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Mar 7 - Mar 12, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Mar 14 - Mar 19, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Apr 4 - Apr 9, 2025
Starting at
2,149
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

May 9 - May 14, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Aug 22 - Aug 27, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Sep 19 - Sep 24, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Oct 3 - Oct 8, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Oct 17 - Oct 22, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Nov 7 - Nov 12, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Dec 5 - Dec 10, 2025
Starting at
2,149
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Jan 15 - Jan 20, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Jan 22 - Jan 27, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Filling Fast!
Jan 26 - Jan 31, 2024
Starting at
2,519
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

Feb 5 - Feb 10, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Feb 19 - Feb 24, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Feb 23 - Feb 28, 2024
Starting at
2,519
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

Filling Fast!
Mar 1 - Mar 6, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Mar 8 - Mar 13, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Filling Fast!
Apr 8 - Apr 13, 2024
Starting at
2,519
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

Aug 19 - Aug 24, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Sep 23 - Sep 28, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Oct 14 - Oct 19, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Oct 21 - Oct 26, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Nov 11 - Nov 16, 2024
Starting at
2,749
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Nov 16 - Nov 21, 2024
Starting at
2,519
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

Jan 10 - Jan 15, 2025
Starting at
2,829
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Jan 17 - Jan 22, 2025
Starting at
2,829
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Jan 24 - Jan 29, 2025
Starting at
2,569
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

Feb 7 - Feb 12, 2025
Starting at
2,829
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Feb 14 - Feb 19, 2025
Starting at
2,829
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Mar 7 - Mar 12, 2025
Starting at
2,829
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Mar 14 - Mar 19, 2025
Starting at
2,829
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Apr 4 - Apr 9, 2025
Starting at
2,569
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

May 9 - May 14, 2025
Starting at
2,829
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Aug 22 - Aug 27, 2025
Starting at
2,829
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Sep 19 - Sep 24, 2025
Starting at
2,829
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Oct 3 - Oct 8, 2025
Starting at
2,829
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Oct 17 - Oct 22, 2025
Starting at
2,829
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Nov 7 - Nov 12, 2025
Starting at
2,829
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Full Canal Transit from Panama City to Colon.

Dec 5 - Dec 10, 2025
Starting at
2,569
Itinerary Note

Please note this departure has a Partial Canal Transit from Panama City to Gamboa.

At a Glance

The Spanish thought about it. The French drew plans for it. In the end though, it took a revolution, technology, money, determination and grit to complete the Panama Canal. On this unique journey, traverse the canal by boat and learn about the epic struggle to carve a nautical shortcut from one ocean to another. Learn about the canal’s construction and its impact on world history, commerce and medicine.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Walking and standing for up to 90 minutes at a time in hot, humid weather. Getting on/off a boat, ascending/descending steps, no wheelchair access.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Learn about the history of the Panama Canal during exclusive boat transit.
  • Witness the workings of the busy Miraflores and Gatun Locks and the Alajuela Dam.
  • Admire the eclectic architecture of Casco Viejo—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—during a walking exploration of its cobblestone streets.

General Notes

The group size for this popular program is limited to 52 to make our exclusive Panama Canal Transit possible.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Edwin Miranda
Edwin Miranda left Panama as a teen and lived in the U.S. until completing university. Once back, he worked as an administrative civilian on military bases in the Canal Zone, and trained and worked as a birding leader at the Canopy Tower. For close to twenty years, he was part of the operational staff in the Panama Canal’s ship lock processes. Edwin now works for the Canal as an expert and instructor, providing technical and historical education to visitors on land and aboard transiting ships.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Edwin Miranda
Edwin Miranda View biography
Edwin Miranda left Panama as a teen and lived in the U.S. until completing university. Once back, he worked as an administrative civilian on military bases in the Canal Zone, and trained and worked as a birding leader at the Canopy Tower. For close to twenty years, he was part of the operational staff in the Panama Canal’s ship lock processes. Edwin now works for the Canal as an expert and instructor, providing technical and historical education to visitors on land and aboard transiting ships.
Profile Image of  Jaime Robleto
Jaime Robleto View biography
Jaime Robleto is an authority on all things regarding the Panama Canal. For almost twenty years, he worked for the Canal Authority, educating students and international visitors. This included boarding cruise ships to narrate the transit and provide historical and technical facts. He has collaborated with the Universidad de Panama on curriculum updates for their bachelor’s degree in historical and cultural tourism. Jaime has a sociology degree from the Universidad Santa Maria la Antigua and studied tourism through the Panamanian Tourism Bureau.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Captain and the Enemy
by Graham Greene
Graham Greene returns to classic themes of mystery, deceit and espionage in this accomplished short novel, his 23rd and last book, set in Panama.
Panama Wildlife Guide
by Rainforest Publications
This handy 14-panel fold-up card features expert color illustrations of dozens of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles.
Emperors in the Jungle, The Hidden History of the U.S. in Panama
by John Lindsay-Poland
A history and expose of U.S. military adventures and incursions in Panama, from the building of the Panama Canal, to a decades-long Army program of chemical weapons testing, and an analysis of the 1989 invasion.
How Wall Street Created a Nation: J.P. Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt, and the Panama Canal
by Ovidio Diaz Espino
An intriguing look into the treachery, behind-the-scenes financial wrangling and Roosevelt-era dollar diplomacy that resulted in both the Panama Canal and the establishment of Panama as an independent nation.
National Geographic Panama
by Christopher Baker
Award-winning travel writer and photographer Christopher Baker introduces the history, nature and attractions of Panama, thoroughly illustrated in National Geographic’s style.
The Monkey's Bridge, Mysteries of Evolution in Central America
by David Rains Wallace
Opening this absorbing account of the history and biogeography of the Central American isthmus with the tale of Columbus, Wallace often weaves his own travels in the region with a crisp overview of exploration, nature and evolution. Natural history buffs and ecologically minded travelers will appreciate this valuable resource.
A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama
by Nova (Director)
This Nova program, narrated by David McCullough (The Path Between the Seas, CAM32), covers the epic 30-year construction of the Panama Canal. With historic film footage, rare archival photographs and commentary.
Panama Fever, The Epic History of One of the Greatest Engineering Triumphs of All Time: the Building of the Panama Canal
by Matthew Parker
Parker's epic historical adventure shows all the politics, power and bravado of building the fiercely contested route across Central America.
A Brief History of Central America
by Hector Perez-Brignoll
A good overview of the region’s economic, political and social history through the 1980s by a professor at the University of Costa Rica. Well-written, informative and concise.
Tropical Nature
by Adrian Forsyth, Ken Miyata
Two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists offer a lucid portrait of the tropics through 17 marvelous essays that introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rainforests.
Panama Adventure Map
by National Geographic
With natural areas, attractions and two inset maps of Panama City. 1:475,000.
The Birds of Panama
by Robert Dean, George R. Angehr
Created for the field, with range maps, illustrations and descriptions on facing pages.
Portrait of the Panama Canal, from Construction to the Twenty-First Century
by William Friar
Featuring 60 color and 10 archival images, this photo-essay includes contemporary and archival photographs of the Panama Canal as well as a short history.
Panama Canal by Cruise Ship
by Anne Vipond
This outstanding guide to the Panama Canal and popular ports of call in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America features a mile-by-mile guide to the transit, a history of the building of the canal and a detailed pullout map.
The Tailor of Panama
by John Le Carre
Set in Panama, this thriller by master storyteller John Le Carre includes spymasters, corrupt officials, arms manufacturers and other unsavory types.
Culture Smart! Panama
by Heloise Crowther
This practical guide to local customs, etiquette and culture is concise and well-illustrated.
The Building of the Panama Canal in Historic Photographs
by Ulrich Keller
These archival photographs tell the story of the people who built the Panama Canal, the engineers who designed it and the changes wrought on the landscape through its construction.
Redeemers, Ideas and Power in Latin America
by Enrique Krauze
Jose Marti, Octavio Paz, Eva Peron, Che Guevara and Hugo Chavez all get a chapter in this illuminating history of political thought in modern Latin America. 12 thinkers in all.
Latin America in Colonial Times
by Matthew Restall
This scholarly primer considers the history of the continent from the arrival of the first Conquistadors in the 16th century to the dying embers of empire 300 years later, giving equal weight to the histories of the colonial rulers, the African slaves brought over to work in the New World and the indigenous groups whose lives and lands were forever changed by conquest.
The Path Between the Seas
by David McCullough
A great story, admirably told in vivid, page-turning detail, this is the one book to read on the creation of the Panama Canal.





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