Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. There are three real places to watch ships pass through the Panama Canal, and which one makes sense depends on which side of the country you are on and how much time you have. This is a guide to picking the right one and getting there; for how the lock system and the mules actually work, and the century of history behind it, see our separate guide to the Panama Canal itself .