Suez Canal

The canal runs 193 kilometres from Port Said on the Mediterranean to Suez on the Red Sea, cut at sea level with no locks because the two seas are close enough in height, using the chain of lakes along the isthmus to save digging. It opened in 1869 after ten years of work and it carries a large share of world container traffic, with a second parallel channel opened along part of the route in 2015 to let convoys pass. For a visitor the appeal is peculiar and specific: from the towns and the ferry crossings, enormous ships appear to move through the desert, sliding past palm trees and streets at a few knots with no water visible from some angles. Convoys are scheduled, so the traffic comes in waves rather than continuously.

What you actually see

• Ships crossing the desert - hulls above the bank with no water in view.
• Convoy passages - the scheduled waves of traffic rather than a constant flow.
• Free ferry crossings - short trips over the channel between convoys.
• The bypass channel - the parallel cut opened in 2015 for two-way traffic.

When to go

October to April for comfort. Convoy times shift, so ask locally in the morning for when ships will pass. A day allows a crossing and a good watching session. Ismailia and Port Said are the easiest viewing towns.

Honest expectations

Photography is restricted along much of the canal and near port installations, and cameras draw official attention; take advice locally. There is no dedicated visitor infrastructure and no viewing platform. If you arrive between convoys you may wait hours to see anything. The banks are largely closed to the public.

Nearby

Ismailia is at the midpoint; Port Said and Suez sit at the two ends.