Full-Day Fort San Lorenzo and Panama Canal Guided Tour
Overview
Available languages
6 hours
Mobile ticket
Join us on a tour of the lesser visited Fort San Lorenzo on the Caribbean Coast of Panama and the Agua Clara Panama Canal locks. At 7:00am your English speaking driver and tour guide will meet you at your Panama City lodging from where you will continue on towards the Agua Clara Locks, located about 1.5 hours away, on the Caribbean side of the country.
Visitors can take their time here and watch the gigantic ships passing through the locks below. Stroll through the visitor center, watch an informational video, or hike on the nearby rainforest trail. Learn about how engineers were able to raise Gatun Lake, built new locks, and widened existing channels to accommodate the massive New Panamax ships.
At around 10:00am, we continue to the Fort San Lorenzo, arriving by 11:00am. Marvel in the rich history of the well preserved ruins as your guide explains the colorful history of this historic landmark.
At 12:00pm we return to Panama City and will arrive back at your hotel by 1:00pm.
Additional Info
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children 3 and older have their own seats in the car. No booster seats available
THERE IS A SURCHARGE FOR PICK UP AND DROP OFF AT HOTELS OUTSIDE OF PANAMA CITY, SUCH AS TOCUMEN, COSTA DEL ESTE, PLAYA BONITA AND OTHERS. Please select the relevant booking option or kindly send us a message.
What To Expect
Panama Canal
Visit the Agua Clara Locks on the Atlantic side of Panama. At 7:00am your driver will pick you up from your Panama City hotel. Relax and enjoy the 1 hour to 1.5 hour drive until you reach the Atlantic side of Panama, which features the Agua Clara Locks. The observation center offers stunning panoramic views of the Panama Canal expansion, including the three-chambered Agua Clara Locks. From the covered decks visitors can view Lago Gatún as well as the original Gatún Locks; the visitor center also offers a theater with two videos in English, a cafe and gift shop. With no on-site museum, the main focus here is mainly about getting a good look at the Panama Canal expansion. Visitors can hike on a short rainforest trail which is home to sloths, howler monkeys and toucans.
Fort San Lorenzo
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980, Fuerte San Lorenzo is situated at the mouth of the Río Chagres on a promontory west of the Panama canal. Despite its violent history, much of the original San Lorenzo fort is well preserved, including its moat, cannons and vaulted chambers. The fort also commands stunning views of the river and bay far below, which was one of the strategic reasons why the Spanish chose establish here. San Lorenzo was constructed of blocks of cut coral and armed with row upon row of cannons. If you inspect the cannons closely, you’ll notice that some of them are actually British-made, dating from the time in the 17th century when Sir Francis Drake and his privateer crew occupied the fort. After we finish the tour at the fort we head back to Panama City.
Options
Pickup from Panama City
Pickup included
CostaDelEste-SantaMaria PickUp
CostaDelEste-SantaMaria PickUp Pickup included
Pick up from Playa Bonita
Pickup included
What‘s Included
Well maintained, air-conditioned car
English/Spanish speaking driver/guide
Entrance Fee to Natural Reservation ($5 per person)
Panama Canal
Fort San Lorenzo
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
5 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
My tour guild David was...
Jackson,Apr 20, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00My tour guild David was amazing. On our way to the canal we got a lot of history of Panama. Once we got to the Panama Canal, David was informed that a ship was in the process of crossing and so we went straight to the viewing deck. Then Castillo de San Lorenzo Real de Chagres was also fun and informative. David loves history and it showed through his story telling. Also asked about other recommendation on places to eat and he dropped us off any a restaurant that i absolutely loved. Definitely recommend David he is very informative and friendly.
Great tour
235rhondak,Nov 12, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour guide was great. He explained what we were seeing on the way to the canal and the Fort. He was knowledgeable, accommodating and kind.
Excellent tour ocean-to-ocean and back!
PaddyHH72,May 20, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We throughly enjoyed our tour to Fort San Lorenzo. Our excellent guide Oscar was insightful and entertaining throughout our drive to Cristobal. The visits at the fort and the Neopanama canal locks at Gatun were informative and never rushed or overwhelming making time just fly by. We had a fantastic time!
Private Tour Was Worth It
HappyFamily43082,Apr 1, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We booked directly through TAO for a private tour with Mario. Mario provided excellent information and answered our questions about Panamanian life. Our first stop was to visit the monkey islands on Lake Gatum. We did not see any monkeys on the first few islands, but we were successful. My son was able to feed them from his hands with bananas provided by Mario. The other boats visiting the islands had up to 20 guests who were only able to watch a guide feed the monkeys; our experience was so much better! Next, we visited the Agua Clara Locks, which were very interesting. Compared the the Miraflores, the Locks are relatively uncrowded. After stopping at the main visitor center, Mario took us to another stop to see the old bridge. Unfortunately, Fort San Lorenzo was closed for Good Friday, but Mario was able to take us to the mouth of the Chagres River so that we could still see the fort from a distance. We were hungry by mid-day, and he stopped to let us buy snacks. This was a fun day away from Panama City.
Great tour
kevinnromero,May 4, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Last year we explored the Pacific side of Panama and booked various tours. This time around we are exploring the Caribbean side and boy was this a beautiful day away from the city. Our guide Daniel was such an amazing person and made all the difference for this tour. His sweet character and knowledgable explanations of the historical facts of the Canal and the Fort were nothing but amazing. We can highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to explore Panama's history on the Atlantic Coast
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Operated by Tao Travel 365