Ocean to Ocean Combo: Canal Boat Ride, Locks, Fort San Lorenzo
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
This unique tour of the Panama Canal goes from the Pacific to the Atlantic ocean as you see the canal from the water and by foot. An exciting boat ride down the canal will introduce you to the transiting ships as well as the abundant wildlife on its shores, followed by a visit to Fort San Lorenzo and the new Agua Clara Locks.
This is not a TRANSIT tour, we wont travel by boat inside the locks.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
The tour starts in a very remote area and there will be no access to public restrooms around 9am
Vegetarian and vegan option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required.
Minimum age is 3 years
If you will be staying at a hotel area that is not on the list, please contact your local operator prior to booking your tour
This tour is in ENGLISH only, we cannot run the tour in 2 languages without the tour quality being compromised.
Not recommended for travelers with walking problems or other serious medical conditions.
No Wheelchair accessible
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Panama City
This tour begins with hotel pickups starting at 6:10am. I know it sounds crazy to get up so early on your vacation, but you will thank me for it later. Starting this early we can beat the crowds and see more wildlife in cooler temperatures.
Panama Canal
We will ride along the waters of the Panama Canal right next to the ships passing through on their way to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Our destination is Gatun Lake, where we will cruise around islands created during the canal construction and see the abundant wildlife on its shores.
What‘s Included
Panama Canal boat ride (90 minutes)
Professional guide
Bottled water
Entrance fees
Transport by air-conditioned minibus
A traditional Panamenian lunch is provided ( Rice, chicken, bean, plantains and salad)
Hotel pickup and drop-off (select hotels only)
Gratuities
Due to heavy traffic, no free pickup from hotels located near Amador Causeway, Clayton (City of Knowledge) Playa Bonita. Separate transportation for the an extra charge
Playa Blanca, or Rio Hato, Metromall, Arraijan or Tocumen Airport need to arrange own transportation
This is not a TRANSIT tour, we wont travel by boat inside the locks.
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Central Area Hotels 6:30am
From 6:30 Pick up &Drop off : For Hotels/Airbnb located in Central Panama City Areas. Pick-ups start at 6:30am.
Pickup included
Outside Panama City Areas 6am
Pick up and Drop Off 6am: Pick up starts at 6:00am from areas as Playa Bonita, City Of Knowledge, Amador Causeway, Panama Canal, Costa del este.
Pickup included
Reviews
1,632 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Best tour I have ever been on!
Leigh M,,Jan 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This has been the best tour I have ever been on. Our guide John was very informative and knowledgeable about everything we saw and did. Got up close and personal with lots of wildlife without encroaching on their territory. Would recommend this tour to all?
This tour is a must!!
SmittyD70,,Jan 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was one of the most fun, informative and interesting tours I've ever been on. The tour operator kept us informed of our pickup time from the Airbnb and the driver arrived on time. The tour guide was knowledgeable of the country of Panamas as a whole and especially of the locations we visited. The tour was timed so that the container ship.we saw when we were in the boat on Monkey Island was the same ship we got to.see passing through the locks at the Panama Canal. Expert timing at its best 👌. For the entirety of the ride in the tour vehicle, John, our guide, kept dropping knowledgeable of the areas we passed through. I highly recommend this tour. 10 out of 10.
Top event
MS360,,Dec 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Top organized - good guide and worth every dollsr. Info in advance by the operator. Just experienced a great day
I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone coming to Panama.
Stay36500531502,,Dec 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00What an incredible, interesting tour! Our guide, John, was loaded with information (a human encyclopedia, but with a great delivery and engaging way of explaining things). He was very nice, great with questions, and easy to talk to. I don't typically take time to write reviews after tours, but this one was definitely worth sharing my thoughts about. John is a combined historian, naturalist, and engaging public speaker. I could see him narrating natural history tours for a social media outlet of some sort. Later in the week, we actually ran into John in Panama City - a city of 1.5 million people, and he recognized and remembered us! Beyond the actual tour, he also gave us a number of great recommendations for additional things to do and places to eat in the city after our tour.
Excellent adventure
Ernesto R,,Dec 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The adventure was the best, the attention from the guide was excellent, it is highly recommended, because it is an unforgettable experience.
Great day with John!
gburr94,,Dec 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We enjoyed our experience on this tour! John is very knowledgeable about the different segments of the tour and about the history of the country. The tour was very well timed. We managed to see the same ship we passed on the river go through the Agua Clara Locks! 😀 We highly recommend this tour. Big up yuhself John 🇯🇲!
15 year old was unimpressed; the rest of us recommend
Anne G,,Dec 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We were picked up at 6 a.m. as promised. Everything went smoothly all day. In our case, we were transferred from the pick-up van to a bus with about 12 other people, though the bus picked up a couple after us. The guide was in good humor, spoke English well and was cheerful about answering questions. Plenty of bathroom stops (Gamboa Hotel is beautiful; we also stopped at a convenience store, and there were bathrooms at the locks and San Lorenzo). Water bottles were handed out; lunch were as promised. The day was long, so taking the tour was efficient: we would not have been able to do as much separately with a rental car, plus the bus saved the stress of driving and parking. The boat ride to see the monkeys was somewhat long IMO, but we did see a lot, including a monkey up close, some gibbons, some bats and an ants' nest. The Miraflores locks visitor center and San Lorenzo are both very worthwhile for the right audience (not my 15 year old). If you are interested in seeing details of the canal locks and won't mind that the Spanish fort is mostly ruins, this is a great trip.
Enjoyable but not amazing
Road26489064115,,Dec 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00The experience was pretty good although not sure why the lauditory reviews. The boat ride and visit to the locks were both informative and fun. The trip to San Lorenzo was eh -- the views were nice but probably not worth the extra drive. The experience was a bit expensive overall.
Must do- loved it!
marinebiolove22,,Dec 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00MUST DO. We had an excellent time! Prompt pickup in the AM, comfortable bus, a good size group of 14 (not too big). John was awesome- keeping an eye on everybody, spotting wildlife, great facts and history with visuals (photos and videos). We really like the monkey island tour- we would’ve loved to stay out there longer. This company is very RESPECTFUL of wildlife- not feeding or touching! I was relieved. You could tell John really cares about the country and wildlife. The canal was cool to see and John was prompt about timing when ships would be there so we could see the canal in action. Lunch was delicious. The fort was cool to see and we had just enough time there (most of our group was done before us ready to head back). Drive times between stops were manageable and perfect for naps. I think the tour was well planned out. Customer service was excellent!! I thought we weren’t going to be able to do the full tour and settle for the half day but thanks to them managing email well, I got a swift response and help getting what we wanted. It was a fun long day and we got to see everything! Highlight was a mamma sloth and baby hanging by the road that we got to get out and see. Highly recommend to all.
Excellent Exploration of the Panama Canal
Gita P,,Dec 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent Tour. Our guide, Daniel, was very knowledgable about the animals and the places we visited. The canal boat tour from Gamboa was excellent... seeing the ships that were going to go through the locks, boating towards the islands and seeing the wildlife, and the amazing jungle all around. Then, traveling to Colon to the Agua Clara locks and finally an authentic local lunch and exploration of the San Lorenzo Castle were additional highlights. Unfortuneately, we had a tire blow out on the highway... and the driver and Daniel handled it calmly and within 30 minutes we were on our way back. Great tour and guide! A must for new timers to Panama City!
From US$135.00
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