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.
Extra passenger - Minimum age to participate is 3 years
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
1,725 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Highly recommended
Andy S,Apr 17, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent day trip. They were on time, highly efficient, it was a great trip end to end. Really enjoyed the lunch they prepared. The boat tour was brilliant, got to see monkeys and other wildlife. I would definitely recommend this trip
Canal and the boat experience on the lake
Roam13597340466,Apr 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The best experience ever. John was great, he knew a lot from the site and he carefully explained every important detail. The food was delicious and we were able to see bunch of animals and places. Highly recommended.!!!!!
Ocean to Ocean is an amazing day trip
Carmen M,Apr 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide Daniel was very knowledgeable about all things Panamanian. History, politics, culture, cuisine, plants and animals - he explained everything so well. It was a great way to spend the day. Any rain we had was while we were on the bus, so we lucked out there. The monkeys on the islands in Gastun Lake were a bit shy on our tour but a few came up and through the boat for a closer intriguing look. The rest just played in the trees which was fun to watch too. The locks we visited were the new locks on the Atlantic side at Agua Clara near Colon. Amazing engineering! The Fort lookout was a great way to end the tour on the Atlantic side of Panama before returning to Panama City. We highly recommend Daniel and his team!
John was an amazing...
Neida D,Apr 11, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00John was an amazing guide. He does a great job of supplementing his talk track with visuals, which we found very helpful and interesting. He was calm, organized, and a true subject matter expert.
100% worth it. John was...
Elizabeth H,Apr 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00100% worth it. John was an amazing tour guide. Manuel got us safely and effectively to every destination.
Tour of canal and San Lorenzo fort
P2823UTbrianm,Apr 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00John Acosta was a wonderful guide - very experienced and knowledgeable on all aspects of modern, pre-colombian, and post colombian history. Would very much recommend this tour.
Awesome tour – great guide & wildlife
Sophie L,Apr 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic Ocean to Ocean tour with Panama Day Trips! Pickup was right on time (they email you the exact time the night before). The Gatun Lake boat ride was a highlight—we saw a crocodile, multiple monkeys, birds, iguanas, and even a sloth from afar. Quick tip: first bathroom/snack stop is right after the boat tour. The Panama Canal locks were really interesting—we watched ships entering and leaving (we stayed about 1.5 hours, which I enjoyed). Lunch was a delicious traditional Panamanian meal, and Castillo San Lorenzo had great views (just be ready for the heat!). Our guide, John, was amazing—funny, knowledgeable, and made the day even better. Highly recommend this tour!
Solo traveler forced to pay double : (
Fatin Z,Apr 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00I have two separate parts of my review. Please read both, as they are vastly different. THE TOUR COMPANY: It's absurd that you can't just buy a ticket for one person. The minimum purchase was set at 2 tickets. As a solo traveler, I was forced to pay double the price. And I contacted the tour provider several times over several days in several different ways (through the Viator app, WhatsApp, email and text!!) asking if they would allow me to just book one ticket. No response! I finally gave up and bought two tickets and was then inundated with lengthy and disrespectful automated text messages from Christina, the company host! The text included paragraphs about irrelevant info (like how to get to the city from the airport) and was insulting to the locals (calling taxi drivers "scum of the earth"!). Despite the extraordinary length of the text, the message didn't actually give me details about pick-up info! Christina's text said that the tour provider also owns a restaurant and that they could be contacted for questions. So I stopped at the restaurant to ask follow-up questions about pick-up details. They brushed me off and told me they had no way of contacting the travel hosts. The overall experience with Christina and the tour company was extremely frustrating. Their communication was horrible and their 2-ticket policy is absolutely garbage. If I could rate this portion of the tour, I would give zero stars. THE TOUR ITSELF: This was incredible and one of my favorite activities during my visit to Panama. Our tour guide and driver were extremely kind, knowledgeable, and engaging. They were easy to talk to. Their English was perfect and they answered all of our questions well. The tour exceeded my expectations. I expected to see animals and saw everything I hoped to see (mostly because the guide knew exactly where to go to get the best views!). I wanted a boat ride on the Panama Canal, and that part of the trip was amazing. We got up close to large cargo ships, which we later saw going through the Agua Clara locks! The drive was more than comfortable, and our guides stopped a few times to show us special things. The Agua Clara locks were better than the Miraflores locks! There was no crowd and the viewing area was much better than the Miraflores visitor center (although the movie at Miraflores was much better and longer). We had a homemade lunch that our guides picked up along the way, which felt like it was prepared with love by someone's abuelita! Since it was hard to find traditional Panamanian food in the Casco Antiguo area where I stayed, it was wonderful to have a traditional meal. It was simple, filling, a true cultural experience, and delicious. And we ate that lunch in a picnic area in the rainforest, which was also great. Finally, we visited the San Lorenzo Fort, which was a nice place to explore and learn about some of Panama's pirate history. Then a bus ride back and drop offs at the local hotels. Overall, it was exceptional. If I could rate just this portion of the tour, I would have given the tour itself 5 stars. But again, having to pay double really upset me, especially since it's already an expensive excursion.
Excellent tour!
Caroline P,Apr 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This tour was awesome! It is an early start, but completely worth it. Our guide, John, was wonderful at explaining the history of Panama & the Panama Canal. He was insightful & neutral in his answers to our many questions. He spoke fluent English & Spanish. We saw a variety of wildlife; were able to see a ship exit the Clara Agua locks & enter the Clara Agua locks; the San Lorenzo Fort was very interesting. The food provided at lunch was tasty! The 2 drivers we had, Joel & Alexis, were wonderful. Just an amazing experience & a highlight of our visit to Panama.
Ocean to Ocean tour
Mobile40873518702,Apr 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic tour with really passionate guide, this is a must do tour if your in Panama. Got to see some wildlife and experienced canals
From US$135.00
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
Related Experiences
Operated by Panama Day Trips