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
1,621 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Absolutely the best tour in Panama – highly recommended!
127krzy k,,Dec 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely the best tour in Panama – highly recommended! This tour was exceptionally well planned and packed with a great variety of attractions. The itinerary was thoughtful and perfectly balanced — from a relaxing boat ride on the lake, to seeing the Panama Canal up close, to a lovely picnic-style lunch. During lunch we even spotted toucans and visited a small but incredibly interesting fort, which was a wonderful surprise. However, the true highlight of this experience was the phenomenal guide. He took outstanding care of the group and was constantly sharing fascinating information in a very engaging way — about nature, history, politics, and Panama in general. Thanks to his knowledge and sharp eye, we were able to see several sloths, a caiman, monkeys, toucans, and many other animals typical of Panama that we would never have noticed on our own. Everything was perfectly organized, relaxed, and enriching at the same time. This tour is absolutely worth it — mega worth it! In my opinion, this was the best excursion in all of Panama. I cannot recommend it enough!
All Encompassing Tour In One Day
455kendrah,,Dec 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00From the moment we made the reservation were provided useful information on what to do and not do in Panama. This made our visit safer and easier. I loved the extra detail from the start showing they care about their clients. Our trip ran like clockwork - John was hands down the best tour guide I have ever taken as well as the driver of the 20 person bus moved in and out of parking lots quickly and safely. Although we started early it meant we had the advantage to see the wildlife . While cruising Gatun Lake, we saw sloths and monkeys and birds galore. We learned about the history of Panama and the building of the locks . He was always willing to help and answer questions. His voice was clear and easily understood while riding the bus. Our visit to Panama was for my mom’s 84th birthday. It was exciting and informative and with the door to door transfers (less walking ) she was able to experience everything she wanted while in Panama in one day . Much to my surprise John sang happy birthday and presented a cake with candles at lunch in the Rainforest ! It doesn’t get any better than this . Thank you so much for going above and beyond. This was a memorable trip for all! Please feel free to pass my WA number to anyone who wants a referral.
Loved this tour!
jasonhK6249JJ,,Dec 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great experience, professional and highly recommended. The tour was run with precision on all aspects, pickup, location ingress/egress and everything else. The guide did a great job of allowing free time but also maintaining control of the group. The guide was extremely knowledgeable regarding wildlife, canals, and history of the panama canal and Panamanian history as a whole. The guide also went above and beyond for a member of our party whose birthday fell on the tour date. This was a total surprise to all in our group and she was given a cake, with none of this being prearranged by our group. Truly appreciated and demonstrates the kindness of the operator. At the end of the tour the guide provided a great breakdown of many restaurants and places of interest in panama city. This was really helpful to us and we utilizied his advice finding some great restaurants we wouldn't have otherwise known about. Highly recommended, it was a great experience! Thanks for a great time!
Great day in Panama!
Susanfreeman820,,Dec 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Just a great day with a multitude of experiences, all very interesting. John was an amazing tour director, very experienced and full of amazing information to help us understand each location. Lunch was delicious. The driver was excellent too. Highly recommend!
Amazing tour
Debra C,,Dec 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Alonso was such a knowledgeable guide and did an amazing job conveying the history of the area. Would definitely recommend this tour for anyone wanting to learn about the Panama Canal
Fun and funny
Camper10440173785,,Dec 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour guide John was FANTASTIC - extremely fluent English and super knowledgeable/super funny. He used an iPad to assist the tour and shared a lot of interesting information, and recommended a lot of additional books/video/readings. The tour self was very well organized and so much fun - we saw a ton of wild animals.
A great tour all around!
John M,,Dec 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent experience. Very well run tour end to end. Amazing boat tour to see wildlife - monkeys came to our boat! Agua Clara locks were amazing to see. History and Fort Lorenzo was fantastic. Guide was super knowledgeable and driver was superb. He even spotted sloths on the roadside and we stopped and viewed as an added bonus.
Ocean to Ocean Experience
Daniel W,,Dec 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00The trip is really not bad and may be recommended, if you look for an opportunity to see the Canal, Agua Clara locks, a part of Gatun Lake and the Northern Coast (Fort San Lorenzo) in one trip. John was great tour guide! However do not misunderstand "Ocean to Ocean", you will definitely NOT cross the whole Canal in a speedboat....the boat trip starts in Gamboa and takes only about an hour. You see much water and ships and some pristine islands on the way, but hardly any animals. All in all you spend too much time on the road in a minibus. Agua Clara locks was a great experience, however the place is jammed with cruise ship tourists. And be aware that in the Canal zone it rains and rains and if it does not, it threatens to rain so never forget your umbrella or raincoat.
A great tour as you get to see the Panama Canal from different perspectives
Patrick S,,Dec 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A great tour as you get to see the Panama Canal from different perspectives We first took a boat ride on the Chagres River (Panama canal) where we were alongside container ships at a couple of points Then we visited the agua clara locks near the carribbean side where we saw one container ship (one of the ones we passed by earlier in the day) get lowered in the lock and then eventually leave the lock. You can actually see the boat physically lower by looking at the lettering/artwork on the boat that near the side of the canal The guide was John and he was instrumental in ensuring that we got to time our visit with these container ships and it was cool that we essentially tracked its progress through a good chunk of the Panama Canal. Plus he had a bunch of stories and photos on his iPad which is helpful as I am a visual learner myself, plus he was resourceful with food and coffee (very important!) recommendations.
Fantastic tour experience
tzam66,,Dec 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Really great tour! This tour leaves a little earlier than similar tours with other companies. As a result, you avoid super busy hours on the lake which makes for a much more pleasant experience. The tour was well paced and very informative with a great lunch at Fort San Lorenzo. You see a lot in a short time. Agua Clara is absolutely worth visiting since it's much nicer and less chaotic than Miraflores. Very glad I saw both. Highly recommend this tour!
From US$135.00
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