Ocean To Ocean Combo: Canal Boat Safari, Agua Clara & Gatun Locks

This tour is a great way to spend a day learning about the history of Panama, the canal and seeing lots of wildlife. The pickup was early to avoid traffic and the first bathroom was about 2.5 hours in but it was manageable. The tour on boat of Gatun lake is well down and allows you to have the opportunity to see wildlife. We were grateful to be able to see some monkeys, crocodiles, coatis and lots of birds and iguanas. The boat ride was fun especially when you were passing some of the big ocean faring vessels. We then left the lake and headed to the locks to view the ships passing through and watching how they work. Hard to imagine them building this back in the day in all the heat and humidity without the heavy equipment we have. The new locks are very well done with a fantastic visitor center and very informative staff. The other stop on this at the Fort San Lorenzo which was neat to see and is decent shape considering all the years it was abandoned. It was very hot there so make sure you drink lots of water and cover up as desired. Our tour guide John was easy to understand, incredibly thorough and knowledgeable and had great enthusiasm for the whole trip. Highly recommend this experience for all ages!!!

This tour was awesome! It was our first time to Panama and this tour hit a lot of the top 10 for us. We started out early and headed to Gatun Lake. We saw a three toed sloth on the way and Howler monkeys, Capuchin monkeys, a ton of Coati, iguanas, birds, leaf cutter ants etc. The old and new locks were awesome to see in action as well as a Panamanian lunch served by the crew. Manuel was our driver, who did a great job and was very safe. John was our tour guide who was extremely professional, knowledgeable and friendly. I’m a history buff and he gave me enough Panama history detail to be satisfied. We had a great time and they accommodated both my 80 year old mother and 10 year old son. My wife forgot her hat in the van and John went out of his way to drop it off at our hotel! You need to do this tour and tip them well!

John did a wonderful job! Lots great experiences and full of information and history. Bravo! John rocks!

Really great tour! John was extremely knowledgeable and so easy to listen to. Great day all round.

Absolute best tour i ever been…Our guide John was Top notch! He knew so much about everything and it didnt seem forced or rehearsed. I would not only recommend this specific tour but id say it was the best opportunity to get a full expierence as well. Thanks again John👍🏿🇺🇸

The Ocean to Ocean Combo was money VERY well spent. We are so happy we signed up. It was everything described on the website. We visited wildlife areas in Gatún Lake by boat where we saw amazing birds, lizards, bats, iguanas and three species of monkey, toured the locks, and visited the remains of San Lorenzo on the Caribbean coast. The early start was worth it. We were given a delicious Panamanian meal prepared for us by a restaurant in Casco Viejo (El Nacional). The highlight of the trip was our guide John who is a fluently bilingual Panamanian who grew up in the US. He was incredibly articulate and knowledgeable about Panama, its nature, history, food, traditions, the Canal and also global events. I highly recommend this trip!

Really enjoyed this tour! Getting so close to one of those huge container ships while out on the lake was breathtaking. We saw the ship at both ends of its journey and briefly watched it passing through the Agua Clara locks in Colón—an amazing sight up close. John is a fantastic guide, and his passion and experience really show. Everything was well organised, and his explanations were clear and easy to follow. Seeing the wildlife while learning about the history of the islands and surrounding area made the trip even more enjoyable. The delicious lunch was a lovely surprise, as the booking details said it wasn’t included. I’d definitely take this tour again with friends or family visiting me in Panama. Highly recommended!

Alonso was a terrific guide! We thoroughly enjoyed this tour, and we learned so much about the Panama canal.

Great tour with everything included. Guide was very knowledgeable and it was fun to ride in the Panama Canal, see a boat go through the locks and visit the fort. Incuded lunch was delicious

My husband and I, enthusiastic world explorers in our 60’s, were delighted to experience this tour with knowledgeable, funny, and capable guide, Enrique Ruiz. We had followed Enrique on a prior tour and would confidently follow him from tour to trek in Panama. We crossed from Panama City on the Pacific to Fort San Lorenzo on the Caribbean and saw sloths, various monkeys, toucans that Enrique had a knack for finding in the dense jungle. Riding on the Chagras River and seeing the Panama Canal Locks in action was a treat. The central highways were smooth and modern, the jungle roads were not so much! Our guide was expert at avoiding, as much as possible, the myriad of potholes. Queasy stomachs beware. It is a long day, but it goes by very quickly with the constant new adventures. We would highly recommend this tour!

Great trip to see the animals on Gatun Lake and the Nee Panama Canal on the Atlantic side. Noris was a wonderful guide

Very informative and fun experience. The guide and driver were great. Really appreciated that the guide did not bring the monkeys on the boat as the other tours were doing.

We had an absolutely incredible time on our Panama Canal tour, and so much of that was thanks to our amazing guide, John! From beginning to end, he made the experience unforgettable. John was incredibly knowledgeable and informative, and you could truly tell how passionate he is about Panama and the history. We learned so much about the Panama Canal, its history, and the country itself that we never would have known without him. The entire trip was beautifully organized, and the lunch they prepared for us was absolutely delicious! It was such a wonderful touch and gave us a chance to enjoy some great local food while taking in the experience. We left feeling like we had not only experienced one of Panama’s most incredible landmarks, but had also learned so much along the way. He made an already amazing experience truly exceptional

Great one day experience if you have limited time in Panama. Great introduction for the history of the canal and a great boat trip seeing the local wildlife up close.

A full day, the early start mitigates the Panama City traffic and gets the timing of the river trip right for early-morning animals and for the giant Panamax vessels you'll see on the water and in the locks. John is amusing and knowledgeable. Lunch is provided.

Our tour guide, John and driver, Manuel were awesome. John was the best! He's very passionate in sharing Panama's history. A day well spent!

the tour was great. They showed us so much and drove all over Panama. They fed is a delicious lunch and were very fun. It was worth every penny and was the best deal on Panama

Excellent guide with history! Excellent scenery, great stops, good food, good times!! This was money well spent.

We covered a lot in the tour -- Wildlife viewing on Gatun lake, watching ships pass through the Agua Clara locks, delicious picnic lunch from El National, then exploring the San Lorenzo Fort. Our guide John was very knowledgeable and provided great insight into the history of Panama and the canal. On the boat portion, we saw three different species of monkeys, a sloth, and baby crocodiles. We saw two different ships at the beginning of the tour on the Pacific side, and by the time we got to the locks on the Atlantic side a few hours later, we saw the same two ships pass through the locks. Very cool to witness their journey from beginningto end! We recommend the tour, however it is a long day! We had to meet the tour bus for pickup at our hotel at 6 am and didn't get back until 5. There is no access to washrooms until about 9 am.

Really interesting tour. If you spend only one day in Panama City, this is a great tour to do - it covers Panamanian history, wildlife, culture, and of course the canal. And our host was really knowledgeable and entertaining.

The tour we had was amazing, very well organized, clear explanations and thought of logistics. There was a good balance of nature, history, engineering and military points of view. Instructions made us at ease before and during the day. Our guide John is very knowledgeable about the history and current facts, has a good sense of humor, and provided great recommendations for the remaining of our visit to Panama. Our driver Alexis was cautious and very polite. The food served was delicious. I would definitely recommend booking!

Wonderful experience, learned a lot about Panama’s history and building of the canal. Tour guide John was very knowledgeable and entertaining. The driver Elio was also very nice and accommodating. They served us a wonderful lunch. Awesome tour.

John was amazing! He was knowledgeable and passionate about what we saw today. He had lots of great information, pictures and stories about the history and culture of Panama and the canal. Viator is lucky to have him as a guide! Our bus driver , Iliar(?) was fantastic and got us where we needed to go safely and in a timely manner. Tours like this remind us why we always choose Viator. Top quality experience from pick up to drop off. Thanks so much!

John and Manuel were fantastic. Very natural and it was a relaxing and fun tour. Great knowledge on the Canals, Lake, Animals and Nungle. On time pick up. Lovely lunch. Great people and tour!!

This experience was worth it. You can't come to Panama and not get a guided tour of the canal lock in Agua Clara. We saw Monkey Island by boat, enjoyed an authentic Panamanian lunch with the jungle as our backdrop. We also visited Fort San Lorenzo. It was a great experience with John as a wonderful guide.

We had such a great day doing the ocean to ocean tour with our guide John and driver Manuel. It was the perfect way to see the jungle and canal. We saw everything I wanted to see like crocodiles, monkeys, sloths, iguanas and ships going though the canal. Everything was well planned out and the lunch was delicious. Highly recommend!

This tour was the highlight of our trip! John was an incredible, kind, and knowledgeable guide who taught us so much about Panamanian history and the canal. ​We loved the boat ride around Monkey Island, where we spotted tons of wildlife like monkeys, birds, and crocodiles. We also stop on the road and enjoy warching a sloth coming down a tree. Stopping at the Agua Clara Locks to watch the massive ships pass through the expansion was an unforgettable experience. Afterwards, exploring the historic Spanish fort at Fort San Lorenzo offered breathtaking ocean views. ​The driver, Manuel, was fantastic, stopping whenever animals were spotted along the way. The local lunch was delicious; an authentic Panamanian meal. It starts early, but every minute is worth it. Highly recommended!

This is a highly recommended experience for the whole family to make meaningful memories, we experienced the novel Technology of the canal, ancient ruins, nature and were able to see both of the oceans within hours!!!!

Excellent guide. Knowledgeable. Perfect English. Entertaining and thorough. Tour was engaging and enjoyable.

Very nice experience! Tour guide and driver were both wonderful. The Panamanian lunch in the park was a nice and delicious addition!

John was great! Very informative. Taught us about the history of Panama. The bus was super comfortable and air conditioned. Very organized tour.

Excellent Tour ! The places and activities were well thought of and very interesting. Had a great time !!

John hosted us for the day on our tour. He shared extensive knowledge of every portion of our day including Panamanian history, Panama Canal facts, and identified monkeys, birds, and crocodiles during our boat ride around Monkey island. John was not only interesting but kind and professional. He answered our questions, never hurried us but kept us on schedule. Highly recommend this tour with John.

This was an excellent experience. John was a great guide and provided a lot of interesting history and information. We traveled with two teens who also enjoyed the tour. Great mix of activities.

Great day out with John as our fun and informative guide. Everything went like clockwork. This was the 2nd time I’ve done this tour and saw wildlife I didn’t see the first time. Highly recommended.

John was very experienced in giving information on the tour and very knowledgeable guy also spoke very good English we had fun

Alonzo was an amazing tour guide. His breadth of knowledge spans the history of Panama to the animal, bird and insect wildlife we encountered on our boat tour. His enthusiasm and personality made this a great experience!

John and Manuel created an experience for us that will be remembered always. Friendly, knowledgeable and professional, they were great to spend the day with.

The trip was amazing. Got to see so much wildlife from the boat around monkey island. The driver would even stop if he noticed an animal while we drove from place to place. John the tour guide and Manuel the driver were great and friendly. We were told a lot of information about the history of Panama, the canal, and interesting facts about the various animal species. They served us some amazing local cuisine for lunch. We saw the Atlantic ocean side of the panama canal which is by far better than the Pacific side. We also stopped at an old Spanish fort that is being refurbished and has some great views of the chagras river and interesting information. The tour starts early, but is worth doing. You'll have an hour to nap along the way. Overall would recommend to anyone that goes to panama.

We enjoyed the whole tour, especially all the wildlife we saw, including monkeys and a sloth. The food was excellent as well! We got to see multiple boats go through the locks.

Guide was knowledgeable and efficient. Fun packed tour!

This excursion is worth the money! John is a very knowledgeable guide. The lunch provided was delicious. I highly recommend this tour.

John was so knowledgeable, we learned so much about the area and wildlife. He suggested places to see in Panama City that was not on my list to do’s but was glad we did.

It was one of the best tour in Panama. You will have a chance to visit the natural reserve to see lot of animals that we may never saw it before. The lunch provided was really delicious with Panaman culture.

Awesome experience. Our guide was incredibly Knowledgeable and interesting. Lunch was great.

The trip was amazing. Learned so much. I have talked about this trip to so many people about how it is a must when visiting Panama. It was a long day filled with so much adventure. We saw sloths, different types of monkeys, crocodiles, etc. Highlight was watching ships go through the canal and being explained the process. The door to door hotel service was a plus and much appreciated. Highly recommend.

Amazing full-day tour. The boat trip was amazing, very dynamic, and we saw a lot of wildlife at Gatun Lake. Alonso kept us engaged throughout the whole trip and was a very nice person. We really enjoyed it. We had many great emotions throughout the day and completely blacked out on the way back from exhaustion.

John was absolutely amazing! Knowledgeable about history, wildlife, and pop culture; I learned a bunch and had a fantastic time doing it. The ocean to ocean combo is the way to go. It was very well balanced and has a little bit for everyone. Highly recommend!

Best experience! John is an amazing guide with a great mentality. A ton of information, so much interesting history and trivia and really a LOT to see. Animals, vegetation, and gigantic ships going through the canal. The lunch was amazing Panamanian food from a local restaurant which we had in the jungle. 10/10 would do again.