Full Day Fort San Lorenzo & Canal Expansion (Aqua Clara) Tour with Private Guide
Description
This full day tour takes place on the Atlantic coast (Caribbean Sea) of Panama where you will experience and learn about the history of Panama from the ruins of Fort San Lorenzo to the brand new Panama Canal Aqua Clara locks.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This new visitors center offers spectacular views of the new locks following the expansion of the canal, and also Lake Gatun. You will be able to see the operation of the Panama Canal and maybe post-panamax vessels transiting the locks.
Inaugurated in 2019, the 3rd Panama Canal Crossing, is the longest concrete cable-stayed bridge on the planet.
A perfect stop for lunch where you can enjoy a meal on a terrace or indoor by the water while admiring the many boats anchored in the marina. (Meals not included, but there is a good variety on the menu that will fit your budget.). The Dock Restaurant is serving the fresh locally sourced ingredients with a menu inspired by a Caribbean heritage with an international influence. The marina is located on the decommissioned U.S. military base of Fort Sherman once used to protect the canal Atlantic entrance.
Now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this fortress was built to overlook the mouth of the Chagres River. The ruins of the once mighty Fort San Lorenzo still stand strong surrounded by the beauty of the Caribbean Sea and over 30,000 acres of protected lush rainforest.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
PICKUP FROM CRUISE PORT, AIRPORTS OR PLAYA BONITA ARE NOT PART OF OUR FREE PICKUP ZONE, THESE LOCATIONS MIGHT NOT BE AVAILABLE OR EXTRA FEES APPLY. Our driver/guide will meet with the clients in your hotel lobby or in the hotel designated area for meet & greet. They will hold a name sign with the full name of the person that appears on the booking confirmation. If you are not at the designated meeting point by the time of your tour, Panama Your Way reserves the right to cancel your tour without providing a refund. However, we will always try our best to locate you at the meeting point.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Entrance fees of $15US per person to Agua Clara and Fort San Lorenzo to be paid onsite
Reviews(7)
Gabriel was the best! A very informative tour at our own pace. The tour of the Atlantic locks was fantastic and allowed us to see both the new and old locks up close. San Lorenzo is a beautiful spot with so much history of Panama.
Thank you, Traveling Amigos, for sharing your experience! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the day with Gabriel. Exploring the Atlantic locks up close, both the new and old, is always impressive, and Fort San Lorenzo truly is a special place filled with Panama’s rich history. We love that the tour moved at your own pace and felt informative and relaxed. It was a pleasure having you with us and we hope to welcome you back to Panama soon.
Rainy day. Maxi was a new tour guide with the company. Road at fort was closed. Asked to go to particular shopping area. Instead took us to shopping at port. Asked to be back at ship 1:30 instead returned at 11:30. He was not tour guide we were promised. Disappointed. Do not tecommend Maxi.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are truly sorry this tour did not meet your expectations. That day we faced an unexpected last minute guide resignation and arranged a replacement quickly to avoid canceling your experience. While guides are not guaranteed in advance, we understand how this impacted your day, especially with road closures and weather challenges. We did reach out afterward hoping to explain and offer compensation but never heard back. We appreciate your comments and will use them to improve our service moving forward.
We did a full day excursion to Exclusas Agua Clara and Fort San Lorenzo with Gabriel de Panama Your Way excellent service fulfilled schedule and everything agreed. I booked it without knowing them and they didn't let me down. Quite the opposite. And the place is worth knowing both the Locks and the fort. Gcs.
Mil gracias por tu comentario, Norma! Nos alegra saber que disfrutaste la visita a las Exclusas de Agua Clara y el histórico Fuerte San Lorenzo junto a Gabriel. En Panama Your Way nos enorgullece cumplir con lo prometido y superar expectativas. Esperamos verte de nuevo para seguir explorando juntos más tesoros de Panamá. ¡Hasta pronto!
We had an absolutely brilliant day with Panama Your Way and Eric our tour guide. The ease of booking from the UK , and all our questions being answered by Danny before our excursion, was fantastic and extremely reassuring. We arrived on a cruise ship with 4 of us (2 over 80's) Eric was there to meet us, as promised, and gave us such a brilliant, informative day. Panama, after this tour, has now become our favourite destination and this was a result of the quality of Panama Your Way. We highly recommend this company.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a brilliant day with Eric and that the booking process with Danny put your mind at ease. It’s our goal to make every moment seamless and enjoyable for all, and we’re honored that Panama is now your favorite destination! Your kind words truly mean the world to us, and we’re so glad we could be part of your unforgettable experience. We hope to welcome you back to Panama again someday!
We had a beautiful view of the Agua Clara locks while watching a huge container ship pass through. Also watched a video of the making of the locks there. We then went over the new Atlantic Bridge, then through old Ft. Sherman, passing Shimmy Beach on our way to Ft. San Lorenzo. They are planning to build a visitor center/museum just before the entrance to the fort which should be very nice for future visits. The fort was also being worked on but you could still walk around some of it. Absolutely beautiful view of the Chagres River as it flows into the Atlantic! Our Panama Your Way driver, Gabrielle, then took us to have lunch at the marina by Ft. Sherman. What a view of all the beautiful yachts there!
Thank you for your review. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed your tour and we are glad you choose us as your tour provider as we work hard to be the best of the best. Thank you again.
We have just returned home from a fantastic holiday in Panama! Panama Your Way was a big part of the success, the communication with Danny in advance was good and we booked three private tours on his recommendations. We arrived in Panama one Tuesday morning and checked in at Waldorf Astoria, spent the first day for ourselves, the next day at 08:30 Gabriel came from Panama Your Way and picked us up at the reception for a tour of Panama’s historic sites. We had a great day reviewing Panama’s development. We quickly got acquainted with Gabriel and we got a great chemistry that made us talk about most, social arrangements in Panama and Norway and everything that entails. The next day we had booked a trip to the Fort of San Lorenzo on the Caribbean coast and the new locks on the northern end of the Panama Canal. This day we also had Gabriel as a guide and it suited us very well. We experienced another teaching and great day with lots of information and experiences. Both the locks and the fort were impressive. The third tour we had with Panama Your Way was “Embera Village Tour”. Once again we were picked up by Gabriel and we drove far out on the countryside before we ended up on a peninsula in a heavy river where we were welcomed by two Indians in a hollow wooden frame with a trailer engine. After a long walk up the river we arrived at an Indian village that welcomed us with dance and music and food. Return to the airport after the stay was also provided by Danny. We recommend Panama Your Way as a partner in Panama! We will definitely use them if we come to Panama again.
Thank you so much for your review. It was great having you.
I contacted Panama Your Way fairly last minute, looking for a way of seeing a monument in Colon that was of particular interest to us. They offered to take us there or provide this full day tour AND take us to the monument for the same price as the tour. Our driver/guide was personable and knowledgeable, and an excellent driver as well. He readily agreed to visit the monument twice since we were taking photographs and wanted the morning and afternoon light, even though the traffic in downtown Colon is insane. We had a lovely lunch and visit with him, and visited both other sites. The Fort was a bit of a bust through no one’s fault — it was pouring rain, but we saw the new locks and one of the new massive container ships — it was carrying 1340 containers — passing through them. The view from the new locks is spectacular. And he spotted and showed us howler monkeys several times during the trip. A great day, thanks to Panama Your Way.
Thank you very much for your review. We always do our best to accommodate our clients, and unfortunately mother nature is not as good as us. We are glad you enjoyed your tour!
