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A large cargo ship navigating through a lock system in a river port. 1
A large blue sign with the word 'GATUN' and a canal nameplate. 2
A large ship docked at a port with cranes and a small building nearby. 3
A modern building with the inscription 'GATUN 2025' on its facade. 4
A white and blue building with a red roof, a flagpole, and a waterway. 5
By R&E Transfer Panama

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
Free cancellation available
Price is P 3,007 per adult
See tickets

Features

  • Free cancellation available
  • 6h
  • Mobile voucher
  • Instant confirmation
  • Selective hotel pickup
  • Multiple languages

Overview

  • The tour begins with pickup from your hotel, hostel, or Airbnb in Panama City. We’ll drive for about one hour to the Atlantic, on the Atlantic side, to visit the impressive Agua Clara Locks — part of the Panama Canal’s expansion and the only place where you can see Neo-Panamax ships crossing. With 100% certainty of seeing ships in transit, either at Agua Clara or Gatun Locks, this tour guarantees an unforgettable Canal experience.

    We will continue to the Atlantic Bridge, the largest and tallest bridge in Panama, offering stunning views of the Canal and surrounding landscape. Along the way, we’ll stop to see the remains of the unfinished French Canal, an abandoned 19th-century project that paved the way for today’s canal.

    Our final stop is the historic Gatun Locks, in operation since 1914, where you can watch ships pass just a few meters away.

    After this enriching 6-hour experience, we’ll return to Panama City.

    This tour operates year-round, including during Panama's rainy season.

Activity location

  • Agua Clara Locks
    • Avenida Bolivar, Lago Gatun
    • 0301, Colon, Panama

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • Agua Clara Locks
    • Avenida Bolivar, Lago Gatun
    • 0301, Colon, Panama

Check availability

From City Hotel/ AirBnB

  • Activity duration is 6 hours6h
    6h
  • English

From any City Hotel or AirBnB: Please be 10 mins at the lobby before your pickup time. Not from Playa Bonita
Pickup included

Starting time: 8:00
Price details
P 3,007.44 x 1 AdultP 3,007.44
Total
Price is P 3,007.44

What's included, what's not

  • Inclusions
    Experienced guide (English or Spanish)
  • Inclusions
    City Hotel pickup and drop off
  • Inclusions
    Water, Fruit & Snack
  • Inclusions
    At Casco meeting point is Tantalo Hotel
  • Exclusions
    No Canal entrances fee included ($10 per person, 1 ticket works for both locks)
  • Exclusions
    No lunch included

Know before you book

    • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
    • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
    • The 6 hours tour include the travel time from Panama City
    • “No pickups are offered from the Cruise Terminal. Pickup is available only from hotels or Airbnbs.”
    • This is a shared tour, so you’ll be joining other guests. We’ll be making a few pickups along the way to welcome everyone, so we appreciate your patience
    • From Casco Antiguo we collect from Tantalo Hotel Meeting point
    • No pickups offered from Sant Maria Hotel or any hotel near the airport

Activity itinerary

Agua Clara Locks

  • 50m
  • Admission ticket not included
Agua Clara Locks are part of the Panama Canal Expansion, inaugurated in 2016 on the Atlantic side of the Canal near Colón. These modern locks were built to accommodate the massive Neo-Panamax vessels, which are too large for the original locks. The complex uses rolling gates and water-saving basins that recycle 60% of the water with each transit, making it an impressive feat of sustainable engineering. Visitors can enjoy a panoramic observation deck overlooking Gatun Lake and watch enormous ships pass through, while learning how the expansion has strengthened Panama’s role as a key hub of global trade.

Atlantic Bridge (Pass by)

The Atlantic Bridge is an impressive cable-stayed bridge that crosses the Panama Canal at its Atlantic entrance near Colón. Officially inaugurated in August 2019, it is the longest span concrete cable-stayed bridge in the world, with a main span of 530 meters (1,739 ft) and a total length of 4.6 kilometers (2.8 miles). Its soaring pylons rise 212 meters (696 ft) above sea level, allowing a clearance of 75 meters (246 ft) so that the largest ships can safely pass beneath. Built entirely in reinforced concrete to resist Panama’s tropical climate and salinity, the Atlantic Bridge is both an engineering marvel and a stunning architectural landmark. Besides its functional role connecting the provinces of Colón and Panamá Oeste, it offers travelers spectacular views of the Canal, the rainforest, and the Caribbean Sea, making it a highlight for anyone visiting the Atlantic side of the Canal.

Gatun Locks

  • 30m
  • Admission ticket not included
Gatun Locks, on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal, are among the original locks opened in 1914. With three chambers, they lift ships 26 meters (85 ft) to Gatun Lake. The new Gatun Visitor Center features panoramic observation decks and interactive exhibits, offering visitors a modern space to watch vessels in transit while learning about the Canal’s past and expansion.

Puente sobre el Canal Francés (Pass by)

Bridge over the French Canal – Colón This bridge is located near the Gatún Locks in Colón Province and is connected to the original route of the French Canal, a project begun by the French in the late 19th century under Ferdinand de Lesseps. When the United States took over the Panama Canal project, many of the French excavations and infrastructure were incorporated into the new canal design. The Gatún area became especially important as the Americans transformed the original sea-level canal concept into the lock canal system that allowed ships to transit between the Atlantic Ocean and Gatún Lake.

Location

Activity location

  • LOB_ACTIVITIESLOB_ACTIVITIES
    Agua Clara Locks
    • Avenida Bolivar, Lago Gatun
    • 0301, Colon, Panama

Meeting/Redemption Point

  • PEOPLEPEOPLE
    Agua Clara Locks
    • Avenida Bolivar, Lago Gatun
    • 0301, Colon, Panama

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