Combination Tour from Panama City: Rainforest, San Lorenzo Fort and Canal Expansion

Our tour guide Elvis was very knowledgeable and picked us up on time. We were the only ones on the tour and so it was like a private one. The van was comfortable and air conditioned and Elvis gave us plenty of information as we were going along. We visited the panama canal extension ($15 in per person) and enjoyed seeing the ships pass through. Then we headed to San Lorenzo fort. When it says "See native wildlife in a natural environment" and "rainforest", it really means looking for animals from the van and driving around slowly in the desperate hope of seeing something. I'm sorry but I was not excited to see a wild chicken. There was no real rainforest aspect to this tour so I found it somewhat deceptive as a description. We were on a road, not in a rainforest - we didn't go into any rainforest. The environment we were in was luck based because of this. San Lorenzo fort was very interesting but since we didn't really need a guide here (plaques to read in the fort) we didn't see the point of having a guide. All of the extra interesting bits were confined to being in the van travelling around so I don't think it was a particularly good tour overall. We were left disappointed.

Good tour! Mario was super knowledgeable. He was also super patient when my mother took off during a rest stop and could not be found for a while. He took great care of us. The only negative was the “rainforest” was not what I was expecting but we still got to see monkeys and sloths.

Prompt pickup at our hotel then drive to Colon to get other guests. Stopped on side of road on the way as Mario our tour guide spotted a Sloth in a tree. Mario was very entertaining and had a wealth of knowledge on Panama's history. We really enjoyed the walk through rain forest seeing monkeys, birds and a Black Hawk. The Fort was cool and had great views of the Bay and forests. The Canal was interesting to see and watch the video presentation as informative to its construction. A little pricey entrance fee. All in all a worth while full day trip.

Really enjoyed everything we got to do. The Panama Canal visitor center is informative and provides an exceptional view of ships passing through. We also drove over the locks and ferry trip back across included so you get to see things from different angles. Mario is very accomodating and knowledgable and provides an enjoyable tour. The history of the fort was also interesting and was a lot of fun seeing the rain forest wildlife (sloths and monkeys) in their habitat. If you are prone to motion sickness, might want to take some medication prior as the roads can be winding. Overall very good value for your money and we felt we learned a lot. Thank you Mario!

A trip to Colon was well worth it. Our guide, I'll call him Super Mario, was fantastic. Hotel pickup was prompt. He was courteous and yet with sense of humor and knowledgeable. Aqua Clara Locks were awesome. Wild animals (sloths, monkeys, sloths, etc.) were found in the rainforest. San Lorenz Fort was the highlight with lots of history and gorgeous panoramic views. No crowds. Very highly recommended

Any tourist should make sure this tour is included in their itinerary. This is an experience of a lifetime.

You will likely venture to the Pacific part of the canal while on your trip to Panama City, will this tour allows you to experience the canal from the Caribbean side, along with a stop in to UNESCO site, and a ride through the rainforest, where you will stop and look for monkeys, and other animals. Mario provides a lot of information regarding the history of the areas that you will visit.