Gatun Lake: Monkeys & Exotic Wildlife by the Canal
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
Set out from Panama City in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle bound for Gamboa Marina. Board your riverboat and glide across Gatun Lake, a vital section of the Panama Canal surrounded by lush tropical rainforest.
As you cruise, watch for the lake’s most famous residents — white-faced capuchins, howler monkeys, and Geoffrey’s tamarins. With a bit of luck, you may also spot sloths resting in the treetops, colorful tropical birds, or crocodiles sunning on the shore.
Your certified guide shares fascinating insights about the canal, its history, and the rich biodiversity of the Chagres River basin, making this more than just a wildlife encounter.
End your adventure with a comfortable return ride to Panama City, arriving back at your hotel with unforgettable memories and photos of Panama’s wildlife.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
May be operated by a multilingual guide
The duration of the tour includes travel time.
What To Expect
Avenida Balboa
The tour starts with hotel pick up in Panama City followed by a transfer to the Gamboa Marina.
Gamboa
Gamboa is a peaceful rainforest town located at the meeting point of the Chagres River and the Panama Canal. Known for its lush jungle, abundant wildlife, and historic canal infrastructure, it’s one of the best places in Panama to experience nature up close. Visitors can enjoy stunning views of Gatun Lake and the surrounding rainforest.
Options
Monkeys and wildlife
Tour pickup: From 6:25am to 10:30am 10:50am to 3:30PM 1:30PM to 5:30PM Pickup included
What‘s Included
Professional local guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Bottled water
Transport by air-conditioned car or minivan
Meals
Boat Fee to be paid on site
Monkeys are not fed
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
2,277 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Monkeys, oh my!
Itztime2go,Jun 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Seamless communication. Kept us apprised of pickup time and when to be ready. Comfortable drive, to lake Gatun. Driver Ivan competently maneuvered through morning traffic to get us to the boat launch. Let me back track...our tour guide, Daniel regaled us with poignant facts about Panama, the canals, and Panama's history. He snuck in a couple of jokes here and there to keep things light and enjoyable. Ivan heard that one of the other attendees from another party needed a snack and bathroom break before getting on our boat. And he kindly stopped at a quick stop for snacks and bathroom break. Back on the road, and 2 minutes later we are at the boat dock. We quickly boarded,to meet Juliette, our special "whisperer to the monkeys" and Jr., skillful boat captain. On our way to the islands, we caught sight of a cargo ship, making its way across the lake. We arrived at the islands, and while the first attempt didn't bear any sightings, we were fortunate at all the next stops. We saw capuchin monkeys, tamarins, and howler monkeys. It truly was a successful outing. Daniel answered all questions and continued delighting us with interesting facts about wildlife and Panama. It was great trip. I recommend asking for this great team. Big thank you to Daniel, Ivan, Juliette, and Jr.
Done this tour 3 times, would happily do it 10 more times!
P1495LCloriw,Jun 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely amazing. We've done three of these tours, each time with Daniel as our guide, and it gets even better every time. We see so many amazing animals. The guides are very knowledgeable and know exactly where to look to see everything, plus they're ridiculously eagle-eyed. They can see an iguana in the trees from 100 feet away. It's amazing. Do the earlier trip; you'll see more critters early in the day, and you're less likely to get rained on. It's worth getting up in the morning!
You can see alligators, iguanas, and many types of monkeys
draganr2013,Jun 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Experienced real jungle spirit
They fed the monkeys for the tour ....
Joanna P,Jun 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00They definitely fed the monkeys, pointed lasers at them, and provoked the howlers by revving up the boats. I specifically picked this tour bc it said it wouldn't feed them and I thought I was reassured by them telling us earlier that it was prohibited. I could not enjoy the tour bc of the sad treatment of the monkeys.
Milton was fantastic! Had...
Cayden W,Jun 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Milton was fantastic! Had a great experience and got to see lots of wildlife. Very knowledgeable about the history of Panama.
The boat trip was very...
Felicity W,Jun 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00The boat trip was very smooth and comfortable. The staff were all friendly and knowledgeable about the animals. captain John, Tour guide Jennifer and the other lady.
Don’t sleep on this tour!
Courtney S,Jun 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00What a fantastic tour! Jeny was an AMAZING guide and was so knowledgeable about the monkeys, local flora, and the canal area in general! I was traveling solo and it was a great activity! I literally had a capuchin monkey playing with my hair! Highly, highly recommend this tour!
My first Panama 🇵🇦 trip
Owen H,Jun 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great adventure; I enjoyed seeing the monkeys and other animals. The crew was very friendly, professional and give good details about the animals and their way of life.
A real wildlife adventure
Nelia T,Jun 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was an excellent tour the tour guide Jeny was so knowlegeable about the flowers and fauna and all of the wildlife. I really did not expect to see all of the creatures she pointed out to us. I got some really great videos and wished I had bought a real camera. We saw three different species of monkeys, a crocodile, the largest rodent in the world, several birds, bats, orchids,edible fruits and trees, iguanas. This was a most unforgettable trip of a lifetime
Try it.
Ahmad S,Jun 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Well organized, on time, informative, AND especially the tour guide Daniel was great. He is knowledgeable, friendly with a great sense of humor. He is an asset!
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