Gatun Lake: Monkeys & Exotic Wildlife by the Canal
Overview
Available languages
4 hours 30 minutes
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
Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
Bring raincoat or towel and extra cloth in case you need it after the boat ride.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Professional local guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Boat ride included
Transport by air-conditioned car or minivan
Meals
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Lake Gatun
The tour starts with hotel pick up in Panama City followed by a transfer to the Gamboa Marina. Once there, you will go on a 15-minute boat ride on the Gatun lake until you observe 3 kinds of Monkeys in a wild. Together with a guide, you will spend about 80 minutes observing the different species of monkeys. After the visit, you will go on a 15-minute boat ride back to the Gamboa Marina followed by a transfer back to your hotel.
Panama Canal
We navegate on the lake and probable you will see big cargos on the lake
Options
Private Tour
Private Tour: Please note that the private option has to have a minimum of 4 people to operate.
Pickup included
Monkeys and wildlife
Tour pickup: From 6:25am to 10:30am
10:50am to 3:30PM
1:30PM to 5:30PM
Pickup included
Miraflores Visitor Center
Miraflores Visitor's Center : Experience the perfect blend of Panama’s history and nature! Start your day with a visit to the Miraflores Visitors Center
Pickup included
Reviews
1,791 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great experiencie
795andreluizb,
Dec 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Thank you very much for the experience and the immersion, I highly recommend the tour. We, who are from Amazonas in Brazil, were delighted.
Monkeys, monkeys
DayTrip236905,
Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A nice boat trip in the jungle. Birds, monkeys, bats, trees, and large ships. It was interesting sailing with the large ships in the canal
Definitely do this tour!
jhoni rae,
Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was a fun experience! While the trip had a rocky start, Daniel our tour guide was quite knowledgeable and very sweet! The experience was well worth it and I’d recommend this tour to anyone visiting Panama. Seeing the monkeys up close was a surreal experience! Our captain “Jack sparrow” kept us safe on board as we flew through the lake! Overall it was worth the price that was paid and i highly recommend
Best day ever
courtnayp2017,
Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Daniel and the team did an awesome job! I enjoyed myself thoroughly! I highly recommend this tour. The captain of the boat went above and beyond to ensure we were able to see the various wildlife. Unlike other tours the boat ride is included which is why I picked this tour, no hidden fees. We went to the farmers market and had complimentary pineapple which was a nice touch.
Awesome!
StefanG3102,
Dec 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Really nice Tour! We Saw a lot of monkeys. Daniel was a really good guide, he explained a lot of interesting information about different plants and animals. The boat trip is really cool!
Amazing Experience
slbrown415,
Nov 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The 6:45am pick up almost scared me off, but I'm so glad I booked it! Getting to feed the monkeys was truly an amazing experience (try to sit in the front row of the boat if you can - we got lucky!) From start to finish, everything was well organized and fun. Daniel, our guide, was informative and entertaining. It's a lot of value for the time and cost. Plus you get to be on the Panama Canal with big shippers. Unique, awesome experience that left us with some fun photos. Def recommend!
Amazing, book the morning trip!
Stephanie B,
Nov 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The 6:45am pick up almost scared me off, but I'm so glad I booked it! Getting to feed the monkeys was truly an amazing experience (try to sit in the front row of the boat if you can - we got lucky!) From start to finish, everything was well organized and fun. Daniel, our guide, was informative and entertaining. It's a lot of value for the time and cost. Plus you get to be on the Panama Canal with big shippers. Unique, awesome experience that left us with some fun photos. Def recommend!
Monkey Island 🏝️
Resort19141711575,
Nov 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I enjoyed this tour. Our tour guide Daniel is very informative. I recommend this experience, my family and I loved it very much !! 😁
Fun day
michelemO8238QJ,
Nov 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Awesome tour. Daniel tour guide was amazing. Got to feed monkeys and see other animals like birds. Fun activity to do in Panama.
Monkeys and fruits
O4808TSmarinan,
Nov 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Super, saw so many animals, fed the monkeys, perfection. We also went to fruit market, ate pineapple, so delicious. Five stars!!!!
From US$49.00
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