Panama Canal Wildlife Boat Safari & Panamanian Brunch

Overview

Available languages

English

4 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

Explore the legendary Panama Canal, get up close with wildlife on Gatun Lake, and enjoy a traditional Panamanian brunch in the heart of historic Casco Viejo.

Your buffet-style Panamanian brunch includes:

• Pollo Guisado (traditional stewed chicken)

• Carimañolas (yuca stuffed with cheese or meat)

• Empanadas

• Hojaldres (Panamanian fry bread)

• Local queso blanco (fresh white cheese)

• Fresh local tropical fruits

• Vegetarian options available

• Fresh juices and Panamanian coffee

In case of rain, you'll be comfortably seated indoors at Restaurante El Nacional, where the same delicious menu and cultural storytelling will continue in a stylish, colonial-era dining space.

This unforgettable day combines nature, culture, history, and cuisine into a seamless, enriching experience—perfect for travelers looking to connect with the true essence of Panama

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults

A minimum of 2 people per booking is required on Shared tours

Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately. If it rains you might get wet.

Minimum age is 3 years

Tour is guided only in English

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Boat Ride included on the price

Bottled water

Pick up and Drop Off

Binoculars

English speaking Nature Guide

Brunch

Gratuities

Not a transit tour and Doesn't include any locks visitors center.

Pick Up from Playa Bonita Hotels need to pay extra $10 per person for Roundtrip Transportation

No pick up or drop off at the Airport or Airport Hotels

Playa Blanca, or Rio Hato, Metromall, Arraijan or Tocumen Airport need to arrange own transportation

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

Gatun Lake

We start the day with pick ups in Panama City. Your day begins with a journey into one of the most fascinating intersections of nature and engineering in the world: Gatun Lake, a vast manmade lake that forms a critical part of the Panama Canal. You'll board a covered motorboat and set off on a wildlife safari through its winding channels and jungle-lined shores. As you cruise across the iconic Panama Canal, you’ll glide past enormous cargo ships and ocean liners, sharing the lake with vessels from around the world. Your expert local guide will take you off the main canal route and into the hidden backwaters and narrow inlets where the jungle comes alive. Keep your camera ready for capuchin monkeys, tamarin monkeys howler monkeys, sloths, iguanas, toucans, crocodiles, and even basilisk lizards that run across the water. The boat ride offers both awe-inspiring views and rare up-close encounters with Panama’s diverse wildlife.

Admission Not Applicable

Panama Canal

Our destination is Gatun Lake, where we will cruise around islands created during the canal construction and see the abundant wildlife on its shores. We will visit the famous Monkey Islands where we can see capuchins, howlers, and tamarins up close in their natural habitat. Once we finish with our canal and lake boat ride.

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Included

Options

Afternoon Tour

1:30pm : Enjoy the afternoon Panama Canal boat ride with a visit to the Monkey Islands
Pickup included

PRIVATE OPTION

Breakfast or Lunch, WATER
Roundtrip Transportation
Private Tour
Pickup included

Morning Tour

Pickup included

Reviews

4.85

644 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

584

Pleasant Tour
Kathleen S,
Nov 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
Very pleasant and informative trip in the canal and on Gatun Lake. Pick up from our hotel was punctual and the staff were friendly and helpful. Our guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the importance of protecting the environment. The boat ride was a highlight for me. Travelling beside large ships in the canal was a new perspective. Monkeys were hard to spot but eventually we found all three species. The meal was disappointing as it did not seem to include authentic Panamanian specialties. We would have appreciated a brief guided tour around the square where the restaurant was located.
Absolutely recommend!
Dreamer16688974613,
Nov 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The tour was really great! Well organized, clearly described and the guides John and Daniel were very friendly and could impress with a lot of knowledge about animals and also about Panama. In addition, we liked that they (unlike other tour operators) do not allow the wild animals to be fed. Because this can be very damaging to the animals and make them aggressive towards each other and towards humans. The food was also really delicious and typical Panamanian and you can order vegetarian or vegan without any problems. For the 90min boat trip, the food and the car trip, where you can also see the Panama Canal from a bridge and get further extensive information about the canal and the country, the about 55 dollars are absolutely fine. We strongly recommend the tour!
This is the one
rhaake,
Nov 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had a group of 12. They picked us up right from the hotel and made it a really enjoyable day. The guide was pleasant and informative. The bus was nice. The boat ride to monkey islands was fun. And we ended up eating a wonderful meal in old town. Highly recommend.
Amazing Canal Experience!!
josiev421,
Nov 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was such an amazing tour! The tour guide was so knowledgeable and just an amazing guy. Saw tons of monkeys and a sloth and had an amazing trip on the Panama Canal! 10/10 would recommend!
Don't overthink, just book
calebk256,
Nov 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
It was awesome! We saw the coolest parts of the canal, all kinds of animals including sloths and many kinds of monkeys. The tour guide was very good at teaching about the animals and history of the canal and was very accommodating. Highly recommend.
Awesome!
geovanr2025,
Oct 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great and Fun! Excellent tour guide! Food was great and the experience was phenomenal! Will be visiting again soon without a doubt!
Panama Canal and Gatun Lake wildlife.
David L,
Oct 27, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
The service was great. Our guide John was very informative and patient. Highly recommended. The food was great and very accomodating to our taste, within the Panama cuisine experience.
10/10 experience
Kassie O,
Oct 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Our guide was amazing! He was so informed and knowledgeable all while making jokes and making us feel comfortable and safe. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is visiting Panama City. This tour was also incredibly ethical and avoided causing harm to any of the wildlife. The food at the end of the tour in Panama City was delicious. 10/10 experience.
10/10 recommend
491auburna,
Sep 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Seeing the islands full of different types of monkeys was such an amazing experience! Our tour guide Ernesto was the best. Super friendly and made us laugh and entertained through the whole experience.
A real adventure
Abouha,
Aug 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Ernesto the guide kept us up to date with pickup time . He and the driver took us over the Sentinel bridge so we could see a ship passing on the canal. They stopped to let us see a sloth and we we saw the 3 types of monkeys and a Crocodile. Then the “worst rain storm” he has ever had as a tour guide hit us , making the channel choppy and without visibility. The boat driver and the guide maintained calm . We looked like we had all taken a swim with our clothes on . It really was an adventure.