Private Tour
Panama City and Canal Private Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Locals call Panama "Center of the World, Heart of the Universe", and it's not ego-related, it's due to its historical and strategic location for global travel and commerce.
We will take you through the centuries, from the time when the Spanish used Panama as a trading hub to the present. You will see the beautifully restored and preserved World Heritage site known as "Casco Antiguo", the historic old quarter, and early twentieth century engineering marvels: The Panama Canal and the Amador Causeway.
And of course, if and when you get hungry during the day, we'll take you to the restaurant of your choice (and trust us, the variety is huge).
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Panama Canal
There are many ways to see the Panama Canal's two sets of locks on the Pacific side. Due to the irregular scheduling of ship passages through the locks, we offer three options to give you the best value: - The Miraflores Locks Visitors' Center (ticket fee not included). - A ground-level viewing of the Pedro Miguel Locks (no fees). - A panoramic view of both sets of locks with Panama City's skyline in the background from the Centennial Bridge (note: our vehicle can't stop as it's part of the highway). Our highly-professional guides will help you choose the best combination of options to give you the best experience possible.
Casco Viejo
Discover Panama City's Old Quarter and it's late colonial architecture with its later French influence from the French Canal construction era (and if you're curious, a couple of secrets, no spoilers!). Learn of Panama's rich history and how, thanks to the age of pirates, Panama City was moved from its original site to its current location. Also, if you're after original arts and crafts made by Panama's indigenous peoples, we'll take you to the right place. The choice is yours, walk around while sightseeing or we can drive you in the comfort of our air-conditioned vehicle.
What‘s Included
Private transportation
Opcional
The Miraflores Locks Visitors' Center entrance
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Panama City and Canal Private Tour
Pickup included
Reviews
11 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Christian and Stella made our trip a blast!
dianapV3105TM,,Dec 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We just got back from a fantastic time in Panama. Christian and Stella made our trip a truly memorable, fun-filled blast. They were reliable, helpful, kind, and taught us so much about Panama. We have gained such a vast knowledge of the country, its government, culture, food, the city, customs, geopolitical advantages, the people, and so much more. Even our 11-year-old son was astonished by some of the interesting facts. Wow, I can't even describe how interesting it was to experience. We left feeling we had learned so much and truly experienced as much of Panama as we could in such a short time.
Great tours, great guides fantastic experience!
phishua,,Aug 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fantastic time in Panamá, and a large part of that has to do with Vive Panamá. Cristóbal and his family took great care of us. They are friendly, hard-working (to put it mildly), and went out of their way over and over to give us and other guests a great experience. We did the City Tour and Canal Visit with them, as well as three other tours: Gamboa, the Pearl Islands, and the San Blas Islands. The latter two were organized by Vive Panamá, but subcontracted out to other operators. It didn't bother us in the least, we knew we were in good hands. I really can't recommend them highly enough!
Excellent experience
Camper42429845611,,May 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An excellent tour with Cristian which is a very knowledgeable and friendly guide and gave us a lot of information about the Panama Canal, the history, the city, the Panamanian culture and traditions.
Amazing tour!
H8300JKlisag,,Mar 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We travelled with a group of 8 doing a tour of Panama Canal, old Panama City and Monkey Island. Wow is the best way to describe this amazing tour! We were picked up at our resort Riu Playa Blanca at 730am and were back at about 5pm. It was a full day of adventure, information and awesome memories! Stella was super easy to contact when booking and answered all of my many questions. Our guide Cristian was outstanding with lots of knowledge to pass along and answered any questions we threw at him. Our driver Cris was really good as well! They were very flexible and adjusted our tour to make sure we got the biggest bang for our buck! We seen so many things including sloths, monkeys, crocodile, the Panama Canal, old Panama city, Modern Panama city. It included an amazing lunch, bottled water during day. I would highly recommend booking through Vive Panama Tours we were very satisfied with cost and what we received for that fee!
Great Value
TheSmokehaus,,Mar 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The absolute highlight of our trip. Amazing value! A trip to Panama City, Panama Canal, and Monkey Island. A full day of fun, education, history etc. A very pleasant and proud family business. Will tailor your trip to ensure you experience is the best. A perfect. Air conditioned van for our group of 8
Wonderful 2 in 1 day tour - Monkey Island and Panama Canal
anicg,,Jan 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very pleased with our tour with Vive Panama! I booked a private day tour in Jan 25 for our group of 13. I had booked months before and everything went as planned. Transportation was on time, warm welcome by Cristobal and the driver. We went from Playa Blanca to Gatun Lake (Monkey Island), the Panama sign, Casco Viejo and then to the Miraflores Locks followed by 3D movie. The one-way ride from Playa Blanca is approx. 2 hour. During the cruise on Gatun Lake, we got to see the 3 kinds of monkeys and also saw a few ships passed by. Cristobal took us to a local place for lunch and was taking excellent care of us. We enjoyed the walk in Casco Viejo and got to see the full process if a ship going through the Miraflores locks. We also enjoyed the 3D Imax movie. We left our hotel et 7:45am and came back around 8:30pm. Although a long day, this is definitely worth it if you want to see both Monkey Island and the Panama canal in 1 day from Playa Blanca. I highly recommend that you book this tour with Vive Panama. Muchísimas gracias a Cristobal y Stella.
100% Satisfaction! Well worth the value!
James M,,Dec 11, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Christian was our driver and guide. He was very generous with his time and offered expertise and love for his country throughout the experience. His wife couldn’t be our guide because she had an illness, but Christian made up for that by giving us a couple extra hours during the tour. He was very patient and answered all my questions. The best that you could he even laughed at all my jokes! He knows Panama City very well and was a wealth of knowledge on how the Panama Canal works. I felt a camaraderie with this man. This is a family owned business and he obviously takes so much pride in what he does. I highly recommend this tour to anyone coming to Panama for the first time. He also is very open to modifying the schedule for his passengers. My wife and I also enjoyed the place he took us for lunch. We experienced real Panamanian food at a price at the locals pay. Thank you so much, Christian!
Great day in Panama City !!
M8324EZtraceyr,,Nov 21, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Thank you for an amazing day!! Panama City/Canal tour with a trip to the monkey islands as well . It was a great trip, my granddaughter is still talking about the monkeys, iguanas and how fast the ship went through the canal. Thank you for thinking of packing the ponchos too! Highly recommend this tour company if you are in Panama.
Highly recommended option
Enriquedechile,,Jun 13, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We took the online tour… very pleasant experience. The guides are very knowledgeable and very pleasant in conversation. Recommended
Great experience for Panama City and Canal tour!
DStegmann,,Mar 23, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a WONDERFUL experience with Vive Panama tours. We took a private tour (me, my husband and son) to Panama City. It was a full day; they picked us up and dropped us off at the resort. They are a family company and the price they quote is the price you pay. Excellent value and overall fantastic day. Cristian (out tour guide) gave us a good overview of the culture and country's infrastructure while we drove into the city. He kept us on a good schedule but we never felt rushed. If there are things you are particularly interested in, let him know and he can adjust. Our driver, Kristof, was great with navigating the city to avoid potential delays and issues. They recommended great a spot for lunch and a stop on the way home for empanadas! We went to see the canal and the old city, he knows all the cool little stops for any souvenirs (including authentic Panama hats); just a great tour! He is also a fantastic photographer. They do other tours also (monkey island, etc). I highly recommend them; you won't be disappointed!
Related Experiences
Operated by Vive Panama S.A.