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Panama Canal Safari: Wildlife and Jungle Adventure
4.8
1,550 Ratings
Panama City
Explore Panama’s jungle: boat safari, Monkey Islands, jungle walk, and taste local treats. Morning or afternoon tours available.
Explore Panama’s jungle: boat safari, Monkey Islands, jungle walk, and taste local treats. Morning or afternoon tours available.
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Gatun Lake - Experience the thrill of a high-speed motorboat ride alongside large vessels in the heart of the Panama Canal. Explore the wild side of the lake and spot capuchins, howler monkeys, sloths, tamarins, or toucans.
- Gamboa - Explore a former US military facility. Enjoy snacks and a bathroom break. Pass by the Gamboa - Smithsonian…
- Gatun Lake - Experience the thrill of a high-speed motorboat ride alongside large vessels in the heart of the Panama Canal. Explore the wild side of the lake and spot capuchins, howler monkeys, sloths, tamarins, or toucans.
- Gamboa - Explore a former US military facility. Enjoy snacks and a bathroom break. Pass by the Gamboa - Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and embark on a 2km adventure along the renowned Birdwatcher Pipeline Trail. Walk through the jungle and discover a diverse range of flora and fauna.
- Centennial Bridge - The Centennial Bridge spans the Culebra Cut (Gaillard Cut) near the Pedro Miguel locks, where a brief stop will be made. Enjoy the scenic view over the area where the original French excavation faced many challenges. This cable-stayed bridge has a total span of 1,052 m (3,451 ft), with a main span of 420 m (1,380 ft) and a clearance of 80 m (260 ft) above the canal, allowing large vessels to pass underneath.
What's Included
- World Top 5 Tour 2025 Experience Awards Ultimate Travel Bucket List
- Top 20 winners Viator Experience Awards for Latin America
- Professional guide and lots of fun
- Operates in all weather conditions
- Military Jungle grade ponchos if it rains
- Snacks
- World Top 5 Tour 2025 Experience Awards Ultimate Travel Bucket List
- Top 20 winners Viator Experience Awards for Latin America
- Professional guide and lots of fun
- Operates in all weather conditions
- Military Jungle grade ponchos if it rains
- Snacks
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Boat Ride 20.00$ pp
- Gratuities
- Boat Ride 20.00$ pp
Additional Information
Embark on “The PAPI,” a high-speed motorboat adventure with music through the Panama Canal. Experience a boat safari featuring monkeys, sloths, and birds, with a stop at Monkey Islands. Discover the diverse flora and fauna surrounding Gatun Lake. Enjoy a jungle walk and swing from vines like Tarzan. Savor traditional Panamanian treats such as deep-fried…
Embark on “The PAPI,” a high-speed motorboat adventure with music through the Panama Canal. Experience a boat safari featuring monkeys, sloths, and birds, with a stop at Monkey Islands. Discover the diverse flora and fauna surrounding Gatun Lake. Enjoy a jungle walk and swing from vines like Tarzan. Savor traditional Panamanian treats such as deep-fried empanadas, carimanola, ojaldre, and the sweetest pineapple.
*Morning or afternoon tours are available
Tours operate in all weather conditions. In case of rain, military-grade jungle ponchos are provided for added fun.
Pick-ups are available from Airbnb, Casco, and Financial District hotels not listed. Please provide the GPS location and building name in the special requirements section.
- Tour Duration includes travel time
- No walker
Location
Gatun Lake
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(1550 Ratings)
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Michael_l
Mar 2, 2026
Excellent tour - Great guide Manolo. Educated us on the canal as well as wildlife. He had a magnifying scope we could all view to see animals in the trees. The stop after the boat tour for clean bathrooms and snacks was perfect.
Review provided by Viator
Bruce_n
Mar 2, 2026
Great trip - Guide Ruiz was excellent. Be able to adopt o circumstances as you are in the jungle. Be sure to bring sunscreen and bug spray.
Review provided by Viator
Taslum
Feb 28, 2026
Delivered on all Promises - Objectively: Picked up a little later than expected. Full bus but seats for everyone. Stuck to the itinerary. Home about when expected. All equipment in working order (bus, boat). Rain gear provided as promised, but was not needed the day we went.
Subjectively: It was a lot of fun. Manolo was our guide and he was excellent and keeping all entertained. He's been doing this for over 20 years and his experience is evident. He does it because he enjoys it, and it shows.
The boat ride was fun speeding along the water in the main canal and then slowly through the marsh as we approached the islands where the monkeys were. In all I counted three types of monkeys via the boat, sloth sighting along the way on the drive, and more monkeys (different breed?) on the nature walk.
The weather was on our side, no rain, even though it was forecasted. The trek through the jungle was a slow walk walking in (it's exactly one kilometer but took a good 30 minutes with all the stops to look at the different animals and vegetation) but a quick walk going back.
The snack bag provided was quite enjoyable and we all (four of us) finished them completely.
I recommend this trip and would totally do it again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tamia_g
Feb 27, 2026
Love the entire... - Love the entire excursion. We were able to see toucans, sloths, and three different types of monkeys. The tour guide, boat captain, and bus driver were great!! 10/10 recommend. Be sure to check your email as you will be picked up from your location at a different time than you book. It is usually 45 mins before your excursion time that you booked. We were picked up at 6:15am. You’ll get an email with directions :)
Review provided by Viator
A_r
Feb 27, 2026
Amazing!!! - This entire tour made my trip. The bus pick up from hotel to the boat and lake ride was unforgettable. These little creatures are best seen in the morning when they are up and active. Saw 3 kinds of monkeys - toucan birds and two sloths. Simply astounding to see them in their natural environment. This tour is worth every cent!! Do it!
Review provided by Viator
Miranda
Feb 27, 2026
Fun time in the rainforest! - Had a fantastic experience! Saw three sloths and three different types of monkeys. Really enjoyed our guide. Thanks!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hyman_r
Feb 25, 2026
Love those monkeys - Excellent guide, very comfortable bus. This was a remarkable and very enjoyable experience. Our guide, Manila, was a very friendly and also an extremely knowledgeable tour guide who explained the history of Panama and also explained everything we experienced in the water and in the rainforest. Very knowledgeable about the area and about all the animals. We saw almost every animal that was advertised and many of us even feed some of the monkeys. He managed to explain everything, made us feel safe and everyone had a great time.
Review provided by Viator
Christina_n
Feb 24, 2026
Monkeys and Sliths! - We enjoyed it - the guide, Manolo, was entertaining and knowledgeable. He spotted wildlife easily and allowed us to experience 3 species of monkeys, a 3-toed sloth, and unusual birds. He spoke fluent English, Spanish, and French. I recommend this trip.
Review provided by Viator
Trevor_b
Feb 24, 2026
Great tour, be aware of extra fees - The tour was really great! Tour guides were awesome and we saw monkeys on the island.
People should be aware that they charge an additional $20/person in cash for the boat ride when you get there. The boat ride is not included in the price displayed at booking. With that included in the total price it’s definitely still worth it, but the price displayed online is misleading.
Review provided by Viator
Mark_k
Feb 23, 2026
Excellent Tour! - We loved this trip-we had a fantastic time and really enjoyed seeing all the monkeys and learning more history about Panama! Great tour guide and a lot of fun!
Review provided by Viator