Monkey Island Boat Tour at the Canal
Embark on a nature boat ride along the Panama Canal, passing by massive cargo ships and capturing stunning photos. Navigate through channels surrounded by small islands, teeming with exotic tropical plants, trees, birds, and wildlife like iguanas, turtles, sloths, and monkeys.
Complete your adventure with a guided walk through the lush trails of Soberania National Park, immersing yourself in the rich biodiversity of the rainforest.
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About the Tour
This Panama Monkey Island Boat Tour at the Canal will take you on a small nature boat ride to experience the fun side of the Canal! We will pass by huge cargo ships transiting the Panama Canal, allowing you to take pictures from a privileged perspective. We also go through channels made out of small islands to appreciate an incredible diversity of exotic tropical plants and trees, birds, and other animals in their natural environment, such as iguanas, turtles, sloths, and monkeys. Then, for a more complete rainforest experience, we wrap things up with a guided walk in one of the trails of the Soberania National Park.
Panama Canal Tour Highlights
- Tour led by a naturalist.
- Wildlife boat tour in the Panama Canal.
- Rainforest wildlife in their natural environment.
Tour Details
Price: US$120 per person.
Small groups: 3 Min. – 8 Max. (larger family groups are accepted)
Includes: Pick-up/drop-off from any hotel in Panama City*, boat tour, guided walk in the rainforest, entrance fees to the national park, bottled water, local biologist guide fluent in English and Spanish.
*Dreams, Westin Playa Bonita, Intercontinental Playa Bonita are located outside Panama City limits. Pick-up/drop-off from these hotels is available at an extra cost of US$15 per person.
Not included: Your boat will navigate on the main Canal Lake (Gatun Lake), but it will not go through the locks. The transit through the locks tour is a completely different tour.
Locations: Gamboa, Chagres River, Panama Canal, Gatun Lake, Soberania National Park.
Skill level (easy): The majority of the time you will be sitting on the boat. The walk in the rainforest can be up to 1 hour in length and it is on a nature trail that has steps up and down, and it crosses a couple of small creeks.
Itinerary
- 7:00 A.M. Pick-up from your hotel in Panama City.
- Land transfer to Gamboa, where the Chagres River meets the Panama Canal (Gatun Lake).
- Wildlife boat tour in the Panama Canal.
- Guided walk in the rainforest.
- Drive back and drop-off at your hotel in Panama City at around noon.
Early start: Animals are more active early in the morning, increasing the chances of spotting them in the wild. We can start the tour later than 7:00 A.M. upon request and still see animals; but the early start is much better.
What to wear
- Light shirt or t-shirt.
- Shorts or light long pants (avoid jeans).
- Sport/hiking shoes (sandals or any other kind of open footwear are not recommended for walking in the rainforest).
(7% Panama tax not included).
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What our clients are saying
Fantastic two week tour of Panama! - This was a fantastic tour that basically introduced us to most of the regions in Panama. The pricing was very reasonable as well. We started in Panama City (Aloft Hotel... Read more... - great place with a fantastic staff) with the iconic canal transit and boat tour to see monkeys, toucan and other birds, sloth and large iguana. The tours were wonderful and met all expectations. We then headed for Santa Fe and had a great time with the exception of Coffee Mountain Inn, who didn't provide the mud boots that we required and that they offer at no charge for the night hike. The other tours were perfect! On to Boquete which is truly a lovely place with a lot of easy access things to do. Isla Verde Hotel was a perfect choice! We enjoyed zip lining, hiking and bird watching. Our bird watching guide was so good that we got an up close look at three males and one female Resplendent Quetzal. In addition we saw so many beautiful birds it was a day we'll remember! Bocas del Toro was our last stop and unfortunately it rained the entire time so we say a pair of dolphins, saw the town and surrounding area but had to pass on the beach, which looked really nice, but not the end of the world! All in all, we had only one bad experience and I don't blame the tour group, but the Coffee Mountain Inn, who I reviewed separately. I would definitely recommend Eco Trips Panama to my friends and family. I know they would have a great trip with the best guides around.
JudithpHornberryFebruary 28, 2026
Tour company - Our trip to Panama was a memorable experience. Our main tour guide Alex was excellent- quite knowledgeable and exprienced. Our tours were organized and well paced. He also worked well... Read more... with the students and they loved him. He was very patient and accommodating . Our bus driver Eduardo and other guide Mariela were also commendable. I recommend this tour company- you get your money’s worth.
Kashka KMarch 24, 2026
Excellent experience! Excellent tour company!! - We were a group of 26 from St.Vincent and the Grenadines on an educational tour of Panama and we had the best time ever. Our tour guide Alexis was excellent.... Read more... He was very informative, well known everywhere we went to, very caring and always on time. He made us feel welcomed and comfortable everywhere we went to. Our bus driver Eduardo was well mannered and very respectful. Mariela also did soms tours with us and she was a very humble and informative tour guide. We enjoyed our 10 days to the max and we would definitely recommend this tour company to all who wants to visit Panama. The company is very professional, well organized and totally know what they are about. No complaints at all here!
Camper03294625218March 27, 2026
Panama Experience - The tour company was reliable and the tour guides were friendly. Alexis was very informative and his knowledge about Panama was extensive. He made the group feel comfortable and his... Read more... interactions were genuine.
Anna Bowman BMarch 24, 2026
Excellent tour Embera - We went to an Indian Village of the Embera culture. It was a magnificent and impressive experience! The guide Alex and our driver Eduardo were absolutely fabulous. The knowlege about... Read more... Panama, the people and it's history/ culture was stunning.
The whole trip and it's organisation was splendid. It was truly a dream come true!!!
If you're planning on visiting beautiful Panama, make sure you contact Eco Trips! Their service and attention will inspire you!!!
S dApril 21, 2026
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