Panama Canal with entrance included and Gatun Lake Boat Tour

Recommended by 98% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Panama City, Panama

High interest

Booked 3 times today.

5 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Anton_P ·

Mar 2026

Smooth, well-organized experience. Pickup was on time and communication was clear. Our guide Daniela was friendly and knowledgeable. The Gatun Lake boat ride was the highlight—monkeys came right up to the boat, which was amazing. The Panama Canal visit was also very well done. Private tour made it much more relaxed and flexible. Highly recommend.

· Margaret_M ·

Jan 2026

We thoroughly enjoyed our private Panamá Canal Tour with Dan. The start was early, but we were rewarded with seeing a large ship move through the locks. Leaning about the history of the canal was fascinating. Our boat ride on Gatun Lake was great and our boat driver was able to get us up close to a variety of different monkeys.

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Overview

Discover the wonders of the Panama Canal and learn about its operation on this private tour. Delve into the fascinating history and operations of this engineering marvel at the Miraflores Visitor Center. Then, venture to Gatun Lake for a boat tour, where you'll witness ships navigating the canal's locks and encounter diverse wildlife amidst the lush rainforest of Soberania National Park.

A visit to the Panama Canal is a must for first-time visitors to Panama City
Avoid driving to the canal; round trip transportation is provided
Choose between a morning and afternoon departure time

What's Included

Skip the line, entrance tickets to the Panama Canal Visitors Center Miraflores are included
Tour by boat in Gatun Lake, in the Panama Canal
Bottled water
Air-conditioned vehicle

Additional cost for pick up from Playa Bonita or airport USD $30 cash per group (not per person)

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Pick up included for all bookings from hotels or accommodations in downtown Panama City and Casco Viejo. Exact pick up time for Group tour will be informed by email after 8PM the night before tour date. For a Private tour, pick up time will be at the same time as booked.

Itinerary

Panama Canal

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Gatun Lake

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Infants must sit on laps

Most travelers can participate
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Katherine_O

We had a fantastic time on the Panama Canal and Monkey Island tour! Dan was an excellent guide who really knew how to help us make the most of our experience in a short amount of time. This tour is perfect for anyone who is short on time or simply wants a great introduction to both the canal and the wildlife. Dan shared fascinating historical information, thoughtful insights about the country, and plenty of helpful local recommendations for things to do. We truly enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend this tour.

Reviews

4.9

based on 424 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great private tour - monkeys, canal views, and smooth logistics

Anton_P, Mar 2026

Wonderful experience, Ruben is the best!

Michele_P, Mar 2026

Worth every penny! An amazing tour that was delivered by an amazing, knowledgable tour guide. From the moment we were picked up at our hotel till we were dropped off, our senses were captivated with interesting facts, history and beautiful scenery. The IMAX movie was the icing on the cake.

Informative and entertaining

Krista_S, Mar 2026

We enjoyed all aspects of our tour. Friendly tamarins and capuchin monkeys visited our boat. Ruben was a knowledgeable guide and taught us all about the canal.

Tour of the Panama Canal

brian_h, Mar 2026

The entire experience from start to finish was amazing! Some highlights were the boat ride on Gatun Lake where we saw monkies and ships up close. The I MAX movie was excellent and very informative. Then we saw ships in the locks…..what a great way to end our tour. One last comment—our guide, Ricardo, did an outstanding job!

The Gatun Lake boat trip...

Ileana_N, Mar 2026

The Gatun Lake boat trip should not be missed. Our guide Fernando was very knowledgeable and a pleasure to be with.

Great mix of Jungle and Panama Canal

Jayna_P, Mar 2026

Dan was a wonderful tour guide on this private tour. We got a great mix of the Panama Canal, its history and then a tour of Gatun Lake and we were able to find 3 types of monkeys and feed them too! It was well worth the money and time.

Great way to spend the morning in Panama

Susan_M, Mar 2026

Always happy when I use Viator to book tours. Have used for many years , they never disappoint. Our tour guide Ricardo was very prompt, knowledgeable and professional. Loved the canal tour and my favourite part was actually riding by the big cruise and cargo ships on Gatun Lake.

Best way to see the canal

Jamie_T, Mar 2026

What an incredible way to see the Panama Canal! Our guide was knowledgeable and helpful the whole time. Would highly recommend!

We did a private tour, so...

Michelle_S, Mar 2026

We did a private tour, so had the boat to ourselves in Gatun. Was a very nice experience where my husband was able to feed the monkeys. Ruben was a great guide and we enjoyed talking with him along the way.

Must do

Linda_A, Feb 2026

Wonderful experience at the panama canal visitor center. We watched a few container ships enter the locks and had plenty of observation time. Our guide, Luis, was phenomenal. The boat ride in the lake was spectacular as we were side by side with the cargo ships we had previously seen entering the locks. The monkey search was so successful and they were hungry and friendly.

Day Trip to Panama Canal and Beyond!

Brendan_M, Feb 2026

Daniella was an amazing guide - the tour balanced education on Panamanian history, the story of the Panama canal, and the amazing wildlife of the lake so very well. I traveled with 2 youth (16 and 13) who were engaged throughout. Highly recommend for those looking to see the canal, learn its story, and enjoy panamas wildlife (on a tight schedule).

Layover in Panama

Brandy_M, Feb 2026

Daniela was an awesome guide very knowledgeable of the history of the Panama Canal. Impeccable English. When we went to the islands her and the boat captain were wonderful finding and communicating with the various animals so we got the chance to see various monkeys and birds.

Highly recommended

Mitchell_G, Feb 2026

Boat ride was great, we were able to feed the monkeys. The movie was very informative and the canal was fascinating. I would recommend the later time as it seems to crowds died down

A must do activity for 1st timers to Panama

Mark_T, Feb 2026

Great experience. Dan was knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. The visit to monkey islands and seeing the monkeys up close is a must do.

Fun for kids to see the...

James_S, Feb 2026

Fun for kids to see the monkeys and some other jungle animals. Panama Canal is such an interesting engineering story. We had a great guide in Ruben. Very accommodating and knowledgeable on all things Panama.

Incredible

John_H, Feb 2026

Great experience all around!! Luis was a great guide!! Was great to learn so history of the canal and be up close and personal with it.

Great Canal & Gatun Lake experience!

Angelo_S, Feb 2026

Luis was a wonderful tour guide. He spoke English very well and was prompt & courteous. Canal visit went s be moothly in spite of large crowds in a temporary viewing area due to construction. Movie was informative & extremely well done. Our Gatun lake tour was nice but rained halfway through the trip. However we were still able to see monkeys, sloths and baby bats. Highly recommend!***** 5 star.

Great for those short on time

Katherine_O, Feb 2026

Fantastic Panamá Canal Tout

Margaret_M, Jan 2026

With the language barrier...

Terry_R, Jan 2026

With the language barrier and the noise of the boat on the lake, I had lots of questions about the landscape but could not ask them.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

The tour is offered in the language the customer book it. If you wanted to make a question, it was just matter of telling the guide to stop the boat for a second or just ask when the boat stops.

Everything as advertised....

Scott_W, Jan 2026

Everything as advertised. Smooth pickup at hotel; locke visit was educational. Short travel to boat for lake ride. Melissa was our captain. Found three types of monkeys, a sloth, bats and birds. Awesome day!!

Great Tour!

Stacy_H, Jan 2026

This is a great combo tour with two experiences that are not to be missed while visiting Panama City. We appreciated the private shuttle, boat tour and guide for our group of 4. Dan was full of knowledge and made the experience extra special and enjoyable.

Terrific Tour

Jenna_L, Jan 2026

Luis was an incredible guide. I would recommend this tour to everyone. Monkeys were my highlight but seeing the canal in action was awesome too!

Great Tour!!!

Sylvie_C, Jan 2026

Ruben was an amazing guide. He shared so much history and culture. The Gatun lake was great. The monkeys were sooooo cute. Thank you so much.

Panama canal and wildlife

harlan_g, Jan 2026

It was really interesting. My guide was informative. Had monkeys (titi) jump on to the boat. The boat captain knew what he was doing in terms of locating them. The boat ride itself was a blast. Fast like a jet ski. We left early (0730) which I would recommend this time of year (January). It gets hot later.

Monkeys, canals, and birds, oh my!

Patricia_B, Jan 2026

One of the best tours I’ve been on ever (and I travel a lot). Luis is the best and Bob knows where all the monkeys are. Worth. Every. Penny.

Very crowded at the...

Cynthia_C, Dec 2025

Very crowded at the Panama Canal viewing during our trip in December. Get there as soon as they open. Boat ride was fun and saw lots of monkeys

Great guide - wonderful...

Tracey_L, Dec 2025

Great guide - wonderful experience! Highly recommend a private tour. Best way to see the Panama Canak and the lake!

This tour was amazing!

Valerie_V, Dec 2025

We loved this tour! Our driver Fernando was wonderful. He was so friendly and knowledgeable. The tour was so amazing- we were able to see three different species of monkeys (close up), bats, a deer and a giant iguana. And Fernando was so kind on the Panama Canal tour. He answered all our questions and made sure we had everything we needed.