Tour · Gamboa (boat departures)
Monkey Island / Gatún Lake Boat Tours
From maps and listings · not yet checked by us
Small-boat tours from Gamboa up the Chagres River into Gatún Lake, where several islands host wild monkeys (capuchins, tamarins, howlers). Boats also pass large ships moving through the canal channel.
Good to know
Many operators sell this tour (mostly via resellers); we did not find one operator's official booking site to recommend. Don't touch the monkeys and keep bags closed. Some tours bundle a sloth-sanctuary stop or the Gamboa aerial tram. No single coordinate: departure points vary by operator.
Details
- Hours
- Usually morning departures (e.g. 7:00 a.m. city pickup, 8:00 a.m. boarding in one 2023 account)
- Duration
- About 4 hours including hotel pickup; boat ride about 30 minutes each way (Traveling Canucks, 2023)
- Seasonality
- Year-round
- Best for ages
- All ages who can sit still in a boat
- Shabbat
- Requires driving to Gamboa and a boat; not a Shabbat activity.
- Booking
- Yes
- Kosher food
- Meals are generally not included. Bring your own kosher snacks and water; keep food sealed, since monkeys grab loose items.
- Distance from Panama City
- Gamboa is about 25 km from Panama City
Sources
- travelingcanucks.com (opens in a new tab) · checked Nov 5, 2026
- chabadpanama.com (opens in a new tab) · checked Nov 5, 2026
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