Panama City

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Full-Day Gatun Lake and Indian Village Tour from Panama City

Badge of ExcellencePanama City, Panama

7 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Combine two of the most popular day trips from Panama City, Panama into one day of adventure. This small-group tour includes a boat ride on Lake Gatun, which is part of the Panama Canal, and a visit to Soberania National Park and an indigenous village.

Combine two popular day trips into one day
Take a boat ride on part of the Panama Canal
Spend time with members of one of Panama's indigenous groups
A small group means more attention from your guide

What's Included

All taxes, fees and handling charges
Professional guide

Food and drinks

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Avenida Central España
Av. Central España, Panamá, Provincia de Panamá, Panama
Departure Point: American Trade Hotel's Cafe TIEMPO Address: Ave Central / Calle 10, Casco Antiguo Panama City, Panama Dates: Daily

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

Opening hours

5/7/2016 - 6/3/2025
Monday - Sunday : 07:00 AM - 07:30 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

You MUST check.your email the day before the tour for your pick up time. We can pick up from major, centrally located hotels if we have the clients email.. we email the day before the tour what time pick up will be

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Cancellation Policy

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

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Ellen_S

We had a great day- saw a lot of monkeys and had a terrific tour guide. Gonzo was so knowledgeable and accommodating- highly recommend it!

Reviews

4.5

262 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 262 reviews

Great day! Worth it.

Kaete_D, Mar 2024

But really made this tour memorable was our guide Kamir. he took us to a nice restaurant in the old town afterwards and then on to taste chocolates at this fun little place very enthusiastic, young ladies, waiting on us! It was almost like another part of the tour. We got back to our hotels, around 330 and it was a great day! The monkeys and the indigenous village is interesting as well

Response from Host, Apr 2024

thank you

Private boat tour to see wild monkeys and indigenous people on the lake Gatum from Panama City.

AllaDorfman, Feb 2024

We had a great boat trip to see monkeys along the banks of lake Gatum and Indian Village from Panama City.Our guide Ganzo had perfect English, told us interesting stories about every day lives of indigenous people and showed his skills how to feed monkeys and make them come into our boat. Thank you, Ganzo.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

thank you

Great tour, very interesting!

liane_P, Feb 2024

Karim was a very friendly and knowledgeable guide. He was happy to answer all our questions and made our trip very interesting. Small group which was nice as we saw the monkeys from closer and had the opportunity to ask lots of questions. To be noted, the Gatun Lake and Indian Village was more a half day tour as we were done by 12:30. Karim was dedicated to make this trip memorable.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you

Johnny is great

si_z, Feb 2024

This is my first time booking on Viator and my first tour in Panama among a few others. It's one of the best tours because of our tour guide Johnny. Because I didn't know if that's the norm here, I waited until I finished all the tours before writing this review. This tour taught me much about the wildlife, history, and country. Johnny went above and beyond. He raised the bar so high that I feel like the rest of my tour guides were meh... If you are lucky to get him as your tour guide, I'll recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

thank you

Yes! This is the trip you want!

Sharon_J, Feb 2024

The people conducting the tour were outstanding. The guide was fantastic, better than fluent English very interesting and a good and safe driver. Held up by the couple he picked up before me the office immediately reached out to let me know and not to worry. Very much appreciated! The lady that drove the boat was extremely good as well. We were luck and saw a huge ship in the Panama Canal, it took quite a while but we did see lots of monkeys that did come to the boat, they are very small and nice, not those naughty types that steal stuff, etc. Then we went to see one of the Indian Tribes, they showed how they craft baskets, etc and they explained how they helped the US Army and Nassau astronauts. They finished with two native dances. The boat ride there was fantastic! We saw fields of flowering lily pads, colorful birds and a turtle sunning himself. I thought the whole day was fantastic

Response from Host, Feb 2024

thank you

Excellent Intro to Panama

Jane_R, Feb 2024

Gonzo was THE BEST. This tour was NOTHING like going to the zoo - seeing the monkeys while gliding by outrageously beautiful islands was spectacular. There are also birds and iguana to be seen. You have to understand this is nature and no two trips will be alike. Gonzo was incredibly well-informed about many topics and was answering questions all day. The Emberá-Wounaan people were kind and welcoming and happy to share their culture with us. Make sure you join in their dancing.. it's really worth it. Also, getting to ride right in the Panama Canal was really special.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

thank you

waste of time and money

Eva_A, Jan 2024

The guide, kind and obliging and very good English I did expect a lot more for all that money.. More a half day tour than a full day tour. I was back app..6 hours after pick up.. Three hours on a car and only three hours for experiences. I was expecting more time in the boat / on the lake, and others in group also expected more time.. The village visit, was a HUGE disappointment to what I heard from other traveller who did similiar tours.. Concrete houses, the locals showed two dances, but it was as it the highlight was that we should buy there procucts..This was only tourist business.. Nothing authentic at all. We walked a few meters in the area around the village, but there would for sure be so much more to see.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

it is literally a 2 for 1 deal! Wildlife viewing and a real indian village for the same price others offer 1 or the other.. not very good at math, are ya

I had a great time

Augustino_B, Jan 2024

Great Tour and it’s recommended. I like the small group experience. There were only 7 of us including me . Gonzo was our tour guide and he was very knowledgeable . Definitely will recommend this tour to my friends . Thank you for the good memories.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

thank you

Great experience visiting...

Elizabeth_F, Jan 2024

Great experience visiting Monkey Island and the indigenous village. We saw several monkeys at Monkey Island and the indigenous village was very unique - was my favorite part of the day! Recommend bringing cash with you so you can support the village by purchasing their handmade crafts/jewelry. Also recommend bringing bug spray as the walk through the jungle at the indigenous village had many mosquitoes. The only thing I would change is eating at the food court at the end of the tour - the food there was largely fast food and we would’ve preferred more authentic Panamanian cuisine less fast-food style. Would’ve preferred if our tour guide had given us the option to skip lunch and go straight home so we could’ve eaten back in Panama City. Otherwise highly recommend this tour!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

thank you

Gatun Lake

Ellen_S, Dec 2023

We had a great day- saw a lot of monkeys and had a terrific tour guide. Gonzo was so knowledgeable and accommodating- highly recommend it!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

thank you

The toolbar was really...

Neda_Z, Dec 2023

The toolbar was really knowledgeable and nice, and I definitely recommend him to other friends that are visiting Care in one month

Response from Host, Jan 2024

funny

Don't miss this- It is the number one thing to do in Panama!

Zach_G, Sep 2023

This was the coolest thing we did while in Panama. First of, meeting Gonzo, you would never know he was from Panama. He speaks with no accent. Then, getting to know him throughout the tour, he is so well versed in Panamanian history, wildlife, and the canal, I could go on and on about him. He really made this tour special! Meeting the monkeys was awesome, adorable, fun, and exciting. I wish we could have done it again the next day! When we first arrived in the village, I felt kind of bad. Like we were there to ogle these people, but once Gonzo started telling us about them, about the history of the tribe, the people, then he showed his relationship with them, all that melted away. We spent a lot of money with them as I felt that buying it directly from them was better than spending my money in a gift shop buying Panama magnets and bottle openers. The villagers were warm and welcoming, it capped off a fantastic day. We will be back, hopefully with friends, and will take this tour again. you should too! *To the tour operator, you need to give Gonzo a raise and maybe a promotion. He really makes this tour incredible!

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Thank you

Monkey island and village

Alessia_B, Aug 2023

Ganzo the tour guide was very entertaining and informative. We were able to see the 3 species of monkeys. We enjoyed meeting the Woonan indigenous people and getting a view of their life style.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you!

Very good guide

Lowell_T, Aug 2023

Gonzo is very knowledgeable and passionate. The monkeys are a bit commercialized still a very cool experience.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Interesting.

Amazing adventure

Charlene_A, Aug 2023

Ganzo the tour guide was very entertaining and informative. He went out of his way to guide us safely through part of the jungle and shared a lot of information about the plants and wildlife. I especially enjoyed meeting the Woonan indigenous people and getting a view of their life style. Ganzo obviously had a warm friendship with them and was able to share wonderful insights into their personal lifestyle.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Thank you!

Gonzo was awesome! Very...

Kelly_C, Aug 2023

Gonzo was awesome! Very informative and genuine! Had a great time! The money experience was very cool. One jumped on my lap! Seeing and hearing about the village was eye opening.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Thank you

Great.

April_R, Jul 2023

Gonzo was a great tour guide. Had loads of fun and learnt a lot of new things on the trip. We saw all three monkeys as well.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

All 3 TYPES of monkeys.. Thank you

Go see the Monkey's!

Darcy_T, Jun 2023

Great experience. We saw lots of animals and enjoyed the time at the Indian Village. Please be sure to bring cash - they have wonderful handmade souvenirs to purchase. I would not say this is a full day tour, we were dropped off by 1:30pm. I wish we had spent more time with the monkey's.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thanks

Such a great tour and...

RILEY_W, Jun 2023

Such a great tour and introduction to Panama City’s popular sights that are outside of the city! While the opportunity to see boats close up on the Panama Canal, Monkey Island, and Village was great to help round out a memorable trip!

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Thank you

Superb 😊😊😊

Robert_P, May 2023

Excellent tour. We saw all 3 varieties of primates in the area. The village experience was fascinating. And most importantly the guide was a fountain of information.

Response from Host, May 2023

Thank you

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