City Outings: Panama Jungle Adventure

Great Getaway

Alex was a wonderful guide. He made our experience one we will never forget. I recommend everyone to chose him if you decide to visit and learn about the great city of Panama.

Awesome Tour with Alex

We had a great time on the Panama Jungle Adventure with Alex. He was friendly, knowledgeable and very observant. We were delighted to encounter three types of monkeys on the river cruise and saw a variety of birds on the jungle walk. Highly recommend this tour with Alex!

MUST DO EXCURSION!!

If you are in Panama I highly suggest doing this tour and if you can request the tour guide Alex. Alex was amazing and truly exceptional as a tour guide, from start to finish he was active and very informative of all the culture and nature during the excursion. We first started off with Alex picking us up and bringing us to the boat tour, and the reason I say to request Alex is for this reason, while on the boat tour he was super helpful and very enthusiastic, he made it his job that when we got to the different spots to see the different animals that we get up close and personal, he also brought food for the animals to attract them to our boat and even gave us the food for the Monkeys to grab from our hands. After the boat tour we started our adventure of hiking the national park, and don’t worry this isn’t a 5 hour hike, 30 minutes in and 30 minutes out was perfect. Now the point of the hike is to see and learn more about the nature and animals of Panamá which Alex did an amazing job of stopping multiple times and telling us about the nature as well as always keeping his eyes open for the different animals, we went during rainy season so with the animals it’s either a hit or miss but the boat tour makes up for it! (He was also very prepared and brought us rain ponchos which kept us dry). Me and my partner truly had an amazing time on this tour and Alex was a huge part of it, he’s hard working and truly cares about what he does. It makes all the difference when doing these tours and excursions as without him it wouldn’t have been as informative as it was. Definitely a must do!!

Fun in the jungle

We had a great time!! We learned a lot and had a lot of fun in nature and seeing the animals. The monkeys were adorable. 10/10 would do it again :)

Great with kids

Richard was a great guide. He was very engaging with our kids which made the tour even better. Would recommend this.

One of my favorite day trips in Panama

One of my favorite day trips in Panamá! Alex is very knowledgeable about the area and great at his job. He had the monkeys eating out of the palms of our hands in within minutes, many other tours who offer the same service waited much longer. We got up close and personal with 2 of the 3 different species of monkeys. One even got curious and started playing with my girl's hair. I absolutely recommend that you book this tour. Get the more expensive version where he picks you up and drops you off at a nearby hotel of your choosing. Absolutely worth it since you won't find any Ubers to drop you back off in the city.

Awesome

Tour was amazing. Alex our tour guide was on time, had much knowledge, and gave great energy throughout the entire excursion. The boat ride on the canal was everything i expected to be very beautiful and relaxing. Seeing the monkeys on the boat ride was an awesome experience and the hike was really nice getting to see monkeys and even a sloth.

Amazing tour

Richard was an amazing guide with so much knowledge and Carlos knew exactly where to take us on the boat to see three types of monkeys.

Best tour we’ve done!

We booked our trip last minute and had the best time. Our guide Alex was amazing! He was so informative and made sure we had a great experience. 10/10 would recommend! I have always wanted to see monkeys in the wild and get up close with them! Alex made that happen for us. Thank you so much for an amazing experience!

Wonderful tour!

We had such an amazing time on our tour. Alex was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. We saw so much wildlife and enjoyed walking through the rainforest. We loved our tour.

Fantastic Gamboa lake and jungle exploration. Alex was an enthusiastic guide for our trip. Found us monkeys and sloths.

Alex was a fantastic guide. Picked us up at our hotel and we had a smooth drive to Gamboa lake. He provided great info about points of interest along the way including a quick stop to see a sloth. The lake trip was a blast passing several ships transiting the canal. We saw the three species of monkeys, one that came right down to the boat. Also saw some other flora and fauna. Then we headed inland a bit for an hour walk/hike. Before the walk we had a quick stop for some liquids and baño. On the walk Alex pointed out many natural point of interest. All in all it was a great outing.

Great tour guide!

Alex was terrific. He has great energy, loves his job! He designed our tour specifically for us. He was willing to extend our time and add an additional activity on. I highly recommend this tour and ask for Alex!

Richard picked me up on time. I had a good experience seeing several Monkeys and several other animals. The trail walk was a

Richard is very knowledgeable and we saw lots of animals, etc. Wish the tour was longer. Well worth the trip. Thumbs up!!

Richard George was an informative and wonderful tour guide! He worked hard to show us many species on our jungle cruise!

Awesome experience with the monkeys!! Wow! We got an experience of a lifetime! Thanks to Richard we have the best photos

Amazing tour and tour guide!

My family had Richard George as our tour guide and he was phenomenal! Richard had so many great and interesting facts, I had learned more from one boat ride than during my entire nine day trip in Panama. My family was able to interact with 3 different species of monkeys and got great photos! Additionally we saw crocodiles and several bird species. This is something my family and I will always remember! 5 out of 5 stars!!!

Interesting but dependent on the animals

Interesting trip but dependent on whether the monkeys and other animals want to come down to the boats or sun on the lake. We did see a crocodile and monkeys but not a lot. Tour guide Yas was great and did everything he could to help us see them. Hike part described on Viator was somewhat inaccurate as there are not orchids which is why I picked this trip. It is mainly an hour car ride and 90 minute boat ride. Tour guide spoke excellent English and we did have a private tour which was nice.

Day trip to Lake Gatun

Punctual pick up at hotel. Transfer to Gatun Lake followed by a 90 minute cruise on the lake. Cruise was the highlight of the trip. We were able to feed monkeys watch birds and enjoy the lush nature which was in stark contrast to the huge vessels passing through the canal. The walk through the forest was ok but nothing particularly special. The price was somewhat on the higher end for the trip which ended with a negative experience. The guide told us that he reserved a table for lunch in a Restaurant (with terrible Google ratings , which I found out later) where we absolutely got ripped off. One of us paid USD 25 for a plate of rice with veggies and on top of this half of the guides food (additional USD 16) was added to our bill without being asked.

Monkeying Around

We loved this tour! Our tour guide Charlie (who was quite the character) picked us up from our Airbnb at 8:00am. He was super knowledgable, funny and quite kind to our 9 year old daughter. On the way to Gamboa, Charlie told stories of Panama's history and culture. He stopped along the way to grab bananas, peanuts and grapes for the monkeys. Upon arrival, Charlie met up with our boat capitain. I liked that we were the only 3 on our boat as it seemed like other boats were filled with people. The boat itself was super dooper basic but it didn’t matter because the ride is lovely! Because we took the morning tour, the monkeys were hungry, so quite a few came to our boat without much prompting. Apparently it takes a little more coaxing if you take the afternoon tour. The only monkey we did not get to see was "Melissa" who lives on her own on one of the islands. She must have been sleeping, or perhaps had enough for the day. Our tour was supposed to end with a 1 hour hike in Soberania National Park. This was the only thing I would say that was a disappointment. Charlie said that the hike would be too hard for our 9 year old so we went for a walk at Gamoa Rainforest Resort instead. I think that somewhere on Viator should say that a child cannot manage the hike. This being said, the resort walk was fun and Charlie had lots of stories to tell along the way. All in all a great morning out in Panama - would totally recommend.

Great experience!

We had the absolute best day today with Yas! We had a private tour all day. Yas has the best English, so friendly and has so much incredible knowledge of the area! We learned so much for him. We saw 3 types of monkeys, crocodiles, turtles, toucans, a sloth and so much more. If you can request him, definitely do!!!

Amazing!

The tour was amazing! We were able to see 3 different types of monkeys as well as seeing the incredible canal and a crocodile. There was a large group of us which can sometimes be difficult but the guides, Richard, Jesse, and Yasser were brilliant. Would certainly recommend!

As advertised and MORE

We learned quite a bit of Panama's history, saw all 3 types of monkeys hand fed Capuchin monkeys, and saw a 2 toed sloth. Great Time!

Highly recommended 👍

Fantastic tour! Our guide Richard was very knowledgeable and did a wonderful job. We saw many monkeys, crocodiles, birds and insects.

Don’t Miss This Tour

It was so fun to see the little islands in Gatun Lake and the various animals. There were lots of other boats like ours out doing the same thing. Our guide gave us a good commentary on Panama while driving to and from. This tour is well worth the cost.

Wonderful Rainforest Tour/Boat Ride and Hike

Our guide Alex our was wonderful! Knowledgeable, funny and smart, Alex taught us about the Panamanian wildlife (multiple types of monkeys, crocodiles, birds, sloths etc!). We fed the white face monkeys and watched a sloth cross the road -literally every driver stopped and got out of their cars to help the vulnerable creature arrive safely. Our boat tour was full of wildlife citings and our hike to the top of a tower in the middle of the rainforest was beautiful- so cool to hear the howling monkeys. A great tour of a very special place by a excellent guide.

Monkey madness

Wow! Richard was wonderful—knowledgeable, punctual and fun. The monkeys stole the show. They are hilarious, wild, friendly and it is going to be hard to beat this trip with the combo of the boat ride and their entertainment!

Don’t miss Gatun Lake

Our guide and driver were both excellent. I’m glad we took this tour because seeing Gatun Lake is a unique experience. My only complaint is the hike at the end. It’s a long way on an uneven road made of rocks. We didn’t see anything except a few birds. I think the time could have been spent in a better way.

Very informative on the...

Very informative on the bus ride, loved the boat ride. The rainforest walk was a bust as we did not see anything but that is strictly luck and not the fault of the tour.

Unforgettable memory

This was an amazing experience in seeing 3 different types of monkeys in the wild! It was an unforgettable experience.

Engaging Jungle Adventure! Highly recommend for families.

I booked this tour for my family and I, Richard was our tour guide and he was awesome, he picked us up from our hotel right on time. The boat trip and the hiking were safe for the kids and a most do. Would highly suggest this tour and Richard as tour guide.

Time well spent

Richard was very easy to be with, we really enjoyed his company and his English is excellent. A great experience, an informative and interesting tour. We booked this trip right after our Ocean to Ocean tour was canceled at the last minute and it was the best thing we could have done. Highly recommended.

The highlight of Panama trip

Alex was a wonderful tour guide, very knowledgeable and personal. We were lucky to have him as he made our jungle adventure an unforgettable experience. The boat ride was phenomenal and the hiking was fun and educational. Would definitely recommend doing this activity to friends and family visiting Panama.

Day tripper

Richard did a good job as a tour guide. He was able to coax the monkeys down to feed and his English was very good explaining everything.

A fantastic experience

Overall a fantastic experience. Alex went out of his way to pick me up earlier at my accomodation which was a bit far from downtown. We ended up starting earlier than originally booked, a change was made to the time the evening before. But it was worth getting up earlier & it probably ensured a better experience, as we beat the other tourists in this busy season. The monkey island cruise was a highlight, the monkeys come right up to you on the boat and we saw 3 different types of monkeys. The rainforest walk was also lovely & we were lucky enough to see a big group of howler monkeys in the trees above us. Would definitely recommend.

Good excursion, but the wild animals may not appear

The experience of being on Lake Gatun in a small boat along with the massive ocean carriers is very interesting. The beauty of the Panamanian rainforest is lovely. The monkeys are there to be seen and watching them move effortlessly through the trees is a joy. That said, you don't get necessarily get good views of the monkeys since they're both wild and way up in the trees. And if you're unlucky, they'll all be on the opposite side of the the boat from where you're seated. (Hint, sit on the same side of the boat as the driver.) We also didn't see sloths or toucans, and the birds were too high to make out detail with a cellphone camera, so bring a telephoto camera if you want close-ups. You do not exit the boat onto the islands. The ride from Gamboa out to the monkey islands takes a bit of time - hopefully you get a boat with a quick motor. That way you'll spend more time nosing about the islands looking for the wildlife rather motoring there and back. Our guide Richard was fantastic, and he helpfully picked us up at our hotel. His English is perfect and his background as a Panamanian raised in Gamboa inside the Canal Zone gave us wonderful insight into Panamanian culture. He is knowledgeable of the nature, wildlife, and history of the area, and was an informational guide during the boat tour and the short jungle hike.

Good trip outside the city

Feeding the monkeys, seeing the ships on Gatun Lake and hiking in Sobernia park. The guide was really good but the sites visited were not exceptional

Best tour of our trip

Richard was an incredible guide! We learned so much and he went above and beyond for us, even switching our tour and taking us to Miraflores Locks instead of the hike since it was raining and we were more interested in seeing the canal. The boat tour was a lot of fun and we saw all three types of monkeys, a crocodile, iguana, and he also pointed out a bunch of plants. He also provided us with peanuts and bananas so the monkeys came on our boat and we got really close to them. Highly recommend! This was the best tour we took during our 2.5 week trip in South/Central America.

Wondeful

Our tour guide Richard was so informative. He knew so much about the canal, jungle and Panama. It made for a wonderful experience.

Great Tour

Really awesome trip with Richard. Got to see tons of different varieties of wildlife while taking a boat trip.

Great tour experience

Excellent tour and people. Richard picked us up at our hotel and the tour really started immediately as we were provided with so many interesting insights on our surroundings in Panama City. While the entire trip was fun, the highlight for us was riding in a boat (in the pouring rain) on the lake, which is part of the Panama Canal. Richard had provided ponchos, so it was more fun than it sounds. Feeding the monkeys along the lake shores is incredible, as they take peanuts from the palm of your hand. So incredibly gentle with their little monkey fingers. We also went to the sloth/butterfly/poison frog sanctuary. The sloths are weird, but cute in their way. The sloth sanctuary and boat trip cost extra as they are run by separate businesses, but these are people trying to make a living through eco tourism, and well worth the cost. All in all, highly recommend this experience.

Being in a small boat...

Being in a small boat near the giant tankers lining up preparing to enter the narrows, then later seeing the same ships in the locks was a delightful surprise.

Such a great trip

We did the jungle adventure. They were terrific. They went out of their way to have us see monkeys. We made many stops around Gatun lake until we found monkeys. We were given peanuts and bananas and the monkeys came aboard and ate out of our hands!

Richard had great...

Richard had great information on the canal, flora/fauna, growing up in Panama, etc... He was relaxed but attentive to our questions and needs. He worked hard to help us see more wildlife both on the boat and during the walk.

Fun seeing the monkeys!

The boat tour was good. We saw a number of monkeys and other wildlife. The jungle walk was very short and we did not see much. The tour guide was informative and punctual. The extra fee for the boat ride was confusing as it was not asked for until we were dropped off and then it was not clear whether it was per person or per booking.

100% Recommend this company!!

Great experience with the company! Small group of 6 with personalized experience. Alex, Richard and Briga made it a fun experience. Saw 4 alligators, bunch of monkeys, bats, tamarins. Would recommend it for families with kids. Our kids are 8-11 and had an incredible experience. Highly recommend this company.

Great Way to See Panamanian Animals in Their Natural Setting!

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our Panama Jungle Adventure! Our tour guide, Jess, was knowledgeable, friendly and professional. Jess and our boat operator could spot the naturally well-camouflaged animals and get us close enough to take photos. The crocodiles were just a little too fast moving back into the water, so we couldn't get a good photo of them. But we have the memory of seeing them! It was a great excursion and we definitely recommend this tour!

RIPPED OFF!

The tour was OK. However, the operator of the boat tour ( by far the largest part of the tour) demanded payment of $25 per person ( $50 total) for the boat ride. Only cash was accepted and we were embarrassed as we didn’t bring along enough cash, since Viator’s description of the tour said that the boat ride was included We had to borrow cash from our driver. So either we were shaken down by the boat operator, or Viator’s description of the tour was false and misleading. We think we are owed reimbursement by Viator.

Great tour!

We liked our small group to the Jungle with Alex. He was very knowledgeable and nice with the kids. The tour was great, very fun and educational. Would do it again!

The highlight of our Panama Trip

We had a the most lovely time with Richard, he was knowledgeable, personable and punctual. I specially enjoyed the boat trip through Gatun lake and seeing the butterflies, there were so many!

Top Notch in Panama City

We had a lot of fun with Richard, he is very knowledgable and easy to be with. Our favorite part was the hiking in the rainforest and feeding the monkeys. Would do it again!

Wonderful

Richard was a great tour guide. While drive he broke down panamas history also showed us different historical areas. During the tour we seen 3 different monkeys and feed the white faced monkey that stoled our fruits lol. Keep in mind if you have fruits to hide them lol the monkeys will take them. We did a jungle tour as well. Seen mini bats overall the experience was great