English-speaking shore excursion from the port of Colón, with a boat ride on Lake Gatún to Monkey Island, a stop in Gamboa and a visit to the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal.
Highlights
- Boat ride to spot wildlife at Monkey Island (monkeys, birds, crocodiles)
- Boat ride on Lake Gatún alongside ocean giants on the Panama Canal
- Visit to the Agua Clara Locks
- Drive across two bridges over the Panama Canal
Monkey Island Shore Excursion from the Port of Colón
Wild monkeys that leap right into your boat! Where else do you see that? At the Panama Canal, of course. We set off in small boats across Lake Gatún, with dense rainforest cloaking the banks and the ocean giants crossing the Panama Canal appearing again and again between the trees. After the boat safari we stop at the Gamboa hotel, then head on to the Agua Clara Locks.
Our experienced English-speaking guides are with you throughout the excursion.
Type of trip: Shore excursions
Duration: 8 hours
Participants: 6-19
Price: from €110 per person
Highlights
- Boat ride to spot wildlife at Monkey Island (monkeys, birds, crocodiles …)
- Boat ride on Lake Gatún alongside ocean giants on the Panama Canal
- Visit to the Agua Clara Locks
- Drive across two bridges over the Panama Canal
Itinerary
| Time | Programme |
|---|---|
| 06:15 | Meeting point at the port |
| 06:30 | Departure from Colón |
| 08:00 | Boat ride on Lake Gatún to spot wildlife at Monkey Island |
| 10:00 | Gamboa Rainforest Reserve: rainforest walk or simply enjoy the panorama |
| 11:00 | Drive across one bridge on the Pacific and one on the Atlantic over the Panama Canal, and on to the locks |
| 11:30 | Bus transfer to the Panama Canal |
| 12:30 | Visit to the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal |
| 13:45 | Return drive to Colón |
| 14:15 | Arrival at the port |
Below is a sample description of this shore excursion from the port of Colón, with a 6:30 a.m. departure. For the 10:00 a.m. departure the excursion is adjusted, and we’ll send you a matching detailed description by e-mail.
Detailed Description
Our team of English-speaking guides welcomes you at the port. Please be on time, as the monkeys are most active in the morning and head back up into the treetops to laze around later in the day. We ride through the city of Colón in an air-conditioned bus. Look out to the left and right and soak up your first impressions of the city.
We follow the motorway towards Panama City and, about two thirds of the way there, take the exit to Gamboa. The town of Gamboa sits inside Soberanía National Park, which protects the rainforest around the Panama Canal. Large stretches of rainforest were kept intact to keep the canal running, and this wild country is home to extraordinarily rich wildlife. We head out by fishing boat onto Lake Gatún, right alongside the canal’s shipping channel, and with a little luck we cross paths with huge container ships making their way through. Gamboa is also the base for the cranes, barges, tugboats and a dredger that maintain the canal, and we can often watch the dredgers at work and see the Panama Canal in action up close.
We carry on by boat through tropical rainforest that blankets the whole area, stopping at a few small islands where capuchins, howler monkeys and Geoffroy’s spider monkeys live in the wild. We watch the monkeys, and some of these cheeky little characters even jump into our boat. The boat then threads through the maze of narrow side channels of Lake Gatún, and along the banks we spot all kinds of birds, iguanas, and maybe sloths or crocodiles too.
After this thrilling encounter with nature we head back to the boat landing and on to the Gamboa Rainforest Reserve. This luxury hotel, set in its own private rainforest reserve, has a wonderful view from the terrace over the Chagres River and the forest. Here we take a guided walk of about 30-40 minutes through the rainforest. If you’d rather take it easy, you can instead enjoy a coffee or a snack at the café on the terrace. We then drive back towards Colón by bus, turning off just before the city to reach the Agua Clara Locks. These locks opened in 2016 to handle the modern ships that no longer fit through the old locks of 1914. From the visitor platform we look straight down onto the lock chambers and watch the great ocean liners pass from Lake Gatún out to the Atlantic.
Next we cross the Atlantic Bridge, which opened in 2019, and from there we can see both lock complexes at once: the old Gatún Locks from 1914 and the modern Agua Clara Locks. We make a short stop at the Gatún Locks and, if a ship happens to be passing through, watch one of the towing locomotives at work. We then drive back to the port of Colón, so you return to your ship in good time and with a comfortable buffer to spare.
We always tailor the excursion times precisely to your ship’s docking schedule. You’ll receive the detailed timings for your particular ship along with your booking request.
Our quality promise to you:
- Every tour is led by experienced English-speaking guides; we’ve been guiding groups from cruise ships since 2007.
- Easy registration, with payment on site in US dollars or, if you prefer, by bank transfer.
- Small groups of up to 19 people make for a personal experience of the country and its culture.
- Our guides can adapt the tour on the fly, so that you don’t miss the ships locking through the Panama Canal.
- Careful planning, years of experience organising excursions, and punctuality are what we’re known for.
Services
Included Services
- Travel in air-conditioned buses
- English-speaking guide: Guaranteed!
- Boat ride to Monkey Island
- Snacks and drinks
- Entrance to the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal
Services Not Included
- Tips
Notes, Info & FAQ
Do I need a yellow fever vaccination, and which vaccinations do I generally need for Panama?
The standard vaccinations recommended in Germany are enough to keep you well protected. The tales of malaria and yellow fever epidemics go back to the building of the Panama Canal from 1881 onwards and were overcome long ago. The last locally acquired case of yellow fever in Panama was recorded in 1972.
More information on health, tropical diseases and vaccinations can be found here.
Weather and Clothing
Wear light, comfortable summer clothing (shorts and a short-sleeved shirt). Panama’s rainy season runs from mid-April to mid-December. The heaviest downpours come at the tail end of it, in October and November, so up to mid-December we’d recommend packing an umbrella or rain jacket, though heavy rain can fall in the dry season too. In the dry season from December to April it barely rains and the sun is strong throughout; around midday the temperature climbs to about 34 degrees Celsius, so good sun protection and plenty of water are essential. Be sure to use sunscreen, wear a hat or cap and bring sunglasses.
Currency
Officially the country’s currency is the Panamanian balboa, but in practice it’s the US dollar that circulates. To be exact, only dollar notes are used, while the coins include both US dollar coins and balboa coins, which are minted for Panama in the USA.
Credit cards are widely accepted in restaurants and shops. A tip on cash: don’t bring large notes for the souvenir shops and the like. It’s best to carry four 5-dollar bills and the rest in 20s.
How do I find the meeting point?
We have an easy-to-find meeting point right inside the port area, where we wait holding a sign with the Panamatura logo. Along with your excursion voucher we send you a map and detailed directions for finding us.
Port info Colón
Click here to find information on the port of Colón.
General country and travel information for Panama
Follow this link to read detailed country and travel information for Panama.
Dates & Prices
This excursion runs on every date when the cruise ships Aida and Mein Schiff call at the port of Colón. For other ships, please tell us the ship’s name, the port and the docking time.
Please enter your date in the booking form.
Prices
| Number of participants | Price |
|---|---|
| 6-11 participants | EUR 115 / USD 125 |
| 12-19 participants | EUR 110 / USD 120 |
Reduced rates for children: up to 6 years – EUR/USD 55, up to 11 years – EUR/USD 25.
You’re welcome to pay in cash in US dollars on the day of the tour in Panama, or to transfer the amount in advance in EUR (please put the excursion date and name in the reference). Panama’s currency is the US dollar, which you can also withdraw from an ATM at the port.
