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This tour requires minimum 2 Guests to operate. Solo travelers please inquire before booking.
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Monkey Island & Aerial Tram Gamboa Resort
On our Monkey Island & Aerial Tram Gamboa Resort tour you will get up close and personal with four different species of monkeys -the Mantled Howler Monkey, the White-Faced Capuchin Monkey, Geoffroy’s Tamarin Monkey, and the Lemurine Owl Monkey - as they climb on you and snatch food. Discover many other wild animals including crocodiles, toucans, sloths, iguanas, turtles, and numerous exotic birds. Finally we embark on an extraordinary aerial tram adventure soaring through the treetops and discovering the incredible biodiversity of this tropical paradise below.
TOUR OVERVIEW - Monkey Island & Aerial Tram Gamboa Resort
Between 6:30am and 7:00 am, your personal guide and driver will meet you at your Panama City lodging (Please wait in the lobby of your lodging starting at 6:30am. We start our tour earlier than others to see more monkeys before their bellies are full from other visitors feeding them). As you commence the 40 minute drive, you will have the chance to see the old, colonial American neighborhoods, which served as homes for the Canal construction families and we will pass the famous Culebra Cut. As we arrive at the shores of Lake Gatun you will be greeted by the dense rainforest and all its intriguing sights and sounds.
We will embark with our boat into the Chagres River, which will lead us into the artificially created Gatun lake, which is a hotspot for biodiversity, giving you the chance to spot wildlife such as the coati, howler monkeys, squirrels and sloths, as well as beautiful birds like the toucan and parrots. Our path takes us mostly parallel to the Panama Canal and into Soberanía National Park on our way to the Gamboa Public Docks, where the Chagres River meets the Panama Canal. A couple of minutes into the boat ride, we enter the Canal and take a quick ride past the Dredging Division's facilities and along the shipping lane (and past a large ship or three) toward the Monkey Island area. Needless to say, thanks to Panama’s abundant biodiversity, a bit of luck, and your boat captains’ uncannily sharp eyes will give you plenty more to look for, so keep that camera handy at all times.
As we land on the Monkey Island, listen for the different primate sounds and the rustling in the trees as monkeys jump amongst the branches. Prepare for monkeys to come up to you and inspect your clothes, hats and bags. Being surrounded by these magnificent creatures will be an unforgettable experience and give you many photo opportunities.
Next up we board the Aerial Tram Gamboa Resort that allows you to glide effortlessly above the forest canopy.
As the tram ascends, prepare to be enchanted by the breathtaking panoramic views that unfold before your eyes. Marvel at the vast expanse of the rainforest stretching out in every direction, revealing its secrets and wonders. Take in this unique ecosystem with the diverse flora and fauna that call this place home.
Keep your eyes peeled for a chance to spot an array of wildlife species, such as sloths, monkeys, toucans, and countless colorful birds. The rainforest comes alive with the sounds of nature, creating an unforgettable symphony that surrounds you.
Arriving at the top of the hill, you can climb even higher on the observation tower taking once-in-a-lifetime photos of the views unfolding in front of you. The majestic Panama Canal winds its way through the jungle with huge container ships passing by, carrying their cargo between two oceans.
The Aerial Tram Gamboa Resort Tour is not just a mere excursion; it's an opportunity to connect with nature in a profound way and experience the Panama Canal from a different perspective.
We can't wait to take you on this extraordinary journey and show you memories that will last a lifetime.
At 11:30am, we start to make our way back to our tour starting point and back to Panama City.
TOUR SUMMARY - Monkey Island & Aerial Tram Gamboa Resort
- Tour (minimum 2 guests)
- Price - $143 per adult, $133 per child (until age 10)
- Duration - 5 hours
- Start time - 6:30 am - Everyday
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- Pick-up and drop off at your Panama City lodging
- Well-maintained, air-conditioned car
- Bi-lingual guides (English/Spanish)
- Tour to Monkey Island and Aerial Tram Gamboa Resort
- Boat Tour
- Island entrance fees
- Entrance to the Aerial Tram Gamboa Resort
- Water Bottles
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
- Lunch
- Hotel pickup and drop-off outside of Panama City (i.e. Playa Bonita, Costa del Este & Tocumen area. Please select option during checkout)
WHAT TO BRING
- Comfortable and adequate clothing to protect yourself from the sun and thus avoid the use of sunscreen. Creams (even biodegradable ones) are polluting and for that reason we do not promote their use
- Comfortable and safe footwear
- Sun glasses
- Towel
- Camera
- Cap or hat
- A reusable bottle to fill with water during the day
- Cash for tips and souvenirs
Please Note:
- There are no ATMs in the area, vendors do not accept card payments either. Cash Only!
- ATTENTION LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS: Bookings made after 6:00pm for the following day are NOT guaranteed until we respond and explicitly confirm your tour itinerary. If your booking is not confirmed by one of our booking specialists, your tour will be scheduled for the subsequent day.
CANCELATION POLICY
Please read our Tour Cancelation Policy before booking.
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TOUR CANCELATION POLICY
Tao Travel 365 strives to deliver the best possible customer experience. If at any point you have a question or concern about our service, please call us by phone at +1 (805) 826-3657 or email us at sales@taotravel365.tours.
The following cancellation policy applies only for Day Tours (DOES NOT apply for Multi-Day Tours).
TOUR POLICIES
Due to the nature of our business, the logistics involved with organizing tours and the high reservation demand following refund policies apply:
- 100% refund less credit card processing fees will only be granted if booked via our website www.taotravel365.tours AND if canceled more than 24 hours before the start of the tour.
- No refund will be granted for cancelations received less than 24 hours before the tour start date.
All sales are final.
For all bookings made via outside portals such as, but not limited to Viator, Expedia, Airbnb, please refer and adhere to the respective cancellation policy of the portal that you booked with.
If you are unable to realize the reservation, contact us as soon as possible and we will try to arrange and reschedule the same or different tour for you.
If you are not at the designated meeting point by the time of your scheduled reservation or pick up, Tao Travel 365 reserves the right not to provide a refund. However, we will always try our best to locate you at the meeting point and call your WhatsApp number, if one was provided. After all, we want you to participate in our tour and have fun. That is our goal!
CANCELED OR POSTPONED TOURS
Occasionally, tours are canceled or postponed due to weather or ocean conditions, mechanical failure, or other unforeseen events. Should this occur, we will attempt to contact you about the cancellations and to inform you of refund or exchange procedures for that tour. For exact instructions on any canceled or postponed tour, please contact us. In the case of a cancellation of your tour by Tao Travel 365, we will refund your tour or schedule you for another tour, as detailed below.
REFUNDS
All sales are final. No refunds are available unless a tour is canceled or postponed, or we are given 24 hours advance noticed whereby a 100 percent refund will be awarded. We will offer refunds of the full face value of the tour(s) that are canceled or postponed (or, if a discounted tour, then instead the discounted tour price paid). No refunds are offered on any service, payment processing or convenience fees. To receive a refund for a canceled or postponed tour, contact us at sales@taotravel365.tours within 2 days of the tour cancellation and write "refund" in the subject line. Instructions will be provided in order to obtain your refund.
TOUR EXCHANGES
No tour exchanges are offered by Tao Travel 365. While in some extreme cases we may offer this service (such as a cancellation by Tao Travel 365), it is not guaranteed and often impossible. Contact us directly by phone at +1 (805) 826-3657 or by email at sales@taotravel365.tours to inquire about tour exchanges. Fees may apply.
Reviews
EXCELLENT
1164 reviews
Posted on Google
Vanjo CosinoJune 27, 2025
This Gamboa wildlife and sloth sanctuary tour is definitely worth doing while in Panama. My tour guide was Ana and she was wonderful. She picked me up right on time at my hotel for the tour, her English is very good too. We went on a boat ride at the lake and saw some monkeys then feed them. She took great pictures and videos for memories for me. The sanctuary was also nice to visit. Thanks again Ana for the great tour you provide!Posted on Google
Martin WarneckeMay 30, 2025Our warmhearted and experienced guide, Señor Miguel, showed us the fascinating Panama Canal with its ocean-going giants, the cheeky monkeys, the cute sloths, and much more. This splendid tour I can highly recommend!Posted on Google
Nicole FeuerhermApril 29, 2025EXCELLENT! Javier our driver made this trip worth while! He was an excellent driver & host, & very considerate, driving slower on the downhill drive to the beach when some of us became nauseous. ADVICE-take your nausea meds when you stop at the gas station! Not later! Trust me! He also made the tour extra special when he spotted a sloth, toucan & a monkey in the trees & stopped to allow us to take pictures & see them up close. He has the eyes of an eagle! Don't know HOW he spotted them while driving! Regarding the San Blas Island tour- BREATHTAKING! Absolutely LOVED this tour. If I had one negative comment it would be to skip the last island (unnecessary) & allow guests to enjoy the island where we had lunch. Getting in/out of the boat is NOT easy. 2 islands+sand bar is enough for this tour! Also, 6 people don't fit "comfortably" in these SUV's! Let guests know they have the option to purchase the extra seats! So grateful we requested only our group of 4 people in our SUV & paid $I10 extra ($55 per seat)!Posted on Google
Ron BurnsApril 28, 2025Tao was the only tour agency we could find that offered both the Gamboa aerial tram and Monkey Island boat experience in one booking. So glad we found them. Smooth communication (email and WhatsApp) and pickup/dropoff from our hotel in the city. Daniel our guide was excellent! The boat ride and Daniel spotting all the different wildlife and monkeys was the highlight of our time in Panama. Highly recommended, 5 star experience all around.Posted on Google
Elaine FongApril 7, 2025Tao Travel 365 is a very responsive travel agency. I booked a tour the night before, and they were able to confirm within minutes. Daniel, my Guide, reached out shortly to introduce himself, and then he picked me up from the hotel exactly at 6:30 AM. The group was small, which I prefer. Daniel is a very informative, energetic, and enthusiastic guide. He was on time, and a very safe driver. He even made recommendations on what to do and where to eat/drink in Panama City. At Monkey Island, were we spent most of our time, we saw more animals than I expected. Daniel had fruit with him to feed the monkeys, which I liked. I’ve read reviews where other Companies were handing out chips and other food that weren’t safe for animals. Afterwards, we went to the Sloth Sanctuary, where we also saw frogs, orchids, and butterflies. I would book with them again. You’re lucky if you get Daniel as a Guide.Posted on Google
Jackie LuedersMarch 15, 2025Ana was great. We did the mo ey island and sloth sanctuary. She really knew her information and was able to get the monkeys to eat out of our hands. It was like she was friends with her. LOL. Would highly recommend Ana and will come back to see her. Simply outstandingPosted on Google
Eran Ben TovimMarch 7, 2025Richard was wonderful and provide comprehensive information about the region throughout the whole experience. We got to see the monkeys, sloths and more of the unique wildlife in that area.Posted on Google
Deirdre LindFebruary 19, 2025What a nice day! Mario and Joseph were right on time and we all headed to the Canal. Hopped on a small boat and coasted around Gatun Lake. We saw capuchin and tamarind monkeys, egrets, and iguanas. Very fun! Then we went to Gamboa for the butterfly and sloth exhibits. This was very simple but educational and very interesting. Would definitely recommend!Posted on Google
Lina BarkawiFebruary 11, 2025We had so much fun getting on a boat and seeing monkeys in their natural habitat! We got to learn about different species of monkeys and experience the Gatun lake where ships crossing the Panama Canal go through. Then we got to learn about sloths and other animals native to Panama! Recommend to anyone visiting Panama as a must given the rich biodiversity of the country. 🐒🦥Posted on Google
Sherry MaguireFebruary 8, 2025
We had a wonderful time on this tour!! Highly recommend. Mario was a great guide, super knowledgeable and informative. The Panama Canal boat ride and monkey island portion was hands down our favorite part.Posted on Google
E. H.January 18, 2025Ana was a great guide. The monkeys were great. She was rightfully concerned about others feeding the monkeys junk food so we stopped and got bananas for them. The sloth sanctuary was cool too.Posted on Google
Bobbie BernetJanuary 2, 2025Excellent tour with Mario. Highly recommend. We saw three kinds of monkeys, sloths, butterflies and frogs, as well as learning a lot about the history and landscape of Panama.Posted on Google
Russ and Pat MikelOctober 29, 2024Oscar was a great tour guide. He shared Panamá history and information as we traveled to get on the boat! Saw 3 types of monkeys and just a pleasant ride in boat.Posted on Google
yakov ludmirAugust 27, 2024The monkey island tour was very nice and exciting. Our guide Mario was very helpful and knowledgeable about how to get the monkeys to come to our boat. The sloth sanctuary was more like a butterfly plant garden if you like that, then it's definitely something worth doing. Mario was a very gracious tour guide and worked with us to accommodate our schedule and extra activities that we wanted to do.Posted on Google
Leigh BlackburnAugust 15, 2024Ali was a fantastic guide! Really enjoyed the boat trip and tram ride through the rainforest.Posted on Google
Stacy BurnettJuly 26, 2024Ana was so friendly and knowledgeable. We really enjoyed her and Monkey Island did not disappoint.Posted on Google
Michele KingJuly 13, 2024What a great day! Ana Lorena was prompt to pick us up, full of great information and personal perspective, and gave us a wonderful tour of gambola, monkeys, wildlife, and food recommendations. Highly recommend this tour!Posted on Google
Derek NormanJune 27, 2024We had an absolutely incredible experience with this tour group! We first did the monkey island tour with Aura (our tour guide). The tour was very well planned and so enjoyable. Aura was very knowledgeable and friendly and professional. We enjoyed our tour so much that we booked another tour to visit the Embera tribe and venture on the Chagres River. Aura was once again our guide and made the experience one to remember! She shared personal stories and spoke about life in Panamá. She even brought us to a local fruit stand and even helped us find medication we needed and brought us to 3 different pharmacies until we found what we needed. Above and beyond!! We would highly recommend a tour with this group, particularly Aura. Thank you!Posted on Google
Malcolm CarwayJune 6, 2024I had the most pleasant experience. Mario was so full of knowledge and was so humble and just the most kindest person I've met on my trip to Panama City. I will surely go back home and tell my friends about the experience with the monkeys the sloths the butterflies and the frogs and the knowledge that I obtained from Mario about the history of the Panama CanalPosted on Tripadvisor
Mark SDecember 8, 2023Verified
Gamboa We got our own driver there (30 m drive) No Uber back so make sure driver is waiting. Tram $45 pp and boat tour $40 pp. well with it. Saw rainforest, monkeys, etc. fantastic experience. Total time about 5 hours door to door. Great couple or family day trip from Panama. Highly recommendLoad more
