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Panama CityFamily-friendly activities

Our most recommended Panama City Family-friendly activities

Panama: All-Inclusive Taboga Island Catamaran Cruise

1. Panama: All-Inclusive Taboga Island Catamaran Cruise

Explore the serene waters of Panama on an all-inclusive day tour on a Mega catamaran. Dive into the water for a refreshing swim before moving to the Island of Taboga for a beach and town visit. Enjoy morning snacks, lunch, and an open bar. After reaching Taboga, sail to the backside of the island to a secret spot where a bay with beautiful natural views is waiting for you. Jump off the boat and enjoy your first swim (there are also stairs to access the water if you do not want to dive in). After some fun in the water, climb back onto the boat to drink a cold beer. Rest in the boat's nets or dance with the crew while you sail towards the town side of the island. Dock so you can head to the beach and visit the small village of Taboga. Spend time on the beach relaxing or learn about the historical landmarks the Island has to offer. After your beach and town visit, hop back aboard for lunch with chicken, veggies, rice, vegetable salad, potato salad, and oleo pasta. Sip on drinks from the open bar like rum, vodka, Seco Herrerano, local beer, mixers, and cocktails. If the wind conditions are right, open the sails and continue the party as you cruise along the open water.

From Panama City: Chagres Rainforest and Embera Village Tour

2. From Panama City: Chagres Rainforest and Embera Village Tour

Explore Chagres National Park on a day trip from Panama City. Enjoy a traditional canoe ride on the Chagres River and hike to a preserved waterfall for a swim. Have lunch in an indigenous Embera village and find out about their culture. The day begins with a transfer by car from your hotel or residence in Panama City to the Chagres National Park, one of the most important forest and water reserves in Panama. Enjoy a traditional canoe ride on the Chagres River, followed by a half-hour walk through the jungle, walking on mud, water and slippery rocks to a beautiful and pristine waterfall. Take a refreshing some free time at the waterfall to swim, relax, and enjoy the scenery. Then, walk back to the canoe and continue to visit a real Embera indigenous community that will welcome you to enjoy lunch, traditional music and dances in a hut. Afterward, learn about the culture and way of life of this tribe via a conversation with the chief or one of the leaders before returning to Panama City.

Panama City: San Blas Islands Day Trip 4 Islands

3. Panama City: San Blas Islands Day Trip 4 Islands

Be collected from your accommodation in Panama City to start the day trip. Drive 2.5 hours to San Blas Port, Carti, and then take a local Panga boat to the first of the San Blas islands. First arrive to Guasirdub island an exclusive island just for our clients. Enjoy a light breakfast of fresh fruit and coffee and take some time to sunbathe with hammocks. Towels will be provided. Then take the kayaks or paddle boards and your snorkel gear and go paddle around the Island. Discover a variety of colorful fish species. Afterward, we go to Hierba island where is the best spot for Instagram pictures, with a double swing in front of the ocean enjoy a lunch of fresh fish, rice, and salad. After lunch, head to the natural swimming pool. Chill out on a bank of sand in the middle of the ocean where you can walk or swim around to find your starfish. Finally, visit a local community where you will see how the locals live. You can try the coconut bread made on the island, and see how molas are made by the grandmas on the island. Sail back towards the port and return to Panama City in the evening. 

From Panama City: Panama Canal and Monkey Island Tour

4. From Panama City: Panama Canal and Monkey Island Tour

Spend half a day exploring the Panama Canal while learning about its history and creation. See the famed Miraflores Locks in action and take a scenic boat ride in the Panama Canal. Get picked up at your hotel or other location in Panama City, and journey to the Panama Canal Visitors Center for a detailed explanation about how the canal and famous Miraflores Locks work. Visit the museum to learn more about this important water passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Drive by Miraflores Lake and the Pedro Miguel Locks as you make your way to the Chagres River. Climb aboard for a scenic boat trip across artificial Gatun Lake. Marvel at the surrounding landscape of the biggest and most important lake in the Panama Canal. Watch as large ships pass through the canal to get a sense of the magnitude of this masterpiece of engineering. Arrive at a group of islands to see different species of animals and monkeys. Return to Panama City and get dropped off at your hotel.

Overnight in San Blas - Private Room + Meals + Boat Tour

5. Overnight in San Blas - Private Room + Meals + Boat Tour

In the heart of the Lemon Keys, Isla Yansailadup is surrounded by little islands and attractions, such as the Natural Pool right in front of its shores, Isla Perro with its sunken shipwreck and Isla Chichime. Experience San Blas on one of the most beautiful islands. While all islands in San Blas are managed by different Kuna families, this particular island has received the best feedback from our guests, due to its friendly family, good food, clean beaches and its central location - Please note that accommodations and services in San Blas are very basic and resemble camping conditions. Please thoroughly read our San Blas disclaimer. Guests stay in private bedrooms inside of a larger main building (please note: ceiling is open to other rooms for ventilation). Bathrooms and showers are shared and a short walk away from your door. Breakfasts consist of fresh fruit and "Ojaldre", a tasty fried bread, similar to a doughnut without sugar. Lunch and Dinner meals consist of a choice of fresh fish or chicken with plantains and salad. Vegetarian options are available. Itinerary: If choosing our optional roundtrip transportation service (available during checkout), a friendly driver will meet you at your Panama City lodging between 5:00am and 5:45am and safely transport you and up to five other guests to the Port of Carti. Relax and start enjoying the 2.5 to 3 hour journey through the spectacular jungle highlands. Oftentimes we encounter wildlife, such as monkeys and sloths on the road and will gladly stop the car to give you opportunities to admire these beautiful animals and to take photos. Our drivers will also stop at a grocery store in case you want to purchase any items, such as snacks, water or fruit. When arriving at the port a “lancha” boat will be waiting for you, ready to take you to your island. The 30-minute boat ride to Yani Island may be a little bumpy. Depending on ocean conditions, there may be some ocean spray. As you arrive at the island you will be greeted by the calm, turquoise seas, surrounding the island. After settling into your private room, start enjoying the beaches or getting to know the local Kuna family. Lunch is served at around 12:30pm and usually consists of the fresh catch of the day (we do offer vegetarian or non-seafood options). On Day 2 (departure day), check-out from your room is at 8:00am. You will have the morning to enjoy on Yani Island. After lunch, you will join an island boat tour to the Lemon Cays. Visit Isla Perro and the famous Natural Pool, standing waist-deep on a sunken island in the middle of the ocean. At around 3:00pm the tour concludes and will return to the port. Your driver will be waiting for you to return to Panama City, arriving at your lodging by 7:00pm. This is a unique adventure and we encourage you not to miss the opportunity to make amazing memories that will surely last a lifetime!

From Panama City: Monkey Islands Tour on Gatun Lake

6. From Panama City: Monkey Islands Tour on Gatun Lake

Travel to the Gamboa Marina in an air-conditioned tour vehicle with a guide and the rest of the tour group, before a transfer to a riverboat for a ride on the Chagres River, one of Panama's largest rivers, and head for Monkey Island. Observe the different species of monkeys that live on the island, from white-face monkeys, howler monkeys, and Geoffrey´s tamarinds, while taking some time to snap photos, and learn interesting facts and information about the different species from a knowledgeable guide. Return to the marina and to Panama City, and end the tour with drop-off at the hotel.

Panama: Private Layover Tour

7. Panama: Private Layover Tour

Using your flight number and airline name, a driver will track your flight until it lands. After landing, the driver will be waiting for you outside with a sign highlighting your name. The driver will assist you to the car with your luggage. Once in the car, the driver will head to the Miraflores Visitors Center at the Panama Canal, where you will see the ships going through the Miraflores Locks on their way from one ocean to the other. The tour will be designed for you to visit the Panama Canal during the busiest time of the day, so you can watch the process from a terrace. After leaving the Panama Canal, the guide will take you to the Amador Causeway, a road that connects 3 islands, where you will have the opportunity to see the Biodiversity Museum designed by Frank Gehry. The following destination will be the Old Town (Casco Viejo) of Panama, where you can appreciate the beauty of colonial buildings and handcrafts shops while walking the quaint, narrow roads. After the Old Town, see the modern downtown of Panama City on your way back to the airport.

Panama City: Monkey Island Boat Tour

8. Panama City: Monkey Island Boat Tour

After collection from your hotel in Panama City you'll head directly to the canal to see the Miraflores Lake, the Pedro Miguel Locks and finally, the journey continues by car until the town of Gamboa, in the middle of the Panama Canal. There, at the edge of the Chagres River, you'll take a trip by boat to the Gatun Lake - the biggest and most important lake in the Panama Canal. There you will share space with large ships during the journey through the Panama Canal until you arrive at a group of islands to find 3 monkey species who live there plus a variety of wildlife including birds, turtles, crocodiles, sloths and more. After the trip, you will go back to the Panama City and enjoy the view of the tropical rainforest and the canal on your way back to the hotel.

Monkey Island and Indian Village Tour

9. Monkey Island and Indian Village Tour

Leave the city behind in the morning and head to the Chagres River where you will board a boat for a 2-hour tour of Lake Gatun (once the largest manmade lake in the world) and the Panama Canal. Explore the ins and outs of the nearby bays, search for wildlife, and visit the famous Monkey Island, home of the amazing white-faced monkeys. Also, keep an eye out for turtles, crocodiles, caiman, tons of bird life, and all kinds of other surprises. Return towards Gamboa, pass the dock, and head upstream to the Indian village. Unlike most Indian village tours, this one is authentic. Learn about the local culture, history, and crafts. Then, hike along a short trail to see the plants that grow in this area and how the locals use them (practical, artist, or medical uses) and see dance that is part of their custom. After visiting the village, return to Panama City and stop along the way for lunch and arrive at your hotel in the late afternoon.

Monkey Island tour inside the Panama Canal

10. Monkey Island tour inside the Panama Canal

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 Monkey Island Panama tour earlier than others to see more monkeys before their bellies are full from tourists 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 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. At noon, we start to make our way back to our tour starting point and back to Panama City.

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What people are saying about Panama City

We had a 8 hour layover and decided to do the private Panama Tour. Our tour guide was Esteban, who was AMAZING!! He provided us a wonderful and unforgettable experience! We never felt rushed, he made the experience so enjoyable! He was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, kind and went above and beyond to make sure we had a beautiful experience and we did!!! Thanks, Esteban!

our guide was very good. he was prepared with food for the monkeys which helped us see them much better than other tour companies on the water and he even provided us with water for the day. very informative and thoughtful guide. safe and smooth driver. very good experience

Great trip with the Caramaran! All was very well taken care of. Good drinks, good food, nice swim and the island visit was very nice too. The crew really makes sure you are enjoying yourself too. Would highly recommend it!

Excellent experience. Our guide was on time. All including the villager always taking care of everybody during the trail trip to the waterfall. Embera people were very instructive about their culture.

Great trip to the locks and the monkey island was surprisingly fun too. I think this trip is a bit overpriced but all excursions in Panama air expensive… would still recommend going to this one!