Locals call Panama "Center of the World, Heart of the Universe", and it's not ego-related, it's due to its historical and strategic location for global travel and commerce. We will take you through the centuries, from the time when the Spanish used Panama as a trading hub to the present. You will see the beautifully restored and preserved World Heritage site known as "Casco Antiguo", the historic old quarter, and early twentieth century engineering marvels: The Panama Canal and the Amador Causeway. And of course, if and when you get hungry during the day, we'll take you to the restaurant of your choice (and trust us, the variety is huge).
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 13.
There are many ways to see the Panama Canal's two sets of locks on the Pacific side. Due to the irregular scheduling of ship passages through the locks, we offer three options to give you the best value: - The Miraflores Locks Visitors' Center (ticket fee not included). - A ground-level viewing of the Pedro Miguel Locks (no fees). - A panoramic view of both sets of locks with Panama City's skyline in the background from the Centennial Bridge (note: our vehicle can't stop as it's part of the highway). Our highly-professional guides will help you choose the best combination of options to give you the best experience possible.
Discover Panama City's Old Quarter and it's late colonial architecture with its later French influence from the French Canal construction era (and if you're curious, a couple of secrets, no spoilers!). Learn of Panama's rich history and how, thanks to the age of pirates, Panama City was moved from its original site to its current location. Also, if you're after original arts and crafts made by Panama's indigenous peoples, we'll take you to the right place. The choice is yours, walk around while sightseeing or we can drive you in the comfort of our air-conditioned vehicle.
During the Panama Canal constructions, the United States built the Amador Causeway to protect the Canal's entrance from natural currents (and potential attacks during World War 2, no spoilers!). The result: You can now drive to Naos, Perico and Flamenco for a scenic view of the Panama Canal entrace on one side and Panama City's skyline on the other (and of course, posing by the colorful Panama sign). The remaining time of the tour will be used to transport passengers from one attraction to another.
All our vehicles are identified with our logo on the side and/or a sign affixed to the windshield.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
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For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Panama City and Canal Private Tour lasts about 5–6 hours. The itinerary has 3 stops.
Prices start at $135 per person for this Panama City experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 8:00 AM.
Children aged 4–12 pay from $125, adults from $135. Infants go free.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Yes, pickup is offered. All our vehicles are identified with our logo on the side and/or a sign affixed to the windshield. Pickup points include JW Marriott Panama, Hotel Parador Panama City.
The experience is available in EN, FR, ES.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 15 travellers can book together.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 12 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Vive Panama S.A..
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Our guided tour of Casco Viejo with Alex was insightful and entertaining. We learned more about the history of Panama City and its importance to the Spanish. Alex knew the city well and the behind the scenes access to one building added to the interest of the tour.
We just got back from a fantastic time in Panama. Christian and Stella made our trip a truly memorable, fun-filled blast. They were reliable, helpful, kind, and taught us so much about Panama. We have gained such a vast knowledge of the country, its government, culture, food, the city, customs, geopolitical advantages, the people, and so much more. Even our 11-year-old son was astonished by some of the interesting facts. Wow, I can't even describe how interesting it was to experience. We left feeling we had learned so much and truly experienced as much of Panama as we could in such a short time.
Thank you so much for your incredible review! It was an absolute pleasure hosting you and your family here in Panama.
We had a fantastic time in Panamá, and a large part of that has to do with Vive Panamá. Cristóbal and his family took great care of us. They are friendly, hard-working (to put it mildly), and went out of their way over and over to give us and other guests a great experience. We did the City Tour and Canal Visit with them, as well as three other tours: Gamboa, the Pearl Islands, and the San Blas Islands. The latter two were organized by Vive Panamá, but subcontracted out to other operators. It didn't bother us in the least, we knew we were in good hands. I really can't recommend them highly enough!
Muchísimas gracias for your kind words! It truly means the world to us to hear that you had such a fantastic time in Panamá and that we were able to be a part of your experience. Cristóbal and the entire family are thrilled to know that their efforts made a difference. We always strive to make every guest feel at home while showcasing the beauty, culture, and adventure that Panamá has to offer. Your recommendation means everything, and we hope to welcome you back someday for more unforgettable adventures in Panamá. Con cariño, The Vive Panamá Team 🇵🇦✨
An excellent tour with Cristian which is a very knowledgeable and friendly guide and gave us a lot of information about the Panama Canal, the history, the city, the Panamanian culture and traditions.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you had an excellent tour with Cristian. He truly enjoys sharing his knowledge about the Panama Canal, our history, and culture. We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again in the future!"
We travelled with a group of 8 doing a tour of Panama Canal, old Panama City and Monkey Island. Wow is the best way to describe this amazing tour! We were picked up at our resort Riu Playa Blanca at 730am and were back at about 5pm. It was a full day of adventure, information and awesome memories! Stella was super easy to contact when booking and answered all of my many questions. Our guide Cristian was outstanding with lots of knowledge to pass along and answered any questions we threw at him. Our driver Cris was really good as well! They were very flexible and adjusted our tour to make sure we got the biggest bang for our buck! We seen so many things including sloths, monkeys, crocodile, the Panama Canal, old Panama city, Modern Panama city. It included an amazing lunch, bottled water during day. I would highly recommend booking through Vive Panama Tours we were very satisfied with cost and what we received for that fee!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear you and your group had such a memorable experience with us. Cristian and Cris will be happy to know their efforts made your day special. I'm also glad That I could assist you smoothly with the booking process. It's always our goal to provide flexible, informative, and fun tours that showcase the best of Panama. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again in the future!
The absolute highlight of our trip. Amazing value! A trip to Panama City, Panama Canal, and Monkey Island. A full day of fun, education, history etc. A very pleasant and proud family business. Will tailor your trip to ensure you experience is the best. A perfect. Air conditioned van for our group of 8
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're honored to have been the highlight of your trip. It was a pleasure hosting your group and sharing the beauty and history of Panama. We’re proud to be a family-run business and always strive to offer personalized experiences. We're glad you enjoyed the comfort of the van and the full-day adventure. Hope to see you again in Panama!
Very pleased with our tour with Vive Panama! I booked a private day tour in Jan 25 for our group of 13. I had booked months before and everything went as planned. Transportation was on time, warm welcome by Cristobal and the driver. We went from Playa Blanca to Gatun Lake (Monkey Island), the Panama sign, Casco Viejo and then to the Miraflores Locks followed by 3D movie. The one-way ride from Playa Blanca is approx. 2 hour. During the cruise on Gatun Lake, we got to see the 3 kinds of monkeys and also saw a few ships passed by. Cristobal took us to a local place for lunch and was taking excellent care of us. We enjoyed the walk in Casco Viejo and got to see the full process if a ship going through the Miraflores locks. We also enjoyed the 3D Imax movie. We left our hotel et 7:45am and came back around 8:30pm. Although a long day, this is definitely worth it if you want to see both Monkey Island and the Panama canal in 1 day from Playa Blanca. I highly recommend that you book this tour with Vive Panama. Muchísimas gracias a Cristobal y Stella.
Thank you so much for your detailed and thoughtful review! It was truly a pleasure to host your group of 13 for a full-day adventure from Playa Blanca. We're so happy to hear everything went smoothly and that you enjoyed each stop—from Monkey Island to Casco Viejo and the Miraflores Locks. Cristóbal was delighted to guide you and ensure you were well taken care of throughout the day. We know it's a long journey, but we're thrilled it was worth it for you and your group. Muchísimas gracias for choosing Vive Panama Tours—we hope to welcome you again soon!
Christian was our driver and guide. He was very generous with his time and offered expertise and love for his country throughout the experience. His wife couldn’t be our guide because she had an illness, but Christian made up for that by giving us a couple extra hours during the tour. He was very patient and answered all my questions. The best that you could he even laughed at all my jokes! He knows Panama City very well and was a wealth of knowledge on how the Panama Canal works. I felt a camaraderie with this man. This is a family owned business and he obviously takes so much pride in what he does. I highly recommend this tour to anyone coming to Panama for the first time. He also is very open to modifying the schedule for his passengers. My wife and I also enjoyed the place he took us for lunch. We experienced real Panamanian food at a price at the locals pay. Thank you so much, Christian!
Thank you so much for your heartfelt review! We're very happy to hear that you had such a meaningful experience with Christian. He truly loves sharing Panama with our guests and always goes the extra mile to make each tour special. We're sorry I couldn’t be there that day due to illness, but I'm glad Christian made sure your day was still unforgettable. Your kind words mean a lot to us as a family-run business. We're thrilled you enjoyed the authentic Panamanian lunch and the flexibility of the tour. We hope to see you again in Panama someday—gracias from both of us!
Thank you for an amazing day!! Panama City/Canal tour with a trip to the monkey islands as well . It was a great trip, my granddaughter is still talking about the monkeys, iguanas and how fast the ship went through the canal. Thank you for thinking of packing the ponchos too! Highly recommend this tour company if you are in Panama.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re so happy to hear you and your granddaughter enjoyed the day—especially the monkeys, iguanas, and the fascinating Panama Canal experience. It means a lot to us that she’s still talking about it! We're glad the ponchos came in handy too. Thank you for recommending us—we’d love to welcome you back anytime!
We took the online tour… very pleasant experience. The guides are very knowledgeable and very pleasant in conversation. Recommended
¡Muchas gracias por su comentario! Nos alegra saber que disfrutaron la experiencia y que nuestro equipo les brindó un tour agradable y lleno de información. Agradecemos su recomendación y esperamos verlos nuevamente en Panamá.
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panama City and Canal Private Tour | 5–6 hours | 5.0 (12) | $135 | |
 Half day of Panama city and canal tour: shared and private | 5–6 hours | 4.9 (891) | $67 | View |
 Private or Small Group Panama Canal & City Half-Day Tour | 5–6 hours | 4.8 (639) | $67 | View |
 Private City Tour + CANAL + Old Town + Amador + 360° VIEWS | 5–6 hours | 4.9 (223) | $77 | View |
 Private Panama City Tour: Canal, Casco Viejo & Amador | 4–6 hours | 4.8 (153) | $57 | View |
 EXPLORE PANAMA City 100% Private + Old Town + Canal + Poin | 5–6 hours | 5.0 (110) | $75 | View |
 Full day Panama City Sightseeing & Canal Tour with Private Guide | 7h 30min | 4.9 (99) | $120 | View |