The Best Time for a Monkey Island Tour
When to visit Monkey Island in Panama: the dry season from mid-December to April, rain on Gatun Lake month by month, boat times and the wet months.
The best time for a Monkey Island tour is Panama’s dry season, from about mid-December to April, when the Smithsonian’s rain gauge on Barro Colorado, in the middle of Gatun Lake, averages 32 to 93 mm a month against 250 to 430 mm from May to December. The tours run all year, and the monkeys live on the islands whatever the month, so the rainy season is no reason to skip it: bring a rain layer. The canal wildlife day lends raincoats, from $60 a person (checked October 2026).
Rain on Gatun Lake, month by month
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute has measured the rain on Barro Colorado Island for more than 90 years. Its averages give the lake about 2,655 mm a year, and a dry season of about four months, from 19 December to 2 May on average, in which only about 300 mm falls. Barro Colorado is the big island in the lake west of Gamboa, a few kilometres from the monkey islands, so its gauge measures the rain the boats get.
Panama’s meteorological service draws the line a little tighter: rain from May to November, wettest in October and November, dry from January to March, with December and April as the months of change.
| Months | What to expect on the lake |
|---|---|
| January to March | The dry heart of the year: 32 to 68 mm a month |
| April | Still dry most years, 93 mm on average; the rains usually return in May |
| May to August | The rainy season: 277 to 311 mm a month |
| September to November | The wettest stretch, with November the peak at 426 mm |
| December | Wet in the first half; the dry season starts around the 19th |
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute averages and Panama’s meteorological service, checked October 2026.
Morning or afternoon?
Most operators run a morning boat and a later one: My friend Mario's trip leaves at 7:00 am and 11:30 am, Panama A la Carte's at 7:00 am and 1:30 pm, and Tao Travel 365 Tours offers 6:30 am, 10:00 am and 1:00 pm (checked October 2026). In any month the early departures put you on the lake before the midday heat. Days on the lake run from 27 to 30 °C, with nights of 24 to 25 °C, in the Smithsonian’s figures.
Check dates for the wildlife day
In the rainy season
The tours run in the rain: Panama A la Carte runs in all weather and lends military-grade jungle ponchos, Tao Travel 365 Tours goes rain or shine, and the canal wildlife day includes a raincoat. What changes is your comfort, not the monkeys’ home: they live on the islands. Bring:
- A light rain jacket or poncho, and a dry bag or plastic bag for your phone and camera.
- Shoes that can get wet, and insect repellent.
- A spare shirt for the drive back.
The cruise season
The cruise season opened in October: the Panama Canal Authority expected more than 220 cruise transits in the 2026-2027 season, and cruise ships also dock at Colon 2000 and at the Amador terminal. The Panama City and cruise ports guide has the trips for cruise passengers.
Who should pick something else
- You want sloths you are sure to see: Tao Travel 365 Tours’ trip adds Gamboa’s sloth sanctuary, Tuesday to Sunday; see Monkey Island and sloths.
- You want to compare the boats: see the Gatun Lake boat tours.
More Trips with Open Dates
More Panama Canal and Rainforest Tours with Open Dates
Gatun Lake, the canal locks, sloths and Embera villages, with live availability. Times and cancellation terms are on each listing.
The Monkey Islands, Rain or Shine
Monkey Sightseeing Panama's canal wildlife day lends raincoats and runs all year: sloths, the monkey islands and a rainforest walk.
See dates