Dominican Republic: Nature, Culture & History

Arrive at the airport and transfer to your hotel in the Zona Colonial of Santo Domingo. The rest of the day is yours to explore the streets of this historic city, browse local shops, or relax in a nearby cafe. As evening approaches, you can visit Plaza España, where you can find various excellent restaurants and enjoy dinner with a view of the house belonging to Christopher Columbus' son.

Meet your guide and head inland, passing thriving cocoa, coffee, banana, rice, and tobacco plantations. You enjoy the ride through beautiful mountains, reaching an altitude of almost 900 m (2,952 ft) above sea level. Along the way, you can stop to visit a famous tobacco factory and plantation. You continue on until you reach your hotel for the night, which looks out over the Cibao Valley.

Driving Distance: approx. 165 km (103 miles)

You visit the city center of Santiago to see the famous Monument to the Heroes of the Revolution, designed in 1944. Alternatively, you can opt to visit another local tobacco or cacao plantation. Afterward, you continue the drive toward the north coast, arriving in the idyllic fishing village of Punta Rucia, where you can end your day with a tropical drink overlooking the sea.

Driving Distance: approx. 105 km (65 miles)

In the morning, a fishing boat takes you out for a ride to a small white sandbank covering just 195 square meters (2,098 square feet). The greatest natural spectacle here takes place underwater, where vibrant coral reefs attract a wide variety of colorful fish for you to observe while snorkeling. On the way back, you pass through the mangroves of a nearby national park before returning to your hotel to spend the afternoon relaxing on the beach.

After breakfast, you drive to the coastal city of Puerto Plata. A stop at the historic San Felipe Fortress is a good option along the way, built in the region where Christopher Columbus first arrived on January 12, 1493. You reach your hotel in Puerto Plata later in the afternoon.

Driving Distance: approx. 110 km (68 miles)

Drive along the north coast toward the Samaná Peninsula, watching the lush, varied landscape pass by, with rivers, banana plantations, rice fields, and an impressive coastline. You can stop at your leisure at pristine beaches for a swim, enjoy a typical Dominican lunch, and find refreshment in crystal-clear lagoons along the way.

Driving Distance: approx. 210 km (130 miles)

Today, a boat takes you out to explore the waters of Los Haitises National Park, passing deserted islands, quiet bays, and striking rock formations. You stop to visit two caves where paintings and carvings created by the indigenous Taíno people can be found, before continuing by boat to the beautiful Bacardi Island of Cayo Levantado, where a Dominican lunch awaits you. From mid-January to mid-March, this excursion can be swapped for or combined with a whale-watching tour on request.

You travel back to Santo Domingo via a well-maintained highway. A stop at the hidden Salto Socoa waterfall along the way is a good option to mingle with locals and enjoy the scenery. Depending on your travel plans, you transfer directly to the airport or to a connecting hotel.

Driving Distance: approx. 160 km (99 miles)