We know everything about excursions in the Dominican Republic: we’ve lived and worked here since 2009 (that’s an anniversary!), arranging vacations on the island for travelers from all over the world. We’ve weighed up reviews and the popularity of the main excursions and come up with a list of five must-visit spots in the Dominican Republic.
- Santo Domingo
In fifth place: the capital of the Dominican Republic, the city of Santo Domingo. This is exactly where Columbus landed five centuries ago, and it’s home to the first street in the Americas. The city has a rich, UNESCO-protected colonial heritage. A tour of Santo Domingo is a genuine time machine: beneath the city center lie indigenous lake caves, on the surface sits the first American colonial quarter, and it’s all seasoned with stories of real Caribbean pirates, who spent centuries trying to seize the city.
- Samana + whales = the Dominican Republic!
If you want to experience the full range of the Dominican Republic’s exotic side in a single excursion, you should definitely book a trip to Samana. It includes the legendary Los Haitises nature reserve, with a boat ride through the mangroves; the paradise island where the show “Survivor” was filmed, with a sandy shoreline home to starfish; Santa Bárbara, the Dominican Republic’s most beautiful town; and it wraps up with an instant fortune: a swim at El Limón waterfall, said to bring a windfall! In short, if you need a million, come to El Limón on the most impressive excursion in the Dominican Republic :)
And from January 24 to March 20, humpback whales arrive off the Dominican coast. During the season, up to 7,000 of them can be here at once! It’s an incredibly rare sight, impossible to skip and just as impossible to see anywhere else on Earth. If your vacation falls in February or March, don’t even think twice — head to the Dominican Republic and be sure to book the Samana excursion, whales included!
- 27 Waterfalls
A legendary spot in the jungles of the Dominican Republic — the Damajagua waterfalls — is fully open to tour groups. Everything’s included: diving in, swimming, sliding down a gentle water chute, taking in the scale of it all, and soaking up the natural beauty. We run the signature 27 Waterfalls excursion created by Alexander Karpetsky — the very one you may have seen on the travel show “Eagle and Tails.” If you’re planning an excursion in the Dominican Republic, you should definitely get wet! :)
- Redonda Mountain
Second place in our ranking goes to Redonda Mountain — one of the world’s most famous photo spots and, incidentally, one of the Dominican Republic’s excursion programs. This place could probably be given the unofficial title of “Instagram Mountain,” since it’s home to those very swings suspended in mid-air whose photos you’ve likely seen more than once. But beyond the great shots, it’s also a striking experience: the sea below you, jungle in the distance, clouds you can practically touch, and eagles keeping you company as you soar above the ground.
- Saona
Ta-daaa! The leader of our ranking is the paradise island of Saona. If you need to feel that very “paradise pleasure,” this excursion is for you. Crystal-clear water, snow-white sand, and the legendary palm tree from the postcards are rounded out by a natural pool teeming with starfish, plus lunch and champagne. Our groups spend some time in seclusion, without crossing paths with others — the island is all yours. If there’s paradise on Earth… oh wait, that’s a different tagline. But if you want the real paradise — one advertisers couldn’t dream up better on this Earth — you’ll find it on Saona.
