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Santo Domingo City - Full Day Tour

Name: Santo Domingo City - Full Day Tour
Brand: Vacation On RD
SKU: 125717P5
Price: 65.00 USD
Rating: 4.0 (62 reviews)

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

10 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Full Day Santo Domingo City Tour: History of the Caribbean From Punta Cana

from $57.60

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Overview

Discover one of the Caribbean's oldest cities during this full-day excursion to Santo Domingo. Visit the city's top landmarks including the Our Lady of Incarnation cathedral, Colón Palace, and the National Pantheon. You also have the opportunity to take in the colonial architecture of the city near the Malecon before heading back to Punta Cana.

Visit the cenote at Los Tres Ojos National Park
Learn about the rich history of Santo Domingo
A delicious Dominican lunch is included in your tour
Hassle-free transfers from your Punta Cana hotel

What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle
Lunch
All Fees and Taxes

Alcoholic Beverages

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

07:00 AM

Pickup details

We offer pickup and drop off in Punta Cana/Cap Cana/Bavaro/La Romana and Uvero Alto

What To Expect

Santo Domingo Excursion

6 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 150 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.0

62 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 62 reviews

Nice tour!

Simona_W, Feb 2024

The one day trip to Danto Domingo from Punta Cana was very nice! The communication was great! We were informed a day before about the pick up location and the pick up time! The driver was on time-everything went smooth! The minibus was very comfortable, with AC! The tour to Los tres Ojos was a great experience; we had plenty time to see the park! The city tour was a little bit rushed… I wish we had time to see more! The lunch was good! The guide gave us a few general information…. If we would’ve visit more, he probably would’ve explain more; the group was half Spanish half English and the guide did a great job explaining everything in both languages! Yes, we did stop at specific souvenir stores but nobody made any pressure on us to buy! I walked around in the center a little bit more while others preferred to shop and we all regrouped at the meeting point! I do recommend the tour! It was a long distance from punta cana to Santo Domingo indeed but we can’t complain about this; we knew it’s a long ride!!! I only gave 4 stars instead of 5 because I wish the tour will include a little more time to another attraction in the city- a walk on malecon or other activity…. We only visited the cathedral, which is very beautiful, but all the other places were only a pass by!!!

Hassle Not Worth the Sights

Kelsey_L, Feb 2024

First, we were told to be in our lobby at 7am (which means we had to skip breakfast at the hotel, since it didn’t open until 7). Turns out, the driver was 30 minutes late. Second, our drive was supposed to be two hours, except they made several stops to pick up and drop off OTHER excursions, and it took FOUR HOURS of us sitting in a van to get to the destination. They also squeezed 15 of us into a small 10 person van. Driver was absolutely reckless, and he even rolled backwards into another car and a cop had to break up the situation. The sights itself were fine, but we didn’t get fed until 1:30pm. 7am to 1:30pm with NO FOOD. Also, you get maybe two bathrooms breaks if you’re lucky. They won’t stop while driving, and no options on the tour. Finally the drive home took yet again 4 hours. They picked us up first, dropped us off last. Absolutely ridiculous. Save yourself the time and money, and just google search some images of the history.

Lots of history.

Mark_B, Oct 2023

Trip was worth the money. Lots of history. Wish we could have picked our own shops to visit. Tour guide led us to his friend’s shops.

Misleading Tour

dxuereb100, Jul 2023

I booked the English-speaking full day tour to Santo Domingo. I was barely spoken to at all in English, except for some patronizing comments such as "we're going to the souvenir shop now. They take US and credit cards." I'm not joking. I was picked up around 9:40am and dropped off around 5:30pm. The driver was great, but after being picked up we didn't get to our first stop until shortly after 12pm and headed back to our pickup location at 3:50pm. So the time in Santo Domingo was under 4 hours. The first stop was The Three Eyes National Park. Again the guide was speaking in Spanish but gave no English translation about the location. Later he told us we couldn't do the additional cost boat ride to get to one of the lakes. I was under the impression that we would be getting out of the van to visit Columbus Lighthouse. We did not. The only English translation provided was "Columbus is buried here." We stopped at the Presidential Palace for a photo op outside the gate only. Again no English translations of any history besides "this is like the US Capitol building and White House." When we got to the colonial city we had a small buffet lunch and then were brought to a souvenir shop and a chocolate shop. Later on we were brought to a third souvenir shop, and without exaggeration we spent almost all of our time in the colonial city either at the buffet or shopping. We did go to the first cathedral in the New World, and were provided an audio guide. This was nice, but three of us were left behind inside I'm assuming as a signal for us to hurry up. After we left the cathedral we were hurried to that third shop that I mentioned before. So the cathedral was rushed to make time for more shopping. After that we were brought to a mausoleum. I wish I could tell you history about the mausoleum but, again, the only English translation I got was "important people like diplomats and teachers are buried here." Then we walked over to where the fortress wall overlooked a construction site and were shortly after loaded into the van to go back to our resorts/ hotels. This tour is absolutely not for you if you are an English-only speaking individual, if you want to learn about the history or culture of the area, or if you expect to go into historical sites. It was overpriced for what it was and the tour description is misleading. Do not waste your time or money. Fyi, this tour was operated by Vacation on RD.

Santo Domingo day trip from Punta Cana

Alistair_L, May 2023

It's a nice day out and the team provide knowledgeable and informed explanations of all the activities in both English and Spanish. Santo Domingo itself is a charming city with a real sense of history to it. They lose a star as at times it felt like it was an excuse to shoehorn us into as many of their souvenir shop partners as possible and it would also have been nice to have had another hour-90mins to explore the city properly, but this kind of thing tends to go with the territory and it's a good 2hrs from Punta Cana so it would make it a long day which is not for everyone. Maybe worth looking at the option to spend longer for those who are independently spirited though. Having said that, a good trip, and I would book it again knowing what I know now.

Best tour ever

Katrina_H, May 2023

The cave tour was amazing, our tour guide Mike, was amazing he was very informative. We got to see the capital and the church was beautiful.

Got a lot for my money...

Fred_O, Mar 2023

The driver was good and the guide was patient. He gave everyone enough time for pictures and opportunities to touch the water in the caves, shop at all the stores we stopped at, and experience all the museums. Make sure you don't have plans or reservations on the same day or you'll miss them. It's literally all day.. but worth it.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hello, we are glad that you enjoyed our activity and we appreciate that you allowed us to be part of your vacation. We will do our best to keep improving.

Lunch, beautiful views and architectures and history

Xi_C, Dec 2022

We visited three eyes National Park and Santo Domingo, lovely and beautiful old towns with magnificent cathedral, which was built in 1504 and the first Cathedral in the entire America Continent. Like the lunch place with love court yard and ancient Spanish style atmosphere. Thanks verbally, experienced tour guide and efficient day tour schedule, I will rate 9 out of 10.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hello, we are glad that you enjoyed our activity and we appreciate that you allowed us to be part of your vacation. We will do our best to keep improving.

Bare basic experience

Abhay_K, Apr 2022

The pickup was at 7am and apparently had to walk out of the resort to be picked up. We skipped breakfast as it starts at 7am. Prior conversations indicated a breakfast break some place. That did not happen. We were shuffled to a different vehicle to match the number of the travellers. The guide met us at the Three Eyes Park, we did not see all 3 water bodies, just 1, 3 and for a dollar more, 4. There is a lot of climbing down and up, so if you cannot do it, this is not for u. The guide apparently spoke English, but we had minimal info and conversations with him. He spoke in Spanish way more and was continuously recording something of his own. Taking around common tourist areas as usual, the main places had audio tours. There was no water bottles or anything on the bus, so we had to ask for a stop earlier. Lunch was simple at a clean place, not for vegetarians though. We were obviously walked around "recommended" gift shops and we had to bargain like mad. It wasn't a bad experience but could have been better.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hello, we value your opinion and thank you for the comments. We will do our best to keep improving our service.

I'd say that it was an average experience

Beniamin_M, Sep 2021

The most memorable attraction was Los 3 Ojos. We felt like we're in a rush all the time, we saw a lot of interesting things only from the car windows. Our guide had an below medium english, a lot of explanations we're in spanish, but only some words in english. Other than that, lunch was okay, we tried some really interesting ice cream. I don't know, some moments we're fun, but most of the times we just wanted to be finished and go home.

Response from Host, Oct 2021

Your opinion is really important to us, it helps us to be better. Thank you and we will do our best to keep improving.

Horrible!!!

Stefanie_P, Sep 2021

The drivers don’t speak any english. I was picked up and driven to another meeting point. No one told me before. A tourist in the van told me to get out because I didn’t know the driver was talking to me (spanish). The diver from the van who brought us to SD also didn’t speak english. When I told him I don’t speak spanish he gave me his phone and I had to communicate via google translate. The van was also overcrowded, it was a mini van and in the front are usually 1,5 seats which I had to share with another tourist. I was very happy when we arrived in SD and we got a tour guide who finally spoke english and translated everything for me. The tour itself was ok, but there was n9 shopping. To tell me we do have 30min time for shopping when he only directed us to 1 shop where You can buy tourist stuff is a broken promise. I also didn’t like to wait there for more than 30min until everybody was finished, i didn’t want to buy any of these things, would have been better to direct us to a shopping street where you can chose where you wanna spent 30min. Shopping instead just 1 store. When we went to the cave there is a boat to go to the other side which costs 50 pesos or 1 Dollar. I didn’t know I have to pay any additional money! There was nothing said in the excursion on viator.com nor did anyone said anything upfront. I only had Euros with me (bills) And happily a 50cent coin which I gave them. This was a desaster. And its not about the 50pesos but that they didn’t tell you upfront. On the way back there were some bags on the seats in the front and the the woman I shared the seats just took them on her lap. I didn’t want to carry any bags from someone for 2 hours on my lap! Not to mention that it is rude not to even ask if we could do a favor as there was no space in the car where to put them. I asked the driver and of course he didn’t understand and gave me his phone with google translate. He put then one bag under his drivers seat and the other one we left in the front on the floor. I really don’t pay for a tour to carry someone elses belongings which is more than unprofessional especially not even to think about asking the guest and look at me what I want when I showed him the bags on my seat. I dont pay him to run private errands and if he does so when we are away it shouldnt bother me afterwards in any way. So the behaviour is absolutely unacceptable. The driver also didn’t wear a mask and I doubt that there was anything desinfected in the car. At least I cannot complain about Leo the tour guide he was nice. The lunch was ok but nothing special and I know that carribean cuisine has more to offer than what they gave us for lunch. The whole trip was very disappointing and I wouldn’t recommand this tour with this operator.

Response from Host, Oct 2021

Your opinion is really important to us, it helps us to be better. Thank you and we will do our best to keep improving.

A bit of everything

SoloGirlfromTampa, Sep 2021

This was a great experience. You get to see a bit of everything which is great! It takes a bit to get going because of picking up groups from different locations but that didn’t bother me. I was a bit nervous since I was traveling alone and don’t speak Spanish but the driver was great and Leo the tour guide was AMAZING at explaining in English and Spanish! Leo certainly made this trip amazing. We got to see Los 3 Ojos, the Columbus Lighthouse and House, a cathedral, the president’s house, walk the streets in Santo Domingo, souvenir shop, a few others I’m sure I’m forgetting and have lunch (included). We did have to move a bit quickly so that we could see everything but it wasn’t rushed. It’s a very long day because of the ride to and from Santo Domingo so I would suggest packing snacks/drinks (or grab some at the gas station main meeting point) and dressing comfortably. I was picked up at 7:20 and returned to my hotel around 6:20. Awesome awesome experience!!

Response from Host, Oct 2021

Thank you 😊! We are glad that you enjoyed our service and that you allowed us to be part of your vacation 🏝. We hope to see you again soon. 🇩🇴❤🥳

Great Tour guide Leo and driver. Very compassionate.

Janine_D, Jun 2021

The guide Leo was excelente and so was the driver! He opened doors for me and bought me a snack and was really cool with me. The driver also share his cola with me. Very generous of them. I’m just sad I had to learn about Christopher Columbus. I’ve heard enough about him my entire life. Lol. Over all, a very great tour. Nice shopping and good food.

Response from Host, Oct 2021

Thank you 😊! We are glad that you enjoyed our service and that you allowed us to be part of your vacation 🏝. We hope to see you again soon. 🇩🇴❤🥳

Exceeded my expectations

Tunisia_S, Apr 2021

If I could leave more than five stars I would. Our driver Miguel was excellent and our guide Leo was amazing as well. I was the only English speaking participant. Leo made sure to explain in English Spanish. He was extremely knowledgeable about so many historical monuments as well as dates of historical significance. The last stop of tour I think was a surprise so I will leave it a surprise but it was incredible. Would definitely recommend. Make sure to bring comfortable shoes a hat and sunscreen there is a lot of walking but that should be expected. Lastly we did stop at a couple tourist/souvenir shops. Be leery of the salespeople. Make sure me know how much you are spending in your native currency. They will take advantage otherwise.

Response from Host, Oct 2021

Thank you 😊! We are glad that you enjoyed our service and that you allowed us to be part of your vacation 🏝. We hope to see you again soon. 🇩🇴❤🥳

Bad tour guide

Alena_L, Apr 2021

Thank you for organizing a transfer from Domenicus area for me to be able to join the group from Punta Cana! Really appreciated! However the tour guide was not very knowledgeable. The informational part was very poor.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hello, we value your opinion and thank you for the comments. We will do our best to keep improving our service.

History in the knowing

ISABEL_C, Mar 2021

Perfect trip during the week to see the life of Dominican Republic in action. True life and culture.

Response from Host, Oct 2021

Thank you 😊! We are glad that you enjoyed our service and that you allowed us to be part of your vacation 🏝. We hope to see you again soon. 🇩🇴❤🥳

Amazing Day in Dominican

Betty_J, Mar 2021

One couple from Columbia; one couple from Hungary; one couple from USA. Two amazing translators/tour guides; a safe driver even on two-way one-lane streets. One fantastic day! Learned so much. Excellent lunch. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Mar 2021

We are glad that our activity was to your liking and we hope to continue improving every day, to provide you with the best service. We wish you more great days.

Great for history buffs

Kayla_B, Jan 2021

The tour and tour guide was amazing. Definitely worth it. Prepare to walk alot and Tres Ojos has what seems likes never ending stair bit well worth it. Seeing the Colonial Zone was awesome and the tour guide was like a living book of history. On the bad side. Our driver from Punta Cana and back was extremely unprofessional making two personal stops for his own gain and now explaining why we stopped.

Response from Host, Jan 2021

We are glad that our activity was to your liking and we hope to continue improving every day, to provide you with the best service. We wish you more great days.

Great intro to Santo Domingo

Melissa_B, Dec 2020

I did this tour with my partner and we really enjoyed the itinerary, especially during circumstances when I'm sure not everything was open. Los Tres Ojos is definitely the highlight. There are myriad opportunities to buy souvenirs so make sure you've budgeted for that. The tour guide was a very lovely man - who explained everything in Spanish and English and was always happy to take photos or answer questions. One thing to note was that we thought it was an English tour but it ended up being Spanish/English so the guide always had to explain things twice and information might have been less comprehensive than a tour in one language. (but understand that in these times, it is more economical to group people together, and there were only five of us). Still a very good day out and we would recommend.

Response from Host, Jan 2021

We are glad that our activity was to your liking and we hope to continue improving every day, to provide you with the best service. We wish you more great days.

Great tour of Santo Domingo

Tracy_C, Oct 2020

We went on this tour with a small group. The guide and driver were excellent. We learned a lot about Santo Domingo. The lunch was at a good restaurant. We got to see the key sites.

Response from Host, Nov 2020

We are glad that our activity was to your liking and we hope to continue improving every day, to provide you with the best service. We wish you more great days.