Things to do in  Punta Cana

This was well worth the money!! Definitely a must and will do this again. The ride was a hour and a half from Punta Cana which was the only downfall but definitely worth it once we got there! Jorge our tour guide was AMAZING!

Trip was excellent! Danny Boy was a great tour guide! Would recommend this trip to anyone planning to visit Punta Cana!

Very friendly , & lots of entertainment . Snacks & drinks are provided . Punta Cana people are very nice & friendly . I will recommend to visit once in your life .

PROS- we covered so much ground: Caves, Columbus house museum, president's house, walking tour, lunch. Saw a lot of sites around Santo Domingo and the tour guide shared information each step of the way. The tour guide (Juan Carlos) was very engaging and informative and did great keeping our large group together and moving through the tour. Lunch was delicious - rice and beans, chicken, pork, salad, pasta salad, eggplant vegetarian option and more! CONS/notes to help others be more prepared: too many people in our group for one guide which led to a lot of excess waiting. Everything had to be repeated in English and Spanish, which took a lot of extra time. We got picked up first at 7:30am and were the last to be dropped off at 9pm after going out of the way to drop others off. We were shuttled into 2 different souvenir shops, which were our only opportunities to shop. We didn't meet our tour guide until we got to Santo Domingo (~3 hours of driving) and nobody really confirmed we were in the right bus until that point - it would have been great if someone got on the bus when we were leaving the meet-up point in Punta Cana and said "this is the Viator tour day trip to Santo Domingo, you'll meet your guide on arrival" Overall, we are so happy we got to experience Santo Domingo through this tour. The Cons were not awful, just hopefully will help others feel prepared to enjoy all this tour has to offer!

This tour was worth it for the incredible views and amazing photo opportunities. However, there are some things you should take note of: *Long drive from Punta Cana area *Guide did not speak English so communication was difficult (Alejandro was nice though and took tons of pictures, which we really appreciated). *We booked the 11am tour but were put on the earlier tour with no explanation. We were not given our pickup time until 11pm the night before, which came by text stating we would be picked up at 8:30am (we were done on the mountain before 11am) *Lunch was chicken and fish (good) and was served at like 10:45am (not good) Overall, I will still recommend this tour for the natural beauty of the mountain and Esmeralda beach despite the few hiccups mentioned above.

I have to say, reading some of the reviews here - I was a little nervous about this tour. But we had limited time in Punta Cana and really wanted to fit in a day tour to Santo Domingo, and I'm so glad we did, because we had a great time. David was our tour guide and did a fantastic job narrating in both Spanish and English - one member of our party spoke no Spanish and we had no trouble understanding him and didn't feel that we missed out on anything. The stop at Tres Ojos caves was a highlight, and there was just enough time to explore all three lakes thoroughly (although note that there isn't enough time to do the raft across the third lake). The stops in the city of Santo Domingo were just long enough, with a quick photo stop near an old fort on the beautiful waterfront, a stop at the Columbus Lighthouse (not enough time to go inside as it's quite a large museum - but the view outside is also nice), then a walking tour through the Zona Colonial with multiple stops at incredible historic sites, many with direct ties to Christoper Columbus. The lunch was good, probably comparable to the buffet lunches at most all-inclusive resorts - nothing too special. The stops at the two shops were a bit long but not too intrusive, and honestly these are to be expected on these kind of tours; one also severed as a much needed bathroom break. Only one suggestion - it would have been nice to visit the Presidential Palace, perhaps in place of either the lighthouse or the waterfront stop in Santo Domingo. It seems that most city tours make a point to stop here and this tour did not. You also only get a somewhat distant view of the Alcázar de Colón from the outside, and do not go in. Although the tour does include entry to some other sites in the Zona Colonial, including the Basilica Cathedral and the National Pantheon. The day overall was quite long, but this is to be expected when doing a full-day city tour in a city that's a 2.5hr drive each way from Punta Cana (plus extra time for hotel pick-up/drop-off). If you don't want a long bus ride, this tour probably isn't for you, but we personally felt it was completely worth it as Santo Domingo is a great city with a lot to offer.

Nathalia picked us at the airport right on time and she took care of us the whole time we were in Punta Cana. She checked in with us on our first day to see if everything was going good and if we need anything. Definitely recommend this service as it is more than just a ride from the airport to the hotel but more like your special contact person/your friend in Punta Cana. She was very friendly, helpful and also professional.

This was a pretty good excursion. Based on my research it is one of the few snorkeling options near punta cana that go to a real reef with a decent population of fish. During my research it became apparent that snorkeling, at least in the near punta cana region of the dominican, is not world class snorkeling. And that is completely fine if you go in knowing that. I did the research and opted for this tour to get a better snorkeling experience and also the less crowded boat. The staff/guides were absolutely fantastic. The boat was not overcrowded like some others we seen. The vibe on this "family rated" tour was perfect. It was not a completely drunken party boat, but we did have a more family suitable party atmosphere. Some guests were not with children and politely warned us about their potential language (swearing) before we boarded the boat. For us with our son that was not a big deal as we are not completely perfect about our own language and also have raised our son well enough to know that him swearing is inappropriate (and as far as we can tell he is very good at being well mannered when he needs to be). The other adults without children were by no means inappropriate to any degree I imagine any family would have a problem with, even if perhaps a bit "prudish". The fact the other guests reached out to us before boarding the boat denomstrated to us they understood the family friendly vibe of the trip. We saw a good number and moderate variety of fish at the snorkeling location. For my sons first time snorkeling it was still a very great experience. For myself having snorkeled in some other places more well renowned for snorkeling (belize etc) it was still a great excursion for the options for trips near punta cana that are more natural based attractions. Given the other nature based excursions from punta cana, in particular the ones that are not in the range of ~12hr day trips (shorter duration trips)... this was a great trip option for us to break up our time at the resort and do something that could not be done in any/every vacation destination in the world. Be warned that the snorkeling location was very wavy and strong water to swim in/against. Originally I planned not to utilize a life jacket / flotation assistant... I am incredibly happy I got my son to use the float belt right from the start. I opted to go back for a life jacket after some time in the water. I am a decently strong swimmer but especially after having some drinks on the way out... the water is rough enough I quickly saw the benefit / safety in having a flotation aid. The main issue was the waves (current?) Pushing you away from the boat a decent distance and having to swim hard against the wave action to return to the boat(in our case based on anchoring location relative to the reef). The waves made the water significantly less clear from above the water, but seeing fish under water with the snorkel gear was still quite viable. My son was a little afraid because he could not see or touch the bottom. I think for his personal comfort level a first snorkeling experience in a location with calm clear water would have went over better. He was a decent bit scared during the experience and we to frequently comfort and encourage him. This is very much a person to person variable. But if your child like ours has some potential for fear/reluctance to certain things this may not be the absolute best first snorkeling experience. It's hard to comment on how other children who are not fearless may experience this trip. For example my son is fearless in many other ways many people are not, myself included (heights, flips etc)... but with encouragement this was not too much for him as a reluctant child to try out. After the snorkeling we cruised to a calmer shallower spot to swim. The company had paddle boards as a option to use which our son really enjoyed. And he had no issues getting into the more calm and shallow water. This part of the trip redeemed the overall experience for him to a positive one. The crew brought out a floating bar during the swimming part which was awesome and popular. The crew also performed a nunber of dances to songs which they encouraged guests to participate in if they wanted or just sit back abd enjoy watching. Nothing on this trip provided/ran by the tour company felt too pushy or at all negative. They even cruised up to another boat to have some extra booze tossed our way. The market at the location where you boarded and got off the boat was not of too much interest to us for purchasing things, but was alright to browse with vendors who were not too pushy and most accepted "no" decently well. One vendor caught me before we boarded the boat while I snuck off from the group to have a smoke and pulled me to his stall where he gave me a free cigar and let me borrow a lighter to use to smoke it on our boat tour asking that I stop by after our tour... I did return to give him back his lighter after the trip but there was honestly nothing I wanted to purchase so I just gave him some cash for the nice gesture with the free cigar. He seemed a bit annoyed and really wanted to upset me but after I refused a few times he was not too bad about letting me go. The tour company did not force us to stick around the market too pong after our boat trip was over, which was nice since we didn't really want to shop. The transportation had aur conditioning and was prompt. Only issue was this company could not come to the majestic resort lobby for pickup and we had to walk to the security gate. For whatever reason ($$$?) Some tours are able to pick up at the majestic lobby and others not. All of our tours were able to drop us at the lobby regardless of the pickup protocol. I would definitely recommend this tour for a good snorkeling option with authentic reef and no caged sea creatures as part of the tour. The smaller group size I'm sure was also a major benefit

The most memorable part of the experience was riding through the jungle with an ocean view as butterflies surrounded us! The farm was beautiful, and everyone was extremely friendly. The entire journey was mesmerizing' the countryside and villages in Punta Cana are really amazing to see. Juan picked us up at our resort and spoke great English, and was able to recommend other excursions to us as well for a better price than most. We felt safe & well-taken care of.... so fun! 10/10 recommend

We really enjoyed our excursion with Melvin! He was very knowledgeable and kept an engaging vibe the whole trip. We were picked up first which meant a very early 5:20am wake up but we got to rest a little in the van on the way to pick others up. We had a small group of 10 travelers on this trip. Melvin started with explaining a lot of interesting history of the DR. From the port to the first stop on Saona was a 45 minute boat ride. We stopped at Mano Juan and learned about the people who lived there and turtle conservation. From there we went to the main Saona Island beach and hung out there a few hours. Lunch was fresh and delicious, and aside from the bread served was entirely gluten and dairy free. Fresh juices, water, and rum were available all day. After that we got to snorkel in Bayahibe to see starfish in their natural habitat, which was so cool. The last stop was more “advanced” snorkeling which we did about 15 minutes, although there was not a ton of visibility in that area. We got back to our resort around 5:40pm so it was truly an all-day experience. A few tips for travelers doing this: 1) The port is basically just a shallow beach area. I am used to cruise ship ports or docks that you step off a pier into a boat. In this case you can expect to walk directly into water and step up on to the boat. 2) the boat is fairly small - it’s not one you can walk around on really and it’s not like a large boat with a bathroom/multiple floors. It’s a simple boat with rows of seating and life jackets. If you have severe motion sickness I would not recommend this for you. 3) Pack accordingly! You do not need sneakers - wear water shoes or flip flops. You also should bring your own towels, sunscreen, and a hat to shield from the sun. One person brought flippers for snorkeling which were very useful. We brought baby powder to help remove sand from our feet as well. 4) If you have special dietary needs or allergies I’d advise communicating that in advance or bring snacks accordingly. The breakfast served all contained dairy and gluten, although there was a vegetarian and non vegetarian option offered. However - en route to the port you do stop at a convenience store to get coffee and anything else you might need. They had plenty of protein bars and shakes that were dairy free as well as a ton of dietary-friendly snacks to buy. 5) there are points along the trip to use the bathroom but bear in mind the bathrooms are not all well equipped. BRING HAND SANITIZER with you as there were few opportunities to go to a sink to wash hands. 6) Definitely bring cash with you! This is useful for tipping and you can do a little bit of shopping from the vendors on the island. All in all it was a unique and fun experience I’d recommend to Punta Cana travelers!

This trip was the highlight of our holiday! The staff are so friendly and help you to enjoy every moment. They plan out the day perfectly! This trip is really good value for the money and a perfect amount of time out on the water. We did the morning trip and the weather was beautiful and sunny but not too hot so we could enjoy it. There was only three couples on our trip all speaking English and the tour guide spoke excellent English too. The snorkelling was amazing, loads of beautiful fish and the guide is so knowledgable of what he is doing. They take photos of you throughout the trip and upload them to Facebook so that you can have access to them free of charge! I will definitely do this trip again next time I visit Punta Cana!

This was a great tour. The horseback ride, waterfall and beach were all amazing, fun catamaran ride with drinks and the tour guide as well as all the other people that helped were fun and helpfull at every turn. Got some amazing pictures. Just a warning, it is a long excursion. We were coming from Punta Cana so its about 2 and a half to 3 hours ride each way. There are a few stops along the way where u can buy souvenirs and use the bathroom. But besides the ride everything was definitely worth it if your looking for a full day excursion.

The transportation provided was great and convenient. This excursion is a 10/10, it was a lot of fun riding on the ATVs through the mud paths to see different areas in the countryside of Punta Cana. The scenery was breathtaking. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking to have a fun day in Punta Cana.

Excellent tour. Pilot didn't talk too much until the return portion of the flight. Flight was smooth and definitely got to see lots of the coastline. Seeing most resorts that were close to downtown Punta Cana. You will get your entire flight time so do not worry.

Christopher was amazing 🤩🤩🤩 we loved it all... Would go again!!! Best tour in Punta Cana to see the country and city of Dominican Republic!!

This was definitely one of the most fun things we did while in Punta Cana. It felt like a true and authentic tour. Our tour guide was amazing and thorough. Tons of photos were taken as part of the experience. We got to do a little of everything which was the best part! Definitely pack bug spray.

Great Sunset horseback riding tour!! Our driver Juan is the best in punta cana I been here 10 times an I never meet one like him really professional speak very good English I really recommend this company an Juan as your personal driver if you looking to explore puntacana city!!!!

Feeling that you are going with well known friends or company. So easy, friendly, funny guys. attractions are well organized too. The best tour in Punta cana!

Very good tour, Carlos was amazing and it’s definitely a must do in punta cana. We drove singles in buggies, had some stops along the way to see the natives and buy stuff and drink

Leo was our tour guide and he did a fantastic job of giving us the necessary historical information about Santo Domingo. He translated both in English and Spanish effortlessly. He ensured everyone was safe and having a good time. I strongly recommend this activity even though the travel time between Punta Cana to the capital was long.