Day Trips from Punta Cana: Santo Domingo, Los Haitises & More
A handful of full-day trips head inland or to Santo Domingo, away from the coast entirely. Here's what each one actually covers and how the days compare.
Santo Domingo Tour
Cobblestone streets and centuries-old stone walls inside the Colonial Zone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest European settlement in the Americas — Los Tres Ojos caves and the Columbus Lighthouse lead into the Alcázar de Colón, Calle Las Damas, the National Pantheon and the First Cathedral of the Americas. English-speaking guide, lunch, drinks and entrance fees included. Adults $85, kids 4–9 $50, under 4 free. See the tour →
Los Haitises National Park
A boat ride through the calm waters of Samaná Bay, limestone islands rising straight out of the water and mangroves thick with frigatebirds, pelicans and herons — inside the caves, original Taíno pictographs cover the walls. Lunch and a swim in the river pools at Paraíso Caño Hondo close out the day. Runs Tuesday and Friday only, about 2.5 to 3 hours by road each way. Adults $130, kids 4–9 $70, under 4 free. See the tour →
Higüey City Tour
A half-day rather than a full one — the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, the largest church in the Dominican Republic, then the 500-year-old Church of San Dionisio and a busy local market, all with an English-speaking guide. About 5 hours with round-trip transport. Adults $55, kids 3–12 $28. See the tour →
Bottom Line
These run longer than the beach and off-road tours, so budget a full day (Higüey is the exception, at about 5 hours) and less time back at the resort. Los Haitises only runs twice a week, so it's worth locking in early if it's on your list.
Related Whale Watching Season in Samaná