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Travel guide
The Dominican Republic
3 days · 4 things to do
Best time to go: December to April (dry season)
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Welcome
The Dominican Republic, in a few days
Palm trees leaning over the sand at Punta Cana, Saona Island by catamaran and the colonial old town of Santo Domingo. The Dominican Republic is the big all-inclusive destination of the Caribbean, warm all year round.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 1 thing
- D2 Day 2 1 thing
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- All day · Saona Island · a full dayAn island within Cotubanamá National Park, reached by catamaran or speedboat, with palm-lined beaches and a shallow natural pool full of starfish.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hodelpa Caribe Colonial ↗ · All places to stay by budget →€80 a night
D2
Day 2
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- All day · Samaná free · a full dayA wilder peninsula of quiet beaches, coconut groves and the El Limón waterfall, less visited than the big resorts and liked by nature lovers.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hodelpa Caribe Colonial ↗€80 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Colonial Santo Domingo free · about 2 hThe UNESCO-listed Ciudad Colonial, with the oldest cathedral in the Americas, the Alcázar de Colón and cobbled Calle Las Damas.
- Afternoon · Whale watching · half a dayFrom January to March, humpback whales gather in Samaná Bay to mate and calve, watched from boats leaving the town of Samaná.
Further afield (over 130 km from the base hotel), best as a separate stop: Punta Cana.
📲 Book things to do in The Dominican Republic on GetYourGuideBefore you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Mangú: mashed green plantain served at breakfast with fried onion, eggs, cheese and salami.
- La bandera: the everyday plate of white rice, red beans and stewed meat, with salad and plantain.
- Sancocho: a thick stew of several meats and root vegetables, cooked for family occasions.
- Mofongo: fried plantain pounded with garlic and pork crackling, often topped with meat or seafood.
- Tostones: slices of green plantain flattened and fried twice, served crisp on the side.
- Mamajuana: rum and red wine steeped with bark, herbs and honey in a bottle.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Do not stay inside the all-inclusive resort for the whole trip: the food and life of the country are outside it.
- Turn down excursions sold on the beach by strangers. Book with an agency or through your hotel.
- Agree the taxi fare before you get in, or use a ride app in Santo Domingo and Santiago.
- Leave jewellery and valuables at the hotel in busy city areas.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Spanish
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hola |
| Thank you | Gracias |
| Please | Por favor |
| Yes | Sí |
| No | No |
| Excuse me | Perdone |
| Goodbye | Adiós |
| Do you speak English? | ¿Habla inglés? |
| I don't understand | No entiendo |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? |
| Where are the toilets? | ¿Dónde están los baños? |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favor |
| Help! | ¡Socorro! |
| Cheers! | ¡Salud! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyDominican peso (DOP, RD$)
BudgetAbout €130 a day, mid-range
Best seasonDecember to April (dry season)
PlugA/B · 120V
Tap waterBottled only
Tipping10% service is added by law, leave a little extra for good service
Emergency911
EntryNo visa for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports: 30 days on the tourist card, already included in your air fare, and a fee is paid on departure for longer stays. Everyone must fill in the free e-ticket form online before flying in and again before flying out, and carry a return or onward ticket.
HealthHepatitis A is recommended, typhoid if you eat away from the resorts. Malaria is present in some provinces, including La Altagracia (Punta Cana) and Santo Domingo, so ask about prophylaxis. Dengue circulates: use repellent.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/dominican-republic
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.