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Travel guide
The Dominican Republic
3 days · 5 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 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 1 thing
- 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
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Punta Cana free · half a dayThe country's main beach resort area, with long white sand beaches lined with coconut palms, turquoise water and large hotel complexes.
- Afternoon · 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€80 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · 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.
- Afternoon · 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.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Class Colonial€90 a night
D3
Day 3
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · 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.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Alisei€145 a night
Before 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.