The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean nation on the eastern side of Hispaniola island. DR shares a border with Haiti on it’s west and is surrounded by Carribean sea on the north, east, & south. When thinking of traveling in the DR most people assume an all inclusive beach resort… which is a pretty safe assumption the majority of DR’s tourism industry caters to the multinational resort chains, but there is a lot to see outside the resorts and there is a safe way to independently travel this country. There is a lot to see, but this itinerary is doable with limited time and takes you through the three best regions for a first time visit:Samana- northern peninsula, Santo Domingo-the capital, Punta Cana/La Romana- resort life. This itinerary assumes a one way ticket into Samana(AZS) and one way home from Punta Cana(PUJ)- American Airlines is well connected to both these airports making a multi-city ticket with American Air affordable. Unless you want to stay in one area, then it is really necessary to do a multi-city flight itinerary because you would spend way too much time having to retrace your steps. This itinerary is the optimal route for those who want to see the best of the DR in a short visit.

Day 1: Fly into the lesser known Samana Peninsula

Samana Peninsula on the northern coast of the DR is lesser known for American travelers, but popular with French & Canadian travelers- a big french speaking expat community here. The Samana Airport is starting to grow in popularity and becoming more accessible with new flight routes. You will not find any international hotel chains here and it feels very authentic still. It is safe here, even though there are increasing number of Haitians refugees flocking into the DR. The situation in Haiti is terrible and the influx of desperate refugees can increase likelihood of danger. I did not have any issues, but kept to the tourist area close to the beach and didn’t go out too late. Just a heads up the taxi from the airport to Las Terrenas cost me like $40 USD and I thought they were completely ripping me off, but the taxi driver had to pay a hefty toll to get onto the highway from the airport.

Where to stay: I recommend a couple blocks behind Playa Las Terrenas. There are plenty of quality Airbnb’s and boutique hotels. Staying a couple blocks behind the main strip/beach will make sure you can easily walk to the main beach strip, but are still far enough back to be sheltered from the noise. I stayed at Shambala House through Airbnb and highly recommend it- the pool was perfect.

Airbnb two blocks behind the main beach strip

What to do: On day 1, I recommend taking it easy and enjoying the beautiful Playa Las Terrenas. Calm, turquoise, Caribbean waters. Bring your own goggles for a DIY snorkel session. Have some Mofongo, the popular Caribbean dish, and enjoy one of the many beachside restaurants along the main strip. Make sure to head to a restaurant before you start to get really hungry because in the Caribbean your food is going to take a long time(island time). Hang out at your accommodation’s pool to relax and cool off after chilling on the beach today.

Day 2: Beach Hopping

Where to stay: Las Terrenas

What to do: After a nice leisurely breakfast, I recommended making your way west to Playa Coson- it’s about 20 min on a motorbike. There are a plethora of motorbike taxi’s that can fit two of you on the back. The ride through Las Terrenas downtown and the surrounding lush jungle is exhilarating on the back of a motorbike. Make sure you arrange a return trip with your mototaxi as it will be hard to find one on the way home. Playa Coson is a very desolate beach with one main restaurant and some smaller small hotels tucked further away. The main(only) restaurant is Luis En Coson, it was the best meal I had in the DR. You pick your fresh catch and they weigh it for you then cook it, I had red snapper. Playa Coson is so undeveloped that there were actually a ton of sand fleas- the only downside. On your way home you could stop at Playa Bonita, but Playa Coson was so nice I just spent a couple hours there and then went back to Las Terrenas. After relaxing at your hotel for a little, go explore the main strip of restaurants and bars. Walk to Punta Poppy the eastern end of Playa Las Terrenas for a great sunset view.

Playa Coson- wear citronella oil to avoid sand fleas!

Day 3: Morning Day trip to Cascada Limon

Where to stay: Las Terrenas

What to do: I recommend getting an early start to beat the crowds. If you are comfortable on a moped or ATV you can rent your own pretty easily in Las Terrenas, this is what I did. You can also pay for a tour or pay for a taxi. I do not think it’s necessary to pay for a tour and you can just show up at the entrance of the waterfall and pay the nominal national park fee. Ignore the hustlers telling you that you have to pay for a guide, they are lying. It’s about a 30 min ride from Las Terrenas. You will pass through the small town of El Limon and head a little further south to the waterfall(see route below).

Optional add on: If you have a couple of extra days, I recommend heading to the town of Samana. It is Southeast from Las Terrenas on the southern point of the Samana Peninsula. It is a popular destination for whale watching in the Samana Bay.

Day 4: Transfer to Capital Santo Domingo

Where to stay: In Zona Colonial (historical center) or along the Maleacon. I went with a hostel in a centric location of the historical center(Zona Colonial). There are quality chain hotels and resorts along the Maleacon a little west of the Zona Colonial. The main reason I wanted to stop in Santo Domingo was to see the oldest town in the Americas, so I decided to stay at Hostal La Colonia in the historical district. I would recommend Hostal La Colonia for those trying to quickly see the highlights of the historical district on a tighter budget. If you stay in the Maleacon area you will find more expensive quality hotels/resorts, and you are a very quick uber ride from the historical district (Zona Colonial).

How to get there: There are 6 daily buses leaving from Las Terrenas main bus stop to Santo Domingo. They run roughly every two hours and are operated by Asotrapusa, see pic below. It takes about 3-4 hours. You will arrive at what feels like an intense & chaotic bus station in Santo Domingo, and I felt a little apprehensive at first… but I ordered an uber and just waited with all my luggage and absolutely no issues from local taxi drivers.

What to do: Santo Domingo was the first European settlement in the Americas, so there is a lot of great history here. After checking into your hotel I recommend getting acquainted and wandering around the Zona Colonial. Head to Parque Colon for a nice outdoor dinner in the main plaza of Santo Domingo. In the evening, head to Calle El Conde- a nice pedestrian street lined with shopping, restaurants and bars. Grab an el presidente beer and wander along Calle El Conde until you’re ready to head home for the night. I didn’t stay out too late in Santo Domingo, but the nightlife seemed really fun and safe in the Zona Colonial.

Wandering the oldest European settlement in the western hemisphere

Day 5: Walking tour of Santo Domingo

Where to stay: Zona Colonia or Maleacon

What to do: Santo Domingo has a lot of history and I recommend booking a walking tour to see the highlights and get a history lesson from a tour guide. There is a lot to see and if history is not your thing then you could just wander the Zona Colonia, but if you are a history buff it’s definitely worth having a guide. I went with a free walking tour, that ended up not being that great. They made me assure I would atleast pay $20 and then I was taken to a lot of shops for high pressure sales situations, but I also got to see the highlights of the Zona Colonia and a brief (historically inaccurate) history lesson of Santo Domingo. The only reason I’m mentioning my dissatisfaction was so you do not make the same mistake… I’ve had some really quality free walking tours, but this was definitely not one of them. Consider paying for a reputable tour guide so you can properly see the highlights of Santo Domingo in one day. After your walking tour head to Plaza Hispanola, Parque Colon, or Calle el Conde for dinner and drinks.

Day 6: Transfer to Punta Cana or La Romana. Punta Cana is a touristy resort town on the eastern side of the island with a plethora of all inclusive resorts and quality hotels. Punta Cana also has an international airport. La Romana is on the southern coast in between Santo Domingo and Punta Cana, it is less touristy then Punta Cana but does not have an international airport. I chose Punta Cana because I wanted to use Marriott points at a resort and be close to an international airport. If you’re coming to Punta Cana it’s best to embrace resort life, it’s an overly touristy resort town where the entire economy is built off tourism, but the quality resorts are really nice.

How to get there: There is a really nice express bus from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana, operated by Expresso Bavaro. It runs every 2 hours starting at 7am. I recommend sitting on the right side of the bus for ocean views. The highway is really new and a much smoother ride compared to Las Terrenas to Santo Domingo. The bus ride takes about two to three hours. Get out at the Punta Cana airport stop and then walk slightly outside the airport and request an Uber to your resort. Uber is blocked at the airport, but it was really easy to walk just outside the airport and request an Uber for 10% of the cost of an airport taxi. Taxis in Punta Cana are stupid expensive.

Where to stay: I stayed at the Westin Punta Cana Resort, because I am loyal to Marriott and my wife and I wanted a quality resort experience. This resort is a little more family friendly and a little further south than the hustle and bustle of Bavaro area. If you are looking for more of a party resort there are many all inclusive options north of the Airport in Bavaro.

What to do: Enjoy resort life and chill.

Day 7: Punta Cana and Cenote

Where to stay: Punta Cana

What to do: In the morning head to Indigenous Eye Ecological Reserve. It is a really nice nature park with swimmable cenotes and it was a great way to spend the first half of the day. The entry is free is you are staying at the Westin and it might be free to everyone, I’ve heard it’s a steep $50 if you’re not staying at a resort in the surrounding vicinity, but it’s not clear. After heading swimming in the cenotes head back to the resort and relax on the beach.

Day 8: Punta Cana Booze Cruise

Where to stay: Punta Cana

What to do: When in Punta Cana you gotta do an overly touristy excursion and consume copious amounts of watered down fruity rum drinks. I opted for an over crowded chaotic all you can drink booze cruise. If you’re looking something nicer and more expensive consider a catamaran to Isla Saona. While you’re out of your resort walk around the main Bavaro area and hit up a pool club, Coco Bongo, or something fun in that area. Punta Cana seems to draw similar nightlife crowds to the likes of Cancun or Cabo, albeit slightly tamer.

Day 9: Relaxing Resort Day

Where to stay: Resort in Punta

What to do: Relax at the beach, nurse a hangover, and enjoy the last day of vacation.

Day 10: Depart from Punta Cana airport

Note: As mentioned Punta Cana is an overly touristy resort town. If you’re not into splurging on a resort it’s probably not worth visiting, there’s not much to see here and the beaches in Samana are better. For an alternate itinerary to avoid Punta Cana, consider adding a couple days in Samana and a day or two in Santo Domingo, then fly home from Santo Domingo.

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