Insider's Dominican Republic

  • 8 Days
  • Most Inclusive
  • Most Popular V2 Created with Sketch. 2024 Sale!

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Insider's Dominican Republic Get Started

Map & Route

Depart

Santo Domingo

2 2 Nights

Santiago

1 1 Night

Sosua

3 3 Nights

Santo Domingo

1 1 Night
Return
map Insider's Dominican Republic

What's Included

Our itineraries reflect 40 years of experience in crafting exceptional educational tours. That means we know exactly how to make the best of your time abroad—incredible destinations, immersive activities, centrally located hotels, and smart, well-traveled tour managers who ensure your educational goals are met. Here are some of the exceptional features of this tour.

ACIS Guarantees

We have high standards, which is why we take care to include these features in every tour.

Round-Trip Flights

Leave the airlines to us.

3- or 4-Star Hotels

After a busy day, comfort is key.

Centrally Located Hotels

Save the commuting time, beat the morning crowds and keep right on exploring after dark when your hotel is in the heart of the city.

All Meals Included

Hearty breakfasts and delicious, authentic, cuisine at local restaurants for lunches and dinners—with meals times tailored to maximize your experience.

24-Hour Tour Manager

Part guide, part educator, part engineer, part mind-reader, part magician—ACIS Tour Managers are your travel partner.

Start Exploring

Never wait hours at the airport to share a transfer with other later groups.

Service Guarantee

We're so sure you're going to love your tour, we guarantee it!

Global Network

24/7 on the ground support whenever and wherever you need it.

All Local Transportation

Urban transportation is on us, allowing you to explore each destination with ease.

Exceptional Experiences

Our tours are designed to help you and your students be in the moment and experience everything the world has to offer.

Chocolate Cultivation and Processing Workshop

Chocolate Cultivation and Processing Workshop

From the time of the Aztecs, and long before it was known in Europe, chocolate has been of great importance on the island of Hispaniola. Learn about the lifestyle of the local people as well as the local agricultural industry during a chocolate cultivation and processing workshop. Enjoy sampling the delicious flavors!

Learn More

From the time of the Aztecs, and long before it was known in Europe, chocolate has been of great importance on the island of Hispaniola. Learn about the lifestyle of the local people as well as the local agricultural industry during a chocolate cultivation and processing workshop. Enjoy sampling the delicious flavors!

Home Hosted Lunch with Dominican Family

Home Hosted Lunch with Dominican Family

Enjoy the unique experience of connecting to the Dominican culture through an exchange with a local family. Receive a warm welcome as you break into small groups to have a home cooked meal and conversation with local families at their residences.

Learn More

Enjoy the unique experience of connecting to the Dominican culture through an exchange with a local family. Receive a warm welcome as you break into small groups to have a home cooked meal and conversation with local families at their residences.

Community Service Project in Sosua

Community Service Project in Sosua

Volunteer in the local community on a project determined by where the need is greatest.

Learn More

Volunteer in the local community on a project determined by where the need is greatest.

Canopy Tour in Yasica

Canopy Tour in Yasica

Gain a bird's-eye perspective on the pristine vegetation of the rainforest as you explore its canopy via zip-lines, swings or treetop platforms. Keep a sharp lookout for some of the many species of birds, mammals and plants that make up this unique ecosystem. Your guide will teach you about the importance of biodiversity and the immeasurable contributions this type of ecosystem makes to society as a whole.

Learn More

Gain a bird's-eye perspective on the pristine vegetation of the rainforest as you explore its canopy via zip-lines, swings or treetop platforms. Keep a sharp lookout for some of the many species of birds, mammals and plants that make up this unique ecosystem. Your guide will teach you about the importance of biodiversity and the immeasurable contributions this type of ecosystem makes to society as a whole.

Dominican Dance Lesson

Dominican Dance Lesson

Learn about traditional Dominican dances during a lesson in collaboration with Brigada Verde, a local youth environmental group. Take to the floor at the community dance hall for an introduction to the basic steps of merengue, bachata and salsa dances. In no time you'll be feeling the music and moving your hips, Dominican style!

Learn More

Learn about traditional Dominican dances during a lesson in collaboration with Brigada Verde, a local youth environmental group. Take to the floor at the community dance hall for an introduction to the basic steps of merengue, bachata and salsa dances. In no time you'll be feeling the music and moving your hips, Dominican style!

Santo Domingo Culture Quest

Santo Domingo Culture Quest

Scavenge for answers! Your tour manager will provide a list of clues and set you free to unlock the secrets of Santo Domingo, the Americas' oldest European settlement. Practice your Spanish with locals, learn about the city's history as the capital and discover the multicultural influence of Spanish colonists, African slaves and Taíno natives.

Learn More

Scavenge for answers! Your tour manager will provide a list of clues and set you free to unlock the secrets of Santo Domingo, the Americas' oldest European settlement. Practice your Spanish with locals, learn about the city's history as the capital and discover the multicultural influence of Spanish colonists, African slaves and Taíno natives.

CONACADO Cocoa Cooperative

CONACADO Cocoa Cooperative

Santo Domingo Tour with Guide

Santo Domingo Tour with Guide

Pomier Caves Anthropological Reserve

Pomier Caves Anthropological Reserve

Leon Jimenez Cultural Center and Cigar Factory

Leon Jimenez Cultural Center and Cigar Factory

Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración

Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración

Río Grande Abajo Community Visit

Río Grande Abajo Community Visit

27 Waterfalls of Damajagua

27 Waterfalls of Damajagua

Snorkeling

Snorkeling

Yasica River Boat Trip and Bonfire Dinner

Yasica River Boat Trip and Bonfire Dinner

Video

ACIS Americas

Featured in this video

Itinerary

This itinerary is the starting point for your tour, but it’s not set in stone. If there are days you would like to change, or specific places you’d like to go, we can work with you to create a personalized program that fits the needs of you and your students.

Day 1: Santo Domingo

Depart from the USA and arrive in the Dominican Republic. Check into your hotel in the historic and picturesque Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo and meet your ACIS Tour Manager.

Day 2: Santo Domingo

Drive this morning to visit the CONACADO cocoa cooperative. With a staff member, discuss the importance of cooperative membership, sustainable practices, Fair Trade designation and traditional agricultural practices. Then see these concepts in action with a complete tour of the processing facility followed by exploring a member farmer's land. You'll have the chance to sip a true Dominican hot chocolate and enjoy an authentic lunch. In the afternoon, return to Santo Domingo and take a Chu-Chu colonial historical train tour through the Colonial Zone, a UNESCO World Cultural Site and the historic central area of Santo Domingo. See the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor, thought to be the first cathedral of the Americas, the Ozama Fortress overlooking the river, the Franciscan Monastery ruins and other historic sites.

Day 3: Santiago

A morning bus ride takes you to San Cristobal. You'll study petroglyphs and pictographs and learn about the subterranean ecosystem at the Pomier Caves Anthropological Reserve, the single most important pre-Columbian site in the Caribbean. Journey on to Santiago. Upon arrival visit the Leon Jimenez Cultural Center and Cigar Factory, the best of the nation's five national museums under one roof. Tonight see the spectacularly illuminated Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración on a hilltop park in the center of the city.

Day 4: Sosua

Begin this morning in Altamira with a tour of the Río Grande Abajo Community. Learn about the lifestyle of the local people as well as the local agricultural industry while you participate in a chocolate cultivation and processing workshop. Practice your Spanish as you're invited in small groups into the homes of local Dominican families for lunch. After lunch, continue to the 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua, where you'll cascade, jumping and sliding down all 27 falls. Arrive in Sosua this evening for a night's rest in your beachside hotel.

Day 5: Sosua

This morning is your chance to give back to the town with a community service project. Then, discover the local marine life first-hand as you enjoy snorkeling with colorful tropical fish around the reefs in Sosua Bay, said to be some of the best snorkeling in the world.

Day 6: Sosua

Gain a different perspective on the Dominican landscape and wildlife during today's excursion to Yasica where you'll soar above the treetops, via a series of zip-lines and platforms, spotting colorful birds and exotic plants on a canopy tour. Return to Sosua and feel the groove as you collaborate with Brigada Verde, a local youth environmental group, for a dance lesson in traditional Dominican dances. Then sit back, relax and explore the shoreline during a leisurely boat ride down the Yasica River that concludes with a bonfire dinner on the beach.

Day 7: Santo Domingo

Enjoy a free morning on Sosua Beach before returning to Santo Domingo with time to stroll the Colonial Zone and perhaps pick up some final souvenirs. Tonight's highlight is a special farewell dinner at a local restaurant serving authentic Dominican fare. Spend your last night further exploring and applying your new knowledge of Santo Domingo during a Culture Quest.

Day 8: Departure

Depart for the USA.

Optional Extras

Ultimate-Plus Protection Plan

Most Enhanced health coverage, program interruption, baggage delay/loss and travel delay protection while on tour. Plus, enhanced medical/job loss cancellation refund policy

Rate $360

Add to Tour

Ultimate Protection Plan

Enhanced health coverage, program interruption, baggage delay/loss and travel delay protection while on tour. Plus, enhanced medical/job loss cancellation refund policy

Rate $240

Add to Tour

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