Trip Overview

Insider's Dominican Republic with Richard

July 5 - 12, 2022

  • Summer Mack
  • 332783
  • NYC
  • 0 days

Announcements & Reminders

  • Richard's Vision for this Tour: This tour is truly having your cake and eating it, too. I’ve enhanced our classic Insider’s Dominican Republic itinerary with those unique extras that I do with the “cool” groups that graciously allow me to make all their free time decisions. While offering a wide and exciting variety of the Dominican’s historic, cultural and biological charms—from dreamy beaches to community connections to unexpected subterranean caverns—our travelers will dive deep into the contemporary Dominican lifestyle at its best. This program is what our tour managers seek to do with their own families who come to visit from off-island. Read More

Insider's Dominican Republic with Richard

July 5 - 12, 2022

Itinerary

The itinerary is the starting point to your tour, but it’s not set in stone. Your group leader may make changes leading up to departure.

Day 1, Tuesday July 5: Santo Domingo

Depart from the USA and arrive in the Dominican Republic. Meet your ACIS Tour Manager Richard at the airport and head in to town to get settled at your hotel in the historic and picturesque Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo. (D)

Day 2, Wednesday July 6: Santo Domingo

You'll have a sweet start this morning during a visit to a boutique chocolatier in Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone. Learn about cocoa production in the Dominican Republic (it's one of the world's largest producers of organic cacao) and the steps of the chocolate making process as you participate in a workshop to craft your own chocolate bar. In the afternoon, 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. (B,D)

Day 3, Thursday July 7: 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. (B,D)

Day 4, Friday July 8: 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 area's agricultural industry while you participate in a chocolate cultivation and processing workshop. You'll be able to compare how this Dominican staple product is made by hand in a countryside community as compared to your experience at the fancier chocolatier in the city. 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. (B,L,D)

Day 5, Saturday July 9: Sosua

This morning is your chance to give back to the town with a community service project. Your project will involve working in an impoverished community to build a house with a family creatively using contemporary, environmentally friendly building techniques—think along the lines of turning collected disposable plastic water bottles into structural building material.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. (B,L,D)

Day 6, Sunday July 10: Sosua

This morning enjoy free time to relax on the beach. In the afternoon, 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. (B,D)

Day 7, Monday July 11: 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. (B,D)

Day 8, Tuesday July 12: Departure

Depart for the USA. (B)

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