Historical Santo Domingo Day Trip from Punta Cana
Description
Visit the oldest city of the Americas! Come and join us to experience walking through Santo Domingo, where history started in the Americas. Visit the first cathedral of the new world, Diego Columbus Alcazar, the famous Las Damas street, and some other 5th century colonial monuments. You’ll also have panoramic views of the downtown, residential areas, and the National Presidential Palace. Your best shopping option will be at the colorful market. Lunch is included at a typical Dominican restaurant.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Calle Las Damas/ Street of the Ladies is the oldest street in the Americas. It is a beautiful street lined with historical buildings from the original settlement of Santo Domingo.was originally named Calle de la Fortaleza/ The street of Strength or Fortress when it was created in 1502 during the reign of Nicolás de Ovando. The street has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Columbus Lighthouse is a cross-shaped monument made of reinforced concrete. Its dimensions are 680 feet (210 m) by 195 feet (59 m). There are 157 beams of light that emanate towards the sky from the structure and a rotating beam, which can be seen from space.
In this place, you will see most of the spanish culture utensils. enter this Alcazar and travel to the 15th century and colony age.
The National Palace (Spanish: Palacio Nacional) is a building in Santo Domingo, that houses the offices of the Executive Branch (Presidency and Vice Presidency) of the Dominican Republic.Designed in a restrained neoclassical style by Italian architect Guido D'Alessandro at the behest of Rafael Trujillo, construction started on February 27, 1944 —The centenary of Dominican independence —and was inaugurated on August 16, 1947. Occupying an area of 18,000 square metres and luxuriously appointed throughout, the National Palace is considered one of the most beautiful buildings built in the Dominican Republic. The building stands on the grounds of the former Presidential Mansion (Mansión Presidencial), built during the United States military occupation of 1916-1924.
The Dominican Republic’s Three Eyes National Park is a nature reserve and open-air limestone cave system with a series of crystal clear lakes known as the “eyes.” Located in the capital, Santo Domingo, just ten minutes by car from the popular Colonial Zone, the park provides a sweet respite from the hustle and bustle of the busy city. Along with a guided tour, these caves also offer deeper insights into the pre-colonial and ancestral origins of the Dominican Republic.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is recognised as the Americas’ oldest Cathedral dating back to 1512. As the first Cathedral in the new world it holds much significance, remaining one of the Dominican Republic’s most visited attractions and held in high regard throughout the Caribbean.
Ciudad Colonial (Spanish for "Colonial City") is the historic central neighborhood of Santo Domingo and the oldest permanent European settlement of the Americas. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is also known as Zona Colonial (Colonial Zone). The Ciudad Colonial is located on the west bank of the Ozama River, which bisects the city. It covers 1.06 km2 (0.41 sq mi) bounded by a walled perimeter.
Our tour guide will accompany you all day during this excursion. your tour bus or van has AC.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Between 7:00 am and 7:30 am. Hotel pickup time varies based on hotel location. please verify with your hotel guest service staff about pick up location for excursions.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- To enter the Cathedral, women and men must be covered to the elbows and knees
- It is recommended that you wear comfortable walking shoes
- It is recommended that you bring cash, a camera, sunscreen, and a hat
Reviews(177)
Hector The protector is the best!
Even though it is a long drive, it is worth the effort and it is one of the "must check" activities in RepDom for anybosy even slightly interested in the history of the Americas. While the city at large is nothing to write home about, the Colonial area is intersting as the first landing and the Cathedral is truly memorable, and on par with some of the other European architectural works of that era. The people were great and made this experiance great.
Reynaldo was an excellent tour guide and did a great job accommodating Spanish and English-speaking guests. We enjoyed all the elements on the tour including the lunch. We even stopped to address a medical issue of one guest and he handled it kindly. Totally recommend this to everyone who loves history and who loves to learn about the wonderful people of the DR. What an amazing island! PS our driver kept us safe and comfortable even though it was hot for us New Englanders.
Such a good trip, would definitely recommend. Yes it's a long transfer to the city but once there the sites are great and the tour guide fantastic. Translating into 3 languages each time. Lunch was lovely and we felt it was all value for money. Would definitely recommend and thank you
We did this tour to San Domingo from Punta de Cana. Jose Luis, our driver, was just fabulous and very concerned about making of our trip a pleasant one. When we arrived to 3 ojos we were introduced to Tito, our guide for the day, who was very knowledgeable, ready to answer all our questions, and concerned about our well-being. Overall I really recommend this tour. Full disclosure, we were 8 people and only my husband does not speak Spanish so the tour was mostly done in Spanish.
We enjoyed this tour a lot. Only thing was the guide was talking a lot which was abit too much. He started talking the entire way and back which was abit too much.
traveling through Dominican Republic by free, fascinating country, practically wild places, welcoming people, exquisite food.... We were lucky to meet Carlitos in Sabana de la Mar, manager of the Enterprise AVENTURAS CG TRIP (+1829764-6955), with him we travel to dream places in a personalized way, total confidence and good price.
It was a great tour which we thoroughly enjoyed. Starting with the pickup from the resort , tour guide, driver, activities and returning back to hotel everything was just great. The tour guide was speaking five different languages, and the information provided was fantastic. We stopped at the most important sites. The only thing I would probably change is to stop at the Columbus Lighthouse and actually walk there instead of presidential residence. Otherwise it was well thought through and incredibly informative
Santo Domingo is just such a Spanish colonial city on the American continent... Interchangeable. A few highlights etc. For this you have to accept 200 km (at least 2 hours - usually much longer until all participants are read together by the hotels...). Can understand anyone who is bored in their hotel complex - and wants to do something. I felt the same way - now I'm done. Seen, done well.
Enrique y Darío were great on the tour Enjoyed learning about the history of the Dominican Republic 🫡
