Private Tour in Puerto Plata and La Playa

We had a great experience overall and really enjoyed getting to see Puerto Plata beyond the cruise port. Jesus was our tour guide, and he was wonderful. He took great care of us throughout the day, communicated well in English, made us feel comfortable, and made sure we were back at the port with plenty of time before our ship departed. We enjoyed the variety of stops and getting to experience some of the history, culture, food, and beautiful scenery of Puerto Plata. It was a great way to see a lot of the area during our limited time in port. The one area that could be improved is the pickup instructions. When you first exit the cruise port, there are multiple taxi areas, which made it a little confusing to know exactly where we were supposed to go. It would be very helpful if the instructions specifically explained that you need to continue walking through the shopping area, past the pool, and toward the exit near the second taxi area. Once we got there, finding Jesus was actually very easy, and the drivers seemed to have a great system for connecting everyone with their tours. I also would have appreciated a little more communication throughout the tour about which itinerary stops we were visiting. Looking back at the listed itinerary, I am not completely sure whether we made every stop or if the itinerary was adjusted based on our time in port. We definitely experienced the major highlights and never felt rushed, but a quick overview at the beginning of the day would have made it easier to know what to expect. Overall, this was a great way to experience Puerto Plata, and Jesus made the day especially enjoyable. I would definitely recommend the tour, particularly for cruise passengers who want to see more of the city while still feeling confident about getting back to the ship on time.

Great experience with the family. Everything was perfect and we got to see all of the amazing places in Puerto Plata. The beach is beautiful. Jose was amazing and professional. I highly recommend the tour for anyone looking for a safe, educational and professional tour experience.

Elian Sosa was the best tour guide. Very friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. We enjoyed our tour around the island and would definitely recommend this tour.

A very good day with a great guide, Alan. Super friendly, generous, flexible, and very proud of his land. We learned a lot and discovered wonderful places. One thing to consider: the Rum museum must be paid for - it is not included in the package, as we were promised. And it is not really worth it in terms of cost-benefit.

This is a private tour just for your party with a driver/tour guide. Joseph was our driver and he is the best. We traveled with my mom in a wheelchair and he took us to all the places where it was easily accessible for her to participate. Joseph took his time at her pace so she could enjoy Puerto Plata. We were able to see all the sights and go to a Dorado beach and enjoy the view. Recommend this tour for anyone traveling with someone with mobility issues as they cater to your needs. Thank you Joseph for a wonderful day. May God Bless you and your family.

Our guide was Joseph Alvarez and he was absolutely wonderful. I personally like meeting locals, who can tell me what it’s like to live in the area, places to go, people to meet, take me somewhere most do not know about, a REAL experience. - I was on the Carnival Cruise and while I love a cruise and flying around to new countries, I prefer my excursions to be more personal and not crammed into a touring bus just staring out the window. We got a very personal look into Puerto Plata (we booked the city tour and a beach stop), even met Joseph’s family. That’s the type of experience I want, show me why you love where you live, we even got into conversations about what it takes to move/live in Puerto Plata (I loved it). Truly a great tour guide, easy to book, personable, honest, safe, knowledgeable, good pricing. If you are actually looking to see what Puerto Plata has to offer, to get a history on the island, book with E&J Tours. - Side note: on our day it was raining, first it was light and became heavy, Joseph had an umbrella for us and even withstood the rain with us (we were wet/soaked too), still didn’t deter us nor made the trip any less enjoyable. A great person to meet, the van was clean, safe driving, trustworthy guide. I will honestly look for him again when we come back… and we will! Thank you again Joseph!

This was the best experience for a family with twenty something year old kids! Elian was our guide and adjusted to all of our request while offering everything promised. The rum factory was small but great tasting. There was not a hard sell, but we couldn’t resist the coconut and pineapple rums, especially when mixed together. We stopped at all the picture stops in the right order to miss the crowds - umbrella and pink streets! We stopped for Presidente beers, water, and cokes to keep us going. We enjoyed the picturesque spots on the way to the chocolate factory. Again, it was small, but the chocolate brownie and hot chocolate were fantastic! Our special request was to stop for a true Dominican lunch. I can’t say enough good things about it! Goat, crab, red snapper, fried plantains, sweet plantains, pork, beans and rice. The cost was nothing for the quality and amount of food! Lunch was the cost of the meal and not part of the package. Finally, we went to the blue Jack beach. Beautiful and everything we could ask for! If you have the option, ask for Elian or his dad as a guide.

Had a great time with our tour guide. He was very nice and knowledgeable about the island. Let us decide the agenda for the day. We really enjoyed the rum tour, chocolate factory and the nice quiet and clean beach. He also took lots of pictures for us and even offered to use his camera. Fantastic day! Would highly recommend this tour.

Jose was a great tour guide with positive, friendly energy. He guided us through the town taking us to a jewelry museum and chocolate factory before our stop at the beach. It was a great, easy way to explore on our cruise stop and we highly recommend it!

We had a great time with Elian! He was so knowledgeable and very accommodating to our group of 10 ranging from 13-70!