Santo Domingo Signature Experience

Do it your way as you discover the vast history and the colonial architecture of the oldest city in the Americas on the Santo Domingo signature experience. Explore the capital of the Dominican Republic with your group of friends and family in exclusive transportation, as a private guide takes you through this breathtaking city according to your hand-picked itinerary. Choose from highlights such as Christopher Columbus’ family fortress, a museum housing royal treasures, the oldest church in the New World, and many other amazing sights. Spend as much time as you’d like at each site, then finish your day with shopping at the Colonial Zone and lunch at a restaurant seeping with history.

• Make your journey through Santo Domingo more intimate with your select group of VIPs, in private transportation and accompanied by a private guide
• Choose which places to visit during your personalized exploration of the oldest city in the New World
• Select the amount of time you’d like to spend at cultural jewels like Christopher Columbus’ family fortress or a museum housing colonial artifacts
• Be amazed by the city’s colonial district and have a great time shopping for crafts and other souvenirs
• Savor the taste of local Dominican cuisine during an included lunch at a more distinguished restaurant
• Activity duration: 6 hours (not including transportation to and from hotel)
• Hotel pick-up and drop off included

Discover the majesty of Santo Domingo with your own itinerary

Your Santo Domingo signature experience starts early in the morning with pick-up at your resort. A private vehicle will provide you and your party a smooth, comfortable transfer to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic about 2 hours away from Punta Cana. You’ll select your itinerary to custom make the journey according to your wishes, and your private guide will take care of you and your group of VIPs throughout. Your first stop could be, for example, the Columbus Lighthouse, a monument that pays tribute to the famed explorer.

This is the perfect prelude to your arrival at the Colonial Zone. Your private guide will give you plenty of information about the cultural heart of this magical island. Prepare for walking and plenty of sightseeing, which can start with a visit to the Alcazar de Colon. This fortress, which served as the Columbus’ family home in the Americas, is now a museum full of artifacts belonging to the Columbus family, such as portraits, armors, tapestries and religious objects.


Immerse yourself in the richness of the city’s colonial history

Another stop on your signature cultural journey is the Museum of the Royal Houses, a 16th-century building where the administrators of the Spanish colonies worked. Today, it hosts a collection of artifacts and artworks from that time era, such as displays of the chief judge’s office, military relics, and exhibits on family life in colonial times. You can also visit the National Pantheon, the final resting place for writers, politicians and other major historical figures that have shaped the island’s history.

Additionally, you can check out a 4D cinema for a fully immersive movie about the Battle of Santo Domingo. It’s a complete account of the raid on the city by the famous pirate Sir Francis Drake. The film follows Drake as he storms Santo Domingo and battles the Spanish forces in 1586.


Enjoy a local lunch and go shopping at the Colonial Zone

Following your hand-selected encounter with Dominican history, your group will savor the the flavors of the island with a lunch at a restaurant that enthralls visitors with its location and its vast history. After your taste buds have been delighted, you can visit more places nearby such as the oldest church in the Americas — the Basilica Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor. Your guide will explain the history of the christianization of the New World, while you view the icons and architecture inside and outside of this impressive church.

Your day ends with free time to explore the Colonial Zone and some shopping for souvenirs and trinkets in the area’s markets, as your guide stands by should you need assistance. When your Santo Domingo private tour concludes, hop back on your vehicle to pass by the Presidential Palace on the return to your resort after a full historical immersion fitting for a group VIP.

• Transportation in a private, air-conditioned vehicle
• Private English-speaking guide
• Lunch in Santo Domingo
• All entrance fees

• Wear comfortable clothing and footwear
• Wear long pants/skirt and a shirt that covers the shoulders, for entering the Cathedral
• Bring camera, hat, sunblock, sunglasses
• Feel free to bring money for tips, snacks and souvenirs (tipping is optional)
• Pick-up and drop-off times will vary according to resort location
• Be aware that some activities, such as museums, are unavailable on Mondays, making this activity a panoramic city tour on those days