Tours and Excursions

Excursion tours are easy to set up at all-inclusive resorts. Every resort has an excursion desk set up in the lobby with books filled with information on the types of activities, complete with prices. You will want to look at this book as soon as you arrive at your resort since excursions fill up quickly. Here is a list of outfitters in case you want or need to book it solo.

Bavaro Runners Safari Adventures (tel. 809/466-1135, www.bavarorunners.com [1], US$60–80) organizes half-day trips to La Romana [2] and Altos de Chavón [3], horseback riding, a look at sugarcane plantations, jeep excursions, and other excursions. Price includes lunch and drinks.

RH Tours and Excursions (El Cortecito, tel. 809/552-1425, www.rhtours.com [4], 9 a.m.–7 p.m. daily) is a one-stop paradise for choices in excursions. It’s in El Cortecito near the Capitán Cook restaurant [5]. This long-established and trusted company offers excursions such as a half-day quad trip (US$55), caving expeditions (US$105), a Santo Domingo [6] day trip (US$65), Parque Nacional Los Haitises [7] tours (US$105), deep-sea fishing [8] (US$85), a zipline adventure (US$89), reef explorer with equipment and snacks (US$89), even trips into the country to meet the people (US$75), and many more. Languages spoken are English, Spanish, German, and French. Ask about kids’ prices!

Walk down toward the north end of El Cortecito to find other independent excursion companies. Kiosks offer a bevy of choices from catamaran rides, snorkeling, and flying boats to windsurfing, sailing, and banana boat rides.

The Punta Cana Express Bus Bar (Punta Cana, tel. 809/686-9290, cell 809/481-1469) is an all-day excursion package. You are picked up at your hotel at 8 a.m. in a large “party bus,” and the tour passes sugarcane fields and coffee and cacao plantations. You’ll see a cockfight, then move on to a ranch for some horse riding along the beach. Lunch is provided at the ranch. You are returned to your hotel around 4:30 p.m. Two vehicle choices are available depending on the size of your party. The jeep for four people is US$80 per person, whereas booking a truck to hold 18–20 people is US$75 per person. Everything is included.

D’Volquez Tours (El Cortecito, tel. 809/552-1861, www.dvolquez.com [9]) offers a variety of excursions much like the ones offered by RH Tours (including quad bikes and truck safaris).