Dominican Heritage Tour
6 DAYS /5 NIGHTS
TRIP OVERVIEW & PURPOSE
Join us in exploring and learning about the Dominican culture and history. Discover both the capital’s hotspots and the rural natural wonders of Quisqueya. Connect with local Dominicans with whom you can share different insights as we guide you through the natural beauty that makes the Dominican Republic a top destination in the Caribbean.
We will travel around the island for 9 days (Saturday through Sunday), starting in Santo Domingo and traveling through Villa Mella, Monte Plata, Barahona, and Pedernales. We will connect with the different cross cultural influences that make up much of our Dominican Heritage and learn a less colonized and more inclusive perspective of Hispaniola’s history while exploring the different corners of our beautiful island. Non-Dominicans are welcome on this culturally immersive and resort-free travel experience if they have a special connection to the island/culture.
TRIP ITINERARY: Highlights & Destinations
Tour Day 1: Santo Domingo
Arrival: Zona Colonial + Modern Arts
- Arrivals & airport transfers.
- Zona Colonial walking tour
- Welcome dinner
- Modern Dominican life cultural space and performance at night
Tour Day 2: Villa Mella
Afro-Indigenous: Villa Mella + Taino Workshop
- Taino history & culture workshop with leading researcher
- Visit to Villa Mella (historic for runaway slaves)
- Meet community leaders who still retain and celebrate much of the Afro-Dominican culture in music with fiesta de palo / los Congos de Villa Mella.
Tour Day 3: Monte Plata
Monte Plata: Family Campo Life w/ Cooking Lessons & Waterfalls
Get a taste of local Dominican lush Monte Plata campo life in our Concepcion family’s farm village. A humble countryside home and farmland that’s been handed down for generations.
- Cooking lessons with our family chef & tia Ramona.
- Medicinal Plant Workshop
- Monte Plata is renown for its green fertility and plentiful waterfalls, no trip here is complete without visiting one of its renown waterfalls for swimming and exploring.
Tour Day 4: South West DR
Road Trip: Laguna de Oviedo, Arroyo Salado, Los Patos, Pedernales
Discover the Dominican mountainous southwest as we road trip through the Dominican Riviera making stops along the way to some of the best gems in the southwest.
- Private boat tour with a local researcher through Jaragua National Park
- Finish the day with natural mud baths for our skin
- Cooling off in nearby natural crystal clear pool surrounded by mangroves
Tour Day 5: Pedernales
Bahia de Las Aguilas
Fun-filled day in one of the most beautiful parts of the Dominican Republic: Pedernales. We’ll drive to Cabo Rojo and La Cueva to hop on a boat to one of the best beaches in the world: Bahia de las Aguilas. Here, we’ll spend the day relaxing, eating fresh seafood plates a lo dominicano while having kilometers of beach all to ourselves. Afteward, we’ll take a dip in the Pozos de Romeo.
Tour Day 6: Departure
Transfer to Santo Domingo / Jarabacoa Retreat
On this day, after a hearty Dominican breakfast, we’ll return back to Santo Domingo for airport transfers. Travelers have the option to spend the rest of the weekend with family, fly back home, or join the wellness retreat in Jarabacoa. Please scroll down for more information on our nature wellness retreat in the Dominican Alps!
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HEALING DOMINICANIDAD (DAYS 6-9)
Days 1 & 2
- Arrive to Jarabacoa
- Daily meditation by the river
- Mountain top luxury restaurant dinner
- Relaxing luxury hotel on the Jimenoa River
- Visiting water falls + gentle hike
Days 3 & 4
- Choose your morning: River rafting or relaxing massage
- Reflection Sessions led by Greisy Genao
- Goodbye BBQ + bonfire by the Baiguate River
- Transfer to Airport
TRIP INFORMATION
What’s Included
- Domestic transportation
- All breakfasts, 3 lunches & 3 dinners
- Five nights’ accommodation
- Tour guides
- All entrance fees
- Airport transfers
What’s Not Included
- Flights (assistance can be provided)
- Travel insurance (required)
- Alcohol/beverages
- Tips for guides/driver
- 1 lunch and 2 dinners
Cost
Email us for next year’s costs.
SCHOLARSHIPS/INTERCAMBIOS: To keep this trip inclusive, we’re offering scholarships to local Dominicans who are passionate about exploring their heritage but may not be able to afford the full ticket price ticket. Email us for more info.
Trip Dates
February 15-20, 2020 – SOLD OUT
Wellness Retreat add on: February 20-23, 2020
March 14-19, 2020 – SOLD OUT
Wellness Retreat Add-On: March 19-22, 2020
Email us for the next dates: [email protected]
Payment Plans
Payment plans are available upon request.
After submitting your deposit, monthly installments are available until one month before your trip date.
Group Size
Group sizes will be limited to approximately 10-15 travelers to provide a cozier space for cultivating more meaningful connections among fellow Dominicans.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What type of accommodation? Our accommodation will range from hotels to family owned B&Bs– all places with strong reviews.
- How will we get around? We will be traveling around via air-conditioned minivan/minibus.
- Can solo travelers pay the “shared” rate? Yes! We’ll match you with another solo traveler.
- Can I share a room with my friend? Of course! Just let us know who is your friend when you pay.
- How can we pay? PayPal, Venmo, cash and/or credit card.
- Can you provide more information on how to prepare for the trip? We will be sending out a packing guide, an FAQ, and some other information so that you can best prepare for this trip!
- Which airport can I fly into? Airport transfers are only for Santo Domingo airports but we can help arrange a transfer to another airport like Punta Cana or Santiago if you’d like.
- I am Dominican and want to reconnect with my heritage but cannot afford the price. How can I get a full/partial scholarship for this trip? Email us (isabelle@dominicanabroad) with your circumstances/pitch and we will send you more information.