Sun-Drenched Shenanigans: What to Do in Dominican Republic for 1 Week Without Requiring Therapy Afterward

Your Day-By-Day Breakdown Of What To Do In Dominican Republic For 1 Week

Crafting the perfect week in the Dominican Republic requires strategic planning that maximizes beach time while minimizing sunburn recovery days, which is why planning a trip to Dominican Republic properly can make or break your vacation. This seven-day itinerary carves a path through the country’s greatest hits—from Instagram-worthy beaches to colonial architecture old enough to make European tourists shrug indifferently, covering the best things to do in Dominican Republic for every type of traveler. Pack your sense of adventure, several bottles of sunscreen, and clothes that forgive tropical food indulgences.

Days 1-2: Punta Cana Beach Bliss

Begin your Dominican adventure where most sensible travelers do—Punta Cana’s 20-mile stretch of postcard-perfect coastline. Accommodation options range from $85/night budget-friendly hotels where the AC works most of the time to $500+/night all-inclusives where staff appear with fresh towels before you even realize you’re wet. The mid-range sweet spot hovers around $150-250 for resorts that won’t require a second mortgage but still include poolside drink service.

Bavaro Beach serves as Punta Cana’s crown jewel, where the sand reaches a level of whiteness typically reserved for toothpaste commercials. Here, parasailing adventures ($60-80) provide views normally reserved for seagulls, while catamaran cruises ($75-90) offer the joy of drinking rum punch at 11 AM without judgment. For water activities less likely to appear in a cruise ship brochure, visit Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park, where $69 buys access to 12 freshwater lagoons perfect for swimming amid tropical forests that haven’t yet been converted to gift shops.

When hunger strikes, beachfront restaurants serve fresh seafood that was likely swimming earlier that morning. Expect to pay $15-30 for meals that would cost triple in Miami or Key West, without the side order of smug server who’s “really an actor.” Local tip: escape to Macao Beach for fewer tourists and surf lessons from instructors who learned on broken boards rather than at California surf camps ($40-50/hour).

Days 3-4: Santo Domingo’s Colonial History

On day three, trade beach loungers for cobblestone streets in Santo Domingo, the oldest European city in the Americas and home to streets that would make a civil engineer question their life choices. The 2.5-hour journey from Punta Cana costs a mere $8-10 by bus or $40-70 daily for a rental car that enables spontaneous detours and air conditioning control.

The Zona Colonial packs five centuries of history into walkable blocks, anchored by the first cathedral in the Americas (completed in the 1540s when construction delays were blamed on sailing schedules rather than supply chain issues). Nearby, Alcázar de Colón showcases how Columbus’ son lived better than most modern homeowners, despite lacking indoor plumbing or Wi-Fi. Accommodation recommendations skew toward boutique hotels in restored colonial buildings ($90-150/night), where rooms feature charming historical details like doors designed for people who apparently averaged 5’4″.

Dominican cuisine deserves serious exploration here. La bandera Dominicana (rice, beans, and meat) represents the country on a plate for $5-7, while street vendors sell empanadas for $1-2 each—a price point that makes ordering seconds a moral imperative rather than an indulgence. Evening entertainment peaks with live merengue at Plaza España (entrance $5-10), where tourists attempt dance moves that will look embarrassing in vacation photos but provide stories for years. Safety tip: use official taxis or Uber in Santo Domingo, and wear a money belt or cross-body bag that makes pickpockets work harder than they’re willing to.

Day 5: Samaná Peninsula and Whale Watching

Day five delivers natural spectacles worth the 3-hour journey to the Samaná Peninsula, one of the best places to visit in Dominican Republic for wildlife enthusiasts, accessible via private driver ($120-150) or organized tour ($80-100) if driving Dominican roads doesn’t appear on your bucket list. If visiting between January and March, whale-watching excursions ($60-80) showcase 3,000+ humpback whales that annually migrate to Samaná Bay for what locals describe as “whale spring break.” These 3-4 hour tours guarantee sightings during peak season, unlike those “maybe you’ll see dolphins” cruises that plague other tourist destinations.

El Limón Waterfall offers a 40-foot cascade perfect for swimming and pretending you’re in a shampoo commercial. The $3 entrance fee plus $15-20 for a local guide seems reasonable for access to nature’s perfect swimming hole. Nearby, Cayo Levantado (nicknamed Bacardi Island thanks to a famous rum commercial filmed there) delivers pristine beaches worthy of your social media highlight reel for just a $5-10 boat ride. Spend the night in Las Terrenas beach town ($70-120), where European expats have created an enclave of good bread and better wine amid Caribbean palms.

Day 6: Puerto Plata and Mountain Adventures

The northern coast beckons on day six with Puerto Plata’s blend of Victorian architecture and adventure options. The 3-hour drive from Samaná rewards travelers with dramatically different landscapes, as though the island contains multiple vacation destinations that happened to share immigration control. The cable car ride up Mount Isabel de Torres ($10 round-trip) transports visitors 2,600 feet above sea level to botanical gardens and a Christ statue that Rio’s famous version would recognize as a distant cousin.

History buffs and jewelry enthusiasts converge at the Amber Museum ($5 admission), where 15-million-year-old fossilized tree resin specimens include the exact piece that inspired Michael Crichton to write Jurassic Park. Meanwhile, Ocean World Adventure Park offers dolphin swimming experiences ($130) for travelers with disposable income and the ability to ignore documentary recommendations from environmentalist friends.

Complete the cultural circuit with a Brugal Rum factory tour ($8-10), where complimentary samples make the manufacturing process increasingly fascinating with each tasting. Budget travelers rejoice at oceanfront guesthouses from $50-80/night, where the lack of resort amenities is offset by authenticity and owners who share insider tips rather than corporate-approved recommendations.

Day 7: Final Beach Day and Departure Prep

The farewell tour begins with a return to Punta Cana (or whichever airport serves your departure flight), allowing for one final beach day that’s more relaxation than excursion. This strategic planning prevents the rookie mistake of attempting to catch a flight while still dripping seawater. Souvenir shopping deserves careful consideration: Larimar (blue pectolite stone found only in the Dominican Republic) starts at $20 for simple pieces, hand-rolled cigars run $8-15 each, and coffee beans will maintain your Caribbean buzz long after returning home at $5-8 per bag.

Prepare for departure by converting leftover pesos, though keeping a few as souvenirs inevitably leads to finding them in coat pockets months later. The $20 exit fee sometimes hides in ticket prices, making it the most painless tax payment you’ll ever experience. Pack rum bottles in checked luggage (wrapped in clothes you don’t mind smelling like Captain Morgan if leakage occurs), and prepare for temperature shock if returning to colder climates where people don’t understand why you’re now wearing flip-flops to inappropriate venues.

Practical Dominican Republic Travel Tips

Transportation options vary wildly in comfort and storytelling potential, which becomes especially important when comparing different trips to Dominican Republic and their unique logistical requirements. Public cars ($2-3 for local trips) pack in passengers like a game of human Tetris, while guaguas (public buses, $1-5) follow schedules that exist primarily in theoretical physics. Motoconchos (motorcycle taxis, $2-3) provide hair-raising adventures without the safety equipment that would make your insurance company comfortable. Rental cars ($40-70/day) offer independence but require navigational skills, defensive driving tactics, and peace with the concept of one-way streets being treated as suggestions.

Tipping customs follow American patterns without reaching American extremes: 10% stands as standard for restaurants, $1-2 per bag for bellhops who didn’t actually drop anything, and $2-5 for housekeeping. Electricity runs at 110V like the US, though occasional outages make portable chargers wise investments. Internet access rivals US standards in tourist zones but descends to 1990s dial-up nostalgia in remote areas.

Safety requires common sense rather than paranoia. The tourist police (POLITUR) exist specifically to help visitors and can be reached at 911 or +1-809-200-3500. Avoid unmarked taxis, “special discount” tours from strangers, and friendly “guides” who materialize from thin air. Most tourist crime involves opportunity theft rather than Hollywood-style criminal masterminds, so securing valuables removes most risk factors.

Food and Drink Adventures

Dominican cuisine deserves expedition-level exploration beyond the safety of resort buffets, representing one of the most underrated things to do in Dominican Republic for food enthusiasts. Sancocho stew ($8-12) combines meats and vegetables in a symphony that makes American stews seem like they’re not really trying. Tostones (twice-fried plantains, $3-5) accompany most meals, while mangú (mashed plantains topped with eggs, cheese, and salami) provides hangover-preventing breakfast nutrition for $5-7.

Street food safety follows simple rules: busy stands with high turnover and locals in line indicate both quality and intestinal security. Presidente beer ($2-3) flows like water at beaches and bars, while Mamajuana—a local “aphrodisiac” of rum, red wine, and herbs—tastes medicinal but provides cultural street cred and conversation fodder. The country’s coffee culture delivers strong, sweet cups that make American coffee chains seem like expensive water providers.

For authentic local restaurants, follow the plastic chairs and absence of English menus. These establishments serve meals for $5-8 that outshine $15-25 tourist-zone options through generational recipes rather than focus-grouped menus. Seafood straight from fishing boats, slow-cooked stews, and fresh tropical fruits demonstrate why Dominican cuisine deserves more international recognition than it currently receives.