Higüey & Altos de Chavón tour: Culture & river cruise

Walk through working sugar fields and a restored colonial village in one morning

A six-hour tour from Higüey combines the Basilica of Higüey, sugar cane plantations, and Altos de Chavón: a hilltop village with cobblestone streets, galleries and an archaeological museum. You visit working bateyes (sugar worker settlements), taste cacao and coffee at local farms, and eat lunch included in the price. Hotel pickup is provided.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Dominican culture and nature

• Visit Basilica of Higüey
• Tour Altos de Chavón village
• Discover Mundo Taíno cultural park

The experience

The tour starts with the Basilica of Higüey, also called Our Lady of Altagracia Basilica, where you see Gothic and Renaissance architecture, stained glass windows and an elaborate main altar. The basilica houses a museum with religious artifacts tied to Dominican devotion. From there, the route moves through sugar cane fields and bateyes, the settlements where workers live, giving direct contact with rural Dominican life most visitors miss.

Altos de Chavón sits on a hilltop in La Romana and looks like a colonial village transplanted to the present: cobblestone streets, art galleries, the Altos de Chavón School of Design, and an archaeological museum showing pre-Columbian history. The amphitheater there hosts performances and events. You walk the village at your own pace before heading to Mundo Taíno, a cultural park in Anamuya where exhibits show how the Taíno people lived, farmed and built their world. The park sits inside natural landscape, and you can explore cacao and coffee plantations on the grounds.

Lunch is included, along with snacks and refreshments throughout the day. The agricultural market in Higüey is also part of the route, letting you see what locals buy and sell. Hotel pickup means no need to arrange transport from where you're staying.

What’s included

• Entry to Altos de Chavón and Mundo Taíno cultural park.
• visit to the Basilica of Higüey and its museum.
• access to sugar cane plantations and bateye settlements.
• the agricultural market in Higüey.
• lunch and snacks throughout the day.
• hotel pickup and return transport.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Child (1 to 7 years)

GroupUp to 15

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by JHORAJI

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup means you don't need a car or arrange your own transport from where you're staying. The six-hour route fits into a single morning or afternoon, leaving the rest of your day free.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (1 to 7 years).

What is the Basilica of Higüey and why do people visit it?

The Basilica of Higüey, officially Our Lady of Altagracia Basilica, is an important religious and cultural landmark in the Dominican Republic. It features Gothic and Renaissance architecture with frescoes, stained glass windows and an ornate main altar. Thousands of devotees visit to pay homage to the Virgin of Altagracia, and the attached museum holds religious artifacts and historical objects related to that devotion.

What are bateyes and what will I see there?

Bateyes are settlements where sugar cane workers live and work. On this tour you visit active bateyes to see how rural Dominican communities function, giving you direct contact with local life and culture outside the typical tourist routes.

What is Altos de Chavón like to walk through?

Altos de Chavón is a charming hilltop village with cobblestone streets, art galleries, an archaeological museum, and an amphitheater. The village blends colonial architecture with cultural institutions and offers views of the surrounding landscape. You have time to explore at your own pace.

Does the tour include time at the cacao and coffee plantations?

Yes. At Mundo Taíno cultural park in Anamuya, you can explore cacao and coffee plantations on the grounds and learn about traditional Dominican agriculture alongside exhibits on Taíno history and culture.