Higüey & Macao Beach from Punta Cana: Basilica & Local Tastings

The Basilica, the Beach, and What Dominicans Taste Every Day

You visit the Higüey Basilica with a guide who explains its significance, taste coffee and chocolate made locally, tour a tobacco factory, eat a Dominican lunch, and spend time at Macao Beach: all in a half-day window with hotel pickup and drop-off included, so you're back by early afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Higuey2h
2. Macao Beach2h

Visit Higüey Basilica and Macao Beach

• Visit Higüey Basilica
• Explore Macao Beach

The experience

Picture this: a 24-karat silvered bronze entrance catching the morning light, and beyond it, the Higüey Basilica rising in a Latin cross shape so deliberate it stops you mid-step. The largest religious monument in the Dominican Republic sits here, designed by French architects, with a bell tower holding 45 bronze chimes that ring across the city. This is where Pope John Paul II crowned an image of the Virgin of Altagracia on his second visit: the silver-gilt diadem still there, still gleaming. You walk through it with a guide who explains what the space means to Dominicans, not just tourists passing through.

After the Basilica, the half-day tour moves to what locals actually do between devotion and dinner: you taste coffee and natural chocolate the way they're made here, then step into a tobacco factory to see how that works too. A Dominican buffet lunch arrives (real food, not resort food), and then the route opens onto Macao Beach, where the sand runs wide and the water stays shallow enough to wade without thinking. The beach sits on the eastern edge of Punta Cana, less crowded than the resort strips, with a different kind of quiet. You're not there for hours. The tour is built to fit a half-day window, which means you're back at your hotel by early afternoon and the rest of the day is yours.

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, so you don't navigate the taxi situation or figure out how to ask for Higüey in Spanish. The guide handles the pacing and the stories: the history of the city, why the Basilica matters, what you're tasting and why it tastes that way. Small children can come. Strollers work on the Basilica grounds and the beach. Pregnant travelers should skip this one, but everyone else at any fitness level fits the group.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from your Punta Cana accommodation.
• entry to the Higüey Basilica with guided commentary.
• coffee and natural chocolate tasting.
• visit to a tobacco factory with tasting.
• Dominican buffet lunch.
• time at Macao Beach.
• professional guide throughout the half-day tour.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 to 80 years) · Youth (6 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 5 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 50

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Richi Excursiones

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to step outside the resort and see how Higüey actually works (the Basilica, the local tastes, the beach that isn't packed) without arranging transport or figuring out the timing yourself.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (6 to 17 years); Child (3 to 5 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the Higüey tour from Punta Cana?

It's a half-day tour, so roughly 4–5 hours total, including hotel pickup and drop-off.

What's included in the tour?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, entry to the Higüey Basilica, coffee and natural chocolate tasting, a tobacco factory visit with tasting, a Dominican buffet lunch, and time at Macao Beach.

Is Macao Beach part of the tour?

Yes, a visit to Macao Beach is included as the final stop before returning to your hotel.

Do I need to arrange my own transportation?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included in the tour price.

What is the Higüey Basilica?

It's the largest religious monument in the Dominican Republic, designed by French architects in a Latin cross shape. Pope John Paul II visited and crowned an image of the Virgin of Altagracia there.

Is there a tobacco factory visit?

Yes, the tour includes a visit to a tobacco factory with a tasting experience.

Who is this tour not suitable for?

It's not recommended for pregnant travelers. Everyone else, regardless of fitness level, can participate.