Higüey tour from Punta Cana: Tobacco, cocoa and local markets

Watch cigars roll by hand, then walk the markets where Dominicans shop

A private half-day tour from Punta Cana into Higüey with a local guide covers a tobacco factory where you can try cigar-making, a cocoa and coffee plantation with tastings, the Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of La Altagracia, the San Dionisio Church built in 1569, and the working market where locals buy. Pickup from your Punta Cana or Cap Cana hotel is included. The guide speaks English, Spanish or French.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Higüey and local plantations

• Pickup at hotel
• Visit coffee and cocoa plantation with tasting
• Visit local family in countryside
• Panoramic tour of La Ceiba neighborhood
• Visit Dominican cigar factory
• Panoramic tour of La Otro Banda neighborhood
• Visit Higüey local market
• Observe San Dionisio Church
• Visit Nuestra Señora De La Altagracia Cathedral
• See sugar cane plantations en route to Bávaro
• Stop at gift, painting, and jewelry store
• Return to hotel

The experience

The tour starts with pickup at your hotel and heads straight into the countryside to a coffee and cocoa plantation, where you see how these are processed and get to taste them. A stop at a family home nearby shows how locals actually live in the Dominican countryside, not the resort version. From there the route moves into Higüey itself, passing through La Ceiba, a working neighborhood, and then La Otro Banda, closer to the city center, so you're not just seeing monuments but the places where people live and work.

The tobacco factory is where the tour slows down. You watch cigars being rolled by hand using techniques passed down for generations, and you can try making one yourself with the original tools. There's a shop on-site if you want to buy, with cigars ranging from affordable to premium. After that comes the Higüey Market, where locals go for produce and basics: stalls of exotic fruits and the real rhythm of the city, not a tourist version. The San Dionisio Church, built between 1569 and 1572, sits in a panoramic stop before the main draw: the Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of La Altagracia, finished in 1954 after 17 years of construction. Its scale and interiors are what make it the most visited religious site for Dominicans, and you'll have time to walk through and sit if you want.

On the return to Bávaro, the route passes the largest sugar cane plantations in the region, and there's a final stop at a shop for gifts, paintings and jewelry before you're dropped back at your hotel. The vehicle has air conditioning and wifi, and a professional guide handles all the talking. The whole outing runs three to four hours.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return in an air-conditioned vehicle with wifi.
• a private guide who speaks English, Spanish or French.
• entry to the tobacco factory with the chance to roll your own cigar.
• tastings at the coffee and cocoa plantation.
• a visit to a local Dominican home.
• entry to the Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of La Altagracia and the San Dionisio Church.
• a stop at the Higüey Market.
• and a final shop stop for gifts and souvenirs.

Options for this experience

2 options

Tour that includes pickup in Punta CanGuide in English, Spanish or French · 09:00 and 14:00Available for Punta Cana, Bavaro, Macau and Uvero Alto hotels (not applicable to Cap Cana). Pickup is included.

Tour that includes pickup in Cap CanaGuide in English, Spanish or French · 09:00 and 14:00Exclusive service for guests in Cap Cana. The price covers an extra private transfer because of the distance. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00 and 14:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (17 to 75 years) · Senior (76 to 95 years) · Youth (11 to 16 years) · Child (3 to 10 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

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 11 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availableNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by SUMMIT PUNTA CANA TOURS AND TRANSFER

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see how Dominicans actually live and work beyond the resort, not just visit landmarks. The mix of working neighborhoods, a functioning tobacco factory where you try cigar-making, and local markets gives you a real sense of Higüey rather than a curated version. The private guide and vehicle mean you move at your own pace and can ask questions as you go.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 16 years); Child (3 to 10 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.

What exactly happens at the tobacco factory in Higüey?

The tobacco factory is a working operation where cigars are rolled by hand using traditional techniques that have been passed down for generations. You watch the process and can try making your own cigar with the original tools used in the workshop. There's a shop on-site to buy cigars if you want to take some home.

Do I get to taste the coffee and cocoa at the plantation?

Yes, at the coffee and cocoa plantation you see how both products are made and get to taste them. The stop also includes a visit to a nearby family home so you can see how locals live in the Dominican countryside.

What is the Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of La Altagracia?

The Basilica-Cathedral is a modern sanctuary in the heart of Higüey dedicated to one of the virgins most revered by Dominicans. Construction began in 1954 and took 17 years to complete. It's the most visited religious site by Dominicans and features distinctive architecture and beautiful interiors.

Can I buy lunch during this tour?

Lunch is available as an add-on for an extra price at checkout. Without it, the tour includes tastings at the plantation and a stop at the local market, but no full meal.

Which hotel pickup location should I choose?

You can pick up from either Punta Cana or Cap Cana hotels depending on where you're staying. Both options include the same tour and return you to your hotel at the end.

How long does the whole tour take?

The tour runs three to four hours from pickup at your hotel through all the stops and back to your accommodation.