Monkeyland Puerto Plata: Feed squirrel monkeys by hand

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/9

Duration4h 30m

GroupUp to 100

LanguagesEN · DE +4

PickupAt your hotel

Squirrel monkeys eating fruit straight from your hands in the Dominican jungle.

Monkeyland Puerto Plata is a 4.5-hour wildlife and cultural tour from Puerto Plata combining an open-air safari truck ride through the Dominican countryside with hands-on interaction at Monkey Land, where you feed squirrel monkeys directly from a plate of fruit, followed by a visit to a traditional rural home. The tour includes a live guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French and additional languages, hotel pickup, and samples of hot chocolate and coffee. Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy, or cardiovascular concerns; strollers and wheelchairs must be foldable.

The Experience

The day starts with a pickup at your hotel, then heads straight into the tropical jungle on an open-air safari truck. At Monkey Land, trained staff hand you a plate of fruit — and the squirrel monkeys do the rest. These small, curious creatures will eat directly from your hands, though they're also known to pocket shiny objects if you're not watching your watch or sunglasses. It's the kind of moment that doesn't photograph the way you remember it, so most people just watch and let it happen.

After the monkeys, the truck takes you to a typical countryside home where locals live without running water or electricity. This isn't a museum or a staged stop — it's a real house, and the visit is built around understanding how people actually live on the island and what the daily rhythms look like when modern utilities aren't part of the picture. The guide walks you through the history and traditional customs of the Dominican Republic as you move through the space.

The whole tour runs about four and a half hours. You'll get bottled water throughout the day and samples of hot chocolate and coffee along the way. The guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and two additional languages, so language isn't a barrier. Hotel pickup is included, which means the logistics of getting to Monkey Land are already arranged.

What’s included

Bottled water throughout the day.
hot chocolate and coffee samples.
open-air safari truck transport.
live guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French and two additional languages.
hotel pickup.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Runners Adventures

Is this one for you?Most monkey tours in the region keep you behind glass or at a distance — this one puts the fruit in your hands and the monkeys in front of you. The countryside home visit adds a second half to the day that's about how people actually live, not just what tourists see, which is what makes four and a half hours feel like two different experiences instead of one long stop.