Puerto Plata Private City Tour: Mount Isabel, Rum & Chocolate

Mount Isabel to the Malecon: a private route through Puerto Plata's coast, history and flavors

A private or small-group city tour of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, combining a cable car ride to Mount Isabel National Park with a walking tour of the colonial quarter, a coastal walk along the Malecon, and visits to a rum factory and chocolate maker. The tour includes transportation, a Dominican lunch, drinks and tastings, with a live guide in English, Spanish, French, German or Portuguese.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Puerto Plata and Mount Isabel

• Ride Puerto Plata Cable Car
• Visit Mount Isabel National Park
• Explore colonial city center
• Walk Umbrella Street and Dona Blanca Passage
• Stroll Malecon seaside boulevard
• Visit Saint Philip Fortress
• Enjoy Dominican lunch
• Tour Macorix rum factory
• Taste at Puerto Plata chocolate factory
• Shop at local supermarket

The experience

The day starts at Mount Isabel de Torres, where a cable car carries you to the peak for a bird's-eye view of Puerto Plata's coast and the city below. At the top, a tropical botanical garden spreads across the mountainside: pines mixed with palms and Caribbean flowers, with exotic wildlife moving through them. You walk the garden at your own pace before heading back down to the city proper.

The colonial quarter comes next: the main square with the Saint Philip Cathedral, Victorian wooden houses painted in bright colors, Umbrella Street (where the photo stops happen), and the Dona Blanca Passage. A narrow pink-walled alley locals call Pink Street. There's time to sit with a coffee, beer or fresh coconut water, and to hunt for souvenirs if the mood strikes. Then you walk the Malecon Boulevard, the seaside promenade where fishing boats anchor and an amphitheater sits right on the Atlantic. The Spanish fortress of Saint Philip, built in the sixteenth century and later used as a political prison, stands at the water's edge. You go inside to see it.

Lunch is a Dominican staple called bandera dominicana, the Dominican flag, meat or fish served with rice and beans, soft drinks included. After eating, the tour moves to the Macorix rum factory for a professional tasting of different rums and sugarcane liquors. Next is the Puerto Plata chocolate factory, where you learn how organic cocoa is processed and taste products made from it. The Dominican Republic is one of the world's largest cocoa producers. The final stop is a local supermarket, where you can browse Dominican products (rum, coffee, cacao), or simply check prices to get a sense of the cost of living in the country.

You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with a guide who speaks your language. The whole tour runs six to seven hours. If you book the private option, it's just your group. The small-group version runs twice a week and keeps numbers low.

What’s included

• Private or small-group transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• cable car to Mount Isabel de Torres.
• entry to the botanical garden.
• walking tour of the colonial quarter and the Malecon.
• entry to the Saint Philip Fortress.
• Dominican lunch with soft drinks.
• professional rum tasting at the Macorix factory.
• chocolate tasting at the Puerto Plata chocolate factory.
• a stop at a local supermarket.
• bottled water throughout the day.

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in 5 languagesNo fixed time

Guide in 5 languagesNo fixed time

You pick the guide language when booking. Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Polish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Pepino Polaco

Is this one for you?Book the private option if your group wants the route and timing to itself. The small-group version works just as well if you're comfortable sharing the stops and the guide with other travelers, and it runs on a fixed schedule twice a week.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

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

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 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 24h before the start.

What is Mount Isabel de Torres and what will I see from the top?

Mount Isabel de Torres is a national park at the peak of a mountain overlooking Puerto Plata. A cable car takes you to the top, where a tropical botanical garden spreads across the mountainside with pines, palms, Caribbean flowers and wildlife. From there you get a bird's-eye view of the coast and the city below.

Is lunch included in this tour, and what kind of food will I eat?

Yes, lunch is included. You'll eat bandera dominicana, the Dominican flag, which is meat or fish served with rice and beans, plus soft drinks.

What happens at the rum factory and chocolate factory?

At the Macorix rum factory, a professional guide leads a tasting of different rums and sugarcane liquors. At the Puerto Plata chocolate factory, you learn how organic cocoa is processed from start to finish and taste products made from it.

Can I book this tour as a private group, or does it run with other travelers?

You can choose between a private tour for your group alone, or a small-group option that runs twice a week with other travelers. Both include the same stops and guide.

What is the Saint Philip Fortress and why is it on this tour?

The Saint Philip Fortress is a Spanish fortress built in the sixteenth century that overlooks the Malecon. It was later used as a political prison during the dictatorship of General Trujillo. You visit inside as part of the coastal walk.

How long does this tour take, and what's included in the price?

The tour runs six to seven hours and includes private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, lunch, soft drinks, rum and chocolate tastings, and a live guide in your choice of English, Spanish, French, German or Portuguese.