Punta Cana cultural tour & Macao Beach: 5 stops in one day

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (2 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/13

Duration5h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · FR +1

PickupAt your hotel

Five stops: a basilica, a cigar factory, a cacao farm, a family lunch, and the waves at Macao

You spend the day moving between five different experiences: a historic basilica in Higuey, a cigar factory where you roll your own, a cacao plantation where you taste chocolate at the source, a family lunch and village walk in the countryside, and finally Macao Beach. Transport, all entry fees, lunch and drinks are included; the pace is steady but not rushed, and you're back by evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Cultural and natural experiences in Punta Cana

Drive through villages to Higuey City
Visit Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia
Travel to Anamuya through scenic landscapes
Experience the Cigar making process
Explore Cacao and Coffee Plantation
Visit a typical Dominican home and meet family
Shop at local Rum shack
Enjoy family-style Dominican lunch at countryside ranch
Walk through fruit plantation and taste fresh fruit
Relax and swim in Anamuya River
Visit Playa Macao beach and enjoy surf lessons

The Experience

The day runs roughly eight hours and covers ground — you leave the resort zone behind within minutes, heading inland through villages toward Higuey City. The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia sits at the center of Dominican Catholic life; it's one of the oldest cities on the island and the shrine draws pilgrims year-round. A guide walks you through the history and local customs, then you move on.

Next is the cigar factory near Anamuya, where trained artisans show you how tobacco becomes a handmade cigar — the Dominican Republic is known for producing some of the world's finest, and you'll get to roll one yourself. From there you drive to an organic cacao plantation; the beans grown here end up in well-known chocolate brands, and you taste it straight from the tree. The landscape shifts as you climb toward the Cordillera Oriental mountains, and the guide talks through the tobacco and cacao industries as you go.

Lunch happens at a countryside ranch — family-style Dominican food, the kind locals eat. Before that you visit a typical home, meet the family living there, drink fresh fruit juice with them, and walk through a fruit plantation to see iguanas and taste sugarcane and whatever's ripe. There's a rum shack stop where you can buy local products at local prices: rum, coffee, coconut, vanilla. The afternoon winds down at the Anamuya River, where you swim and cool off in the water, Dominican style.

Macao Beach closes the day. It's one of the five best beaches in the country — wide, bright, lined with palms, and known for its waves and wind. Restaurants there serve some of the best Dominican fish dishes on this side of Punta Cana. You get time to walk, swim or just sit before the drive back to your hotel.

What’s included

Air-conditioned vehicle transport from your hotel.
entry to the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia in Higuey City.
cigar factory visit with the chance to roll your own cigar.
cacao plantation tour with tasting.
visit to a typical Dominican home and fruit plantation.
family-style Dominican lunch.
soft drinks and bottled water throughout the day.
time to swim at Macao Beach.
all fees and taxes.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Paradise Travel Excursion

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see how Dominicans actually live and work — the farms, the homes, the local food — without spending the day arranging separate visits and transport. The fixed itinerary and included lunch mean you move through five different experiences in one day without stopping to figure out what comes next or negotiate prices along the way.