Santo Domingo Day Trip: Colonial History & Three Eyes Caves

Three Eyes caves, a colonial palace, the Caribbean boardwalk, and the first cathedral of the Americas in one day

A full-day guided tour from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo visits the country's founding sites and natural landmarks: Three Eyes National Park with its Taino caves, the Columbus Lighthouse, the National Palace, the Malecón boardwalk, and the Colonial Zone where you walk Calle Las Damas, tour the Alcázar de Colón palace, and eat a typical lunch. Hotel pickup is included, and your guide speaks your language.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Three Eyes National Park45m · entry included
2. Columbus Lighthousepassing by
3. National Palacepassing by
4. Colonial Zone2h · entry included
5. Calle Las Damas10m · entry included
6. Columbus Park5m · entry included
7. Columbus Palace30m · entry included

Santo Domingo city and historic sites

• Visit Los Tres Ojos National Park
• Photo stop at Columbus Lighthouse
• Photo stop at National Palace
• Relax at Malecón and use hammocks
• Lunch at Mugado Restaurant in Colonial Zone
• Tour Calle Las Damas street
• Visit Columbus Park
• Tour Alcázar de Colón with audio guide
• Photo and tour Plaza España
• Visit National Pantheon with Honor Guard
• Shop for souvenirs in Colonial Zone

The experience

The day starts at Three Eyes National Park, where a 45-minute guided walk takes you through the four limestone lakes and three Taino caves that shaped the island's early culture and religion. From there the route moves to the Columbus Lighthouse, where you stop outside to photograph the monument and see the plaques from the countries that funded it. A photo stop at the National Palace: a replica of the U.S. Capitol: comes next, then a break on the Malecón, the Caribbean boardwalk, where you can rest in hammocks and watch the water.

Lunch is a typical Dominican meal at a restaurant near the Colonial Zone, and afterward the walking tour begins through the oldest European city in the Americas. Calle Las Damas, the first street ever built here, runs past colonial houses, the Ozama Fortress, and the children's museum in Don Rodrigo de Bastidas' house. You'll see Columbus Park with its pigeons and colonial architecture, then enter the Alcázar de Colón palace (Diego Columbus's home, built between 1511 and 1514), where an audio guide in your language walks you through the antiques room by room. Plaza España, the First Cathedral of America, and the National Pantheon, with its permanent honor guard, round out the stops before the return to Punta Cana.

The vehicle is air-conditioned and pickup from your hotel is included. Non-alcoholic drinks come with the tour. Alcoholic beverages are available to add at checkout. The full day runs about ten hours, and your guide is live, not a recording, speaking English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or one of several other languages.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from Punta Cana.
• air-conditioned vehicle for the full day.
• a 45-minute guided tour of Three Eyes National Park with a local guide.
• photo stops at the Columbus Lighthouse, National Palace and Malecón boardwalk.
• a typical Dominican lunch in the Colonial Zone.
• a guided walking tour of Calle Las Damas, Columbus Park, the Alcázar de Colón palace with audio guide in your language, Plaza España, the First Cathedral of America and the National Pantheon.
• non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (17 to 70 years) · Senior (71 and older) · Youth (11 to 16 years) · Child (3 to 10 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 29

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Russian

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Russian

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 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 yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availableNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Taino Transfer

Is this one for you?Book this if you're landing in Punta Cana and want a guided tour of Santo Domingo's colonial zone and pre-Columbian sites: the itinerary covers the main monuments in one day with lunch included, and your guide provides historical context in your language.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

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 is Three Eyes National Park and why does it matter to Dominican history?

Three Eyes National Park is a site of four limestone lakes and three Taino caves that played a central role in the culture, lifestyle and religion of the Taino people who lived on the island before Columbus arrived. The 45-minute guided tour with a local guide covers all three caves and the fourth lake.

Will I actually go inside the Alcázar de Colón palace, or just see it from outside?

You go inside the Alcázar de Colón, the palace built for Diego Columbus between 1511 and 1514, and tour it with an audio guide in your language that explains the antiques and rooms step by step.

Is lunch included, and what kind of food is it?

Yes, a typical Dominican lunch is included at a restaurant in the Colonial Zone, where you eat before the walking tour of the historic streets and monuments begins.

How do I get from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo, and what time does the tour start?

Hotel pickup from your Punta Cana accommodation is included. Your guide will confirm the exact pickup time when you book. The full day is about ten hours from start to finish.

What is Calle Las Damas and why is it important?

Calle Las Damas was the first street built in Santo Domingo and the entire Americas, laid out during the government of Nicolás de Ovando starting around 1511. It runs from the Ozama Fortress to Plaza España and is lined with colonial houses, fortresses and museums. Your guide leads a walking tour explaining its history and architecture.