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Higüey Exploration: Discover Dominican Culture, Architecture, and Tobacco Production
5.0
51 Ratings
Punta Cana
Explore Higüey in the Dominican Republic and discover the local culture, architecture, and tobacco production. Visit a tobacco factory, the Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of La Altagracia, the Higüey Market, and the San Dionisio Sanctuary.
Explore Higüey in the Dominican Republic and discover the local culture, architecture, and tobacco production. Visit a tobacco factory, the Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of La Altagracia, the Higüey Market, and the San Dionisio Sanctuary.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Punta Cana - The journey begins with a hotel pickup, heading to our first destination.
- Casa típica. “Café cacao vainilla” - Our initial stop is at a coffee and cocoa plantation where you can witness the production process and sample the products. Nearby, we’ll visit a local family to experience life in the Dominican countryside.
- **LA CEIBA…
- Punta Cana - The journey begins with a hotel pickup, heading to our first destination.
- Casa típica. “Café cacao vainilla” - Our initial stop is at a coffee and cocoa plantation where you can witness the production process and sample the products. Nearby, we’ll visit a local family to experience life in the Dominican countryside.
- LA CEIBA TOWN - We’ll take a panoramic tour of La Ceiba, a neighborhood known for its hardworking residents.
- Rancho Real Cigars - Visit an authentic Dominican cigar factory where you can try your hand at cigar making using traditional tools. A variety of cigars, from affordable to premium, are available for purchase.
- Otra Banda - Continuing our panoramic tour, we’ll explore La Otro Banda, one of the busiest neighborhoods due to its proximity to the city.
- Mercado Municipal - We’ll show you the local market of Higūey, where residents shop for daily essentials.
- Monumento Histórico Iglesia Parroquial San Dionisio - Next, we’ll have a panoramic view of the grand San Dionisio Church, a historic monument built between 1569 and 1572.
- Basilica Catedral Nuestra Senora de la Altagracia - We’ll then visit the most frequented site by Dominicans, the Nuestra Señora De La Altagracia Cathedral. Construction began in 1954 and took 17 years to complete. Enjoy the magnificent architecture, beautiful interiors, and perhaps take a moment to pray.
- Carretera Higüey - Miches - As we return to the Bávaro area, we’ll pass by the largest sugar cane plantations.
- WORLD MART SOUVENIRS - Our final stop is at a store offering gifts, paintings, jewelry, and more.
- Punta Cana - We’ll conclude the tour by returning you to your hotel, Airbnb, or home.
What's Included
- See how coffee, cocoa, and cigars are made
- Make your own cigar
- Stop at the market for souvenirs
- Air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi
- Visit coffee plantation, cocoa, and cigar factory
- Visit Basilica of Higüey and San Dionisio church
- Professional private guide
- Visit a typical Dominican house
- See how coffee, cocoa, and cigars are made
- Make your own cigar
- Stop at the market for souvenirs
- Air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi
- Visit coffee plantation, cocoa, and cigar factory
- Visit Basilica of Higüey and San Dionisio church
- Professional private guide
- Visit a typical Dominican house
What's Not Included
- tips
- Lunch (available with extra price)
- tips
- Lunch (available with extra price)
Additional Information
Explore the architecture and traditions of Higüey on this excursion from Punta Cana. Additionally, discover the process of tobacco cultivation by visiting an agricultural plantation!
The journey begins with a visit to a tobacco factory. Curious about how this traditional product is crafted? Learn about the primary techniques at this artisan…
Explore the architecture and traditions of Higüey on this excursion from Punta Cana. Additionally, discover the process of tobacco cultivation by visiting an agricultural plantation!
The journey begins with a visit to a tobacco factory. Curious about how this traditional product is crafted? Learn about the primary techniques at this artisan establishment, where cigars have been handcrafted for generations. It will surely amaze you!
Next, visit the Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of La Altagracia. This contemporary sanctuary, situated in the heart of Higüey, is dedicated to one of the most venerated virgins by Dominicans. During the temple visit, admire its distinctive architecture.
The excursion continues at the Higüey Market, where a wide array of exotic fruits can be seen at the stalls. Following this, head to the San Dionisio Sanctuary. Curious about the connection between this temple and the Virgin of La Altagracia? Discover it with us!
Location
Punta Cana
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(51 Ratings)
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Jdais72
Mar 1, 2026
Simply the best ! - I am Greek travel agent and i had to organize a private city tour in Punta Cana for my clients.I choose this tour operator because of the highly rated reviews. Edwin Junior took them souvenir shopping, and at the cigar factory, they were shown the cigar-making process .They also tasted different local rums and enjoyed a local meal (a real local lunch). Then he took them to a coffee and cacao plantation where they tasted local coffee and chocolate and learned how each product is made. After that, they went to a local shop where they sampled local beer and chatted with locals. Finally, in the city, they showed them the local market, churches, and cathedral. My clients were very happy, which was my goal.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
L1548yxleea
Jan 9, 2026
Dominican Culture tour. - The tour was amazing and very informative. We had a blast and the driver spent time explaining and helping us to experience the culture of the Dominican Republic. Edwin was terrific. I recommend him highly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hannahlj8908mf
Oct 6, 2025
Really Great Time - Our guide was awesome, this was our favorite part of our trip, if you're thinking about doing this tour, just do it! You won't regret it. It's the best and safest way to get an authentic experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ella
Oct 4, 2025
Great learning opportunity - Johal was super lovely! It was just me and my mom and he gave us such an amazing tour of the city and all the stops. He always explained where we were and what was happening outside our window. The only thing I would’ve liked is if he had water as we ran out otherwise I would 100% recommend. I got to see and learn so much!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mbspence622
Jul 11, 2025
Half Day Private tour Punta Cana 7/ 2025 - Scheduling tour was effortless; convenient and professional.
Our tour guide Silverio picked us up at our hotel promptly and our half day tour of Punta Cana was perfect !
Silverio was kind, professional, attentive and knowledgeable!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Argyrop892
Apr 30, 2025
Great way to see the local community - We spent a half day with our tour guide Silverio and we had a blast! He was very experienced and funny and really showed us and explained to us how the locals live. He went the extra mile by giving us traditional delicacies to try and we had much fun chatting with him on the van. The tour lasted in total ~4,5h and there were a lot of activities included.
* the country has a strong tipping culture, so be prepared to spend some extra bucks on tips
I would definitely recommend this tour and Silverio in particular.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Twofriendstravel
Mar 23, 2025
Our favorite day in Punta Cana! - We had the best time on this tour. Edwin was a blast to hang out with and we felt safe the entire time. We learned so much about Punta Cana and DR. He also made sure we saw exactly what we wanted to and asked at each stop if we wanted to spend time there or go somewhere else.
Highly recommend getting out of the resort for a day and seeing what life is really like on the island. We would not hesitate to book with Summit again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karlrs6594zf
Feb 25, 2025
The BEST family excursion in Punta Cana! - We did the Half Day Tour in Punta Cana with Summit and everyone of us can't say enough great things about the tour. Our guide Edwin was amazing! He was entertaining, knowledgeable, and so personable. This is probably the 6th time I have done this type of tour here, and it was by far the best. I am so glad my family got to experience this excursion with this group. It was nice to be exposed to the real DR culture, not feel pressured to buy things. Our driver Yerlin was excellent too! His safe driving was greatly appreciated by my wife! He also took so many pictures for us a emailed/texted them all to us. I will be recommending this tour with Summit to any of my friends that go to Punta Cana.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ulrichbg
Feb 1, 2025
Great insights into Dominican lifestyle. - We had an awesome time on our tour. Edmund personalized our tour, spending the time we wanted at each stop, and providing so much interesting background information into the culture and lifestyles of the Dominicans.
He provided information throughout the entire four hours as we continued to ask questions; so knowledgeable and personable.
Highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicole_t
Dec 19, 2024
Exceptional Experience - Summit Punta Cana Tours is exceptional. Edwin our tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and made us feel safe the entire time. We booked the private Dominican lifestyle tour and was impressed. First we visited a cigar factory where we were greeted with a complimentary cigar to smoke on the premises. Then we went into the factory where we rolled our own small cigar to take home with us. They allowed us to sample the different alcohols they sell along with tasting candies made locally. They had a gift shop with a huge selection of reasonably priced souvenirs, cigars, and alcohol. Next we went to a gorgeous plantation where we saw a home, sampled local coffee, received an education on all the herbs and fruit grown on the plantation. We sampled fresh fruits, cocoa, and coffee. We experienced how the coffee and chocolate are made and were able to purchase goods supporting local business. From there we went to the city of Higuey, busy city life seeing how the locals live day to day. Drove buy local farmers markets and businesses where Edwin explained everything so we had a good understanding of what life is like there. We opted to not go to the Basilica since we have already been and instead had lunch at a local diner. The food was AMAZING and the establishment was clean. After lunch we went to a souvenir shop but we did not purchase anything because it was over priced. My advice is so skip the souvenir shop and buy your souvenirs at the cigar factory. The only thing I wish we did was go in one of the markets in downtown Higuey. If you skip the souvenir shop as to go to the market instead. Edwin spoke English really well and I never had a hard time understanding what he was saying. The experience was great for My husband, two older kids, and myself. Would highly recommend booking this half day trip.
Review provided by Viator
