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Higüey Exploration: Discover Dominican Culture, Architecture, and Tobacco Production
5.0
46 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 architectural beauty and traditions of Higüey on this tour from Punta Cana. Additionally, gain an insight into tobacco cultivation by visiting a farm plantation! Our first port of call is a tobacco factory. Ever wondered how this indigenous product is processed? We’ll get an understanding of the primary methods in this craftsman’s haven,…
Explore the architectural beauty and traditions of Higüey on this tour from Punta Cana. Additionally, gain an insight into tobacco cultivation by visiting a farm plantation! Our first port of call is a tobacco factory. Ever wondered how this indigenous product is processed? We’ll get an understanding of the primary methods in this craftsman’s haven, which has been handcrafting cigars for generations - an experience that’s sure to astonish you! Next on the list is the Basilica-Cathedral of Our Lady of La Altagracia. This contemporary sanctuary, nestled in the core of Higüey, is a shrine to one of the most venerated virgins by Dominicans. As we tour the temple, we’ll admire its distinctive architectural elegance. Our tour will continue in the Higüey Market, where an array of exotic fruits at various stalls will catch our eye. After that, we’ll head to the San Dionisio Sanctuary. Curious about the connection this temple has with the Virgin of La Altagracia? Let’s discover it!
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
(46 Ratings)
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1 star
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
Michelle_s
Oct 25, 2024
Dominican culture experience - We had a fantastic time on our tour! Edwin gave us an amazing insight into life in the Dominican Republic beyond the resorts, sharing his knowledge and passion for the local culture. We especially loved the cigar-making experience, coffee tasting, and visiting the beautiful church in Higuey. Lunch was delicious, and every stop felt authentic and special. Edwin is a true professional! He was friendly, knowledgeable, and made us laugh and feel comfortable, safe, and happy throughout the entire tour. We would definitely recommend this experience and look forward to booking more tours with him when we return!
Review provided by Viator
Meander05210888591
Jun 22, 2024
Excellent Excursion For My Family - This was an excellent excursion for our family, meeting all our family’s special needs! We were picked up by our kind tour guide Edwin in a minivan with AC. As we drove, he explained a lot about life in the Dominican Republic and answered all our questions well. It was great to get to see so much in a short amount of time and we could go at our own, quick pace, something definitely needed for my children (age 10 & 12). I recommend this tour for anyone looking for a short yet informative intro to life in the DR!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mojefferson1
Apr 6, 2024
Cultural Experience - Great experience to see more details of Punta Cana. Edwin was a great host. Company provided communication for pickup service at our resort. Our experience was just as described. We were also asked for preferences if we wanted to spend more or less time in certain areas. We definitely experienced more culture and ways of life from natives. I took my two teens. This was an eye opening experience that provoked conversations of appreciation.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feihong
Apr 5, 2024
Professional organized tour nice to get out of the resort - The entire experience was very professional. A representative contacted me before the tour and made sure that we found we tour guide Henry at the lobby. It was nice to get out of the resort and take a look of what DR has to offer.
Review provided by Viator
Markn466
Mar 18, 2024
Excellent tour of Dominican life - I booked the private half day tour of the Dominican Republic. My family had a great time with Summit Punta Cana tours and Edwin our guide.
The itinerary is very clear and we liked that everything on the itinerary was optional. So for example the first scheduled stop on this tour is a souvenir shop, but this was our second trip to the DR and we didn't want to purchase any souvenirs, no problem we skipped that stop, and continued with the rest of the tour. There was no pressure to buy anything from anyone.
Edwin is a very patient driver, the traffic conditions in Higuey are crazy, but he kept his cool and made it through no problem. We never felt unsafe.
If you are looking to get out of your resort and want to see life in the Dominican Republic I highly recommend this tour, it's the perfect length of time and my family really enjoyed it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cbs-chs
Mar 17, 2024
Time Very Well-Spent! - Having spent three days enjoying the amenities of our all-inclusive resort, we wanted to get out of the enclave to see the real DR, and this tour turned out to be the perfect choice. Edwin picked us up on time and immediately impressed us with his warmth, great English, and passion for sharing his homeland in an informative, charming way. We learned about the dairy farms that dot the hillsides enroute to visit the quaint family home of a small coffee plantation. Next he introduced us to inhabitants who gave us an interactive education in how they grow, roast and grind their coffee beans, plus harvest and manufacture mint, tabacco and cocao products--all to support an impoverished lifestyle. Then, due to countless speed bumps, we got a upclose look at life in the tiny "towns" on the way to La Ceiba where we had a good visit to a Cigar Factory learning about the industry once so crucial to the DR economy, plus "rolling our own" to take home! Soon afterward, we passed through Otra Banda, a more upscale neighborhood and arrived in Higuey, the largest city in the region. Here Edwin brilliantly navigated and narrated our tour through all the main attractions like the Municiple and Market areas, plus the famous San Dionisio Catholic Church, the oldest in the Americas. Then it was on to the beautiful Basilica where we spent a half-hour with a docent doing a fine private tour at no extra cost. By that point, it was time to head back, and we were so pleased with all we'd already experienced, we told Edwin to skip the souvenir shop stop and consider the morning "well done". And, it was--Time Very Well Spent!.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
