38 Best Things To Know Before Visiting Dominican Republic – Best Dominican Republic Travel Tips For First Timers

38 Best Things To Know Before Visiting Dominican Republic – Best Dominican Republic Travel Tips For First Timers

We will write about Dominican Republic travel tips and all the cool facts about Dominican Republic and things to know before visiting Dominican Republic for first timers. Read Here Punta Cana Resorts for solo travelers

This post will be your go-to guide to get to know more of Dominican Republic and what awaits you from amazing beaches, places to visit, how to move around to delicious food to try in the Dominican Republic.

Read here best breakfast in Dominican Republic, best Dominican Republic packing list, drinks in Dominican Republic, Dominican Republic desserts, best Dominican Republic food and vegetarian food in Dominican Republic

Best Dominican Republic Travel Tips And Best Things To Know Before Visiting Dominican Republic For First Timers

1. IS IT SAFE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC?

Is it safe travel to Dominican Republic? If you are traveling from a Western country to Dominican Republic. If you will be vigilant and act accordingly and responsibly you will not have any problem, just use common sense. Try to be cautious when withdrawing money in the ATM take a look around, avoid walking around at night and take a taxi instead. So yes! It is safe to travel in Dominican Republic.

2. EASY VISA IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Easy Visa for Dominican Republic US Citizens and European countries have visa up to 30-days for tourist without visa.  You will have to pay for a tourist card $10 USD but lately it’s included in the air ticket.

Read here our article for the Schengen Visa Philippines where Rachel explained step-by-step how to get Schengen Visa Philippines.

3. CASH AND ATM IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Cash is the king in Dominican Republic but credit cards are accepted. The currency of Dominican Republic is called Dominican Pesos and as of now, $1 USD is worth 57 DOP Dominican Pesos. If you are bringing USD or Euros you can exchange at the hotels and resorts area. Know real-time currency exchange here!

4. BEST TIME TO VISIT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

In Dominican Republic their summer (December to April), there are fewer rains than normal. In their winter (May to November), rains are almost non-stop. For most tourists best time to visit Dominican Republic is  from December to April because of easier transport. You have to avoid from June to November when is Hurricane season in Dominican Republic.

Click here to know more about the weather in Dominican Republic!

5. HEALTH TRAVEL INSURANCE

Things to know before visiting Dominican Republic we recommend always bringing travel insurance when traveling abroad just in case you have any problems. You can always have food Poisson, fever or any other kind of disease.

BOOK YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE

You can read Heymondo Vs Safetwing cheapest travel Insurance. You can get for $135 USD your Heymondo Travel Insurance with Heymondo discount code valid for 90 days. Read our full Heymondo Travel Insurance Review

You can get Safetywing Travel Insurance for Digital Nomads valid for 28 days Safetywing for $50 USD per month with kids until 10 years old included

FACTS ABOUT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

6. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IS AFFORDABLE

Facts about Dominican Republic if you are thinking Central America and South America is cheap for traveling you are right. But Dominican Republic isn’t as cheap as Bolivia and Ecuador but for sure cheaper than Costa Rica. You will have to pay entrance fee for Natural Parks, around $3-4 USD for a dish in a local restaurant. We will tell you below the accommodation, food budget and general entrance fees and tour prices in Dominican Republic.

7. ACCOMMODATION BUDGET TRAVEL IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

There are dormitory rooms that you can rent the bed for as low as $10 USD a night if you want the cheapest option. AirBnb are also available, mostly for about $20-25 USD a night.

Double-room hostels can cost up to $30-40 USD a night while mid-range hotels cost more or less $80 USD a night. You can pay around $80-100 USD per person for an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana.

Click here if you want to find the best deals with Booking in Dominican Republic.

8. FOOD BUDGET TRAVEL IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

You can find local meals in Dominican Republic around $3-4 USD per person. At lunch you might want a chicken sandwich for $5 USD salad, burger and pizza with a fresh fruit drink for $7-10 USD. You can have a budget of $15-20 USD a day and it can already get you more then enough decent meals in Dominican Republic.

9. WI-FI AND INTERNET CONNECTION IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Internet in Dominican Republic works great in big cities and you will have internet connection in most of the places you will have 4G except in remote areas. You can access free WiFi at hostels and hotels and there are lots of restaurants that are offering free WiFi.

We advise in our Dominican Republic travel tips that you get a sim card in Dominican Republic if you need to catch up with some work online. Things To Know Before Visiting Dominican Republic you can get a Dominican Republic eSim and you will be connected since you land in the country.

SIM CARD AT PUNTA CANA AIRPORT

I wouldn’t recommend you to buy a sim card at Punta Cana airport. If you wish comfort you can buy eSim online and if you aren’t in a hurry just go around phone shops in the city and compare prices to buy the cheapest sim card in Punta Cana.

You can find the cheapest Dominican Republic eSim with Airalo Dominican Republic eSim prepaid for $9 USD with 1 GB data valid for 7 days (USING DISCOUNT CODE GAMINTRAVELER 10%). GigSky Dominican Republic eSim for $8 USD with 1 GB data valid for 7 days. For $30 USD with 5 GB data valid for 30 days.

Holafly Dominican Republic eSim for $27 USD with 2.5 GB data. For $34 USD for 7 days with 3.5 GB data. And for $37 USD for 10 days with 5 GB data. For $47 USD for 15 days with 7.5 GB data. Use our discount code GAMINTRAVELER. You can get an eSim for Dominican Republic for €24 with 4 GB data valid for 14 days with MTX Connect eSim.

GETTING A VPN?

Sometimes is hard to connect your laptop to the VPN and you have to be patient. If you go for a week you will find VPN with free trials. We used Atlas VPN, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark and Proton VPN. When connecting the VPN to your device will make it slower than usual.

10. ADAPTER IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

In our Dominican Republic travel tips you should know they use 110 V and frequency the American (United States and Canada) will fit. A few places make it possible to fit your European adapter in the plug because they provide adapters. If you are coming from European countries, we recommend you to bring an adapter to be able to charge everywhere.

11. LOCAL TRANSPORTATION IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

For local transportation in Dominican Republic. If you are going on a budget you can use public buses for long distance and inside the cities for less than $1 USD. If you wish more comfort Uber or taxi will charge you around $3-5 USD for a ride inside the city. If you are staying at all inclusive resorts most of the transportation will be expensive joining to day tours.

If you want to rent a car and driving around Dominican Republic prices are around $40-50 USD per day. You can explore on your own and park next to the beaches and enjoy the nature of the country.

12. TRY ALL INCLUSIVE RESORTS

You can try all inclusive resorts in Dominican Republic if you want to spend a few days of comfort. Prices are so affordable starting from $80 USD per person and even cheaper if you stay a few days. You will have unlimited food, drinks and activities 24 hours. If you want to relax for a few days in Dominican Republic can be a great option staying in all inclusive resorts.

13. LEARNING SPANISH IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Another learning opportunity in Dominican Republic is to learn Spanish. There are a lot of Spanish classes in Dominican Republic offering packages with different services. Most of the touristic areas Dominican Republic people can manage speaking English but it will be really useful to learn some basics in Spanish language.

14. FRIENDLY PEOPLE AT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Are the Dominican Republic people very friendly? Dominican Republic people are very friendly people. Just a few of them will be able to communicate in English don’t forget their language is Spanish. It will be nice when interacting with Dominican Republic trying to practice a few Spanish words, they will love to hear them.

15. MERENGUE AND BACHATA IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

You will see people at Dominican Republic dancing Merengue and Bachata. You can take dance lessons when traveling in Dominican Republic. It’s a well-known fact in Dominican Republic that people love dancing and partying. They’re all very accommodating and love teaching foreigners how to dance!

16. ENJOYING THE NIGHTLIFE IN DOMINCAN REPUBLIC

The nightlife  is great at Dominican Republic. Parties start late in the evening and everyone just loves to drink and dance the night away. Plenty of locals go out to bars and resorts with parties. A few bars will not ask for an entrance fee but a few disco bars will charge you $5 USD for entrance. Prices of drinks are around $3-4 USD.

When hanging out at night in Dominican Republic make sure you dress properly. You will see locals love to dress fancy and not wear sleepers. Try to put on nice clothes for nightlife in Dominican Republic.

17. MUSIC EVERYWHERE IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Music is everywhere in Dominican Republic you will see people dancing and listening to the music at day and night time. It doesn’t matter you are in the market or in the bus. Dominican Republic people are so happy and love dancing and listening to music.

18. SUNBLOCK DURING THE DAY AND MOSQUITO REPELLENT AT NIGHT

Make sure you are bringing your sunblock during the day in Dominican Republic when going to the beach. The weather is so hot and the sun is strong at Dominican Republic. At night make sure you are bringing mosquito repellent around sunset time when the sun goes down mosquitoes are appearing.

19. ISLAND TIME AT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Have you ever heard about Island time? When meeting locals in Dominican Republic you will hear about island time. It means they aren’t usually on time as many other tropical countries in the world like Costa Rica and Philippines. And maybe you will be waiting for a few minutes or who knows. Just make sure you know about this or you will learn in Dominican Republic.

20. COLMADO STORES IN DOMICAN REPUBLIC

Colmado stores at Dominican Republic will sell cigarettes, beers, drinks and snacks. You will find everywhere Colmado stores selling everything that you need if you are thirsty or want to buy a small snack and other things.

21. WATCH A BASEBALL GAME IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Watching a Baseball game in Dominican Republic is a great experience. Baseball is the most popular sports in Dominican Republic. If you are traveling from October to January outside beach destinations in Dominican Republic you will see is baseball season and there are a few games playing weekly. In the streets you will see locals playing baseball in parks and outdoors.

22. UBER VS TAXI IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Uber vs Taxis in Dominican Republic. In my opinion Uber is a better option to use in Dominican Republic since you will have a fixed price and you will be avoiding getting that price. There is no overcharge until your final destination.

You will find Uber in big cities like Santo Domingo, Santiago and Puerto Plata. Sometimes taxi drivers in Dominican Republic overcharge and can be so challenging to close the exact price.

FACTS ABOUT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FOOD

Dominican food is similar to Central and South America. Most of the dishes are made of rice, beans, eggs, plantains, meat and fish. Most of the food is a friend and sold for affordable prices in local restaurants $4-5 USD. Tropical fruits and delicious you can find them everywhere in Dominican Republic.

23. La Bandera (The Dominican Flag)

La Bandera also called The Dominican Flag is the national dish. La Bandera is made of rice, meat and beans as a symbol of Dominican Republic flag colors. You can also add salad, plantains, avocado or similar ingredients.

24. Mangu

Mangú is one of the most popular Dominican traditional dish and you can eat anytime for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Mangú is made a boiled stew of plantains and mashed mixed with oil or butter. Mangú is with egg, avocados or meat.

25. Mofongo

Mofongo is a traditional Dominican dish from African roots. Mofongo is made of mashing fried plantain, garlic and pork. Mofongo is served for lunch or dinner in a bowl like an ice cream and you can add avocado and shrimps.

26. Sancocho

Sancocho is a Dominican Republic traditional soup made with chicken, beef, tomatoes, yellow onions, yuca and corn. Sancocho is usually served for lunch or dinner. Prices are around $5-6 USD in a local restaurant.

27. FRUIT JUICES IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

You must try fruit juices in Dominican Republic. You will find them everywhere as street food. Prices are around $1-2 USD for a small glass. Tamarind and Guanabana creamy flavor are the most popular. Just try all of them and choose your favorite one!

28. MAMAJUANA

Mamajuana is the most popular drink in Dominican Republic made of rum, red wine and honey with herbs. Mamajuana tastes like wine and it’s a must to try in Dominican Republic.

FESTIVALS IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

29. Carnival Dominican Republic

The Carnival in Dominican Republic is celebrated on February. The best place for Carnival in Dominican Republic is Santo Domingo. You will see colorful parades with people dancing wearing costumes everywhere in the streets. As a tourist, you’ll love the cultural immersion in this Carnival.

30. Merengue Festival

Merengue Festival is celebrated in July/August in Santo Domingo. You will see the streets with Merengue music, a lot of food to try and you can have fun for a few days in Santo Domingo. The Merengue Festival started celebrating in 1960 and it’s a perfect time to visit Santo Domingo.

Dominican Republic Travel Tips And Things To Know Before Visiting Dominican Republic For First Timers

PLACES TO VISIT

31. Punta Cana

Punta Cana is the most popular place to visit in Dominican Republic. Punta Cana has a lot of all inclusive resorts where prices are starting at $80-300 USD per person and it will include food, drinks and activities. The beaches are so beautiful and it’s ideal for relaxing especially if you go in a honeymoon.

32. Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo is the capital and it’s worth it to visit its colonial architecture. You will find a lot of museums bars and restaurants to try local food.

33. Cabarete

Cabarete beaches are so beautiful in Dominican Republic. Cabarete is a popular destination for backpackers where you can relax and enjoy activities without being in an all inclusive resort. Nightlife is great!

34. Whale Watching in Samaná Bay

Whale Watching in Samaná Bay is a must to do in Dominican Republic if you are visiting from December to March. Most of the people going for whale watching is joining a tour from Las Terrenas around 1 hour driving.

35. Jarabacoa

Jarabacoa is a place where you can enjoy adventure outdoors. If you like hiking and relaxing in the waterfalls Jarabacoa is the right place in Dominican Republic.

36. Bahia de las Aguilas Beach

Bahia de las Aguilas Beach with white sand and blue water is the perfect place for relaxing in Dominican Republic without all inclusive resorts. Bahia de las Aguilas Beach is quiet and there is not so much nightlife.

37. Samana’s Limon Waterfall

Samana’s Limon Waterfall is 50 meters high and the most popular waterfalls in Dominican Republic. Samana’s Limon waterfall is a great place for relaxing in Samana Peninsula. Apart from whale watching you can enjoy Limon waterfall just 30 minutes driving from Las Terrenas.

38. Pico Duarte

Pico Duarte is the highest peak in Dominican Republic and in the whole Caribbean. Pico Duarte is 3100 meters high and located in the Cordillera Central.

Hope you liked our Dominican Republic travel tips. Let us know if we missed things to know before visiting Dominican Republic and facts about Dominican Republic in the comments below.

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Happy Travels!