Dominican Republic Activities by Budget
A free walk through Santo Domingo’s old town and a multi-day mountain trek both count as activities in the Dominican Republic, and the gap between them is really a matter of budget rather than effort.
Free
Walking the Zona Colonial’s stone streets, Calle Las Damas, Calle El Conde and Parque Colón, costs nothing and takes a full morning if you stop at every plaza. Public beach access is a constitutional right, so Playa Bávaro, Playa Bonita and Playa Dorada are open to anyone who shows up, though ocean swimming on the Atlantic side calls for the same caution covered below. A Zona Colonial walking tour on GetYourGuide covers the same ground with a guide if you want the history filled in rather than researched on the spot, and the official tourism site lists current hours for the ticketed interiors nearby.
Under $10
The Catedral Primada de América charges roughly RD$60 to RD$100 for an audio-guide ticket, and the Alcázar de Colón next door runs about RD$100; both sit inside the free-to-walk Zona Colonial. Los Tres Ojos, the limestone sinkhole east of the capital, runs RD$125 to RD$200 depending on the ticket, with the raft ride to the fourth lagoon priced separately. The metro and cable car in Santo Domingo cost RD$20 to RD$35 a ride, cheaper than any taxi for getting between sights.
$15 to $90
Canyoning at 27 Charcos de Damajagua near Puerto Plata runs about RD$700 to RD$1,500, roughly $12 to $25, for a certified guide, helmet, life vest and however many of the 27 pools you tackle; the operator sets a minimum age near 7 to 8 for the first pools and recommends the full circuit only from about 12. El Limón Waterfall on the Samaná peninsula, reached on foot or horseback, runs $25 to $50 per person. From January 15 through March 31, a Samaná whale watching boat runs $40 to $70 per adult, under an 80 meter approach limit with a marine biologist required aboard, a rule the Ministry of Environment sets and re-confirms each season; outside that ten-week window, the same boats run to Los Haitises or Cayo Levantado instead.
$90 and up
Isla Saona day trips from Bayahibe or Punta Cana run $65 to $110 per person, and that price sits on top of a separate Parque Nacional Cotubanamá gate fee of roughly RD$250, which most operators fold into the ticket rather than list as a second charge. Los Haitises boat and cave tours run $90 to $160. A full-day Samaná whale combo from Punta Cana, with the overland leg to Miches and a stop at El Limón, runs $150 to $195. At the top of the ladder, a three-day Pico Duarte summit trek costs $250 to $450 per person and requires both a certified guide and a small Ministry of Environment permit, neither of which an independent hiker can skip. A Saona Island tour on Viator shows current departure points and what each price includes.
Before you spend anything
The Dominican peso is the currency; resorts, dive shops and tour desks routinely quote and settle in US dollars on top of that as standard practice, not a substitute for the peso. Tap water is not safe to drink anywhere in the country. The US State Department rates the country at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, the same tier it gives France and the UK, over ordinary crime rather than anything tied to these activities. For a longer look at stringing several of these together, the multi-day trips page lays out a workable route by number of days on the ground.