The Dominican Republic is a country of eternal summer, Roma and Latina. We rested there for two weeks and would love to stay more, we liked it so much.
In this article, I will guide you how much money you need for a holiday in the Dominican Republic for two in 2022 – including the cost of tours and excursions, spending on place. I will share life hacks that will definitely come in handy. The emphasis will be on Punta Cana, where we went, but I will also tell you about other popular resorts.
Rules for entering the Dominican Republic for Russians
💰Possible expenses: $0
For March 2022, Russians cannot get directly into the Dominican Republic – air traffic is suspended.< /strong>
First, let me introduce you to the rules for entering the Dominican Republic. For Russians, they are as loyal as possible – you only need a passport. PCR tests are not required. Since February, QR codes about vaccination or past illness are no longer asked, the country has completely abandoned covid restrictions.
- Tourists from Russia do not need a visa either, you can safely enjoy the Dominican beauties for up to 60 days.
If you plan to travel longer, you need to fill out a special form on the website servicios.migracion.gob.do and pay 2500– 4000 pesos depending on the term. For other purposes (business, immigration, etc.), you need to contact the embassy in Moscow.
Electronic document, which everyone without exception will definitely need, is a kind of multi-passport, as in the movie “The Fifth Element”, which is checked at the airport upon entry and exit. It contains passport data, flight information, and a declaration for customs. When buying a tour, the tour operator will fill out the required form and give you a QR code. If you are planning a solo trip to the Dominican Republic, the form is here: eticket.migracion.gob.do.
Temporary but important: Until July 31, 2022, the Dominican Migration Service allowed the use of a passport valid at the time of departure from the country. And no more than 6 months from the date of entry.
How much do tours to the Dominican Republic cost in 2022?
💰< em>Possible expenses: from 150,000 rubles for two
The weather in the Dominican Republic is always hot, like Monica Bellucci at the peak of her career, but there are nuances. For example, the low season begins in July, which means great prices for tours for budget travelers. In winter and spring, the high season begins – it's time to enjoy your vacation, however, for a completely different cost of the tour.
For an example, I will give prices for both seasons. For search I used tour aggregators:
- Travelata
- Level.Travel
- Onlinetours
They collect offers from major tour operators and, in general, save a lot of time – both for searching and for buying directly from your phone or laptop. Plus, the sites always have up-to-date prices for tours to the Dominican Republic.
How much does an all-inclusive tour cost with a flight from Moscow:
| 10 night hotel | High season (March) | Low season (June) |
| 3 stars | from 177,000 rubles | from 145,000 rubles |
| 4 stars | from 182,000 | from 152,000 |
| 5 stars | from 217,000 | from 155,000 |
By the way, you will be lucky if you arrive at the airport located in the same resort when buying a package tour. Then the road to the hotel will take a maximum of half an hour. For example, we were not among the lucky ones and arrived in La Romana, and then trudged to Punta Cana for 1.5 hours (which is so-so after a 12-hour flight).
I’ll add in a separate paragraph that from 2021 DIRECT charter flights to the Dominican Republic fly not only from Moscow, but also from St. Petersburg, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg, Ufa and Novosibirsk. Change the city of departure to the nearest one and find out the prices based on your input data:
What are the prices for flights from Moscow?
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💰Possible expenses: from 60,000 rubles per person
If a long vacation is planned and therefore a ticket to the Dominican Republic is irrelevant, then you can make your own combo – flight + hotel. Aeroflot Airlines, Pegasus and Azur charters fly direct now. The price of a plane ticket from Moscow for one person starts from 60,000 rubles in both directions.
Three Dominican airports can be reached directly from Russia:
- Punta Cana,
- La Romana
- and Puerto Plata
… which is great, because these are the main tourist destinations of the country. But getting to the capital of Santo Domingo is not so easy: there are no direct flights for Russians.
Prices for hotels in the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana)
💰Possible expenses: from 7500 rubles per day for 5 stars
The lowest cost of a trip to the Dominican Republic is provided if you choose the north – this is the resort of Puerto Plata and the nearest towns. Affordable prices are explained by the open Atlantic coast (which means that there are always waves here) and remoteness from the main attractions (it’s only close to Samana).
Above-average holidays in the Dominican Republic in 2022 will cost La Romana. There are few hotels here, and simply the Caribbean coast obliges.
The best choice of hotels and prices is in the most popular resort of Punta Cana: there is something for both the budget conscious and the most demanding travelers here.< /p>
Prices for hotels in the Dominican Republic for 1 night for two, if booked independently on Booking.com:
| Punta Cana | Puerto Plata | La Romana | |
| 3* hotel | from 4000 rubles | 3000 rubles | 5000 rubles |
| 4* hotel | from 6500 rubles | 5500 rubles | 8000 rubles |
| 5* hotel | from 7,500 rubles | 10,000 rubles | 15,000 rubles |
| Apartments (apartment) |
from 3500 rubles | 2500 rubles | 4000 rubles |
10 good hotels
Almost all Dominican hotels operate on an all-inclusive basis, regardless of whether you flew in on a tour or on your own.
I have selected the top ten hotels with high ratings and excellent reviews. I will indicate two prices in the high season: for a tour for 10 nights for two and for a day in a room with self-booking – you can immediately see why they prefer to fly to resort hotels in the Dominican Republic on a package tour:
- 4* Catalonia Gran Dominicus (La Romana) – a hotel on the Caribbean coast with azure water and fish and no terrible algae. Praised for the variety of fruits and seafood.
Tour: from 295,000 rubles; night: from 30,000 rubles - 5* Bahia Principe Luxury Bouganville (La Romana) is a secluded hotel with an 18+ concept, golf courses, accommodation in villas or apartments. Perfect for couples in love 🙂
Tour: from 280,000 rubles; night: from 35,000 rubles - 3* Casa Marina Beach & The Reef (Puerto Plata) is a decent hotel on a budget with a cool green area and varied food.
Tour: from 180,000 rubles - 4* Sunscape Puerto Plata (Puerto Plata) is a solid 4 on the Atlantic coast. There is a golf course on site (free of charge), for an additional cost you can get a priority status of “adults only” with a lot of goodies.
Tour: from 250,000 rubles; per day: 24,000 rubles - 4* Riu Naiboa (Punta Cana) is a budget hotel with a small area. The peculiarity is that such fun parties are held here that they even come from neighboring hotels.
Tour: from 230,000 rubles; per day: 27,000 rubles - 4* VIK Arena Blanca (Punta Cana) – located on the spacious beach of Bavaro, herons, turtles and iguanas live on the territory. The hotel will delight you with sea water pools and a jacuzzi.
Tour: from 230,000 rubles - 5* Breathless Resort & Spa (Punta Cana) – a chic resort 18+, the all-inclusive system works around the clock. Large selection of restaurants, bars and pools.
Tour: from 315,000 rubles; per night: 38,000 rubles - 5* Riu Palace Punta Cana (Punta Cana) – plus this hotel – a free water park and a nightclub on site. There is also a picturesque Caribbean-style street with shops nearby.
Tour: from 280,000 rubles - 5* Bahia Principe Luxury Ambar (Punta Cana) – a stylish and modern hotel for adults only, you can use the territory and services of other hotels of the chain located nearby.
Tour : from 350,000 rubles; per day: 28,000 rubles - 5* Catalonia Royal Bavaro (Punta Cana) is a small hotel for adults only, there are villas with a pool (individually) and rooms with a jacuzzi. Located on a remote beach without crowds of tourists.
Tour: from 300,000 rubles; per day: 25,000 rubles
Dominican cafe food prices
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💰Possible expenses: 1000–1300 rubles for the main course
💰Multiply the peso by ≈ 2 and get the cost in rubles
In the Dominican Republic, delicious food is served not only in hotel restaurants with a buffet and ala carte, but also in ordinary cafes. At the resorts, their choice is huge, I will list the best places with excellent reviews of well-fed and satisfied tourists, as well as the prices in Punta Cana for some dishes and drinks (resort life, of course, is expensive).
☕ Dalia's Café & Bakery – for those who start the day with good coffee. There is also a huge selection of desserts. Prices for coffee from 70 pesos, desserts from 50 pesos, sandwiches from 150 pesos, set breakfasts from 270 pesos.
☕ Toc Beach Bar– for lunch with seafood and tropical cocktails on the ocean with live music. Prices in the cafe are pleasant: starters 270-540 pesos, main dishes 540-970 pesos, cocktails from 300 pesos.
☕ La Yola is a remote restaurant in the prestigious Cap Cana area for a romantic dinner, its praised for the freshest fish. The price tag is rather big, but the food is delicious: fried salmon or tuna will cost 2000 pesos, a bottle of wine – from 2900 pesos.
☕ The Grill– here is the whole cuisine of Latin America, most of the dishes are cooked on the grill. For tuna steak, pay 1385 pesos, shrimp – 1500 pesos, ribs – 1040 pesos.
☕ Hard Rock Cafe – for those who love rock and roll and American fast food, the name of the cafe says for itself. Burgers start from 750 pesos, beer 230–350 pesos.
☕ Citrus Restaurant is a delicious cafe with a variety of (from Italian to Japanese) cuisine. The cost of dishes is adequate: carpaccio from 495 pesos, rolls from 385 pesos, lobsters from 1400 pesos.
☕ Pranama– for those who love Indian cuisine, they cook here with dignity. For example, the cost of some items on the menu: curry 500-550 pesos, vegetarian dishes 320-550 pesos.
What is worth trying?
Dominicans are meat eaters, so they know a lot about delicious meat dishes. Some pork ribs in barbecue sauce are worth something! Rice, legumes and bananas are preferred as a side dish (they are fried here like vegetables). But seafood is mostly a tourist story, although the sea and the ocean are close at hand. Therefore, sometimes fried fish turns out to be overdried, and shrimp lack spices, then how lucky.
I recommend trying the following from the national cuisine:
- first: sancocho (thick meat soup with corn and beans) or asopao (seafood soup with rice);
- for the second: pescado con coco (fish in coconut milk) or chivo guisado (goat stew);
- on starter: corn tortillas or queso frito (fried cheese);
- for dessert: arroz con leche (rice pudding) or donuts (special respect for them).
Product prices in supermarkets
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💰Possible spending: 900 rubles for a bottle of wine, 70 rubles for a mango< /em>
It's no secret that the lowest prices in the Dominican Republic are offered by supermarkets where locals go. In Punta Cana, the cheapest one is called Jumbo – an analogue of our Auchan, where they sell a little bit of everything from cotton T-shirts to alcohol of local and global producers.
By the way, note. During the excursion to Santo Domingo, free time is given, I recommend that you go to the local National supermarket. The problem is that it is located right in the middle of the tourist street itself, so the prices are higher than in Jumbo.
And a separate tip on alcohol. You will find the best prices for alcohol in Punta Cana at Licormart. This is such a wholesale warehouse-shop of alcohol, beneficial for large purchases. The rule that alcohol prices in the Dominican Republic are the cheapest in duty free does not work here, at the airport some positions are three times more expensive, we compared.
Below I will give prices in the Dominican Republic for products in 2022:
(1 peso = 2 rubles)
- hard cheese – from 134 pesos
- ham – from 174 pesos
- eggs 140 pesos
- Pringles chips (small/big pack) – 49/143 pesos
- Coke (0.5/2 l) – 35/69 pesos
- wine 450 pesos
- Champagne Martini 990 pesos
- Beer Corona, Stella Artois 0.5L 120 pesos
< p>Prices for fruits, especially exotic for Russia, are just a fairy tale, look:
- pineapple – 59 pesos
- mango – 35 pesos
- banana – 13 pesos
- melon (small/large) – 67/99 pesos
- orange – 69 pesos
- avocado – 48 pesos
Separately, I will focus on the water. Drinking and even brushing your teeth with tap water in the Dominican Republic is not worth it, use bottled water. Prices for 1.5 liters of water are 20 pesos, a small bottle of 0.5 liters costs 9 pesos, in decent hotels water is included in a free minibar.
Prices in Punta Cana for excursions
💰Possible expenses: $70 for a short excursion, $120 and more for a long excursion
💰It is customary to pay for excursions in dollars
Main destinations , where tourists who have arrived for the first time go, there are only three. I will dwell in more detail on each. Prices for the main attractions of the Dominican Republic in 2022 are per adult.
1. Santo Domingo (from $70)– the capital of the Dominican Republic, which is absolutely unsuitable for a beach holiday, but boasts historical sights. The program promises colonial buildings, modern beggarly quarters and a natural wonder in the form of turquoise lakes inside caves with stalactites. Hand on heart and all issues of “Eagle and Tails”, you should go here only if you settled nearby, for example, in Boca Chica. The journey from Punta Cana will take 3 hours (4 more hours back), from Puerto Plata in general half a day one way. It is better to look through the history of Santo Domingo (and it is really interesting) on the Internet, lying on the beach of your hotel.
2. Saona (from $60)– a paradise island in the Caribbean, where you will go on a speed boat. The minimum program includes relaxing on the beach from the Bounty advertisement and swimming with starfish. You can add a city of artists in the old European style. If you want to be completely chic, then they will use heavy artillery: snorkeling at the coral reef, a photo session, grilled lobsters and a tray of champagne right in the water.
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3. Samana (from $125)a peninsula in the north of the country. An excursion full of natural beauties: the paradise island of Bacardi with starfish, Mount Retonda with a swing at the top, waterfalls, mangrove forests, exoticism and color at every step.
I would like to note that excursions to Saona and Samana are cool, you won't regret it, just double-check the weather in advance. Here are the prices and descriptions of excursions (briefly) that are still offered in Punta Cana:
| Tour | Description< /td> | Price |
| Catalina Island | A white island in the Caribbean where you can snorkel near the reef and sunbathe | from $75 |
| Bay of Eagles | Gorgeous excursion for 2 days with an overnight stay in an eco-glamping on the Caribbean coast | from $299 |
| Salinas | A trip to the lakes where salt and pink flamingos live | from 129$ |
| 27 waterfalls | Excursion along the riverbed with waterfalls, swimming in the lake and relaxing on the beach finally | from $129 |
Prices for attractions and activities in the Dominican Republic
💰Possible spending: $70 for hanging out in a club, $35 for amusement parks
I think that the main attraction of the Dominican Republic (except for rum) is humpback whales. They sail to the island coast to leave offspring, and tourists get unforgettable impressions and envious photos for Instagram. You can see young mother whales from January to March, the best month to meet is February. Ticket price for one starts at $100.
Another cool entertainment in Punta Cana is the nightclub Coco Bongowhere spectacular shows are put on every evening. According to legend, the first institution was opened in Mexico by Jim Carrey, taking the idea in the movie “The Mask”, later the network grew and appeared in other countries, the Dominican Republic was also lucky. The price of a ticket to Coco Bongo starts at $70 per person and depends on the level of drinks, snacks and location relative to the main stage.
In good weather, helicopters. And all because flying is another popular activity for tourists. A 10-minute aerial view of the coastline starts at $90.
And a few more interesting ways to spend time in the Dominican Republic:
- ATV safaris – from $60
- dolphinarium – from $35
- monkey park – from $75
- swimming with sharks and rays – from $45
- golf – from $80
- Ocean World – $35
Beaches
💰Possible spending: $0, beaches are free
Almost all the beaches of the Dominican Republic are like from the picture for the article about the perfect island vacation, but still a little different.
✓ For example, in the north, the resort of Puerto Plata is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, which means that big waves here are a dream for surfers.
✓ Punta Cana is comfortably located at the junction of the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea, in some places it is closed by reefs, so the waves are smaller, and somewhere there are none at all.
✓ The most picturesque, almost Maldivian, landscapes in the south: in La Romana, Boca Chica, white sand, starfish and other delights of the Caribbean.
At any resort, you can easily find wild beaches, where there is no infrastructure and crowds of tourists. Of the minuses – local guys with machetes or just Latin guys who got up on the wrong foot. I have heard many stories of tourists being robbed or drawn into a fight on a secluded beach, so it's better not to forget about safety.
But let's not talk about sad things, but let's talk about equipped beaches, where umbrellas, pina colada and water activities are at hand. Almost the entire coastline of the resorts is built up and landscaped with hotels, but about 20-30 meters near the water is a public area where any tourist can swim and sunbathe. There is also something to do besides getting the perfect tan:
- surfing (2 hours) – from $55
- snorkeling – from $110
- diving – from $180
- fishing – from $60
- kiteing – from $270
Transport prices
💰Possible expenses: 1000 rubles for a taxi ride
Good public transport is not something that the Dominican Republic can boast of. The only thing that can be praised in the country is the intercity buses that connect major cities with each other and with the capital Santo Domingo. They run regularly and are equipped with air conditioning and Wi-Fi. The fare in public transport for one does not exceed 575 pesos one way, tickets are sold at the box office 1.5 hours before the flight or from the driver.
For city trips, it is more convenient to use a taxi, in the Dominican Republic it is Uber . Feel free to call through the application, taxi prices are calculated there immediately. For example: for 16 km on Uber we gave $10. Hotels have a similar service, the cost is exactly 2 times higher.
Rent a car in the Dominican Republic
💰Possible expenses: $50 per day for a normal car; 107 rubles per liter of gasoline
It is convenient to rent a car in the Dominican Republic: there is right-hand traffic here, a Russian driver's license is enough. You can see prices and pick up a car on the RentalCars service, on average, you will have to pay $50 + a deposit for 1 day of rental. In settlements, roads are free, on major highways, travel is paid and depends on the service company.
The price of gasoline in the Dominican Republic (2022) is 76 pesos per liter – 150 rubles! At local gas stations, the cost per gallon is indicated (this is 3.7 liters), that is, 287 pesos.
How much money to take to the Dominican Republic for two in 2022? Our budget for 2 weeks
I will try to calculate how much a vacation in the Dominican Republic will cost in 2022. We went together for 2 weeks to a hotel with the all inclusive concept – the tour cost us ≈ 200,000 rubles.
Often in the Dominican Republic, you don’t even have to leave the hotel, there are any entertainments inside (even a mini-casino), so spending can be limited only by the cost of the tour. And so did our roommates, who by the end of the vacation could compete with local amigos tan 🙂
We took 3 main excursions – to Santo Domingo, to Saona and Samana. For two, they cost $630. We went to the supermarket for shopping, where we bought a lot of rum and coffee (okay, a whole suitcase of rum and coffee) and some little things. Together with the round-trip taxi ride, we spent $100.
- Thus, we spent $730 in 2 weeks, which is almost 75,000 rubles in rubles plus the cost of the tour.
Currency. What money to take to the Dominican Republic?
The national currency in the Dominican Republic is the Dominican peso, abbreviated DOP. But since the country is pro-American, American dollars are also in use. They are accepted everywhere: in the markets, in supermarkets, taxis, but change is given only in pesos, this is such a kind of exchanger.
Moreover, the locals do not worry and use the $ sign on the price tags, although the numbers themselves are indicated in pesos . To get an idea of the cost of goods, you need to divide this figure by the dollar exchange rate, now it is about 56. Or multiply by 2 – there will be rubles.
And now briefly about exchangers. You can find them by the large Cambios sign in Spanish in shopping centers and tourist areas, they have the most pleasant course. It is advantageous to change in banks, but they are almost never found in resorts. But in hotels and the airport, the guys are greedy, but this is not news.
Where there is a terminal, you can pay with a bank card, I prefer Tinkoff (more details in this article). But the best way to withdraw money – ATMs – is scolded by many in the Dominican Republic. There are several reasons: a brutal commission (up to 15% of the amount), some banks charge $ 5 on top just for a transaction, ATMs chew cards or money.
Shopping in the Dominican Republic – what to bring with you and how much does it cost?
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Shopping in the Dominican Republic can be described in three words: rum, cigars and coffee. These items make the suitcases noticeably heavier, but it's worth it: the choice of local manufacturers is simply huge, and even inexpensive goods are of excellent quality. Perfecto, as a Dominican would say. Another local pride is Mamajuana, an herbal tincture made with rum, wine and honey, but not everyone will like it.
The best prices in the Dominican Republic in 2022, of course, you will find in supermarkets:
- Pack of organic Santo Domingo ground coffee – 299 pesos
- a bottle of Brugal rum (350/1175 ml) – 260/1175 pesos
- a gift bottle of Barcelo rum (700 ml) – 875 pesos
- a bottle of Mamajuana (350 ml) – 265 pesos
- chocolate – from 86 pesos
- cigars (1 pc.) – from 115 pesos
- pack of cocoa powder – from 288 pesos
But there are very few souvenirs (magnets, figurines and other trinkets dear to the heart) in supermarkets, one rack for decency, but there are basic products. You need to follow them to the tourist markets and shops that are found here and there in the resorts. The choice is large, but the cost is indecent, they are reluctant to bargain, because the flow of tourists is already large.
Compare for yourself (prices in the Dominican Republic are in pesos):
| Shop for tourists | Supermarket | |
| Magnet | from 280 | from 115 |
| Plate | from 920 | from 460 |
| Thermal mug | from 1430 | from 575 |
By the way, prices at the airport for souvenirs and alcohol are about the same as in tourist shops, but the famous Santo coffee Domingo costs almost like in a supermarket (half a dollar difference).
And for dessert, a little about clothes. Some simple slates, T-shirts or shorts for a penny can be found in the same supermarkets or markets. Brands like Zara, Levi´s or Nike also exist in the country, in Punta Cana they are collected in the BlueMall shopping center. But the prices for clothes in the Dominican Republic are 20–30% higher than Russian ones with a poorer choice.
We did not need a mobile connection (Internet), because there is Wi-Fi in the hotel, shopping centers, buses, and the airport, saved on this. But in general, there are interesting tariffs, if you continue to zoom and call while on vacation – you can buy a SIM card with 50 GB of Internet for a month from the Alltice operator for 700 pesos or get by with the popular offer from the Claro operator “5 GB for $5 for 5 days”.< /p>
Insurance in the Dominican Republic
When buying a package tour to the Dominican Republic, a standard medical insurance covering $40,000 is required. I hope you won’t need it, but it’s better to know when you can use it:
- for health problems (toothache, infection covid, exacerbation of a chronic disease, etc.);
- in case of loss of documents;
- in emergency situations, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, death.
For other cases (luggage loss, flight delay more than 6 hours, accidents, travel restrictions, etc.) or for an independent trip, an extended package is issued for a fee – for example, at the well-known seller of insurance abroad Cherehapa.
What need to know? My Travel Tips
Finally, I’ll tell you what to take with you from clothes to the Dominican Republic (and not only from clothes) is a must. First of all, I note that you will definitely need something light, but closed, like pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Of course, there is no frost here, but sometimes it is chilly from the wind, especially when it rains.
By the way, about the rain. Downpour comes here as suddenly as winter for Russian public utilities. It usually ends quickly, but the sediment remains. So take a raincoat with you. It is unlikely that you will need it on the beach, but it will brighten up a trip spoiled by rain.
With a stretch, we can say that the season in the Dominican Republic is year-round. Not everyone is in a hurry to pack their bags in the low season, because in summer and autumn, storms become more frequent on the Atlantic coast and Sargassum algae appear. In August and September, their number reaches its peak, when the water turns into a brown porridge, and the sand into Hagrid's hair. After November, the coast becomes clearer – and that's when the best time in the Caribbean comes.
And the last thing – throw in your suitcase or buy a thermo mug from the Dominican Republic at your local supermarket. I was skeptical at first about this venture, but on the last day of rest I gave up and nevertheless threw it into a shopping cart. And about a miracle! Drinks stay cold for a long time, and thanks to the large volume, you can return to the bar much less often.