Things to Do in Punta Cana (2026): Best Excursions, Day Trips & Activities

Plenty of visitors plan nothing but beach and pool, and that is a fine holiday. But the list of things to do in Punta Cana is far longer than the resort brochure suggests: island days on the Caribbean side, swimmable cenotes, mangrove-lined national parks, whale watching in winter, colonial history in Santo Domingo and a nightlife scene that runs from Broadway-style shows to a disco in a cave.

Below, the best excursions, day trips and activities are organized by type, with rough timings and a link to our detailed guide for each. Prices change constantly, so we only give approximate ranges where several sources agree.

Things to do in Punta Cana: how to plan your days

Punta Cana is not one town but a 40-plus-mile strip of coast that runs from Cap Cana in the south through Bávaro and Arena Gorda to Uvero Alto in the north. That matters when you choose activities: the same excursion can be a short hop for one resort and a long transfer for another. As a rule of thumb:

• Half-day (3 to 5 hours): catamaran cruises, buggies, ziplines, parasailing, Scape Park, Indigenous Eyes, golf, shopping and most nightlife.
• Full day (8 to 13 hours): Saona Island, Catalina Island, Los Haitises, Samaná whale watching, Montaña Redonda combos and Santo Domingo.
• Hotel pickup is included with most group tours, which is why pickup times for resorts in Uvero Alto can be very early.

With only a few days, pick one full-day trip plus one or two half-day activities. Our ranked list of the 10 best Punta Cana excursions is the short version if you just want our top picks, and the where to stay guide explains how your resort area affects transfer times.

Islands and catamarans

Saona Island

Saona is the classic Punta Cana day trip: palm-backed beaches inside Cotubanamá National Park (formerly Parque Nacional del Este), reached by boat from Bayahibe. Most tours combine catamaran and speedboat legs with a stop at the “natural pool”, a shallow sandbank roughly a meter deep. Expect a long day with a drive of roughly 1.5 to 2 hours each way, a buffet lunch and an open bar. Group tours we found typically cost around $70 to $110 per adult. Our Saona Island day trip guide compares catamaran, speedboat and small-group options.

Catalina Island and the south coast

Catalina Island, a short boat ride from La Romana, is the snorkeling alternative to Saona, sometimes paired with Altos de Chavón. The south coast usually sees far less sargassum. If the calmer Caribbean side appeals for a whole stay, read our Punta Cana vs Bayahibe and La Romana comparison.

Catamaran party boats off Bávaro

For a shorter boat day, catamaran cruises leave from the Bávaro beaches for roughly 3 to 4.5 hours of music, drinks, a snorkel stop on the reef and a swim in a shallow natural pool. Shared tours typically cost around $55 to $90 per person. See our catamaran party boat and snorkel guide for what separates the rowdy boats from the relaxed ones.

Cenotes, lagoons and nature

• Scape Park and Hoyo Azul (Cap Cana): an adventure park built around a turquoise cenote at the foot of a cliff, with ziplines, caves and trails. Hoyo Azul is only sold as part of a Scape Park ticket; full-day admission has been listed at around $125 to $140 per adult. Details in our Scape Park and Hoyo Azul guide.
• Hoyo Claro: a do-it-yourself cenote off the highway toward La Romana, reached by a walk of about half an hour on a dirt trail, with no facilities and a small entrance fee. Read the Hoyo Claro guide before you go.
• Indigenous Eyes Ecological Park: a reserve inside Puntacana Resort with a dozen freshwater lagoons fed by an underground river, some of them open for swimming. Outside visitors generally need a guided visit, as explained in our Indigenous Eyes guide.
• Los Haitises National Park: boat trips through red mangroves and karst islets to caves with Taíno pictographs, leaving from Sabana de la Mar. It is a very long day (around 10 to 13 hours with transfers). See our Los Haitises day trip guide.
• Montaña Redonda: a hilltop near Miches, roughly 1 to 1.5 hours from the resorts, famous for its swings and 360-degree views over lagoons and coast. A 4×4 truck usually carries visitors up. Our Montaña Redonda guide covers the road and timing.

Whale watching in Samaná Bay (January to March)

Every winter, North Atlantic humpback whales gather in Samaná Bay to mate and calve. The season generally runs from mid-January to the end of March, with February often the most reliable month. From Punta Cana it is a full-day trip by road and boat, so it suits travelers who do not mind an early start. Our Samaná whale watching guide explains the routes and what to expect on the water.

Adventure: buggies, ziplines and horseback riding

Buggies are the most popular half-day adventure in Punta Cana. Typical routes cross dirt roads and farmland to Macao Beach, with a swim in a cave or cenote and, on many tours, a stop at a countryside house for coffee and cacao tastings. Prices depend on whether you share a vehicle; listings we found ran from about $25 to $60 per person.

Bávaro Adventure Park bundles buggies with a six-line zipline course that finishes with a splash landing in a pool, plus optional horseback riding and river tubing. Minimum ages and heights apply. Our Bávaro Adventure Park guide explains which combo to choose.

Horseback riding ranges from beach rides at sunset to forest trails with a cenote stop; a few resorts, such as Zoëtry Agua in Uvero Alto, even include a short ride. Compare options in our horseback riding and ecological trails guide. For animal lovers, Monkeyland, a squirrel monkey sanctuary in the Anamuya hills, usually comes as part of a plantation safari tour.

Water sports: parasailing, snorkeling, surfing and fishing

• Parasailing and jet skis: operators work directly off the busiest Bávaro beaches. Check equipment and insurance before paying; our parasailing and jet ski guide lists the safety checks.
• Snorkeling and scuba: the reef off Bávaro and Cabeza de Toro offers easy snorkeling, while dive centers run trips to reefs and wrecks. See our best snorkeling and scuba spots and pack reef-safe sunscreen.
• Surfing: Macao Beach has the most consistent waves on this coast and several surf schools for beginners. Start with our Macao Beach surfing guide.
• Deep-sea fishing: charters leave from Cap Cana and Bávaro for mahi-mahi, wahoo and marlin; blue marlin are generally most active in summer. Details in our deep-sea fishing guide.
• Yacht charters: private boats, sunset cruises and waterfront dinners are centered on Marina Cap Cana.

Culture and day trips beyond the beach

Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone is the oldest continuously inhabited European-founded city in the Americas and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the first cathedral of the Americas and the Alcázar de Colón. It is roughly 2.5 to 3 hours each way by road, so group tours last most of the day. Our Santo Domingo day trip guide explains what fits into one visit.

Closer to home, Altos de Chavón is a re-creation of a 16th-century Mediterranean village above the Chavón River inside Casa de Campo, about an hour or a little more from Punta Cana via the Coral Highway. Inland, many cultural tours stop at the modern basilica in Higüey, the region’s main town. For something hands-on, the ChocoMuseo chocolate workshop in Bávaro lets you go from cacao bean to bar, and a walk along El Cortecito’s craft markets and cafés is the easiest way to see local Bávaro life; the walk passes the photogenic wooden pier at Impressive Premium.

Punta Cana nightlife: Coco Bongo, Imagine and casinos

Outside the resorts, two venues dominate. Coco Bongo mixes a long, high-production show of dancers, acrobats and tribute acts with a nightclub, sold in tiers from regular entry to front-row and VIP packages. Imagine is a club built inside a natural cave, with several rooms playing different music, usually open on Saturday nights with hotel shuttles. We compare them in Coco Bongo vs Imagine Cave Club.

Prefer to stay close to your room? Several resorts have casinos, clubs and late shows; see our guide to the best resorts with casinos and nightlife and, for groups, the best Punta Cana party resorts. Use official taxis or the club shuttles at night, as covered in our Punta Cana safety guide.

Shopping: BlueMall, souvenirs and local markets

BlueMall Puntacana is the area’s upscale mall, with international fashion brands, restaurants and air-conditioned relief on a rainy afternoon; see our BlueMall guide. For gifts, Dominican rum, cigars, coffee and larimar (a blue stone found only in the Dominican Republic) are the classics, and our souvenir shopping guide explains how to avoid paying resort-shop prices. Staying in a villa or condo? The grocery shopping guide covers the main supermarkets.

Golf, beach clubs and slow days

Punta Cana is one of the Caribbean’s strongest golf destinations, with Jack Nicklaus’s Punta Espada in Cap Cana, Tom Fazio’s Corales (a PGA Tour venue) and P.B. Dye’s La Cana at Puntacana Resort; compare them in our Punta Cana golf guide. Non-golfers can spend a day at a beach club, buy a resort day pass, book a spa day or eat lobster with their toes in the sand at one of the best beachfront restaurants. And for the beach itself, our best beaches in Punta Cana guide explains which stretches are calmest.

Things to do in Punta Cana with kids

With young children, keep activities short and close: a calm catamaran cruise, Indigenous Eyes, Monkeyland or a beach club morning. Buggies and ziplines have minimum ages and heights (Bávaro Adventure Park lists 6 years and 120 cm for some activities), and full-day trips are tiring for little ones. Many families have the most fun at the resort itself, so choose one with a real waterpark.

Compare more options in our family resorts with waterparks list, the resorts with bowling alleys and arcades and our picks for teens and older kids.

How to book Punta Cana excursions safely

• Compare the resort tour desk with reputable online platforms: tours are often identical, cancellation rules are not.
• Check inclusions: pickup, lunch, drinks, park fees and photos are often extra.
• Avoid unlicensed beach sellers for boat trips, and insist on life jackets.
• Carry small bills. Dollars are widely accepted on tours, but pesos help with small purchases; see our currency guide.
• Have travel insurance that covers adventure activities; our medical care and insurance guide explains what to look for.

Frequently Asked Questions