Recently Viewed
Santo Domingo Tour: Explore Local Culture
4.9
94 Ratings
Santo Domingo
Embark on a private guided tour of the authentic Dominican hood in Santo Domingo. Explore the city’s cable car, indulge in local cuisine, and interact with the friendly locals. Book now!
Embark on a private guided tour of the authentic Dominican hood in Santo Domingo. Explore the city’s cable car, indulge in local cuisine, and interact with the friendly locals. Book now!
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Santo Domingo - We will go into our colorful neighbourhood where you will feel the authentic Dominican vibes and energy. We will visit the fisherman small port, the colorful houses on the hills in the background and the neighborhood’s sign.
- Santo Domingo - We will visit a local market and discover the genuine Dominican gastronomy along with…
- Santo Domingo - We will go into our colorful neighbourhood where you will feel the authentic Dominican vibes and energy. We will visit the fisherman small port, the colorful houses on the hills in the background and the neighborhood’s sign.
- Santo Domingo - We will visit a local market and discover the genuine Dominican gastronomy along with the warmth or our people. Time to taste our Dominican ice cream (helado de fundita) and a typical meal at a local shop with time to interact with the locals.
- Teleferico Santo Domingo Charles de Gaulle - At this point we will start a beautiful journey in our modern cable car while seeing our neighborhoods from above all the way from the national district to Northern Santo Domingo and will be able to hear the history about these areas.
- Fortaleza Ozama - A boat ride could be provided at an additional charge which includes sightseeing the America’s first church built, Christopher Columbus’s son castle, the tree where Christopher Columbus tied up his ships, the outside walls of the colonial zone, the Ozama fortress, first university in America, passing underneath five of the most important bridges in Santo Domingo while getting inside the hood you will discover all the colorful houses on top of the hills which is worth of application.
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Authentic Dominican breakfast
- Metro and cable car tickets
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Carbonated beverages
- Tea and coffee
- Snacks
- Bottled water
- Professional guide
- Authentic Dominican breakfast
- Metro and cable car tickets
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Carbonated beverages
- Tea and coffee
- Snacks
- Bottled water
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Immerse yourself in the neighborhoods of Santo Domingo city on this walking tour about 5 minutes away from the colonial zone. During this half-day excursion, follow your local guides born and raised in these areas to view some of the local hidden places, stop by our hood sign, visit a typical house, taste typical local Dominican patties or authentic…
Immerse yourself in the neighborhoods of Santo Domingo city on this walking tour about 5 minutes away from the colonial zone. During this half-day excursion, follow your local guides born and raised in these areas to view some of the local hidden places, stop by our hood sign, visit a typical house, taste typical local Dominican patties or authentic dominican burger (burger is offered in the afternoon tour and we call it “chimi”), taste dominican coffee, Dominican ice cream (helado de fundita), get to know the studio where most of the dembow hits have been produced and where celebrities have met, fantastic views of Santo Domingo from above our cable car and ride our modern metro.
A boat ride is also offered at an additional price going underneath six of the most important bridges in Santo Domingo, sightseeing the first chapel built in America, the tree where Christopher Columbus tied up his vessels and the castle of Christopher Columbus’s son where three of his generations lived.
Location
Estación del metro Eduardo Brito gualey
Avenida Francisco del Rosario Sanchez
You will find a metro station with the name Eduardo Brito on it and a guide will be right at the entrance wearing eather a grey shirt or blue and white cap with the name of Urbano Tours.
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
4.9
(94 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
504sheltons
Jun 21, 2025
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE - What an AMAZING TOUR! It was VERY WELL ORGANIZED and gave you a RAW behind the scenes look of the Dominican Republic.
Joel was our guide and he was funny and EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE! I'm a public school teacher and money is tight so anyyhing i spend money on has to be worth it and this tour DEFINITELY WAS.
Don't hesitate to book. You will be glad you did. Take about $25 dollars and pesos for the souvenirs and to give to the children and families in the Barrios.
Also, take extra money to tip your guide at the end of the tour. Those 4 hours went by extremely fast. We had so much fun.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rmontill23
Jun 20, 2025
Awesome and Real tour - What a fantastic idea to create this tour. We had the best time. Joel was an excellent tour guide. It was my friend’s first visit to the Dominican Republic, we very much enjoyed every part of the tour and learned a lot. I was born in the Dominican Republic and was impressed by the amazing work that has been done in La Cienega. Also the teleférico and metro.
We highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hattieb53
Jun 16, 2025
10/10 Experience - I absolutely loved my experience with Urban Tours in Santo Domingo! This was hands down one of the best ways to see the real city beyond the typical tourist spots. I felt completely safe the entire time, and our guide, Mike, was fantastic—knowledgeable, warm, and so passionate about his city.
He took us through vibrant local neighborhoods, hidden historical gems, and gave us a true taste of Santo Domingo’s culture, people, and daily life. It felt authentic and personal, not scripted or rushed. I came away with a deeper appreciation for the city and its history.
Highly recommend this tour if you want to experience the heart of Santo Domingo and not just the postcard version. Ask for Mike—he’s the best!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mobile38086478679
May 24, 2025
Beyond Amazing! - I want to start off by saying if I could give this review ALOT more stars I would! AMAZING tour! My tour guide was Mike & was beyond my expectations. If you don’t like to walk please stay home this is for people who truly want to see how people live, culture, street vendors etc. I loved it and will do it again!
Btw I was with older people and Mike was amazing with all of us!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U4182wsscottm
May 12, 2025
Glad I went before it really scales up. - Here’s a perfect alternative tourist experience for visitors who want something different, best done as a small group of no more than 3 or 4. Children might enjoy the cable car ride but not much else.
It is a sampling of the lives of real residents living in 2 neighborhoods just outside the Colonial Zone tourist area. Not overly strenuous, but participants must comfortably walk outdoors at average pedestrian pace, up & down the local streets. Although I paid $20USD extra for hotel pickup, I easily could have chosen to Uber to the meeting spot. Juan & Mike (Urbano RD) speak English well, wear identifying shirts, and have a friendly but professional demeanor. They took me to a working small hair salon business where I sampled Dominican coffee (ginger tea available) while visiting with the patrons. We went to a corner store, the local street market, basketball court, soccer & baseball fields, a skateboard park. We then stopped for a break, cold bottled water, & ice cream at a gracious local resident’s new home. We delved into the effects on locals of the changes in DR over the last few years. We rode both the cable car transportation and underground metro lines. Mike took pictures he later sent (no extra fees!) to my WhatsApp. We ended with a freshly fried snack + a refreshing fruit drink from a simple side street restaurant.
Many passersby waved and called out to our hosts.
I sent a tip by PayPal afterwards, $11 USD, back at my hotel.
Caveat: For safety reasons, I would not participate if hosts were not well vetted since it’s so hands on, including petting the dog and eating a mango from the tree in back of the house.
Pros: great real life cultural experience, non touristy, Trip Advisor sanctioned
Cons: great real life cultural experience, i.e. NOT a great fit for real or imagined princes or princesses, anyone mainly looking to let off steam, be waited on, or simply entertained
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K1618yeclaudiad
May 1, 2025
Dominican Tour - Highly recommended the tour bus with don Carlos the driver and manu the historian guide who explains any questions geniuses
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q2244fmcamilac
Apr 30, 2025
Would recommend many times over, even for those familiar with Santo Domingo - I had a fantastic time with Juan and Mike on yesterday's tour. It was thorough, very enjoyable and they made sure to take tons of pictures to share with me after. Though I visit family in Santo Domingo every few years and know the city to some extent, as I was born there and spent my first few years there, this was a part of the city I had not not had the privilege of having explored prior, much less on foot. I am SO glad that Mike took me to local homes and businesses to enjoy the local fare and meet folks from around the way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Keliciar2020
Apr 25, 2025
A very authentic knowledgeable tour - I would 100% recommended this tour if you want to see the otherside of SD with the locals. Juan and Mike are excellent guides, they make you feel at home. The places are very nice, with lots of history. My favorite part is the metro 🚇 train station. Got alot of beautiful pictures too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisa
Apr 19, 2025
Best experience ever! - Best ever!!! We went on 2 tours with Urbano Tours, one was the Neighborhood tour, and the other was a historical tour of the Zona Colonial. Both were AAAAA++++. We lived in the Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 for many years and brought our family here this time, including their daughter, who was born here and adopted by an American family at the age of 2 months... this was her first time back, at the age of 30+, and she wanted to better understand her roots/where she came from. The tour of the neighborhood, the chance to stop at multiple small home businesses in the neighborhood, eat homemade ice cream and empanadas, hang out in a barbershop, and experience the authentic life of a Santo Domingo neighborhood were outstanding. Tour guides were not only knowledgeable but also deeply rooted in the culture/history of the areas we walked through. Thank you, Josel and Angel! Juan, who runs the company, was always there to get feedback and resolve any issues, including being highly responsive to our last-minute requests. AAA+++++ BEST EVER!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mjet2018
Apr 17, 2025
A real glimpse into the neighbourhood. - The guidance by the guides was very nice. They knew the neighborhood very well and took us to authentic places and let us get an insight into everyday life there. With humor and charm.
Highly recommended!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
