FAQ’s Day Trips

Which type of trip is right for me?
Our tour types cover a wide gamut of travel experiences.

– Day Tour: Group Tours with established departures  where all ground services are shared with the group including the tour guide, the vehicle and the itinerary. Day tours can lasts from a couple hours to a full day.

– Private Tour: Simply means your tour, where all ground services are provided by your very own personal guide, with a private vehicle and chauffeur, exclusively for your party – nobody else. This simply translates into greater flexibility, better comfort and personalized service so you can experience Dominican Republic the way you have always dreamed it to be.

– Tour Packages: Package tours are excursions or holidays which “package” a variety of services together to make a single “combined” trip. Commonly they combine such things as transport, accommodation and meals. They may also include the provision of a tour guide and/or leader. Tours can be long or short in duration and distance. They may be a one-day or overnight package, or they could be a period of a week or more

– Shore Excursions: During most cruise holidays you will visit another destination every day. Cruise ships dock in port for a couple of hours giving cruise passengers the opportunity to explore the land. When your cruise ship is docked in port you are entirely free on how to spend your day. Most cruise passengers opt for a shore excursion, where you depart from a cruise port,  your tour is adapted to your available time on port (you only have a few hours time) to take you back on board in time. See our Shore Excursions options specially made to meet cruise liners needs.

– Customized Tour: A tailor-made travel itineraries is like a personal planning service. You tell us what you want (either in detail, or give us some parameters to work within), and then we arrange services to fit your wishes for your holiday. We also advise you on improvements which you might want to consider.

Are trips physically demanding?
We provide physical ratings for each of our tours, ranging from an easy low to an active high. The physical rating for each trip is listed on our website with the full trip details.

Does Pure Dominican Vacations have family trips?
Pure Dominican Vacations offers a wide range of Family Adventures around the country. The minimum age (for family trips) varies depending on destination, and Pure Dominican Vacations has set minimum ages to ensure that the included activities suit each age range. Additionally, you’ll notice that some of the more adventurous destinations have a higher minimum age.

Are your tours accesible for people with disabilities?
We try to make our tours accessible whenever we can, but unfortunately, some destinations may be challenging for those with wheelchairs or other assistive devices. Check the accessibility and physical rating for each trip, which are listed with the full trip details on our website.

How many people will be on my trip?
Good things come in small packages, which is why we keep our group sizes down. This means we’re small enough to remain flexible as we thread our way through communities without intimidating the locals. On most of our trips you’ll be part of an intimate group of 12-16 people, though our group sizes are on average 10 people. Group sizes are displayed on each trip’s overview page on our website.

Are there age restrictions on your trips?
An adult must accompany all children under the age of 18.  Younger children can join us on our Family trips, but check each trip for its minimum age, which is located on the trip’s overview page on the website. Most of our trips don’t have a maximum age limit, but a Self-Assessment Form is required for all passengers 60 years and over.

Who will be my group leader?
While we can’t tell you who your leader is prior to departure, we can tell you they will be awesome. Our leaders are experts in their regions, some because they’ve been travelling there for years, others because they’re local to the region and can’t wait to show you around. On longer journeys you may change leaders part way through – but this just means double the awesomeness.

Can I just do part of the trip?
Although you won’t be reimbursed for any portion of the trip unused, you can opt to sign off the trip if you need to leave a day or so earlier. If you let us know before travel that you’ll be arriving late or need to leave before the trips ends, we will notify our team on the ground to best accommodate your requirements.

Can I make any changes to the itinerary of my group trip, either before or during the trip?
Please make sure you are happy with your group trip itinerary before booking because we are unable to change them for individual travelers. However, if you and a group of friends, colleagues or even your school would like your own personally designed itinerary, get in contact with our very talented Private Tours specialists; they can tailor an itinerary just for you.

I’m travelling alone – is that OK?
Many of our travelers join because they are traveling solo and want to meet and share experiences with like-minded people.

Do tours need a minimum number of travelers before they depart?

Nope! Our tours are guaranteed to depart, even with just one passenger. So you could get us all to yourself! Lucky you… However, if you are the only person and would like to move to another day when there are other passengers, please email us info@puredominicanvacations.com

I have special dietary requirements – will they be catered for?
We will try our very hardest to accommodate all dietary requirements but in some out-of-the-way places it can be very difficult to guarantee. We will let you know if there are places on your itinerary where this is the case. Please let us know at the time of booking of any food requirements or allergies and we’ll pass the information onto your leader. It is also a great idea to bring a card with your dietary requirements written in the local language for those times you are eating away from the group.

What if I’m late or miss the start of my tour?

We recommend you allow plenty of time to arrive early for your tour, especially when you are in a new destination where transport can take longer than expected. Because we want to ensure our other guests can still enjoy their tour, all our tours start on time. If you know you are going to be late, please contact Pure Dominican Vacations at the number on your tour voucher. Unfortunately, if you are late and do not notify us, the tour will start without you and you will not be entitled to a refund, as per our terms and conditions.

What is the starting point of my tours? Can I be picked up?

The tour meeting point is listed on both your voucher and on the tour page on the website. Only selected tours provide a pick-up from your hotel. This is because we want you to spend your time touring, not doing pick-ups.  If your tour does not include a pick-up, you will need to arrange your own transportation.

Will tours be cancelled in bad weather?

We don’t want you to miss out on your tour just because of a little rain so most tours will go ahead in all weather conditions. However, if tours are cancelled under extreme circumstances, your leader will contact you to move your tour to another day. For that reason, please make sure your booking includes a phone number or email address where we can contact you while you’re travelling.

What if I need to cancel?

Why would you want to cancel?! Okay, okay, we know sometimes things come up, so we’ll let you cancel if you need to. But it will make us very sad. You can cancel your tour up to 48 hours prior to the tour’s start time. But because our guides are busy people too, any cancellations made after that window are subject to a 100% cancellation fee, as per our terms and conditions.

What if I have problems during my adventure?

Please talk to your guide. Our guides are well trained in running all adventures in a safe manner. If you have any safety or other personal concerns, your guide will be able to provide assistance. If for any reason you are not happy with the outcome, please add this to your feedback, or contact us at info@puredominicanvacations.com

What communication facilities will be available?
Communication facilities are always improving globally. Many hotels and public places have Wi-Fi so it’s usually possible to keep in touch with home every couple of days, if you so desire. In remote places or on treks or homestays, you will not be able to communicate as readily. Your leader will usually give you the heads up before you leave a place so you can send a quick email or two. Phone cards are easy to get your hands on; just make sure your phone is unlocked before you travel. Or in many countries, the cheapest way to make a phone call is at an internet cafe.

How can friends and family contact you?
If family and friends are unable to contact you in an emergency through email or phone, they can contact Pure Dominican Vacations directly. Emergency contact details (for your destination) are listed in your Trip Notes.

Will my mobile work?
We can never guarantee your phone will work as desired, as many of our destinations are out of the way and you may have limited coverage. Chat to your phone provider before you leave about global roaming and the costs involved, and get their advice on the coverage you’ll receive in the places you’re travelling in. Alternatively, you can usually pick up a local sim card on the cheap (just make sure you phone is unlocked!).

Will I get internet coverage?
Some places have Wi-Fi hot spots everywhere and other places will have no coverage at all. If you stumble into the latter, take the rare chance to just sit back and get to know your fellow travellers the old-fashioned way.

Will I be able to charge my electrical appliances?
In most places you’ll be able to recharge your appliances at the hotel. We recommend you bring a travel adapter with you.  Be sure to bring an extra camera battery just in case.

What type of ground transportation is used?
If it moves there’s a good chance you’ll be riding on it. The type of transport used depends on your trip style. Find out more or see your Trip Notes for the specific type of transportation used on your journey.

Is tipping commonplace in other parts of the world?
Yes, in most places tipping is expected. At your welcome meeting, ask your leader about the local custom and advice on how much is recommended at restaurants or with local guides.

At the end of your trip, if you’re happy with the service you received, providing a tip for the leader – though not compulsory – is appropriate. While it may not be customary to you, it’s of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels, inspires excellent service, and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across many DAT destinations.

I am interested in working with Pure Dominican Vacations– where do I find out more?

To find out what it’s like to work at Pure Dominican Vacations, all the exciting perks and what’s available right now, visit our employment page.

What do I do if I am unable to open a link on the Pure Dominican Vacations website?
Oh no! We really want to get you where you need to go. Please tell us what’s broken through our contact page and our resident techno-gurus will fix it as quickly as possible.