Santo Domingo travel guide
Santo Domingo Tourism | Santo Domingo Guide
You're Going to Love Santo Domingo
With 2.20 million inhabitants, Santo Domingo is the most populous city in the Dominican Republic. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. We recommend you stay at least 4 days in order to fully appreciate everything Santo Domingo has to offer.
Where to Eat in Santo Domingo
If you’re looking for affordable options, O.livia Restaurant (Ave. Lope de Vega esq. Max Henríquez Ureña.) and La Dolcerie (Rafael Augusto Sánchez # 20 Distrito Nacional) are great picks.
When to visit Santo Domingo
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Santo Domingo in June, when the average temperature is 80.6 °F, and the highest can go up to 86 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 69.8 °F, with an average temperature of 75.2 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in May, when precipitation is around 6.7″. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in Santo Domingo, with an average rainfall of 1.6″.
How to Get to Santo Domingo
Plane
Santo Domingo is served by 2 airports: Santo Domingo Dr. Joaquin Balaguer (JBQ) and Las Americas Airport (SDQ). The closest to downtown Santo Domingo is Santo Domingo Dr. Joaquin Balaguer, which is located 11 km from the city center. Further away is Las Americas Airport, 28 km from the center of Santo Domingo. Las Americas Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Air France, JetBlue, Delta and other airlines departing from the United States. The shortest flight to Santo Domingo from the United States departs from Fort Lauderdale and takes around 2h 10m.
Car
Another option to get to Santo Domingo is to pick up a car rental from Punta Cana, which is about 160 km from Santo Domingo. You’ll find branches of Routes Car & Truck Rentals and York Car Rental, among others, in Punta Cana.
Bus
Santo Domingo’s bus station is located 0.2 km from the city center.
Airports near Santo Domingo
Airlines serving Santo Domingo
Where to stay in Santo Domingo
From 5-star hotels such as the Casas Del XVI to great affordable options like the Colonial 154 H Boutique, Santo Domingo offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around $63 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $172 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Casa Naemie and Micro Hotel Condo Suites. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Santo Domingo, with prices from $14 to $273 per night. Piantini is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Santo Domingo are about 5% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Ciudad Colonial - In Santo Domingo’s most popular neighborhood to stay, recommended hotels include Hotel Villa Colonial, El Beaterio and Luca Hotel by The Oxo House.
Piantini - Here you’ll find travelers’ favorites such as Intercontinental Real Santo Domingo, An IHG Hotel, JW Marriott Hotel Santo Domingo and Holiday Inn Santo Domingo. The average nightly price for a double room in Piantini is $47.
Where to stay in popular areas of Santo Domingo
Most booked hotels in Santo Domingo
Renting a car in Santo Domingo
Renting a car in Santo Domingo costs $38 per day, on average, or $150 if you want to rent if for 4 days. Alamo, Europcar and Avis are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Santo Domingo is the Zezgo branch at Ruta 66 Salida Del Aeropuerto Las Americas, which is 27 km from the city center.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 1% cheaper than airport locations in Santo Domingo.
Expect to pay $4.92 per gallon in Santo Domingo (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $59.05 and $78.74. Compact (Volkswagen Gol or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Santo Domingo, while also 70% cheaper than other types, on average.
Best car rental deals in Santo Domingo
Compact
4 Adults, 2 Bags
$28/day
Intermediate
5 Adults, 3 Bags
$30/day