Punta Cana to Santo Domingo

One of our most commonly requested routes is the ride from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo.

And one of our most popular private excursions is the Santo Domingo city tour from Punta Cana.

To get from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo or vice-versa you have the following options:

Punta Cana to Santo Domingo private transfer

This is the most reliable option because we operate our own vehicles 24/7/365, come rain or shine. The drive from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo takes about two and a half hours in one of our comfortable air-conditioned vans. After leaving Punta Cana airport or your hotel in the Punta Cana area, the first half of the drive from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo takes you south-west past the towns and resort areas of La Romana, San Pedro de Macorís, Juan Dolio and Boca Chica before reaching your destination.

Larger buses for larger groups

Archive photo of Cocotours 6-passenger van

Punta Cana to Santo Domingo by public transport

The intercity public bus from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo is called Expreso Bávaro, and it departs Punta Cana from a stop at a place called Verón, about 15 minutes' ride from Punta Cana airport. The last bus departs Verón at about 4:20 pm, so if you land at Punta Cana airport after 2 pm, you really don't stand a chance of catching this bus. Assuming you could catch the Expreso Bavaro bus, you would travel as follows:

1. By Cocotours van from Punta Cana airport or your hotel in Punta Cana to the Expreso Bávaro stop in Verón.
   
2. Take the Expreso Bávaro bus to Santo Domingo. The journey time is three hours or less. The Expreso Bávaro buses are mostly late-model vehicles and generally have an onboard toilet. 
   
3. On arrival at the bus station in Parque Enriquillo in Santo Domingo, take a cab to your hotel or destination in Santo Domingo.

If you can't catch the Expreso Bavaro bus, your next best chance to get to Santo Domingo would be by getting Cocotours to drive you from Punta Cana airport to the town of Higüey (about half and hour's drive away) from where a bus called the Expreso Higüey departs several times an hour into the evening.