The Dominican Republic is a popular vacation spot for a multitude of reasons: beautiful beaches, perfectly blue Caribbean waters, warm weather, great food, island adventures, etc. But like many vacations to tropical paradises, the costs can add up very quickly. Fortunately, those willing to take the time to do some research will find that there are actually quite a few vacation packages available to the Dominican Republic that can help them save money while still getting everything they want out of their vacation and then some. Whether it's a nice hotel or resort, unlimited drinks or cool excursions, there's a package out there that will be the right fit for you.
While there are numerous travel websites advertising these vacation packages, the ones with the general best selection (both in value and in diversity) are CheapCaribbean.com, bookmundi.com and Expedia. Searches on all of these websites are also highly customizable, helping people find the perfect package for their needs.
Expedia is generally the best website to go to find deals on combined hotel and airfare packages, although they can occasionally be found elsewhere. Still, prospective vacationers should be sure to check out Expedia's Deals section first, which usually has huge discounts and combination packages to the Dominican Republic. For example, they currently are offering flights to and accommodations at the all-inclusive Grand Bahia Principe Punta Cana resort at a combined price of $1,071 per person for six nights.
Expedia currently has an all-inclusive "Royal Service" trip to Paradisus Punta Cana, an adults-only resort. For only $5,400 for a week (normal cost would be closer to $10,000), two people get roundtrip airfare, a suite, up to $1,000 in resort credit, butler service and dinner at the resort's three Michelin Star restaurant.
The Dominican Republic Explorer package is exactly what it sounds like and more-- this package from Bamba Experiences costs $862 (down from $907) per person through bookmundi.com and includes pickup and drop off in Santo Domingo, six nights of hostel stays and seven days of adventures including sailing, snorkeling, four-wheeling, horseback riding and more around the country.
CheapCaribbean.com has an entire "family-friendly" section on its website to help make the search for these packages easier. Right now one of their best value packages to the Dominican Republic for families comes at only $689 per person for four nights and includes accommodations at the Riu Bambu resort in Punta Cana, all-inclusive food and drinks and even airfare (from select airports).
Expedia occasionally has weekend deals, as does CheapCaribbean. They can be a bit harder to find, however, as most users will have to input their specifically desired dates in order to view them (longer-term packages are generally what are advertised openly). One of the best options is the TRS Cap Cana package, which includes both flights (from most areas of the U.S., though prices will slightly vary) and all-inclusive accommodations for under $800 for a weekend.
Cruises hold even more possibilities! Most cruises need to be booked either through a travel agent or with the cruise line directly, but Expedia also has some cruise deals starting at $399 for seven days. It should be noted, however, that most cruises to the Dominican Republic also make other stops.
For those who care most about the beautiful location rather than getting luxury treatment every second, there are plenty of more budget-friendly options. CheapCaribbean.com has package options starting in the $300s that also include airfare, and Expedia has plenty of package deals for the Dominican Republic also starting in the $300s. Bookmundi.com meanwhile has the most budget-friendly trips, with some package deals (not including airfare) starting just under $100, though many of their trips include hostel stays rather than hotel rooms.
Users can build custom trips with multiple stops through both Expedia and CheapCaribbean, as well as a multitude of other websites. However, bookmundi and another website called Tour Radar have multiple package that include stops around the Caribbean rather than just in the Dominican Republic.
Those traveling with many friends and/or family members in tow should check out Groupallinclusive.com, a website dedicated to just group vacation deals. This website offers trips to both Punta Cana and La Romana, with up to $225 off for new members and $1,000 cash back once the trip has been taken.