If you want to go beyond the typical touristy activities and learn about the city's true history, the Historia Oculta Tour will uncover stories you won't find with any other guided tours in the Dominican Republic. This Santo Domingo tour was one of my favorite DR travel experiences--let me tell you exactly why I recommend it!
And if you enjoy this post, you'll love my Dominican Republic solo itinerary, too!
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Mini Tour Video
Reasons to Take this Tour
The Historia Oculta Decolonial Tour, from Afro Historia RD, illuminates literal hidden gems in Santo Domingo with an aim to center the stories that have been left out of the Dominican Republic's popular historical narrative. Its name means "hidden story" or "hidden history" en español.
With the expert guidance of a professional Dominican historian and educator, we were able to see historical places--the statues, monuments, and museums of la zona colonial--through a totally different lens.
With a small private tour group, I was able to retrace the steps of DR's Taíno and West African people from hundreds of years ago, and connect the dots to how this history has shaped DR and Haiti today. If you want to experience the historical attractions of the colonial zone in a way that no other excursion offers, this is absolutely the best tour for you!
Read my list of things to do in Santo Domingo, RD, before you go!
How to Get There
The half-day tour takes place in Santo Domingo, and we met up in front of the statue of Nicolas de Ovando, at Plaza España, Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional. I picked up a rental car at the beginning of my vacay, and drove from Punta Cana to the capital city that morning. There were plenty of street parking and garage options nearby, but you definitely need to drive defensively in Santo Domingo.
Planning to drive on vacation? Read my guide to driving in the DR first!
What to Bring
This is primarily a walking tour, including some climbing up steps and uneven pavement. Here's what I recommend to stay comfortable and safe:
- Camera or smartphone for Instagram pictures
- Cool, breathable clothes--it's warm year-round
- Crossbody bag or backpack so you can be hands-free!
- Sunglasses and/or a Wide-Brim Hat
- Sunscreen
- Walking shoes
Have you packed yet? Use my Dominican Republic women's packing list, which includes outfit ideas, too!
Historia Oculta Santo Domingo Day Tour Review
The tour started promptly and 9 am local time and ended at about 2 pm. After the Santo Domingo colonial zone tour, we took an (optional) drive out to an abandoned sugar plantation and distillery to get a sense of the working conditions of enslaved people in colonial DR.
One of the most powerful moments that stood out to me was walking through the flip side of Ghana's "Door of No Return." Santo Domingo is home to the very first entry point (Puerta de las Atarazanas) for enslaved West Africans in the Americas, but you won't find it highlighted a such on any other tour--there's not even a marker denoting its significance! I learned more about Indigenous and Black history in Santo Domingo on this tour than all the rest of my time in the Dominican Republic.
Our tour guide, Ruth, was extremely knowledgeable, compassionate, and detailed in schooling us on sometimes complicated and uncomfortable historical information. And she did it in English, in Spanish, and some French!
To top everything off, I was hungry for authentic Dominican food, which was sorely lacking in Punta Cana, so Ruth recommended what turned out to be my favorite meal of the trip at El Conuco before leaving Santo Domingo.
After lunch, I took a visit to Los Tres Ojos National Park, which I highly recommend, as well!
For Solo Travelers
I would absolutely recommend this Santo Domingo excursion for solo travelers, as the group size is intimate and it's easy to make friends with other travelers if you so desire. Don't feel nervous at all about joining this city tour when traveling alone--I felt completely comfortable and welcomed!
Santo Domingo is one of the most famous Dominican tourist destinations for history buffs, but the typical tour operators simply tell an incomplete tale of the island's interesting history.
Read my solo traveling tips for first timers!
More Favorite Places to Visit in the Dominican Republic
I hope you get to experience the hidden history of Santo Domingo soon and very soon. And sharing is caring, so be sure to pin this post for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
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