Itinerary · Punta Cana · Dominican Republic
2 days in Punta Cana
A day-by-day plan grouped by neighbourhood, so you spend your time seeing Punta Cana, not crossing it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
2 days is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 7. Day 1: Bávaro Beach and Catamaran and snorkelling trip. Day 2: Hoyo Azul at Scape Park and Indigenous Eyes Ecological Reserve. Base yourself in Bávaro.
Key facts
- Days
- 2
- Sights covered
- 10
- Day trips
- None
- Best base
- Bávaro
- Book ahead
- Nothing essential
Day by day
Day 1: Bávaro Beach and Catamaran and snorkelling trip
Bávaro Beach, Catamaran and snorkelling trip, Macao Beach and Juanillo Beach, then Coco Bongo Punta Cana in the evening.
Morning
Bávaro Beach
By law Dominican beaches are public, so you can walk the whole length past resort after resort.
Late morning
Catamaran and snorkelling trip
Half-day catamaran trips leave from Bávaro and Cabeza de Toro beaches to snorkel the reef offshore and stop at shallow sandbanks, usually with music and an open bar on board.
Lunch
Lunch: La bandera dominicana
Local comedores in Friusa and Verón behind the resorts; some resort buffets serve it at lunch.
Afternoon
Macao Beach
Waves make it popular with surf schools, and simple shacks fry whole fish with tostones for lunch.
Late afternoon
Juanillo Beach
It is inside the gated development, so non-residents usually arrive by taxi, tour or from a Cap Cana hotel.
Evening
Coco Bongo Punta Cana
Front-row and VIP tickets cost much more; general entry still gives a good view of the stage.
Day 2: Hoyo Azul at Scape Park and Indigenous Eyes Ecological Reserve
Hoyo Azul at Scape Park, Indigenous Eyes Ecological Reserve, Cabeza de Toro beach and Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, then Los Corales and El Cortecito in the evening.
Morning
Hoyo Azul at Scape Park
The park also offers zip lines, caves and a Dominican village experience.
Late morning
Indigenous Eyes Ecological Reserve
It is run by a local ecological foundation.
Lunch
Lunch: Sancocho
Local restaurants and comedores, especially on Sundays.
Afternoon
Cabeza de Toro beach
A sheltered beach where the reef comes close to shore, leaving shallow, calm water ideal for young swimmers and snorkelling at the reef edge.
Late afternoon
Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia
It draws large pilgrimages every 21 January.
Evening
Los Corales and El Cortecito
Come for a sunset drink and seafood dinner, then walk back along the beach.
Where to stay for this itinerary
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, nightlife and beach
Bávaro
The main resort strip, with big all-inclusives along a long white-sand beach
Pace and daylight
The sights in this plan add up to roughly 26–36 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11 hours in December to 13.2 hours in June.
Getting between stops: Taxi. Taxis from local drivers' associations wait at resorts and shopping plazas with fixed zone fares rather than meters; agree the price before you ride.
More or fewer days
Questions travellers ask
+Is 2 days enough in Punta Cana?
2 days is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 7. How many days Punta Cana needs.