0 of 65 packed
Documents & money 0/12
Tech 0/6
Clothes for heat, rain and mountains 0/10
Beaches, waterfalls & boats 0/8
Health & toiletries 0/9
Driving 0/5
Traveling with kids 0/5
Before you leave home 0/10
Clear every tick on this list?
What to add, season by season
The basics above work all year. On the coast it is warm in every month, so the real variables are rain, storms, seaweed and altitude. What catches Americans out is how cold the mountains get at night, how hard the sun hits on a boat, and forgetting the e-Ticket QR code for the flight home.
| Months | Beaches, resorts and Santo Domingo | Jarabacoa, Constanza and the mountains |
|---|---|---|
| December to April | The dry high season: days in the low to mid 80s°F (28–30°C) in Punta Cana. A windbreaker and motion-sickness pills for whale watching in Samaná from January to March, and a long-sleeve layer for winter-league baseball nights. On the north coast and Samaná, November to January is the wettest stretch, so add a rain jacket there | Warm layers: Constanza nights can fall into the 40s°F (5–9°C), and frost is possible on Pico Duarte and in Valle Nuevo from December to February |
| May to August | A light rain jacket for short, heavy downpours. Sargassum is at its worst from May to August, especially on the east coast, so ask your resort about its beach before you go. Hurricane season starts June 1. The north coast is often drier and calmer in summer | Light layers and a rain shell for afternoon thunderstorms; Jarabacoa days are sometimes in the low 80s°F (27–28°C) in summer, with nights in the 60s°F (15–20°C) |
| September to November | Rain gear, travel insurance and a flexible plan: the hurricane risk peaks from August to October, and boat trips are canceled when seas are rough | Rain gear; heavy storms can raise rivers and close roads, and rafting stops when the Yaque is too high |
Watch out
The e-Ticket is free, and you need one for each direction. Search results are full of lookalike sites that charge $30 to $90 a person to "process" it, so check that the address bar reads eticket.migracion.gob.do before you type in passport details. Save the QR code as a screenshot and print it too: airport Wi-Fi and roaming can fail just when the airline agent asks for it. See entry rules.
What to leave at home
- A plug adapter or voltage converter. The DR uses the same Type A and B plugs and 110–120 V as the US, so your hair dryer and chargers work as they are. See phones, plugs and apps.
- Expensive jewelry and watches. The State Department's advice is not to flash them. Bring what you would not mind losing, and use the room safe.
- A wardrobe of only beachwear. You will want covered shoulders and knees for churches, long pants for à la carte dinners and real shoes for the Zona Colonial. See etiquette.
- Flip-flops for the waterfalls. At Damajagua and El Limón they come off or slip. Bring water shoes or old sneakers that lace tightly.
- Cannabis and THC products in any form. Leave them at home, even if they are legal where you live.
- Large amounts of cash, unless you declare it. Declare US$10,000 or more in the customs section of the e-Ticket.
- Pesos bought in the US. If your bank stocks them at all, the rate is poor. Pay resorts in the currency they quote, and use a fee-free debit card at a bank ATM for pesos. See money.
Not sure what the weather will be? Check when to go. For beaches and seaweed see beaches, for boat trips and operators see excursions, for resort dress codes and tipping see all-inclusives, and for scams and emergencies see safety.