Reconnect with nature and immerse yourself in the stunning landscapes of the Dominican Republic on this unique 8-day birdwatching adventure. Designed for those seeking an outdoor escape, this journey offers a rare opportunity to discover the country’s rich avian biodiversity, including several species endemic to Hispaniola.

Day 1: Santo Domingo Airport – Zona Colonial (35km / 45 min)

Reception and welcome at Santo Domingo Airport (driver and guide with name sign outside the terminal), followed by a private transfer to the old town of Santo Domingo. Suppose you arrive at a different airport or are already in the Dominican Republic. In that case, we offer the option to arrange a private transfer to Santo Domingo at any time (for an additional fee). This guarantees a convenient and flexible start to your tour.

Included meals: Dinner at the hotel

Included services: Transport, and ornithological tour guide

Accommodation: Hotel Nicolas de Ovando**** Santo Domingo or similar

Day 2: Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens – Sabana de La Mar (180km / 3 hrs. 30 min)

Santo Domingo Botanical Gardens. The National Botanical Gardens is a great introduction to the birding bounty of the Dominican Republic. Diligently preserved and full of native plants, the gardens provide a habitat for many of the island’s most sought-after species. We can expect to kick off our tour with good views of the scarce West Indian Whistling Duck, retiring Mangrove Cuckoo, ornate Red-legged Thrush and other widespread species such as Zenaida Dove and Greater Antillean

Grackle. Near-endemics and endemics are many, including Hispaniolan Woodpecker, Hispaniolan Parakeet, Black-crowned Tanager, Hispaniolan Lizard Cuckoo, Antillean Palm Swift, gorgeous Antillean Mango, minuscule Vervain Hummingbird and one of only monotypic families of the Caribbean  Palmchat.

Parque Nacional Los Haitises area. We venture to this section of the country for one particualr species indeed, one of the most imperilled endemic targets of the tour - Ridgway’s Hawk. Critically Endangered, this incredibly rare raptor has had its range reduced to only a small part of northern Dominican Republic, long since extinct in Haiti. On the upside, due to intensive and prolonged efforts by the Peregrine Fund, this species is making a small recovery. This site is one of the better spots on the tour to get views of the bizarre Antillean Piculet. Too big to be closely related to other neotropic piculets, but too small to

be a woodpecker, the species looks and sound much more akin to the pygmy woodpeckers of the Old World. The area also supports Plain or Scaly-naped Pigeons, Hispaniolan Amazon, Whitenecked Crow and Black-whiskered Vireo. We might also get our first glimpse of a Tody, as Broad-billed Tody is not at all uncommon. There are also several commoner species to be seen such as Grey Kingbird, Black-whiskered Vireo, several species of swallow, Bananaquits, Yellow-faced Grassquit, thousands of Turkey Vultures and Red-tailed Hawks. This evening, we will head out to locate the endemic Ashy-faced Owl. The species is quite successful within its habitat preference of humid forest borders and edges.

Included meals: Breakfast at the hotel, lunch on the road, and dinner at the hotel.

Included services: Transport, ornithological tour guide and Entrance Fees

Accommodation: Altos de Caño Hondo*** Sabana de la Mar or similar

Day 3: Sabana de La Mar – Salinas de Bani (250km / 4 hrs. 45 min)

Sabana del Mar dock. A brief stop here offers a wonderful view of the surrounding mountain ranges that plunge into the Caribbean, as well as providing some decent shorebird and tern viewing. We’ve often found Hispaniolan Curlytail Lizards and some interesting anoles here, for those herp lovers on the tour.

Included meals: Breakfast at the hotel, lunch on the road, and dinner at the hotel

Included services: Transport, ornithological tour guide and Entrance Fees

Accommodation: Hotel Salinas*** Las Salinas or similar

Day 4: Salinas de Bani to Pedernales (195km / 3 hrs. 45 min)

Salinas de Bani. We will start our birding along the mangrove edges in search of the Caribbean race of Clapper Rail, Mangrove Warbler, and the stunning American Flamingo which can be seen here in varying numbers. Several endemics live in the scrub and thickets bordering the mangroves, and we might come across our first Stolid Flycatcher or Greater Antillean Bullfinch here. An impressive array of shorebirds, including the endangered Piping Plover, is one of the reasons this area has gained international recognition as an area of importance. In spring migration, thousands of shorebirds stage here en route to breeding grounds in the arctic. We will be visiting at the front end of this migration spectacle. While we won’t have the astonishing numbers a visit in April would yield, we will encounter large numbers of an array of nice species today. Shorebirds regularly seen here include Black-necked Stilt, Grey (Black-bellied) Plover, Snowy, Wilson’s, Semipalmated, and Piping Plovers, Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Stilt, Least, Semipalmated, Western, and Spotted Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitcher, Willet, and both species of Yellowlegs. Royal, Cabot’s, and Common Terns, as well as the odd Roseate (rare) can be seen here along with the entire complement of the island’s herons and egrets. It will be a pleasant morning at a very scenic location.

Included meals: Breakfast at the hotel, lunch on the road, and dinner at the hotel

Included services: Transport, ornithological tour guide and Entrance Fees

Accommodation: Eco del Mar Lodge*** Cabo Rojo or similar

Day 5: Cabo Rojo & southern Sierra de Bahoruco (145km / 3 hrs. 30 min)

Sierra de Bahoruco (southern slopes). There are several well-known birding spots covering the southern Sierra de Bahoruco slopes and coastline. We will likely start our morning by driving up the Alcoa Road. This southern access to the Sierra de Bahoruco was built by the Alcoa bauxite mining company many years ago. These days, the asphalt road allows us easy and quick access to the higher parts of the ridge where native pine forests remain intact. As with any area, certain birds are more likely to be seen in one locale than the other. Here we hope to find Hispaniolan Amazon, Golden Swallow, Hispaniolan Palm Crow, Pine Warbler, Antillean Siskin and Hispaniolan Crossbill, to name just a few.

Cabo Rojo. This small beach cove is host to a few special birds such as White-tailed Tropicbird, Brown Booby, the Hispaniolan subspecies of Cave Swallow and Antillean Palm Swift. It also makes for a perfect seafood lunch stop!

Included meals: Breakfast at the hotel, lunch on the beach, and dinner at the hotel

Included services: Transport, ornithological tour guide and Entrance Fees

Accommodation: Eco del Mar Lodge*** Cabo Rojo or similar

Day 6: Cachote to Duverge (145km / 3 hrs. 30 min)

Barahona area. Several hotels and lodges in the area have cultivated gardens that can be quite productive. Specials we’ll keep an eye out for include Hispaniolan Oriole, Palmchat, Hispaniolan Woodpecker. We have another chance for Ashyface Owl this evening if need be.

Cachote. This morning, we will head into another part of the Sierra de Bahoruco range for a very special treat. With a certain amount of luck and effort, we should be able to get good views of Eastern Chat-Tanager. Many miles outside of its known distribution, this southern slope population is little known and even less often searched for. These songsters are notorious skulkers, but with patience we usually get everyone on the bird. Besides the Eastern Chat-Tanager, we will enjoy our first exposure to the higher-elevation and humid broadleaf forests that the bulk of the island’s endemics inhabit. Notably, Rufous-throated Solitaire song fills the air here, and is one of the most beautiful songs in nature! We may find the rare Bicknell’s Thrush, common and adorable Narrow-billed Tody, and Hispaniolan Trogons, too! Though more numerous at our next destination, Hispaniolan Spindalis and Green-tailed Warblers are both seen here, adding to a wonderful host of island endemics. We will be treated to a filling field breakfast prepared by our hosts from the nearby village of Cachote, before birding our way back down the mountain.

Rabo de Gato. This is an incredible site for Quail-Doves, who come to feed in the leaf litter along a particular stretch of the Rabo de Gato Trail. Though few tours see all three species of Quail-Doves that occur on the island, all three have indeed been observed here. The clear focus is the island’s endemic White-fronted Quail-Dove, recently split from Grey-headed Quail-Dove. If we’re lucky, we’ll also see Key West and Ruddy! We should have time to sample the lower-elevation birds here, such as Plain Pigeon, Broad-billed Tody, Hispaniolan Lizard Cuckoo, White necked Crow, and Hispaniolan Amazon. Night birding here is a must, and we will search for the endemic Least Poorwill and the more widespread Northern Potoo.

Included meals: Breakfast at the hotel, lunch on the road, and dinner at the local restaurant

Included services: Transport, ornithological tour guide and Entrance Fees

Accommodation: Private accommodation in Duvergé Apartments with two separate rooms, but the living room and bathroom are shared.

Day 7: Northern Sierra de Bahoruco (Full day)

Sierra de Bahoruco (northern slopes). This important mountain range supports populations of nearly all of Hispaniola's island endemics and target birds. An early rise this morning will allow us to reach the high elevation cloud forest before activity dwindles. After many exciting new species, we will then bird our way downhill at our leisure. The long list of birds from today’s efforts might include Hispaniolan Nightjar, Scaly-naped Pigeon, Antillean Piculet, Hispaniolan Lizard Cuckoo, Hispaniolan Trogon, Antillean Siskin, Green-tailed Warbler, White[1]winged Warbler, Western Chat-Tanager, Hispaniolan Crossbill, Hispaniolan Emerald, Hispaniolan Amazon, Broad-billed and Narrowbilled Todies, Hispaniolan Woodpecker, Hispaniolan Pewee, Greater Antillean Elaenia, Stolid Flycatcher, Golden Swallow, Rufous[1]throated Solitaire, Antillean Euphonia, Hispaniolan Spindalis, Greater Antillean Bullfinch, Hispaniolan Oriole and the extremely rare La Selle Thrush. The lush greenery of the mountains is also the wintering ground of many important North American migrant species. Cape May, Prairie and Black-throated Blue Warblers are among the commoner Neotropical migrants, but the range restricted, boreal-breeding Bicknell’s Thrush is also present in small numbers.

Included meals: Breakfast to take with, lunch and dinner at the local restaurant

Included services: Transport, ornithological tour guide and Entrance Fees

Accommodation: Private accommodation in Duvergé Apartments with two separate rooms, but the living room and bathroom are shared

Day 8: La Placa, Laguna Rincón to Santo Domingo (230km / 4 hrs.)

La Placa. This site allows us to focus on one of the most spectacular birds of the island – Bay-breasted Cuckoo. Though we might’ve already encountered this species by now, birding this area offers the tour’s best chance for a close encounter with his important, striking species, as well as Flat-billed Vireo, yet another endemic

Laguna de Rincon. Time permitting, we hope to have some time for a boat ride and exploration of a seldom visited, but productive, freshwater site called Laguna de Rincon. As the only large freshwater lake on the island, it attracts a host of waterfowl, rails, herons, and several island endemics. White-cheeked Pintail, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup and Ruddy Duck frequent the lake, though the marshy areas will be our focus. The elusive Spotted Rail is known to breed here, and the enigmatic, Yellow-breasted Crake has also been reported. Both are widespread, but certainly one of the most seldom-seen species in their range. We have a decent shot to see at least one of them here at Laguna Rincon!

Included meals: Breakfast before leave, lunch on the road and farewell dinner at the hotels colonial garden

Included services: Transport, ornithological tour guide and Entrance Fees

Accommodation: Hotel Nicolas de Ovando**** Santo Domingo or similar

Day 9: Santo Domingo – Santo Domingo airport (160km / 3 Std 15 min)

Transfer to the airport of Santo Domingo. If you wish to extend your stay, add a beach extension, or require additional transfers, we are always at your disposal.

Included meals: Breakfast at the hotel

Included services: Transport ornithological tour guide

Included services:

 • Transfer in: Santo Domingo Airport – Accommodation in Santo Domingo

 • Transfer out: Accommodation in Santo Domingo – Santo Domingo Airport

 • Accommodations & meals: As mentioned in the program or equivalent

 • Guide/Driver: Ornithological tour guide and driver (day 1 to day 9)

• Entrance fees: All entrance fees, taxes, and service charges for the mentioned excursions and visits as described

Not included services:

 • Tips for driver/guide

• All meals, drinks, and personal expenses not mentioned

Reservations/Allotments

No reservations or allocations have been made so far. This offer is valid subject to availability at the hotels mentioned in the program at the moment of receiving your order to book or block the rooms.

Booking and Payment

·      Reservations must be made at least 45 days prior to the departure date.

·      A deposit of 30% of the total tour cost is required to secure the booking.

·      The balance payment must be completed no later than 30 days before departure.

·      Failure to make full payment by the due date may result in cancellation of the reservation without refund of the deposit.

Modifications to Itinerary

While every effort is made to follow the planned itinerary, the tour operator reserves the right to make reasonable modifications due to weather conditions, transportation delays, or other factors beyond control, without refund or compensation.

Health, Safety & Travel Documentation

Participants are responsible for ensuring they meet all entry, visa, and health requirements for Dominican Republic. Comprehensive travel insurance (including medical coverage) is highly recommended. The operator assumes no responsibility for costs arising from failure to comply with these requirements.

Responsibility and Liability

The operator acts solely as an agent for hotels, transportation companies, and other service providers. It shall not be held liable for any injury, loss, delay, or damage caused by third parties, weather conditions, political events, or any circumstance beyond its control.

Acceptance of Terms

By confirming a reservation and submitting payment, participants acknowledge that they have read, understood, and accepted these Terms and Conditions.

Itinerary Disclaimer

At Outdoor Experiences, we aim to follow the outlined itinerary as closely as possible. However, birdwatching is a nature-based activity, and flexibility is key. Changes may occur due to weather conditions, wildlife behavior, or access restrictions to certain areas. These adjustments are always made with the goal of maximizing your chances of unique and rewarding sightings.

Please note that while we highlight key bird species and locations in our program, we cannot guarantee specific wildlife encounters, as bird activity can vary day by day. Likewise, estimated travel times and schedules are approximate and may shift depending on local circumstances.

We appreciate your understanding and adventurous spirit it's all part of the experience.

Guide Information

All our birdwatching tours are led by local expert guides with deep knowledge of the region’s bird species, habitats, and seasonal behavior. These specialists are passionate about ornithology and are committed to helping you spot and identify both endemic and migratory birds throughout your journey.

They’ll also assist with logistics and share valuable tips to enhance your experience in the field. Before your trip, you’ll receive a short profile of your guide so you can get to know their background and expertise in advance.

How large will the group be?

Max 12.

Transport

Private vehicle.

Reservation Policy

Changes to Booking

Once your booking is confirmed, changes (such as date, itinerary, number of participants) may be made subject to availability and any additional fees. We reserve the right to apply supplier change fees and any applicable reconciliation costs.

Cancellation by the Guest

  If you cancel 45 days or more before the scheduled departure date, you will forfeit the non‑refundable deposit amount.

  If you cancel between 44 and 21 days before departure, you will be responsible for 50% of the total cost of the booked itinerary (including taxes/fees) or the non‑refundable deposit, whichever is greater.

 If you cancel 20 days or less before departure (including the day of departure), you will be responsible for 100% of the total cost of the booking (including taxes/fees).

Please note: certain components of your booking (e.g., specialized excursions, transfers, bird‑watching permits, room upgrades) may be non‑refundable even at earlier dates.

Cancellation or Changes by Us

We reserve the right to cancel or make changes to the itinerary in the unlikely event of force majeure, operational constraints or insufficient bookings. Should a cancellation occur from our side, you will be offered either a full refund or an alternative date or itinerary of comparable value.

2.   Liability & Supplier Terms

We act as agent for various suppliers (guides, lodges, transport, etc.). The terms, conditions and absence of liability of those suppliers apply to your booking. We are not liable for any loss, damage, delay or inconvenience caused by suppliers, their employees or independent contractors.

 

Acceptance of Terms

By confirming a reservation and submitting payment, participants acknowledge that they have read, understood, and accepted these Terms and Conditions.

Thank you very much for your request. We are happy to get your feedback on that offer soon.