Explore Puerto Plata's Best & Cable Car - Shore Excursion
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Dominican Republic
- 4 to 5 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
From historic attractions to scenic vista points, Puerto Plata has plenty to keep visitors entertained. See the best of the city in a short time frame on this Puerto Plata shore excursion, which includes top area attractions such as the grounds of San Felipe Fortress and the historic Victorian district. A small-group limit keeps the tour more personal, while unlimited rum punch, bottled water, and fresh fruit keep you feeling like you’re on vacation.
- Tour the San Felipe Fortress, Mt. Isabela, and more
- Small-group tour for a more personalized experience
- All entrance fees included
- Port pickup and drop-off included
What's Included
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan OR mini-bus
- Live commentary on board
- National Park fees
- Complimentary Rum Punch
- Luperon Museum may be substituted if the cable car is not operating due to maintenance/high winds
- Bottled water
- Additional food and drinks (available to purchase)
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
PLEASE READ ALL: TOUR DEPARTURE TIME IS 45-MINUTES AFTER THE SHIP'S ACTUAL ARRIVAL. IF THE SHIP IS EARLY OR LATE THE DEPARTURE TIME REMAINS THE SAME (45-MINUTES AFTER THE SHIP'S ACTUAL ARRIVAL). Port of Puerto Plata, Taino Bay. Outside the main gates of the port of Puerto Plata (Taino Bay). Port of Amber Cove Outside the main gates. Important Note: there are two (2) ports in Puerto Plata - Taino Bay, Puerto Plata AND Amber Cove (less than 15-minutes apart by car. If your ship announces an "itinerary change" to either port - we will be there. We will provide you with the new map and meet instructions. There is no need to cancel your excursion! Look for our Welcome Team with signs that read, "Puerto Plata Adventures". It is important that you be with the first groups to leave the ship as we aim to depart 45-minutes after your ship’s actual arrival (or when the gangway is in place). TOUR DEPARTURE TIME IS 45-MINUTES AFTER THE SHIP'S ACTUAL ARRIVAL. IF THE SHIP IS EARLY OR LATE THE DEPARTURE TIME REMAINS THE SAME (45-MINUTES AFTER THE SHIP'S ACTUAL ARRIVAL).
Arranged start time
Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.
- 02/01/2023 - 04/30/2026
Monday - Sunday : 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM
- 05/01/2026 - 04/30/2027
Monday - Sunday : 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Itinerary
Puerto Plata (Pass By)
1
Mount Isabel de Torres
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Parque Central Independencia
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Fortaleza San Felipe
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Malecon Puerto Plata (Pass By)
4
Umbrella Street
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Malecon Puerto Plata
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Paseo de Dona Blanca
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Terrain can be uneven with narrow streets
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Guests should wear comfortable clothing, sensible footwear, sunscreen and sunglasses
- The minimum age to participate is 4 years old
- IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO CALL TO CONFIRM AS GUESTS ARE AUTOMATICALLY CONFIRMED
- Not recommended for those with limited mobilty, cane or walker users
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.6
based on 128 reviews
Paul_L, Jul 2024
We were able to experience Puerto Plata, but there wasn’t much time to fully enjoy. Also, the cable car wasn’t running which would have been the highlight of the day. They drove us up the mountain instead.
Ross_B, Jun 2024
It was a great day in Puerto Plata with Anthony. Maybe it should not have been sold as a cable car ride since the cable car has been inoperable for around two years, but the drive up the mountain was actually quite enjoyable.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Hi! Thank you for the review. Anthony is awesome. We just wanted to let you know that the cable car has been operating and not inoperable for two years. We operators were notified very recently that operations would cease for renovations. The cable car is now undergoing complete renovation to the building which houses the gondolas including major upgrades to restrooms, etc. We hope you come back to see us very soon so you can experience the ride down in the cable car. Our regular experience always includes the mountain drive up and the cable car ride down. We hope you enjoyed the beautiful botanical gardens as well as the photo opportunities with the Christ statue and the mountain vista :-)
Melody_o, May 2024
Alex our guide was the best! He was above and beyond with friendliness and knowledge. He kept us entertained the entire trip and always looked out for every guest wherever we were, making sure we were always safe and informed. He was eager to help anyone in need of anything.
Our driver Luis was a fantastic driver in the midst of those crazy streets with all the scooters zooming in and out. We felt very safe with Luis behind the wheel!
Chheng_H, May 2024
Our tour guide Westin is awesome!! Very professional and knowledgeable. He makes sure everybody is comfortable and safe. He’s very experience at what he does because all the other tour guides acknowledged him when we’re out in public.
Jennifer_N, Apr 2024
Our tour guide, Xander, was excellent! He was informative and attentive to our group ensuring everyone was happy and nobody was left behind. We had a great time and would not hesitate to book this again!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for reviewing Explore Puerto Plata's Best with Cable Car. Xander is a great Tour Host and he appreciates your thoughtfulness :-)
HAPPY SAILING!
DavidA_D, Apr 2024
Alex did a great job as our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining. I would highly recommend this tour.
Johnny_G, Apr 2024
The meeting instructions weren't very clear and I got left. I contacted the guide and didn't receive a response until they were taking off for the next trip which was fine since we still had time before the ship left. I ran back to the meeting point and they had left me again. Poor meeting instructions and poor communication and I never received a refund. I would not book again.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Hello - I think perhaps you are reviewing the wrong tour operator. Here are our instructions we provide (and we also provide an arial/drone map with direction markers):
You will:
1) walk from the ship along the pier
2) cross the plaza to the Duty-Free Shop 3) go through Duty Free
4) go past the tour buses (on your right)
5) go past the taxis (on your left)
6) go past the vendors trying for last-minute sales
7) cross the small “road” to the sidewalk (still inside the cruise center)
8) walk down the side walk (still inside the cruise center)
9) go past the small, pink, hut (on your left)
10) go past the small, security hut (on your right)
11) exit the large, white main gates (completely leave the cruise center – you will see the highway in front of you)
12) go to the sidewalk to your left (located about 50-yards from the main gate)
13) you might not see us right away but we will be on the sidewalk, holding signs that read, “Puerto Plata Adventures”
We also communicate via the Viator system and call from our local numbers and our US number. When a guest is running late we do all we can to join them with their group as well as holding the vehicle for as long as we dare. Since this is a shared excursion, we must dispatch after the grace-period has expired for the benefit of our on-time guests. After we dispatch, we wait for any late guests and then we join them with their group. Happy Sailing in the future!
Adita_M, Apr 2024
Cable car was nice! The town experience was simple… it should have been more! They could have shortened the experience
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Hello! We are glad you had a nice cable car experience. The historic town portion of our tour features the fort grounds, Umbrella Street, Pink Street, Parquet Independencia, the cathedral and a bit of free-time to enjoy the park. This experience is 4-4 1/2 hours depending upon your port arrival. Hopefully you can come again one day. HAPPY SAILING!
Wallace_a, Mar 2024
Awesome, historical and beautiful tour with an excellent guide. Ask for Winston. EXCELLENT tour and way to learn about Puerto Plata and the surrounding area. Tour guide, Winston, was extremely informative, helpful, courteous, and professional. Luis, the drivere, was also very courteous and kept us safe and on time. The route that the tour takes and that it is a bus tour, including some shopping, downtown historical and tourist interests, and then a beautiful countryside tour ending at the top of the mountain with the Christus Redentor Statue, a small park, and phenonenal views AND from which the cable car descends into the city was amazing. Tour ended with a free snack and some stout Rum Punch. You can either end downtown for more shopping on your own, or can be taken back to the port. Would highly recommend.
Read more about Explore Puerto Plata's Best with Cable Car - Shore Excursion - https://www.viator.com/tours/Dominican-Republic/Amber-Cove-Shore-Excursion-Explore-Puerto-Plata-with-Cable-Car-Ride-and-Open-Bar/d32-22295P1?mcid=56757
Luanna_H, Mar 2024
Beautiful island, very interesting tour. Guide was most accommodating. Lots of trees and wild park at the top, fun cable car ride down.
Heather_S, Feb 2024
We really enjoyed our tour led by Winston! He was very informative sharing a lot of history with us as we went along. There were a group of elderly people on our tour and Winston was so kind and went out of his way to accommodate them physically and was always making sure he met their physical needs and limitations without slowing down the rest of us. He was just so kind hearted !
We saw a lot of the city and the stops were all great to see !
I do wish we had a little more time time to explore the caves at the park also staying there a little longer to walk around the beautiful gardens also !!
Overall I highly recommend this tour !
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Your review is very kind and we appreciate it. Winston is a truly awesome human and we all adore him :-) He is very knowledgeable and loves to share his knowledge and his country with our guests. The cave, the gardens and the statue at the mountaintop are lovely - we wish we could linger longer. We hope you enjoyed the cable car decent and our signature rum punch. All the best to you and hope to see you again!
Fariha_R, Dec 2023
Excellent! Great customer service and very professional! Highly recommended this! great tour guide Tony!
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thank you, thank you! Tony is really glad you enjoyed your day with us. Our team enjoys sharing our country, history and knowledge with our honored guests. All the best!
Brad_P, Sep 2023
Alex was a great tour guide. This was a fun and educational tour. Beautiful views and nice ride in an air conditioned vehicle. Would do again.
Caution that the van is located outside the port gates. It is a long walk from the ship. I recommend taking a taxi from port to the meeting point.
Lori_H, Jun 2023
You walk forever from the boat with no signs until you get outside the cruise ship gate! Then you still really have to look, and ask. Then you walk further. It isn't written how far you must walk.....be ware! My wife and I hustled and got there early, and on time. Then we had to wait, over 40 minutes for people who were late and didn't show. ( no respect for others ). Giving them a couple of minutes is one thing, however that long of a wait hurt OUR shopping and excursion time, absolutely. I'm sure the tour company didn't return any body's money. I'm sure the guide lost tips as well. I didn't like the idea that we were told that we shouldn't go to the gift shop at the top of the hill / cable car. I'm sure this company and the tour guide wanted us to spend money in their approved shops for VARIOUS reasons. We did any way. It isn't explained in your brochure that you ONLY ride down the hill on the cable car either. The ride up the hill was ok. Again, waiting way, way to long for the five no shows was absolutely wrong customer service. Our tour guide was nice and pleasant. I'd go again, but I'm much wiser now. I would ask much more detailed questions. Also, id demand my money back for that extensive wait.
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Thank you for taking time to provide your comments.
Firstly, we provide all guest orders with very detailed instructions and a map (drone shot) to our meet location.
In our initial message to you we explain that the map and instructions should be with you when you leave the ship.
Our tours depart 45-minutes after your ship’s actual arrival (so if the ship is early or late – the departure time remains the same).
We allow a 5-minute grace period where we call late guests and then we depart for the benefit of our on-time guests.
Secondly, we do not operate shopping tours. Our company and team do not promote or encourage shopping and we do not solicit or accept commissions. This practice is damaging to the experience in our opinion.
Again – we and our lovely team do not compromise our experiences with commissioned shopping.
At the mountain top after extensive touring of the botanical gardens, the representation of the typical house and the Christ the Redeemer statue, we must make our way to the cable car line. There is simply no time for shopping nor is shopping indicated in our description.
That said, there is a small bit of free-time in the historic town if our guests wish to step into a shop.
We also invite you to review the tour description – we make our way through small villages to the summit enjoying fabulous views and we descend by cable car. These two elements add to the experience and shortens the wait time for the cable car.
We are glad to see that you would do this excursion again.
Happy Sailing!
Kimberly_t, Mar 2023
Tour was worth it. Unfortunately while on the tour it rained so we did not get a good look from the cable car. However when asked at the end of our vacation what was the best part, my husband and daughter, who took the tour, said this tour was the best part. The tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly.
Response from Host, Mar 2023
This review is so kind. We do our very best to ensure a great time :-) Knowing our experience and our team was the "best part" of your vacation - means a lot. Hope to see you again on a bright and sunny day!
James_S, Feb 2023
The pickup location was outside the port gates (the only one outside the gates) and was a VERY LONG WALK. All four of us are in our late 70's with infirmities and we had no idea how far we needed to walk when we booked. Therefore, we weren't able to participate. The tour provided a 10% refund which is unacceptable.
Response from Host, Feb 2023
Hi James! We regret that you were unable to participate in this wonderful and highly rated excursion. We provide all guests with information and instructions that will get you to us with less walking. We are confident you would have enjoyed the breathtaking views from the highest point on the north coast, the pretty historic town and our exceptional service had you joined us.
Theresa_C, Feb 2023
Our tour guides Alex and Angel were great! They were very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions about the area.
Doug_C, Jan 2023
Great time as my wife and I celebrated our 25th anniversary. Our guide, Alex, was great and very knowledgeable about his city and country and delivered this knowledge with passion. The only reason this was not given 5 stars was because the cable cars were shut down for maintenance and we couldn't ride them.
Response from Host, Jan 2023
Hi! Alex will be pleased as are we all that you had a great time...HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Regarding the cable car - we are notified of regular maintenance but in this case, the international certification agency made the decision to close the operation while they made a very thorough assessment. If even the tiniest issue is present - the cable car stops until the issue is resolved. Safety is our #1 concern. Hopefully you will be back and will experience this awesome attraction!
Tracy_B, Jan 2023
This excursion is amazing! Mind you - people try to do the cable car without booking the excursion and get stuck waiting- this excursion is perfectly planned to the cruise arrival and gets you back to the ship in plenty of time. You will tour the city, have time to shop at a few stops along the way and see the beautiful sights along the way. Our guide was Winston- he was amazing and a wealth of information. The beauty as you ride the cable car up the mountain is amazing! The flowers are so beautiful along the way and the views- stunning! I cannot recommend this trip enough- the only bad part is that it is not a cruise ship designated excursion so it IS OUTSIDE THE TERMINAL-OUTSIDE THE PORT GATES- and down the road. If you are alone, you may feel uncomfortable taking the trek out there, you do not need your passport. Just your cruise ID and your regular ID. The directions was a little confusing and it is a WALK but once you get to the vans- they were easy to find.
James_Y, Dec 2022
Enjoyed the road trip up to Christ the Redeemer, the view from its peak and the ride on cable car back to Puerto Plata. Saw the highlights in Puerto Plata without overstaying our time there. Our guide was knowledgeable, attentive, friendly and very well informed. It's a long trek from the ship to the meeting point, but well worth the effort.
Response from Host, Dec 2022
Thank you! Our slogan: "It's Worth the Walk"
:-)
We are so happy you enjoyed your visit to the highest point on the north coast of Puerto Plata. The mountain summit is lovely with the botanical gardens and the statue.
The finishing touch is the visit to the historic town - we strive for an all-around great experience.
All the best and happy sailing always!
Paula_S, Dec 2022
I really enjoyed this excursion! I enjoy hearing about the culture and history of another country that I am visiting. Alex was a wonderful, knowledgeable, guide who was very happy to share his culture with us. He was engaging and always concerned about keeping our safety. I felt very comfortable under his watch. His genuine enthusiasm in sharing the history of the various places we visited made the trip thoroughly enjoyable. This was my second time in DR, and it was a good way for me to experience what I didn’t get to do the first time around. I would highly recommend this excursion.
Gina_F, Nov 2022
We did a city tour which included the square, Catholic cathedral, Pink Street, Umbrella Street, the fort used against pirates, botanical garden with turtles and fish, Statue of Jesus (replica given by Brazil half the size of theirs) and an amazing cable car ( only one in the Caribbean) ride 3000 m in the air with an exceptional view!!! Alex was an outstanding tour guide of it all. And we ended the tour with a rum punch. Definitely a must do while in puerto plata.
Sheila_M, Jul 2022
Our guide Alex was fabulous. He showed us all of the listed places in the description. He was always happy to take photos. He even made stop for empanadas before we finished our tour!
Tyoshee_B, Jul 2022
This definitely was an excursion that will always be remembered. Our tour guide Alex was very knowledgeable and made the experience better. The cable car was fun with beautiful sights. Thanks again, Alex!
Sehwong, May 2022
Winston was a great tour guide. We enjoyed the tour stops in the city’s as well as up on the mountain. Nice air conditioned bus with WiFi.
We are not beach people so this was a nice alternative for us. Moderately strenuous walking. Great views. God history of Hispaniola and the Dominican Republic.
Response from Host, May 2022
Thank you so much for taking the time to review our company and team (we love Winston). We are so happy you enjoyed the views. The highest point on the north coast of the Dominican Republic is such a pleasant place to be with the beautiful gardens and statue. Hope you enjoyed Umbrella Street, Pink Street and Parque Independencia (and our famous rum punch) as well :-)
RobertM_K, May 2022
We had a great tour director in Winston of Puerto Plata Adventures.
He was extremely knowledgeable and worked at a slow pace to accommodate our group who were somewhat elderly. Fun time!!
Edward_K, Feb 2020
The bus ride to the top of the mountain and gondola ride back down was very senic. The fort and city tour was interesting.
Carol, Feb 2020
Henry did a fantastic job in giving a us a detailed narration and understanding of his country. Really enjoyed it! Carol & John Niagara Falls
Cohrtlinda, Feb 2020
This tour exceeded our expectations. Our guide, Henry, was very informative and spoke fluent English. Because of a recent rain, we rode the gondola both ways. The views from the gondola were magnificent.
Henry, who is a Tiger Woods look alike, made several stops for photos.
Henry guided us through the gardens at the top of the mountain, pointing out all the many flowers and plants. I saw a poinsettia tree.
On our return, Henry made a special stop to grab fresh bananas for all of us.
We booked this as a shore excursion, knowing we would return to the ship on time.
It is a long walk from the cruise port.
I would definitely recommend this tour. It is small group, which is ideal
Response from Host, Feb 2020
Henry will cherish the Tiger Woods reference...FOREVER (and we will all hear about it again and again lol). Henry is a great host, talented guide and a fun team-member. We are so happy you enjoyed the experience. Thank you for the review and recommendation so that future guests know "It's Worth the Walk"!
Ted C, Nov 2019
We had a very pleasant tour thru the countryside and the historic city center. Our tour guide was pleasant and well informed....having grown up in the Dominican Republic. The gondola ride and views were the highlight
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