Samana Full-Day Tour with Whale Watching and Horse Riding
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- 11 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Animal-loving travelers will enjoy this full-day tour to Samana that includes whale-watching and horseback riding. Between mid-January and late-March you can see magnificent humpback whales in the wild. Visit a coffee and cacao farm, ride a horse through the jungle, and check out the gushing Salto el Limon waterfall. Also spend some time on one of the most beautiful islands in the country, Cayo Levantado.
- A fun day tour that will appeal to travelers with varied interests
- Buffet lunch and refreshments will be provided
- Round-trip transportation is included
- This is an economical group tour
What's Included
- Round trip Transportation
- Lunch
- Whale Watching
- Horseback Ride
- Salto El Limon
- Cayo Levantado
- Tips
- Souvenirs
- Photos
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We offer pickup and drop off in Punta Cana/Cap Cana/Bavaro/La Romana and Uvero Alto
Itinerary
1
Samana Bay
8 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 150 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
melvin_t
Loved the tour! Boat ride was interesting😅. Pedro was a great guide and everyone was very helpful to help with my disability
Reviews
3.8
based on 20 reviews
melvin_t, Mar 2022
Loved the tour! Boat ride was interesting😅. Pedro was a great guide and everyone was very helpful to help with my disability
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Hello, we are glad that you enjoyed our activity and we appreciate that you allowed us to be part of your vacation.
We will do our best to keep improving.
Carla_G, Mar 2022
The whales were incredible they got super close to the boat and put on an amazing show. The boat was so full though it was hard to squeeze in and see them or get pictures. Even so that was the best part of the day. The islands were so busy and the wait to use the bathroom or to get drinks took up most of the time there. It poured the entire day and the horse riding was cancelled but they also cancelled the chocolate and coffee part even though we were already there. If they had let the driver know in advance we could have saved over an hour driving there for nothing. Lots of moving from this boat to that one and at one point they overloaded a boat by double and forgot to put gas in it so we changed again. Also had to change from one bus to another, the day was very disorganized. They told us at both islands a time to meet and said if we weren't there they would leave but we waited over 30 minutes for a small group of the same people twice which put us behind all day. They were with a tour guide who worked with the captain so they waited twice. Overall quite disappointing except for the whales and I would not waste the time to do it again. If you go take your own food, the breakfast was a plain cheese sandwich with one piece on lunch meat and the lunch was less than good plus it's a really long day
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Hello, we value your opinion and thank you for the comments.
We will do our best to keep improving our service.
Berthold_A, Feb 2022
A fully loaded program, leaving home at 6 a.m. and coming back at 10 p.m. In the bus and during the day we didn't understand the tour guide, mostly because we weren't explained the program. We felt a bit like a cattle pushed around. And both tour guides and participants were grumpy. It was great to see the whales and we were happy that the boat trips were arranged in order to have the highest chance to see whales! The beach was great as well, but we didn't spend a lot of time there. Followed by a lunch in a beautiful place, very rushed however. In the evening before, the tour guide sent us a message to cancel the safari and horse ride to El Limon, to be surprised that it was done after all. Once arrived in the village we ended up in a chaos of horses and people, both being pushed around. Due to lack of explanation it felt unpredictable. The experience was both great and very wet. We didn't bring any dry clothes, so the boat ride back was extremely cold and wet. To enjoy the program to the fullest we would suggest to shorten it a bit and we would suggest Viator to put on their website to bring a rainponcho (given that it rains often at El Limon) and a set of dry clothes for afterwards. That said, it ended to be a day of great experiences!
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Hello, we value your opinion and thank you for the comments.
We will do our best to keep improving our service.
Bryon_M, Jan 2022
Yes, it does say full day. Well, it was more than a full day. This was a 15 hour day. I got picked up, on time at 630am. I got dropped off at 945pm. Some of the details are not accurate in this description. But it didnt affect my review, whatsoever.
First, you get picked up at your hotel, then you get taken to a gas station, where you hop on another vehicle. Now, with this being said, there is no regulations on transportation here. So you are traveling at your own risk. The day before, there was a 4 bus accident, killing the driver of one of the motor coaches. The vehicle I transferred, although was probably mechanically safe, if was small, as 2 full size adults could not fit, safely, in a row. God forbid, and accident happen, the end result would not be good. Luckily, the driver I had was very safe and got us to and from our destination. The trip to the pier at Miches was 2 hours long, each way. Once we got the the pier, we were told there was "breakfast". Their version of "breakfast" was a ham sandwich (with one piece of ham and one slice of cheese on stale bread) and 2 pieces of pineapple. I did not partake in this, as I saw some people throwing most of this away. Even the stray dogs were not eating it. After this "meal", they separated us in to groups. I was part of the "Pedro Familia", as Pedro was our guide. We boarded a catamaran, with about 50 people on board. We travelled about 30 minutes, out to the bay of Samana, along with other boats. We had 4 sightings. None, very close. The whales would only be visible, for maybe a minute each time. So, one they were spotted, you would race to where they are, then they would disappear. So it was a waiting game. For our last sighting, our boat "pilot" kind of ruined the experience. We had 2 whales, surface about 30 yards away from us, and parallel to us. So instead of staying in the same direction, where everyone could see this, he switched the direction of the boat, kind of ruining the sighting. After this, we boated over to Cayo Levantado. I guess this was just to see the small island. This was nothing spectacular. We were here for about an hour. You got a coupon for a free soda. We met Pedro back at the boat and then went over to Samana, for lunch. This was a buffet style lunch. Nothing horrible, nothing spectacular. We ate for about 30 minutes and then got on the "safari truck" and drove to the horseback area. There was no stop at a "house" like the description says, which was ok. The day before I saw about the cocoa and coconuts. We got off the trucks and there were a bunch of horses and handlers. It seemed as if the handlers were focusing on everyone else but me. Not that I expected to be recognized right away. It just seemed like I didnt exist. I finally got paired up with someone. I rode on a horse named "Macho". Now, some of the previous reviews were spot on about the horses. These were smaller horses and a little on the thin side. Now, I am not a fan of PETA, but they would have a field day here. This was my first time on a horse, and the handler was telling the horse to go faster than what i was really comfortable with, passing a lot of other people. The terrain was rough, and muddy. This couldnt have been good for the horse. We reached our destination, where we would walk down to the waterfall. Walking down was somewhat east. Going back up is not for the faint of heart. It's a rough climb back to the top. The waterfall was ok. After climbing back up, we went back, again a little faster than I cared to. And the mud got everywhere on your shoes and legs. They do offer rain boots to rent, and socks to buy. Probably not a good day to wear white sneakers. As we approached the end, the handler started his pitch for a tip. And he should be tipped. I didnt understand what he was saying. But then he said how much are you going to pay me. He suggested I pay him $50. And that just ruined the experience for me. My whole mood changed. Then he said $20. I gave him $8, as I had to tip other people in the tour. If I had the extra funds with me, I probably would have no problem tipping $20. But also due to the fact that he rushed the horse, when there was no need to, then that deserved less than $20.
So, after that awkward experience, we got back on on the safari truck and went back to a pier, where we got on another catamaran and boated back to Miches Pier. We got back on the same small van and left at 7:10pm. And as I mentioned above, I got dropped off at 9:45pm. This was such a long day, that I cancelled my excursion that I had scheduled for the next day. After dealing with the handler, who made things uncomfortable, and the 15 hour day, I just wanted to sleep in.
Now, just a side note. If you are observant like me, if there are pretty girls in your group, pay attention the the guides and how they act around them. One of the photographers was really "thirsty", in the way he acted around 2 girls in my group. And then he went to 2 specific horse handlers, and led them to the girls. It was kind of pathetic the way they were acting. But it led to some good entertainment.
Response from Host, Mar 2023
Hello, I'm sorry but you didn't have experiences with us and you have also posted in the wrong company.
Lyana_K, Mar 2021
Great seeing the whales but very rough waters, be sure to take motion sickness patches, also you will probably get very wet especially if seas are rough. Horseback ride was beautiful but not for the faint of heart. Walk down / up stairs to waterfall are steep and plentiful, not handicap accessible. Lunch was good, island stop was gorgeous. Very helpful guides. Horse guides rely on tips bring extra $$$ for tips. 15 hour day...
Response from Host, Oct 2021
Thank you 😊! We are glad that you enjoyed our service and that you allowed us to be part of your vacation 🏝. We hope to see you again soon. 🇩🇴❤🥳
Tobi, Mar 2021
Everything was as promised. No rush and enough time at each destination. Highly recommended and much appreciated
Response from Host, Oct 2021
Thank you 😊! We are glad that you enjoyed our service and that you allowed us to be part of your vacation 🏝. We hope to see you again soon. 🇩🇴❤🥳
Kristen_S, Mar 2021
Loved the boat rides, whale watching, waterfalls, horseback and beautiful beaches. I hope the horses are treated well and humanely. I was not a fan of being harassed for tips and buying souvenirs nonstop. And it was a long long day...13-14 hours. So be prepared for that!
Response from Host, Mar 2021
Nos alegra que nuestra actividad haya sido de su agrado y esperamos seguir mejorando día a día, para brindarle el mejor servicio. Te deseamos más días excelentes.
Angela_W, Feb 2021
The actual things we did on this excursion were great! We did see whales, the beach was beautiful, the horseback ride was super fun, and the waterfall was absolutely breathtaking!
Communication via what's app before the tour was great, and we were set for a fantastic day.
But then there were so many problems. It started when the driver who picked us up from our hotel didn't speak English. That was OK; we speak a little Spanish and we realize that we are in a Spanish speaking country! The problem was that he seemed to enjoy the other Spanish speaking passengers much more and catered to their music taste, playing Spanish rap songs very loudly as they all sang along. Granted, we did't say anything about the music, so I guess we can't complain about that. After the super long ride, he gave us to our guide for the day.
This guide does speak English but he was not very helpful in explaining what we were waiting for, that we would be in his group or that we could enjoy the fruits and sandwiches while we waited.
As we boarded the catamaran for the whale watching portion, we were required to wear the life jackets. Other than that, there was no other information given. It would have been helpful for them to explain that we would be in rough seas, that we would get wet from the water spray of the catamaran. It was a fun, but crazy, ride out to the whales. We did get a glimpse of whales about 5 or 6 times, but there was no explanation about why the whales are there, what kind of species they are, where they go the rest of the year. Nothing. At one point, the catamaran driver took off without warning--to get a better view of the whale--but it was so abrupt that people fell over. As we sat on the water watching and waiting for whales, the swells were strong and several people got seasick. This caution would have been helpful in the tour description.
After viewing the whales, we made our way to the small island, and it was absolutely beautiful. The tour description says that you will have a Pina colada there, but our voucher was good only for a small cup of soft drink or rum and coke at most. The island and beach were lovely even though the beach chairs looked as though they may have been salvaged from an old cruise ship. There are also many vendors there trying to sell their crafts, cigars, etc. They weren't especially pushy and politely backed away after a "no, gracias." The guide said to meet back at 1:10, but he was unclear as to where to meet back. Then he didn't show back up until about 1:25. We board the catamaran again to go to lunch. This time (and for the next), the life jackets are nowhere to be seen. Not sure why they were so important for the first leg on the water but not the others??
After a quick trip across the bay, we end up at a sketchy looking restaurant, but the views and open air concept were beautiful. Our guide ordered us to wear masks at the restaurant. No problem; we get it. But then it was a buffet where everyone handles the same utensils and the option for salt is to put your hands in a bowl and draw out a pinch. We've had Dominican buffet lunches twice before, but this one just wasn't very good. The chicken was tiny, dark meat pieces, and I didn't try the fried fish. The bathrooms at this place were disgusting! Our guide doesn't give any warning like "we're leaving in 10 minutes," or anything. He just ordered us to go now.
We boarded an open safari truck to drive to the waterfall. It was a nice enough ride and allows you to see the countryside. The only real explanation we got about anything along the way was the mall in Samana that he pointed out as we drove past. When we arrived at the next destination, we were quickly saddled on a horse and paired with a local horse handler who would guide us to the waterfall. This was the absolute best part of the day! Although our handlers didn't speak English, we communicated well, and they pointed out various trees (coffee, cocoa, mango, avocado, etc.), stopped to take photos of and for us and did it all with kindness and humor (called my horse a professional 4x4).
The waterfall was one of the prettiest we've ever seen, and we've traveled a lot! The horse guides helped us take photos, held our stuff while we swam, and were just overall excellent.
After we rode the horses back, our main guide was no where to be found, and we just stood around for almost an hour wondering what we were supposed to do next. We generously tipped our horse guides for they were awesome! However, not everyone on the tour understood that they were expected to tip (Because our main guide gave no helpful hints or information about what to expect) and we saw some very disappointed horse guides and aggravated tour passengers (because they didn't understand they were supposed to pay more).
Then began the long journey back to our resort--safari bus ride back to the restaurant, catamaran ride back to the embarkation point and then van ride back to Punta Cana. Our driver promptly met us again to take us home, and I suppose many would appreciate his super careful driving, but it was just annoying to us that he drove so slowly. I understand there are many speed bumps along the road way that he needed to slow down for, but he drove super slow even on deserted straightaways. We were super tired, but again the driver played the music loudly and seemed more concerned with he music selection than on driving.
The tour advertised an explanation about coffee and cocoa but we never experienced that at all.
The tour said it was 11 hours long, so we expected a long day, but it was over 13 hours!
About COVID precautions....there were almost none. The driver wore a mask and we were made to wear the mask in the restaurant, but most did not wear them elsewhere. We were packed closely on the catamaran and closely on the safari bus. Temperatures were never taken. I personally didn't have a problem with it because we were outside the entire time, but for those who are seeking a company with strict protocols in place, this isn't the one.
Again, the sites themselves were pretty spectacular, but I believe there are several different tour companies that do this same tour, and I would choose another one besides this one!
Response from Host, Mar 2021
Thank you for your opinion, we work daily to improve our service, to provide you with better experiences.
Anette_M, Dec 2020
This was an amazing full day trip. Be sure to take cash for souvenirs and tipping your guides. I would do this again
Response from Host, Jan 2021
We are glad that our activity was to your liking and we hope to continue improving every day, to provide you with the best service. We wish you more great days.
Stefan_I, Feb 2021
Ein sehr schöner Tag mit den Walen. Und Samana ist für mich das was man sich unter Karibik vorstellt. Ist aber eine lange Reise, die sich allerdings lohnt.
Response from Host, Mar 2021
We are glad that our activity was to your liking and we hope to continue improving every day, to provide you with the best service. We wish you more great days.
Julio_L, Feb 2020
La excursión muy buena, los guias bien, lo único la seguridad de regreso en el bote no habian chalecos salvavidas para todos, 20 pasajeros sin chaleco el cual yo incluido y la navegacion es fuerte
Response from Host, Nov 2020
We are glad that our activity was to your liking and we hope to continue improving every day, to provide you with the best service.
We wish you more great days.
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Samana Full-Day Tour with Whale Watching and Horse Riding
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