Small Group: Saona Island Full Day Tour
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- 9 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Head to the sparsely inhabited Saona Island on a full-day trip from Punta Cana. Join a small group and visit the town of Mano Juan, home to a turtle conservation area. Then, spend the rest of your day exploring a secret beach as well as Abanico and Palmilla beaches, each with its own charm. Your day trip includes a simple breakfast and a hearty, buffet lunch on the beach.
- Learn about turtle conservation from a community leader
- Search for starfish and marine life with a provided snorkel
- Hassle-free transfers from select locations
- A small group means more attention from your guide
What's Included
- Lunch
- Breakfast
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Bottled water
- Soda/Pop
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
- Air-conditioned vehicle
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Thanks for reserve our experience Please write to us: your full name your location name where do you need to be pick up We provided pick up and drop off from Punta Cana to Bayahibe Port and back to Punta Cana. The experience is for a small groups of 14 pax. Limited 2 groups. We develop the entire excursion over speed boat in Saona Island. Punta Cana to the Port of Bayahibe by Bus. Bring swimming suits, towels, sun block, bugs repellent, money. We provided breakfast and lunch if you have any food restrictions or you need information about the food we provided feel free to contact us. We served for breakfast sandwiches with cheese and tomatoes and cheese and turkey ham with do natural juiced and a fruit salad. For lunch with provided a buffet with traditional Dominican lunch( rice with vegetables, mash potatoes salad, green salad, fruits salad, bread, pasta in tomatoes sauce marinate with lobster, grilled chicken, grilled pork chops. We do one stop in a convenient store 10 minutes before the port where you can buy anything of your preference. You are free to bring to the trip drinks or food of your preference if you need it. Thanks again for reserve with me your experience to Saona Island. Best Regards Melvin Duran +18293707381
Operating hours.6:00 am
Itinerary
For this Saona Island small-group tour either head directly to the meeting point on Bavaro Beach, or if you’ve requested pickup, get picked up from your Punta Cana location. This tour has a maximum of 12 travelers for an intimate full-day experience.
First your group makes your way to Mano Juan, home to a turtle conservation area. Breakfast is included, too. After a short time in Mano Juan, continue to a secret beach for stunning views and a swim.
Next, visit Abanico Beach on Saona Island for a delicious lunch buffet and free time to spend on the beach as you please.
Lastly, visit Palmilla Beach, where you can search for starfish before making your way back to Punta Cana for drop-off.
First your group makes your way to Mano Juan, home to a turtle conservation area. Breakfast is included, too. After a short time in Mano Juan, continue to a secret beach for stunning views and a swim.
Next, visit Abanico Beach on Saona Island for a delicious lunch buffet and free time to spend on the beach as you please.
Lastly, visit Palmilla Beach, where you can search for starfish before making your way back to Punta Cana for drop-off.
1
Isla Saona
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
2
Parque Nacional del Este
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Saona Island
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
4
Parque Nacional del Este
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Parque Nacional del Este
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- 0-5 not allow
- Pregnant not allowed
- 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
Featured review
Summer_S
Hands down, the best part of our trip to DR was this excursion!! Melvin & Natalia were wonderful and provided such a beautiful experience! Book this excursion, you won’t regret it!! Saona Island is amazing, and the little touches that were put into this day did not go unnoticed.
Reviews
4.9
based on 1,384 reviews
Trevor_H, Apr 2026
Very informative and an awesome history lesson (IF YOU ASK!!!). The itinerary was amazing and well timed. Would highly recommend this trip over a booze cruise with the family. The beaches were spectacular, the food was amazing, the locals were friendly and of course the turtles and starfish were amazing.
Ena_B, Apr 2026
We had such an incredible experience on our Small Group Saona Island Full Day Tour! From start to finish, everything was smooth, well-organized, and absolutely worth it.
Saona Island itself is breathtaking—crystal-clear turquoise water, white sand beaches, and the most relaxing atmosphere. It truly felt like paradise.
A huge shoutout to our amazing tour guides, Pedro and Melvin! They made the entire trip so fun and memorable. Both were super friendly, knowledgeable, and brought such great energy to the group. They made sure everyone was comfortable, entertained, and having a great time the whole day.
You can tell they genuinely care about giving guests the best experience possible. Because of them, this tour wasn’t just beautiful, it was unforgettable.
Highly recommend this tour if you’re visiting Punta Cana, and if you get Pedro and Melvin as your guides, you’re in for the best time! 🌴☀️✨
sandy_r, Apr 2026
First was going to do large group but read about this one and changed! SO glad we did. Do it! Beautiful pics of uncrowded beaches and island! More individual attention. Tour guides great. Very well organized and our leader was so passionate about his gorgeous island.
Angela_H, Apr 2026
It was a wonderful!!!! Educational. Entertaining. A wonderful time with new friends and a great day overall
Lena_S, Apr 2026
This tour was the highlight of our trip! Such a beautiful Island, wonderful (and knowledgeable) tour guide. So many beautiful memories!! Totally worth it!!!!
Summer_S, Apr 2026
Hands down, the best part of our trip to DR was this excursion!! Melvin & Natalia were wonderful and provided such a beautiful experience! Book this excursion, you won’t regret it!! Saona Island is amazing, and the little touches that were put into this day did not go unnoticed.
Jody_K, Apr 2026
This excursion is worth the money. The small group is definitely the way to go. You get to experience a little bit of everything without any crowds. Employees were very attentive. Highly recommend!
**Side note: Please take dog food with you if you can. There was an absolutely starving dog near the turtle conservation (first island breakfast stop) It broke my heart. They said they feed them the sandwiches but there was no way she was getting any. I do wish they valued their animals more.
Manuel_F, Apr 2026
BEST Saona Island tour! We arrived before the crowds and had the island almost to ourselves—truly magical. Small group, amazing food, and super engaging guides who shared fascinating history. Everything was perfectly organized and very professional. Highly, highly recommend!
Charlie_S, Apr 2026
Wow!!!
Incredible trio, great value for money!
Malvin was so knowledgeable and passionate about the conservation and history of the inland. All the staff weee friendly and helpful and great with the kids.
Saona itself is incredible beautiful, just like the Maldivian islands we have visited. This tour gets to the island before the crowds which is priceless!!!! Unspoilt views!!
How the keep the island so beautiful with so many visitors I’ll never know!
We saw turtles from the boat and star fish.
The snorkelling was fab too!
Margo_G, Apr 2026
Wow, wow, wow! If you are looking for a unique experience that 95% of other tours don’t provide, this is for you. It leaves early, but for a great reason! You will visit a small village on Soana Island and see the turtle sanctuary, and spend the rest of the day on island and beach paradise. The tour was amazing for my tow active boys, ages 7 and 10. We saw turtles, got pictures with starfish, and learned so much about how we can help with mangrove and turtle conservation efforts. Incredible all around!
John_C, Mar 2026
While understanding that getting up early is a commitment while on vacation, this is worth every lost minute of sleep!! My wife and I debated a lot as to whether take time away from our Cap Cana resort to do this tour and we could not be happier with our decision to do so. The turtle sanctuary IS LEGIT (google it if needed), they make sandwiches for you to enjoy in the morning and the overall experience is just an added benefit to your trip to the DR. I would highly recommend taking time to do this excursion and see something that you wouldn't see otherwise at your hotel. If we come back to the DR with our daughter, we'd do it again!
Natalie_V, Mar 2026
Melvin and Natalia were awesome guides, this trip is definitely worth it just book it and you will not regret it! I had to get an uber from our Airbnb to a pick up location and Melvin graciously reimbursed me for it and dropped us off at the Airbnb at the end of the trip. Everything was structured and we felt safe the entire time. Best part was starting early and beating the crowd also VIP spot on one of the most famous beaches.
RhiDudzik, Mar 2026
This tour is fabulous. Its an early start but it is so worth it being able to see the island before it gets busy is magical. The tour guides were knowledgeable and shared really interesting facts and history. This isn't a party boat trip but there is plenty of chance to have fun.
Brian_L, Mar 2026
This small group trip is the only way to visit Saona Island. Melvin and Natalia are top notch tour guides running a wonderful tour. A must do excursion!!
derek_d, Mar 2026
Treated like family on this very informative VIP tour. Lunch was great and what was even better was the tour guide took photos and shared them with everyone for absolutely nothing.
Sarah_W, Mar 2026
An unforgettable day thanks to Melvin and his team.
We were picked up at 6am, driven to the port with only 11 other guests. Melvin and Nicola kept us updated along the way and gave us a history of the Dominican Republic. We travelled via speedboat to Saona Island, missing the other travellers who took their time on party boats with loud music and catamarans. We had a lovely breakfast of toasted sandwiches, fruit and drinks provided then spent time at a turtle sanctuary. We travelled around the island to another beach where we had free time and a hot buffet lunch provided. Numerous boats filled with tourists arrived just as we were leaving- perfect timing!! We took a tour of the mangroves and spotted some turtles before moving on again to swim and touch star fish. We ended the day at 3.30pm, snorkeling over a coral reef with the tropical fish. Drinks were constantly offered- including rum and non alcoholic options. We then travelled back to our respective hotels, getting back at 5.30pm ish.
The speedboat rides were exhilarating and being in a small group meant we could all talk together. Melvin and his team kept us informed throughout the day and were always happy to answer questions. A truly unforgettable day which we would highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn about the environment, enjoy being in a small group and not be part of a ‘party’ atmosphere.
Susan_W, Mar 2026
This was hands down our favorite day in the Dominican Republic. We were a group of 2 adults and 2 children (7 and 5).
I was impressed by Melvin's professionalism and respect. He clearly communicated our pick up time and the day's itinerary after pickup. He encouraged us to engage and connect with our fellow travelers for the day which inspired us to do so. While on the drive to the dock, he offered to share a 15 min crash course in Dominican history or allow us to rest since it was so early (we took him up on the offer which was knowledgeable and measured). His passion for turtle conservation is admirable. Melvin's van and boat staff were joyful, helpful, and kind. Above all, Melvin has my utmost respect for treating us like customers and not a marketing tool to be exploited: he took pictures of us throughout the day on his phone but made it clear it was for private sharing only; he would not post any of them to social media. He also made it clear that we are not pressured to buy or donate anything if we don't want to. Melvin showed us care and respect the entire day.
Speaking of the day, it was fantastic. Saona Island is beautiful and I appreciated getting there ahead of the hoard. The private excursion is more expensive but you get your money's worth by minimizing your transport time and maximizing your sightseeing time. Melvin's itinerary structure was smart and we spent just the right amount of time on each activity: light breakfast, turtle conservatory, unstructured beach time, lunch, mangroves for turtle watching, starfish snorkeling, reef snorkeling.
I was slightly concerned about bringing my children on this excursion because they are on the younger side, but I was pleased I did. There were plenty of available bathrooms throughout the day, delicious food and drink, life jackets on the boat, seat belts in the van. My younger child fell asleep on the boat at the starfish activity. While I didn't ask or expect the staff to do this, they kept a special eye on him while I went in the water for ~10min. I was extremely touched when they said they would look over him in case the boat pitched, and when I came back I found they had put a jacket under his head to make him more comfortable.
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone and I think Melvin and his crew deserve all the thanks and admiration for the amazing experience they have put together.
Deborah_A, Mar 2026
This excursion was a highlight during our girls trip to DR. The business owners and guides were very kind and informative. Each stop was wonderful with a little different flare and I enjoyed experiencing the food, snorkeling, starfish, and sea turtles. Highly highly recommend!
Marie_F, Mar 2026
Really great tour. Melvin was friendly, captains were experienced and competent. Could not be in better hands. Got to experience a little of the Saona island culture as well as the beautiful beach. Delicious food too!
Martin_D, Mar 2026
The whole experience was incredible, from pick up to drop off. Melvin and his crew were knowledgeable and VERY attentive. We were one of the first ones to Saona Island which made it feel like it was all to ourselves and had great photo opportunities. Lunch and drinks were good and Melvin taking pictures throughout the trip and then giving them to us at the end was a great bonus. Highly recommend this trip.
Amanda_G, Mar 2026
What a wonderful day! Our guide was fantastic. Highly recommend this adventure, beautiful scenery, guide is so informative.
Lisa_C, Mar 2026
The whole day was amazing. It was a small group so more intimate and not crowded. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. We did so many things! The best beach in DR that we had seen with white sandy beach and beautiful warm water. We saw turtles and went to the turtle sanctuary and saw giant sea stars. We learned about the culture on the island. The mangrove area and snorkeling were phenomenal. Food was good too. It was our best day of the week in DR. I highly recommend!
Jason_M, Mar 2026
Adventure comes with some uncertainty! Getting to the marina took some time and trust, but once we got to the boat (and on to the island) it was perfection. Melvin is a great host and his crew did a ln excellent job taking great care of us. It is ABSOLUTLEY worth it to get up this early as the beach becomes a total zoo in the afternoon!
I read many reviews and didn’t see others sharing what they had for lunch. Ours was a buffet consisting of: bread, cabbage and vegetable salad, warm mashed potato salad, fruit, rice, spaghetti with tomato sauce (had lobster broth in it), grilled chicken and grilled pork chop. Everything was very tasty and there was plenty for all.
Clare_C, Mar 2026
This trip is so worth the extra money! With an early start we were able to get to the destinations before the other large boats.
Melvin is extremely passionate about showing people 'all parts' of the island, not just the 'tourist' areas.
Melvin has great knowledge of Dominican history. Some of the money you pay allows Melvin to finically support the turtle sanctuary and local school.
We were able to see turtles in the mangroves, experience the local community, swim in seas along the beautiful beaches. We snorkelled at the reef and observed all the fabulous fish. The food provided is plentiful and the drinks are always offered. Having the free photos is another plus for this tour.
The staff are great, so happy and really want you to experience their local wildlife. The starfish are amazing and Melvin makes sure you handle them correctly and safely, without harming them.
I'm so glad we paid the extra money, as seeing some of the large boats with so many people on, and not having life jackets, was a worry.
Ultimately Melvin gives you a close encounter with wildlife and community, in an ecological way, that is supportive of the local people and environment.
Dana_S, Mar 2026
Great day! Relaxing, informative and super interesting! This was the best, you get it all! Great food, relaxing beach time, island info on turtle conservation & mangroves. Stopping to find turtles and starfish. Plenty of Rum drinks, beer, soda and water and food. Small speedboat gets you there early before the rest of the crowd which was so nice, no crowds. Also the owners of the tour group Natalie and Melvin are on the excursion making sure everything is perfect. The whole crew were amazing. I would 100% recommend, especially if you’re not the party boat type!
Dan_M, Mar 2026
It was nice to have a small tour operator that was really keen on giving a wicked experience and also supporting locals as part of the tour. We got to spend way more time on Sanoa island compared to the big party boat tours.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Good evening Dan
Thanks for reserved our saona island full day small groups excursion was very nice to meet you, thanks for coming with us.
Best regards
Emma_P, Mar 2026
100% recommend this tour, my words cannot sum up how amazing it was but I'll try. First, honourable mention to the organisers and the staff. Everything was perfectly taken care of, from the order of the stops, the choice of the locations, the food and drinks, the transport, and the incredibly insightful story telling about the Dominican Republic and Isla Saona. They even took free top quality pictures of us in incredibles spots and sent them immediately after the tour. As a plus, the organisers are very passionate about supporting the local community and making the tour ethical and responsible. We got to see the true, less touristy side of places, especially where the local Saona islanders live.
Now, onto the tour itself. First, 100% worth the early start as we were the first to get to all the different stops on the tour, especially the beaches, and trust me it makes a massive difference. We never felt rushed, we always had enough time to enjoy, relax, take pictures, eat etc., but always avoiding the crowd. Also cause we had our own reserved beach beds in a supervised area. It was actually a small group tour (10-12 people) which made us feel special and taken care of. And also, another honourable mention to the boat captain which made the journey feel safe, smooth and fun.
Finally, Isla Saona is as beautiful and breathtaking as you see in in the pictures, if not even better, so definitely a must see.
Thanks a lot from our family to Melvin and the rest of the crew for this impeccable day.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Good evening Emma
Thanks for wrote your review, thank for
Your words regarding our work in saona island, it’s a great feeling to read this type of review, very nice feeling. Any other tone around please feel free to contact us.
Best Regards
Melvin Duran
Jaime_B, Mar 2026
The tour to Saona island is one of the most well organized and beautiful we’ve ever taken. They treated us so well. We loved every minute of it! We were picked up at 5:30 in the morning as our hotel was in Uvero Alto (Live Aqua Punta Cana) and the early wake up was totally worth it as this is one of the very few tours which arrive so early to the island and this way you avoid the huge crowds. The group is only like 12 people so it’s the perfect amount! The places they took us were so beautiful and super interesting. We took beautiful photos of the island without having to deal with hundreds of people around you! The food was also good and nice drinks. This is more expensive than most tours, double or even more the double the price of most tours but it’s 100% worth it!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Good evening Jaime
Thanks for wrote your review
Was nice to meet you very nice
Thanks for reserved with our company the excursion in small groups to saona Island, thank you.
Best regards
Melvin Duran
Ruth_B, Feb 2026
This tour is a whole day activity. The small group is a plus because you arrive early to Saona island before the next crowd arrives. The turtle sanctuary was brief because there were not turtle hatching. We know that mother nature is unpredictable but you may not hightlight this as a big thing since the chances are rare. It rained for like an hour arriving to Saona, beautiful scenery though. The highlight of this tour is when we saw sea turtles, white beautiful turtles and the giants starfish. The snorkeling was great too, we saw lots of fish and coral reefs. Lunch was delightful, but breakfast was skimped. Overall a great experience and the photos the tour guide took with his camera were free for our group. Highly recomended but don't rely on the weather to book, it is never right.😄
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Good morning Ruth
Thanks for wrote your review.
We visited Mano Juan and the turtle sanctuary as part of our Program to find the turtle hatching is part of the nature we don’t highlight that you will see turtle hatching, we highlight to visit a turtle sanctuary and the community inside saona island Mano Juan as a community part of the excursion to see turtle hatching is not the main intention here the intention is to support the local effort to protect the turtle in the 24 years that he is working with his sanctuary. Besides, we later in the excursion we visited the mangroves where we have the chances to see turtle in the nature.
Thanks for reserved our small groups saona island experience was nice to meet you
Best Regards
Melvin Duran
Ben_G, Feb 2026
First one’s on the water!! The morning drive goes quick. The breakfast is light sandwiches and the lunch is a large buffet style meal. We made a couple stops before arriving at our Saona beach location. I think we were the second boat on the beach with no crowd. Really relaxing!! The beach was the best part. I felt like we were there for the perfect amount of time. We saw plenty of sea turtles and starfish in the water! Overall a good trip with a smaller group, more focused on culture and environment rather than partying.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Good morning Ben
Thanks for wrote your review about our saona island small groups full day excursion
Was great to have in our experience
Thanks for reserved with us
Best Regards
Melvin Duran
From $165.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Small Group: Saona Island Full Day Tour
1,383
9 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$165.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
- Hard Rock Casino Punta Cana Tours & Tickets
- Coco Bongo Punta Cana Tours & Tickets
- Higuey Tours & Tickets
- Hoyo Azul Lagoon Tours & Tickets
- Catalina Island (Isla Catalina) Tours & Tickets
- Bavaro Adventure Park Tours & Tickets
- Saona Island (Isla Saona) Tours & Tickets
- Macao Beach (Playa Macao) Tours & Tickets
- Bavaro Beach (Playa Bavaro) Tours & Tickets