An Insider’s Tour of the Dominican Baseball Machine
Main Tour: November 7-14, 2023
Northern Add-On Tour: November 14-17, 2023
A baseball pilgrimage to the Dominican Republic is like a soccer fan’s trip to Brazil or a pizza lover’s trip to Italy. Join us for a tour of this beautiful, baseball-crazed Caribbean island and see béisbol in its most vibrant form.
You’ll receive an insider’s experience of the island and its baseball culture, including visits to rocky sandlots with cows grazing the outfield, pristine development academies of MLB teams, and raucous professional winter league (LIDOM) games. All the while, we’ll enjoy visits with Dominican baseball players and executives, and immerse ourselves in the D.R.’s unique, Latino-Caribbean culture.
Northern Add-On Tour

For the first time in 2023, we will include the option to see all six LIDOM teams play home games!
After the Main Tour, we will travel to Cibao, the northern part of the country. We will keep our base in Santiago de los Caballeros, the second-biggest city in the country that has its own unique culture, and attend home games of the Aguilas Cibaeñas at Estadio Cibao and the Gigantes del Cibao at Estadio Julián Javier. As always, we will mix in delicious meals, cultural sightseeing, and unique baseball experiences!
The Dominican Republic’s climate is very hot and humid, even in the winter months. We will spend a lot of time outside and have a full schedule of activities. We do not recommend this trip if you have health issues that may be strained by being active in a tropical climate.
For an idea on what to expect, check out our 2021 and 2022 tour recaps.
Local Spend

We at JapanBall feel that it’s important to intentionally support the Dominican economy with tour funds. At least 40% of Dominicans live in poverty and, even with a wealthy upper class buoying the statistics, the average monthly salary is under $400.
Rather than just skim the culture as fortunate tourists, our tours will benefit the local communities we visit. Approximately 70% of our tour price is earmarked as “local spend” that will stay in the Dominican Republic.
Carbon Offset Program

Tourism is responsible for approximately 8% of the world’s carbon emissions. To reap the myriad rewards of travel without contributing to the problem, we started JapanBall’s Carbon Offset Program.
The Dominican Republic is a beautiful island that already sees its share of environmental challenges and is particularly vulnerable to extreme weather. JapanBall wants to contribute to the solution rather than the problem.
To mitigate our tour’s environmental impact, a portion of the profits will go towards purchasing a carbon offset on behalf of each guest from Sustainable Travel International.
Itinerary*
Main Tour
- Monday 11/6: Optional early arrival to Santo Domingo to allow for rest and ensure not to miss the first game
- 11/7: Arrival to SDQ airport by approximately 2:00 PM, check-in Santo Domingo hotel, Estrellas Orientales vs Tigres del Licey @ Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal (7:15 PM)
- 11/8: Colonial Zone sightseeing, Dominican Baseball Museum, Estrellas Orientales vs Leones del Escogido at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal (7:15 PM)
- 11/9: Baseball sightseeing in Santo Domingo
- 11/10: Baseball sightseeing in San Cristobal, MLB team academy tour
- 11/11: Check-in Hotel Casa Hemingway beach resort in Juan Dolio, youth baseball program visit and donation, baseball sightseeing, Toros del Este vs Estrellas Orientales @ Estadio Tetelo Vargas (7:30 PM)
- 11/12: Hotel day at our boutique seaside resort with private beach, Estrellas Orientales vs Toros del Este @ Estadio Francisco Micheli (5:00 PM)
- 11/13: Independent trainer program visit, Barceló Rum factory tour, farewell dinner
- Tuesday 11/14: Main Tour guests depart
Northern Add-On Tour
- Tuesday 11/14: Guests continuing from Main Tour will drive together to the northern Cibao region of the country; guests doing only the Northern Add-On Tour should fly into Cibao International Airport (in the city of Santiago de los Caballeros) by approximately 3:00 PM (also welcome to arrive one day early, on 11/13); Estrellas Orientales vs Gigantes del Cibao @ Estadio Julian Javier (7:00 PM)
- 11/15: Santiago city sightseeing, Tigres del Licey vs Águilas Cibaeñas @ Estadio Cibao (7:30 PM) – Licey-Águilas is the biggest rivalry in the league and this will be an electric atmosphere!
- 11/16: Visit Bartolo Colon’s field and cigar factory tour
- Friday 11/17: depart Cibao International Airport
*While the tour dates are finalized, the specifics of each day are subject to change. The activities above are a good idea of what we’ll do but not all-encompassing and not necessarily exactly as listed.
- Two tour guides to lead you through a detailed itinerary, giving a unique personal tour of the country.
- Business-class hotels in Santiago and Santo Domingo and boutique, seaside accomodations in Juan Dolio.
- All in-country travel via private vehicle, including airport transfers.
- Breakfast and at least one additional meal per day at carefully-selected, delicious, authentic restaurants. Food is a big part of this tour – you will eat an array of delicious local food!
- Best available seats for four (Main Tour) or six (Combined Tour) Dominican Winter League professional games.
- Tours of MLB team academies.
- Visits to amateur training programs that produce some of baseball’s best prospects.
- Visits with local baseball figures.
- Additional cultural and baseball sightseeing.
- Scheduling flexibility. Want to come early or stay late? We can help you plan that.
- Translation and travel desk services.
- Carbon offset: In order to mitigate the tour’s environmental impact, we apply 1% of each guest’s tour cost towards the purchase of a carbon offset from Sustainable Travel International.
Not included: Airfare and meals eaten at the ballpark.
Price
Main Tour (Santo Domingo and Juan Dolio)
- $3,949 Double Occupancy
- $4,475 Single Occupancy
Northern Add-On Tour (Santiago)
- $1,979 Double Occupancy
- $2,211 Single Occupancy
Combined Tour (Santo Domingo, Juan Dolio, & Santiago)
- $5,455 Double Occupancy
- $6,213 Single Occupancy
Questions?

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