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Dominican Republic Tours

An Insider’s Tour of the Dominican Baseball Machine

Full Tour: November 9-20, 2024
Segment 1: November 9-17
Segment 2: November 17-20

Please note: This is a sample tour description based on the 2023 itinerary. The 2024 itineraries will be announced around July 2024.

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 (led by Pachy, our expert on-the-ground guide), 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.

Enjoy the whole Full Tour to get the most out of your tour and complete the baseball-bucket-list-worthy task of seeing all six LIDOM teams play home games. Full Tour guests will have the opportunity to see Albert Pujols twice in his managerial debut season, as he takes the helm of the Leones del Escogido.

If you’re short on time, stay in the south of the island for Tour Segment 1. You’ll see four of the six LIDOM teams play home games and get nearly the full Dominican baseball experience.

Attended a previous JapanBall DR tour and never got to see the north of the country and the last two LIDOM ballparks? Then Tour Segment 2 is the trip for you! After completing Segment 1, 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.

If you’ve always wanted to step onto professional fields and play alongside former big-league stars, check out our Dominican Republic Fantasy Camp! This is your chance to live out your baseball dream in the heart of the Dominican Republic.

As always, we will mix in delicious meals, cultural sightseeing, and unique baseball experiences through each tour segment!

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, 2022, and 2023 tour recaps, or this blog entry from one of our guests.

Itinerary*

Segment 1

  • Friday 11/8: Optional early arrival to Santo Domingo to allow for rest and ensure that you do not to miss the first game
  • 11/9: Arrival to SDQ airport by noon, check-in Santo Domingo hotel, Gigantes del Cibao vs Leones del Escogido at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal (4:00 PM)
  • 11/10: Youth program visit and equipment donation, DR Orientation Meeting
  • 11/11: Batting cages and pro training facility, independent trainer program visit, boardwalk stroll
  • 11/12: Historical stadium tour, Museum of the Dominican Ballplayer, Gigantes del Cibao vs Tigres del Licey at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal (7:30 PM)
  • 11/13: Colonial Zone sightseeing, youth program visit, famous gas station ribs, check-in at Hotel Casa Hemingway beach resort in Juan Dolio
  • 11/14: MLB bank visit, MLB team academy tour, beach/pool time at hotel
  • 11/15: Independent trainer program visit, San Pedro de Macoris sightseeing, Barceló Rum factory tour, Tigres del Licey vs Toros del Este @ Estadio Francisco Micheli (7:30 PM)
  • 11/16: Hotel day at our boutique seaside resort with private beach, Tigres del Licey vs Estrellas Orientales @ Estadio Tetelo Vargas (7:30 PM)
  • Sunday, 11/17: Segment 1 guests depart

Segment 2

  • Sunday 11/17: Guests continuing from Segment 1 will bus to the northern Cibao region of the country; guests doing only Segment 2 should fly into Cibao International Airport (in the city of Santiago de los Caballeros) by approximately 12:30 PM (recommend to arrive one day early, on 11/16); Leones del Escogido vs Águilas Cibaeñas @ Estadio Cibao (4:00 PM)
  • 11/18: Santiago city sightseeing, Gigantes del Cibao vs Águilas Cibaeñas @ Estadio Cibao (7:30 PM)
  • 11/19: Visit Bartolo Colon’s field and youth training program, cigar factory tour, Estrellas Orientales vs Gigantes del Cibao @ Estadio Julian Javier (7:00 PM)
  • Wednesday 11/20: depart Cibao International Airport

*Itinerary specifics are subject to change.

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.

Price

Full Tour

  • $6,386 Double Occupancy
  • $7,282 Single Occupancy 

Segment 1 (Santo Domingo and Juan Dolio)

  • $4,671 Double Occupancy
  • $5,316  Single Occupancy

Segment 2 (Santiago) 

  • $1,853 Double Occupancy
  • $2,105 Single Occupancy

Not yet available; please sign up for “no-obligation” list below.

Sign up if you’re interested in attending but aren’t quite ready to commit. The no-obligation list simply allows us to plan better and assures your spot on the tour. You’ll begin to receive trip information emails, and if you find you cannot go on the tour, no worries.

Questions?

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