01 / The price
$89–$129, all in
Pickup, both boats, lunch, open bar, park fees. No upsells, no hidden line items, no separate transfer to argue over.
Group excursion · Sailboat & speedboat · Daily departures
The classic
Saona excursion.
Sailboat over, speedboat back, hotel pickup at sunrise and drop-off at sunset. The well-loved Caribbean day trip — all-inclusive, ninety minutes south of Punta Cana, and the way most travelers see Saona for the first time.
- Day length
- ~9–10 hr
- From
- $89 /pp
- Boats
- Cat + lancha
02 / Why three hundred a day still book it
The reason it's still
the most popular day trip in the country.
It's not the fanciest way to see Saona. It's the way that just works — easy, social, fully inclusive, and built around the boat ride itself.
02 / The vibe
A floating party
Sailboat under canvas, music, rum, an open deck. You meet people. You don't plan it. You arrive at Saona already in the mood.
03 / The route
Sail there, fly back
Two boats in one day — a slow social sail to the island, a fast skim back through the Natural Pool. The best of both halves.
04 / The pace
Zero planning
They pick you up at the lobby. The crew handles every transfer, every meal, every park fee. Show up in flip-flops and you're done.
03 / A day in pictures
What does the day
actually look like?
A photo essay. Times are typical for a Punta Cana hotel pickup; La Romana and Bayahibe departures start later and finish earlier.
07:00 — 08:30
Hotel pickup & the road south
A driver collects you from your lobby. Roughly ninety minutes by AC bus through sugar-cane country to the small marina at Bayahibe — the only port that legally serves Saona Island. Coffee, sunrise, occasional cattle.
09:00 — 11:00
Catamaran across the Caribbean
A two-hull catamaran, sails up, music on the speakers, a cooler of cold drinks open on the deck. About ninety minutes east to Saona's southern coast — long enough to settle in, meet your bench-mates, and watch flying fish.
11:00 — 12:30
Anchor & first swim
The catamaran drops anchor in shallow turquoise water and you wade in. Coconut palms, white sand, a long stretch of empty shoreline. Snorkel gear is on board if you ask.
12:30 — 13:30
Lunch on the sand
A beachside buffet — grilled chicken or fish, rice and beans, salad, fruit, plenty of cold drinks. Honest food, served generously, eaten with sand on your feet. Vendors from Mano Juan walk the sand selling cigars, art, and ice-cold Presidente.
14:00 — 14:45
The Natural Pool
The speedboat anchors directly over the famous sandbar — a kilometer offshore, water at your waist, starfish drifting around your ankles. This is the photograph people came for. About forty-five minutes here, then on.
16:30 — 18:00
Speedboat back, then home
Twenty fast minutes back to Bayahibe in the speedboat, then a quiet, salt-tired hour up the coast in the bus. Drop-off at your hotel between five and six-thirty. Salt-skinned, sun-warmed, asleep before dinner.
04 / The two boats
Sailboat there.
Speedboat back.
The signature of this excursion: you ride one of each. Most operators run the catamaran eastbound (relaxed, social) and the speedboat westbound (fast, with the Natural Pool stop on the way).
Outbound · 9 — 11 AM
The catamaran
A twin-hulled sailboat, 50 to 150 guests on board, an open deck, music, rum, plenty of room to wander. About ninety minutes from Bayahibe to Saona's south coast. The social half of the day.
Return · 3 — 5 PM
The speedboat (lancha)
A small motorboat, 12 to 25 guests, low and fast across the water. Stops at the Natural Pool on the way back to Bayahibe. The fun half of the day — wear something you don't mind getting wet.
05 / What's included
What you get
for the $89–$129.
One price covers the whole day. The only things not included are tips for the crew (welcome and standard) and anything you buy from the village vendors at lunch.
- Round-trip hotel transfer (AC bus)
- Catamaran sailboat to Saona
- Speedboat return via the Natural Pool
- Beachside lunch buffet
- Open bar (rum, beer, sodas, water)
- Snorkel gear & life jackets
- Cotubanamá National Park entry
- Bilingual on-board host
- All taxes & fees
- Bottled water on the bus
Not included
Crew tips (USD $5–$10 per guest is standard), souvenirs from Mano Juan vendors, premium drinks beyond the standard bar, photo packages if offered.
06 / Cost
How much does the Saona excursion cost?
The standard group excursion to Saona Island runs USD $89 to $129 per adult, fully inclusive of pickup, both boats, lunch, the open bar, and park fees. Pricing varies mostly by hotel zone — Punta Cana / Bávaro pickups sit toward the higher end (more drive time); La Romana and Bayahibe departures toward the lower end.
Children aged 5–12 are typically charged half price. Children under 5 usually go free. Infant-pricing policies vary; ask the operator.
Adult
$89–$129
Child 5–12
~50%
Under 5
Free
See the full Saona pricing breakdown — group vs private, hidden costs, and the break-even math →
07 / Common questions
Saona excursion
FAQs.
Don't see your question? The Group Excursion Desk runs this trip every day — they'll know the answer.
How much does the Saona Island excursion cost?
The standard group excursion runs USD $89 to $129 per adult, depending on your hotel zone and season. The price is fully inclusive: hotel pickup, sailboat and speedboat, lunch buffet on the island, open bar with rum and beer, and Cotubanamá National Park entry. Children aged 5–12 are typically half-price; under 5 free.
How long does the Saona Island excursion take?
A full day — usually about nine to ten hours from hotel pickup to drop-off. Pickup is between 6:30 and 7:30 AM, return between 5:00 and 6:30 PM. Time on the water and on the island is roughly five to six hours.
What's included in the price?
Round-trip hotel transfer, the sailboat ride to Saona, the speedboat ride back via the Natural Pool, a lunch buffet on the island, an open bar (rum, beer, soft drinks, water), snorkel gear if you ask, life jackets, and the national park entry fee. Tips for the crew are not included and welcome.
Will I be in a sailboat or a speedboat?
Both — that's the whole point. Most operators run a catamaran sailboat from Bayahibe to Saona Island in the morning (relaxed, social, an hour-plus on the water), and a speedboat back through the Natural Pool in the afternoon. A few operators reverse the order; either way you get one of each.
How many people are on the boat?
Catamarans typically carry 50 to 150 guests. Some larger operators run vessels with 200+. The speedboats are smaller — roughly 12 to 25 guests per boat. If the crowd matters to you, ask the operator about their boat size at booking.
Where does the excursion depart from?
All Saona Island excursions launch from the marina at Bayahibe, on the southeast coast of the Dominican Republic — about 90 minutes south of Punta Cana, 30 minutes from La Romana. The road transfer to Bayahibe is part of the excursion.
Will my hotel be picked up from?
Yes — every all-inclusive resort in the Punta Cana / Bávaro / Uvero Alto / Cap Cana / La Romana / Bayahibe corridor is on the pickup route. Tell the operator your hotel name at booking and they'll confirm pickup time the day before.
Is the lunch on Saona any good?
Honest answer: it's a buffet for a hundred-plus people, so it's not fine dining — but it's usually decent. Grilled chicken or fish, rice, beans, salad, fruit. Cold beer and rum included. Bring cash if you want extras from the village vendors.
Can children come on the excursion?
Yes — kids 5 and up are very welcome and the day works well for families. Life jackets are provided in all sizes. The boats are stable, the lunch is kid-friendly, and the Natural Pool is calf- to waist-deep. Under 5 typically go free; 5–12 are half price.
What should I bring?
Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, a swimsuit worn under your clothes, a towel, a dry-bag for your phone, and small bills for tips and Mano Juan vendors. Wear flip-flops or water shoes — you'll be wading in and out of the boats.
08 / Plan your day
Pick your date,
we'll do the rest.
Daily departures from every all-inclusive resort in the Punta Cana, Bávaro, La Romana, and Bayahibe corridor. Booking is fast — usually a couple of hours' notice is enough.
Keep reading
Keep exploring Saona
A Private Yacht to Saona
Just your group, your captain, your day. The premium way to see the island.
Read on →
The Natural Pool
The sandbar a kilometer from shore where you stand waist-deep in the open Caribbean.
Read on →
Saona from Punta Cana
70 km south, 90 minutes by road, then 45 minutes by sea — all in one day from any Punta Cana resort.
Read on →
Saona from Bávaro
Pickup at any Bávaro Beach all-inclusive — the country's biggest hotel zone — for the day to Saona Island.
Read on →
Saona from Cap Cana
The premium way to do the day from the corridor's luxury enclave — picked up at Eden Roc, Secrets, Hyatt Zilara, and the rest.
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Saona vs Catalina Island
Two islands, twenty kilometers apart, very different days. Which one is right for your trip.
Read on →
Mano Juan Village
The only inhabited corner of Saona — a fishing village of pastel houses and a sea-turtle conservation center.
Read on →
Cotubanamá National Park
The protected southeastern peninsula — mangroves, dry forest, Taíno caves, and the chief whose name it carries.
Read on → How Much Does Saona Cost?
Group excursions from $89 per person, private yachts from $1,800 per boat. The full pricing breakdown.
Read on →