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Service & Language Immersion in the Dominican Republic

8 days in Santiago and the central mountain region

Palm trees leaning over a Caribbean beach on a Spanish immersion tour in the Dominican Republic.
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OVERVIEW

Gain confidence in your Spanish and support local organizations through immersive projects in the central mountain region

Students have the unique opportunity to practice their Spanish in real-world situations while supporting local community efforts. Each day in the Central Mountains is shaped around authentic connection, as students have language lessons in the morning, spend their afternoons working alongside community members on hands-on projects and practicing their conversational Spanish, and reflect as a group in the evening. Beyond project work and language lessons, students explore Dominican farm life, participate in a cooking class, and enjoy a boat trip to the crystal-clear waters of Cayo Arena. Groups will know their exact service partners closer to departure.

Service and Language Immersion in the Dominican Republic route map

What you’ll do

Explore a sample itinerary

Day 1: Fly to the Dominican Republic

Board your international flight to Santiago

Meet your Tour Director at the destination airport

Take a walking tour of Santiago with your Tour Director

Day 2: Central Mountain region • Service project

Strong partnerships are the foundation of EF Community Engagement tours. We work closely with area nonprofits and community members to ensure that your contributions are sustainable, timely, and relevant.

See the Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration of the Republic

Visit a local artisan market

Travel to Jarabacoa

Tour an environmental institute to learn about Dominican re-forestation efforts and education programs

Practice your language skills through guided reflection activities

Day 3: Central Mountain region • Service project

Practice your Spanish in an interactive language lesson

Here’s a glimpse at what your service project might look like:

  • Plant and pot trees at a tree nursery

  • Collect and transport compost

  • Maintain gardens with planting and weeding

Practice your language skills through guided reflection activities

Day 4: Central Mountain region • Service project

Practice your Spanish in an interactive language lesson

Interact with local vendors during a market challenge

Take a tour of a coffee farm

Enjoy the thrill of whitewater rafting

Practice your language skills through guided reflection activities

Day 5: Central Mountain region • Service project

Practice your Spanish in an interactive language lesson

Here’s a glimpse at what your service project might look like: 

  • Paint creative murals on local buildings

  • Paint buildings to maintain local infrastructure

Practice your language skills through guided reflection activities

Take a Latin dance lesson

Day 6: Central Mountain region • Santiago

Practice your Spanish in an interactive language lesson

Enjoy a cooking class

Travel to Santiago

Practice your language skills through guided reflection activities

Day 7: Santiago

Travel to Cayo Arena

Explore the Cayo Arena mangroves and go snorkeling

Travel to Santiago

Practice your language skills through guided reflection activities

Day 8: Depart for home

Board your flight home from Santiago

What makes this tour special?

Practice Spanish during daily language lessons, then put your skills to use as you connect with local community members through hands-on projects

Practice Spanish during daily language lessons, then put your skills to use as you connect with local community members through hands-on projects

Travel by boat to the remote sandbar paradise of Cayo Arena and snorkel in its crystal-clear waters

Travel by boat to the remote sandbar paradise of Cayo Arena and snorkel in its crystal-clear waters

Practice Spanish during daily language lessons, then put your skills to use as you connect with local community members through hands-on projects

Practice Spanish during daily language lessons, then put your skills to use as you connect with local community members through hands-on projects

All of our tours are powered by our proven EF Method

Learn more

Your experience includes

Airfare & Transportation
Hotels
Regional Meals
Program Director
15 Service Hours
Volunteer and Leadership Activities
Experiential Learning
Language Lessons
Personalized Learning Support
Continuous Support

Travelers save when you lead this tour before October 1, 2027

See 2027 pricing

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Payment plan options

Pay over time interest-free or pay all at once

Fundraising

Every traveler receives a no-fee donation page

Global Citizen Scholarship

Every year EF awards $100,000 to student travelers

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Frequently asked questions

Let’s unpack that

We’ll connect you with your personal Tour Consultant—someone who works with other teachers in your area and specializes in planning EF tours. They’ll walk you through this itinerary (along with other tours in our portfolio that match your curriculum or catch your eye), explain student pricing, and show you just how easy it is to partner with EF.

Once you decide to lead a tour, your Tour Consultant will help you get school administrators on board, students excited, and families ready to enroll. You’ll host an informational meeting to kick off the enrollment period, and we’ll provide everything you need—from a digital presentation to printed handouts, parent resources, and more.

You’ll have a dedicated Tour Director who will guide your group from the moment you land in your first destination until your final goodbye. They:

  • Take all the same transportation and stay in the same hotels as your group

  • Speak the local language (but lead the tour in English!)

  • Support you 24/7 as your right hand

  • Offer deep cultural context to help students feel connected to their destination

  • Handle all the logistics, so you don’t have to

  • Are the secret ingredient that makes your tour truly shine

Yes! You earn a free spot on tour as soon as six paying travelers enroll. For every additional six paying travelers, you earn another free spot for an adult chaperone of your choosing. For example, if 30 students sign up, that’s four free chaperone spots in addition to yours.

All travelers on international EF tours must have a valid passport. When it comes to documentation, every traveler and destination is different, so once your group starts enrolling, we’ll help direct you and your families to relevant resources.
 
Passports should have at least three blank pages and be valid for at least six months after your return date.

EF has set the standard for travel-based learning for over 60 years. Not only do our educational tours amplify the lessons you’re already exploring in your classroom, but they also help build more empathy, open-mindedness, confidence, and cross-cultural understanding.
 
Our educational philosophy, the EF Method, is built into every itinerary, so your students are immersed in a continuous journey of engaging, hands-on learning in real-world situations from the moment they step off the plane.

Yes! Plan to explore each destination primarily on foot, so be sure to pack your comfiest sneakers. You’ll have time to rest on the bus while traveling between cities and activities. If any travelers need accommodations, just let your EF Travel Team know in advance.

Every hotel your group stays in is required to meet EF’s rigorous standards for quality, safety, and cleanliness. (We have an entire team dedicated to ensuring that!) However, it’s important to remember that international hotels designed for student travel may feel a little different from what students are familiar with. For example, some hotels may not have an elevator. Rooms will have multiple single beds or shared double beds, and every room will have a private bathroom.

You’ll receive more detailed meal information closer to your tour, but here’s an overview of what to expect:

  • Daily breakfast is served continental-style at your hotel.

  • Most tours include daily group dinners, which take place at local restaurants (or your hotel) and feature a mix of familiar favorites and local dishes from a set menu.

  • Lunches are usually not included, but this varies by itinerary. If lunch isn’t included, this is the perfect opportunity for students to explore local markets and discover their new favorite food.

Travelers will share allergy or dietary information with EF after signing up, and we’ll help make the necessary accommodations.

We’re here to help! Start a live one-on-one chat with a team member.

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