Take a trip back in time, where you will enjoy an interesting historical recount. Visit the most emblematic museums of the Dominican capital, with architectural designs dating from the time of the discovery of America. Travel in the comfort of an air-conditioned bus while a professional guide shares their knowledge about the history of European colonization in America. After your hotel pickup, head to 3 Eyes National Park, a complex of underground caves and lagoons initially inhabited by the Taino Indians. Next, set out to visit the Colonial Zone, the first permanent European settlement in America. Founded in 1502 by the Spanish colonizers, it has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  Visit the first Cathedral of America, the Alcázar de Colón or the Palacio Virreinal de Don Diego. Get to know La Calle Las Damas, the first street on the island.  Enjoy panoramic visits to the National Palace and the Columbus Lighthouse, a monument built in memory of Christopher Columbus and where his remains rest.

If you are a chocolate lover, you have the opportunity to enjoy this extensive educational session about chocolate. On this tour you have the benefits of the plantation tour with additional information from the chocolate experts. On this tour, the experts will guide you through each one of the steps necessary to make quality cacao. It starts with the sowing, where you can sow your own cacao plant, and continue learning about the harvest, cutting, and extraction of the grains in a cacao pod. Continue with the post-harvest process: fermentation and drying, which are determining factors in the quality of the chocolate. Learn about the Dominican Republic ecosystem and what allows it to have the perfect conditions for growing fine cacao which evolves into the best quality chocolates. After an excellent local lunch, you attend a session where you learn how to taste chocolate with your five senses. Additionally, you visit another one of the plantations, where you can observe more automated cacao processing at a small scale. You also learn more about the fermentation and drying processes, and their importance in creating gourmet chocolate.

Start your experience at the Holographic theater where different ghosts from the world of chocolate come to life and tell the whole story of chocolate from the beginning of the time. Find out how cocoa reached Hispaniola and traveled to the rest of the world. Next, continue to the Cocoa Plantation where you will be able to sample some cocoa fruit and feel as if you are in a real forest. Head over to the Fermentation Room where the guide will show you all the processes of fermentation and dried and its importance in creating quality chocolate. After that, be directed to the Sensory Room and be challenged to use your 5 senses for each of the ingredients that make up awesome chocolate. If you guess right, you will have the chance to taste different chocolate percentages of KahKow Organic Chocolate. Finish the tour in the glass box on the Spanish Patio where the tour guide will explain how all the machines in the factory work to produce the final product. Upgrade your experience by adding on an optional workshop to the end of your tour. In the Soap Workshop, learn how to make your own soap with a cacao butter formula made by the workers at La Esmeralda. Add a special touch with your preferred aroma. Alternatively, choose the Chocolate Workshop and create your own chocolate bar.

Tour an original Dominican Republic cacao plantation at the Hacienda La Esmeralda in the shade of the Cordillera Septentrional, and indulge your passion for chocolate. An expert guide will lead you through each step necessary to make quality cacao, starting with the chance to sow your own cacao plant. Learn about cacao harvesting, cutting and the extraction of grains in a cacao pod. Continue with the post-harvest process of fermentation and drying, determining factors in the quality of the final chocolate. Learn about the Dominican Republic ecosystem and what allows it to have the perfect conditions for growing fine cacao to create the best quality chocolates. Then tour La Esmeralda Chocolate Factory, where, enticed by the different chocolate aromas, you will discover each step taken to produce the chocolate bars that we all love. You’ll even get the chance to make your own. Finally, surrounded by cacao trees, enjoy an exquisite Dominican lunch while listening to lilting Caribbean music.

Enjoy this memorable experience especially conceptualized for families with kids. Particular value was placed on the balance between delivering the tradition of colonial history perfectly mixed up with adventurous aspects and activities. The day starts comfortably with a tour on a motorized train discovering the most important sights, streets and squares. Enjoy a refreshing artisan ice cream before heading to the 4D cinema. Meanwhile all senses are stimulated visitors learn more about the colonization of the country. To perfectly close the day you visit the Cacao Museum where you learn more about the cultivation and processing of cacao but also make your own chocolate bar. Don’t miss out on this unique experience for the whole family.