Program essentials
$1,995 tuition + $100 enrollment fee
Dominican Republic: Beachside Service is an 8-day teen program for students ages 14–18. This program combines community service on public health projects with exploring one of the Caribbean’s most vivid landscapes.
Students contribute approximately 15 community service hours through health and wellness projects with the Kerolle Initiative in Batey communities near Bella Vista.
Students experience hands-on community service, outdoor exploration, and cultural learning as they travel between Santo Domingo, Jarabacoa, Las Galeras, and Sabana de La Mar. Days center on service projects developed with local partners, followed by active excursions that help students understand the country’s landscapes and communities firsthand.
Students spend time in the mountains and along the coast, take walking tours, and explore natural areas, including Los Haitises National Park, with downtime in eco-lodges that keep them close to rivers and forest.
Dominican Republic: Beachside Service
Dominican Republic · 8 days · Ages 14–18
★ 4.9 (218 Trustpilot reviews)
Program details last verified August 20, 2026
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Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals
155,829 students since 1983 · 38 countries
Life on the island moves at its own pace. Through service projects and time spent with the community, I’ve seen students learn what it means to live in connection with the land and ocean. It’s in the conversations, the shared meals, and the daily routines that you start to understand what island life is really about.
A typical teen tour schedule. Activities are flexible and may change due to logistics, weather, or community priorities.
Welcome to the Dominican Republic!
Isabel de Torres National Park
Bella Vista Health Workshops
Snorkeling in the Amber Coast
Surfing at Playa El Encuentro
Explore Santo Domingo
Adiós, República Dominicana!
These are the Rustic Pathways leaders who ran Dominican Republic: Beachside Service this past summer.
Dan Lucassen
2 sessions in 2026
60 countries and counting. Third year with Rustic Pathways.
Program leaders are assigned each season. The 2027 team will be confirmed closer to departure.
Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic
Rustic Pathways uses established safety, supervision, and risk management practices throughout the Beachside Service program.
Rustic Pathways maintains a median student-to-staff ratio of 4.37:1, with no program exceeding 7:1.
Families receive access to a 24/7 emergency number. Rustic Pathways staff responds immediately to emergencies and provides ongoing updates during active situations.
Rustic Pathways’ dedicated Medical Director, Dr. William R. Smith, is a board-certified emergency physician and U.S. Army Colonel with more than 20 years of wilderness medicine experience.
Dr. Smith is available to support Program Leaders and families with medical questions, treatment decisions, and incident escalation.
Rustic Pathways logs incident reports for all medical and behavioral issues during its programs.
In 2025, Rustic Pathways recorded 162 incidents across 2,238 travelers. Of these incidents, 142 (87.7%) were classified as GREEN (lowest severity).
Program Leaders pass background checks through Sterling, a First Advantage company, complete 40+ hours of in-person training (80+ hours total), and hold CPR and First Aid certifications.
Rustic Pathways’ core safety team members have completed Viristar’s 40-hour online Risk Management for Outdoor Programs course.
Rustic Pathways teams maintain lists of medical facilities for every major program location.
Rustic Pathways uses vetted, licensed, and insured ground transportation operators and prohibits night driving outside approved urban routes.
U.S. students can choose to join a chaperoned group flight from Miami to Santo Domingo. International students fly independently to Santo Domingo, where Rustic Pathways coordinates pickup. After the program, U.S. students return to Miami on the chaperoned flight. Rustic Pathways Program Leaders ensure the safe departure of students not on chaperoned flights. International flights are not included in program tuition.
Included: Lodging (all 7 nights), all meals, all airport transfers and ground transport, all activities, excursions, and entrance fees, 24/7 staff support, gratuities / tipping.
Not included: International airfare, travel insurance, personal spending money ($150–200 per week).
Yes. Payment plans are available for all families, and Rustic Pathways offers both need-based financial aid and merit scholarships. Explore scholarships and financial aid
Travel insurance is not included in the program tuition. Rustic Pathways recommends that families purchase travel insurance. Get a quote from our recommended provider →
A one-time enrollment fee is charged when you enroll, separate from the program tuition. It covers enrollment processing, pre-departure advising and trip planning.
The fee is non-refundable after the first 24 hours.
March 31 is the date that matters. Cancel up to then and the program tuition is refunded, less the non-refundable enrollment fee and any airfare already booked. The enrollment terms carry the full schedule.
We know some things are outside anyone’s control. If your family faces a serious documented emergency, contact us; we review these situations individually and will do what we reasonably can to help.
Rustic Pathways Program Leaders complete a four-month vetting process, and programs maintain a median of one staff member per 4.37 students (4.37:1), with no program exceeding 7 students per staff member (7:1). All Program Leaders are first-aid certified, and every program includes at least one leader with 3 or more years of field experience. Program Leaders range in age from 22 to 45.
Yes. Students room with same-gender peers. Staff stay in adjacent rooms.
All Program Leaders are first-aid certified. Nearest hospitals are mapped out in all locations. Our health & safety team reviews all medical forms before departure and works with families to plan medications, allergies, and dietary needs.
Yes. Students can call, text, or WhatsApp anytime.
Parents receive daily photo updates throughout the program.
Rustic Pathways allows students to keep their phones and does not confiscate them, but encourages students to actively participate in the program experience. Students may contact home as often as they like.
Wi-Fi is available at most hotels, but signal strength and speeds can vary in more rural areas.
The group is limited to 24 students, aged 14-18. Most students on this trip are 15-17 years old. Program Leaders group similarly-aged students together for activities.
Yes. Rustic Pathways programs are open to students worldwide, with participants from 53 countries. International students fly independently to the arrival airport, where Rustic Pathways coordinates pickup. Visa requirements vary by passport and destination, so contact a travel advisor for guidance.
Most students join without knowing anyone. 94% travel solo. No experience needed. Most are nervous at first. Program Leaders run ice-breakers on day one, so friendships form quickly, and everyone has a place in the group.
Students share gender-separated rooms across a mix of hotels and eco-lodges. Rooms include private bathrooms (with hot water), and Wi-Fi is available at most hotels, though signal can vary in more rural areas. Rustic Pathways Program Leaders stay on site to provide 24/7 supervision.
Yes. Roommate requests accepted during enrollment.
This itinerary reflects what we intend to deliver, and we work hard to make that happen. Since programs operate in real-world conditions, activities may change due to weather, health and safety factors, transportation, site availability, or local circumstances.
If plans need to change, our team will use its judgment to adjust the schedule while prioritizing student safety and preserving the program’s purpose and quality.
Students have structured independence during free-time with staff always nearby. There is no fully unsupervised time in public areas.
Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and common dietary restrictions accommodated with advance notice. All dietary needs collected during enrollment and shared with meal providers.
$150–200 recommended. Tipping is included, no extra cash needed.
U.S. citizens don’t need a visa for the Dominican Republic, but travelers from other countries might. Contact Rustic Pathways for advice on visa requirements.
Homesickness can be common over the first few days; Rustic Pathways is well prepared. Read how Rustic Pathways combats homesickness →
Rustic Pathways welcomes all students and works with families to provide appropriate support. Share any relevant information during enrollment so staff can prepare. Learn about Rustic Pathways’ approach to inclusion →
Students who enjoy hands-on community service, are curious about public health and wellness, and are excited by an active itinerary that combines cities, mountains, and coast.
Health and wellness service with the Kerolle Initiative in batey communities, including basic health workshops and community projects such as murals, water access, cement floors, and support at a local plantain farm. Time outside of service includes a cable car ascent into Isabel de Torres National Park, a visit to Fortaleza San Felipe, snorkeling on coral reefs near Sosua Bay, a surf lesson at Playa El Encuentro, and a guided visit to Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone with a Dominican dinner and dance show. Rustic Pathways uses a graduated independence model. Students begin with closely guided activities and take on more autonomy as they demonstrate competence.
Students who prefer unstructured travel, need constant phone access, or are uncomfortable with group-based schedules and early mornings. Expect warm, humid weather and several active days that include hiking and water-based activities.
The Dominican Republic makes it possible to combine service in rural communities with cultural learning in Santo Domingo and outdoor experiences along the north coast and in the mountains.
Students work with the Kerolle Initiative and local community leaders on health, wellness, and sustainable development projects in batey communities, connecting service tasks to real public health challenges.
Students move between program locations with private in-country transportation and stay in safe, student-friendly hotels and eco-lodges, with group supervision throughout the trip and coordinated airport transfers tied to the group travel schedule.
Santo Domingo Colonial Zone (UNESCO), Fortaleza San Felipe, Isabel de Torres cable car and summit gardens, Dominican dinner and dance show
