Carnival Cruise Amber Cove Excursions: Complete 2027 Guide
Top Carnival cruise Amber Cove excursions: Damajagua waterfalls, ATV and buggy rides and the city tour, with prices, ages, ship times and pickup.
Amber Cove Excursions
Our top picks for Carnival cruise Amber Cove excursions are the Damajagua waterfalls, ATV and buggy rides, and the Puerto Plata city tour. You can book them through Carnival or directly with a local operator like us, with pickup and return in the Amber Cove terminal lobby, and even the farthest, Damajagua, is only about 31 minutes from the pier. Below, you’ll find which Carnival ships call, how long you’ll have ashore, what each tour costs and how to plan your day.
Carnival at Amber Cove: the basics
Amber Cove sits in Maimón Bay on the Dominican Republic’s north coast, and it was built by Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Carnival Cruise Line. Ships dock right at the pier, so there’s no tender boat. You walk down the gangway, through the terminal and into a port complex with a pool, bars, shops and a zip line; our Amber Cove port guide covers the layout in more detail.
Puerto Plata has a second cruise port, Taíno Bay, about 13 minutes away by car. Check that your Carnival itinerary says Amber Cove before you book a tour.
Which Carnival ships call at Amber Cove
The official port schedule for November 2026 through March 2027 lists 12 Carnival ships: Carnival Mardi Gras, Celebration, Magic, Vista, Sunshine, Conquest, Pride, Miracle, Dream, Spirit, Horizon and Legend. Mardi Gras calls most often, followed by Vista, Sunshine, Celebration and Magic. On more than half of the ship days in that period, two ships share the port, so book early if you have your heart set on a particular tour. Look up your date on our Amber Cove cruise ship schedule, which has a page for every ship day with weather, pickup details and our top tours. To see every Carnival date in one place, ship by ship, use our Carnival Amber Cove excursions page.
How long you’ll have ashore
The most common Carnival call on the port schedule is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; arrivals range from 7 to 10:30 a.m., and you’ll get eight to nine hours ashore. Carnival’s own itinerary sometimes lists different Amber Cove times than the port schedule, so confirm yours in the Carnival app and plan around the all-aboard time, not the departure time.
Dominican Republic time is UTC−4 all year, one hour ahead of US Eastern time from early November to mid-March. If a time looks off by an hour, check whether you’re reading ship time or local time.
Book through Carnival or book direct?
Both work. The real differences are price, flexibility and who is responsible for getting you back on board.
Booking through Carnival
- Everything stays in the Carnival app with your other cruise plans.
- Carnival takes responsibility for getting you back if one of its own tours runs late, which is the main reason some guests book on board.
- Carnival sets its own prices and cancellation rules, so check both before you compare.
Booking direct with us
- The city tour is $44.55 per guest and the seven-waterfall Damajagua tour is $39 (lunch not included, or $49 with a Dominican lunch), so compare them with similar tours in the Carnival app.
- Round-trip transportation is included, with pickup and return in the Amber Cove terminal lobby. Before your port day, we email the exact meeting point, a photo of your driver’s ID badge and a contact number.
- Book online up to 12 hours before your ship arrives. Reserve with a 30% deposit and pay the rest on arrival, or pay in full.
- Cancel free up to 25 hours before the tour starts. If your ship was scheduled to dock at Amber Cove but doesn’t, you get a full refund.
- Groups of 6 or more guests get 5% off automatically, and groups of 11 or more get 10%.
- Every tour is timed around your ship’s schedule.
If you’d rather skip tours and explore by taxi, our guide to doing Amber Cove on your own covers transportation, downtown Puerto Plata and safety.
The best Amber Cove excursions for Carnival passengers
These are the tours we run from Amber Cove, with prices in US dollars. For the full ranking with drive times and route maps, see our 10 best Amber Cove excursions for 2027.
| Tour | From | Duration | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damajagua Waterfalls (7 falls), no lunch | $39 per guest | 3 hours | 7+ |
| Damajagua with Dominican Lunch | $49 per guest | 3 hours | 7+ |
| Double ATV (2 share) | $45 per person | 2 h 30 min | 8+ |
| Double Buggy (2 share) | $50 per person | 3 hours | 8+ |
| Puerto Plata City Tour | $44.55 per guest | About 4 hours | All ages |
| City Tour + Double Buggy or ATV | $75 per person, 2+ guests | About 6 hours | 8+ |
| Monkey Home + Butterflies + Birds | $57.99 adults, $39 kids 3–11 | 3 hours | All ages |
| Damajagua + Zip Line + Buggy | $149 per guest | 5 hours | 8+ |
Damajagua waterfalls: for swimmers and thrill seekers
Damajagua, often called the 27 Waterfalls, is a river canyon where guides lead you through clear pools, natural slides and jumps, with a helmet and life jacket provided. Our tours use the seven-waterfall route: the Damajagua waterfall tour from Amber Cove takes about 3 hours, and the drive from the pier is about 31 minutes. The minimum age is 7, or 8 for combos that add a monkey park, zip line or buggy. Compare the lunch, monkey-park, zip-line and buggy versions on our Damajagua excursions page.
ATV and buggy rides: for muddy, hands-on fun
A double ATV adventure is $45 per person with two sharing and lasts 2 hours 30 minutes, while a double buggy is $50 per person for 3 hours. Both follow muddy country trails, stop at a local home for coffee, chocolate and mamajuana tastings, and include a stop at Teco Beach plus showers to clean up. Single ATVs ($85, 3 hours) and single buggies ($95, 2 hours 30 minutes) are also available. Riders must be 8 or older, and these tours run rain or shine.
The city tour: for history, shopping and all ages
The Puerto Plata city tour is $44.55 per guest, takes about 4 hours and has no minimum age. It visits Fortaleza San Felipe, the Malecón, a chocolate factory, Umbrella Street, Pink Street, the Amber Museum area, Central Park and the cathedral, and downtown is about 18 minutes from the pier. You can also pair it with a double buggy or ATV ride.
Monkeys, butterflies and birds: for families with young kids
The Monkey Home, butterfly and bird tour costs $57.99 for adults and $39 for kids 3–11, and infants up to 2 go free. It lasts 3 hours, the drive is about 18 minutes, and it runs rain or shine, so it suits kids too young for Damajagua.
A sample Carnival day at Amber Cove
This plan uses the most common Carnival call, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shift the times to match your ship.
- Before you sail: Save our meeting-point email, with your driver’s ID badge photo and phone number, so you can open it without Wi-Fi.
- About 8 a.m.: The ship docks. Walk off with your Sail & Sign card and photo ID, then meet your driver in the terminal lobby and match them to the badge photo.
- Morning: Your tour runs from 2 hours 30 minutes to about 6 hours, depending on what you booked.
- Early to mid-afternoon: You’re back at the terminal with time for the pool, a drink or souvenir shopping.
- All-aboard: Be on the ship by the all-aboard time shown in the Carnival app.
Money-saving tips for Carnival passengers
- Choose a combo. The city tour plus a double buggy is $75 per person (minimum 2 guests, about 6 hours), compared with $94.55 for the two tours booked separately.
- Travel as a group. Groups of 6 or more get 5% off automatically and groups of 11 or more get 10%, so team up with family or your sailing’s online roll call.
- Eat on board first. Have breakfast on the ship, or pick the Damajagua tour with Dominican lunch ($49), which includes a meal.
- Bring small US bills. Your Sail & Sign card doesn’t work outside the port, so carry cash for tips (a typical guide tip is $5–10 per person), drinks and souvenirs.
FAQs
Is it safe to book Amber Cove excursions independently?
Yes, if you choose an established operator with public reviews and clear policies. We’re rated 4.7 on Tripadvisor from 3,202 reviews, and our pickup and return happen inside the Amber Cove terminal.
What if my tour runs late and the ship leaves?
The ship doesn’t wait for independent tours, so timing is our job. We plan every tour around your ship’s all-aboard time, and our longest drive, to Damajagua, is about 31 minutes.
Can I book an excursion when I get to the port?
Our Amber Cove excursions are booked online, up to 12 hours before your ship arrives. Booking ahead means you’ll have our meeting-point email, with the driver’s ID badge photo and contact number, and can head straight to the terminal lobby.
What happens if it rains or Carnival skips Amber Cove?
November to January is Puerto Plata’s wettest stretch, though the rain usually comes in short showers. Buggy, ATV and monkey tours run rain or shine, and Damajagua runs in showers but guides can close it after heavy rain; if a tour can’t run for weather or safety, we offer another tour or a full refund. If your ship was scheduled to dock at Amber Cove but doesn’t, you also get a full refund.
How old do kids need to be?
Damajagua is for ages 7 and up, and the Monkey Home + Double Buggy combo for ages 6 and up. The other buggy and ATV rides, and any other combo with Damajagua, a buggy or an ATV, are for ages 8 and up, while the city tour and the monkey tours are open to all ages.
Plan your Amber Cove day
Find your ship’s date, confirm your times in the Carnival app and choose one main tour that leaves a comfortable buffer before all-aboard. When you’re ready, browse every Amber Cove excursion with online booking; you can reserve with a 30% deposit and cancel free up to 25 hours before the tour starts.
