Santo Domingo is warm all year. Average daytime highs stay between about 85 °F and 89 °F (29 °C to 31.5 °C) in every month, and nights cool to between about 67 °F and 73 °F (19.5 °C to 23 °C). So plan around what you want from the trip: carnival on the Malecón, a winter baseball game, whales in Samaná Bay, a quiet week at the beach, or Christmas with family.
This guide goes through the year month by month, with the weather, the public holidays and the events worth planning around.
The weather across the year
These are Santo Domingo's long-term monthly averages. Highs and lows change only a few degrees through the year.
- January: high 85 °F (29.2 °C), low 67 °F (19.6 °C)
- February: high 85 °F (29.2 °C), low 67 °F (19.7 °C)
- March: high 85 °F (29.6 °C), low 68 °F (20.2 °C)
- April: high 86 °F (30.2 °C), low 70 °F (21.1 °C)
- May: high 87 °F (30.4 °C), low 72 °F (22.2 °C)
- June: high 87 °F (30.8 °C), low 73 °F (22.9 °C)
- July: high 88 °F (31.3 °C), low 73 °F (22.8 °C)
- August: high 89 °F (31.5 °C), low 73 °F (22.7 °C)
- September: high 89 °F (31.4 °C), low 73 °F (22.7 °C)
- October: high 88 °F (31.1 °C), low 72 °F (22.3 °C)
- November: high 87 °F (30.6 °C), low 71 °F (21.4 °C)
- December: high 85 °F (29.6 °C), low 69 °F (20.3 °C)
Drier and wetter months
The year has a drier half and a wetter half. From November through April, each month averages fewer than 10 days with rain. From May through October rain comes more often, on 10 to 13 days a month on average, and a good plan is beach and walking in the morning with museums, lunch or a siesta for the hours after.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
The year at a glance
A quick summary before the month-by-month detail:
- January: holidays for the Three Kings, Altagracia and Duarte, baseball playoffs, and the start of whale season in Samaná
- February: carnival on the Malecón and the Independence Day parade on February 27
- March: the national carnival parade, the orchid show, and Holy Week in 2027
- April: the end of the high season on the southeast coast
- May: Labor Day and the free museum weekend
- June: Expo Mango in Baní and Corpus Christi
- July: summer at the beach and in the mountains of Jarabacoa
- August: Restoration Day on August 16
- September: Las Mercedes and the book fair
- October: the baseball season opens
- November: Constitution Day and Baní's patron saint festival
- December: Christmas, family homecomings and the end of the regular baseball season
January
January opens with the New Year holiday on January 1 and runs straight into a month of feast days. The Three Kings, Día de Reyes, falls on January 6 and can move to a Monday; in 2026 the holiday was observed on Monday, January 5. January 21 is the Día de la Altagracia, and January 26 is Duarte Day, for Juan Pablo Duarte.
The weather is at its mildest, with highs around 85 °F (29.2 °C) and lows around 67 °F (19.6 °C), so it is a comfortable month for long walks through the Colonial Zone and along the Malecón.
For baseball fans, January is playoff time. The Dominican winter league's regular season ends just before Christmas, and the semifinal and final stages decide the national champion, who goes on to the Serie del Caribe. Our baseball guide covers the teams and the stadium.
It is also the start of whale season. In 2026 the Ministry of Environment opened humpback whale watching in Samaná Bay in mid-January, with 46 whale-watching authorizations for the bay and the Bancos de La Plata y de La Navidad Marine Mammal Sanctuary, which officials describe as the largest protected area in the Caribbean. The southeast coast around Bayahíbe is in its high season from December to April, so January is a fine month for a boat day to Saona.
February
February is carnival time on the Malecón. In 2026 the Distrito Nacional's carnival parade filled Avenida George Washington on Sunday, February 22, from 3:00 p.m., with more than 70 comparsas, the costumed carnival groups, between calle Pasteur and calle Palo Hincado.
The 2026 parade was dedicated to José Guillermo Mieses, founder of the comparsa Los Leones del Diablo, and it closed with a concert by Toño Rosario, Omega, Jandy Ventura, Sexappeal and Steffany Constanza. Bring a hat and find your spot along the avenue early.
February 27 is Independence Day, and the military parade takes place on the Malecón. In 2026 the Armed Forces and National Police paraded along Avenida George Washington for the 182nd anniversary of independence. If you are staying on the Malecón, you will have the parade on your doorstep.
Elsewhere in the Caribbean, the winter league champions meet at the Serie del Caribe in early February. The 2027 edition is set for Hermosillo, Mexico, from February 1 to February 7, with five countries.
The weather stays mild, with highs around 85 °F (29.2 °C) and lows around 67 °F (19.7 °C), and February is one of the drier months.
March
March brings the big national carnival parade. The Ministry of Culture's Desfile Nacional de Carnaval was held on the Malecón on Sunday, March 15, 2026, with about 180 comparsas from every province and more than 9,000 dancers, musicians and artists. Delegations came from Colombia, Brazil, Ghana and Puerto Rico, and the traditional characters, the diablos, lechones and robalagallina, filled the avenue.
The 2026 parade was dedicated to Puerto Plata province, and the guests brought their own traditions: Ghana's masquerade and fancy-dress groups, Colombia's Carnaval de Negros y Blancos, a delegation from the league of Rio de Janeiro's samba schools, and the vejigantes, horned and masked figures, from the Playa neighborhood of Ponce in Puerto Rico.
Garden lovers can catch the orchid show, Cascada de Orquídeas, at the Jardín Botánico Nacional. In 2026 it ran from March 5 to March 8.
In 2027, Holy Week falls in March: Holy Thursday is March 25, Good Friday March 26 and Easter Sunday March 28. Holy Week is a favorite beach week for Dominican families, so expect busy beaches from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday.
Highs average about 85 °F (29.6 °C) and lows about 68 °F (20.2 °C).
April
April is warm and dry, with highs around 86 °F (30.2 °C) and lows around 70 °F (21.1 °C).
In years when Easter falls in April, Good Friday is a public holiday and Holy Week fills the beaches; in 2026, Good Friday was April 3. April is also the last month of the high season on the southeast coast, so it is a good time for Saona and Bayahíbe before the summer.
It is a comfortable month for a mix of city and day trips: the botanical garden in the morning, Los Tres Ojos in the afternoon, and a day at Boca Chica midweek. The Baní dunes also make a good outing in the drier months; go early, with water, a hat and sunscreen. Our day trips guide has more ideas.
May
May begins with Labor Day on May 1. Under the law that moves certain holidays to a Monday, it was observed on Monday, May 4, in 2026, which made a long weekend.
In 2026 the Ministry of Culture held its Noche Larga de Museos from Friday, May 15, to Sunday, May 17, with free entry to all state museums, guided tours and talks. In the Plaza de la Cultura, the Museo del Hombre Dominicano, the Museo Nacional de Historia y Geografía, the Museo de Arte Moderno and the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural opened their doors, and in the Colonial Zone the Museo de las Atarazanas Reales, the Museo de la Familia Dominicana and the Museo Fortaleza de Santo Domingo took part, the fortress with a night program of holographic projections. If the 2027 dates fall during your trip, it is a good weekend to see several museums in one go.
Highs in May average about 87 °F (30.4 °C) and lows about 72 °F (22.2 °C). Plan the beach and outdoor sights for the morning, and keep a museum or a long lunch for later in the day.
June
June is the month of mangoes in Baní, about 61 km west of the Malecón. Expo Mango, Baní's mango harvest festival, ran from June 3 to June 7 in 2026, with fresh mangoes for sale, free tastings, cooking contests and music. Our Baní and Boca Canasta guide covers the town, the beaches and the dunes nearby.
The 2026 fair was the 22nd edition of the Festival de la Cosecha del Mango, the mango harvest festival, organized by the Dominican mango cluster, PROMANGO, with the Ministry of Agriculture. Growers showed off local varieties, among them the Mingolo, and the program added tours around Peravia province. Come hungry and leave room in your bag for fruit.
Corpus Christi is a public holiday; in 2026 it fell on Thursday, June 4.
Highs average about 87 °F (30.8 °C) and lows about 73 °F (22.9 °C). Early morning and sunset are the times for the Malecón walk.
July
July is summer holiday season, and Boca Chica is at its busiest, with families from the capital spending whole days on the sand. If you want a quieter beach day, go on a weekday or head further east to Juan Dolio.
It is also a good month to escape to the mountains. Jarabacoa, about two hours from Santo Domingo, has a mild climate of 16 °C to 25 °C (61 °F to 77 °F), and summer is one of its busy seasons. Its waterfalls, Salto de Jimenoa and Salto Baiguate, rafting and tubing on the Yaque del Norte River, hiking in Armando Bermúdez National Park and horseback riding fill two or three days.
In the city, highs average about 88 °F (31.3 °C) and lows about 73 °F (22.8 °C).
August
August 16 is Restoration Day, the Día de la Restauración, a public holiday that in 2026 fell on a Sunday.
Mid-August is also the botanical garden's birthday: the Jardín Botánico Nacional opened on August 15, 1976. Its shaded paths make a good summer morning.
August highs average about 89 °F (31.5 °C) and lows about 73 °F (22.7 °C). Plan your swim for the morning and the Colonial Zone's museums for the afternoon.
September
September 24 is the Día de las Mercedes, a public holiday that in 2026 fell on a Thursday.
The city's book fair, the Feria Internacional del Libro Santo Domingo, takes over the Plaza de la Cultura in late September. In 2026 it ran from September 24 to October 4 with more than 700 activities and 714,322 visitors, and the 2027 edition is set for September 12 to 26. The program mixes talks, book presentations, recitals, workshops, film and theater.
The 2026 fair had Panama as guest country and the Dominican writer José Mármol as honored author, with more than 70 international writers and 44 Dominican bookshops taking part. For Spanish-speaking travelers and families visiting from abroad, it is an easy afternoon out and a good place to find Dominican books to take home.
Highs average about 89 °F (31.4 °C) and lows about 73 °F (22.7 °C).
October
October is when baseball comes back. The Dominican winter league opens its 2026-27 season on Friday, October 16, when the Leones del Escogido host the Tigres del Licey at the Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal at 7:15 p.m., the two Santo Domingo teams facing each other on opening night.
The opening weekend continues on Saturday, October 17, when the Licey host the Gigantes del Cibao at 5:00 p.m., and on Sunday, October 18, when the Licey host the Escogido at 5:00 p.m. Weekday games usually start between 7:00 and 7:30 p.m., and weekend games in the late afternoon.
The book fair wraps up in early October. Highs average about 88 °F (31.1 °C) and lows about 72 °F (22.3 °C), and as the month goes on the drier season approaches.
November
November 6 is Constitution Day. In 2026 the holiday moves to Monday, November 9, for a long weekend.
West of the city, Baní celebrates its patron, Nuestra Señora de Regla, with fiestas patronales from November 11 to November 21. In 2025 the festivities opened with the lighting of the town's Christmas tree, music from local and national artists, and games in the neighborhoods.
Baseball is in full swing, with the two capital teams playing their home games at the Estadio Quisqueya. The weather turns drier, with highs around 87 °F (30.6 °C) and lows around 71 °F (21.4 °C).
December
December is the month for family. From mid-December, the airports fill with Dominicans who live abroad coming home to spend Christmas, and relatives waiting at arrivals to meet them, especially at Las Américas. If you are coming home for the holidays, book early.
Christmas Day, December 25, is a public holiday. The baseball regular season ends on December 22, with a league break on the weekend of December 4 to 6, and the semifinal and final stages carry the season into the new year.
In Baní the Christmas season starts early: the town lit its Christmas tree on November 11 in 2025, at the opening of its patron saint festivities.
Highs are around 85 °F (29.6 °C) and lows around 69 °F (20.3 °C), and December opens the high season on the southeast coast, which runs to April.
Public holidays
These are the Dominican Republic's national public holidays. Under Law 139-97, some of them move to a Monday, so check the year's calendar before you plan around one:
- New Year's Day, January 1
- Three Kings Day, January 6 (moved to Monday, January 5, in 2026)
- Día de la Altagracia, January 21
- Duarte Day, January 26
- Independence Day, February 27
- Good Friday, which moves with Easter (April 3 in 2026, March 26 in 2027)
- Labor Day, May 1 (moved to Monday, May 4, in 2026)
- Corpus Christi, which moves with Easter (June 4 in 2026)
- Restoration Day, August 16
- Día de las Mercedes, September 24
- Constitution Day, November 6 (moved to Monday, November 9, in 2026)
- Christmas Day, December 25
On the big parade days, Independence Day and the carnival Sundays, sections of Avenida George Washington close to traffic. In 2026 the carnival stretch closed from the Friday afternoon before the parade, and drivers were sent along Avenida Independencia and Avenida Simón Bolívar instead.
Sunrise and sunset on the Malecón
Whatever the month, the Malecón faces the Caribbean, and the sun comes up over the sea. From our apartments you can watch the sunrise from bed, and the sunsets are worth an evening walk along the promenade. In the warmer months, these two ends of the day are the most comfortable times to be outside.
Plans for a rainy afternoon
In the wetter months, rain is more frequent, and a few indoor plans keep the day moving. The Colonial Zone has the Museo de las Atarazanas Reales, the Museo de la Familia Dominicana and the Museo Fortaleza de Santo Domingo. The Plaza de la Cultura has four more: the Museo del Hombre Dominicano, the Museo Nacional de Historia y Geografía, the Museo de Arte Moderno and the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural. Further afield, the Cueva de las Maravillas stays around 19 °C inside whatever the weather.
Weekdays and weekends
Weekends and weekdays feel different in Santo Domingo. On weekends, families from the capital head to Boca Chica and the beaches nearby, and the music comes out. During the week the same beaches are calm, and you can choose your table at lunch. Plan your beach days for weekdays and keep the weekends for the Malecón, the Colonial Zone, a ballgame or a parade. In the baseball season, weekend games start in the late afternoon, so a Saturday or Sunday at the Quisqueya fits easily around a slow morning.
Booking around the big dates
A few dates draw crowds every year, so book early if your trip includes them. December is the month when Dominicans living abroad come home for Christmas, from mid-December onward. Holy Week, which ends on Easter Sunday, March 28, in 2027, sends families from the capital to the beaches from Holy Thursday. Carnival Sundays in February and March, and Independence Day on February 27, bring crowds and road closures along the Malecón. For opening night of the baseball season and for the finals, buy tickets ahead through the clubs' official sales.
Picking your dates
The right month depends on why you are coming:
- For carnival and the Independence Day parade, come in February, and stay into March for the national carnival parade.
- For winter baseball, come between mid-October and January, when the Licey and the Escogido share the Estadio Quisqueya.
- For whales, come once the Samaná season opens in mid-January.
- For island days at Saona and Bayahíbe in the drier season, come between December and April.
- For mangoes and a day in Baní, come in early June for Expo Mango.
- For books and culture, come in late September for the book fair, or in May for the free museum weekend.
- For Christmas with family, come in December, and book flights well ahead.
- For calm beaches and easy restaurant tables, come midweek outside Holy Week and the summer school holidays.
What to pack
Pack for warm weather in every month: light cotton or linen, sandals and walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen. Add a light layer for air-conditioned restaurants and the cooler evenings of the winter months, a compact umbrella for the wetter half of the year, and one outfit with covered shoulders and knees for visiting churches.
Whenever you come, the sea is in front of you and the city is at your door.