
The trip Americans pick to revel in Cuban delights
six days and five nights in the Pearl of the Caribbean
- Costs from $2419 $1899
- double room per person
Single room supplement $400
- Introduction
- Tour map
- Full tour itinerary
- Costs, dates, book now
- Included in tour cost
- Not included in cost
≈ Tour reviews ≈
Cuba is beautiful. The locals are warm and welcoming. So much history and so many traditions were shared with us during this trip. The tour [more...]
Ana Theresa Barr, Chula Vista, CaliforniaCubans are resilient, beautiful, friendly. Loved the variety; getting to see and meet some locals, the different restaurants for the flavors of Cuba; the [more...]
Bandele Adeyemi-Znidarcic, Mamaroneck, New YorkThis trip was maybe one of the best trips I have ever taken. The people, tour, food and the sights were wonderful. I will promote [more...]
John Timothy Condon, Washington Dc, District Of ColumbiaThe Cuban people are resourceful, proud and welcoming. Our tour guide Meylin was incredible.
I would find a different location for the welcoming dinner [more...]
Havana is a beautiful, fun city. The people are friendly. We had wonderful meals. Our guide Roberto was great! I really liked riding in the [more...]
Marianna Coggins, Henderson, NevadaI didn’t know what to expect before the trip. I loved the various excursions. All very educational. Most of all loved the culture. Our [more...]
Jose Morales, Bethlehem, PennsylvaniaBeautiful architecture, artwork, welcoming people and delicious food. My tour guide Atila was exceptionally knowledgeable and caring. I would highly recommend him!
Diane Woodward, Las Vegas, NevadaMy biggest impressions occurred on the second week after the tour when I was independent. I liked the visit to the senior center.Santa Maria [more...]
Barbara Bregstein, Yonkers, New YorkSo enjoyed our time in Cuba. The Art, the Music, the People, everything was well presented by our guide and our driver, all perfect. Looking [more...]
Helen Galnick, Carlsbad, CaliforniaI am a traveling wife whom accompanied Stephen Mitchell. I wanted to share my thoughts on Cuba. I absolutely love the people and culture. We [more...]
Stephen Mitchell, San Diego, CaliforniaI can't get Cuba out of my head, the people and culture so interesting. It's multi-cultural society operating with complete respect in every facet (i. [more...]
Stephen Mitchell, San Diego, CaliforniaThis was my fifth tour in Cuba, but the first time I spent an entire week in Havana. I came back and brought a friend [more...]
Daniel Halcomb, Huntsville, AlabamaCuba was great. The people couldn't have been any friendlier and the culture is fun. The variety of activities is what made this tour best. [more...]
James Daley, Poughkeepsie, New YorkWe had a wonderful trip. People were overall very friendly and helpful, both those part of the tour and everyone we met. We loved the [more...]
Ellen Bigler, Providence, Rhode IslandI loved the country and its people. I encountered many people, men and women, who were informative, kind and open to our questions. It is [more...]
Carol Shelton, Cranston, Rhode IslandCuba was truly an unexpected surprise for me and the family. We were welcomed to no end by our fantastic guide and driver Sandor and [more...]
Dwayne Stepter, Fort Washington, MarylandThe people are so friendly. Loved the small group size. Our Cuban guide Cinthia had extensive knowledge of her country.
Very pretty country. People were extremely nice and helpful. Liked everything from the museums to the old cars. It was all great. All the restaurants [more...]
Kathleen Blodgett, Binghamton, New YorkWonderful friendly people. The people-to-people visits were very interesting. Nice to interact with the Cubans. Our guide and bus driver were great, and very accommodating.
Jacqueline Guillon, Conklin, New YorkCuba was beautiful. In every interaction we had with the people we found them to be so friendly. They were pleasant and helpful. Cinthia [more...]
Glenda Rowse, Conklin, New YorkI was very, very impressed by Cuba, and especially its people and the culture they have created and maintained. I did not know much before [more...]
John Denham, Claremont, CaliforniaWonderful people, fascinating culture and traditions, beautiful country. Our guide Ariadna was fabulous and taught us so much. Meeting all the local people and learning [more...]
Elizabeth Shine, West Palm Beach, FloridaI loved how warm Cubans are toward visitors. I loved how visual artists and musicians are considered to be as worthy as doctors and appreciated [more...]
Alanna Dushok, Alexandria, VirginiaThe Cuban people and culture was beautiful. So much history lives in Cuba I would love to go back to learn more! My guide Mandi [more...]
Deanna Hatter, Highland, CaliforniaCubans are a diverse group of individuals who ancestors are from all over the world. The culture also mimics that of its people. Diverse rich [more...]
Keisha Mathew, Chicago, IllinoisI loved learning about Cuban history, religions, interacting with the people, dancing to the music, eating the food, and landscape ad general energy of the [more...]
Apryl Owens, Los Angeles, CaliforniaWe loved visiting Cuba! The warm, friendly, hardworking people, the new food, the beautiful architecture, the music, all contributed to a wonderful trip. Our [more...]
William Scarborough, Los Alamos, New MexicoCuba is a fascinating, beautiful, talented, friendly and safe country. While it faces challenges, the people are optimistic, resourceful and innovative. The music is alive [more...]
Lisa Wilder, Reading, PennsylvaniaThe tour was extremely educational. I loved learning about Cuban history and how people live today. The tour included a good cross-section of sites and [more...]
Virginia Gibney, Phoenix, ArizonaWonderful warm people, fantastic music.Old Havana and Spanish Fort were more than expected. Our tour guide Geldry was very knowledgeable and personable.Excellent [more...]
Ralph Zych, Corrales, New MexicoVery positive first impressions. Cuba is a country of very talented, musical, artistic people. I liked everything on the tour, especially our tour guide Alejandro [more...]
Christina Huckabay, Long Beach, CaliforniaThe tour was terrific and not sure what to suggest to improve. I had a wonderful time in Cuba. The people are warm and friendly, [more...]
Elizabeth Sadove, Rockville, MarylandWe found the people and culture fascinating and colorful and we enjoyed the mix of cultural activities.
Cynthia Knight, Sherman, TexasLoved Havana and its classic (and crumbling) architecture, very nice people, and a society trying to make the best of its current realities. Striking Spanish [more...]
Theodore Feifer, Rockville, MarylandGreat overview of the Havana area. Loved learning about the history and seeing the country and the buildings. Ari our guide was outstanding! [more...]
Susan Baglien, Muskegon, MichiganLoved the organic farm, the eco-resort community, the recording studio – really everything! Roberto, our guide, was fabulous. Cuba is a beautiful country with friendly [more...]
Margaret Brooks, Montclair, New JerseyI loved that we got a behind the scenes look at Cuba and Cuban life, culture and beliefs. Lovely. Different from what I expected. People [more...]
Marlene Zobayan, Emerald Hills, CaliforniaOur guide, Roberto, made this tour the best that it could possibly be. He was a fountain of information and he presented it clearly. He [more...]
Christine Myers, Anchorage, AlaskaDespite their many hardships the people seem to be resourceful and resilient. The variety of experiences on the tour were important: music art, architecture, [more...]
Diane Sterba, Mineral Point, WisconsinCuba is a beautiful perfect place and the people there was also friendly and very helpful. The tour was great it was informative and [more...]
Gladys Peeples, Bronx, New YorkCuba was a very impressive land and culture. The people were strong and true to their convictions. It was great to see a place that [more...]
Patrick Gaebler, Denver, ColoradoThe friendliest people I have ever met. Seeing things like the schools, farms, and other spots that one would not see on a normal [more...]
Sean Tubridy, Saint Paul, MinnesotaFascinating. The Cuban people are happy, tolerant, loyal and inviting. Our group and our tour guide were wonderful. Our guide's English was outstanding and [more...]
David Fliegler, Irvine, CaliforniaReally nice tour. I enjoyed almost everything during the trip.
Donald Garvett, Mercer Island, WashingtonThe Cubans have great spirit and resolve in spite of hardships associated with the USA embargo.I sensed a slight optimistic view of Obama's actions [more...]
Donald Ward, Berlin, MarylandVery Positive. The people were very friendly and open. The culture is deeper than most recognize, and the history of the island and its constant [more...]
Yueh-Wen Wang, Honolulu, HawaiiI was impressed with my overall impression of Cuba. The people, culture and food were all good. Our tour guide Adrián, and the [more...]
James Morris, San Antonio, TexasIt was a great trip very impressed with the Cuban people and how they make do with the poverty around them. I never felt threatened, [more...]
Gail Schlafer, Margate, New JerseyThoroughly enjoyed our time in the country. The language barrier prevented some amount of interaction with local people but not to the detriment of the [more...]
Chris Norvell, Decatur, GeorgiaI loved every minute of my trip. The people, the culture, the food and the drink all exceed my expectations. The people and their [more...]
Suzanne Solomon, Scottsdale, ArizonaOf all my travels, this was my favorite trip of all. I very much loved Cuba, its people and culture. Such a colorful, happy, resourceful [more...]
Penny Martin, Helena, MontanaLoved Cuba and we stayed an extra two weeks after the formal Cuba Explorer tour. The tour itself was great. We had a really good [more...]
Ralph Vesecky, Grand Beach, MichiganCuba is an amazing place to visit, full of contradictions, with a fascinating history, kind people, and beautiful architecture. It's a unique experience. Our [more...]
Stefanie Karp, Washington, District of ColumbiaI believe the people of Cuba are very fun loving happy people who care about themselves and others. They are very peaceful and polite. [more...]
Elizabeth Johnson, Pataskala, OhioThe Cubans are a delightful people who are very proud of a unique culture. The country is stuck in time and this is very positive [more...]
Roger Mann, Naples, FloridaI had a fantastic time. I learned SO MUCH during the week that I was there, and went back home with a very different (but [more...]
Frederic Hoffman, Paris, FranceThe people we encountered on the planned tour stops and those we met on the streets were very welcoming and warm. We loved their culture [more...]
Michael Lefkowitz, Irvine, CaliforniaThe best! I want to go back in April 2017. I thought the tour was great for Havana, but I would really like to see [more...]
Nina Abubakari, Detroit, MichiganAmazingly lovely people, great music, interesting society. It was fascinating to see Cuba with my own eyes, without the filter of the US government's viewpoint. [more...]
Marianne Richardson, Tucson, ArizonaCuba is a beautiful country and the people are cleverly innovative. We were not able to experience the music and dancing part of their culture [more...]
Barbara Bird, Goodyear, ArizonaI thought the trip was fabulous even though we were there during the 9 days of mourning for Fidel Castro. We saw and did so much [more...]
Marion Froehlich, San Diego, CaliforniaI enjoyed my Cuba visit very much. Warm people, friendly, and a profound joy for life. I highly recommend. This is a tour showing [more...]
David Calloway, San Pedro, CaliforniaWe loved Cuba and found the people to be incredibly warm, proud and engaging. Of all of my travels around the world, I found Havana [more...]
Alicen Holmes, Milpitas, CaliforniaWonderful, kind people. Our tour guide Armando Galán was great.
Michael Hubbert, San Jose, CaliforniaA resilient and resourceful people. Friendly. Educated. Smart. Eager to engage and to learn more about the world. There's a warmth and a heart in [more...]
David Fein, Los Angeles, CaliforniaCubans are a very accepting people and felt safe walking late at night by myself. Never had a problem and enjoyed the pride they felt. [more...]
William Hambrick, Crescent Springs, KentuckyI loved Rosie, our guide, because she loves Cuba. She recognizes Cuba's problems, but she focuses on the strengths; guaranteed housing, excellent health care, literacy [more...]
Judy Branch, San Antonio, TexasFabulous! One of the best places we have visited and explored ever. Our guide Rosie made all the difference. So glad we were the first [more...]
John Watson, New Bern, North CarolinaIt's a country struggling with the shortages, but able to make due with creativity. Sad to see people living in buildings that should be repaired [more...]
Holly Margulies, Westminster, CaliforniaThe welcome to Cuba was friendly, people seem open to meet strangers. Poverty is obvious and I was surprised that personal properties like front yards, [more...]
Vroni Hetherly, San Antonio, TexasWhat the people of Cuba have is incredibly unique with their emphasis on family, on community and the cohesiveness as a culture. Really liked the& [more...]
Jayne Ellen Bernasconi, San Luis Obispo, CaliforniaI loved Cuba! The country was so interesting, beautiful and full of history and the people were very friendly. It was the people I [more...]
Rae Bosio, Indianapolis, IndianaFascinating, so much to see and explore. The people are very welcoming. There was limited opportunities to sit and talk, but conversations was quite interesting. [more...]
Michelle Colyar-Cooper, Seattle, WashingtonCuba was an amazement to me; full of architectural beauty, inventive and progressive educational and training programs, and intelligent interesting folks. The sites we visited [more...]
Jane Bosio, Berkeley, CaliforniaBeautiful people and culture. We had a great time and learned so much. Getting to know their way of thinking, the school system and [more...]
Ahuva Maytal, Floral Park, New YorkWe found Cubans in general to be friendly, courteous and welcoming. There was a good variety of activities and opportunities to ask questions. We were [more...]
Randy Pruitt, Wichita Falls, TexasI was not ready to leave Cuba! Beautiful country, gracious people. I want to return soon. They are survivors! I liked everything about the trip. [more...]
Renee Standley, South Padre Island, TexasCuba is a very safe place to travel and its people are very friendly. I liked almost everything in Cuba and I can't think [more...]
Jihong Jin, Dublin, CaliforniaWonderful! It was everything I hoped for and more. Hemingway sites, food, warm welcome, opportunity to meet locals and see "behind the scenes," history, " [more...]
Walt Wiltschek, Broadway, VirginiaSuch an interesting culture and architecture, and extremely friendly people. I really enjoyed all the activities, learning about the arts, culture and people. Tour [more...]
Cathy Herfindal, Eden Prairie, MinnesotaWe thought Cuba was very interesting. Would love to return some day and see more of the country side. Mandy our tour guide was [more...]
Janice Sue Crowder, St Petersburg, FloridaI really enjoy learning about the Cuban culture and the unity among different races. It's a rich culture and such a very beautiful county. People [more...]
Marie M. Elmera, East Orange, New JerseyCuba has amazing potential, natural resources and resilient people. We felt welcomed and supported through out our trip by Cuba Explorer, owners of Casas Particulares, [more...]
Judith Plant, Irvington, New YorkI absolutely loved Cuba, its people and their culture. My father was Cuban and I was born in the United States. He was an exile. [more...]
Nancy Martinez, Palo Alto, CaliforniaI really enjoyed the trip, our excursions and the people we met. We had a great guide who took excellent care of us.
John Michael Connors, Las Vegas, NevadaI really enjoyed learning about Cuba, its people, and their culture. I didn't know much about the US embargo before going, but learned so much [more...]
Jennifer Garcia, Los Angeles, CaliforniaI never felt unsafe. Cubans are so warm, so proud of their heritage, and friendly. The island is such a beautiful country, and I [more...]
Jason Entezari, Collegeville, PennsylvaniaThe trip was great. Our tour guide very informative. Had to be flexible with some black-outs and a couple activities closed for holidays. [more...]
Laura Kowal, Hamburg, New YorkThis trip was much more enjoyable than anything I expected. The travel guides, arrangements and local guides were all wonderful. We learned so much about [more...]
Jonathan Kimball, Hebron, ConnecticutThe people were amazingly warm and friendly. For an economy suppressed by the [US] embargo there was still a joy of life and a pursuit [more...]
Daniel Boe, New York, New YorkCuba is a beautiful country and the people are so open and friendly. I cannot wait to return for another visit. Everything was wonderful.
Mary Hunter Ayer, North Chesterfield, VirginiaI was impressed by the extreme friendliness and quiet contentment each Cuban we had the pleasure of meeting. As an American I would understand some [more...]
Paul V. Robinson, Roslyn, PennsylvaniaI loved Cuba – the culture, history, music, museums, and the eateries. The diversity of tour activities was perfect. I appreciated that breakfasts and lunches were [more...]
Mildred Lewis, Albany, CaliforniaI found the Cuban people so welcoming, open, honest, and friendly. Especially liked the trip to Las Terrazas, our knowledgeable tour guide, and a significant [more...]
Stephen Chamberlin, Norfolk, VirginiaMy father injured himself in the airport before we arrived. Authentic Cuba went above and beyond helping us get a wheelchair for him for the [more...]
Lisa Bernstein, Oakland, CaliforniaCuba was definitely a land of great music, energy, and happiness. Most of the people were very accommodating. The men were definitely on the aggressive [more...]
Ivie Sherman, Lawndale, CaliforniaWe have traveled to lots of places in the world mostly onour own but occasionally on tours, and I have to say this trip will [more...]
Barney and Joan Schultz, Miami, FloridaWe made it back to the States safe and sound although Immigration put us through the ringer and asked for the documents, as well as [more...]
Robert Sommers, Piedmont, CaliforniaI’m hoping our relations with Cuba are improving enough that such licensing will no longer be needed! We had a great trip. Thanks [more...]
Janet Schilling, El Cerrito, CaliforniaCuba is a truly unique country: the warmth of its people will be a lasting memory. The island’s cultural diversity was noticeable throughout our [more...]
Jean Hine, Little Rock, ArkansasWe loved our tour and had no problems or complaints with it. Our guide Neisy Pérez Rescala was wonderful. She did an amazing job [more...]
Stephanie Sanders, Novato, CaliforniaI wanted to let you know what a wonderful, interesting and enjoyable vacation we had with your group. Our guide Julie and driver Fernando did [more...]
Bridget Jourgensen, Lynn, MassachusettsCuba was definitely a land of great music, energy, andhappiness. Most of the people were very accommodating. The men were definitelyon the aggressive side if [more...]
Ivie Sherman, Lawndale, CaliforniaReally enjoyed Cuba. People warm and friendly. Havana is charming and feels safe during the day and night even for a single female. So enjoyed [more...]
Darrah Hallowitz, San Rafael, CaliforniaThe best part of tour for us was the great group of people we were together with for the week. By the end of the [more...]
Maureen Newby and Thom McDonald, Bainbridge Island, WashingtonCuba is absolutely my favorite place to travel. The people are warm and gracious to U.S. travelers, despite our countries’ horrendous policies directed toward [more...]
Carol Deupree, Altadena, CaliforniaCuba was great, the people and music are fabulous. The live music was amazing. The Casa Fúster was the best and the food there [more...]
Marcia Grommé Clark, Bend, OregonI had an interesting experience on the plane home. Linda from Vancouver who was on a tour with another company sat next to me and [more...]
Anne Jarema, Suffern, New YorkWe just got home from our most wonderful trip to Cuba! We stayed an extra few days to see Trinidad and enjoy a bit more [more...]
Marnie and Jon Isaacs, Anchorage, AlaskaOverall this was a fantastic trip with a special thanks to you for truly representing it factually. We all loved our guide Martin; he was [more...]
Joanne Lustgartem, Mt. Vernon, New YorkI returned from Cuba yesterday and wanted to share my impressions of this, my second trip to Cuba, with the two of you. I know [more...]
Joan Wechsler, New York, New YorkThe people are so warm and proud of their history and culture. Music is fabulous and adds tremendous joy to the trip. The pace of [more...]
Jackie Marshall, Glen Cove, New YorkI really enjoyed the Cuba trip and will recommend it to others! The tour was excellent and all the restaurants, site visits and speakers were [more...]
Madelyn Holmes, Burlington, VermontI just got home from a wonderful trip to Cuba. It opened my eyes and filled me with all sorts of emotions. Thank you for [more...]
Tony Mendoza, Chicago, IllinoisI loved Cuba, the people, the music, and the culture. I am grateful that I was able to visit the country and experience it. The [more...]
Marianne Carl, New York, New YorkUpon arriving in Cuba and seeing the buildings and autos, I felt like I was taking a step back into time to the 1950s or [more...]
Steven Lustgarten, Mount Vernon, New YorkAs a fluent Spanish speaker, I was able to have many interesting and unvarnished conversations with all kinds of people. I have to say that [more...]
Malcolm Blier, Lexington, MassachusettsI thought the Cuban tour was fantastic. Everyplace we went, from Havana to the tobacco farms, to the mountains, offered a unique experience. The people [more...]
Sherri Gray, Danvers, MassachusettsI have been trying to digest this extraordinary tour of your enterprise, and am sure it will take a while to do so. Tonight at [more...]
Ellen Mass, Cambridge, MassachusettsI loved the overall experience. People were open to talking. Seeing the city, and country side in all stages of development, from deteriorated to renovations [more...]
Victor Capoccia, Watertown, MassachusettsWe were amazed at the friendliness of the people who are so poor and the fact that they hold no resentment to Americans in spite [more...]
Ellen and Robert Yavel, Manhasset, New YorkI found Cuba to be such a complex mix of steadfast idealism, disillusioned deprivation, and lucky people cashing in on the one golden opportunity that [more...]
Vicki Blier, Lexington, MassachusettsOur Cuba Explorer tour was a complete success. Your organization did a great job of preparing the program. You had all the best people talk [more...]
Rebecca and James Hicks, Steamboat Springs, ColoradoEverything about the tour setup was good. But I felt Cubans are stuck in the past in terms of their historical perspectives. Example: Bay of [more...]
Patrick McCaffrey, Carnegie, PennsylvaniaThis is the second Cuba tour I have taken with your organization. I found the country just as wonderful this time as on my first [more...]
Mark Hall, Chico, CaliforniaWe are home and we had a wonderful time in Cuba. It was a very educational trip. As Americans we know so little about Cuba [more...]
Carol Neubert, Canton, New YorkThis trip exceeded our expectations. I attribute this to our guide, Ariannet and to the efficiency and planning your company does for your tours. I’ [more...]
Linda and Harvey Hartmann, Martinez, CaliforniaCubans are very friendly, and mostly very helpful. Not many U.S. visitors there. Sometimes we were mistaken for Canadians. This is understandable, and a [more...]
Elizabeth Myers, Scottsville, New YorkWe had a wonderful and inspiring trip to Cuba. We felt the arrangements were vey well made, the accommodations were comfortable, food was good, and [more...]
Carla and Robert Horwitz, New Haven, ConnecticutRafael and I were thrilled with the tour. We found all aspects of it to be enlightening and informative. The activities were well planned and [more...]
Gail and Rafael Chabran, Whittier, CaliforniaCuba was wonderful! Even though I usually don’t enjoy travelling in a group, it was a lovely mixture of interesting people and the tour [more...]
Barbara Serlin, New York, New YorkWe very much enjoyed our visit to Cuba and our opportunity to learn about the country and culture. We were pleasantly surprised at our freedom [more...]
Barbara and Charles Francis, Lincoln, NebraskaWe are home and enjoying our memories of Cuba. Everything went well, the group was perfect and our guide Laura did a wonderful job of [more...]
Donald and Carol Kenyon, Palo Alto, CaliforniaWe had a wonderful time and had great tour companions. I’m ready to go back for a long drive around the island. We just [more...]
Keith Skinner, Berkeley, CaliforniaEverything was great. Thanks so much!
Vince Callahan, Beverly Hills, MichiganI am on the plane returning from Ft. Lauderdale and thought I would take this opportunity to share some thoughts on the tour. It was [more...]
Ilene Serlin, San Francisco, CaliforniaI was very impressed with the Cuban people and their culture, particularly the education and medical systems. My favorite activity was the workshop with Dr. [more...]
Mary McAuliffe, Buzzards Bay, MassachusettsThe tour was great. I think the people of Cuba are friendly and the culture is very interesting. I was exposed to a lot of [more...]
Yael Hellman, Beverly Hills, CaliforniaI was thrilled with my trip. The service provided by your organization in sticking with us despite the problems securing air tickets was exemplary. You, [more...]
Mary Adams, Hellertown, PennsylvaniaMy sisters and I (Triple Trouble) enjoyed the tour tremendously, and we all felt we got "a lot of bang for the buck" without scrimping [more...]
Erica Serlin, Madison, WisconsinFirst, let Rusty and me thank you for all you assistance in arranging our recent trip to Cuba, particularly the arduous and bureaucratically encumbered research [more...]
Mary and Richard George, Macon, GeorgiaBreathtaking and stimulating to all five senses: hear, touch, smell, sight and taste. You need to be in the present to get the authentic experience [more...]
Katie Bun, Los Angeles, CaliforniaIn one word "AWESOME!" Cuba was a great place to visit. The history and culture was a great educational experience. The people were friendly every [more...]
Lisa D. Smith, Rancho Cucamonga, CaliforniaOur tour was very educational and enlightening and our guide, Alejandro Berroa Alvarez was very friendly, knowledgeable and professional. For me, it was a return [more...]
Allan Anderson, Anderson, South CarolinaThe tour was great! We had a wonderful balance of fun activities and educational activities. I felt very fortunate to be able to learn about [more...]
Sarah Haque, Chicago, IllinoisGreat Cuba trip. The guide was great. However, the hotel had no hot water for several days. We really enjoyed the itinerary. You all did [more...]
Sandra Sandra Rutchik, Elkhart, IndianaThe tour exceeded our expectations! The high light was our guide, Frank, who never tired of answering probing questions with candor and intelligence. He also [more...]
Karen Kircher, Strongsville, OhioLetter to tour guide Frank from Andrea: I wanted to thank you so much for the wonderful introduction you gave us to your country. Your [more...]
Andrea Harchar, Parma, OhioI had a wonderful tour and enjoyed meeting and learning so much about Cuba. It is a beautiful country. All the people we encountered were [more...]
Rev. Dr. Robert Loesch, Sand Lake, New YorkWe really enjoyed our tour. Our guide, Frank, was an excellent host. He provided information and knowledge about the country, the culture and the Cuban [more...]
Bruce Sowalski, Sand Lake, New YorkCuba is a great country to visit. The people are friendly, the food is good, and the climate can’t be beat. Seeing all the [more...]
David Binder, Wayne, PennsylvaniaThank you for your part in helping to plan my trip to Cuba last week. Despite an extremely delayed arrival, it was a wonderful experience. [more...]
Susan Lacy, Burlington, New JerseyI read two guidebooks before going but I still was not prepared for the thought-provoking experiences during this trip. The guide Ariannet Arias was great; [more...]
Julie Marie Horvath, Beloit, WisconsinI had a wonderful experience. Thank you.
Mary Fennell, Hastings-on-hudson, New YorkThe trip couldn’t have been more enjoyable! The hotels were excellent, transportation comfortable, and the schedule of activities was a perfect mix. The local [more...]
Margaret Ann Becker, Rochester, New YorkMy trip to Cuba was fantastic. This was my second trip and it was wonderful to see the changes that have taken place in the [more...]
Dahlma Llanos, Bronx, New YorkWe all had an amazing time on this tour. And I would definitely recommend it to friends and family and colleagues. I think the biggest [more...]
Sondra Cuban, Seattle, WashingtonI wanted to say thank you for the wonderful trip to Cuba. Everything was perfect. Our guide Yuli was an amazing person – always cheerful no [more...]
Judith Baker, San Francisco, CaliforniaI thought it would be a great adventure to take a trip to Cuba with my family. After much research, contacting people who actually traveled [more...]
Donna and family Buckley, Chicago, IllinoisVisiting Cuba was like going home again, although I’d never been there before. Virtually every interaction I had with the people was friendly, respectful, [more...]
Christopher Watkins, Chattanooga, TennesseeWe really enjoyed the week in Cuba. Alden Daniel was a caring and conscientious guide. He also was more than happy to coordinate special requests [more...]
Scott and Jane Hall, St. Paul, MinnesotaExcepted from an interview in TeachingTraveling.com Recently, I traveled to Cuba on a group educational study tour to investigate the boasted high literacy rates [more...]
Sarah Brown, Providence, Rhode IslandI had dreamed of going for so long. The Cuban people we met were so very nice. Our tour guide, Alejandro, and bus driver, Fernando, [more...]
Lana Rae Schlecht, Ellendale, North DakotaCuba was absolutely amazing, far beyond my expectations. The tour was very well priced and the lectures and visits were excellent. My room at the [more...]
Rhoda Leshowitz, Red Bank, New JerseyMy tour was a fantastic experience and we were very happy with the quality of the tour. Going through customs turned out to be a [more...]
Karen Elizabeth Lovaas, Oakland, CaliforniaWe want to tell you that we had a wonderful experience on the Tour. Alden, our guide could not have been better. Although we would [more...]
Barbara and Alan Ducker, Ventura, CaliforniaI thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Cuba with Cuba Explorer! The experiences I had and the people I met have given me insight into Cuban [more...]
Anastasia Fontenot, Mililani, HawaiiGreat trip! We have just returned from our wonderful tour of Cuba. It exceeded all of our expectations. Loved our bus driver Fernando and our [more...]
Joyce Carey, Bloomington, MinnesotaI enjoyed the trip to Cuba. With few exceptions, the people were friendly and kind. Our bus driver, Fernando, was accommodating and seemed to genuinely [more...]
Warren Schlecht, Ellendale, North DakotaI wanted to let you know how tremendous the trip was and how outstanding our guide Linnet Brown Castellanos was. Thank you.
Thomas Mohan, Newark, New JerseyI had a wonderful time in Cuba. The tour was well organized and informative. Hoji was a terrific guide, knowledgeable and very helpful. The negatives [more...]
Evelyn Jennings, Canton, New YorkSo hard to limit myself to one or two sentences about your country and the tour. I have taken student groups to Mexico and I [more...]
Carol Ross Stacy, Carrollton, TexasWe had a wonderful time on our trip, and we really loved Cuba and the specific tour we were on. I found Cuban people and [more...]
Caitlin Day-Lewis, Cambridge, MassachusettsWe loved Cuba! And we love the people! I say ‘we’ because my travel companion was a colleague, another high school Spanish teacher, and we [more...]
Judy Henry, Overland Park, KansasOur guide was wonderful and we bonded well with him and with our entire group that made the trip very special. As a first trip, [more...]
David Arnold, Smartsville, CaliforniaWe’re back from our trip. Jaylen and I had a wonderful time. Our guide Hoji and bus driver Oscar were amazing and always on [more...]
Catherine MacIntyre Rosenberg, Littleton, ColoradoI fell in love with Cuba for its verdant beauty, gorgeous architecture, friendly people, and glorious music. Also, it was very interesting to have our [more...]
Elizabeth Up De Graff, Los Angeles, CaliforniaWe are back from Cuba and had an amazing time. I have created four Cuba photo albums combining the best pix for your viewing pleasure! [more...]
Priscilla Hamlin Ford, Jacksonville, FloridaWhat I can say about the Cuba trip is Wow! It was fantastic. Very well organized. A wonderful guide Jorge. A great variety of places [more...]
Cheri Brent, Westerville, OhioI wanted to let you know that the trip was amazing. Very well organized, great itinerary and guide Jorge was excellent. Thank you again for [more...]
Judy Wolf, Westport, ConnecticutThe Cuba trip was a good experience. Our guide Hoji was a really good. His English skills are perfect and he has a vast knowledge [more...]
Tom Hicks, Little Rock, ArkansasWe have traveled to lots of places in the world mostly on our own but occasionally on tours, and I have to say this trip [more...]
Barney and Joan Schultz, Miami, FloridaOverall, Anita and I had a wonderful trip to Cuba with the group that was organized by your company. There were some glitches and changes, [more...]
Robert Lawrence Schneider, Richmond, VirginiaI had a fantastic time in Cuba. The trip was everything I’d hoped for and more. While all of the Cubans we met with [more...]
Barbara Kruger, Rochester, New YorkWe very much enjoyed the tour! When we were on the way to the airport to go to Cuba, we got an email that all [more...]
Sharon Bohen Riley, New York, New YorkThe Cubans are extraordinarily friendly people. We had multiple opportunities to interact and learn about their lives, their work, their music, their art, and their [more...]
Alfred and Polly Frawley, North Yarmouth, MaineAlden was a fantastic tour guide with excellent English and a wealth of information about Cuba. He was sensitive and responsive to the needs of [more...]
Betsey Elizabeth Jay, Boulder, ColoradoPositives: Alejandro was a great guide. Ernesto is a good driver. Cuba is a fascinating place. Cubans are friendly. Your website is very informative. We [more...]
Evelyn Nall, Gardena, CaliforniaCuba is a vibrant country with warm and welcoming people. I enjoyed the people-to-people aspect of the trip and the opportunity to experience programs first-hand. [more...]
Teresa Karamanos, New York, New YorkWe want to commend Jorge Frank Alpizar Castillo for his wonderful work as our guide during our visit to March tour. Frank’s perfect English [more...]
Susan Horan and Mark Fleischer, Los Angeles, CaliforniaOur tour was a great success, including my days at the Hotel Inglaterra in Havana before I met the group. And what a group! We [more...]
Jane Kinegal, Vancouver, British ColumbiaI absolutely loved Cuba! The spirit of the people, the music, the art, the history… it was truly amazing. I returned home excited to share [more...]
Juidi Alongi, Portland, OregonLet me say I had a great time! I thought the people on our tour were fun people and we were all interested in Cuba [more...]
Lloydel Roesch, Windsor, CaliforniaThe tour was FANTASTIC and we had so much fun. Thanks!
Ellen Poquette, South St. Paul, MinnesotaEverywhere I go, I’m always impressed with the people and I’m struck by our commonalities as well as our differences. Cubans have political [more...]
Donna Wendt, East Wenatchee, WashingtonI work for Cuba Explorer and help Americans go to Cuba every day. But this trip was my first ever tour and super memorable. It [more...]
Pedro Gómez Vazquez, Vancouver, British ColumbiaI learned so much during our Cuba Explorer tour. We met wonderful people who were eager to show their country to us. And our guide, [more...]
Gina Beim, Shaker Heights, OhioI could not have imagined that my trip to Cuba would have such an impact on me! I have always had a fascination with Cuban [more...]
Jessica Tolbert, Lorain, OhioI was thrilled by the Cuba tour offered to me this spring. The services were spectacular and my tour guide was inspirational. I was especially [more...]
Peter N. Pero, Chicago, IllinoisThis trip was one of fascination. Every preconception that I might have had growing up in the sixties in Florida about Cuba were put to [more...]
Pamella J. Butler, Tallahassee, FloridaOur guide Ariannet Arias was a consummate professional. She is among the best guides we’ve had in our travels to more than 80 countries. Thanks [more...]
John and Margaret Morfit, South Freeport, MaineWe had a wonderful time in Cuba; the people are friendly, alive with music, spirit, rhythm, history and a proud culture. Your activities were interesting, [more...]
Gary Thill and Ruby Laney, Minneapolis, MinnesotaI so enjoyed my trip to Cuba. What a wonderful group of Americans. Our tour guide Alejandro was outstanding. His knowledge, grace and patience made [more...]
Karen Reynolds, Hastings On Hudson, New YorkWe loved the trip to Cuba. I do think thatyou have to embark on a trip like that with [more...]
Linda Grekin, Ann Arbor, MichiganCuba is, most of all, a learning experience for Americans. The pre and post 1959 revolution history is simply unique and unlike that of any other [more...]
Steve Levenberg, Asheville, North CarolinaIn general, we enjoyed our trip very much. The Cuban people deserve a better system. Everybody we met works very hard yet has very little [more...]
Dieter and Marie Heidrich, Boulder, ColoradoThere was a lot good about the tour. Highlights for us were the lecture by Marta Núñez, the literacy museum and its video presentation, [more...]
Ron and Joy Carlson, Carlson Lakeland, MinnesotaOverall the tour was interesting and informative. Too much time in Havana and a bus ride to Trinidad would have been good. Loved the organic [more...]
John Linder, Rye, New YorkI just thought that you might be interested in our comments on the trip that you organized for us to Cuba last week: Our guide, [more...]
Michael and Chaya Sobotka, Jamaica, New YorkI had a wonderful time in Cuba. The Cuban people are truly beautiful inside and out. Our guide Linnet was an angel. I will really [more...]
Michael McCleese, Cincinnati, OhioWe just wanted to drop you a note to say what a fine job we thought our tour guide, Alejandro, did for our group that [more...]
Paula Sharp and Ross Donald, Mount Kisco, New YorkHeather and I returned Monday from Cuba. Our tour was well organized. We enjoyed our travel mates in the group. Our guide Alejandro Berroaq was [more...]
Ronald Florence, Providence, Rhode IslandI returned today from Cuba. Your tour was everything you promised and more. It was a fantastic educational experience. Your guide Alejandro and driver Pancho [more...]
Mark Hall, Chico, CaliforniaCuba was fabulous! We didn’t want to come home. We wish we could have stayed much longer but all good things come to an [more...]
Judy Henry, Overland Park, KansasNow we can catch our breath after being away from work for a while. There was a pile of work waiting my return! The trip [more...]
Dwayne Milbrand and Erik Smetzer, Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaIt was an eye-opening experience. Everywhere we went, there were interesting things to learn, beautiful sights to behold and wonderful people to meet. This trip [more...]
Yingxian Zhu, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaOur Varadero Hotel Los Delfines was perfect. Our guide Ariannet was an absolute treasure. Our group was fantastic and very supportive of us Canucks! The [more...]
Mark Cafley and Nancy Brooks, Victoria, British ColumbiaWe’re in Toronto on a long layover right now, just got back from Havana. It was no problem to get through customs at all. [more...]
Jenny Ifft, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaI love Cuba and its people. The architecture of all colonial buildings is beautiful. The city has lots of attractions in terms of culture, art, [more...]
Dr. Carlos M. Coria-Sánchez, Charlotte, North CarolinaThis was a life changing experience. Thank you for all that you do to make these tours possible. I hope to be back to Cuba [more...]
Amy Overby, Sun Prairie, WisconsinBecause we were exposed to such a cross section of Cuban society, my impressions are diverse. In Old Havana the people were downtrodden and American [more...]
Meryl K Lazar, Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaCuba was incredible. Thanks for all of your preparation. Our guide, Hoji Silva has become a friend for life. He did an excellent job. The [more...]
Kwesi Rollins, Washington, District of ColumbiaI absolutely loved the Cuban experience. I found Cuba to be remarkably beautiful country – both in Havana and the countryside we visited. Cuban culture was [more...]
David Hallett, Mcminnville, OregonI had a fantastic time on my Cuba Explorer tour. Our guide, Hoji, was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. The accommodations and restaurants were first rate. [more...]
Robert Rumbolz, Powell, WyomingI really enjoyed the trip to Cuba and thought that it was an excellent value dollar wise. Our guide, Hoji, is highly energetic and has [more...]
Eileen Brown, Norwalk, ConnecticutI took copious notes and hundreds of pictures that I am in the process of organizing now. I am so glad that I went to [more...]
Mary and John Kanter, Hebron, IllinoisThanks so much for all your kind assistance during our travels. Christina and I really appreciated it. It was a wonderful trip and our tour [more...]
Mary Anne Kucserik, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaI had a wonderful time in Cuba. Thanks to Cuba Explorer. The trip was just what I expected. Hoji was our tour guide and he [more...]
Charlene Day, Las Vegas, NevadaI just wanted to let you know that we are back home in American and missing Cuba so much. It was a great trip. Everything [more...]
Daisy C. Haller, Old Tappan, New JerseyI caught a cold the last few days of the tour and still have the bug. Want to share my most favorable impressions in detail. [more...]
Mavis Erdmann, Phoenix, ArizonaOur Cuba tour was amazing. I learned so much and had a fantastic time. Our guide Hoji was great. Cubans were incredibly friendly and happy. [more...]
Melissa Geist, Buffalo Valley, TennesseeNever quite thanked you guys enough for a wonderful trip this summer. What an exciting time. I’ll most remember the ability to interact with [more...]
Aaron Jackson, Redondo Beach, CaliforniaYour country is a wonderful hidden treasure in the Caribbean Sea! The island is lush with green trees and plants. The people are vibrant, passionate, [more...]
Quentin Brown, Fountain Valley, CaliforniaI want our comments to be of value. First of all, thank you for a once in a life time experience. Our tour was wonderful. [more...]
Carol and Carlos Pinto, Snohomish, WashingtonHere are some impressions from our fascinating trip to Cuba. A number of things I feel confident about: The Cubans are friendly, vibrant people who [more...]
John Gemignani, Lincoln, VermontI thought our guide did a great job of answering questions and teaching us about Cuba’s history and how it has come to its [more...]
Maria Call, Signal Hill, CaliforniaThe tour was really great! Hoji, our guide was wonderful! He was well trained, smart, charming, and very patient! His command of English was excellent! [more...]
Vicki Perez, Encino, CaliforniaI had a fantastic time. I learned a great deal. The spirit of Cuba is truly expressed through the soul of the people. I look [more...]
Aisha Niambi Rashad, Kansas City, MissouriHavana is a city rich in culture and the people are unbelievably friendly and accommodating. I knew I’d have good time there, but the [more...]
Kaisha Irving, Signal Hill, CaliforniaI enjoyed my trip to Cuba. It was an ordeal to get there, but sure worth the time and effort. As a psychologist, I enjoyed [more...]
Dale Call, Signal Hill, CaliforniaI had such a fabulous time in Cuba. The tour was everything it was advertised to be, and then some! Talk about a variety of [more...]
Gary L. Hauck, Signal Hill, CaliforniaThanks for putting together a wonderful tour. Wow! What a great trip. My first impression was of the wonderful, welcoming people that we met. Everyone [more...]
Mary Gemignani, Lincoln, VermontCuba was very fascinating on many levels. I had a wonderful time; the group dynamic was great. Alejandro was terrific. The tour ran very smoothly. [more...]
Myriam Victoria, New York, New YorkHello there! Got back safely and soundly – without a hitch or question from U.S. immigrations. It was a great trip. However, you may hear [more...]
Adelaida V. Severson, Gilbert, ArizonaAs I previously informed you that our talk, at our synagogue, concerning Jews in Cuba, was very well received. I opened by explaining why we [more...]
Celina Riebman, Wilmington, DelawareCuba is a special, romantic place and definitely worth visiting. From its 1950s cars still running strong to the unforgettable and joyous music and style [more...]
Janine Hopkins Dubelko, Santa Monica, CaliforniaWe are back from our Cuba experience and want to thank Cuba Explorer. Our experience was outstanding. Our only complaint is that we ate far [more...]
Dawn and Eric Gordon, Cleveland, OhioThanks for putting together a wonderful tour. Wow! What a great trip. My first impression was of the wonderful, welcoming people that we met. Everyone [more...]
Mary Gemignani, Lincoln, VermontTour introduction and overview of activities
- Tour Old Havana World Heritage sites
- Witness Havana humanitarian projects
- Cruise in 1950s classic American cars
- Curated history and art museum visits
- Luxuriate on sun-drenched beaches
- Visit Ernest Hemingway’s farmhouse
- Delight in the Tropicana dance show
- Cuban cooking class from master chefs
- Ride in coconut cabs and bicycle taxis
- Dine in Havana’s best private eateries
Havana extravaganza is the trip Americans pick to witness authentic Cuba. It’s our most popular tour. Since 1997, thousands have come to know Cuba on this affordable introduction adventure.
You will stay in the four star-plus NH Capri hotel. Its glamorous 1950s Las Vegas-inspired roots shine brightly today in comfort and amenities. The Capri’s Salon Rojo club was a favorite nightspot for global heartthrob actor Errol Flynn. Capri’s hallmarks are caring staff, central location, and excellent WiFi.
Wow factors. Hear music on the streets and feel it at the gala Tropicana floor show. Taste unique delicacies of Cuban cuisine. Swim in the warm, clean waters of the Caribbean Sea. Discover heart-warming humanitarian projects in Old Havana. Ogle fantastic architecture and art. Behold kind effusive Cubans eager to connect with Americans.
Habana mi amor. On this tour, you’ll sample the best of everything. You’ll get an up-close slice of Cuba life and culture. Geared to explorers, adventurers, and sojourners seeking new encounters, and insights on humanity. It’s an ideal way for first-time visitors to learn about island society, or for returning guests who can’t get enough of Cuba.
Tour map

Cuba’s big! Its land mass is 42,426 square miles – about 80 percent the size of Alabama. Cuba is nearly as large as Louisiana, and larger than Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Ohio or Indiana. Altogether it’s bigger than Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont combined.
Full tour itinerary
Day 1 • Saturday • Hello, heavenly Havana!

- Arrive at Havana's José Martí International airport (HAV).
- Enroute to your boutique accommodations savor the sights and sounds of one of the oldest and most stunning cities in the New World.
- At your lodging, enjoy a welcome cocktail, freshen up, and get comfortable.
- Group arrival dinner with your guide and tourmates at your hotel.
- Evening entertainment options: Groove to live jazz, relax in a lounge, or explore the sounds of the city – all within walking distance of your lodging.
Day 2 • Sunday • Romancing historic Havana

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast at your boutique accommodations.
- Havana sightseeing. Visit Plaza de la Revolución. Awe at the giant image of Ché Guevara and the towering monument to José Martí, Cuba’s national hero. Then onto the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba frequented by world leaders and superstars. At points in between, you’ll savor myriad architectural eras and styles.
- A bicycle made for you. We’ll enlist a cortège of bicycle taxis, and navigate the Old Havana’s narrow streets arriving at Parque Central, the location of Cuba’s national capitol building (a scale model of the US Capitol, only taller). You’ll see numerous architectural landmarks including the Gran Teatro where the Ballet Nacional de Cuba performs.
- Fall in love with Old Havana. “In terms of beauty, only Venice and Paris surpassed Havana,” penned Ernest Hemingway. He was alluding to Havana’s incredible architecture, arts, and, of course, the joie de vivre the city’s engaging people. Old Havana’s four ancient plazas are full of color and personality, with a mix of palatial buildings, monuments, museums, galleries, churches, lively entertainment, restaurants, and bars. Together, they contain the most extensive collection of Spanish colonial-era architecture in the western hemisphere. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, restoration and care of Old Havana’s wonders is assigned to the Office of the Historian of Havana – Cuba Explorer’s island sponsor. We’ll visit Cathedral Square, the Square of Arms, San Francisco Square, and Plaza Vieja.
- Group welcome lunch at the private restaurant Mojito-Mojito. Ideally situated in Plaza Vieja, its friendly staff, quaint atmosphere, and delicious food ranks it tops on TripAdvisor. The restaurant’s slogan, “A single mojito is not enough.” We agree.
- Now we visit Casablanca, a quaint village to the north of Havana accessible by ferry. The hamlet was established in 1762 by shipbuilders and carpenters who serviced Spanish galleons and merchant vessels dispatching the spoils of South American conquest to the royal court of Spain. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the giant marble sculpture Christ of Havana, and the National Weather Observatory. The panoramic view across the bay to metropolitan Havana is mesmerizing. Fortunately, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian of Havana, is restoring Casablanca to its deserved past glory.
- We’ll visit the magnificent statue Christ of Havana [Cristo de La Habana] by Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera. She won a 1953 design contest organized by the wife of dictator Fulgencio Batista for this work. Madera created the statue in Italy and shipped the marble pieces to Havana. It is carved from 67 blocks of white Carrara (each blessed by Pope Pius XII), stands 74 feet tall from its base, and weighs 320 tons. It’s the most massive statue created by a female artist.
- Return to your boutique accommodations to freshen up.
- Hidden gastronomical gem. Group welcome dinner featuring an open menu at Paladar Café Laurent. This sophisticated private restaurant serves Caribbean, Latin, seafood, Cuban, and fusion delights on starched white tablecloths, with polished glasses, and sparkling cutlery. The bright modernist 1950s interior promises an excellent meal and great views of Havana.
- Paradise under the stars. We’re off to the Tropicana experience. It’s a glimpse of pre-revolution Cuba, where Carmen Miranda, Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole, and others dazzled wealthy guests with Latin dance numbers performed by women with 10-pound headdresses. It’s a stunning pageant filled with music, crazy dance numbers, a few contortionists and acrobats, and showgirls decked out in fabulous costumes. Many say the Tropicana is more engaging and earthy than glitzy Las Vegas productions.
Day 3 • Monday • Ernest Hemingway, Cuban cooking

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast at your boutique accommodations.
- Cuban kitchen university. Imagine how thrilled your friends will be when you return home and prepare authentic Cuban food and mojitos for them? This morning we’ll learn from the renowned Cuban chefs at El Ajiaco Paladar the secrets of making tasty Cuban dishes and drinks.
- Lunch under the palms. El Ajiaco is considered one of the best private eateries in all of Cuba. Hands down it’s an island dining highlight. Ajiaco is noted for fantastic service, atmosphere, and scrumptilicious traditional Cuba cuisine. Nearby family gardens supply organic vegetables and spices, lending to each dish a delightfully fresh aromatic flavor you’ll always remember. All the top cookers at El Ajiaco were previously the best chefs at Cuban State-owned restaurants. They went their own way and elevated Cuba cuisine to world standards.
- A brief visit to the village of Cojímar, a small fishing community of east Havana. Here local fishers cast bronze bust of Hemingway from old anchors, props, and tools. The inscription reads, "In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea." A plaque below the bust notes, "Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar."
- Hemingway’s haunt. We’re off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America’s literary titan Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. Hemingway’s house remains just as it was when he lived there. You’ll see his personal effects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as animal trophies, bagged on his numerous African safaris.
- Return to your boutique accommodations to freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 4 • Tuesday • Capitol building and the beach

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast at your boutique accommodations.
- Joyride. We’re off to Old Havana in a cavalcade of Cuban coconut cabs. Cocotaxis are a delightful crazy vehicle with a body shaped like a coconut set atop a motorcycle frame.
- Can’t miss visit to the recently renovated Capitolio de La Habana, home to Cuba’s National Assembly. The imposing monument is reminiscent of the US Capitol but taller and less austere; chocked full of grand statuary, breathtaking ornamental details, and jaw-dropping art. The building supports the sixth-largest dome in the world – clad in 24 karat gold plated panels. Inside you’ll see the bronze Statue of the Republic based on a young Cuban woman. It’s the third-largest indoor statue in the world. You will learn all about this magnificent structure from staff who work at the Capitolio.
- What would a trip to Cuba be without a view of the sea? We’re off to Havana’s eastern beaches known as Playas del Este. We’ll visit two notable white sand shores: Santa María del Mar and Guanabo. Just 30 minutes from the capital, enroute, we’ll gaze incredible tropical vistas of sea and countryside. First stop is Santa María del Mar and time to relax on 14 miles of palm-lined seashore of the Caribbean Sea. Later we’ll explore the small resort town of Guanabo founded in the early 1800s. Cubans and foreign guests love these littoral spots. Don’t forget your swimsuit, towels and beach gear.
- Lunch is not included. At the beach, there are numerous food vendors. While in Guanabo, we’ll schedule a stop at a local paladar [private restaurant].
- Return to your boutique accommodations to freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 5 • Wednesday • Havana’s big heart and great art

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast at your boutique accommodations.
- Charity act. We’re off to visit Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian healthcare and community service project in Old Havana. Construction of the massive Convent commenced in 1712. Abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues today with fantastic results. The Office of the Historian (the island sponsor of Cuba Explore), public health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage Belén Convent. It is home to elderly people and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more seniors in the community. Belén hosts a daycare and primary school. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and "love among the elderly" workshops.
- Good hair day. Arte Corte [Art Cut] is a barbershop, an art project, a hair museum, a community center, park, and barber academy! Arte Corte is a little bit of everything. Stylist-proprietor-curator Gilberto Valladares, also known as Papito, runs this quaint spot in Old Havana, where visitors can have their hair cut or receive some other beauty treatment, all the while surrounded by objects, artifacts, and memorabilia that tell the story of hair care through the ages. It’s known as Callejón de los Peluqueros [Hairdresser’s Alley].
- While in Hairdresser’s Alley, we’ll break bread at El Fígaro, affectionately named after the central character in the “The Barber of Seville.” It’s much kudoed in social media for atmosphere, gracious staff, Cuban music, delicious cocktails, and great food and desserts. Chef Alex Luco descends from a line of famed Cuban cooks. El Fígaro is part of the Arte Corte [Art Cut] community project that has received UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Its motto is “comida sin pelos” (food without hairs). Hahaha.
- Art attack. Examine Cuba’s greatest visual masterpieces spanning three centuries at Havana’s museum of modern art – Palacio de Bellas Artes. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects, and narrative scenes of Cuban life over 300 years. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island’s Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam. You’ll meet and chat with museum staff and perhaps local artists.
- Return to your boutique accommodations to freshen up.
- 1950s time travel. Think cocktails, Frank Sinatra, popsicles, sox hops, Hula Hoops, the twist, road trips, bikinis, I Love Lucy, Elvis Presley, and pink Cadillacs. One in ten cars in Havana are pre-1959. And they’re all American: Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Mercury, Dodge, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. We’ll cruise the romantic Malecón in these lovingly maintained classics.
- Special farewell dinner at the private restaurant Los Naranjos. Located in the heart of Vedado in an expansive 1930s mansion, its Chef Ernesto specializes in fusion style dishes combining Cuban, Italian and Spanish influences. Los Naranjos’ ambiance is fun and light, its food wonderful, authentic and fresh, and staff upbeat and attentive. It’s a favorite among TripAdvisor diners.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 6 • Thursday • Adios, La Habana. Tears. Extend your stay?

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast at your boutique accommodations.
- Transfer to José Martí International airport (HAV) for flights home.
- We'll miss you and hope you will return soon. In Cuba, we say, "A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics."
- Want to extend your Cuba stay? We'll gladly assist. Just ask us!
Full tour itinerary
Day 1 • Saturday • Hello Havana!

- Arrival at Havana’s José Martí International Airport.
- Collect your luggage and proceed through Cuban customs to the arrivals lobby.
- Consider purchasing Cuban Convertible Pesos at the airport exchange bureau (CADECA), or later at your hotel.
- Our airport concierge or your tour guide will arrange tour bus or private taxi transfers from the airport to the New Iberostar Hotel Riviera located in El Vedado, the heart of Havana’s cultural district. Every room has a panoramic view of Havana and the sea, and five hours of high-speed internet access.
- Check-in to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome cocktail, then settle in and freshen up.
- Dinner is served at your hotel’s restaurant.
- Evening entertainment options: Groove to live jazz, relax in a lounge, or revel in a hot dance show at the New Riviera.
Day 2 • Sunday • Romancing historic Havana

- The New Riviera serves delicious breakfasts prepared by Havana’s best chefs.
- Vedado sightseeing: Visit Plaza de la Revolución. Awe at the giant image of Ché Guevara and the towering monument to José Martí, Cuba’s national hero. Then onto the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba frequented by world leaders and superstars. At points in between you’ll savor the architecture of one of the oldest and most stunning cities in the New World.
- Bicycle made for you. Now on to Parque Central the location of Cuba’s national capitol building. It’s a scale model of the U.S. Capitol, only taller. We’ll enlist a cortège of bicycle taxis, and navigate the Old Havana's narrow streets that exude charm and vitality.
- Followed by a guided walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll explore four landmark plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. Together they contain the most extensive collection of remaining Spanish colonial-era architecture in the world. We’ll wander Cathedral Square, Square of Arms, San Francisco Square, and Plaza Vieja.
- Welcome lunch. In the historic center of Old Havana, Restaurante El Zaguán offers new flavors in an eclectic and cozy 18th century setting. We’re delighted to acquaint you with this private paladar that garners consistently top reviews in all social media.
- Guided tour of the Museum of the Revolution housed in the magnificent palace of the former Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. We'll learn the story of Cuba from colonial times to the present. Exhibits include the yacht Granma on which Fidel Castro and 81 other rebel combatants sailed to Cuba from exile in México in 1956 to launch the Revolution, together with relics from the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban missile crisis.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Joyride. We’re off to dinner in a cavalcade of Cuban coconut cabs. Cocotaxis are a delightful crazy vehicle with a body shaped like a coconut set atop a motorcycle frame. Get ready for an exciting ride along the Malecón to your restaurant in Old Havana.
- Welcome dinner. On the corner of Zanja and Lucena, in the central neighborhood of Key West, an old apartment building is transformed into a majestic restaurant whose owner baptized with her own name: BARBRA. With a varied offer of international food together with distinctly Cuban touches, this restaurant offers the client a quiet, easily accessible and air-conditioned space. Modern and minimalist decoration and an intimate bar with excellent Cuban cocktails: a perfect combination, full of contrasts with the ancient environment that will make your stay a unique and pleasant experience.
- Paradise under the stars. We’re off to the Tropicana experience. It’s a glimpse of pre-revolution Cuba, where Carmen Miranda, Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole and others entertained the wealthy with Latin dance numbers performed by women with 10-pound headdresses. It’s a stunning pageant filled with music, crazy dance numbers, a few contortionists and acrobats, and showgirls decked out in fabulous costumes. Many say the Tropicana is more inviting and earthy than glitzy Las Vegas productions.
Day 3 • Monday • Ernest Hemingway, Cuban cooking

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Foodie’s delight. Imagine how thrilled your friends will be when you return home and prepare authentic Cuban food and mojitos for them. This morning we’ll learn from the renowned Cuban chefs at El Ajiaco Paladar the secrets of preparing tasty Cuban dishes and drinks.
- Lunch under the palms. El Ajiaco is considered one of the best private eateries in Havana and ranks high on TripAdvisor lists. Hands down it’s a Cuban dining highlight. Ajiaco is noted for fantastic service, atmosphere and scrumptilicious traditional Cuba cuisine. Organic vegetables and spices are supplied by nearby family gardens, lending to each dish a delightfully fresh aromatic flavor you’ll always remember.
- Brief visit to the village of Cojímar, a small fishing community of east Havana. Here local fishers cast bronze bust of Hemingway from old anchors, props and tools. Inscription reads, “In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea.” A plaque below the bust notes, “Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar.”
- Hemingway’s haunt. We’re off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America’s literary titan Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. Hemingway’s house has been preserved just as it was when he lived there. You’ll see his personal effects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as animal trophies bagged on his frequent African safaris.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 4 • Tuesday • Havana’s big heart and great art

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Charity act. We’re off to visit Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian healthcare and community service project in Old Havana. Construction of the massive Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues today with fantastic results. The Office of the Historian (our Cuban sponsor), public health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people, and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more seniors in the community. It hosts a day care and primary school. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and “love among the elderly” workshops.
- Art attack. Examine Cuba’s greatest visual masterpieces spanning three centuries at Havana’s museum of modern art – Palacio de Bellas Artes. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life over 300 years. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island’s Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam. You’ll meet and chat with museum staff and perhaps local artists.
- We’ll break bread at paladar Iván Chef Justo. Set in an ancient house in Old Havana, built in 1766, you can expect spectacular innovative food. It’s a light and airy place where it always seems to feel like springtime. The service is excellent, professional, attentive and quick. It gets top reviews in all social media.
- Visit the House of the Boy and Girl, a Central Havana neighborhood-sponsored learning facility for young Cubans seeking to expand their academic options following the regular school day. We'll meet with headmistress, María del Carmen Espinosa, for a presentation on her outreach work for kids in the community of Cayo Hueso. We'll also meet with teachers and students
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 5 • Wednesday • Beach and Afrocuban life

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- What would a trip to Cuba be without a view of the sea? We’re off to Havana’s eastern beaches known as Playas del Este. We’ll visit two notable white sand shores: Santa María del Mar and Guanabo. Just 30 minutes from the capital, en route we’ll gaze incredible tropical vistas of sea and countryside. First stop is Santa María del Mar and time to relax on 14 miles of palm-lined seashore of the Caribbean Sea. Later we’ll tour the small resort town of Guanabo founded in 1800. These littoral spots are loved by Cubans and foreign guests. Don’t forget your swimsuit, towels and beach gear.
- Lunch is not included. At the beach there are numerous food vendors. While in Guanabo we’ll schedule a stop at a local paladar [private restaurant].
- Sea goddess. Visit the community of Regla across the bay from Havana. Once the site of a 16th century aboriginal settlement, today it’s a mixed race village that honors Yemayá, the Black Virgin of the Yoruba religion and patron goddess of Havana Harbor. Regla’s rich Afrohispanic traditions are celebrated via music, songs, dances, ritual handicraft and food. At the Regla Museum you’ll view ancient objects of significance to the Santería religion. When visiting Regla’s church, you’ll see a shrine to the Black Virgin goddess of Regla (and the oceans), Yemayá, whose roots lie in ancient Egypt.
- We’ll return to Old Havana on a small ferry that crosses the bay of Havana.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 6 • Thursday • Heavenly Havana and its people

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Now that you’ve become familiar with Havana, today is an opportunity to explore the many sights that piqued your interest independently. It’s an occasion to discover on your own, with tourmates, or your new Cuba friends. Your tour guide supplies lunch spot suggestions.
- 1950s time travel. Think cocktails, Frank Sinatra, popsicles, sox hops, Hula Hoops, the twist, road trips, bikinis, I Love Lucy, Elvis Presley, and pink Cadillacs. One in ten cars in Havana were manufactured before 1959. And they’re all American: Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Mercury, Dodge, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. We’ll cruise the romantic Malecón in these lovingly maintained classics.
- Special farewell dinner at the private restaurant Los Naranjos. Located in the heart of Vedado in an expansive 1930s mansion, its Chef Ernesto specializes in fusion style dishes combining Cuban, Italian and Spanish influences. Los Naranjos’ ambiance is fun and light, its food wonderful, authentic and fresh, and staff upbeat and attentive. It’s a favorite among TripAdvisor diners.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 7 • Friday • Adios Havana. Extend your stay?

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Check-out of your Havana hotel.
- Transfer to Havana’s José Martí International Airport for flights home.
- We’ll miss you and hope you will return soon. In Cuba we say: A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics.
- Wait! Want to extend your stay in Cuba? We’re here to help. Just ask us.
Full tour itinerary
Day 1 • Saturday • Hello Havana!

- Arrival at Havana’s José Martí International Airport.
- Collect your luggage and proceed through Cuban customs to the arrivals lobby.
- Consider purchasing Cuban Convertible Pesos at the airport exchange bureau (CADECA), or later at your hotel.
- Our airport concierge or your tour guide will arrange tour bus or private taxi transfers from the airport to the New Iberostar Hotel Riviera located in El Vedado, the heart of Havana’s cultural district. Every room has a panoramic view of Havana and the sea, and five hours of high-speed internet access.
- Check-in to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome cocktail, then settle in and freshen up.
- Dinner is served at your hotel’s restaurant.
- Evening entertainment options: Groove to live jazz, relax in a lounge, or revel in a hot dance show at the New Riviera.
Day 2 • Sunday • Romancing historic Havana

- The New Riviera serves delicious breakfasts prepared by Havana’s best chefs.
- Vedado sightseeing: Visit Plaza de la Revolución. Awe at the giant image of Ché Guevara and the towering monument to José Martí, Cuba’s national hero. Then onto the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba frequented by world leaders and superstars. At points in between you’ll savor the architecture of one of the oldest and most stunning cities in the New World.
- Bicycle made for you. Now on to Parque Central the location of Cuba’s national capitol building. It’s a scale model of the U.S. Capitol, only taller. We’ll enlist a cortège of bicycle taxis, and navigate the Old Havana's narrow streets that exude charm and vitality.
- Followed by a guided walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll explore four landmark plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. Together they contain the most extensive collection of remaining Spanish colonial-era architecture in the world. We’ll wander Cathedral Square, Square of Arms, San Francisco Square, and Plaza Vieja.
- Welcome lunch. In the historic center of Old Havana, Restaurante El Zaguán offers new flavors in an eclectic and cozy 18th century setting. We’re delighted to acquaint you with this private paladar that garners consistently top reviews in all social media.
- Guided tour of the Museum of the Revolution housed in the magnificent palace of the former Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. We'll learn the story of Cuba from colonial times to the present. Exhibits include the yacht Granma on which Fidel Castro and 81 other rebel combatants sailed to Cuba from exile in México in 1956 to launch the Revolution, together with relics from the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban missile crisis.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Joyride. We’re off to dinner in a cavalcade of Cuban coconut cabs. Cocotaxis are a delightful crazy vehicle with a body shaped like a coconut set atop a motorcycle frame. Get ready for an exciting ride along the Malecón to your restaurant in Old Havana.
- Welcome dinner. Hello to paladar Iván Chef Justo. Set in an ancient house in Old Havana, built in 1766, you can expect spectacular innovative food. It’s a light and airy place where it always seems to feel like springtime. The service is excellent, professional, attentive and quick. It gets top reviews in all social media.
- Paradise under the stars. We’re off to the Tropicana experience. It’s a glimpse of pre-revolution Cuba, where Carmen Miranda, Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole and others entertained the wealthy with Latin dance numbers performed by women with 10-pound headdresses. It’s a stunning pageant filled with music, crazy dance numbers, a few contortionists and acrobats, and showgirls decked out in fabulous costumes. Many say the Tropicana is more inviting and earthy than glitzy Las Vegas productions.
Day 3 • Monday • Ernest Hemingway, Cuban cooking

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Foodie’s delight. Imagine how thrilled your friends will be when you return home and prepare authentic Cuban food and mojitos for them. This morning we’ll learn from the renowned Cuban chefs at El Ajiaco Paladar the secrets of preparing tasty Cuban dishes and drinks.
- Lunch under the palms. El Ajiaco is considered one of the best private eateries in Havana and ranks high on TripAdvisor lists. Hands down it’s a Cuban dining highlight. Ajiaco is noted for fantastic service, atmosphere and scrumptilicious traditional Cuba cuisine. Organic vegetables and spices are supplied by nearby family gardens, lending to each dish a delightfully fresh aromatic flavor you’ll always remember.
- Brief visit to the village of Cojímar, a small fishing community of east Havana. Here local fishers cast bronze bust of Hemingway from old anchors, props and tools. Inscription reads, “In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea.” A plaque below the bust notes, “Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar.”
- Hemingway’s haunt. We’re off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America’s literary titan Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. Hemingway’s house has been preserved just as it was when he lived there. You’ll see his personal effects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as animal trophies bagged on his frequent African safaris.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 4 • Tuesday • Havana’s big heart and great art

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Charity act. We’re off to visit Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian healthcare and community service project in Old Havana. Construction of the massive Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues today with fantastic results. The Office of the Historian (our Cuban sponsor), public health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people, and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more seniors in the community. It hosts a day care and primary school. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and “love among the elderly” workshops.
- Good hair day. Arte Corte [Art Cut]: It’s a barbershop, it’s an art project, it’s a haircut museum, it’s a community center, park, and barber academy. Arte Corte is a little bit of everything. Stylist-proprietor-curator Gilberto Valladares, also known as Papito, runs this quaint spot in Old Havana, where visitors can have their hair cut or receive some other beauty treatment, all the while surrounded by objects, artifacts, and memorabilia that tell the story of hair care through the ages. It’s known as Callejón de los Peluqueros [Hairdresser’s Alley].
- While in Hairdresser’s Alley, we’ll break bread at El Fígaro, affectionately named after the central character in the “The Barber of Seville.” It’s much kudoed in social media for atmosphere, gracious staff, Cuban music, delicious cocktails, and great food and desserts. Chef Alex Luco descends from a line of famed Cuban cooks. El Fígaro is part of the Arte Corte [Art Cut] community project that has received UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Its motto is “comida sin pelos” (food without hairs). Smile.
- Art attack. Examine Cuba’s greatest visual masterpieces spanning three centuries at Havana’s museum of modern art – Palacio de Bellas Artes. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life over 300 years. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island’s Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam. You’ll meet and chat with museum staff and perhaps local artists.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 5 • Wednesday • Beach and Afrocuban life

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- What would a trip to Cuba be without a view of the sea? We’re off to Havana’s eastern beaches known as Playas del Este. We’ll visit two notable white sand shores: Santa María del Mar and Guanabo. Just 30 minutes from the capital, en route we’ll gaze incredible tropical vistas of sea and countryside. First stop is Santa María del Mar and time to relax on 14 miles of palm-lined seashore of the Caribbean Sea. Later we’ll tour the small resort town of Guanabo founded in 1800. These littoral spots are loved by Cubans and foreign guests. Don’t forget your swimsuit, towels and beach gear.
- Lunch is not included. At the beach there are numerous food vendors. While in Guanabo we’ll schedule a stop at a local paladar [private restaurant].
- Sea goddess. Visit the community of Regla across the bay from Havana. Once the site of a 16th century aboriginal settlement, today it’s a mixed race village that honors Yemayá, the Black Virgin of the Yoruba religion and patron goddess of Havana Harbor. Regla’s rich Afrohispanic traditions are celebrated via music, songs, dances, ritual handicraft and food. At the Regla Museum you’ll view ancient objects of significance to the Santería religion. When visiting Regla’s church, you’ll see a shrine to the Black Virgin goddess of Regla (and the oceans), Yemayá, whose roots lie in ancient Egypt.
- We’ll return to Old Havana on a small ferry that crosses the bay of Havana.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 6 • Thursday • Heavenly Havana and its people

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Now that you’ve become familiar with Havana, today is an opportunity to explore the many sights that piqued your interest independently. It’s an occasion to discover on your own, with tourmates, or your new Cuba friends. Your tour guide supplies lunch spot suggestions.
- 1950s time travel. Think cocktails, Frank Sinatra, popsicles, sox hops, Hula Hoops, the twist, road trips, bikinis, I Love Lucy, Elvis Presley, and pink Cadillacs. One in ten cars in Havana were manufactured before 1959. And they’re all American: Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Mercury, Dodge, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. We’ll cruise the romantic Malecón in these lovingly maintained classics.
- Special farewell dinner at the private restaurant Los Naranjos. Located in the heart of Vedado in an expansive 1930s mansion, its Chef Ernesto specializes in fusion style dishes combining Cuban, Italian and Spanish influences. Los Naranjos’ ambiance is fun and light, its food wonderful, authentic and fresh, and staff upbeat and attentive. It’s a favorite among TripAdvisor diners.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 7 • Friday • Adios Havana. Extend your stay?

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Check-out of your Havana hotel.
- Transfer to Havana’s José Martí International Airport for flights home.
- We’ll miss you and hope you will return soon. In Cuba we say: A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics.
- Wait! Want to extend your stay in Cuba? We’re here to help. Just ask us.
Full tour itinerary
Day 1 • Saturday • Hello Havana!

- Arrival at Havana’s José Martí International Airport.
- Collect your luggage and proceed through Cuban customs to the arrivals lobby.
- Consider purchasing Cuban Convertible Pesos at the airport exchange bureau (CADECA), or later at your hotel.
- Our airport concierge or tour guide will meet you and arrange transfers from the airport to your hotel NH Capri, located in El Vedado, the heart of Havana’s cultural district. Yum.
- Check-in to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome cocktail, then settle in and freshen up.
- Dinner is served at your hotel’s restaurant.
- Evening entertainment options: Groove to live jazz, relax in a lounge, or revel in a dicey dance show near your hotel.
Day 2 • Sunday • Romancing historic Havana

- NH Capri breakfast chefs are discerning. You'll appreciate the extra time they take to prepare a custom meal for you.
- Vedado sightseeing: Visit Plaza de la Revolución. Awe at the giant image of Ché Guevara and the towering monument to José Martí, Cuba’s national hero. Then onto the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba frequented by world leaders and superstars. At points in between you’ll savor the architecture of one of the oldest and most stunning cities in the New World.
- Bicycle made for you. Now on to Parque Central the location of Cuba’s national capitol building. It’s a scale model of the U.S. Capitol, only taller. We’ll enlist a cortège of bicycle taxis, and navigate the Old Havana's narrow streets that exude charm and vitality.
- Followed by a guided walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll explore four landmark plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. Together they contain the most extensive collection of remaining Spanish colonial-era architecture in the world. We’ll wander Cathedral Square, Square of Arms, San Francisco Square, and Plaza Vieja.
- Welcome lunch is held at the private restaurant Mojito-Mojito. Ideally situated in Plaza Vieja, its friendly atmosphere, and delicious food makes it rank high on TripAdvisor. The restaurant's slogan: "A single mojito is not enough".
- Now we visit Casablanca, a quaint village to the north of Havana accessible by ferry. The hamlet was established in 1762 by shipbuilders and carpenters who serviced Spanish galleons and merchant vessels. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the giant marble sculpture "Christ of Havana," and the National Weather Observatory. Its panoramic view across the bay to metropolitan Havana is mesmerizing. Fortunately, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian of Havana, is restoring Casablanca to its deserved past glory.
- We'll visit the magnificent statue Christ of Havana [Cristo de La Habana] once in Casablanca. Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera won a 1953 design contest organized by the wife of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Jilma Madera sculpted her work in Italy and shipped the marble pieces to Havana. It is carved from 67 blocks of white Carrara (each blessed by Pope Pius XII), stands 74 feet tall from its base, and weighs 320 tons. It's the largest statue created by a female artist.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Joyride. We’re off to dinner in a cavalcade of Cuban coconut cabs. Cocotaxis are a delightful crazy vehicle with a body shaped like a coconut set atop a motorcycle frame. Get ready for an exciting ride along the Malecón to your restaurant in Old Havana.
- Welcome dinner. Hello to paladar Iván Chef Justo. Set in an ancient house in Old Havana, built in 1766, you can expect spectacular innovative food. It’s a light and airy place where it always seems to feel like springtime. The service is excellent, professional, attentive and quick. It gets top reviews in all social media.
- Paradise under the stars. We’re off to the Tropicana experience. It’s a glimpse of pre-revolution Cuba, where Carmen Miranda, Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole and others entertained the wealthy with Latin dance numbers performed by women with 10-pound headdresses. It’s a stunning pageant filled with music, crazy dance numbers, a few contortionists and acrobats, and showgirls decked out in fabulous costumes. Many say the Tropicana is more inviting and earthy than glitzy Las Vegas productions.
Day 3 • Monday • Ernest Hemingway, Cuban cooking

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Foodie’s delight. Imagine how thrilled your friends will be when you return home and prepare authentic Cuban food and mojitos for them. This morning we’ll learn from the renowned Cuban chefs at El Ajiaco Paladar the secrets of preparing tasty Cuban dishes and drinks.
- Lunch under the palms. El Ajiaco is considered one of the best private eateries in Havana and ranks high on TripAdvisor lists. Hands down it’s a Cuban dining highlight. Ajiaco is noted for fantastic service, atmosphere and scrumptilicious traditional Cuba cuisine. Organic vegetables and spices are supplied by nearby family gardens, lending to each dish a delightfully fresh aromatic flavor you’ll always remember.
- Brief visit to the village of Cojímar, a small fishing community of east Havana. Here local fishers cast bronze bust of Hemingway from old anchors, props and tools. Inscription reads, “In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea.” A plaque below the bust notes, “Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar.”
- Hemingway’s haunt. We’re off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America’s literary titan Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. Hemingway’s house has been preserved just as it was when he lived there. You’ll see his personal effects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as animal trophies bagged on his frequent African safaris.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 4 • Tuesday • Beach and National Capitol Building

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- We'll visit Cuba's National Capitol Building, a Latin American architectural treasure. Its size and appearance are similar to Washington's Capitol Building, but the Pantheon in Paris inspired its opulent neoclassical form and art nouveau flourishes. Cuban architects Raúl Otero and Eugenio Rayneri Piedra designed the colossus in 1925, and construction began in 1926 by the U.S. firm Purdy and Henderson. Completed in 1929, it served as the seat of Congress until 1959 when Fidel and fellow rebels chose less bourgeois digs to conduct revolutionary affairs. From 1959 until 2018 the edifice housed the Cuban Academy of Sciences. Over ensuing decades, the Capitolio fell into critical disrepair. In 2010, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian began a mammoth and meticulous restoration project. Today the Capitol resumes its role as the legislative center, housing Cuba's National Assembly. Restoration will be complete in November 2019 to mark the 500th birthday of the city of Havana. Chocked full of grand statuary and breathtaking ornamental details, Cuba's Capitol is a "can't miss" visit.
- What would a trip to Cuba be without a view of the sea? We’re off to Havana’s eastern beaches known as Playas del Este. We’ll visit two notable white sand shores: Santa María del Mar and Guanabo. Just 30 minutes from the capital, en route we’ll gaze incredible tropical vistas of sea and countryside. First stop is Santa María del Mar and time to relax on 14 miles of palm-lined seashore of the Caribbean Sea. Later we’ll tour the small resort town of Guanabo founded in 1800. These littoral spots are loved by Cubans and foreign guests. Don’t forget your swimsuit, towels and beach gear.
- Lunch is not included. At the beach there are numerous food vendors. While in Guanabo we’ll schedule a stop at a local paladar [private restaurant].
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 5 • Wednesday • Havana’s big heart and great art

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Charity act. We’re off to visit Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian healthcare and community service project in Old Havana. Construction of the massive Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues today with fantastic results. The Office of the Historian (our Cuban sponsor), public health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people, and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more seniors in the community. It hosts a day care and primary school. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and “love among the elderly” workshops.
- Good hair day. Arte Corte [Art Cut]: It’s a barbershop, it’s an art project, it’s a haircut museum, it’s a community center, park, and barber academy. Arte Corte is a little bit of everything. Stylist-proprietor-curator Gilberto Valladares, also known as Papito, runs this quaint spot in Old Havana, where visitors can have their hair cut or receive some other beauty treatment, all the while surrounded by objects, artifacts, and memorabilia that tell the story of hair care through the ages. It’s known as Callejón de los Peluqueros [Hairdresser’s Alley].
- While in Hairdresser’s Alley, we’ll break bread at El Fígaro, affectionately named after the central character in the “The Barber of Seville.” It’s much kudoed in social media for atmosphere, gracious staff, Cuban music, delicious cocktails, and great food and desserts. Chef Alex Luco descends from a line of famed Cuban cooks. El Fígaro is part of the Arte Corte [Art Cut] community project that has received UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Its motto is “comida sin pelos” (food without hairs). Smile.
- Art attack. Examine Cuba’s greatest visual masterpieces spanning three centuries at Havana’s museum of modern art – Palacio de Bellas Artes. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life over 300 years. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island’s Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam. You’ll meet and chat with museum staff and perhaps local artists.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 6 • Thursday • Heavenly Havana and its people

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Now that you’ve become familiar with Havana, today is an opportunity to explore the many sights that piqued your interest independently. It’s an occasion to discover on your own, with tourmates, or your new Cuba friends. Your tour guide supplies lunch spot suggestions.
- 1950s time travel. Think cocktails, Frank Sinatra, popsicles, sox hops, Hula Hoops, the twist, road trips, bikinis, I Love Lucy, Elvis Presley, and pink Cadillacs. One in ten cars in Havana were manufactured before 1959. And they’re all American: Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Mercury, Dodge, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. We’ll cruise the romantic Malecón in these lovingly maintained classics.
- Special farewell dinner at the private restaurant Los Naranjos. Located in the heart of Vedado in an expansive 1930s mansion, its Chef Ernesto specializes in fusion style dishes combining Cuban, Italian and Spanish influences. Los Naranjos’ ambiance is fun and light, its food wonderful, authentic and fresh, and staff upbeat and attentive. It’s a favorite among TripAdvisor diners.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 7 • Friday • Adios Havana. Extend your stay?

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Check-out of your Havana hotel.
- Transfer to Havana’s José Martí International Airport for flights home.
- We’ll miss you and hope you will return soon. In Cuba we say: A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics.
- Wait! Want to extend your stay in Cuba? We’re here to help. Just ask us.
Full tour itinerary
Day 1 • Saturday • Hello Havana!

- Arrival at Havana’s José Martí International Airport.
- Collect your luggage and proceed through Cuban customs to the arrivals lobby.
- Consider purchasing Cuban Convertible Pesos at the airport exchange bureau (CADECA), or later at your hotel.
- Our airport concierge or tour guide will meet you and arrange transfers from the airport to your hotel NH Capri, located in El Vedado, the heart of Havana’s cultural district. Yum.
- Check-in to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome cocktail, then settle in and freshen up.
- Dinner is served at your hotel’s restaurant.
- Evening entertainment options: Groove to live jazz, relax in a lounge, or revel in a dicey dance show near your hotel.
Day 2 • Sunday • Romancing historic Havana

- NH Capri breakfast chefs are discerning. You'll appreciate the extra time they take to prepare a custom meal for you.
- Vedado sightseeing: Visit Plaza de la Revolución. Awe at the giant image of Ché Guevara and the towering monument to José Martí, Cuba’s national hero. Then onto the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba frequented by world leaders and superstars. At points in between you’ll savor the architecture of one of the oldest and most stunning cities in the New World.
- Bicycle made for you. Now on to Parque Central the location of Cuba’s national capitol building. It’s a scale model of the U.S. Capitol, only taller. We’ll enlist a cortège of bicycle taxis, and navigate the Old Havana's narrow streets that exude charm and vitality.
- Followed by a guided walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll explore four landmark plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. Together they contain the most extensive collection of remaining Spanish colonial-era architecture in the world. We’ll wander Cathedral Square, Square of Arms, San Francisco Square, and Plaza Vieja.
- Welcome lunch is held at the private restaurant Mojito-Mojito. Ideally situated in Plaza Vieja, its friendly atmosphere, and delicious food makes it rank high on TripAdvisor. The restaurant's slogan: "A single mojito is not enough".
- Now we visit Casablanca, a quaint village to the north of Havana accessible by ferry. The hamlet was established in 1762 by shipbuilders and carpenters who serviced Spanish galleons and merchant vessels. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the giant marble sculpture "Christ of Havana," and the National Weather Observatory. Its panoramic view across the bay to metropolitan Havana is mesmerizing. Fortunately, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian of Havana, is restoring Casablanca to its deserved past glory.
- We'll visit the magnificent statue Christ of Havana [Cristo de La Habana] once in Casablanca. Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera won a 1953 design contest organized by the wife of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Jilma Madera sculpted her work in Italy and shipped the marble pieces to Havana. It is carved from 67 blocks of white Carrara (each blessed by Pope Pius XII), stands 74 feet tall from its base, and weighs 320 tons. It's the largest statue created by a female artist.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Joyride. We’re off to dinner in a cavalcade of Cuban coconut cabs. Cocotaxis are a delightful crazy vehicle with a body shaped like a coconut set atop a motorcycle frame. Get ready for an exciting ride along the Malecón to your restaurant in Old Havana.
- Welcome dinner. Hello to paladar Iván Chef Justo. Set in an ancient house in Old Havana, built in 1766, you can expect spectacular innovative food. It’s a light and airy place where it always seems to feel like springtime. The service is excellent, professional, attentive and quick. It gets top reviews in all social media.
- Paradise under the stars. We’re off to the Tropicana experience. It’s a glimpse of pre-revolution Cuba, where Carmen Miranda, Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole and others entertained the wealthy with Latin dance numbers performed by women with 10-pound headdresses. It’s a stunning pageant filled with music, crazy dance numbers, a few contortionists and acrobats, and showgirls decked out in fabulous costumes. Many say the Tropicana is more inviting and earthy than glitzy Las Vegas productions.
Day 3 • Monday • Ernest Hemingway, Cuban cooking

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Foodie’s delight. Imagine how thrilled your friends will be when you return home and prepare authentic Cuban food and mojitos for them. This morning we’ll learn from the renowned Cuban chefs at El Ajiaco Paladar the secrets of preparing tasty Cuban dishes and drinks.
- Lunch under the palms. El Ajiaco is considered one of the best private eateries in Havana and ranks high on TripAdvisor lists. Hands down it’s a Cuban dining highlight. Ajiaco is noted for fantastic service, atmosphere and scrumptilicious traditional Cuba cuisine. Organic vegetables and spices are supplied by nearby family gardens, lending to each dish a delightfully fresh aromatic flavor you’ll always remember.
- Brief visit to the village of Cojímar, a small fishing community of east Havana. Here local fishers cast bronze bust of Hemingway from old anchors, props and tools. Inscription reads, “In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea.” A plaque below the bust notes, “Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar.”
- Hemingway’s haunt. We’re off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America’s literary titan Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. Hemingway’s house has been preserved just as it was when he lived there. You’ll see his personal effects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as animal trophies bagged on his frequent African safaris.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 4 • Tuesday • Beach and National Capitol Building

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- We'll visit Cuba's National Capitol Building, a Latin American architectural treasure. Its size and appearance are similar to Washington's Capitol Building, but the Pantheon in Paris inspired its opulent neoclassical form and art nouveau flourishes. Cuban architects Raúl Otero and Eugenio Rayneri Piedra designed the colossus in 1925, and construction began in 1926 by the U.S. firm Purdy and Henderson. Completed in 1929, it served as the seat of Congress until 1959 when Fidel and fellow rebels chose less bourgeois digs to conduct revolutionary affairs. From 1959 until 2018 the edifice housed the Cuban Academy of Sciences. Over ensuing decades, the Capitolio fell into critical disrepair. In 2010, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian began a mammoth and meticulous restoration project. Today the Capitol resumes its role as the legislative center, housing Cuba's National Assembly. Restoration will be complete in November 2019 to mark the 500th birthday of the city of Havana. Chocked full of grand statuary and breathtaking ornamental details, Cuba's Capitol is a "can't miss" visit.
- What would a trip to Cuba be without a view of the sea? We’re off to Havana’s eastern beaches known as Playas del Este. We’ll visit two notable white sand shores: Santa María del Mar and Guanabo. Just 30 minutes from the capital, en route we’ll gaze incredible tropical vistas of sea and countryside. First stop is Santa María del Mar and time to relax on 14 miles of palm-lined seashore of the Caribbean Sea. Later we’ll tour the small resort town of Guanabo founded in 1800. These littoral spots are loved by Cubans and foreign guests. Don’t forget your swimsuit, towels and beach gear.
- Lunch is not included. At the beach there are numerous food vendors. While in Guanabo we’ll schedule a stop at a local paladar [private restaurant].
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 5 • Wednesday • Havana’s big heart and great art

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Charity act. We’re off to visit Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian healthcare and community service project in Old Havana. Construction of the massive Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues today with fantastic results. The Office of the Historian (our Cuban sponsor), public health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people, and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more seniors in the community. It hosts a day care and primary school. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and “love among the elderly” workshops.
- Good hair day. Arte Corte [Art Cut]: It’s a barbershop, it’s an art project, it’s a haircut museum, it’s a community center, park, and barber academy. Arte Corte is a little bit of everything. Stylist-proprietor-curator Gilberto Valladares, also known as Papito, runs this quaint spot in Old Havana, where visitors can have their hair cut or receive some other beauty treatment, all the while surrounded by objects, artifacts, and memorabilia that tell the story of hair care through the ages. It’s known as Callejón de los Peluqueros [Hairdresser’s Alley].
- While in Hairdresser’s Alley, we’ll break bread at El Fígaro, affectionately named after the central character in the “The Barber of Seville.” It’s much kudoed in social media for atmosphere, gracious staff, Cuban music, delicious cocktails, and great food and desserts. Chef Alex Luco descends from a line of famed Cuban cooks. El Fígaro is part of the Arte Corte [Art Cut] community project that has received UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Its motto is “comida sin pelos” (food without hairs). Smile.
- Art attack. Examine Cuba’s greatest visual masterpieces spanning three centuries at Havana’s museum of modern art – Palacio de Bellas Artes. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life over 300 years. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island’s Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam. You’ll meet and chat with museum staff and perhaps local artists.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 6 • Thursday • Heavenly Havana and its people

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Now that you’ve become familiar with Havana, today is an opportunity to explore the many sights that piqued your interest independently. It’s an occasion to discover on your own, with tourmates, or your new Cuba friends. Your tour guide supplies lunch spot suggestions.
- 1950s time travel. Think cocktails, Frank Sinatra, popsicles, sox hops, Hula Hoops, the twist, road trips, bikinis, I Love Lucy, Elvis Presley, and pink Cadillacs. One in ten cars in Havana were manufactured before 1959. And they’re all American: Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Mercury, Dodge, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. We’ll cruise the romantic Malecón in these lovingly maintained classics.
- Special farewell dinner at the private restaurant Los Naranjos. Located in the heart of Vedado in an expansive 1930s mansion, its Chef Ernesto specializes in fusion style dishes combining Cuban, Italian and Spanish influences. Los Naranjos’ ambiance is fun and light, its food wonderful, authentic and fresh, and staff upbeat and attentive. It’s a favorite among TripAdvisor diners.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 7 • Friday • Adios Havana. Extend your stay?

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Check-out of your Havana hotel.
- Transfer to Havana’s José Martí International Airport for flights home.
- We’ll miss you and hope you will return soon. In Cuba we say: A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics.
- Wait! Want to extend your stay in Cuba? We’re here to help. Just ask us.
Full tour itinerary
Day 1 • Saturday • Hello Havana!

- Arrival at Havana’s José Martí International Airport.
- Collect your luggage and proceed through Cuban customs to the arrivals lobby.
- Consider purchasing Cuban Convertible Pesos at the airport exchange bureau (CADECA), or later at your hotel.
- Our airport concierge or tour guide will meet you and arrange transfers from the airport to your hotel NH Capri, located in El Vedado, the heart of Havana’s cultural district. Yum.
- Check-in to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome cocktail, then settle in and freshen up.
- Dinner is served at your hotel’s restaurant.
- Evening entertainment options: Groove to live jazz, relax in a lounge, or revel in a dicey dance show near your hotel.
Day 2 • Sunday • Romancing historic Havana

- NH Capri breakfast chefs are discerning. You'll appreciate the extra time they take to prepare a custom meal for you.
- Vedado sightseeing: Visit Plaza de la Revolución. Awe at the giant image of Ché Guevara and the towering monument to José Martí, Cuba’s national hero. Then onto the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba frequented by world leaders and superstars. At points in between you’ll savor the architecture of one of the oldest and most stunning cities in the New World.
- Bicycle made for you. Now on to Parque Central the location of Cuba’s national capitol building. It’s a scale model of the U.S. Capitol, only taller. We’ll enlist a cortège of bicycle taxis, and navigate the Old Havana's narrow streets that exude charm and vitality.
- Followed by a guided walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll explore four landmark plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. Together they contain the most extensive collection of remaining Spanish colonial-era architecture in the world. We’ll wander Cathedral Square, Square of Arms, San Francisco Square, and Plaza Vieja.
- Welcome lunch is held at the private restaurant Mojito-Mojito. Ideally situated in Plaza Vieja, its friendly atmosphere, and delicious food makes it rank high on TripAdvisor. The restaurant's slogan: "A single mojito is not enough".
- Now we visit Casablanca, a quaint village to the north of Havana accessible by ferry. The hamlet was established in 1762 by shipbuilders and carpenters who serviced Spanish galleons and merchant vessels. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the giant marble sculpture "Christ of Havana," and the National Weather Observatory. Its panoramic view across the bay to metropolitan Havana is mesmerizing. Fortunately, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian of Havana, is restoring Casablanca to its deserved past glory.
- We'll visit the magnificent statue Christ of Havana [Cristo de La Habana] once in Casablanca. Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera won a 1953 design contest organized by the wife of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Jilma Madera sculpted her work in Italy and shipped the marble pieces to Havana. It is carved from 67 blocks of white Carrara (each blessed by Pope Pius XII), stands 74 feet tall from its base, and weighs 320 tons. It's the largest statue created by a female artist.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Joyride. We’re off to dinner in a cavalcade of Cuban coconut cabs. Cocotaxis are a delightful crazy vehicle with a body shaped like a coconut set atop a motorcycle frame. Get ready for an exciting ride along the Malecón to your restaurant in Old Havana.
- Welcome dinner. Hello to paladar Iván Chef Justo. Set in an ancient house in Old Havana, built in 1766, you can expect spectacular innovative food. It’s a light and airy place where it always seems to feel like springtime. The service is excellent, professional, attentive and quick. It gets top reviews in all social media.
- Paradise under the stars. We’re off to the Tropicana experience. It’s a glimpse of pre-revolution Cuba, where Carmen Miranda, Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole and others entertained the wealthy with Latin dance numbers performed by women with 10-pound headdresses. It’s a stunning pageant filled with music, crazy dance numbers, a few contortionists and acrobats, and showgirls decked out in fabulous costumes. Many say the Tropicana is more inviting and earthy than glitzy Las Vegas productions.
Day 3 • Monday • Ernest Hemingway, Cuban cooking

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Foodie’s delight. Imagine how thrilled your friends will be when you return home and prepare authentic Cuban food and mojitos for them. This morning we’ll learn from the renowned Cuban chefs at El Ajiaco Paladar the secrets of preparing tasty Cuban dishes and drinks.
- Lunch under the palms. El Ajiaco is considered one of the best private eateries in Havana and ranks high on TripAdvisor lists. Hands down it’s a Cuban dining highlight. Ajiaco is noted for fantastic service, atmosphere and scrumptilicious traditional Cuba cuisine. Organic vegetables and spices are supplied by nearby family gardens, lending to each dish a delightfully fresh aromatic flavor you’ll always remember.
- Brief visit to the village of Cojímar, a small fishing community of east Havana. Here local fishers cast bronze bust of Hemingway from old anchors, props and tools. Inscription reads, “In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea.” A plaque below the bust notes, “Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar.”
- Hemingway’s haunt. We’re off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America’s literary titan Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. Hemingway’s house has been preserved just as it was when he lived there. You’ll see his personal effects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as animal trophies bagged on his frequent African safaris.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 4 • Tuesday • Beach and National Capitol Building

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- We'll visit Cuba's National Capitol Building, a Latin American architectural treasure. Its size and appearance are similar to Washington's Capitol Building, but the Pantheon in Paris inspired its opulent neoclassical form and art nouveau flourishes. Cuban architects Raúl Otero and Eugenio Rayneri Piedra designed the colossus in 1925, and construction began in 1926 by the U.S. firm Purdy and Henderson. Completed in 1929, it served as the seat of Congress until 1959 when Fidel and fellow rebels chose less bourgeois digs to conduct revolutionary affairs. From 1959 until 2018 the edifice housed the Cuban Academy of Sciences. Over ensuing decades, the Capitolio fell into critical disrepair. In 2010, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian began a mammoth and meticulous restoration project. Today the Capitol resumes its role as the legislative center, housing Cuba's National Assembly. Restoration will be complete in November 2019 to mark the 500th birthday of the city of Havana. Chocked full of grand statuary and breathtaking ornamental details, Cuba's Capitol is a "can't miss" visit.
- What would a trip to Cuba be without a view of the sea? We’re off to Havana’s eastern beaches known as Playas del Este. We’ll visit two notable white sand shores: Santa María del Mar and Guanabo. Just 30 minutes from the capital, en route we’ll gaze incredible tropical vistas of sea and countryside. First stop is Santa María del Mar and time to relax on 14 miles of palm-lined seashore of the Caribbean Sea. Later we’ll tour the small resort town of Guanabo founded in 1800. These littoral spots are loved by Cubans and foreign guests. Don’t forget your swimsuit, towels and beach gear.
- Lunch is not included. At the beach there are numerous food vendors. While in Guanabo we’ll schedule a stop at a local paladar [private restaurant].
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 5 • Wednesday • Havana’s big heart and great art

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Charity act. We’re off to visit Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian healthcare and community service project in Old Havana. Construction of the massive Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues today with fantastic results. The Office of the Historian (our Cuban sponsor), public health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people, and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more seniors in the community. It hosts a day care and primary school. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and “love among the elderly” workshops.
- Good hair day. Arte Corte [Art Cut]: It’s a barbershop, it’s an art project, it’s a haircut museum, it’s a community center, park, and barber academy. Arte Corte is a little bit of everything. Stylist-proprietor-curator Gilberto Valladares, also known as Papito, runs this quaint spot in Old Havana, where visitors can have their hair cut or receive some other beauty treatment, all the while surrounded by objects, artifacts, and memorabilia that tell the story of hair care through the ages. It’s known as Callejón de los Peluqueros [Hairdresser’s Alley].
- While in Hairdresser’s Alley, we’ll break bread at El Fígaro, affectionately named after the central character in the “The Barber of Seville.” It’s much kudoed in social media for atmosphere, gracious staff, Cuban music, delicious cocktails, and great food and desserts. Chef Alex Luco descends from a line of famed Cuban cooks. El Fígaro is part of the Arte Corte [Art Cut] community project that has received UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Its motto is “comida sin pelos” (food without hairs). Smile.
- Art attack. Examine Cuba’s greatest visual masterpieces spanning three centuries at Havana’s museum of modern art – Palacio de Bellas Artes. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life over 300 years. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island’s Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam. You’ll meet and chat with museum staff and perhaps local artists.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 6 • Thursday • Heavenly Havana and its people

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Now that you’ve become familiar with Havana, today is an opportunity to explore the many sights that piqued your interest independently. It’s an occasion to discover on your own, with tourmates, or your new Cuba friends. Your tour guide supplies lunch spot suggestions.
- 1950s time travel. Think cocktails, Frank Sinatra, popsicles, sox hops, Hula Hoops, the twist, road trips, bikinis, I Love Lucy, Elvis Presley, and pink Cadillacs. One in ten cars in Havana were manufactured before 1959. And they’re all American: Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Mercury, Dodge, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. We’ll cruise the romantic Malecón in these lovingly maintained classics.
- Special farewell dinner at the private restaurant Los Naranjos. Located in the heart of Vedado in an expansive 1930s mansion, its Chef Ernesto specializes in fusion style dishes combining Cuban, Italian and Spanish influences. Los Naranjos’ ambiance is fun and light, its food wonderful, authentic and fresh, and staff upbeat and attentive. It’s a favorite among TripAdvisor diners.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 7 • Friday • Adios Havana. Extend your stay?

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Check-out of your Havana hotel.
- Transfer to Havana’s José Martí International Airport for flights home.
- We’ll miss you and hope you will return soon. In Cuba we say: A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics.
- Wait! Want to extend your stay in Cuba? We’re here to help. Just ask us.
Full tour itinerary
Day 1 • Saturday • Hello Havana!

- Arrival at Havana’s José Martí International Airport.
- Collect your luggage and proceed through Cuban customs to the arrivals lobby.
- Consider purchasing Cuban Convertible Pesos at the airport exchange bureau (CADECA), or later at your hotel.
- Our airport concierge or tour guide will meet you and arrange transfers from the airport to your hotel NH Capri, located in El Vedado, the heart of Havana’s cultural district. Yum.
- Check-in to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome cocktail, then settle in and freshen up.
- Dinner is served at your hotel’s restaurant.
- Evening entertainment options: Groove to live jazz, relax in a lounge, or revel in a dicey dance show near your hotel.
Day 2 • Sunday • Romancing historic Havana

- NH Capri breakfast chefs are discerning. You'll appreciate the extra time they take to prepare a custom meal for you.
- Vedado sightseeing: Visit Plaza de la Revolución. Awe at the giant image of Ché Guevara and the towering monument to José Martí, Cuba’s national hero. Then onto the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba frequented by world leaders and superstars. At points in between you’ll savor the architecture of one of the oldest and most stunning cities in the New World.
- Bicycle made for you. Now on to Parque Central the location of Cuba’s national capitol building. It’s a scale model of the U.S. Capitol, only taller. We’ll enlist a cortège of bicycle taxis, and navigate the Old Havana's narrow streets that exude charm and vitality.
- Followed by a guided walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll explore four landmark plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. Together they contain the most extensive collection of remaining Spanish colonial-era architecture in the world. We’ll wander Cathedral Square, Square of Arms, San Francisco Square, and Plaza Vieja.
- Welcome lunch is held at the private restaurant Mojito-Mojito. Ideally situated in Plaza Vieja, its friendly atmosphere, and delicious food makes it rank high on TripAdvisor. The restaurant's slogan: "A single mojito is not enough".
- Now we visit Casablanca, a quaint village to the north of Havana accessible by ferry. The hamlet was established in 1762 by shipbuilders and carpenters who serviced Spanish galleons and merchant vessels. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the giant marble sculpture "Christ of Havana," and the National Weather Observatory. Its panoramic view across the bay to metropolitan Havana is mesmerizing. Fortunately, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian of Havana, is restoring Casablanca to its deserved past glory.
- We'll visit the magnificent statue Christ of Havana [Cristo de La Habana] once in Casablanca. Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera won a 1953 design contest organized by the wife of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Jilma Madera sculpted her work in Italy and shipped the marble pieces to Havana. It is carved from 67 blocks of white Carrara (each blessed by Pope Pius XII), stands 74 feet tall from its base, and weighs 320 tons. It's the largest statue created by a female artist.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Joyride. We’re off to dinner in a cavalcade of Cuban coconut cabs. Cocotaxis are a delightful crazy vehicle with a body shaped like a coconut set atop a motorcycle frame. Get ready for an exciting ride along the Malecón to your restaurant in Old Havana.
- Welcome dinner. Hello to paladar Iván Chef Justo. Set in an ancient house in Old Havana, built in 1766, you can expect spectacular innovative food. It’s a light and airy place where it always seems to feel like springtime. The service is excellent, professional, attentive and quick. It gets top reviews in all social media.
- Paradise under the stars. We’re off to the Tropicana experience. It’s a glimpse of pre-revolution Cuba, where Carmen Miranda, Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole and others entertained the wealthy with Latin dance numbers performed by women with 10-pound headdresses. It’s a stunning pageant filled with music, crazy dance numbers, a few contortionists and acrobats, and showgirls decked out in fabulous costumes. Many say the Tropicana is more inviting and earthy than glitzy Las Vegas productions.
Day 3 • Monday • Ernest Hemingway, Cuban cooking

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Foodie’s delight. Imagine how thrilled your friends will be when you return home and prepare authentic Cuban food and mojitos for them. This morning we’ll learn from the renowned Cuban chefs at El Ajiaco Paladar the secrets of preparing tasty Cuban dishes and drinks.
- Lunch under the palms. El Ajiaco is considered one of the best private eateries in Havana and ranks high on TripAdvisor lists. Hands down it’s a Cuban dining highlight. Ajiaco is noted for fantastic service, atmosphere and scrumptilicious traditional Cuba cuisine. Organic vegetables and spices are supplied by nearby family gardens, lending to each dish a delightfully fresh aromatic flavor you’ll always remember.
- Brief visit to the village of Cojímar, a small fishing community of east Havana. Here local fishers cast bronze bust of Hemingway from old anchors, props and tools. Inscription reads, “In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea.” A plaque below the bust notes, “Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar.”
- Hemingway’s haunt. We’re off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America’s literary titan Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. Hemingway’s house has been preserved just as it was when he lived there. You’ll see his personal effects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as animal trophies bagged on his frequent African safaris.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 4 • Tuesday • Beach and National Capitol Building

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- We'll visit Cuba's National Capitol Building, a Latin American architectural treasure. Its size and appearance are similar to Washington's Capitol Building, but the Pantheon in Paris inspired its opulent neoclassical form and art nouveau flourishes. Cuban architects Raúl Otero and Eugenio Rayneri Piedra designed the colossus in 1925, and construction began in 1926 by the U.S. firm Purdy and Henderson. Completed in 1929, it served as the seat of Congress until 1959 when Fidel and fellow rebels chose less bourgeois digs to conduct revolutionary affairs. From 1959 until 2018 the edifice housed the Cuban Academy of Sciences. Over ensuing decades, the Capitolio fell into critical disrepair. In 2010, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian began a mammoth and meticulous restoration project. Today the Capitol resumes its role as the legislative center, housing Cuba's National Assembly. Restoration will be complete in November 2019 to mark the 500th birthday of the city of Havana. Chocked full of grand statuary and breathtaking ornamental details, Cuba's Capitol is a "can't miss" visit.
- What would a trip to Cuba be without a view of the sea? We’re off to Havana’s eastern beaches known as Playas del Este. We’ll visit two notable white sand shores: Santa María del Mar and Guanabo. Just 30 minutes from the capital, en route we’ll gaze incredible tropical vistas of sea and countryside. First stop is Santa María del Mar and time to relax on 14 miles of palm-lined seashore of the Caribbean Sea. Later we’ll tour the small resort town of Guanabo founded in 1800. These littoral spots are loved by Cubans and foreign guests. Don’t forget your swimsuit, towels and beach gear.
- Lunch is not included. At the beach there are numerous food vendors. While in Guanabo we’ll schedule a stop at a local paladar [private restaurant].
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 5 • Wednesday • Havana’s big heart and great art

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Charity act. We’re off to visit Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian healthcare and community service project in Old Havana. Construction of the massive Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues today with fantastic results. The Office of the Historian (our Cuban sponsor), public health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people, and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more seniors in the community. It hosts a day care and primary school. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and “love among the elderly” workshops.
- Good hair day. Arte Corte [Art Cut]: It’s a barbershop, it’s an art project, it’s a haircut museum, it’s a community center, park, and barber academy. Arte Corte is a little bit of everything. Stylist-proprietor-curator Gilberto Valladares, also known as Papito, runs this quaint spot in Old Havana, where visitors can have their hair cut or receive some other beauty treatment, all the while surrounded by objects, artifacts, and memorabilia that tell the story of hair care through the ages. It’s known as Callejón de los Peluqueros [Hairdresser’s Alley].
- While in Hairdresser’s Alley, we’ll break bread at El Fígaro, affectionately named after the central character in the “The Barber of Seville.” It’s much kudoed in social media for atmosphere, gracious staff, Cuban music, delicious cocktails, and great food and desserts. Chef Alex Luco descends from a line of famed Cuban cooks. El Fígaro is part of the Arte Corte [Art Cut] community project that has received UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Its motto is “comida sin pelos” (food without hairs). Smile.
- Art attack. Examine Cuba’s greatest visual masterpieces spanning three centuries at Havana’s museum of modern art – Palacio de Bellas Artes. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life over 300 years. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island’s Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam. You’ll meet and chat with museum staff and perhaps local artists.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 6 • Thursday • Heavenly Havana and its people

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Now that you’ve become familiar with Havana, today is an opportunity to explore the many sights that piqued your interest independently. It’s an occasion to discover on your own, with tourmates, or your new Cuba friends. Your tour guide supplies lunch spot suggestions.
- 1950s time travel. Think cocktails, Frank Sinatra, popsicles, sox hops, Hula Hoops, the twist, road trips, bikinis, I Love Lucy, Elvis Presley, and pink Cadillacs. One in ten cars in Havana were manufactured before 1959. And they’re all American: Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Mercury, Dodge, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. We’ll cruise the romantic Malecón in these lovingly maintained classics.
- Special farewell dinner at the private restaurant Los Naranjos. Located in the heart of Vedado in an expansive 1930s mansion, its Chef Ernesto specializes in fusion style dishes combining Cuban, Italian and Spanish influences. Los Naranjos’ ambiance is fun and light, its food wonderful, authentic and fresh, and staff upbeat and attentive. It’s a favorite among TripAdvisor diners.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 7 • Friday • Adios Havana. Extend your stay?

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Check-out of your Havana hotel.
- Transfer to Havana’s José Martí International Airport for flights home.
- We’ll miss you and hope you will return soon. In Cuba we say: A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics.
- Wait! Want to extend your stay in Cuba? We’re here to help. Just ask us.
Full tour itinerary
Day 1 • Saturday • Hello Havana!

- Arrival at Havana’s José Martí International Airport.
- Collect your luggage and proceed through Cuban customs to the arrivals lobby.
- Consider purchasing Cuban Convertible Pesos at the airport exchange bureau (CADECA), or later at your hotel.
- Our airport concierge or tour guide will meet you and arrange transfers from the airport to your hotel NH Capri, located in El Vedado, the heart of Havana’s cultural district. Yum.
- Check-in to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome cocktail, then settle in and freshen up.
- Dinner is served at your hotel’s restaurant.
- Evening entertainment options: Groove to live jazz, relax in a lounge, or revel in a dicey dance show near your hotel.
Day 2 • Sunday • Romancing historic Havana

- NH Capri breakfast chefs are discerning. You'll appreciate the extra time they take to prepare a custom meal for you.
- Vedado sightseeing: Visit Plaza de la Revolución. Awe at the giant image of Ché Guevara and the towering monument to José Martí, Cuba’s national hero. Then onto the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba frequented by world leaders and superstars. At points in between you’ll savor the architecture of one of the oldest and most stunning cities in the New World.
- Bicycle made for you. Now on to Parque Central the location of Cuba’s national capitol building. It’s a scale model of the U.S. Capitol, only taller. We’ll enlist a cortège of bicycle taxis, and navigate the Old Havana's narrow streets that exude charm and vitality.
- Followed by a guided walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll explore four landmark plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. Together they contain the most extensive collection of remaining Spanish colonial-era architecture in the world. We’ll wander Cathedral Square, Square of Arms, San Francisco Square, and Plaza Vieja.
- Welcome lunch is held at the private restaurant Mojito-Mojito. Ideally situated in Plaza Vieja, its friendly atmosphere, and delicious food makes it rank high on TripAdvisor. The restaurant's slogan: "A single mojito is not enough".
- Now we visit Casablanca, a quaint village to the north of Havana accessible by ferry. The hamlet was established in 1762 by shipbuilders and carpenters who serviced Spanish galleons and merchant vessels. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the giant marble sculpture "Christ of Havana," and the National Weather Observatory. Its panoramic view across the bay to metropolitan Havana is mesmerizing. Fortunately, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian of Havana, is restoring Casablanca to its deserved past glory.
- We'll visit the magnificent statue Christ of Havana [Cristo de La Habana] once in Casablanca. Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera won a 1953 design contest organized by the wife of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Jilma Madera sculpted her work in Italy and shipped the marble pieces to Havana. It is carved from 67 blocks of white Carrara (each blessed by Pope Pius XII), stands 74 feet tall from its base, and weighs 320 tons. It's the largest statue created by a female artist.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Joyride. We’re off to dinner in a cavalcade of Cuban coconut cabs. Cocotaxis are a delightful crazy vehicle with a body shaped like a coconut set atop a motorcycle frame. Get ready for an exciting ride along the Malecón to your restaurant in Old Havana.
- Welcome dinner. Hello to paladar Iván Chef Justo. Set in an ancient house in Old Havana, built in 1766, you can expect spectacular innovative food. It’s a light and airy place where it always seems to feel like springtime. The service is excellent, professional, attentive and quick. It gets top reviews in all social media.
- Paradise under the stars. We’re off to the Tropicana experience. It’s a glimpse of pre-revolution Cuba, where Carmen Miranda, Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole and others entertained the wealthy with Latin dance numbers performed by women with 10-pound headdresses. It’s a stunning pageant filled with music, crazy dance numbers, a few contortionists and acrobats, and showgirls decked out in fabulous costumes. Many say the Tropicana is more inviting and earthy than glitzy Las Vegas productions.
Day 3 • Monday • Ernest Hemingway, Cuban cooking

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Foodie’s delight. Imagine how thrilled your friends will be when you return home and prepare authentic Cuban food and mojitos for them. This morning we’ll learn from the renowned Cuban chefs at El Ajiaco Paladar the secrets of preparing tasty Cuban dishes and drinks.
- Lunch under the palms. El Ajiaco is considered one of the best private eateries in Havana and ranks high on TripAdvisor lists. Hands down it’s a Cuban dining highlight. Ajiaco is noted for fantastic service, atmosphere and scrumptilicious traditional Cuba cuisine. Organic vegetables and spices are supplied by nearby family gardens, lending to each dish a delightfully fresh aromatic flavor you’ll always remember.
- Brief visit to the village of Cojímar, a small fishing community of east Havana. Here local fishers cast bronze bust of Hemingway from old anchors, props and tools. Inscription reads, “In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea.” A plaque below the bust notes, “Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar.”
- Hemingway’s haunt. We’re off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America’s literary titan Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. Hemingway’s house has been preserved just as it was when he lived there. You’ll see his personal effects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as animal trophies bagged on his frequent African safaris.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 4 • Tuesday • Beach and National Capitol Building

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- We'll visit Cuba's National Capitol Building, a Latin American architectural treasure. Its size and appearance are similar to Washington's Capitol Building, but the Pantheon in Paris inspired its opulent neoclassical form and art nouveau flourishes. Cuban architects Raúl Otero and Eugenio Rayneri Piedra designed the colossus in 1925, and construction began in 1926 by the U.S. firm Purdy and Henderson. Completed in 1929, it served as the seat of Congress until 1959 when Fidel and fellow rebels chose less bourgeois digs to conduct revolutionary affairs. From 1959 until 2018 the edifice housed the Cuban Academy of Sciences. Over ensuing decades, the Capitolio fell into critical disrepair. In 2010, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian began a mammoth and meticulous restoration project. Today the Capitol resumes its role as the legislative center, housing Cuba's National Assembly. Restoration will be complete in November 2019 to mark the 500th birthday of the city of Havana. Chocked full of grand statuary and breathtaking ornamental details, Cuba's Capitol is a "can't miss" visit.
- What would a trip to Cuba be without a view of the sea? We’re off to Havana’s eastern beaches known as Playas del Este. We’ll visit two notable white sand shores: Santa María del Mar and Guanabo. Just 30 minutes from the capital, en route we’ll gaze incredible tropical vistas of sea and countryside. First stop is Santa María del Mar and time to relax on 14 miles of palm-lined seashore of the Caribbean Sea. Later we’ll tour the small resort town of Guanabo founded in 1800. These littoral spots are loved by Cubans and foreign guests. Don’t forget your swimsuit, towels and beach gear.
- Lunch is not included. At the beach there are numerous food vendors. While in Guanabo we’ll schedule a stop at a local paladar [private restaurant].
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 5 • Wednesday • Havana’s big heart and great art

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Charity act. We’re off to visit Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian healthcare and community service project in Old Havana. Construction of the massive Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues today with fantastic results. The Office of the Historian (our Cuban sponsor), public health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people, and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more seniors in the community. It hosts a day care and primary school. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and “love among the elderly” workshops.
- Good hair day. Arte Corte [Art Cut]: It’s a barbershop, it’s an art project, it’s a haircut museum, it’s a community center, park, and barber academy. Arte Corte is a little bit of everything. Stylist-proprietor-curator Gilberto Valladares, also known as Papito, runs this quaint spot in Old Havana, where visitors can have their hair cut or receive some other beauty treatment, all the while surrounded by objects, artifacts, and memorabilia that tell the story of hair care through the ages. It’s known as Callejón de los Peluqueros [Hairdresser’s Alley].
- While in Hairdresser’s Alley, we’ll break bread at El Fígaro, affectionately named after the central character in the “The Barber of Seville.” It’s much kudoed in social media for atmosphere, gracious staff, Cuban music, delicious cocktails, and great food and desserts. Chef Alex Luco descends from a line of famed Cuban cooks. El Fígaro is part of the Arte Corte [Art Cut] community project that has received UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Its motto is “comida sin pelos” (food without hairs). Smile.
- Art attack. Examine Cuba’s greatest visual masterpieces spanning three centuries at Havana’s museum of modern art – Palacio de Bellas Artes. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life over 300 years. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island’s Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam. You’ll meet and chat with museum staff and perhaps local artists.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 6 • Thursday • Heavenly Havana and its people

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Now that you’ve become familiar with Havana, today is an opportunity to explore the many sights that piqued your interest independently. It’s an occasion to discover on your own, with tourmates, or your new Cuba friends. Your tour guide supplies lunch spot suggestions.
- 1950s time travel. Think cocktails, Frank Sinatra, popsicles, sox hops, Hula Hoops, the twist, road trips, bikinis, I Love Lucy, Elvis Presley, and pink Cadillacs. One in ten cars in Havana were manufactured before 1959. And they’re all American: Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Mercury, Dodge, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. We’ll cruise the romantic Malecón in these lovingly maintained classics.
- Special farewell dinner at the private restaurant Los Naranjos. Located in the heart of Vedado in an expansive 1930s mansion, its Chef Ernesto specializes in fusion style dishes combining Cuban, Italian and Spanish influences. Los Naranjos’ ambiance is fun and light, its food wonderful, authentic and fresh, and staff upbeat and attentive. It’s a favorite among TripAdvisor diners.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 7 • Friday • Adios Havana. Extend your stay?

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Check-out of your Havana hotel.
- Transfer to Havana’s José Martí International Airport for flights home.
- We’ll miss you and hope you will return soon. In Cuba we say: A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics.
- Wait! Want to extend your stay in Cuba? We’re here to help. Just ask us.
Full tour itinerary
Day 1 • Saturday • Hello Havana!

- Arrival at Havana’s José Martí International Airport.
- Collect your luggage and proceed through Cuban customs to the arrivals lobby.
- Consider purchasing Cuban Convertible Pesos at the airport exchange bureau (CADECA), or later at your hotel.
- Our airport concierge or tour guide will meet you and arrange transfers from the airport to your hotel NH Capri, located in El Vedado, the heart of Havana’s cultural district. Yum.
- Check-in to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome cocktail, then settle in and freshen up.
- Dinner is served at your hotel’s restaurant.
- Evening entertainment options: Groove to live jazz, relax in a lounge, or revel in a dicey dance show near your hotel.
Day 2 • Sunday • Romancing historic Havana

- NH Capri breakfast chefs are discerning. You'll appreciate the extra time they take to prepare a custom meal for you.
- Vedado sightseeing: Visit Plaza de la Revolución. Awe at the giant image of Ché Guevara and the towering monument to José Martí, Cuba’s national hero. Then onto the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba frequented by world leaders and superstars. At points in between you’ll savor the architecture of one of the oldest and most stunning cities in the New World.
- Bicycle made for you. Now on to Parque Central the location of Cuba’s national capitol building. It’s a scale model of the U.S. Capitol, only taller. We’ll enlist a cortège of bicycle taxis, and navigate the Old Havana's narrow streets that exude charm and vitality.
- Followed by a guided walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll explore four landmark plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. Together they contain the most extensive collection of remaining Spanish colonial-era architecture in the world. We’ll wander Cathedral Square, Square of Arms, San Francisco Square, and Plaza Vieja.
- Welcome lunch is held at the private restaurant Mojito-Mojito. Ideally situated in Plaza Vieja, its friendly atmosphere, and delicious food makes it rank high on TripAdvisor. The restaurant's slogan: "A single mojito is not enough".
- Now we visit Casablanca, a quaint village to the north of Havana accessible by ferry. The hamlet was established in 1762 by shipbuilders and carpenters who serviced Spanish galleons and merchant vessels. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the giant marble sculpture "Christ of Havana," and the National Weather Observatory. Its panoramic view across the bay to metropolitan Havana is mesmerizing. Fortunately, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian of Havana, is restoring Casablanca to its deserved past glory.
- We'll visit the magnificent statue Christ of Havana [Cristo de La Habana] once in Casablanca. Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera won a 1953 design contest organized by the wife of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Jilma Madera sculpted her work in Italy and shipped the marble pieces to Havana. It is carved from 67 blocks of white Carrara (each blessed by Pope Pius XII), stands 74 feet tall from its base, and weighs 320 tons. It's the largest statue created by a female artist.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Joyride. We’re off to dinner in a cavalcade of Cuban coconut cabs. Cocotaxis are a delightful crazy vehicle with a body shaped like a coconut set atop a motorcycle frame. Get ready for an exciting ride along the Malecón to your restaurant in Old Havana.
- Welcome dinner. Hello to paladar Iván Chef Justo. Set in an ancient house in Old Havana, built in 1766, you can expect spectacular innovative food. It’s a light and airy place where it always seems to feel like springtime. The service is excellent, professional, attentive and quick. It gets top reviews in all social media.
- Paradise under the stars. We’re off to the Tropicana experience. It’s a glimpse of pre-revolution Cuba, where Carmen Miranda, Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole and others entertained the wealthy with Latin dance numbers performed by women with 10-pound headdresses. It’s a stunning pageant filled with music, crazy dance numbers, a few contortionists and acrobats, and showgirls decked out in fabulous costumes. Many say the Tropicana is more inviting and earthy than glitzy Las Vegas productions.
Day 3 • Monday • Ernest Hemingway, Cuban cooking

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Foodie’s delight. Imagine how thrilled your friends will be when you return home and prepare authentic Cuban food and mojitos for them. This morning we’ll learn from the renowned Cuban chefs at El Ajiaco Paladar the secrets of preparing tasty Cuban dishes and drinks.
- Lunch under the palms. El Ajiaco is considered one of the best private eateries in Havana and ranks high on TripAdvisor lists. Hands down it’s a Cuban dining highlight. Ajiaco is noted for fantastic service, atmosphere and scrumptilicious traditional Cuba cuisine. Organic vegetables and spices are supplied by nearby family gardens, lending to each dish a delightfully fresh aromatic flavor you’ll always remember.
- Brief visit to the village of Cojímar, a small fishing community of east Havana. Here local fishers cast bronze bust of Hemingway from old anchors, props and tools. Inscription reads, “In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea.” A plaque below the bust notes, “Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar.”
- Hemingway’s haunt. We’re off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America’s literary titan Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. Hemingway’s house has been preserved just as it was when he lived there. You’ll see his personal effects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as animal trophies bagged on his frequent African safaris.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 4 • Tuesday • Beach and National Capitol Building

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- We'll visit Cuba's National Capitol Building, a Latin American architectural treasure. Its size and appearance are similar to Washington's Capitol Building, but the Pantheon in Paris inspired its opulent neoclassical form and art nouveau flourishes. Cuban architects Raúl Otero and Eugenio Rayneri Piedra designed the colossus in 1925, and construction began in 1926 by the U.S. firm Purdy and Henderson. Completed in 1929, it served as the seat of Congress until 1959 when Fidel and fellow rebels chose less bourgeois digs to conduct revolutionary affairs. From 1959 until 2018 the edifice housed the Cuban Academy of Sciences. Over ensuing decades, the Capitolio fell into critical disrepair. In 2010, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian began a mammoth and meticulous restoration project. Today the Capitol resumes its role as the legislative center, housing Cuba's National Assembly. Restoration will be complete in November 2019 to mark the 500th birthday of the city of Havana. Chocked full of grand statuary and breathtaking ornamental details, Cuba's Capitol is a "can't miss" visit.
- What would a trip to Cuba be without a view of the sea? We’re off to Havana’s eastern beaches known as Playas del Este. We’ll visit two notable white sand shores: Santa María del Mar and Guanabo. Just 30 minutes from the capital, en route we’ll gaze incredible tropical vistas of sea and countryside. First stop is Santa María del Mar and time to relax on 14 miles of palm-lined seashore of the Caribbean Sea. Later we’ll tour the small resort town of Guanabo founded in 1800. These littoral spots are loved by Cubans and foreign guests. Don’t forget your swimsuit, towels and beach gear.
- Lunch is not included. At the beach there are numerous food vendors. While in Guanabo we’ll schedule a stop at a local paladar [private restaurant].
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 5 • Wednesday • Havana’s big heart and great art

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Charity act. We’re off to visit Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian healthcare and community service project in Old Havana. Construction of the massive Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues today with fantastic results. The Office of the Historian (our Cuban sponsor), public health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people, and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more seniors in the community. It hosts a day care and primary school. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and “love among the elderly” workshops.
- Good hair day. Arte Corte [Art Cut]: It’s a barbershop, it’s an art project, it’s a haircut museum, it’s a community center, park, and barber academy. Arte Corte is a little bit of everything. Stylist-proprietor-curator Gilberto Valladares, also known as Papito, runs this quaint spot in Old Havana, where visitors can have their hair cut or receive some other beauty treatment, all the while surrounded by objects, artifacts, and memorabilia that tell the story of hair care through the ages. It’s known as Callejón de los Peluqueros [Hairdresser’s Alley].
- While in Hairdresser’s Alley, we’ll break bread at El Fígaro, affectionately named after the central character in the “The Barber of Seville.” It’s much kudoed in social media for atmosphere, gracious staff, Cuban music, delicious cocktails, and great food and desserts. Chef Alex Luco descends from a line of famed Cuban cooks. El Fígaro is part of the Arte Corte [Art Cut] community project that has received UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Its motto is “comida sin pelos” (food without hairs). Smile.
- Art attack. Examine Cuba’s greatest visual masterpieces spanning three centuries at Havana’s museum of modern art – Palacio de Bellas Artes. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life over 300 years. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island’s Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam. You’ll meet and chat with museum staff and perhaps local artists.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 6 • Thursday • Heavenly Havana and its people

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Now that you’ve become familiar with Havana, today is an opportunity to explore the many sights that piqued your interest independently. It’s an occasion to discover on your own, with tourmates, or your new Cuba friends. Your tour guide supplies lunch spot suggestions.
- 1950s time travel. Think cocktails, Frank Sinatra, popsicles, sox hops, Hula Hoops, the twist, road trips, bikinis, I Love Lucy, Elvis Presley, and pink Cadillacs. One in ten cars in Havana were manufactured before 1959. And they’re all American: Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Mercury, Dodge, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. We’ll cruise the romantic Malecón in these lovingly maintained classics.
- Special farewell dinner at the private restaurant Los Naranjos. Located in the heart of Vedado in an expansive 1930s mansion, its Chef Ernesto specializes in fusion style dishes combining Cuban, Italian and Spanish influences. Los Naranjos’ ambiance is fun and light, its food wonderful, authentic and fresh, and staff upbeat and attentive. It’s a favorite among TripAdvisor diners.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 7 • Friday • Adios Havana. Extend your stay?

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Check-out of your Havana hotel.
- Transfer to Havana’s José Martí International Airport for flights home.
- We’ll miss you and hope you will return soon. In Cuba we say: A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics.
- Wait! Want to extend your stay in Cuba? We’re here to help. Just ask us.
Full tour itinerary
Day 1 • Saturday • Hello Havana!

- Arrival at Havana’s José Martí International Airport.
- Collect your luggage and proceed through Cuban customs to the arrivals lobby.
- Consider purchasing Cuban Convertible Pesos at the airport exchange bureau (CADECA), or later at your hotel.
- Our airport concierge or tour guide will meet you and arrange transfers from the airport to your hotel NH Capri, located in El Vedado, the heart of Havana’s cultural district. Yum.
- Check-in to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome cocktail, then settle in and freshen up.
- Dinner is served at your hotel’s restaurant.
- Evening entertainment options: Groove to live jazz, relax in a lounge, or revel in a dicey dance show near your hotel.
Day 2 • Sunday • Romancing historic Havana

- NH Capri breakfast chefs are discerning. You'll appreciate the extra time they take to prepare a custom meal for you.
- Vedado sightseeing: Visit Plaza de la Revolución. Awe at the giant image of Ché Guevara and the towering monument to José Martí, Cuba’s national hero. Then onto the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba frequented by world leaders and superstars. At points in between you’ll savor the architecture of one of the oldest and most stunning cities in the New World.
- Bicycle made for you. Now on to Parque Central the location of Cuba’s national capitol building. It’s a scale model of the U.S. Capitol, only taller. We’ll enlist a cortège of bicycle taxis, and navigate the Old Havana's narrow streets that exude charm and vitality.
- Followed by a guided walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll explore four landmark plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. Together they contain the most extensive collection of remaining Spanish colonial-era architecture in the world. We’ll wander Cathedral Square, Square of Arms, San Francisco Square, and Plaza Vieja.
- Welcome lunch is held at the private restaurant Mojito-Mojito. Ideally situated in Plaza Vieja, its friendly atmosphere, and delicious food makes it rank high on TripAdvisor. The restaurant's slogan: "A single mojito is not enough".
- Now we visit Casablanca, a quaint village to the north of Havana accessible by ferry. The hamlet was established in 1762 by shipbuilders and carpenters who serviced Spanish galleons and merchant vessels. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the giant marble sculpture "Christ of Havana," and the National Weather Observatory. Its panoramic view across the bay to metropolitan Havana is mesmerizing. Fortunately, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian of Havana, is restoring Casablanca to its deserved past glory.
- We'll visit the magnificent statue Christ of Havana [Cristo de La Habana] once in Casablanca. Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera won a 1953 design contest organized by the wife of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Jilma Madera sculpted her work in Italy and shipped the marble pieces to Havana. It is carved from 67 blocks of white Carrara (each blessed by Pope Pius XII), stands 74 feet tall from its base, and weighs 320 tons. It's the largest statue created by a female artist.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Joyride. We’re off to dinner in a cavalcade of Cuban coconut cabs. Cocotaxis are a delightful crazy vehicle with a body shaped like a coconut set atop a motorcycle frame. Get ready for an exciting ride along the Malecón to your restaurant in Old Havana.
- Welcome dinner. Hello to paladar Iván Chef Justo. Set in an ancient house in Old Havana, built in 1766, you can expect spectacular innovative food. It’s a light and airy place where it always seems to feel like springtime. The service is excellent, professional, attentive and quick. It gets top reviews in all social media.
- Paradise under the stars. We’re off to the Tropicana experience. It’s a glimpse of pre-revolution Cuba, where Carmen Miranda, Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole and others entertained the wealthy with Latin dance numbers performed by women with 10-pound headdresses. It’s a stunning pageant filled with music, crazy dance numbers, a few contortionists and acrobats, and showgirls decked out in fabulous costumes. Many say the Tropicana is more inviting and earthy than glitzy Las Vegas productions.
Day 3 • Monday • Ernest Hemingway, Cuban cooking

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Foodie’s delight. Imagine how thrilled your friends will be when you return home and prepare authentic Cuban food and mojitos for them. This morning we’ll learn from the renowned Cuban chefs at El Ajiaco Paladar the secrets of preparing tasty Cuban dishes and drinks.
- Lunch under the palms. El Ajiaco is considered one of the best private eateries in Havana and ranks high on TripAdvisor lists. Hands down it’s a Cuban dining highlight. Ajiaco is noted for fantastic service, atmosphere and scrumptilicious traditional Cuba cuisine. Organic vegetables and spices are supplied by nearby family gardens, lending to each dish a delightfully fresh aromatic flavor you’ll always remember.
- Brief visit to the village of Cojímar, a small fishing community of east Havana. Here local fishers cast bronze bust of Hemingway from old anchors, props and tools. Inscription reads, “In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea.” A plaque below the bust notes, “Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar.”
- Hemingway’s haunt. We’re off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America’s literary titan Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. Hemingway’s house has been preserved just as it was when he lived there. You’ll see his personal effects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as animal trophies bagged on his frequent African safaris.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 4 • Tuesday • Beach and National Capitol Building

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- We'll visit Cuba's National Capitol Building, a Latin American architectural treasure. Its size and appearance are similar to Washington's Capitol Building, but the Pantheon in Paris inspired its opulent neoclassical form and art nouveau flourishes. Cuban architects Raúl Otero and Eugenio Rayneri Piedra designed the colossus in 1925, and construction began in 1926 by the U.S. firm Purdy and Henderson. Completed in 1929, it served as the seat of Congress until 1959 when Fidel and fellow rebels chose less bourgeois digs to conduct revolutionary affairs. From 1959 until 2018 the edifice housed the Cuban Academy of Sciences. Over ensuing decades, the Capitolio fell into critical disrepair. In 2010, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian began a mammoth and meticulous restoration project. Today the Capitol resumes its role as the legislative center, housing Cuba's National Assembly. Restoration will be complete in November 2019 to mark the 500th birthday of the city of Havana. Chocked full of grand statuary and breathtaking ornamental details, Cuba's Capitol is a "can't miss" visit.
- What would a trip to Cuba be without a view of the sea? We’re off to Havana’s eastern beaches known as Playas del Este. We’ll visit two notable white sand shores: Santa María del Mar and Guanabo. Just 30 minutes from the capital, en route we’ll gaze incredible tropical vistas of sea and countryside. First stop is Santa María del Mar and time to relax on 14 miles of palm-lined seashore of the Caribbean Sea. Later we’ll tour the small resort town of Guanabo founded in 1800. These littoral spots are loved by Cubans and foreign guests. Don’t forget your swimsuit, towels and beach gear.
- Lunch is not included. At the beach there are numerous food vendors. While in Guanabo we’ll schedule a stop at a local paladar [private restaurant].
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 5 • Wednesday • Havana’s big heart and great art

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Charity act. We’re off to visit Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian healthcare and community service project in Old Havana. Construction of the massive Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues today with fantastic results. The Office of the Historian (our Cuban sponsor), public health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people, and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more seniors in the community. It hosts a day care and primary school. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and “love among the elderly” workshops.
- Good hair day. Arte Corte [Art Cut]: It’s a barbershop, it’s an art project, it’s a haircut museum, it’s a community center, park, and barber academy. Arte Corte is a little bit of everything. Stylist-proprietor-curator Gilberto Valladares, also known as Papito, runs this quaint spot in Old Havana, where visitors can have their hair cut or receive some other beauty treatment, all the while surrounded by objects, artifacts, and memorabilia that tell the story of hair care through the ages. It’s known as Callejón de los Peluqueros [Hairdresser’s Alley].
- While in Hairdresser’s Alley, we’ll break bread at El Fígaro, affectionately named after the central character in the “The Barber of Seville.” It’s much kudoed in social media for atmosphere, gracious staff, Cuban music, delicious cocktails, and great food and desserts. Chef Alex Luco descends from a line of famed Cuban cooks. El Fígaro is part of the Arte Corte [Art Cut] community project that has received UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Its motto is “comida sin pelos” (food without hairs). Smile.
- Art attack. Examine Cuba’s greatest visual masterpieces spanning three centuries at Havana’s museum of modern art – Palacio de Bellas Artes. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life over 300 years. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island’s Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam. You’ll meet and chat with museum staff and perhaps local artists.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 6 • Thursday • Heavenly Havana and its people

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Now that you’ve become familiar with Havana, today is an opportunity to explore the many sights that piqued your interest independently. It’s an occasion to discover on your own, with tourmates, or your new Cuba friends. Your tour guide supplies lunch spot suggestions.
- 1950s time travel. Think cocktails, Frank Sinatra, popsicles, sox hops, Hula Hoops, the twist, road trips, bikinis, I Love Lucy, Elvis Presley, and pink Cadillacs. One in ten cars in Havana were manufactured before 1959. And they’re all American: Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Mercury, Dodge, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. We’ll cruise the romantic Malecón in these lovingly maintained classics.
- Special farewell dinner at the private restaurant Los Naranjos. Located in the heart of Vedado in an expansive 1930s mansion, its Chef Ernesto specializes in fusion style dishes combining Cuban, Italian and Spanish influences. Los Naranjos’ ambiance is fun and light, its food wonderful, authentic and fresh, and staff upbeat and attentive. It’s a favorite among TripAdvisor diners.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 7 • Friday • Adios Havana. Extend your stay?

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Check-out of your Havana hotel.
- Transfer to Havana’s José Martí International Airport for flights home.
- We’ll miss you and hope you will return soon. In Cuba we say: A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics.
- Wait! Want to extend your stay in Cuba? We’re here to help. Just ask us.
Full tour itinerary
Day 1 • Saturday • Hello Havana!

- Arrival at Havana’s José Martí International Airport.
- Collect your luggage and proceed through Cuban customs to the arrivals lobby.
- Consider purchasing Cuban Convertible Pesos at the airport exchange bureau (CADECA), or later at your hotel.
- Our airport concierge or tour guide will meet you and arrange transfers from the airport to your hotel NH Capri, located in El Vedado, the heart of Havana’s cultural district. Yum.
- Check-in to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome cocktail, then settle in and freshen up.
- Dinner is served at your hotel’s restaurant.
- Evening entertainment options: Groove to live jazz, relax in a lounge, or revel in a dicey dance show near your hotel.
Day 2 • Sunday • Romancing historic Havana

- NH Capri breakfast chefs are discerning. You'll appreciate the extra time they take to prepare a custom meal for you.
- Vedado sightseeing: Visit Plaza de la Revolución. Awe at the giant image of Ché Guevara and the towering monument to José Martí, Cuba’s national hero. Then onto the iconic Hotel Nacional de Cuba frequented by world leaders and superstars. At points in between you’ll savor the architecture of one of the oldest and most stunning cities in the New World.
- Bicycle made for you. Now on to Parque Central the location of Cuba’s national capitol building. It’s a scale model of the U.S. Capitol, only taller. We’ll enlist a cortège of bicycle taxis, and navigate the Old Havana's narrow streets that exude charm and vitality.
- Followed by a guided walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll explore four landmark plazas that make Havana unique in the western hemisphere. Together they contain the most extensive collection of remaining Spanish colonial-era architecture in the world. We’ll wander Cathedral Square, Square of Arms, San Francisco Square, and Plaza Vieja.
- Welcome lunch is held at the private restaurant Mojito-Mojito. Ideally situated in Plaza Vieja, its friendly atmosphere, and delicious food makes it rank high on TripAdvisor. The restaurant's slogan: "A single mojito is not enough".
- Now we visit Casablanca, a quaint village to the north of Havana accessible by ferry. The hamlet was established in 1762 by shipbuilders and carpenters who serviced Spanish galleons and merchant vessels. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the giant marble sculpture "Christ of Havana," and the National Weather Observatory. Its panoramic view across the bay to metropolitan Havana is mesmerizing. Fortunately, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian of Havana, is restoring Casablanca to its deserved past glory.
- We'll visit the magnificent statue Christ of Havana [Cristo de La Habana] once in Casablanca. Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera won a 1953 design contest organized by the wife of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Jilma Madera sculpted her work in Italy and shipped the marble pieces to Havana. It is carved from 67 blocks of white Carrara (each blessed by Pope Pius XII), stands 74 feet tall from its base, and weighs 320 tons. It's the largest statue created by a female artist.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Joyride. We’re off to dinner in a cavalcade of Cuban coconut cabs. Cocotaxis are a delightful crazy vehicle with a body shaped like a coconut set atop a motorcycle frame. Get ready for an exciting ride along the Malecón to your restaurant in Old Havana.
- Welcome dinner. Hello to paladar Iván Chef Justo. Set in an ancient house in Old Havana, built in 1766, you can expect spectacular innovative food. It’s a light and airy place where it always seems to feel like springtime. The service is excellent, professional, attentive and quick. It gets top reviews in all social media.
- Paradise under the stars. We’re off to the Tropicana experience. It’s a glimpse of pre-revolution Cuba, where Carmen Miranda, Josephine Baker, Nat King Cole and others entertained the wealthy with Latin dance numbers performed by women with 10-pound headdresses. It’s a stunning pageant filled with music, crazy dance numbers, a few contortionists and acrobats, and showgirls decked out in fabulous costumes. Many say the Tropicana is more inviting and earthy than glitzy Las Vegas productions.
Day 3 • Monday • Ernest Hemingway, Cuban cooking

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Foodie’s delight. Imagine how thrilled your friends will be when you return home and prepare authentic Cuban food and mojitos for them. This morning we’ll learn from the renowned Cuban chefs at El Ajiaco Paladar the secrets of preparing tasty Cuban dishes and drinks.
- Lunch under the palms. El Ajiaco is considered one of the best private eateries in Havana and ranks high on TripAdvisor lists. Hands down it’s a Cuban dining highlight. Ajiaco is noted for fantastic service, atmosphere and scrumptilicious traditional Cuba cuisine. Organic vegetables and spices are supplied by nearby family gardens, lending to each dish a delightfully fresh aromatic flavor you’ll always remember.
- Brief visit to the village of Cojímar, a small fishing community of east Havana. Here local fishers cast bronze bust of Hemingway from old anchors, props and tools. Inscription reads, “In loving memory of the people of Cojímar to the immortal author of Old Man and the Sea.” A plaque below the bust notes, “Sculpted with the contributions of the Fishermen Cooperative of Cojímar.”
- Hemingway’s haunt. We’re off to visit Finca Vigía [Lookout Farm] where North America’s literary titan Ernest Hemingway spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home. Hemingway’s house has been preserved just as it was when he lived there. You’ll see his personal effects, thousands of books and photographs, as well as animal trophies bagged on his frequent African safaris.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 4 • Tuesday • Beach and National Capitol Building

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- We'll visit Cuba's National Capitol Building, a Latin American architectural treasure. Its size and appearance are similar to Washington's Capitol Building, but the Pantheon in Paris inspired its opulent neoclassical form and art nouveau flourishes. Cuban architects Raúl Otero and Eugenio Rayneri Piedra designed the colossus in 1925, and construction began in 1926 by the U.S. firm Purdy and Henderson. Completed in 1929, it served as the seat of Congress until 1959 when Fidel and fellow rebels chose less bourgeois digs to conduct revolutionary affairs. From 1959 until 2018 the edifice housed the Cuban Academy of Sciences. Over ensuing decades, the Capitolio fell into critical disrepair. In 2010, Eusebio Leal, president of the Office of the Historian began a mammoth and meticulous restoration project. Today the Capitol resumes its role as the legislative center, housing Cuba's National Assembly. Restoration will be complete in November 2019 to mark the 500th birthday of the city of Havana. Chocked full of grand statuary and breathtaking ornamental details, Cuba's Capitol is a "can't miss" visit.
- What would a trip to Cuba be without a view of the sea? We’re off to Havana’s eastern beaches known as Playas del Este. We’ll visit two notable white sand shores: Santa María del Mar and Guanabo. Just 30 minutes from the capital, en route we’ll gaze incredible tropical vistas of sea and countryside. First stop is Santa María del Mar and time to relax on 14 miles of palm-lined seashore of the Caribbean Sea. Later we’ll tour the small resort town of Guanabo founded in 1800. These littoral spots are loved by Cubans and foreign guests. Don’t forget your swimsuit, towels and beach gear.
- Lunch is not included. At the beach there are numerous food vendors. While in Guanabo we’ll schedule a stop at a local paladar [private restaurant].
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 5 • Wednesday • Havana’s big heart and great art

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Charity act. We’re off to visit Convento de Nuestra Señora de Belén [Convent of Our Lady of Belén], a humanitarian healthcare and community service project in Old Havana. Construction of the massive Convent was begun in 1712. It was expanded and remodeled several times over the centuries. Finally abandoned in 1925, it fell into grave disrepair. In 1991 restoration began and continues today with fantastic results. The Office of the Historian (our Cuban sponsor), public health authorities and the Order of the Sisters of Charity jointly manage Belén Convent. It is home to fifty elderly people, and provides physiotherapy and ophthalmological services to many more seniors in the community. It hosts a day care and primary school. Other activities include exercise classes, board games, cognitive rehabilitation, films, crafts workshops, and “love among the elderly” workshops.
- Good hair day. Arte Corte [Art Cut]: It’s a barbershop, it’s an art project, it’s a haircut museum, it’s a community center, park, and barber academy. Arte Corte is a little bit of everything. Stylist-proprietor-curator Gilberto Valladares, also known as Papito, runs this quaint spot in Old Havana, where visitors can have their hair cut or receive some other beauty treatment, all the while surrounded by objects, artifacts, and memorabilia that tell the story of hair care through the ages. It’s known as Callejón de los Peluqueros [Hairdresser’s Alley].
- While in Hairdresser’s Alley, we’ll break bread at El Fígaro, affectionately named after the central character in the “The Barber of Seville.” It’s much kudoed in social media for atmosphere, gracious staff, Cuban music, delicious cocktails, and great food and desserts. Chef Alex Luco descends from a line of famed Cuban cooks. El Fígaro is part of the Arte Corte [Art Cut] community project that has received UNESCO World Heritage recognition. Its motto is “comida sin pelos” (food without hairs). Smile.
- Art attack. Examine Cuba’s greatest visual masterpieces spanning three centuries at Havana’s museum of modern art – Palacio de Bellas Artes. Sections are devoted to landscape, religious subjects and narrative scenes of Cuban life over 300 years. Together the exhibits account for the richness of the island’s Spanish, French, Chinese, African and Aboriginal cultural roots. Notable works include those of René Portocarrero and Wilfredo Lam. You’ll meet and chat with museum staff and perhaps local artists.
- Return to your hotel and freshen up.
- Dinner not included in tour cost. It’s an occasion to sample Havana’s stellar private eateries and taste the diversity of the island’s distinctive cuisines. We’ll provide suggestions for restaurants most popular with Cubans and our travelers.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 6 • Thursday • Heavenly Havana and its people

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Now that you’ve become familiar with Havana, today is an opportunity to explore the many sights that piqued your interest independently. It’s an occasion to discover on your own, with tourmates, or your new Cuba friends. Your tour guide supplies lunch spot suggestions.
- 1950s time travel. Think cocktails, Frank Sinatra, popsicles, sox hops, Hula Hoops, the twist, road trips, bikinis, I Love Lucy, Elvis Presley, and pink Cadillacs. One in ten cars in Havana were manufactured before 1959. And they’re all American: Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Mercury, Dodge, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. We’ll cruise the romantic Malecón in these lovingly maintained classics.
- Special farewell dinner at the private restaurant Los Naranjos. Located in the heart of Vedado in an expansive 1930s mansion, its Chef Ernesto specializes in fusion style dishes combining Cuban, Italian and Spanish influences. Los Naranjos’ ambiance is fun and light, its food wonderful, authentic and fresh, and staff upbeat and attentive. It’s a favorite among TripAdvisor diners.
- Time to explore Havana’s vibrant nightlife, and make new Cuban friends. We’ll keep you posted on evening entertainment options.
Day 7 • Friday • Adios Havana. Extend your stay?

- Greet the day with tasty breakfast served at your hotel.
- Check-out of your Havana hotel.
- Transfer to Havana’s José Martí International Airport for flights home.
- We’ll miss you and hope you will return soon. In Cuba we say: A true friend remembers the song in your heart when you have forgotten the lyrics.
- Wait! Want to extend your stay in Cuba? We’re here to help. Just ask us.
Costs, dates, book now
Tour cost based on double room occupancy (sharing a double room during tour). Cost of a single room for duration of tour is $400.
Tour date | Cost | Comments | Availability |
---|---|---|---|
Dec 14 to Dec 19, 2019 See itinerary for this date | $ 2419 | Sold Out | |
Dec 28 to Jan 2, 2020 See itinerary for this date | $ 2419 $ 1999 | Six days, five nights | Book now |
Jan 11 to Jan 16, 2020 See itinerary for this date | $ 2419 | Sold Out | |
Jan 25 to Jan 30, 2020 See itinerary for this date | $ 2419 $ 1899 | Six days, five nights | Book now |
Feb 8 to Feb 13, 2020 See itinerary for this date | $ 2419 $ 1999 | Six days, five nights | Book now |
Feb 22 to Feb 27, 2020 See itinerary for this date | $ 2419 $ 1999 | Six days, five nights | Book now |
Mar 14 to Mar 19, 2020 See itinerary for this date | $ 2419 $ 1999 | Six days, five nights | Book now |
Mar 28 to Apr 2, 2020 See itinerary for this date | $ 2419 $ 1999 | Six days, five nights | Book now |
Apr 11 to Apr 16, 2020 See itinerary for this date | $ 2419 $ 1899 | Six days, five nights | Book now |
Apr 25 to Apr 30, 2020 See itinerary for this date | $ 2419 $ 1899 | Six days, five nights | Book now |
Jun 27 to Jul 2, 2020 See itinerary for this date | $ 2419 $ 1899 | Six days, five nights | Book now |
Jul 18 to Jul 23, 2020 See itinerary for this date | $ 2419 $ 1899 | Six days, five nights | Book now |
Included in Cuba tour package cost
Day | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
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Breakfast | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
Lunch | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||
Dinner | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
- Small group size – ten guests or fewer
- Certificate of Legal Cuba Travel ensuring compliance with US regulations
- Flexible tour payment options, you decide payment schedule
- Knowledgeable, fun, attentive Cuban guides from arrival to departure
- Quality accommodations as listed in this itinerary
- Air-conditioned transport, professional chauffeur, and bottled water daily
- Airport-accommodation transfers on tour start and end days
- All activities and fees listed unless noted as optional or suggested
- Emergency telephone and internet access from Cuba to America
- Cash advances for participants caught short of funds in Cuba
- Ongoing support from our US and Cuban staff before, during and after travel
- Participants become Club Cubano alumni and receive future tour discounts
Not included
- Air flights – List of commercial flights to Cuba
- Cuban Visitor Visa – Purchase a Cuban Tourist Visa
- Gratuities for Cuban tour guide and bus driver – Review tipping guidelines
- Trip interruption insurance is strongly advised – See options and rates