Captivating Cuba

Passengers who purchase flights will depart the same day as the tour starts and return on the same day as the tour ends.

For flight details, see Before You Depart.

Bienvenidos a Cuba! Late this afternoon, we'll arrive in Havana. After customs and luggage collection, we'll meet our Tour Director and driver who will accompany us throughout our journey through Cuba. After we check into our hotel, we'll have an orientation briefing about the week ahead and enjoy a cocktail reception before our welcome dinner where we'll learn how to make a great Mojito! Salud!

*Passengers who did not purchase flights will join the tour in Havana on Day 1.

Accommodations: Valentin Quinta Avenida Habana Hotel
Meals: Dinner

This morning, we'll take a walking tour of Old Havana and learn about the restoration projects that are integral to preserving this famous neighborhood's history and architecture. We'll meet young artists at the Graphic Artists Workshop, stop at the Rations Store, and visit a special community project, Muraleando. Afterwards, you’ll have time to enjoy lunch on your own. We'll end this exceptional day with a drive in antique cars down Havana's Malecón to our dinner at a top Cuban paladar, or private restaurant.

Accommodations: Valentin Quinta Avenida Habana Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, we'll depart for Viñales Valley, stopping en route in Las Terrazas, a unique sustainable community started in 1968 as a part of the Green Revolution within the UNESCO-designated Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve. We'll visit the reforestation projects, a small community school, a polyclinic to learn more about the healthcare system in Cuba, and the local art studio of Ariel Gato. We'll top off our visit with a Cuban Cafecito (or coffee) at Cafe Maria Cafeteria, and after lunch we'll have a chance to swim in the San Juan River or speak with local residents in this special eco-community. Later, we'll meet our hosts and check into our Casas Particulares, or Cuban bed & breakfasts in Viñales Valley.

Accommodations: Casas Particulares (Bed & Breakfast Home-Stay)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we'll explore Viñales Valley, known for its mogotes, a series of tall rounded hills that rise abruptly from the valley; its tobacco farms and cultivation; and the rich mix of cultural heritage and traditions! We'll take a boat tour through Cueva del Indio (the Indian Caves), an ancient indigenous dwelling. After a visit with lunch at Mural de la Prehistoria, we'll experience the living museum of Palenque de los Cimarrones and hear the legends and history of the passage of Afro-descendants through western Cuba. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore, hike, or simply relax in the Cuban countryside independently.

Accommodations: Casas Particulares (Bed & Breakfast Home-Stay)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today we'll bid our hosts in the Viñales Valley farewell. Before departing for Havana, we’ll visit the Montesino Farm, one of Cuba’s most renowned tobacco producers, where we'll have a chance to meet some of the local farmers. This afternoon, we'll visit the captivating Museum of Fine Arts of Cuba and take a specialized tour. Afterward, we'll enjoy a performance by the Habana Compas Dance Company.

Accommodations: Valentin Quinta Avenida Habana Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning, we'll meet with representatives of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the People (ICAP) at the Friendship House to learn about Cuban history and U.S./Cuba relations. Next, we'll visit the art workshop and community project of José Rodríguez Fuster, also known as the Cuban Picasso. Afterward, we'll stop for lunch at El Aljibe, followed by a performance and special exchange with the La Colmenita Community Project. This evening, we’ll have our farewell dinner at Jardin de los Milagros private restaurant and organoponico, which will also include a discussion about the organoponico movement in Cuba.

Note: La Colmenita greatly appreciates donations of small school supplies (pens, pencils, notebooks). This can be a great way to support their mission and show appreciation for their hospitality while we are there.

Accommodations: Valentin Quinta Avenida Habana Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our trip to Cuba wouldn't be complete without a visit to Finca Vigía, the Hemingway Museum. Here we'll learn more about Hemingway's famed relationship to Cuba with a specialized guided tour. It's time to say "adios" as our visit to Finca Vigía comes to an end.

Meals: Breakfast