Cuban Cultural Adventure - 9 Days

Welcome to Cuba and the island capital of Havana. On arrival, you will be collected and transferred to our traditional Cuban guesthouse - the unique and local accommodation is one of the highlights of this tour! Take some time to freshen up and maybe head out to explore a little on your own.

This evening, there's an included welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Get to know the guide and the rest of the tour group, and then maybe head out for a few drinks.

Please note: Our Cuba tours comply with all regulations for travellers from both the United States and other countries. However, it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct licenses and documentation to gain entry to Cuba. We suggest researching Cuban visa and border rules before booking your tour, as these rules are subject to change. We are unable to assist with visas, general licenses or other documentation.

This morning, enjoy an included walking tour of Old Havana, taking in some of the city's iconic sights and learning more about Cuba's unique dual-currency economy.

We'll enjoy an included lunch before heading to the suburb of Jaimanitas, where we visit the home of Jose Fuster, one of Cuba's most famous artists. The entire house is covered in his artwork, made using carefully broken coloured tiles. If you've ever seen Gaudi's masterpieces in Barcelona, it's a similar sort of style, and equally as impressive! We meet Fuster's family and can view the gallery inside his home, before heading back to the guesthouse. The evening is free for you to head out and find somewhere for dinner. We'll then go as a group to watch a cannon blast ceremony at a fort by the Havana Harbour.

Havana - Vinales. It's time to leave Havana as we head towards Vinales. Along the way, we'll stop in the small village of Las Terrazas, built by the Cuban government as part of a reforestation project - it's now part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. We'll meet a local community leader to find out more about life in the region and the project.

Arriving in Vinales, we'll settle into our guesthouse before enjoying a short orientation tour of the town. We'll then visit an organic farm to learn more about sustainable farming in Cuba. Meet a local farmer and his family and enjoy an included dinner of organic produce. We'll watch the sunset over the valley before heading back to our accommodation for the night. (Havana - Vinales (via Las Terrazas) travel time: 3 hours).

This morning, we visit a tobacco farm to find out more about Cuban cigars, one of the country's main exports. We'll witness a cigar rolling demonstration and learn more about how the economy works here - some of the tobacco produced by the family is given to the government, and some they are free to sell on the private market. We'll enjoy freshly roasted coffee produced on the farm.

Later, we join an included salsa lesson at a private dance school. It doesn't matter if you're a novice or a pro, all are welcome! Our final stop today is a local home out of town, where we enjoy a cooking demonstration of typical Cuban dishes.

Vinales - Playa Larga (Bay of Pigs) - Cienfuegos. Our first stop today is Playa Larga, also known as the Bay of Pigs. It was here that the failed American-backed invasion landed in 1961, triggering the Cuban Missile Crisis and almost a nuclear war between the United States and Soviet Union. During our time here, you can visit a small museum which tells this story in more detail, plus enjoy plenty of time for swimming and optional snorkelling at the beach (you can rent equipment).

Continuing our journey, we'll visit a local school before arriving in Cienfuegos, a colonial city founded by the French. We'll settle into our accommodation before heading out for a walk along the bay. (Vinales - Cienfuegos (via Bay of Pigs) travel time: 8 hours).

Cienfuegos - Santa Clara - Trinidad. You'll have a bit of free time this morning to further explore Cienfuegos before we depart for Santa Clara. This town played a huge role in the Cuban Revolution and one of its iconic landmarks is a towering statue of Ernesto Ché Guevara - there's also a museum dedicated to this revolutionary figure which we will visit to learn more about him and Cuba's turbulent history.

We stop for lunch at a local farm and visit a hidden waterfall for a dip, before we reach Trinidad. For many visitors to Cuba, Trinidad is the highlight. This colonial city is remarkably well-preserved and has a fantastic nightlife scene - it's the place to get acquainted with Cuban rum! Your first evening here is at leisure. (Cienfuegos - Trinidad (via Santa Clara) travel time: 3 hours).

Start today with a hike to a waterfall just outside the city, in the foothills of the forested Escambray Mountains. It's a relatively easy hike (40 mins to 1 hour), though the terrain is uneven in places so wear good shoes. We'll have a break halfway to visit a simple farmer's house and your reward at the end of the hike is a dip in a crystal clear natural pool below a waterfall.

Back in Trinidad, we'll embark on a tour of the city. We'll take in some of the grand houses, built by wealthy sugar merchants in the 18th and 19th centuries - some of the houses have since been turned into museums, which we can visit to find out more about the life of the elites in Cuba before the revolution. We'll also visit a bar to try a local drink called canchanchara, made from rum, lemon, and honey. Dinner tonight is a picnic on the beach (weather permitting).

Trinidad - Havana. On our way back to Havana today, we'll stop at a historic sugar plantation. Dominated by a 147 foot tower, it was here that the plantation owners would keep watch over the slaves toiling in the cane fields. We'll take in the old mansion and its surrounding village - many of the residents here are descended from slaves and we can learn more about this disturbing but important part of Cuban history.

Back in Havana, it's the final night of our tour. A farewell dinner is included, and we'll enjoy a night out afterwards, if you're up for it! (Trinidad - Havana travel time: 7 hours).

Our Cuba tour comes to an end today after breakfast and hotel check out. Your tour guide will be around until midday, should you need anything, and an included transfer will take you to the airport for your flight home. Safe travels!