How to sum up Havana? This complex, culturally-rich, and fascinatingly contradictory city can perhaps be described in a single word: Alive. There’s a lot of hustle and bustle, but your expert local guides will ensure that your 8 day Cuba group tour will never be overwhelming. It’s important to remember that the first day of your 8 days in Cuba is considered to be a joining day, so any activities on this day will depend on what time your flight arrives. While there are no activities planned on this first part of the tour, your accommodation will have been arranged and you have the option to meet your guide and fellow tour members for a delicious dinner.

The heart of this scintillating city is undoubtedly Havana’s Old Town (La Habana Vieja). This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a sublime assault on your senses, with the beauty of the colonial era architecture combining with the spirit of the locals to make an experience that almost feels like some kind of immersive theatre production. Many of the main points of interest are within a conveniently close proximity to each other, so you can experience much of the city on foot (so be sure to pack some comfortable walking shoes). If you want to spend extra time in Cuba’s capital, we will be very happy to arrange your accommodation, and our expert guides will be able to give you some great recommendations about what parts of the city (and surrounding countryside) you should explore on your own.

ACCOMODATION

• Authentic, Upgraded or Superior B&B Style Accommodation

INCLUDED

• Airport Transfer on Arrival (Havana airport)

MEALS INCLUDED

• No meals included on this day, but a group dinner is planned for those arriving early enough

Today you will set off to Vinales. To break up the journey, we will take you to the fishing village of Jaimanitas, an unassuming part of Havana that has been utterly transformed by the artist Jose Fuster. Fuster has made his entire home, and much of the surrounding neighbourhood, into an artwork using tiles in mosaic forms.

How will you know you’re getting close to Viñales on your 8 day Cuba group tour? Perhaps it will be the red, rich, fertile soil. Maybe it will be the mogotes – dramatic, circular rock formations that look like a beauty mark jutting upwards from the earth. Maybe it’s the fact that your guide will start to excitedly tell you that you’re almost there! Viñales is reasonably close to Havana, and has been popular with visitors for generations. In the heart of the Pinar del Rio valley, most of Cuba’s tobacco production takes place in and around Viñales.

As you are arriving into Vinales, there will be time to stop at the Los Jazmines look-out point to admire Vinales and the Pinar del Rio province in all its splendour.

That rich red earth that you see is ideally suited to the cultivation of tobacco, and you will learn about the birth of cigars. To learn about the local tobacco-growing process we visit a tobacco plantation and see a fully operating secadero (drying house) in which tobacco leaves are cured from February to May. The evocative scent that wafts out of the secadero will forever be associated with Cuba.

When the sun goes down, the village of Viñales comes out to play. There is a remarkable energy to the township, which is deceptive given its relaxed, laid-back atmosphere.

ACCOMODATION

• Authentic or B&B Style Accommodation

INCLUDED ACTIVITES

• Fusterlandia
• Los Jazmines Look-out Point
• Guided Orientation Walk of Vinales Township
• Tobacco Farm and Drying House

MEALS INCLUDED

• Breakfast

Today, you will have free time to explore Vinales with the support of your local guide. Having gotten to know you a little better, your guide will be able to suggest a range of optional activities that can be booked and paid for locally. Your guide is also available to host you, if you wish.

Today we include a succulent group lunch at an organic farm which is sure to be one of your highlights during your 8 days in Cuba.

INCLUDED ACTIVITES 

• Lunch at an organic farm

OPTIONAL ACTIVITES

• There will be some free time at this destination to choose from a range of Optional Activities, that can be organised through your local guide and paid for locally.

MEALS INCLUDED

• Breakfast and Lunch

Cienfuegos is often referred to as the Paris of the Caribbean, but upon arrival, you’ll wonder why anyone needs to compare this pearl of a city to anywhere else. There’s also a treat on the way to Cienfuegos. We’ll make a stop at Playa Girón, which is otherwise known as the Bay of Pigs. This infamous spot was where the US attempted to stage an invasion of Cuba, which was ultimately a failure… and a big one at that.

At the Bay of Pigs, you might choose to visit the local museum to learn more about the area’s history and there will also be time for some swimming and snorkelling on one of Cuba’s best reefs. Situated just a few steps from the beach.

Now its time to go to Cienfuegos, whose Parisian comparisons come from the French settlers who made the city their home. Many of them came to Cuba from other territories in the New World and their architectural influence on the city is obvious.

The wide boulevards and expansive parklands are ravishing, and history is on proud display at every turn. At the entrance to the harbour you’ll see the Castillo de Jagua, an ancient fort that allowed the city to withstand the pirate attacks that were once common in Cuba. Many buildings in the town have been given UNESCO world heritage status, and you might think you’ve never seen such a beautiful town… until we show you some other places on your 8 day Cuba group tour.

Take a gentle stroll through Parque José Martí, and then spend some time sitting by the oceanfront Malecón. Though perhaps not as well-known as the walkway of the same name in Havana, the Malecón in Cienfuegos is actually the longest seaside esplanade in the whole country.

ACCOMMODATION

• Authentic or Upgraded B&B Style Accommodation

INCLUDED ACTIVITES

• Swim/ Snorkel at the Bay of Pigs

MEALS INCLUDED

• Breakfast

This morning your local guide will lead you on a guided Cienfuegos city walk before taking in the grand, crumbling architecture.

Amongst many other marvels, your walk will include observing the Terry Theatre, Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción (a church with supremely beautiful stained glass work), Ferrer ́s Palace, the former City Hall, Marti Park and the triumphal arch – the only such arch in Cuba (another nod to the French influences in the city). You will also have some time to walk along the boulevard and visit Punta Gorda (the aristocratic quarter of the city in the early 1900s), and Hotel Jagua.

It’s now time for our 8 day Cuba group tour to set off to Trinidad, the favourite destination of many a traveller to Cuba. Your journey to Trinidad features a stop in the city of Santa Clara to pay your respects to Cuba’s most famous adopted hero. Argentinian-born Che Guevara became an icon of the Cuban Revolution, and after he died attempting to do in Bolivia what he did in Cuba, his body was unceremoniously buried in an unmarked grave. When his remains were discovered, he was exhumed and brought to Santa Clara for a hero’s burial in a purpose-built mausoleum. Santa Clara was the site of one of the final (and bloodiest) battles in the revolution, the city where Guevara and his rebels successfully derailed a military train carrying weapons and ammunition to be used against Fidel Castro.

After visiting the Che Guevara Memorial and Museum, you will make your way to Trinidad.

On your guided walk of the Trinidad Township you will get to discover just what makes Trinidad so special, including Palacio Cantero, Canchanchara, Palacio Brunet, Plaza Mayor, Museo Romantico, and a pottery workshop among other sights.

This city was founded in 1514 and rose to prominence due to the extensive sugar production that took place in the nearby Valley of the Sugar Mills. This came to an end when slavery was abolished in Cuba, and Trinidad’s fortunes began a rapid decline. It has since been painstakingly restored, and the central city is now like a living, breathing, fascinating museum.

ACCOMMODATION

• Authentic or Upgraded B&B Style Accommodation

INCLUDED ACTIVITES

• Cienfuegos Guided City Walk
• Che Guevara Museum and Memorial
• Trinidad Guided Township Walk

MEALS INCLUDED

• Breakfast

Today, you will have free time to explore Trinidad with the support of your local guide. Having gotten to know you a little better, your guide will be able to suggest a range of optional activities that can be booked and paid for locally. Your guide is also available to host you, if you wish.

Take the opportunity to visit a local waterfall, the Valley of the Sugar Mills or one of Cuba’s best beaches – Playa Ancon.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITES

• There will be some free time at this destination to choose from a range of Optional Activities, that can be organised through your local guide and paid for locally.

MEALS INCLUDED

• Breakfast and Lunch

It’s time to head back to the Cuban capital for the last days of our 8 day Cuba group tour. Don’t forget that there are a couple of amazing treats waiting for you back in Cuba’s lively capital city.

This afternoon you will really get to know Havana, and the heart of Havana is its Old Town; the village that essentially gave birth to the modern city. The best way to see this sumptuously beautiful district is on an Old Havana Walking Tour. Your guide will be with you every step of the way, perhaps encouraging you to keep moving when you inadvertently stop and stare at your surroundings every few minutes or so. Like much of the New World, Havana was once a walled fortress, although the growth of the city meant that it would soon need to sprawl beyond these original boundaries.

There’s an abundance of cultural riches on offer, and you’ll walk past the El Capitolio, the Museo de la Revolución, and the Gran Teatro Habana. This Old Havana Walking Tour also takes in some of the most stunning squares you will ever see – the Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza San Francisco de Asis and Plaza Vieja. There is much to see on the walking tour, and you’ll think that the beauty of Havana has been squeezed into a relatively compact area.

There’s a great deal of people watching to be done too, as you get to know the people who make up this vibrant city.

Now you can take a break from walking, and you are no doubt itching to take a ride in one of those classic cars that parade through the streets of the city. This iconic method of transportation is synonymous with Cuba, and it sure gives your legs a rest! On a Convertible Classic Car Tour, you’ll be whisked out of Old Havana and will clearly be able to see the contrast with the newer parts of central Havana, Havana Vedado and the faded grandeur of Miramar. We will also take you past the Colon Cemetery, Revolution Square and the iconic Malecon.

You’ll also be taken to one of our favourite spots in the whole city, a rooftop terrace in Havana’s Old Town. You will be taught how to make a delicious mojito (or a non-alcoholic alternative if you prefer) before enjoying a stunning dinner with your guide and the fellow members of your 8 day Cuba group tour. Is there a better way to end your 8 days in Cuba than with a relaxing dinner while watching the sun go down over one of the most glorious cities in the world?

ACCOMMODATION

• Authentic, Upgraded or Superior B&B Style Accommodation

INCLUDED ACTIVITES

• Old Havana Walking Tour
• Convertible Classic Car Tour
• Mojito Making Lesson
• Farewell Dinner on a roof-top in Old Havana

MEALS INCLUDED

• Breakfast and Dinner

Day Eight of our 8 day Cuba group tour is time to say a fond goodbye to your local guide and group members, with no scheduled activities. This means you are free to leave at any time, depending on when your flight leaves. But of course, your expert local guide can give you suggestions about what to do if you happen to have much of the day free. You could, of course, simply perch yourself in one of Havana’s sublime plazas and watch the world go by…

INCLUDED 

• Airport Transfer on Departure (Havana airport)

OPTIONAL ACTIVITES

• Depending on your departing flight time, there might be some free time at this destination to choose from a range of Optional Activities, that can be organised through your local guide and paid for locally.

MEALS INCLUDED

• Breakfast