Best of Cuba

PRELIMINARY ITINERARY

ARRIVAL IN SANTA CLARA - TRINIDAD  

Arrivals in Santa Clara, Cuba at Abel Santamaría Cuadrado International Airport (SNU).

Once you’ve cleared immigration, collected your baggage and cleared Customs, you’ll be met at the airport exit by your Cuban Host.

Take a brief walk around the main square of Santa Clara, the beautiful provincial capital of the region Villa Clara.

Drive to Trinidad de Cuba. En route, your Cuban Guide will lead introductions and provide a welcome briefing with important information for our time in Cuba.

Check in at our hotel. After time to freshen up, we’ll depart to dinner in the heart of Trinidad's historic center.

As an introduction to local culture, enjoy the local specialty cocktail canchanchara, made of Cuban Aguardiente, honey, and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Walk to a paladar (privately owned restaurant) for our Welcome Dinner, featuring traditional Cuban cuisine.

TRINIDAD and SUGAR MILL VALLEY

Depart for Trinidad’s historic center, one of Cuba’s original Spanish settlements and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This small city, which celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2014, remains a remarkably preserved example of Spanish colonial Caribbean architecture.

As we stroll the cobblestone streets with our local guide, we’ll meet and support local artists and artisans whose work reflects both tradition and contemporary Cuban life.

Enjoy lunch in a paladar.

This afternoon, drive into the UNESCO-listed Valley of the Sugar Mills, once the heart of Cuba’s sugar industry. The region’s wealth in the 18th and 19th centuries was built on the forced labor of enslaved Africans whose legacy endures today, in Cuba’s music, religion, and culture.

Gaining insight into this history provides important context for understanding Trinidad’s people today - their blended heritage, artistic expression, and deep pride in preserving the city’s cultural identity.

Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.
Dinner at the hotel.

CIENFUEGOS / PLAYA LARGA

Breakfast in the hotel.

Check out of the hotel and depart to the city of Cienfuegos, founded by the French, who came to Cuba after the Haitian revolution. The city offers outstanding architecture and is home to a large artistic community.

We’ll walk around the main square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and stop in at the independent artists’ guild. Here, we’ll have a Special Highlight: a private performance by the Guitar Orchestra Ensemble.

Lunch in a paladar.

Continue our drive, heading to Playa Giron, also known as the Bay of Pigs, a small coastal village and the site of the historical 1961 clash between CIA-trained Cuban exiles and Cuban rebel forces. We’ll discuss the Cuban perspective of the incident at the museum.

At the end of the afternoon, we reach our destination, Playa Larga, situated on the coast in the heart of the Zapata Wetlands conservation area.

Check in at our privately owned B&B, located across the road from the beach.

This evening we’ll enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal on the rooftop terrace of our B&B.

BEE HUMMINGBIRDS - FINCA VIGIA - HAVANA

After a delicious breakfast, we check out and begin our journey toward Havana.

Our first stop is a private garden, where we’ll look for Cuba’s bee hummingbird—the world’s smallest hummingbird species.

Leaving the coast behind, we drive north through the Cuban countryside, observing daily life along the way. The route offers a fascinating window into rural transportation, where horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and vintage cars share the road.

Arriving in San Francisco de Paula, we visit Finca Vigía, Ernest Hemingway’s former home. Here, we gain insights into the writer’s years in Cuba as we look through the open windows to view the untouched rooms and memorabilia that reveal his deep connection to the island.

We’ll stop for lunch at a paladar in Cojímar, the seaside village where Hemingway kept his boat and drew inspiration for The Old Man and the Sea.

Continuing to Havana, we’ll make a short stop at the San José Craft and Arts Market before driving along the iconic Malecón to our hotel in Vedado.

After time to freshen up, we’ll walk to dinner at a nearby paladar.

HAVANA

7:00 Breakfast in the hotel

Today we enjoy a full-day exploration of Havana that deepens our understanding of the city’s layered history and connects us with daily life in the capital.

8:00 a.m. Depart the hotel by motorcoach.

Heading toward Habana Vieja — Old Havana — we leave the motorcoach to explore this UNESCO World Heritage area on foot.

Discover Old Havana’s four main plazas, each reflecting a different period in the city’s development. We begin at Plaza de Armas, Havana’s oldest square and the site where the city was founded. Learn about the rich heritage of the surrounding colonial buildings that have witnessed centuries of change. Continue to Plaza de San Francisco, facing Havana Harbor, which rose to prominence in the 16th century when Spanish galleons docked nearby on their transatlantic journeys. Anchoring the plaza are the Basilica San Francisco de Asís and the building once known as Cuba’s first “Wall Street.”

Stroll along Calle Obispo and San Ignacio, where Havana’s cuentapropistas (self-employed entrepreneurs) sell handmade crafts, books, and art. Here, we discuss Cuba’s dual-sector economy, in which private enterprise operates alongside state-run institutions.

Continue to Plaza Vieja, originally laid out in 1559, and admire its eclectic mix of architecture: Cuban Baroque blending seamlessly with Gaudí-inspired Art Nouveau. Our walk concludes at Plaza de la Catedral, where the grand Cathedral de la Habana anchors the square in classic Baroque style. Nearby boutiques showcase the creativity of Havana’s independent designers, while local Habaneros dressed in traditional attire offer to pose for photos as part of their livelihoods.

Lunch in a paladar.

Board classic American cars - privately operated by their Cuban owners since the 1950s - and drive along the Malecón, passing the U.S. Embassy and Revolution Square. Continue through Miramar, a leafy neighborhood where old mansions now house embassies and ambassadorial residences.

Our next visit is to the Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Humanity (FANJ), a non-governmental organization dedicated to conservation and sustainability across Cuba. We’ll meet Liliana Núñez Velis, president of the Foundation, who is leading projects to map sustainable businesses in Old Havana, address urban challenges such as waste management, and promote community-based organic farming. An entrepreneur herself, she produces natural soaps and cosmetics from locally sourced ingredients and is part of a growing network of women business leaders committed to building a more sustainable future for Cuba.

We conclude the day with a visit to the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, a designated national monument and one of Havana’s most iconic landmarks. Built in 1930 by American firms, the Nacional reflects the close ties between Cuba and the United States during the 1940s and 1950s, when Havana served as a glamorous playground for America’s elite.

We conclude the day with a visit to the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, a designated national monument and one of Havana’s most iconic landmarks. Built in 1930 by American firms, the Nacional reflects the close ties between Cuba and the United States during the 1940s and 1950s, when Havana served as a glamorous playground for America’s elite.

Explore the hotel’s Hall of Fame, where photographs and memorabilia capture nearly a century of history, from world leaders and royalty to movie stars and musicians who once filled its halls. Exhibits also recall the infamous December 1946 Havana Conference, when American mob figures, including Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano, convened here as U.S. law enforcement tightened its grip at home.

As you walk through the hotel’s gardens overlooking the Malecón, imagine Havana’s storied past unfolding around you. From its glittering social scene to its strategic role during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Nacional stands as a living witness to the island’s complex relationship with both power and politics.

Return to the hotel.

Dinner at leisure. There are several excellent paladars just footsteps from the hotel, and your guide can assist with reservations.

Early breakfast.

7:00  a.m.:  Depart on a full-day excursion to Viñales, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its dramatic limestone hills (mogotes), fertile valleys, and traditional farming communities that preserve Cuba’s rural heritage.

Meet a local tobacco farmer who guides you through each stage of cultivation—from planting and drying the leaves to rolling Cuba’s world-famous cigars by hand. Visit a Despalillo, a tobacco leaf processing facility, to see how the leaves are sorted and prepared for use by cigar rollers across the region. As a special highlight, enjoy a rum-and-cigar pairing, celebrating two of Cuba’s most iconic traditions in their authentic setting.

Enjoy a farm-to-table lunch at an organic farm, where much of the produce is grown on-site using traditional methods.

Return to the hotel in the early evening.

Dinner at leisure. There are several excellent paladars just footsteps from the hotel, and your guide can assist with reservations.

HAVANA: PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY

Today, we focus on connecting with and supporting the local community of Old Havana, stepping away from the main squares and exploring on foot, the streets where residents live. We’ll visit Artecorte, a community project that equips youth with professional barbering and hairdressing skills. Next, we’ll explore a neighborhood market selling produce and  meat, offering a firsthand look at Cuba's informal markets. We'll gain insights into how Cubans source fresh products and compare what's available in these markets to what's found in grocery stores. Along the way, we’ll stop by private enterprises that have built sustainable businesses to serve their community. Today is all about connecting with real people and witnessing the innovation and resourcefulness that drive success in Cuba.

We’ll drive to the Guanabacoa neighborhood to explore its rich cultural heritage. There, we’ll visit the Corral Falso Art Community Project, led by renowned artist Tomás (Johny) Núñez. Johny, known for his dynamic approach to contemporary art, uses his work to bridge traditional Cuban culture with modern expressions. During our visit, we’ll discover his art, explore his home and gallery, and learn about his impactful project that mentors and engages local youth through artistic expression. For lunch, we’ll be treated to a home-cooked meal prepared by Johny’s family.

Returning to Old Havana, we’ll conclude our day at Almacenes de San José, an artisan market located along the Havana harbor. Housed in a reclaimed 1800s warehouse, this vibrant two-floor market is home to self-employed vendors and artisans showcasing their work. Here, you’ll have the chance to sift through mass-produced trinkets to discover authentic, one-of-a-kind art and crafts created by talented local artisans. It’s a perfect opportunity to support independent creators and find unique, handmade treasures.

After some time to freshen up, we’ll depart to our Farewell Dinner in a paladar.

It’s Saturday night in Havana, and there are ample opportunities to engage with, and support local musicians at venues around Havana. If you still have the energy for a late night, take in an optional Live Music Pub Crawl. The action starts late, after 10 p.m. and going until 2 or 3 a.m. Choose one venue or sample several. Your guide will know what’s hot. Support live music and musicians directly: Cover charges, transportation, refreshments and tips to musicians are at your own expense.

DEPARTURE

Transfer to the airport for check-in and return flight to Miami.  

Your transfer time will be confirmed in Havana by your Cuban Guide, and will be scheduled to arrive at the airport approximately three hours prior to flight departure.