A Week in Cuba

We customize our programs for each client, making sure that your experience is unique and suited to your interests. 

Check out the sample itinerary below to get an idea of what a week in Cuba might look like. Once you're ready, schedule a consultation or begin planning your trip!

• Upon arrival in Havana, collect your bags and meet your guide for the week outside the baggage claim area.
   

• En route to your casa particular, stop at the Plaza of the Revolution.
  The Plaza of the Revolution has been the center of many of Cuba’s most famous speeches and public demonstrations, and was most recently the site of the Pope’s public address to the Cuban people. En route to your casa, stop to view the José Martí Memorial (the tallest structure on the island), the National Library, and the seat of many government ministries. In addition, view the large steel memorials for two of Cuba’s national heroes: Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos.
   

• Enjoy a cocktail on the terrace of the Hotel Nacional, overlooking Havana's famous oceanfront esplanade, The Malecón.
  The Hotel Nacional is perhaps the most famous of Havana's historic hotels, once the preferred destination for American guests like Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Mickey Mantle, Rocky Marciano, among countless others. Plan to explore the hotel's beautiful lobby and make sure to try their famous mojitos - some of the best in Cuba.
   
• Enjoy dinner at the nearby paladar El Cocinero.
   
• Attend a performance at the Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC).
  This mixed-use art space is home to a rotating schedule of gallery shows, musical performances, and nightly events for young people. Located in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Miramar, FAC is quickly becoming a hotspot for cultural life in Havana.

• Enjoy a complimentary breakfast at your casa particular.
   
• Participate in a walking tour of Old Havana with a well-known local architect. Learn about the city's colonial history with stops at the four central squares: Plaza de San Francisco de Asis, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de Armas and Plaza de la Catedral.
  Amble through the heart of Old Havana, and witness the ongoing architectural renovation of Havana's iconic buildings. The local architect will provide background information on the area's history, and will provide many opportunities to explore the neighborhood's restaurants, galleries, and shops.
   
• Visit Escaleno Studio in Old Havana to see the work of Roger Toledo.
  Escaleno Studio was created by one of the most exciting young emerging Cuban artists, Roger Toledo Bueno. A new perspective in art is always pursuit in his work, and evidenced in the new studio and gallery space. Roger tries a different way to present his work by recalling an abstract representation and an original painting procedure, while experimenting with a wide range of techniques and color palettes.
   
• Enjoy lunch at the nearby paladar Doña Eutima.
   
• Visit El Taller Experimental de Gráfica (The Experimental Graphics Studio) in the heart of old Havana to view traditional printmaking techniques and purchase art from some of Havana's leading printmakers.
  Tucked in an alley off the Plaza de la Catedral, this print workship is a great opportunity to purchase unique lithographs, photographs, prints, and other pieces of art. Meet with artists and enjoy the wide range of available art for sale.
   
• Visit the Museum of the Revolution to see exhibitions on the history of Cuba's revolution and selected military artifacts.
  Located in the former Presidential Palace, the Museum of the Revolution provides an account of the early 1960's in Cuba through original documents, photographs, and other artifacts. Directly adjacent to the museum is an outdoor exhibition of military vehicles, including the yacht,* Granma, *which took Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries from Mexico to Cuba for the Revolution, and a surface-to-air missile of the type that shot down a U.S. spyplane during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
   
• Enjoy dinner at the nearby paladar San Cristobal.
   
• This evening, attend a performance at Havana's most famous jazz club, La Zorra y El Cuervo.

• This morning, attend a private cooking class to learn the essentials of Cuban cuisine.
  Learn about the island's rich culinary history while creating a quintessential Cuban dish with an experienced instructor. Enjoy the fruits of your labor over lunch.
   

• Participate in a visit to the Barriohabana Neighborhood Project to see the work of community leader Pavel.
  The Barriohabana Neighborhood Project is a community-driven effort to develop urban spaces for both the young and the old. These projects include sporting facilities, schools, nursing homes, and other facilities used to develop skills and foster community within Havana. Enjoy a meeting with Pavel to see one of these spaces, and to discuss the work of private groups to develop civil society within Havana and beyond.
   
• Visit the National Museum of Fine Arts for a guided tour of the museum's collection of Cuban, European, and Latin American Art.
  The National Museum of Fine Arts is home to Cuba's most impressive collection of fine art, with stunning examples from the colonial period as well as many contemporary pieces . A curatorial tour can be arranged, or you may elect to explore the collection on your own.
   
• Have a beer at a lively new microbrewery in Plaza Vieja.
  Enjoy the bustling street life in one of Old Havana's busiest plazas while sipping on a beer that has been brewed on the premises.
   
• Enjoy dinner at the nearby paladar Sia Kara.

• This morning, drive to south for an overnight visit to Cienfuegos and Trinidad.
  Cienfuegos is a town located 3.5 hours east of Havana on the southern coast of the island, home to some of Cuba's most fabulous colonial architecture and cultural centers.  Known as La Perla del Sur(Pearl of the South), Cienfuegos benefits from a mix of Spanish influence and a vibrant indigenous culture. Take a walking tour of the city center, enjoy lunch at one of the town's many beautiful restaurants and visit many of the attractions located downtown - the Arco de Triunfo, Cathedral de la Purisma Concepción, and the Jardín Botanic de Cienfuegos, among others.
   

• Continue on to Trinidad to check in to your casa particular for the night.
   

• Spend the evening at leisure.

• Spend the morning enjoying a walking tour of Trinidad.
  Located east of Cienfuegos, Trinidad is a colonial city that has been preserved to reflect its past as a major economic center of the Caribbean sugar trade. Visit Plaza Mayor to see an open-air museum of Spanish Colonial architecture, and visit one of the area’s now-defunct sugar mills.
   
• Enjoy an afternoon hike or horseback ride through the Valley of the Sugar Mills.
  Trinidad is known for it's natural beauty and close proximity to several beautiful nature preserves. Enjoy a chance to see some of these sites and meet the residents of the surrounding areas.
   
• Return to Havana (4 hours).
   
• Attend a dinner party in the private home of a Cuban family, with invited guests.
  The heart of any trip to Cuba is the opportunity to meet with Cubans from a variety of fields and social strata, and we believe the best way to do this is over a homemade meal in a beautiful private home. Depending on your interests, we will arrange a small group of Cuban guests to discuss the current state of Cuban affairs, the country's relationship with the United States, and what the future holds for both countries. Begin the night with a cocktail hour for brief introductions, followed by a dinner party where guests may exchange views on a variety of topics.

• After breakfast, vsit 331 Art Space, the shared studio and gallery of three emerging Cuban artists.
  Located in a recently remodeled home in the heart of Vedado, visit the new gallery of Frank Mujica (drawing), Adrián Fernández (photography), and Alex Hernández (painting/sculpture). Pending availability, meet the artists and enjoy an opportunity to purchase their work.
   
• Visit Jaimanitas to see Fusterlandia, a neighborhood playfully decorated in Gaudiesque tile mosaics by the artist Jose Fuster.
  Located in the heart of Havana, this neighborhood has been taken over by the Cuban folk artist José Fuster, whose colorful mosaics and monumental sculptures have turned his street into one of Havana's cultural landmarks.
   
• Enjoy lunch at the nearby paladar Otramanera.
   
• This afternoon, participate in private salsa lessons with a professional dance instructor.
  Enjoy an hour of private dance instruction in the studio of a professional Cuban dancer.
   
• Visit the nearby paladar 304 O'Reilly for a rum tasting and a demonstration of how to make the perfect Cuban mojito.
  O’Reilly 304 is a new tapas bar just off the bustling Obispo street. Its a place to be seen for Cubans and in-the-know expats and tourists. The fish tacos are great and the cocktails amazing!
   
• Enjoy a farewell dinner tonight at the iconic restaurant La Guarida, made famous by the Cuban film Fresas y Chocolate.

• This morning, enjoy a driving tour of several of Havana's most famous neighborhoods in a classic 1957 Bel Aire convertible.
  No trip to Cuba is complete without a drive in one of Havana's famous classic cars! Put the top down and cruise down the Malecón, taking in the city's sights and sounds for the last time before heading to the airport.
   
• Head to the airport for your return flight to the United States.