Authentic Havana & the Scenic Viñales Valley
Explore the magic and magnificent heritage of Cuba from the culture and communities of Havana to the spectacular vistas of the Viñales Valley
Overview
Style | Small Group TourTravel with a small, intimate group of no more than 16 likeminded travelers (and often much fewer), escorted by an English speaking guide and/or tour manager for some or all of your journey. (Some exceptions, including special promotional packages, may accommodate up to 30.) More of these packages
Dedicated tour escorts & guides throughout |
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Departures | January – December 2025 | Group Size | 16 travelers max |
Themes | History & Culture | ||
Activity Level | Moderate | ||
What to Expect | This fast-paced, escorted program includes a significant amount of walking or hiking, sometimes on uneven terrain, requiring a high level of physical fitness to fully enjoy the trip. | ||
Already booked? | Find everything you need to know before you go, including information about passport & visa requirements, flights, luggage, and more. |
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Our comprehensive western Cuba tour, Authentic Havana & the Scenic Viñales Valley, takes you right into the heart and soul of Cuba! Start your immersive experience in Havana, where you'll marvel at the city's unique blend of baroque and neoclassical architecture. Stay six nights in a casa particular and taste the flavors of Cuba as you enjoy included meals in privately-owned restaurants called paladares. Spend a day exploring the stunning views and breathtaking panoramas of the Viñales Valley as you learn about the multi-ethnic communities that have passed down traditional agricultural techniques for generations. Stop for sunset views of the verdant valley below for a moment you won't forget.
With included flights, fully guided and legal Support for the Cuban People touring, high-quality accommodations, and a fully inclusive itinerary - you don't want to miss this chance to take a step inside the daily life of the Cuban people.
Package includes
- Flights
- Coach
- Transfers
- Hotel
- Meals
- Guides
- Non-stop round trip flights from Miami to Havana, including taxes & fees
- Health insurance in Cuba, included in the cost of your airfare
- U.S. Treasury Department, OFAC License Certification
- Cuban Tourist Visa
- All land transportation & transfers in Cuba
- 6 nights accommodations in Havana at a well-located 'casa particular' (Cuban bed and breakfast)
- 13 meals: 6 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 2 dinners
- Comprehensive support for the Cuban people program, including entrance fees
- Professional, English-speaking guide
Optional add-ons
- Pre-Night or Post-Night stay in Miami is available on request. Call us for availability.
- Casa Suite Upgrade in Havana (Very Limited: Call us for availability)
Why you'll love it
- Gain an authentic, friendly Cuban experience by staying at a casa particular, located in a Centro Havana neighborhood.
- Acquaint yourself with Old Havana on a walking tour through the lively streets.
- Converse with locals about popular Cuban and American literature at the used booksellers market.
- Visit an “organopónico” (organic garden) to see where fresh produce is grown.
- Meet rural Cuban families and see how they live and work in the Viñales Valley, a region renowned for the cultivation of tobacco, cassava and taro.
- Experience the future of Cuban acrobatics with the children’s community project Angeles del Futuro.
Itinerary at a Glance
Dates & Prices
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Miami/Havana
- Depart the USA on your flight to Havana, Cuba
- Enjoy a welcome dinner at a local paladar
El Encanto de Perseverancia or similar Dinner
Full Day Itinerary¡Bienvenidos a La Habana! Upon arrival to Cuba's capital city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, our representative welcomes you with a Friendly Planet sign outside the arrivals terminal at the Havana Airport. Board your air-conditioned vehicle and transfer to the casa.
Check into the casa and enjoy a welcome drink. You'll meet your tour manager and have some time to rest or take a stroll to the nearby Malecon before dinner.
This evening enjoy your welcome dinner at a local paladar (privately-owned restaurant).
Day 2 Old Havana
- Walk through Old Havana and engage with and support Cuba's growing private business sector
- Meet with staff at Clandestina, Cuba’s first online clothing retailer and renowned design shop
- Enjoy lunch at a local paladar
- Visit an artist’s private studio
- Step into Cuba’s world of dance with a private demonstration and lesson
El Encanto de Perseverancia or similar Breakfast & lunch
Full Day ItineraryAfter breakfast, your expert guide will lead you on a leisurely walk through the labyrinthian streets of Old Havana. Immerse yourself in the vibrant colors of Cuba while walking along the cobblestone streets and explore the four beautiful plazas of the Old City – Plaza de Armas, Plaza San Francisco, Plaza Vieja, and Plaza de la Catedral - each a historic and architectural gem.
Among the private businesses you'll discover during your walk, Clandestina is one shop that is making plenty of waves both in Cuba and abroad. This shop was founded by Idania del Río and Leire Fernández, two creative, entrepreneurial women who believe in a sustainable, fair, and ethical fashion industry. Clandestina is the country's first online clothing retailer and has even appeared as a pop-up store in New York. Afterward, enjoy lunch at a local paladar or private restaurant.
Then, visit the private studio of one of Cuba's talented independent artists.
Step into Cuba's world of music and dance with a private dance class. First, experience Cuba's most traditional dances through a demonstration by your talented and personable teachers. Learn how important music and dancing are to life in Cuba. Then, learn the basic steps and try Cuban dancing for yourself.
Return to the casa and enjoy dinner on your own. We recommend dining at a paladar for a delicious Cuban dinner. Please choose one from the list we provide or ask your guide for any additional recommendations.
Day 3 Havana & Cojimar
- Travel to Cojimar, the local fishing village that was the setting for Hemingway’s "The Old Man and the Sea"
- Participate in a traditional Cuban cooking class experience, from gathering ingredients to putting them to use in the kitchen
- Enjoy lunch at a local paladar
- Get a first-hand look into Afro-Cuban religion at Callejon de Hamel
El Encanto de Perseverancia or similar Breakfast & lunch
Full Day ItineraryThis morning drive to the quaint fishing village of Cojimar, which served as the setting for Ernest Hemingway’s masterpiece The Old Man and the Sea.
Then, learn the secrets of the Cuban kitchen and participate in a traditional Cuban cooking class. Begin your experience by meeting the staff of the paladar, Café Ajiaco, who will guide you on your culinary journey. First, stop at the paladar’s “organopónico” (organic garden) to see where their products and ingredients grow. Pick some for yourself and bring them back to the restaurant to create your dishes. Enjoy lunch courtesy of your morning cooking activity.
After, visit Callejon de Hamel, the shortest street in Havana, decorated with fanciful objects referencing Santería, an Afro-Cuban religion fusing African beliefs and Christianity. Marvel at the murals by one of Cuba’s most famous artists, the late Salvador Gonzáles Escalona. A local guide will help you explore the area, introduce you to some of the artwork on display and explain Santería's beliefs, customs, and how it is part of Cuban culture.
Day 4 Havana & Viñales
- Drive to the scenic Viñales Valley
- Enjoy a private tour of tobacco farm in Pinar del Rio
- Have lunch at a farmhouse
- Visit the town of Viñales
Villa El Habano, Villa Maravilla or similar Breakfast & lunch
Full Day ItineraryToday, depart Havana and head west to Pinar del Rio province. Make your way to the scenic Viñales Valley and admire the impressive landscape filled with mogotes and unique limestone hills (towering 80 feet tall and 600 feet wide) with steep vertical sides and caves at their base. These formations create the spectacular scenery of the Viñales Valley.
Take a guided tour of the tobacco farm, Finca Rubi, owned by well-known cigar maker, Hector Luis Prieto. This farm produces high-quality cigars using traditional methods and selecting only the best tobacco leaves. Learn about their specialization in growing and harvesting the highest quality tobacco in the world. After lunch, experience a cigar rolling demonstration and have the opportunity to taste Cuban rum and a Cuban cigar, perfectly paired with their authentic and natural flavors.
Continue to the town of Viñales and discover more about its history and culture from your guide. Later this afternoon, check in to your casa. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Day 5 Viñales & Havana
- Meet rural Cuban families at a tobacco, cassava, and taro farm
- Enjoy lunch at a local farmhouse in the valley
El Encanto de Perseverancia or similar Breakfast & lunch
Full Day ItineraryToday, admire the impressive landscape of this area on a walking tour and see how tobacco, cassava, and taro are grown. Visit a farm and meet rural Cuban families to get an authentic glimpse into their daily work and life in the Cuban countryside.
After lunch at a local farmhouse in the Valley, return to Havana, but not before stopping at a lookout point to view the majestic mojotes of the valley.
Enjoy dinner tonight on your own. We recommend dining at a paladar for a delicious Cuban dinner. Please choose one from the list we provide or ask your guide for any additional recommendations.
Day 6 Havana
- Visit a children's community project in Havana
- Stop by the workshop of artist Beatriz Santacana
- Enjoy lunch at a local paladar
- Explore modern Havana and stop at a famous Havana plaza and bar
- Take a ride in a classic American convertible to tour picturesque Havana in style
- Join your fellow travelers for a farewell dinner at a local paladar
El Encanto de Perseverancia or similar Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Full Day ItineraryVisit a children's community project in Havana. Later, visit the private home and art gallery of the independent artist Beatriz Santacana. Ms. Santacana’s unique works in ceramics, oils, and sculpture are exhibited in Cuba and major cities worldwide.
After lunch, enjoy a panoramic tour of the urban area that lies west of Old Havana and shows the progression of the city over time, from a neighborhood along the city walls after its demolition, passing through the transitional Midtown (Centro Habana), to the extensive and more modern Vedado neighborhoods.
Travel back in time by taking a tour in one of Havana’s classic American cars. You will get some picturesque views of Havana from your incredibly maintained automobile and arrive at dinner in style.
Tonight, join your fellow travelers at a farewell dinner at one of our favorite paladars.
Day 7 Havana/Miami
- Transfer to the airport and board your flight back to Miami
Breakfast
Hotels
In the unlikely event that a particular hotel is not available, a similar or better hotel may be substituted.
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Trip Details
- What should I know before I go? We've compiled a comprehensive checklist, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
- Do I need a visa or other documents? Are there any entry requirements? Travel visas are required for this package. Please review the visa & entry requirements.
- Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Depart from another city? Something else? Just ask!
- Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 18 or older. Your traveling companions must be 12 or older at time of travel.
- Should I purchase travel insurance? Yes! We recommend you purchase travel insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer a plan provided by Travelex Insurance Services.
- What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
- What should I know about Cuba? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.