Humanitarian Trip to Cuba
Hosted by Con Razón Cuba & Colibri Travel Tours
Cuba is living through one of the most difficult moments in its modern history, and communities across the island urgently need support. This humanitarian trip gives you the chance to show up, make a real impact, and connect directly with the Cuban people.
Travelers are encouraged to bring 1–2 suitcases of donations to deliver directly to families, clinics, and community projects (see list of suggest donations here)
Con Razón Cuba is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening Cuban civil society by supporting grassroots initiatives in health, education, animal welfare, and community development.
What you’ll experience
This is not a tourist trip — it’s an immersive, people‑to‑people journey filled with meaningful encounters and hands‑on service. You’ll visit and support projects such as:
Husillo community center
Elderly care programs
Veterinary clinic for street animals
Neighborhood medical clinics
Ocean preservation and environmental initiatives
Community service afternoons with local partners
And because Cuban culture is vibrant even in hard times, you’ll also enjoy:
Dominoes with Cuban neighbors
Salsa lessons
Local farm visits
Architecture tour of Old Havana
Soccer and baseball games with kids
Conversations with independent Cuban journalists
All our trips to Cuba are safe and legal. The itinerary is carefully designed to meet the category: “Support the Cuban People”
Dates & Cost
DATES
DAYS
MINIMUM COST (double / single)
Cuba Itinerary
Afternoon Arrival and orientation
- Check in: Settle into accommodations in Havana.
- Group Orientation: Assign small teams (logistics, documentation, donations, translation support, reflection).
Evening Welcome dinner with out community organizers.
- Dinner (Included): Shared meal with representatives from Casita de Husillo, Luz de Vida, Mar Vivo Cuba, Veterinarian project, CEDA, and the Jesuit Center.
- Program: Short presentations from each organization: history, mission, current challenges, and priority needs. Q&A
Breakfast (Included): at casa
Morning Old Havana tour
Guided walking tour of Habana Vieja: key plazas, historical sites, and everyday neighborhoods.
Emphasis on how history, economy, and current policies shape daily life.
Lunch (Included): Local paladar in Old Havana, simple Cuban menu (rice, beans, vegetables, protein).
Afternoon Casita de Husillo – lunch and data project
Community lunch service:
Support preparation and serving of lunch for children without stable parental care, elders, and people with disabilities.
Roles: kitchen prep, serving, clean‑up, and informal conversation with community members.
Data‑base work with Cuban psychologists:
In small mixed teams (travelers + local professionals), help organize and digitize information on children and families.
Focus: identifying those with most urgent needs (food insecurity, health, school materials, housing issues).
Ensure confidentiality and respect—no photos of documents or sensitive data.
Evening Dinner and donation organizing
Dinner (Included): Simple group dinner (could be at Husillo or nearby).
Donation organizing session:
Sort medications, school supplies, hygiene products, clothing, and pet supplies (for the vet project).
Pre‑label boxes by organization and category (e.g., “Polyclinic – OTC meds,” “Husillo – school supplies”).
Agree on transparent criteria for distribution (guided by local partners).
Breakfast at casa
Morning Centro Habana policlínico
Visit to local policlínico:
Meeting with family doctors and nurses to understand primary care in Cuba.
Guided conversation on medication shortages, equipment needs, and preventive care.
Distribution of OTC medications:
Hand over pre‑sorted OTC meds to clinic staff, following their protocols.
Document (for your own records) what was delivered and what is still most needed.
Lunch (Included): Nearby café or community‑arranged meal.
Afternoon Local art project and community games
Visit to a local art project:
Meet artists working with youth or marginalized communities.
Possible short workshop (painting, printmaking, music, or mural planning).
Dominoes night with Cubans:
Early evening social time playing dominoes, a core part of Cuban social life.
Encourage mixed tables (travelers + locals) and informal conversation.
Evening Dinner on your own + optional music
Dinner: On your own in small groups (explore nearby paladares).
Optional outing: Live music concert or casa de la música—coordinate with local partners for ethical, safe venues.
Breakfast (Included): at lodging
Morning Husillo sustainable farm
Farm work:
Tasks may include planting, weeding, composting, irrigation, or harvesting.
Emphasis on how the farm supports school lunchesand local employment.
Learning component:
Short talk from project leaders on food sovereignty, climate challenges, and community‑run agriculture
Lunch (Included): Farm‑based or nearby community meal using local ingredients.
Afternoon Continued farm and project support
Project tasks:
Help with infrastructure (fencing, tool organization, signage) or educational materials for kids about nutrition and environment.
Short reflection:
What did you notice about labor, resources, and resilience in this community?
Evening Dinner on your own + optional music
Dinner: On your own (small groups, pre‑vetted restaurants).
Optional outing: Live music or cultural performance (e.g., jazz club, trova, or rumba).
Breakfast (Included): at lodging
Morning Bike and bici‑moto tour
Cojímar and Alamar visit:
Guided bike/bici‑moto tour through working‑class neighborhoods outside Havana.
Stops to understand housing, transportation, and employment realities.
Lunch (Included): Simple local meal in Cojímar or Alamar.
Afternoon Youth, micro‑enterprise, and community health
Youth meeting:
Group discussion with local youth about work opportunities, migration pressures, and dreams.
Micro‑business training & idea review:
Short workshop on basics: identifying local needs, simple budgeting, marketing with limited resources.
Small‑group coaching on youth business ideas.
Friendly competition: select a few ideas for micro‑lending support, guided by local partners to avoid favoritism or harm.
Meeting with community doctor and elders:
Conversation about aging, chronic disease, and social isolation.
Possible home visits or group gathering with elders (with consent).
Evening Dinner on your own + optional music
Dinner: On your own
Optional outing: Music or cultural event back in Havana.
Breakfast (Included): at lodging
Morning and early afternoon Ocean cleaning day
Mar Vivo Cuba activity:
Beach and/or seabed cleanup (depending on swimming/diving capacity and local conditions).
Safety briefing and environmental education: marine ecosystems, pollution sources, and local activism.
Roles:
Shoreline collectors, sorters (plastic, glass, metal), data recorders (type/quantity of waste).
Lunch (Included): Picnic or simple meal near the cleanup site.
Late Afternoon Rest and packing
Free time:
Rest, showers, packing, last‑minute purchases from local artisans (prioritizing community‑based vendors).
Evening Goodbye dinner with Husillo community
Dinner (Included): Shared farewell meal with Husillo community members and representatives from partner organizations.
Closing program:
Short speeches from both sides, sharing what was learned.
Clarify next steps: ongoing communication, reporting back, and any future support that is realistic and ethical.
Breakfast (Included): at lodging
Morning Final check out, airport transfers
Inclusions
What’s included?
- Cuban Visa
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Accommodation for 6 nights
- Most meals: All breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
- All activities listed on the itinerary, including community visits and cultural exchanges
- Tickets and entry to concerts, dance venues, museums, and scheduled events
- Ground transportation throughout the program
- Workshops and guided experiences with local experts
- Basic Cuban health insurance (required for all visitors)
- Pre-departure orientation to prepare you for travel and donation delivery
What’s not included
- Airfare to and from Cuba
- Some meals
- Personal spending (souvenirs, snacks, etc.)
- Tips for guides, drivers, and service staff
- Alcohol beverages
- Mini-bar charges
- Additional health & evacuation insurance
Accommodation
We stay in 3/4 stars boutique bed and breakfast that best reflects the local architecture and flavors.
Air condition
Towels and soap
Hair Dryer
Safe
Example from past accommodations
Essential Travel Information
for Cuba trips
visa requirements, health, currency, and more
▹ Visa requirements for Cuba trips
Cuba requires each traveler to obtain a visa (tarjeta de turista) before entering the country. Colibri Travel & Tours can provide each of our travelers with a visa ($75 USD including shipping/handling). Alternatively, you can purchase your visa at the gate from the airline. It is mandatory that all airlines operating in Cuba have the blank visas available before boarding (cost: $50-$100 USD depending on the airline). Please make sure your passport is valid for at least another 6 months and has empty pages.
▹ How to make flight reservations for Cuba trips
If you are booking a flight on your own you will be asked by the airline to choose a travel category. Please choose: “ Support for the Cuban people”.
Colibri Travel & Tours can help with flight bookings.
▹ Health, Vaccinations
✔︎ All travelers need to be in good physical health in order to participate fully on this trip. When selecting your trip please make sure you have read through the itinerary carefully and assess your ability to manage and enjoy our style of travel. Please note that if in the opinion of our group leader or local guide any traveler is unable to complete the itinerary without undue risk to themselves and/or the rest of the group, we reserve the right to exclude them from all or part of a trip without refund. You should be able to walk at least 2-3 miles a day and be able to climb at least two sets of stairs.
✔︎ You should consult your doctor for up-to-date medical travel information or for any necessary vaccinations before departure.
✔︎ There are no major health risks associated with traveling to Cuba. The most common tropical disease in Cuba is dengue. There is no vaccination against dengue and the best protection is mosquito spray.
✔︎ Please make sure to have mosquito spray and sunscreen (travel size) always with you.
✔︎ At least 30 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
✔︎ If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the trip and any possible delays (we recommend adding 1-2 weeks of supply).
✔︎ If you tend to get motion sickness please travel with appropriate medication. If you have a sensitive stomach consider bringing Imodium as well.
Health Insurance: international health insurance, evacuation, or cancelation insurance are not included. We recommend purchasing those before the trip. See the insurance box on the sidebar of this page.
▹ Electricity
Cuba operates on both US and European types of outlets and electricity so there is no need for a converter.
▹ Connectivity, Internet
✔︎ Please contact your phone provider to make sure that your phone will work in Cuba. International calls from Cuba are expensive (2 USD/min, 50c – text).
✔︎ The internet in Cuba is limited and can be accessed via a special internet card. Colibri will provide the cards ( $1.50 per 1 hour). We will make sure that you will be able to connect each day for 1-2 hours. Please remember that the connection is generally slow.
▹ Time zones
Cuba is in Eastern Time (ET) zone so 12 pm in New York it is also 12 pm in Havana.
▹ Currency, cash, credit cards
✔︎ You will be using Cuban currency for tourists CUC (peso convertible) and we will help you exchange the money after arrival in Havana. Cuban currency is not traded abroad so you can only exchange money in Cuba.
✔︎ Please note that you can’t use US credit cards or travelers checks in Cuba due to the US embargo so you must travel with cash. We recommend bringing at least $50-$70 per day per traveler (more if you plan to shop for art, cigars, etc.) for personal use and $300-$500 emergency cash.
Here is our blog with detailed information on money in Cuba.
▹ Transportation and arrival information
✔︎ If you add airport pick up our driver will meet you at the airport with a sign that says: Colibri Travel & Tours. If you do not see your driver immediately stay right by exit from the secure area for another 15 min. If you still can’t find each other please give us a call. The driver’s name and phone number will be provided within 24 hours before your departure.
✔︎ If you choose to arrange for your own transportation we will meet you at the hotel or casa. In this case please make sure that you have the address and phone number.
▹ Baggage allowance
✔︎ Our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motorcoaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights. Additional baggage can be a subject of extra fees. Contact your airline for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights.
✔︎ We recommend that you make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, documents, and a set of clothes, pajamas and cosmetics (travel size) in your carry-on bag in case of baggage delays.
▹ Tipping
✔︎ It’s customary to offer your guide and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep currency exchange rates in mind.
✔︎ We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10 per day per person and giving the tips to leaders to distribute between drivers, guides etc.
✔︎ Tips can only be paid in cash.
▹ Itinerary
Our itineraries are updated regularly throughout the year based on customer feedback and to reflect the current situation in each destination. The information included in this Essential Trip Information may therefore differ from when you first booked your trip. It is important that you review this information prior to travel so that you have the latest updates. Due to weather, local conditions, transport schedules, public holidays, or other factors, further changes may be necessary to your itinerary once in-country. The order and timing of included activities in each location may also vary seasonally to ensure our travelers have the best experience. Your leader will keep you up to date with any such changes once on trip.
We LOVE to talk about travel. If you have any questions please give us a call: 617 301 1237 or email us: info@colibritraveltours.com.
We are always happy to talk to our travelers and answer the questions!
Blog
Register now!
Steps to enroll:
- Fill up the registration form on-line here.
2. Send us a copy of your passport and deposit check via password protected email or regular mail.
3. Pack your bags and enjoy!
Small group:
8 - 20 ppl
Physical rating:
Easy
Do you need a travel insurance?
Reviews
While Cuba is a fascinating country, it wouldn’t have been nearly as wonderful without your commentary, creativity, and enthusiasm. I was so utterly impressed with your knowledge of Cuba’s history, your remarkable ability to navigate the Cuban bureaucracy, and your unending flexibility and willingness to make our requests come to fruition. I don’t think that there was a detail that you didn’t attend to. Add to that your wonderful sense of humor, sensitivity and great spirit – and you are hard to beat! I would follow you on any trip you plan knowing it would be just as exciting, informative and fun as Cuba tours was.
As a recent participant on a Cuba Study tour through UMass Boston guided by Colibri Travel & Tours, I have nothing but high praise for Colibri’s preparations and follow through for all phases. As a frequent foreign traveler who avoids group tours I can say I was pleasantly surprised by their ability to cater to those folks who needed more guidance while leaving us solo types to explore as we wished. The local contacts they made for guide and driver were excellent. Our accommodations were far from spartan yet allowed people to soak up local flavor through the Cuban equivalent of Bed and Breakfasts. Finally, as on all tours, both solo, and group, unforeseen logistical problems arose which Sylvia handled with professional competence and aplomb. Kudos to Colibri.
We want to thank Colibri Travel & Tours for organizing our Cuba tours with great meals, and the excellent tour leaders, Jorge and Alex, who made the whole trip a truly unforgettable experience! It was absolutely superb in every way. The organization of the itinerary was excellent and accurate on every detail. Our group was lucky to have the most amazing, intelligent and funny tour directors ever - Sylvia. She provided valuable insight into the Cuban politics and the daily lives of the Cubans. What we loved about this travel company is that they gave us as much as they could in the time frame allotted but also gave the option of having our own personal time and helped arranged activities that we wanted.
Sylvia was amazing...in a country where things may not go as planned, Sylvia made everything appear seamless. Her knowledge of Cuba is astounding. She's unflappable...if plan A doesn't work she has a plan B, C and D and does it with a smile. What my wife and I experienced was eye opening, what Sylvia showed us, where she took us, what she taught us, made the trip more than we ever envisioned.
We had a great experience with Colibri Travel & Tours. They were super quick to respond to every email we sent prior to our trip. All details were set and we knew exactly where to meet our driver at Havana Airport. Jorge was wonderful! His knowledge of the Cuban history was incredible and his English was perfect!
This is my 5th experience with Colibri Travel & Tours, and once again, it failed to disappoint. I went to Cuba last year and Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, Poland the previous years. As usual, a wonderful time was had by all, and big thanks to Sylvia and her staff for being prompt and accommodating. You are highly recommended!!
Colibri Travel & Tours is awesome! Our guide Jorge was warm, welcoming, smart, fully knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. We enjoyed deep conversations, as we were very curious about daily life in Cuba. As for accommodation, we stayed in stunning villas in Havana and charming “campesino” fincas in the countryside. We loved every bit of our Cuba tours.
