For teachers and study abroad staffÂ
Cuba Familiarization Trip
Dates: November 9th-13th or 9nd-16th
All our trips to Cuba are safe and legal. The itinerary is carefully designed to meet the category: “Support for the Cuban people” or “Educational Travel”.
Join Colibri Travel and Tours on a familiarization trip to Cuba! This tour is specifically designed for teachers who want to explore the rich culture, music, architecture, and history of Cuba. Not only will you have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the vibrant Cuban culture, but you’ll also be able to participate in activities that we have carefully prepared for students. Additionally, you’ll get to see various examples of accommodations to help you design the perfect travel experience for your classroom on this wonderful island.9th
Cost:
5 days start from $995
8 days start from $1395
(Partially subsidized by Colibri)
Add $200 if single accommodation
Add airfare: $325-$695
Teachers can now earn Professional Development Hours or Graduate-Level Credit for teachers only trips or trips with students:
Learning Beyond the Classroom Course for Teachers: Colibri Travel Tours has partnered with Idioma Education & Consulting to offer a self-paced, asynchronous course for teachers that can be taken for 3 Graduate-Level Credits through Colorado State University or Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) or 45 Professional Development Hours (most states approved).
For more information, please email travelprograms@idiomaconsulting.com
Sample course schedule – download here
Cuba Itinerary
Welcome to Havana! A magical city full of friendly people and warm weather.
All day Arrivals at the airport and hotel. Our driver will pick you up at the airport (He will be holding a sign that says Colibri Travel and Tours) and take you to the casa where you will be greeted by our hosts with a refreshing drink. You will have the opportunity to exchange currency.
Visit to Cira Garcia clinic and presentation of Colibri’s student emergency plan.
Evening Dinner at the private villa: Jazz Concert at Claxon or visit to FAC (Fabrica de Arte Cubano) – if open
9AM Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Breakfast at Casa
Morning   10AM Departure for tour of Old Havana with focus on colonial history and architecture. Visit to all four squares: Plaza Vieja , Plaza de La Catedral , Plaza de Armas , Plaza de San Francisco , Calle Obispo , Calle Mercaderes , Capitolio and Parque Central, Bacardi Building , Ambos Mundos Hotel (Hemingway room), Theatre Alicia Alonso, Floridita (Hemingway bar).
Afternoon  1PM Lunch at Doña Eutimia – one of the oldest Paladars with the best ropa vieja in Havana. Visit to Custodio San Angel (where Jose Marti was baptized), statue of Cecilia Valdez – the main character of Cuban most famous novel. Discussion on race in colonial Cuba. Visit to Centro Loyola – Jesuit center in Centro Havana
Evening   6.30PM Dinner at Paladar San Critobal (where Obama had dinner).
End the day with dinner at San Cristobal Paladar, a family-owned restaurant that has been featuredon Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown”. The restaurant is one of the famous restaurants in Havanathat once hosted President Obamaover 20 other presidents. We will shake hands with the legendary owner – Carlos Cristobal – and tour this spectacular establishment.
8.30PMÂ Cannon ceremony in Moro Castle across de bay of Havana
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Workshops, seminars and discussions:
- Colonial history of Cuba during Spanish rule
- Slavery and race in Cuba
- Colonial and neocolonial architecture style
- Private enterprise in Cuba on example of Paladares : Dona Eutimia and San Cristobal- oldest and famous private restaurants
- Life and work of Ernest Hemingway – during his 20 years in Cuba
- Jesuits in Cuba
- Cuban Ballet
9AM Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Breakfast at Casa
Morning 10AM  Cuban salsa class and workshop on Cuban dance. Visit to Clandestina boutique and workshop on old printing techniques
Afternoon Lunch on your own
Visit to villas and casas where our students and teachers stay on faculty-led trips. Revolution Day in Havana  – Visit to Museum of Revolution, Hotel Nacional, Havana Libre, University of Havana
4PM Convertible Car Ride – with stops at Universidad de Havana, Plaza of the Revolution, Havana Forrest – where Santeria offerings are performed
Afternoon Dinner on your own
Meals included: breakfast
Workshops, seminars and discussions:
- History of Cuban Revolution
- Afro-cuban roots of Salsa
- Santeria in Cuba
- History of mafia in Havana
- Private enterprise on example of Clandestina boutique – creativity and fashion design in a country with severe shortages
8.30AM Â Â Â Breakfast at Casa
Morning   9.15AM Drive to Finca Vigia – Hemingway House.
Drive to Las Terrazas – biosphere reservation and unique and idyllic community of artist, foresters, coffee growers stop at Fusterlandia – discussion how private initiative of one artist changed the fate of this neighborhood
Afternoon Lunch with campesinos.
Tour Las Terrazas, eco-community. Visit to artist studios: Lester Campa, Ariel, Henry Loma Hike to Cafetal Buena Vista. Visit to local school – part of Colibri service program. Visit to Biosphere reserve station. Jam session with Amygo band – discussion on Cuban music and music and art projects for jazz and music bands and art students
Evening   Dinner in Miramar villa with mojito workshop
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Workshops, seminars and discussions:
- Ecology in Cuba on example of Las Terrazas
- Watercolor painting, paper making techniques with Cuban artists
- Slavery in Cuba
- Birding paradise – birds species in CubaMusic, song writing for university and school bands.
(the 5 days group departs from Havana to USA and 8 days group continues)
7.30AM Â Â Â Breakfast at Casa
Morning   8AM Drive to Matanzas. Travel to Matanzas, lunch and tour with Adrian Soccoro – artist and one of the leaders of art community in Matanzas. Stop on Bridge of Bacunayagua- tallest bridge in Cuba
Afternoon Drive to Finca del Medio. Lunch at Finca del Medio. Finca del medio is a leader in slow food and a km 0 leader in eco agriculture – we will learn a lot about sustainability and food growing in Cuba.
Sightseeing in Sancti Spiritus
Evening   Dinner on your own
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Workshops, seminars and discussions:
- Hemingway life in Cuba and island influence on his most famous work
- Artist initiative in revitalization project of Matanzas – Athens of Cuba
- Ceramics as a form of Cuban art
- Sustainable farming and slow food in Cuba
9AM Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Breakfast at Casa
Morning  10AM – Black Coral reef and preservation of the ocean in Cuba
Afternoon Lunch on your own
4.30AM Historic tour of Trinidad – Discussion on Cuban sugar industry, slaves and sugar plantation, US – Cuba trade and connections and roots of Santeria religion
Evening  7.30PM Dinner at Giroud
9PMÂ Traditional Cuban music and Salsa dancing at la Trova and Afro- Cuban Orisha dance at Palenque. La Cueva outing – super fun cave in the mountains – this activity starts at 11.30 pm and is optional (entry paid on your own 5 USD, includes a free drink)
Meals included: breakfast, dinner
9AM Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Breakfast at Casa
Morning   11AM Departure to Havana
Afternoon  Lunch at Caribe. Historic tour of Cienfuegos with focus on French settlement and French architecture.
Evening   Goodbye dinner and closing ceremony
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
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9AM Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Breakfast at Casa
All day    Departures
Accommodation
Our hotels and casas are centrally located and we usually place 2 students per room.Â
Air condition
Towels and soap
Hair Dryer
Safe
Example from past accommodations
Inclusions
What’s included?
- Cuban Visa
- All activities listed on the itinerary
- Accommodation
- Most meals
- Airport transfer
- Guides
- Tickets to all scheduled sites
- Ground transportation
- 24h bilingual tour director support
- Pre-departure Q&A
What’s not included
- Airfare
- Some meals
- Tips (recommended $45 -$50) total per person
- Additional health & evacuation insurance
Why teachers and students love our educational trips
Low cost
Our prices include everything listed on the itinerary, all meals, etc.
Rich itinerary
We add fun experiences: music, dance, cooking, art workshops, bike tours
Centrally located hotels
We stay in 3-4 stars hotels, mostly 2 students per room
Scholarships for students
We offer full or partial scholarships for students with financial need.
Interaction with locals
Joint activities or dinner discussions with local students, teachers, artists, entrepreneurs.
Teachers and parents travel
Teacher travel for free and parents/chaperons receive $200-$300 USD discount.
Essential Travel Information
for school tours to Cuba
visa requirements, health, currency, and more
â–ą Visa requirements for school tours to Cuba
Cuba requires each traveler to obtain a visa (tarjeta de turista) before entering the country. The service is already included in the price. Please make sure your passport is valid for at least another 6 months and has empty pages.
â–ą How to make flight reservations for Cuba tours
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.
â–ą 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 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 tour 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.
â–ą Electricity
Cuba operates on both US and European types of outlets and electricity so there is no need for a converter.
â–ą 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.
â–ą Time zones
Cuba is in Eastern Time (ET) zone so 12 pm in New York it is also 12 pm in Havana.
â–ą 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.
â–ą 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.
â–ą 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 tour leaders to distribute between drivers, guides etc.
✔︎ Tips can only be paid in cash.
â–ą 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 tour leader will keep you up to date with any such changes once on tour.
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!
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Register now!
Steps to enroll:
- Fill up the registration form on-line here.
Or download the registration form, medical release and contract below, fill it out, sign and send to info@colibritraveltours.com or mail to Colibri Travel & Tours, 341 Pearl St, Cambridge, MA 02139.
2. Send us a copy of your passport and deposit check via password protected email or regular mail.
3. Pack your bags and enjoy!
Cost:
5 days start from $995
8 days start from $1395
(Partially subsidized by Colibri)
Add $300 if single accommodation
Add airfare: $325-$695
Do you need a travel insurance?
Resources for:
- TEACHERS
- PARENTS
- FUNDRAISING
