Trips to Cuba
Nature, Art, People in 7 days
Highlights of Trips to Cuba
- Join us for a musical adventure of a lifetime – Havana Jazz Festival – curated by American flamenco guitarist Juanito Pascual
- Two pre festival events including reception with Spanish community living in Havana and Cuban musicians
- Sightseeing in Havana, Trinidad, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Vinales and las Terrazas
- Accommodation in beautiful casas particulares
Cuba Itinerary
Welcome to Havana! A magical city full of friendly people and warm weather. Our driver will pick 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, go over the itinerary and meet the Colibri team.
All day Arrivals. Check-in to casas and welcome drinks and orientation, money exchange.
Evening Dinner (Time depend on arrival)
Find out why Fábrica de Arte Cubano , the legendary Cuban art and entertainment place, is on TIME’s 2019 list of the World’s 100 Greatest Places. FAC is housed in the former cooking oil factory and led by X Afonso and his family of famous Cuban musicians. Loved by Cubans and tourists, it has art galleries, dance classes, concerts, open air movie theatre, plays and fashion shows.
Meals included: dinner
9 AM Breakfast at Casas
Morning Colonial history and architecture tour of Old Havana with discussion on race and religions of Cuba and life of Ernest Hemingway.
10 AM 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, CalleObispo, Calle Mercaderes, Capitolio and Parque Central, Bacardi Building, Ambos Mundos Hotel(Hemingway hotel), Theatre Alicia Alonso, Floridita (Hemingway bar)
Afternoon 1 PM Lunch at Doña Eutimia One of the oldest Paladars with the best ropa vieja and black beans in Havana.
Convertible car ride along Malecon -Plaza de la Revolution, Havana forrest
History of Mafia in Havana and Cuban Revolution
Evening 6.30 PM Dinner on your own (we recommend Cha Cha Cha or Antojos)
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
8 AM Breakfast at casas
Morning 9 AM departure to Vinales Valley a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its picturesque tobacco fields and mogotes (limestone hills). Stop and the viewpoint of Las Jasmines.
1 PM Lunch at Finca agroecologica – locally grown farm to table experience
Afternoon Take a guided tour of Viñales Valley mogotes: Visit Mural de La Prehistoria, a tobacco farm and learn about the cigar-making process from local farmers.
Explore the Cueva del Indio, a cave with an underground river where you can take a boat ride.
Evening Dinner in the city of Viñales
Meals included: breakfast, dinner
9 AM Breakfast at casas
Morning 10 AM drive to Las Terrazas – biosphere reservation and unique and idyllic community of artists, foresters, coffee growers.
Afternoon Lunch at campesinos
Visit to local school – part of Colibri service program, Visit to local artist studios: Ariel, Henri Aloma, Lester Campa
Canopy tour – zip lining (optional)
Evening Dinner in local paladar (on own)
Jam session with Amygo band – discussion on Cuban music and music and art projects for jazz and music bands and art
Meals included: breakfast, lunch
6.30 AM Guided hike to Cafetal Buena vista – ruins of Old Coffee plantation with a great opportunity for birds watching
8.30 AM Breakfast at casas
Morning 9 AM departure to Matanzas – a city known in the past as Athens of Cuba because of its rich cultural heritage, historical sites, and natural beauty. We will meet here with Adrian Soccoro, one of the top Matanzas artists and visit the beautiful Ceramic studio.
Afternoon 1.30 PM Lunch
Departure via Varadero to Cienfuegos
Evening 7 PM Dinner at Shalom in Cienfuegos, French city known as Paris of Cuba
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
8 AM Breakfast
Morning 9 AM – guided tour of Cienfuegos – located on the southern coast of Cuba, is known for its French influence, beautiful architecture, and a picturesque waterfront. We start a day in the central square, Parque José Martí with important buildings such as the Tomas Terry Theater and the Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace). We then head to the Punta Gorda neighborhood, known for its elegant mansions and beautiful gardens including the eclectic Palacio de Valle, mansion built by wealthy sugar plantation owners.
11 AM Departure to Laguna Guanaroca – bird-populated saline lake located within 12 km from Cienfuegos is home to more than 2,000 pink flamingos.
12 PM Lunch at Punta Gorda or on the way
Afternoon We continue to Cienaga de zapata -Situated on the southern coast of Cuba at Matanzas province, the Ciénaga de Zapata is one of the largest and most important wetlands in the Caribbean region. This reserve shows a great diversity of ecosystems: grasslands, mangrove forests, Ciénaga forest , and semi-deciduous forest, evergreen coastal and sub-coastal forest; coastal and sub-coastal matorral, and coral reefs with principal coral species and coastal lagoons. It is the only place in the world where you can see the Cuban crocodile (Cocodrilus rhombifer) and American crocodile (C. acutus).
Evening 6 PM Goodbye dinner in Havana at Otramanera
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
9 AM Breakfast
Last minute shopping in Havan
Departures
Meals included: breakfast
Dates & Cost
DATES
DAYS
January 13th – 19th, 2024
7 days
$1895 / 2095
SOLD OUT
Accommodation
We stay in boutique hotels, private bed and breakfast or Eco-lodges that best reflect the local architecture and flavors.
Air condition
Towels and soap
Hair Dryer
Safe
Example from past accommodations
Inclusions
What’s included?
- Cuban Visa
- Airport Tranfer
- All activities listed on the itinerary
- Accommodation
- All breakfasts, 4 lunches and 5 dinners
- Guides
- Tickets to all scheduled sites
- Ground transportation
- 24h bilingual tour director support
- Pre-departure Q&A
What’s not included
- Airfare
- 4 lunches and 3 dinners
- Alcohol
- Additional health & evacuation insurance
- Flights between countries
Essential Travel Information
for trips to Cuba
visa requirements, health, currency, and more
▹ Visa requirements for trips to Cuba
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 trips to Cuba
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 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.
▹ 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 traveler 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 tour 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 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!
Blog
Register now!
Steps to enroll:
- Fill up the registration form on-line here.
Or download the registration form below, fill it out 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!
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 trips to Cuba was.
As a recent participant on a Cuba Study tour through UMass Bosont 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 trips, 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 trips to Cuba 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 trips to Cuba.
