La Vida Cubana
9 days/8 nights Cuba Tour






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Frank Delgado
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La Vida Cubana
This exceptional tour will introduce you to the authentic Cuba. By visiting interesting places in the west and center of the island, you will have the opportunity to share time with locals and delve into their daily lives.
First, stroll through Havana’s bustling old streets. Leave for Viñales to discover the stunning “Mogotes” and learn the secrets of the best tobacco in the world. On your way to the seaside city of Cienfuegos, only one founded by the French in Cuba, you will visit the second largest coffee plantation in Cuba during the XIX century. A truly special experience awaits in the beautiful waterfall of El Nicho.
Continue to Trinidad to admire its colonial architecture and enjoy a relaxing day in the calm waters of the Caribbean Sea. On your last day, bound for Havana, stop in Santa Clara for a visit to the “Che” Guevara Memorial, the final resting place of the iconic revolutionary.
At the end of the tour, you will have the option to extend your stay at one of the best beaches in the world: Varadero.
9 days/8 nights
Havana, Viñales, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Playa Ancón, Santa Clara
English, German, Spanish
- Become familiar with the everyday life of Cubans by staying at casas particulares
- Discover the colonial past of Havana and Trinidad strolling the old alleys
- Admire unique landscapes in Viñales and Cienfuegos
- Sunbathe and sail in Cayo Iguana – a small Caribbean island
- Guaranteed departures from a minimum of 2 pax to a maximum of 12 pax
- Exclusive tour option
- Transfer to Varadero included at the end of the tour
Welcome at the Havana1 airport by your tour guide or a local representative. Transfer to your casa particular. Dinner at own expense.
Accommodation: Casa particular, e.g. San Lázaro 115 or similar, Havana.
Immerse yourself in the everyday life of Cubans. Your day kicks off hopping on a bicitaxi that will take you to the Old Square in the historical center of the city. Climb to the Camara Oscura for a sweeping view of the urban scene, zeroing in on details that you would have missed elsewhere. From housewives sharing a cup of coffee at home to the characteristic pure-white bed sheets hanging from the crumbling balconies, the true spirit of Havana will be revealed to you. Continue for a tour of four iconic squares of Old Havana. In the afternoon, after combing by foot the main attractions of the old town, get on what Cubans call a cocotaxi, a coconut-shaped vehicle that will take you to iconic sites like the Revolution Square and the not-so-well-known classic car repair shops. In the latter, you will be amazed by the ingenuity of the mechanics who keep those collectibles not just running, but in excellent shape thanks to home-made handcrafted spare parts. Your day will close in style with a tour on board of one of those beautiful cars to explore the modern part of Havana, ending with a panoramic tour along the breezy Malecón.
Accommodation and breakfast: e.g. San Lázaro 115 or similar, Havana.
In the morning, head for Pinar del Río, the greenest of Cuba’s provinces and home to the best tobacco in the world. Stop at the lookout point Los Jazmines to appreciate the stunning Viñales Valley with its distinctive limestone outcrops called Mogotes. A traditional lunch awaits in a place full of nature, where you will also enjoy a cocktail session to learn the secrets behind the recipes of some of the most delicious Cuban cocktails. Back to Viñales, you will be able to admire one of the largest murals in the world, El Mural de la Prehistoria. Conceived by painter Leovigildo González, 21 local farmers helped in this monumental work that recreates life in Cuba in the times of the dinosaurs. Rest of the afternoon at leisure.
Accommodation with breakfast: e.g. Villa Marilin or similar, Viñales.
In Viñales, time seems to stand still. Nature, almost unspoiled, and the local fauna definitely contribute to the ideal portrait. Enjoy a morning walk by the lush greenery and cultivated fields. Chances are you will run across a farmer working the traditional way, with rustic tools and ox-drawn carts. You can look forward to a candid talk about his work and life experiences. After the trek, savour a delicious lunch, courtesy of Alberto Vitamina, a singular local farmer with a keen creole sense of humor. Your host rose to notoriety selling fruits, his trademark being his loquaciousness with guests. After the re-energizing pause, rid yourself of any source of stress in our special adventure: the canopy tour. With every stretch, enjoy the sensation of literary having the valley at your feet.
Accommodation with breakfast: e.g. Villa Marilin or similar, Viñales.
Depart in the morning for Cienfuegos, only city in Cuba founded by the French. On your way there, stop at the ruins of the Angerona coffee plantation, an estate owned by the German immigrant Cornelio Souchay back in the 19th century. Vestiges of the property that have withstood the passing of time include parts of the manor house, the walls of the slaves’ quarters and the reservoirs used to water the plantations. The place is wrapped with a mystic atmosphere of legends and stories about slavery and love. Shortly after, visit an agro-ecological paradise where local food production is transformed into culinary delicacies in the hands of an experienced chef. After lunch and a 300 km haul, arrive to the charming maritime city of Cienfuegos, the Pearl of the South. Benny Moré, the most celebrated Cuban sonero, is among the many national idols born here. Do not miss the opportunity to snap a photo alongside his bronze statue in the Prado Promenade.
Accommodation with breakfast: e.g. Casa Maikel or similar, Cienfuegos.
Cienfuegos City attracts and delights its visitors due to its colonial charm and the distinctive sea breeze of a cosmopolitan city surrounded by water. In every column or street, you can feel the splendorous ambience of a growing city since the beginning of the XIX Century. The Journey today it is designed to combine the beautiful nature of Cienfuegos’s surroundings with its splendid architecture. We will start the day by visiting Guanaroca lake, a natural sanctuary that holds a colony of the gorgeous pink flamingos and some other aquatic birds. In the afternoon, back in town, we will visit Jose Marti square, and the astonishment theatre Tomas Terry just crossing the street. There are lots of interesting stories about the theatre including Caruso´s performance in 1920. Right at the end of the afternoon you will have a delicious cocktail with a wonderful view from the terrace of the majestic Valle Palace, which is located at the south point of the city.
Accommodation with breakfast: e.g. Casa Maikel or similar, Cienfuegos.
Leave in the morning for Trinidad, one of the wealthiest villas of the 19th century, where the unique colonial architecture remains essentially untouched to this day. A tour through the old cobblestone streets of the city will suffice to understand why it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Walk by the Plaza Mayor and appreciate the magnificent mansions. One of them is the Brunet Palace, nowadays the Romantic Museum, where you will be able to appreciate a collection of pieces that belonged to the sugar estate owners back in the 19th century. To crown a day of traditions, learn about the Trinitarian pottery-making heritage in La casa del Alfarero. In the evening, after tasting the local cuisine at an authentic paladar you will have the opportunity to dance to the rhythm of the Cuban music at Casa de la Trova.
Accommodation with breakfast: e.g. Osmary y Alberto or similar, Trinidad.
Today is all about the Caribbean Sea. Leave the fishing village of Casilda on a catamaran. Sail in the Caribbean Sea and see the southern Trinitarian shore slowly draw away until you arrive in Cayo Iguana. There will be a stop so you can jump into the crystal clear water and enjoy some time for snorkelling. Both, on the boat and at Cayo Iguana you will have the opportunity to sunbathe and relax while listening to the Cuban rhythms. A typical creole style lunch will be offered on the island before returning to Trinidad in the afternoon with the feeling of having revived Robinson Crusoe’s deeds.
Accommodation with breakfast: e.g. Osmary y Alberto or similar, Trinidad.
Traveling through the Sugar Mills Valley, where the iconic Iznaga Tower stands, you will head for Santa Clara. This city witnessed the most important victory of the iconic guerrilla fighter Ernesto “Che” Guevara. To learn about this clash, visit the place where his troops derailed an armoured train in an action that effectively determined the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. Continue for a refreshing drink at Café Revolución, where you will find an interesting collection of objects from that battle. Visit the “Che” Guevera Memorial2, the final resting place of the epoch-making revolutionary. En route to Havana, stop in Varadero to drop off clients opting for a beach extension.
(Caribbean Tours recommends against arranging international flight connections on the same day that the tour ends. Arrival in time to the airport is not guaranteed in those cases and Caribbean Tours does not take responsibility for that. Instead, it is recommended to take a private transfer from Trinidad or an additional night in Havana or Varadero).
DEPARTURES
- Private tours are available all year round.
- Group tours departures on Saturday. They are guaranteed from a minimum of 2 pax to a maximum of 12 pax.
- Self-drive tours are available all year round.
CONDITIONS
Please check Caribbean Tours Booking Conditions.
This tour is possible as:
- GROUP TOUR
- PRIVATE TOUR
- TOUR IN CLASSIC CAR
- SELF-DRIVE TOUR
- Air-conditioned vehicle with chauffeur (car/van/bus). Quality of vehicles based on the country’s standards:
- 2 pax in a car (1 piece of luggage maximum per person)
- From 3-7 pax in a minivan/microbus (6-10 seats)
- From 8-10 pax in a minibus (15-16 seats)
- From 11-12 pax in a bus (24 seats)
- Transfer from Havana airport to Havana accommodation on the starting day of the tour.
- Multilingual local guide service all 9 days of the tour (transfers from/to the airport might be escorted by a Caribbean Tours
representative instead) - Excursions, visits and entrances as per program
- 8 overnights at selected privately-owned houses
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner
- Meals and drinks not mentioned in the program
- Extensions e.g. beach extension in Varadero
- Transfer to the Havana airport after extensions e.g. after a beach extension in Varadero
- Personal expenses and tips
- Roundtrip in air-conditioned vehicle (taxi/microbus/bus) in customary quality with chauffeur:
- With 02 participants by taxi (Please note that max. 1 item of luggage p.p. fits into the car boot.)
- With 03 - 06 participants by minivan/microbus (6 - 10 seats)
- Transfer from Havana airport to Havana accommodation on the starting day of the tour.
- Excursions, sightseeing and entrance fees according to the program
- Local guide service all 9 days of the tour (transfers from/to the airport might be escorted by a Caribbean Tours representative
instead) - 8 overnights at selected privately-owned houses
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner
- Meals and drinks not mentioned in the program
- Extensions e.g. beach extension in Varadero
- Transfer to the Havana airport after extensions e.g. after a beach extension in Varadero
- Personal expenses and tips
- Transfer from Havana airport to Havana accommodation on the starting day of the tour.
- Comfort Set personalized assistance (See manual of Caribbean Tours or Latinconnect )
- 8 overnights at selected privately-owned houses
- 8 breakfasts
- Car rental, which needs to be booked separately as per Caribbean Tours’ rates
- Guide, driver, entrances, meals. The program description is intended solely as a recommendation of activities
- Following services are not included and ought to be paid at the car rental office upon reception of the car: mandatory integral
insurance, initial gas in the tank and, if applicable, the one-way drop-off fee (charge for dropping off the car in an office
different from the one where the car was received) - Extensions e.g. beach extension in Varadero
- Transfer to the Havana airport after extensions
- Personal expenses and tips
- As of 3 pax, tour is done on 2 classic cars with one guide. Each additional classic car goes with 2 pax and no guide
- Transfer from Havana airport to Havana accommodation on the starting day of the tour.
- Local guide service all 9 days of the tour (transfers from/to the airport might be escorted by a Caribbean Tours representative
instead) - Excursions, visits and entrances as per program
- 8 night-stay at selected privately-owned houses
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner
- Meals and drinks not mentioned in the program
- Extensions e.g. beach extension in Varadero
- Transfer to the Havana airport after extensions e.g. after a beach extension in Varadero
- Personal expenses and tips
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