Travel advice for Cuba
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Cuba
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Rachel Lawrence
updated 18.02.2019
Cuba is top of many a traveller’s wishlist, there is no shortage of things to do in Havana. A captivating capital, its galleries, theatres, markets and memorials to the revolution are all worth a visit. Equally pleasurable is soaking up the atmosphere of Old Havana. But, if you fancy visiting some of its more quirky corners, we’ve picked out a few of the more unusual for you.
15 days / from2867 USD
Cuba - Family, Beach, and Culture
Enjoy a 2-week family adventure visiting highlights and hidden gems of Cuba. Marvel at the colonial architecture in Havana, enjoy a ride in a Classic Car, explore the forests close to Trinidad, and relax on white sandy beaches of Cayo Levisa - this trip packs it all into one itinerary.
customize ⤍5 days / from975 USD
Bike Cuba
A moderately challenging cycling holiday through Cuban countryside visiting the tobacco fields of Viñales Valley and a pristine Caribbean beach in Cayo Jutias.
customize ⤍13 days / from3399 USD
Western and Central Cuba by E-bike
Combine a leisurely activity with an insight into some of Cuba’s most fascinating cultural highlights on this new e-biking tour of Western and Central Cuba. Explore the tobacco region of Viñales, cycle along the Bay of Pigs and relax on the fine sandy beaches of Cayo Las Brujas.
customize ⤍8 days / from1829 USD
Family Trip - an active adventure
Take the family a step back in time: Explore Havana in classic cars and on foot, take a boat trip to the Cueva del Indio in Viñales and relax on the white, sandy beaches of Cayo Levisa.
customize ⤍8 days / from1861 USD
Salsa Cubana
Only have a few days? Take this Highlight Tour of Western Cuba to explore the main areas: From Havana over the Viñales valley to Trinidad and Che's monument in Santa Clara. This fast-paced itinerary is packed with highlights.
customize ⤍11 days / from2135 USD
Salsa Cubana - Extended
Cuba, the island of rum, salsa, and the revolution. Explore the island's Western highlights on this trip: From Havana over the Viñales Valley to the famous Bay of Pigs and Trinidad - this trip has no shortage of highlights.
customize ⤍6 days / from1495 USD
Compact Cuba: Havana to Trinidad
Fall in love with Cuba as you explore Havana’s enticing and fading colonial streets, where salsa music emanates from every window, and the sweet pungent aroma of cigar smoke holds the air. Continue to the beautiful colonial city of Trinidad, and the fascinating Bay of Pigs.
customize ⤍8 days / from1950 USD
The Culture and Beaches of Cuba: From Havana to Varadero
This trip takes in three distinctly different areas of Cuba: begin at the iconic, cultural hub of Havana, before travelling to the picturesque rural town of Viñales, and then onto the picture-perfect Varadero Beach, one of the best in the Caribbean. Strike the perfect balance with this unique trip!
customize ⤍15 days / from2561 USD
Cuba Completa - Off the beaten track
Go off-the-beaten-track in Cuba. Explore the birthplace of Fidel Castro, relax on Cayo Saetia, an island that used to be Fidel's private holiday home, and explore the Eastern part with Santiago de Cuba.
customize ⤍15 days / from3191 USD
Complete Cuba: Nature, Tradition and Sights of the Revolution
This evocative country offers everything from rich history to exquisite cuisine, idyllic beaches, unique landscapes and charming, colourful cities. Discover the best Cuba has to offer with the complete itinerary encompassing sights related to its literary past and the revolution.
customize ⤍8 days / from1836 USD
Highlights of Cuba: Havana, Trinidad and Cienfuegos
Discover the charismatic country of Cuba. Begin in the iconic city of Havana, where you'll explore the old town, and enjoy a classic car tour! Head into the country, to Viñales and then Trinidad, the former centre of Cuba's sugar production. Continue to the Bay of Pigs, then return to Havana.
customize ⤍8 days / from1585 USD
Western Skyline Ride
Saddle up and enjoy a week-long cycling holiday through Western Cuba. Cycle through the countryside visiting Las Terrazas and the tobacco fields of Viñales via the spectacular Skyline Trail.
customize ⤍5 days / from1062 USD
Havana: History and Hemingway
Havana is like nowhere else on earth: the jewel in Cuba's crown effortlessly blends dishevelled beauty with risqué and vibrant charm. Spend a few days exploring Havana, including the old town, Ernest Hemingway's favourite cigar smoke-filled jazz club, and a tour of the city in a classic car!
customize ⤍10 days / from2320 USD
Cuba: A Feast for the Senses
Welcome to Cuba, an unbeatable bucket-list destination that is a feast for all the senses. This trip will take you beyond Havana's city limits, with its cigar smoke-filled jazz bars, to discover other towns, rural villages and plantations across Cuba, not to mention the idyllic Varadero Beach.
customize ⤍17 days / from3593 USD
Mi Cuba Linda
Your journey starts and ends in Havana, with stops in Viñales, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad in between. Staying at Casa Particulares and dining at private restaurants allows an authentic peek into Cuban life. The grand finale awaits at an all-inclusive resort in Cayo Santa Maria, promising relaxation.
customize ⤍Housed in an old peanut oil factory in Vedado and decked out with sleek lines, minimal shades and multiple rooms, Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC) follows the tried and tested route of counter-culture colonization of industrial spaces that has transformed Shoreditch, Berlin and New York’s Meatpacking District. Yet despite the cosmopolitan air, from the contemporary art displayed in the gallery space upstairs to bands playing in the rooms downstairs, FAC is quintessentially Cuban. A night here might involve sipping cocktails on the moonlit patio, watching a local theatre company, listening to classical music – or the latest Cuban hip-hop artists – or letting loose at a weekend club night.
Inspired by our list of things to do in Havana? Take a look at our new tailor-made travel service. We've partnered with local experts who can take care of the entire planning process of your trip for you.
Also known as the Patio Areito or the Patio EGREM, this small but authentic music venue belongs to the inauspicious recording studios of the country’s most renowned record label, EGREM. A patio bar leads into a rather plain performance room where a different band or soloist play every evening. Expect anything from trova and son to rumba and hip-hop. El Jelengue de Areito, San Miguel no.410 e/ Campanario y Lealtad, Centro Habana. Tel: 862 0673.
Havana Super Tours run themed tours, all in vintage American cars, including an Art Deco Tour, a Hemingway Tour and a Mob Tour, tracing the history of the Mafia in pre-revolutionary Havana. Run by the irrepressible Luis Miguel and his team, tour prices start at $35–40CUC per person for three-hour trips, with a minimum of two people and a maximum of six per tour.
Antique and art dealers can be found all over the city since the Cuban government lifted many of its economic restrictions, but Memorias Animas is a real diamond. Though many of the vintage posters and photographs here are reproductions, they are excellent quality. You’ll struggle to find the same copies anywhere else. There are tonnes of originals too and the little shop is heaving with pre-revolutionary memorabilia. You'll find Cuban beer and cigar adverts, chocolate box covers, Cuban and American 1950s magazines. What's more, the store also has postcards from around the world and old photos of Havana.
The Casa de las Américas is housed in a dove-grey Art Deco building inlaid with panes of deep blue glass on Avenida de los Presidentes. It was established as a cultural institute in 1959 by the revolutionary heroine Haydee Santamaría. Her goal was to promote the arts, history and politics of the Americas. Today it hosts regular conferences, musical performances and talks, many of which are open to the general public. Outside of these events, visitors must stay in three restricted places. First, the bookshop. Second, the ground-floor reception area that sometimes hosts small art exhibitions. Third, and most worthwhile of all, the lovely little Galería Latinoamericana on the first floor.
In the middle of an attractive park in Vedado dotted with weeping figs and rubber trees is Havana’s mighty ice-cream emporium, Coppelia. This location is the flagship branch of this national chain. Looking like a giant space pod atop a podium, the multi-chamber restaurant was designed by Mario Girona in 1966. His aim was to create an eating place with prices within the reach of every Cuban. Serving over a thousand customers a day, it’s a city institution, hugely popular with locals. Many regularly wait in line for over an hour for their treats. Cuban film buffs will recognize the park from the opening scenes of Tomás Gutiérrez Alea’s seminal 1993 film, Fresa y Chocolate. Coppelia, Calle 23 esq. L. Tel: 7 832 6184.
In the northeastern corner of Plaza Vieja, where Mercaderes crosses Brasil, is the Cámara Oscura. This unusual museum offers a captivating ten-minute tour of Habana Vieja and the bay through a 360-degree-rotating telescopic lens. It's definitely one of the most unique things to do in Havana. The museum is located at the top of the seven-storey Gómez Vila building, built in 1933 and one of only two post-colonial edifices on the square. The impressive piece of kit can pick out sights and scenes from all over the old city in close detail.
written by Rachel Lawrence
updated 18.02.2019
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