A Journey through Cuba

Arrival
On arrival at the airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel in a classic American car.

Havana, Cuba's colourful capital, is like no other place on earth. The minute you step outside the airport you will know exactly what we are talking about - the classic American cars, the cobbled streets, the fading, peeling paintwork, we guarantee that Havana will be one of the major highlights of your adventure.

Old & New Tour City Tour
Today you will get acquainted with Cuba's capital city by taking a guided walking tour through the crumbling splendour of the UNESCO World Heritage listed site, Habana Vieja (Old Havana). Wars and revolution have done little to damage its heritage, making it one of the finest examples of a Spanish colonial city anywhere in the Americas.

You will first enjoy a short walking tour around Old Havana including its most important squares and fortresses. You will then be picked up at the Plaza de Armas in your chauffeur-driven, classic American car for a scenic drive along the Malecón seafront to the elegant suburb of Miramar with a stop at Revolution Square. Finally we include a traditional Cuban lunch, a visit to the Ernest Hemingway museum and drop you off at your hotel.

This evening is at your leisure. You might want to consider taking in a cabaret show at Havana's famous Tropicana nightclub, which boasts more than two hundred performers, a fabulous orchestra and astonishing acrobatic feats.

Lunch included.

Havana to Vinales
Today we'll travel into the Pinar del Rio province in the west of Cuba, and to the small town of Viñales, which possesses some of Cuba's most dramatic landscapes and is the world's best tobacco growing region. This beautiful, fertile valley is surrounded by unusual limestone outcrops known as ‘Mogotes'. A visit here is a great way of gaining an insight into rural Cuban life.

In transit from Havana, you will enjoy a visit to a working tobacco farm where you will learn about the lifestyle of local peasants as well as about the growing of tobacco. In Viñales, we include a visit to the ‘Mural de Prehistorica' where a history of evolution is painted in bright colours on the side of a Mogote and an underground boat ride in the ‘Cueva del Indio', one of Viñales many fascinating caves.

The afternoon is at your leisure and you'll find an abundance of opportunities for the outdoor enthusiast such as horse riding and hiking.

Breakfast and Lunch included.

Travel to Las Terrazas
You will depart Vinales today and head towards Las Terrazas. Your first stop along the way will be Soroa where you will visit the famous fall and the orchid garden. Covering 3.5 hectares, this is one of the largest orchid gardens in the world and the main attraction in the region. You will then continue on to Las Terrazas, a UNESCO listed Biosphere Reserve. You will have the opportunity to stroll around the Community of Artists and visit an ancient French coffee plantation which nowadays houses a museum and restaurant.

Breakfast included.

Travel to Bay of Pigs & Cienfuegos
This morning you will depart from your hotel in Las Terrazas and head towards the central regions of Cuba. You will first make a short stop in Guama then continue along the legendary Bay of Pigs where you will stop for a break. Whilst here you have the opportunity to take a swim in the crystal clear waters before continuing on to your destination, Cienfuegos. Australian's may be interested to stop in a small town along the way called Australia.

Upon arrival into Cienfuegos you will embark upon a city tour where you will enjoy the French colonial flair that is strewn throughout the city. Upon conclusion of the tour you will be taken to your hotel.

Breakfast included.

Travel to Trinidad
This morning we'll transfer you to the town of Trinidad, which is often referred to as the Soul of Cuba.

On arrival, we'll include a walking tour of the main sights of the city. The city was founded in 1514 by the Spanish conquistador Diego Velasquez and became a major centre for trading sugar and slaves for almost two hundred years. The wealth generated by the landowners during this region's dark past is reflected by the well restored colonial architecture found in Trinidad's colonial centre, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

After further walking the cobble stoned colonial heart of Trinidad, you should consider a drive out to Playa Ancón for beach time and perhaps even some scuba diving. Tonight we recommend you check out Casa de la Musica for some salsa dancing, before heading to the Disco Ayala, set in a cave.

Breakfast included.

Free Day
Free day at leisure. Guide and transportation at disposition for Trinidad and surroundings.

Breakfast included.

Travel to Sancti Spiritus & Camaguey
Your first stop today will be the city of Sancti Spiritus which despite having a wonderful colonial heart is well off the Cuban tourist trail. After lunch and a tour of the city you'll head to Camaguey, the third largest city in Cuba and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The city was founded in 1515 on the coast but was moved inland 13 years later after almost continuous attacks by pirates. The new city was built with a confusing layout of winding alleys that made it easier to defend from any raiders and you'll delight in the many blind alleys and forked streets that lead off to squares and plazas of different sizes. However, there is a different version of history that says that the city was built in this way simply because there was no proper town planning done at the time!

You’ll be given a guided tour of all the main sights of the city before enjoying free time in the evening.

Breakfast included.

Bayamo, El Cobre & Santiago de Cuba
Today you will travel further east, your first stop being Bayamo where national hero Manuel Cespedes started the fight for freedom from the Spanish crown at the end of the 19th century. The city characterised by it's horse-drawn carriages is also the place where the Cuban national anthem "La Bayamesa" was composed. You will then continue on to "El Cobre" located in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra. In the later afternoon you will arrive at Santiago de Cuba, a melting pot of different cultures and city of music where the Cuban Son was born.

Breakfast included.

City Tour
Santiago de Cuba has a fascinating history (for 67 years it was actually the capital of Cuba) and there are numerous sights both in and around the city which you’ll visit during a comprehensive tour of Santiago and its surrounding areas. During the Cuban Revolution the city was a hotbed of guerrilla activity and among the places you’ll visit are the Moncada Barracks which was attacked in 1953 by revolutionaries led by a young Fidel Castro in what was his first ever military operation. But perhaps the highlight of your city tour will be El Morro Castle that overlooks the bay and which is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as “the most complete, best-preserved example of Spanish-American military architecture, bases on Italian and Renaissance design principles”.

In the afternoon explore the historic centre by foot including the most important sightseeing points: Parque Cespedes, Casa Velaquez, Museum of Carenval, Calle Heredia and Plaza Dolores.

Breakfast and Lunch included.

Travel to Gibara
Today we'll set off for Gibara, approximately 3 hours drive away. Every traveller's favourite, Gibara la Perla Hermosa, this lovely pearl of a town is a small, charming and quiet cocoon by the sea, wrapped by hills and woven with culture.

On arrival in Gibara you'll have some free time to explore.

Breakfast included.

Travel to Guardalavaca
After breakfast we will have the morning at leisure to explore Gibara. Later you'll continue on to the white sandy beaches and warm waters of Guardalavaca where you'll have dinner at your all-inclusive resort.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.

Day at Leisure
Today is a free day at the beach during which you can enjoy the warm turquoise water (we suggest trying some snorkelling or maybe a catamaran trip – or perhaps even swimming with dolphins!) and make use of all the services and facilities provided by your all-inclusive resort.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.

Departure from Holguin Airport
Our representative will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your departure flight.

Breakfast included.