Your holiday summary

Holiday type Tours
Country Cuba
Travel type Fly
Price range From £1659
Travel partner Travel Editions
Duration 10 nights
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0330 333 6761

Cuba

You'll love this tour if you like: Unique culture and distinctive local character, Vintage cars, Crumbling colonial architecture, Fascinating history, Music - wonderful Cuban sounds are everywhere!

Locked in a time warp since the 1950s, Cuba is on the verge of change making now the perfect time to visit before its distinctive character is eroded.

Our tour, designed to offer a flavour of the authentic Cuba, takes in some of the main architectural and scenic highlights including the faded colonial grandeur of Havana, Cienfuegos and Trinidad, Las Terrazas Eco Reserve, and the Vinales Valley tobacco-growing region. Accommodation is in typical Cuban hotels throughout, offering decent and authentic accommodation far from the "all inclusive" package hotels that proliferate here. Flights are with Virgin's excellent service direct from Gatwick to Havana. No tour to Cuba is complete without music, which is heard everywhere, and our final night is a dinner at the renowned Cafe Oriente with live musical accompaniment.

Included

  • Return scheduled flights with Virgin Atlantic from Gatwick to Havana (premium economy available at a supplement - see below)
  • 3 nights' accommodation including breakfast at Sevilla or Nacional Hotel, Havana
  • 3 nights' accommodation including breakfast at Moka Hotel, Las Terrazas OR Los Jazmines/La Ermita Hotels, Vinales Valley
  • 3 nights' accommodation including breakfast at Union or Jagua Hotel, Cienfuegos
  • 1 nights' accommodation including breakfast at Sevilla or Nacional Hotel, Havana Dinner at Las Domenicas, Havana
  • One dinner at Moka/Los Jazmines/La Ermita Hotel
  • One dinner at Union/Jagua Hotel
  • One dinner at Palacio del Valle restaurant, Cienfuegos
  • Farewell dinner at Cafe Oriente, Havana
  • Full touring itinerary as detailed including entrance fees as required
  • Tour manager throughout
Not included

  • Cuban departure tax, payable locally (currently £25)
  • Cuban tourist card (in lieu of a visa) payable prior to departure to Travel Editions (currently £15)
  • Single room supplement Holiday insurance
  • Upgrade to premium economy, subject to availability and confirmation at the time of booking (approximately £450-£550)
  • Meals other than those stated
  • Items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls etc
  • Porterage and gratuities
Day 1 – Havana
On arrival into Havana, the group will be met and transferred by air–conditioned coach to the 4-star Sevilla Hotel, located within a very short walk of Old Havana. Dinner this evening is included at La Dominica Italian restaurant (transfers provided).

Day 2 – Havana
After a leisurely breakfast we will depart from the hotel for a walking tour of Old Havana. There will be the chance to absorb the atmosphere of the narrow cobblestone streets of Old Havana, flanked by old colonial buildings dating back as far as the 16th Century. The tour will also include a visit to the Havana Club rum museum with an opportunity to taste the various rums and the famous Partagas cigar factory to see how Cuba’s famous cigars are handmade by experts. The remainder of the day will be at leisure to explore.

Day 3 – Havana
Today we will continue the exploration of Havana, starting with an orientation tour of Havana. The first stop will be Revolution Square, a highly significant landmark in Havana which is overlooked by the famous Che Guevara Mural. A stop shall be made at the Jose Marti memorial and some time will be allowed for you to walk around the area before driving back to central Havana. A visit will also be paid to the impressive Museum of the Revolution housed in the former Presidential Palace where you will learn more about Cuba’s revolutionary history leading up to the present day. In addition there is also an area dedicated to the fascinating life of Ernesto “Che” Guevara.

Day 4 – Cienfuegos
After breakfast the group will leave for Cienfuegos, known as the “Pearl of the South,” and characterised by palaces and mansions overlooking a deep bay. After arriving into the city we will settle in at the hotel and enjoy dinner.

Day 5 – Cienfuegos
After breakfast, we will leave for Trinidad, a UNESCO heritage site and one of the best-preserved colonial cities in the world. The city is best explored by foot and the tour will include visits to The Romantic Museum, which depicts the lifestyle and architectural design of Trinidad’s colonial past. Enjoy traditional Cuban music at the Casa de la Trova, followed by a visit to La Canchanchara, an old house dating back to the 18th Century, where we can try the unique Trinidad rum cocktail, made with sugar cane juice. In the afternoon, there will also be some free time to explore the historic city independently. In the late afternoon we will return to Cienfuegos where dinner this evening will be taken in the elegant Palacio Del Valle restaurant situated in a former palace overlooking the bay.

Day 6 – Cienfuegos
After breakfast we will head to the city of Santa Clara the final resting place of “Che“ Guevara. On arrival we will visit the mausoleum and the museum dedicated to his extraordinary life, followed by a short orientation tour of the city including the train “Tren Blindado” that was attacked in the decisive moments of the Cuban Revolution. Early afternoon we will return to Cienfuegos where the remainder of the day will be free to explore.

Day 7 – Cienfuegos
After breakfast the group will leave for the Vinales Valley or Las Terrazas for check in to hotel for 3-night stay. Dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Day 8 – Vinales Valley
Today we will visit the picturesque Vinales Valley region, offering a unique look at Cuba’s main tobacco growing region. The area of Vinales Valley is characterized by rolling tropical countryside, fertile valleys and dramatic limestone flat topped mountains, known as “mogotes.” The lush tropical scenery is unlike anywhere else in the Caribbean. On arrival, there will be a subterranean boat ride through the limestone cave system of El Indio. After lunch, a visit will be made to the viewpoint of Los Jazmines, offering breathtaking photo opportunities of the valley. We will then transfer you to Vinales where you will have the chance to walk around this traditional rural Cuban village.

Day 9 – Las Terrazas / Vinales Valley
Today will be free to explore or relax at the hotel.

Day 10 – Havana
After a relaxing breakfast the group will start their return journey back to Havana, with arrival scheduled for mid-afternoon. Tonight there will be farewell dinner at Café Oriente where the inhouse musician will entertain you (small cost payable locally).

Day 11
Today will be free until the return transfer to Havana Airport to catch your flight back to London Gatwick.

Day 12
Arrival into London Gatwick.

NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour manager's discretion.

Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 25 passengers.
Typically we use the following hotels, though we do reserve the right to amend to hotels of similar or superior standard.

Please note that all ratings quoted are local and that standards of service in Cuba are can be far from those generally experienced in Europe and other more developed destinations. It is not uncommon for there to be shortages of hot water, particularly in rural areas, and this is occasionally part of the experience in travelling in this part of the world.

NACIONAL HOTEL, HAVANA
The Nacional Hotel is located in the center of Havana, on a hill and just a few meters from the sea which offers great views of the Havana Harbour. The Nacional Hotel is considered a symbol of history, culture and Cuban identity and was declared a National Monument and inscribed in the World Memory Register. Facilities at this well-appointed hotel include three restaurants, bar, swimming pool, and comfortable rooms with private bathroom, air conditioning, satellite TV, telephone, hairdryer and safe.

JAGUA HOTEL, CIENFUEGOS
The 4-star Jagua Hotel is located in the atmospheric Punta Gorda area of the city, next door to the Palacio del Valle restaurant. Facilities at this modern, well-appointed hotel include spacious pool area, two restaurants, nightly cabaret, bar and confortable rooms with balcony and sea-view, private bathroom, airconditioning, satellite TV, telephone and safe.

VINALES VALLEY LOS JAZMINES/LA ERMITA HOTELS
The hotel confirmed for this part of the itinerary may be at La Moka or the 2/3-star Los Jazmines or La Ermita Hotels, which both enjoy spectacular hilltop settings with views over the expanse of the Vinales Valley. Facilities at both include large pool with wonderful views over the valley, restaurant, bar and comfortable colonial-style rooms with terrace/balcony, satellite TV, air-conditioning and private bath or shower.

MOKA HOTEL, LAS TERRAZAS
The 3-star Moka Hotel is a small country hotel of just 26 rooms, located in Las Terrazas village within the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve. It is a delightful place to stay and relax with tropical gardens, swimming pool, tennis court and lovely walks in the immediate vicinity. Built in Spanish colonial style, facilities include bar, restaurant and comfortable air-conditioned bedrooms with private marble bathrooms and balcony, many with vaulted or brick ceilings. There are two or three restaurants nearby, though we do include dinner on the first night.
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Departure date Nights Price  
02-Dec-2013 10 1659.00 book
24-Feb-2014 10 1659.00 book
10-Mar-2014 10 1659.00 book
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A wonderful tour to an extraordinary and unique country. Thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating holiday – as a lone traveller I found others in the group very friendly and tour manager excellent.
Feb 2007
Cuba