Viva Cuba!
$2,995 - ($900 deposit to reserve)
An 8-day cultural journey into the beauty that is Havana, Trinidad and Viñales, Cuba
Our amigos Cubanos are waiting to give you a behind the scenes, totally localized tour of their home. We have put together a perfect week that combines all of the best elements of Cuba that is led by local entrepreneurs to guarantee that you will have access to the Cuba that tourists normally don’t get to experience.
From cruising the Malecón in Havana in a classic convertible to salsa dancing the night away in the plazas, we’ll be spending a week exploring all this beautiful island has to offer and THEN SOME! We’ll have private art gallery tours inside of a converted factory and architectural gems in Havana, wander through the music filled, cobblestone streets of colonial Trinidad and ride horseback through the lush tobacco fields of Viñales. It’s the perfect mix of city, beach, and countryside.
Let our amigos locales and artists show you Cuba through their colorful lens of food, music, culture and art. Discover how wonderful this mysterious island really is!
Price Includes:
Travel Visas (required to visit the country)
Seven nights in our charming Cuban B&Bs in Havana and Trinidad
Fresh daily breakfast in our B&Bs
Welcome lunch in a private home on the Bay of Pigs (jaw dropping required, swimming optional)
Locally guided art and gallery tours
Havana and Trinidad city tours
Tobacco farm tour on horseback and cigar rolling lesson
Nightly live music and dancing (optional but DO IT!)
Convertible car ride to cruise in STYLE
Organic farm visit, delicious 17 course farewell lunch and tour
Personal translator and driver
An authentic look into the lives and culture of the Cuban people
*All rooms are double occupancy unless single occupancy is requested at an additional fee
Price does not include:
Roundtrip flights (booking flights not your thing? we can handle it for ya. We’re also licensed travel agents)
Most lunches/dinner and alcoholic beverages (typically $10-20 per meal including drinks)
Baggage fees
Tips for our on the ground team
What we do!
History, art walks, and city tours
Stroll through untouched art deco buildings and brightly colored Havana streets with our favorite local guides. We’ve been doing this since 2015 so you bet we’ve made some fun friends to show us around!
Ride horseback through tobacco fields
We'll spend the day visiting a farm in Viñales where we'll have the best farm-to-table lunch and feel like a real cowboy on your stead as you ride through the farm after a cigar making lesson
Feast
We will be sampling the BEST food that the island has to offer like an authentic farm-to-table lunch on a beautiful farm with killer views.
Art and culture
In Trinidad we'll meet generations of pottery makers and while in Havana we'll peruse the vibrant Cuban art scene.
Sleepy yet?
We'll be staying at the cutest dang homestays all over Cuba. Enjoy your morning coffee right in this patio!
Cuba questions? We got the answers!
1) what’s included?
Almost everything! Not only do we take care of the not so fun stuff, like flights and on the ground transportation, but we always connect our travelers with beautiful, locally owned bed and breakfasts in Old Havana and Trinidad. Our “amigos locales” are the greatest trip hosts in the world who will show you around, salsa lessons to help you dance the night away, convertible car cruises along the famous Malecón, tour of the Fabrica de Arte Cubano, and an amazing fresh daily breakfast. We cover it all. You just have to cover some meals and the amazing souvenirs you’re going to bring back!
3) Is travel to Cuba still legal?
Heck yes it is! According to the Department of Treasury, you are still allowed to travel to Cuba with American tour operators (us) with proper licensing (also us) under the "support for the Cuban people" license. Don’t worry, we handle it all for you the visa process and cover the required Cuban health insurance, as well! Since we only work with local, small travel providers directly and NEVER government owned business, we meet the requirements for legal Cuban travel. PLUS, we’re paying these entrepreneurs directly for the amazing experiences that they provide. It's a WIN, WIN! We are very happy to keep providing legal, culturally immersive trips to the Cuba! Try and stop us!!
5) SO, JUST HAVANA?!
Other trips take you to Havana Only. But there’s much more to Cuba than just Havana – and we want you to experience it all. We will spend time traveling the east side of the island, with stops in the colonial town of Trinidad, a private lunch and swimming on the Bay of Pigs, the French town of Cienfuegos, the beautiful tobacco region of Viñales and all the oxcart countryside you can imagine! You get a little taste of all that Cuba has to offer.
7) Are Visas and airfare included?
Even though travel restrictions to Cuba are being lifted, it’s still not a place you can visit on the fly. You need a bunch of proper documentation – and we provide it all for you (fine print: you need a Visa, a reason for travel, Cuba travel insurance…bored yet?). Don’t worry about it – we’ve got you covered. And airfare is included in all our pricing, which makes things even that much more simple.
8) Is the country changing? Should I go now?
Yes and YES! While we DO believe that the change happening in Cuba is very necessary and important for the local people, the fact is it is changing very rapidly and the time to go is now! It's an incredible time in Cuban history.
2) What’s it really like there?
That is a very good question. Cuba is amazing, beautiful, complex and frustrating ALL rolled into one magical place. It is the most layered and beautiful complicated place we’ve ever had the pleasure of traveling to. The Cuban people are friendly and warm. The political situation over there is difficult, to say the least, and leaves a very interesting and hard to define social situation over there. Because of the difficulties in Cuba, our itineraires often adjust in “real time” and we have to go with a “plan B”. Things don’t function the same in Cuba but we always ensure that we do everything in our power to ensure the trip goes smoothly. One thing I can promise, we will not only show you the tourist and glossed over parts of Cuba but rather give our travelers and in depth look at many layers of Cuban life. We promise not to sugar coat anything and we will show you an authentic look at Cuba.
4) so group travel, eh??
We know what you’re thinking…am I going to like traveling with people I don’t know?? We have been doing this for the past 7 years now and the answer, every time, is YES! When else as an adult can you meet a group of people all with one very major thing in common, the love of travel?! We have introduced a ton of new best friends, romantic relationships, a couple who is applying for a fiancé visa and even an engagement. We forget in this technology filled day and age that people like being around people. Also, there is plenty of time for relaxing and solo time built into our itinerary in case you need to recharge! We’ve got all the angles covered.
6) What makes Coast to Costa "experts" on Cuba??
What makes us experts on the island is that we have organized over 65 trips in the last five years and we have gathered an AMAZING team of amigos who are professional guides, drivers, translators, tobacco rollers, mojito makers etc. to ensure that we will make your experience in Cuba the MOST authentic, local experience you can get. Also, everyone on our team speaks fluent Spanish so we can explain all the aspects of visiting the country! You want to make sure you’re traveling with the best of the best, and that you’re interacting with the locals. We know the secret recipe, and we tweak and refine it every time we visit – to give you an experience that is eye-opening and lotsa fun, but also safe and smooth. You want to make sure you’re going with someone who knows how to navigate this colorful, but sometimes tricky destination. That’s us!
9) Are Cuban people at all "anti- American"?
Quite the opposite! They are very happy to meet and try to speak English with all of us Americans. They are friendly, outgoing, kind and warm. They feel like the embargo and any bad feelings will be left between our governments and is something that has nothing to do with the people! They are happy to interact with us so be a good ambassador!
You want more, huh?
We got you. Check out photos from some of our past trips:
