Tour overview

This 9-day upgraded small-group tour combines Havana with the countryside and colonial towns of western and central Cuba. Groups have no more than 12 travellers aged 15 and over, with a local leader throughout. You travel by private vehicle and stay in a characterful hotel in Havana and in premium guesthouses, with large en suite rooms and air-conditioning, in the rest of the island. Breakfast is included daily, with 3 lunches and 3 dinners, and tips for hotels, activities and transport are covered, along with an arrival airport transfer. The trip is otherwise land-only, starting and ending in Havana.

Havana begins in style, with a tour in a convoy of classic American cars along the Malecón to Revolution Square and Vedado, then a leader-led walk through the colonial squares of Old Havana. Heading west, you visit a fruit workshop set up to help with food shortages and the orchid garden at Soroa before two nights in Viñales, a valley of tobacco fields and limestone mogotes. A guided walk takes you to a tobacco farmhouse where cigars are still made by hand, and you join a salsa class and a farm-to-table dinner at an eco-farm above the valley.

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Crossing the island, you stop at the Bay of Pigs for lunch and a swim in its clear water, then spend the night in Cienfuegos, a French-founded city of neoclassical buildings on a wide bay. Trinidad, a UNESCO-listed colonial town of cobbled streets and pastel houses, gets two nights, with a walking tour, a homely dinner with a local family and a free day for the beach at Playa Ancón or the town's live music.

On the way back to Havana, you take in the view over the Valle de los Ingenios, the old sugar-plantation valley, with a drink in hand, and visit Santa Clara, where the Che Guevara mausoleum and memorial stand, with lunch included. A final night in Havana gives time to enjoy the city's music and bars.

The physical rating is low, with some long travel days. This trip suits travellers who want to see Cuba's highlights in comfort, with better rooms than a typical guesthouse tour and a small group.

Trip highlights

  • A classic-car tour of Havana and a walk through Old Havana (Day 2)
  • Tobacco farms and a farm-to-table dinner in Viñales (Day 4)
  • A swim at the Bay of Pigs (Day 5)
  • Colonial Trinidad and dinner with a local family (Days 6–7)
  • The Valle de los Ingenios viewpoint (Day 8)
  • Che Guevara's mausoleum in Santa Clara (Day 8)

Your route

7 stops from Havana to Santa Clara

9-day route: Havana – Soroa – Viñales – Bay of Pigs – Cienfuegos – Trinidad – Santa Clara – Havana
  1. Havana Days 1–2 & 8–9
  2. Soroa Day 3
  3. Viñales Days 3–4
  4. Bay of Pigs Day 5
  5. Cienfuegos Day 5
  6. Trinidad Days 6–7
  7. Santa Clara Day 8

Why choose this tour

Premium guesthouses with large, air-conditioned en suite rooms, and tips included. A good balance of Havana, the countryside, the coast and colonial towns in nine days.

Best suited to

  • First-time visitors to Cuba
  • Travellers who want comfortable rooms in a country where good ones are scarce
  • Music and dance lovers
  • Anyone interested in Cuban history and culture
The Old Square in Old Havana from above

Day-by-day itinerary

9 days from Havana, Cuba to Havana, Cuba

  1. Day 1 · Havana Arrive in Havana

    You are met at the airport and taken to your hotel in Havana. Meet your leader and group at 6pm, followed by a welcome dinner.

    Hotel
    Grand Muthu Havana or similar
    Meals
    Dinner
  2. Day 2 · Malecón, Revolution Square, Old Havana Havana by classic car

    Tour Havana in a convoy of classic American cars along the Malecón, through Vedado and to Revolution Square. Then walk through Old Havana's colonial squares and streets with your leader. The evening is free for music and mojitos.

    Hotel
    Grand Muthu Havana or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  3. Day 3 · Soroa, Viñales Soroa to Viñales

    Visit a small workshop making dried fruit without sugar or preservatives, set up to help with food shortages. Tour the orchid garden at Soroa, then continue to Viñales, a valley of tobacco fields and limestone hills.

    Hotel
    Premium guesthouse
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  4. Day 4 · Viñales Valley Viñales

    Walk through the Viñales farmlands to a tobacco farmhouse, where cigars are still made by hand. Join a salsa class, then enjoy a farm-to-table dinner at an eco-farm with views over the valley.

    Hotel
    Premium guesthouse
    Meals
    Breakfast, Dinner
  5. Day 5 · Bay of Pigs, Cienfuegos Bay of Pigs to Cienfuegos

    A long travel day back past Havana to the Bay of Pigs, with lunch and time to swim in its clear water, before arriving in Cienfuegos, a French-founded city on a wide bay.

    Hotel
    Premium guesthouse
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  6. Day 6 · Cienfuegos, Trinidad Cienfuegos to Trinidad

    A free morning in Cienfuegos, then drive to Trinidad for a walking tour of its cobbled streets and colonial architecture. In the evening, share a homely dinner with a local family, with a canchánchara, the town's traditional drink.

    Hotel
    Premium guesthouse
    Meals
    Breakfast, Dinner
  7. Day 7 · Trinidad, Playa Ancón Free day in Trinidad

    A free day to explore Trinidad's museums and plazas, head to the beach at Playa Ancón for swimming and snorkelling, or enjoy the live music in the town's open-air venues in the evening.

    Hotel
    Premium guesthouse
    Meals
    Breakfast
  8. Day 8 · Valle de los Ingenios, Santa Clara, Havana Valle de los Ingenios and Santa Clara

    Stop for a drink at a viewpoint over the Valle de los Ingenios, once lined with sugar plantations. Visit Santa Clara and the Che Guevara mausoleum and memorial, with lunch included, then return to Havana.

    Hotel
    Grand Muthu Havana or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast, Lunch
  9. Day 9 · Havana Trip ends in Havana

    The trip ends after breakfast. Havana has much more to see, so a few extra nights are recommended and can be arranged when you book.

    Meals
    Breakfast
The Viñales Valley and its limestone hills, Cuba

Where you stay

  • Havana (2 nights) Grand Muthu Havana or similar
  • Viñales (2 nights) Premium guesthouse
  • Cienfuegos (1 night) Premium guesthouse
  • Trinidad (2 nights) Premium guesthouse
  • Havana (1 night) Grand Muthu Havana or similar

Hotel names are indicative and may be replaced with a property of similar standard and location.

What's included

Included

  • Accommodation 8 nights in a Havana hotel and premium guesthouses
  • Meals 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners, including a welcome dinner, a farm-to-table dinner and dinner with a family in Trinidad
  • Transport private vehicle, a classic-car tour in Havana and an arrival airport transfer
  • Guided visits Revolution Square, Old Havana, Soroa orchid garden, a Viñales valley walk and tobacco farm, a salsa class, the Bay of Pigs, Trinidad, the Valle de los Ingenios and Santa Clara
  • Tips for hotels, activities and transport
  • Local leader throughout

Not included

  • International flights to and from Havana
  • Departure transfer
  • Cuba tourist card or visa
  • Meals not listed and optional activities
  • Single supplement, travel insurance (required) and personal spending
A colonial street in Trinidad, Cuba

This trip might not be for you if…

Honest disclaimer — please read

  • You want flights included — they are not
  • You want a beach resort holiday — this is a touring trip
  • You need a lift — many guesthouses have stairs
  • You want most meals included — 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners

Good to know

FCDO advice UK FCDO travel advice for Cuba
A historic building with a red dome in Cienfuegos, Cuba

In pictures

Departures & prices

From £2,610 per person, twin share, tour only. 16 upcoming departures.

Frequently asked questions

How do I book this tour?

Tap any "Enquire" button on the page and one of our travel specialists will be in touch within 24 hours (often same day). We'll confirm availability on your preferred date, run through anything you need to know, and only ask for the deposit once you've decided.

What financial protection do I get?

Every Travelisto booking is 100% financially protected. Your money is held in a ring-fenced Trust account until you return from your trip, and we are members of the Protected Trust Services scheme (PTS 6035). Most tours also include ATOL protection where flights are part of the package.

What are the premium guesthouses like?

Family-run casas with large rooms, en suite bathrooms, air-conditioning, good mattresses and cotton linens. Stairs are common, and some properties have generators for Cuba's power cuts.

Are tips included?

Yes. Tips for accommodation, included activities and transport are covered. Tipping your leader is at your discretion.

Do I need a visa?

You need a Cuban tourist card, or e-visa, arranged before you travel, and travel insurance is compulsory for entry to Cuba.

Can I swim on this trip?

Yes, at the Bay of Pigs on Day 5 and at Playa Ancón near Trinidad on the free day.

What meals are included?

8 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners, including a welcome dinner in Havana, a farm-to-table dinner in Viñales and dinner with a local family in Trinidad.

How active is the trip?

The physical rating is low. There is a gentle walk through the Viñales farmlands and city walking on cobbled streets, with some long travel days.

Can you tailor the trip?

Yes — every escorted tour can be modified into a private tailor-made version with your own dates, adjusted pace, upgraded hotels and add-on extensions. Tell us what you'd like changed when you enquire and we'll quote it both ways so you can compare.

What if my flight is delayed or cancelled?

If your international flight is part of your booking through us, we re-book at no cost. If you've booked flights separately, the tour's local team holds your transfer slot until you arrive. We strongly recommend a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes delay and cancellation cover.

ATOL protected 100% financially protected in a Trust bank account PTS 6035 4.7 on Trustpilot
Tailor-made option

Not quite the right fit? Make it tailor-made.

If this group tour doesn't match your ideal trip, our specialists will turn it into a private tailor-made journey — your own dates, your own pace, upgraded hotels where you want them, and the parts you don't love swapped out. Same destinations, just rebuilt around you.

Contact us for a tailor-made version of this itinerary

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