Cuba's classic pairing starts with three nights in Old Havana, a UNESCO-listed grid of colonial squares, faded mansions and music spilling out of bars. Ride along the Malecón in a 1950s convertible, visit the Museum of the Revolution and the Capitolio, and spend an evening at a paladar, one of the family-run restaurants that serve the city's best food, before heading out for live son music.
Then it is two and a half hours by road to Varadero, a 20-kilometre strip of fine white sand on the Hicacos Peninsula with shallow, clear water. Seven nights all-inclusive leave plenty of time to swim and relax, with day trips to Matanzas, the caves at Saturno or a catamaran to Cayo Blanco if you want to explore.
🚗 About 2h 30m by private road transfer to Varadero
2
Varadero Nights 4–10
Long white beach, all-inclusive
✈ Fly home to the UK
Where you stay
Priced with these hotels or similar. Want a different hotel? Your Travel Designer will re-price it for you.
Stop 1 · Havana · 3 nights
Gran Hotel Bristol La Habana or similar
★★★★★
Old Havana's four main squares, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de Armas, Plaza de San Francisco and Plaza de la Catedral, are all within a short walk. Three nights is enough for a walking tour, a classic car ride to Vedado and the Malecón, and evenings of live music.
Bed & breakfast
Art deco building in Old Havana, close to the Capitolio
Rooftop pool with city views
Upgrade ideas: Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski · Iberostar Grand Packard
Stop 2 · Varadero · 7 nights
Sol Caribe Beach or similar
★★★★
Varadero runs along the Hicacos Peninsula, with about 20 kilometres of white sand and calm, shallow sea. It is Cuba's main beach resort, with easy day trips to Matanzas and the offshore cays.
All inclusive
Directly on Varadero beach, on Avenida de las Américas
Family-friendly, with kids' and teens' areas
Adults can choose the neighbouring Sol Varadero Beach instead
Upgrade ideas: Meliá Internacional Varadero · Paradisus Princesa del Mar
Prices & seasons
Prices for this trip change with the season and availability. Tell us your dates and a Travel Designer will send you today's price.
Best time to go: November to April is Cuba's dry season, warm and sunny with lower humidity. May to October is hotter and wetter, and the Caribbean hurricane season runs from June to November, peaking in September and October.
Day-by-day itinerary
A suggested plan. Change anything.
1
Day 1 · Havana
Fly to Havana
Fly from London to Havana, usually via Madrid or Paris, and transfer to your hotel in Old Havana for your first evening in the city.
2–3
Days 2–3 · Havana
Old Havana and the Malecón
Walk the old town's squares, visit the Capitolio and the Museum of the Revolution, and take a classic car along the Malecón to Vedado. We can arrange guided walks and a salsa lesson.
4
Day 4 · Varadero
Transfer to Varadero
Drive east along the coast to Varadero, about two and a half hours, and check in to your all-inclusive hotel on the beach.
5–10
Days 5–10 · Varadero
Beach days
Swim and relax on Varadero beach, or join a catamaran to Cayo Blanco, a trip to colonial Matanzas or a swim in the Saturno cave.
11
Day 11 · Varadero
Fly home
Transfer to Varadero or Havana airport for your flight back to the UK, arriving the next day.
About 140 kilometres, or two and a half hours by road. We include a private transfer between the two hotels.
Do I need a visa for Cuba?
British passport holders need a Cuban tourist card (now available as an e-visa) and proof of travel insurance. You also complete an online arrival form before you fly.
Can I use cards in Cuba?
Card acceptance is limited and US-issued cards do not work. Most visitors take euros or pounds in cash for spending outside the hotel. We will send up-to-date advice before you travel.
Can I add Viñales or Trinidad?
Yes. Two nights in the Viñales valley for tobacco farms, or in colonial Trinidad on the south coast, fit well between Havana and the beach.
Make it yours
Change the hotels, the nights or the order, or add a third stop. A Travel Designer replies within a few hours.
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