Cuba cultural vacation

Our bestselling tour of Cuba has local people at its core giving you a real insider’s experience. Guided by native Cubans who will show you the best local paladars and producers, staying at local family casas each night.
Havana tour in classic car Cienfuegos Bay of Pigs Trinidad Santa Clara Che Guevara Mausoleum Playa Ancon Viñales Homestays Optional: tobacco farm, trekking and cycling, snorkelling, scuba diving
Price
690To1115 excluding flights
Duration
8 Days
Type
Small group
Group size
Up to 15 people
Reviews
More info
8 days / 7 nights Group Size: Min 1 / Max 15 Cuban B&B Style accommodation - Standard, Upgraded or Superior Ensuite bathrooms and air-conditioning) 7 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch & 1 Dinner Return Airport Transfers Private Air-conditioned Transportation
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Description of Cuba cultural vacation

Price information

690To1115 excluding flights
8 days / 7 nights Group Size: Min 1 / Max 15 Cuban B&B Style accommodation - Standard, Upgraded or Superior Ensuite bathrooms and air-conditioning) 7 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch & 1 Dinner Return Airport Transfers Private Air-conditioned Transportation
Make enquiry

Check dates

2024: 11 Feb, 18 Feb, 25 Feb, 3 Mar, 10 Mar, 17 Mar, 24 Mar, 31 Mar, 7 Apr, 14 Apr, 21 Apr, 28 Apr, 5 May, 12 May, 19 May, 26 May, 2 Jun, 9 Jun, 16 Jun, 23 Jun, 30 Jun, 7 Jul, 14 Jul, 21 Jul, 28 Jul, 4 Aug, 11 Aug, 18 Aug, 25 Aug, 1 Sep, 8 Sep, 15 Sep, 22 Sep, 29 Sep, 6 Oct, 13 Oct, 20 Oct, 27 Oct, 3 Nov, 10 Nov, 17 Nov, 24 Nov, 1 Dec, 8 Dec, 15 Dec, 22 Dec, 29 Dec

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Vacation information

Our top tip:
Read up on Cuba's fascinating history before you arrive - you'll gain a much deeper understanding of its people, culture and daily challenges.
Trip type:
Small group, 2-15 people. No minimum age.
Activity level:
Moderate.
Accomm:
Homestays (casas particulares). Option of hotel in Havana.
Solos:
Solo travelers welcome, small single supplement for a private room
Included:
Accomm., transport, airport transfer on arrival, local bilingual guide. $400-$550 recommended to cover extra meals and costs.
Meals:
All breakfasts, 2 lunches.

Reviews

80 Reviews of Cuba cultural vacation

4.5 out of 5 stars
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Reviewed on 01 Jan 2024 by

8/10 Read full review

Reviewed on 30 May 2023 by

We had such a positive experience that we hope to come back in the future. We fully recommend this company and tour to everyone who wants an authentic experience of Cuba! Read full review

Reviewed on 30 May 2023 by

I rate it 10/10. Read full review

Reviewed on 23 Jan 2023 by

Seriously everything was fantastic. Dayana is an awesome guide and our group got along famously. Read full review

Reviewed on 02 Jan 2023 by

It was a wonderful and very worthwhile experience. Read full review

Reviewed on 22 Oct 2023 by

It was great and unforgettable. The entire country is memorable and the different areas all have their charm. My guide was also very knowledgeable and a real nice guy. Read full review

Reviewed on 09 Nov 2022 by

I think this tour offered the highlights of the amazing historical and current day Cuba while simultaneously demonstrating the struggles that the people go through. Read full review

Reviewed on 01 Apr 2020 by

I would not hesitate to recommend traveling with this company. They really know Cuba and our guide was 200% good. Read full review

Reviewed on 24 Mar 2020 by

Off the scale! Six Stars ****** I love my vacations and this one is right up there! More than a vacation an experience that will last a lifetime. Read full review

Reviewed on 24 Feb 2020 by

All of the tours and the narrative from Pedro were at a level that treated us like intelligent learners and not just tourists. Read full review

Reviewed on 22 Feb 2020 by

5*, couldn't fault a thing. Our guide Yaniel was friendly, efficient, incredible at breaking down the history in a way we could all easily understand and we would have be absolutely lost without him when it came to finding a nice restaurants. Read full review

Reviewed on 17 Feb 2020 by

The most memorable part of the vacation was meeting and talking to the Cubans Read full review

Reviewed on 09 Feb 2020 by

All the trip was well organised and remarkable. Read full review

Reviewed on 07 Feb 2020 by

The most memorable part of the vacation was having an excellent private guide with thorough knowledge of the history and culture of Cuba brought our vacation to life. Read full review

Reviewed on 15 Jan 2020 by

Absolutely wonderful! I love this company and would travel again in Cuba with them! The price is right also Read full review

Reviewed on 19 Dec 2019 by

The walk-around tours were such a great way for us to learn the essentials of each city, the optional activities added a lot of great memories, and our tour guide Oscar was phenomenal. Read full review

Reviewed on 12 Dec 2019 by

I would highly recommend this tour to anyone considering travel to Cuba. 5 stars!!!! Read full review

Reviewed on 07 Dec 2019 by

5 stars!! *****A reliable tour company that looks out for the needs of others. Read full review

Reviewed on 28 Nov 2019 by

Profoundly enjoyed the tour Read full review

Reviewed on 05 Nov 2019 by

Excellent. Very well organised and we experienced everything the brochure promised. Read full review

Reviewed on 08 Oct 2019 by

Staying in casas particulares, with the opportunity to meet people and have a peek into how they live was a big highlight for me. Read full review

Reviewed on 29 Sep 2019 by

The most exciting part of the vacation was riding the old car around Havana City. Read full review

Reviewed on 22 Aug 2019 by

The most memorable parts of the vacation were staying at casas, visiting Trinidad and discussing politics with my guide who could answer all my questions. Read full review

Reviewed on 04 May 2019 by

We had many exciting times like swimming beneath the waterfall in rural Cuba, the swimming in the Caribbean Sea and the Bay of Pigs and our salsa lesson. Read full review

Reviewed on 28 Apr 2019 by

It was a wonderful trip! The food was amazing everywhere and we had the best tour guide. We went to 4 destinations in Cuba and particularly loved Vienales with the mogotes mountains. Read full review

Reviewed on 24 Apr 2019 by

It's always nice to visit 3rd world countries. It gives you a greater appreciation for what you have in your own country. Read full review

Reviewed on 12 Apr 2019 by

The Cuba immersion tour was a life changer for me. I loved how we met the local folks and supported the local economies. It was THE best vacation ever. Read full review

Reviewed on 18 Mar 2019 by

I really enjoyed the tour. Would definitely book with you again. Read full review

Reviewed on 05 Mar 2019 by

Very nice, a definite must visit for travelers Read full review

Reviewed on 28 Feb 2019 by

We thought the most memorable part of our tour was staying in the casa particulars. We've travelled quite a bit but this was the first time we felt that we got to know how the locals lived. Read full review

Reviewed on 04 Feb 2019 by

The most memorable part of the vacation was my 1st mountain zip line (at 75 y.o.) and swimming into a cave under a waterfall. Go! Cuba is beautiful and the Cuban people are wonderful. Read full review

Reviewed on 21 Oct 2019 by

Every place I went is very beautiful, tranquil and unforgettable. Read full review

Reviewed on 21 Aug 2019 by

The most memorable part of the trip was learning so much about Cuba. Read full review

Reviewed on 19 Jul 2019 by

The classic car tour was the most exciting part of the vacation. Read full review

Reviewed on 07 Mar 2019 by

Extremely good vacation. Very interesting historically and politically. Bright, colourful, friendly. Our guide was excellent. Read full review

Reviewed on 25 Aug 2018 by

Amazing!!! This trip was an eye opening experience and we can not wait to go back to Cuba. Read full review

Reviewed on 04 Jul 2018 by

The whole trip was memorable with many different experiences every day, our guide Mondolo was excellent and having a small group great, personally I loved Vinales as a town and the casa we stayed in there had the best of hosts. Read full review

Reviewed on 26 Mar 2018 by

Everything was soooo perfect! We got along very well with the other people of the tour (different countries, different ages)... we always went out together, even in the evening. Our guide helped us a lot and went out in the evening with us. I rate it as one of the best moments of my entire life!! I really recommend people to take part in this tour. Read full review

Reviewed on 05 Mar 2018 by

The perfect balance of activities and free time. We visited the main cities of Cuba and their main attractions and everything was thoroughly planned out for us. Read full review

Reviewed on 01 Mar 2018 by

The whole vacation was great but surprise opportunity to do a zip wire in Trinidad was fun & loved the trek & swim to the waterfall. Read full review

Reviewed on 15 Nov 2018 by

I really enjoyed the trip and the variety of places we went to. Read full review

Reviewed on 03 Jul 2018 by

Excellent trip, did all the usual musts and some. Read full review

Reviewed on 22 Oct 2018 by

Overall, I’m glad that we did an organised tour as we got to see lots of Cuba and it made getting around really easy. We saw some pretty amazing things, like when our guide took us to a nightclub in a cave when we were in Trinidad. Read full review

Reviewed on 09 Dec 2017 by

A wonderful experience and an insight into an interesting and very different culture. Read full review

Reviewed on 19 Sep 2017 by

The whole trip was memorable, however visiting the wonderful eco farm in Vinales - fantastic vista, wonderful organic home produced food was a real highlight. We also visited the missiles (of the crisis) which are on public display -very surreal! Read full review

Reviewed on 18 Sep 2017 by

Witnessing the everyday lifestyle of Cuban people and being with ther travelers around the world was the highlight. Read full review

Reviewed on 13 Sep 2017 by

I loved the old part of Havana and the wonderful old cars all around Cuba. I was amazed at the wonderful condition they were all in. The people of Cuba were all very warm and welcoming. Read full review

Reviewed on 04 Sep 2017 by

The most memorable was meeting a great group of fellow travelers. Read full review

Reviewed on 10 Jul 2017 by

I loved snorkeling near Playa Giron and ziplining near Vinales. Fantastic! We had an amazing time and Ihosevany was a wonderful guide. Read full review

Reviewed on 23 May 2017 by

Really difficult to pinpoint a most memorable or exciting part, the whole trip was surreal. The trip was well organized; small group size was perfect; guide was knowledgeable, fun to be with, attentive - all the good stuff. Read full review

Reviewed on 21 May 2017 by

Fantastic. We enjoyed every outing and never had a single problem. Our guide was knowledgable and helpful. We would happily recommend this tour to anyone who wants to experience Cuba. Read full review

Reviewed on 17 Feb 2017 by

The most memorable was the people I met and friendships I made. Dancing, hiking and getting to know Cuba. One of the best trips of my life. I am definitely looking into going back to see more of the island. Read full review

Reviewed on 01 Aug 2017 by

Getting to see the local Carnaval in Santiago de Cuba was certainly one of the most memorable parts...Superb, mainly due to our phenomenal guide Read full review

Reviewed on 30 Mar 2017 by

Experiencing the culture and hospitality of the Cuban people and observing the lovely architecture of the buildings... The scenery of the various towns and villages-Cenefugous, Trinidad, Vinalles and of course Cuba were just great. An outstanding experience. Will go back in five years to observe the progress made. Read full review

Reviewed on 22 Mar 2017 by

The most memorable was the sounds and sights of Cuba! Read full review

Reviewed on 13 Mar 2017 by

I loved hearing about people's lives and pride of country. Read full review

Reviewed on 04 Mar 2017 by

I really enjoyed the whole experience. The most memorable part of the whole experience was my travel group, especially our tour guide, Yoelys Falcon. I want to really get across that he was amazing... Read full review

Reviewed on 15 Feb 2017 by

All of it - it was one of the best vacations I've had! In particular: as I do Cuban Salsa at home, being able to do lots of salsa dancing and soaking in the music and atmosphere was excellent. Read full review

Reviewed on 20 Jan 2017 by

I really enjoyed it Read full review

Reviewed on 13 Mar 2017 by

It was all memorable, but probably visiting the tobacco farm and horseback riding in Vinales. Read full review

Reviewed on 27 Dec 2016 by

The most memorable vacation I have had so far. Rated 11 out of 10 by my teenage daughters. Read full review

Reviewed on 06 Sep 2016 by

It is probably the best vacation I have been on and it is in no small way thanks to our guide Pedro Foster. The man was fun and passionate about his country. He was a genuine friend who happened to know all the great things to do around Cuba. Read full review

Reviewed on 11 Mar 2016 by

We had a great time and we feel like we saw some of the real Cuba. The food was good to very good at the Casa's and the local restaurants. The country was beautiful and fascinating as the people are dealing with massive change. Read full review

Reviewed on 08 Nov 2016 by

So many memories but walking to the tobacco farm at Vinales was a highlight. Our tour guide Dayana was wonderful. Read full review

Reviewed on 02 Sep 2016 by

A fantastic experience! Read full review

Reviewed on 17 Aug 2016 by

Our vacation was incredible. Our guide was super knowledgeable, helpful and easy-going. We found the Cuban people to be kind and gracious hosts and we felt very safe. From beginning to end, the whole trip went very smoothly and we would love to return someday. Read full review

Reviewed on 01 Jul 2016 by

Brilliant - a real insight to the history, culture and people of Cuba...plus salsa, rum and cigars. Read full review

Reviewed on 20 Apr 2016 by

Fantastic and very good value for money. Oscar our guide was wonderful, very knowledgeable and efficient. We packed an amazing amount into a week. Read full review

Reviewed on 12 Mar 2016 by

Best bits: Undoubtedly meeting Cuban people, and learning about Cuba from our tour guide. Read full review

Reviewed on 17 Feb 2016 by

Staying in Casas was a benefit to locals as well as to those of us who stayed in them. I loved meeting local Cubans. Read full review

Reviewed on 12 Feb 2016 by

Cayo Blanco & Yuri were the most memorable parts of the vacation Read full review

Reviewed on 06 Feb 2016 by

Absolutely stunning - I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in an authentic experience of Cuba. Read full review

Reviewed on 15 Jan 2016 by

I loved all of it. Outstanding. Read full review

Reviewed on 08 Nov 2016 by

Excellent guide, well organized - but 7 days was too short for me to do everything I wanted! Read full review

Reviewed on 13 Jun 2016 by

Best bit: Horse riding Vinales Read full review

Reviewed on 14 Nov 2015 by

Although the architecture and scenery were spectacular, the people were clearly my favorite part of the trip. The friendly, warmth they exude is intoxicating, and refreshing. Read full review

Reviewed on 09 Apr 2015 by

It was great! We were all very impressed with our lovely guide Barbara who was always cheerful, flexible and enthusiastic about showing us her country and Ale our careful and friendly driver. Read full review

Reviewed on 09 Apr 2015 by

The tour guide was very personable and tried hard to make us comfortable. and shared a lot of good information with us about what it is like to live in Cuba. Read full review

Reviewed on 10 Nov 2015 by

Personally I liked Vinales best, but Cienfuegos and Trinidad are also well worth the visit. Read full review

Reviewed on 14 May 2015 by

Staying with the local families was truly an eye opening experience! Every one of these people went beyond expectations to make my stay comfortable. They were always clean, comfortable, private and I loved the experience! Read full review

Responsible Travel

As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) vacation so that you can travel knowing it will help support the places and people that you visit, and the planet. Read how below.

Planet

This tour is committed to showcasing the very best of Cuba, and providing travelers with an authentic and unforgettable small group tour experience in Cuba . You will have unrivalled access to local people from all walks of life while you experience an island that has so much to offer that sometimes you won’t even know where to begin (that’s what your experienced local guide is for). Our aim is to take you inside this remarkable society in a fun, respectful and meaningful way.

As an organisation our commitment to Cuba's environment and culture is unwavering as we are very much aware of the impact travel and tourism can have on a destination. For this reason we cap the number of people on the trip, so a group is no larger than 15 people. This enables us to source more authentic accommodation options and local transportation that makes a smaller footprint on the environment. Furthermore all of our tour guides are not only native to Cuba, but are passionate about the country they live in as well. This is of most importance to us, because we believe in showcasing the very best of Cuba and this starts with knowledgable guides who know the country inside out, for better and for worse. Using local guides (alongside local organisations) helps us contribute to local economies and give back to the communities we work with. We encourage our guides to speak honestly of the Cuba they have grown up in and there impressions of the outside world as a comparison. It also allows us to provide local employment and engagement in the community.

Our organisation has implemented and enforces a 7 point checklist which we share with our employees and fellow travelers that acts as a set of guidelines to help protect Cuba's natural environment. These guidelines include:

Protecting plants and wildlife - Removing rubbish - Keeping streams and lakes clean - Treating accommodation and host families with respect - Respecting Cuba's cultural heritage - Keeping to the track - Consider other people.

We also provide a set of recommendations to our travelers as to how they can can contribute, protect and enhance Cuba's culture and environment including:

- learning some of the local language,
- carrying a water bottle
- always disposing of waste in a responsible manner.
- minimise the amount of disposable goods travelled with
- be respectful with photography

We ensure that all activities and excursions we include and recommend have minimal impact on the environment and wildlife as well.

People

Our ties to Cuba and its people are strong. We have built a network of people across Cuba who we affectionally call our 'Cuban family'. These include tour leaders, local guides, classic car drivers, Casa Particular (homestay owners), local restauranteurs, bar tenders and dance instructors all with there own stories to tell and experiences to share. We believe that giving something back to the community is essential, because it is this community that makes our tours such a success. We work with our fellow travelers, clients, employees, and local contacts to ensure the successes of our business go directly back into the community. This is not only good for the towns and cities we visit but it also gives our travelers more enriched adventures.

Our tours are committed to using local homestay accommodation, making your Cuban experience even more unique and memorable (not to mention fun!). Known as Casa Particulares, this type of accommodation is comfortable for guests and generally has very good facilities. They provide you with a great way to experience Cuban culture and interact with Cuban nationals.

Furthermore the activities we include and recommend in our tours, are ones that most benefit and are representative of the community.

All of our staff and local contacts are treated like family, enabling us to instil a sense of ownership amongst our stakeholders and deliver ongoing support to the Cuban people and economy. We know the country and its people inside out and our endeavour is to show the Cuba we love, live in and respect.

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