Cuba 8-Day Art, Culture & Music

We invite you to take an extraordinary journey to Cuba — the long forbidden fruit of international travel. The program is specially designed to include not only extra time in Havana, certainly the cultural and spiritual heart of Cuba, but also two nights in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Trinidad, replete with stunning colonial grace, winding pebbled streets and a splendid palette of ochre, blue and green houses with tiled roofs and wrought-iron gates as counterpoints.


  • Day 1: Depart Miami / Arrive Havana Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski

    Morning charter flight from Miami to Havana. Bienvenidos a Havana! Meet your Cuban host and head directly to the colorful neighborhood of Callejon de Hamel. Here you'll find brilliant mural paintings, stalls selling herbs for curing colds and lovesickness alike, and of course, music everywhere. Meet Salvador Gonzalez Escalona, whose prolific murals adorn the neighborhood. Lunch is in the heart of Old Havana at Paladar 3 Monedas. Afterwards, stroll the cobblestone streets visiting Plaza de la Catedral, the Plaza de Armas and the Used Booksellers Market. Dinner this evening is at a local Paladar. (L,D)

  • Day 2: Havana Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski

    No trip to Cuba is complete without a visit to a cigar factory, and that is where we start today. See the Cemetery of Columbus and the elegant Miramar area. Attend a briefing at the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art & Industry, dedicated to the improvement of Cuban films and artistic expression. Have lunch at the famous El Aljibe Restaurant. Travel to the village of Jaimanitas to view the magnificent works of Jose Rodiguez Fuster. Mr. Fuster's art has become a cherished part of Cuban culture, not to mention a photographer's dream come true. (B,L,D)

  • Day 3: Havana / Finca Vigia / Cojimar Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski

    Ernest Hemingway lived in Cuba from 1939 to 1960. Visit his mansion, Finca Vigia, where his 9,000-book library is preserved, as well as his famous fishing boat, Pilar. In the communal District of Alamar on the outskirts of Havana, you are introduced to the organic community gardens called Organoponicos. Visit the village of Cojimar, setting for the novel The Old Man and the Sea, and have lunch at Paladar El Ajiaco. In the afternoon see El Moro fort with its magnificent view of Havana. Afterwards, explore the Museum of the Revolution and Museo Bellas Artes. There is time for shopping at the Artisans Market located on the Malecon. (B,L)

  • Day 4: Santa Clara / Trinidad Iberostar Trinidad

    Drive along Cuba's Autopista Highway to Santa Clara and explore the Museum and Mausoleum of Che Guevara. Continue to the delightful town square of Sancti Spiritus. This is a wonderful place to photograph with its charming horse carriages and local population going about their daily business. Arrive in Trinidad, a Spanish Colonial treasure, in the late afternoon. (B,L,D)

  • Day 5: Trinidad Iberostar Trinidad

    Trinidad's former great wealth was garnered not in the town itself, but in the surrounding verdant valley known as Valle do los Ingenios. Explore the valley's focal point, Hacienda Manaca Iznaga. Enjoy a Paladar lunch in Trinidad's Plaza Mayor with its historic center of cobblestone streets and squares. This evening visit some of the local music cafes - the spirit may move you to join the locals for some salsa or Afro-Cuban dancing. (B,L,D)

  • Day 6: Trinidad / Cienfuegos / Havana Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski

    Drive to Cienfuegos to explore the main square of this striking French colonial city. Be sure not to miss the historic Teatro Terry. Lunch is served at the Paladar Villa Lagar to over looking the Bay of Cienfuegos. After lunch attend a performance by the Choir or the Orchestra of Cienfuegos, or a community cultural project depending on availability. Arrive back in Havana in the late afternoon. (B,L)

  • Day 7: Havana / Las Terrazas / Havana Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski

    Today is an optional day: you may choose to have a free day to explore Havana on your own...or...visit Las Terrazas Nature Park, a “must see” in Cuba and known worldwide for its magnificent scenic beauty. Make a brief stop at the Clinica Las Terrazas to learn how medical services are handled in rural Cuba. Have the ‘best coffee in the country' at Café Maria. Visit to the home and private studio of artist Lester Campa subject to his being in residence. Savor a country-style Cuban lunch prepared and served outdoor s at a local farmhouse near Las Terrazas. Farewell dinner this evening is at Paladar Casa Miglis replete with Buena Vista Social Club music. Be sure to wear your salsa and rumba shoes! (B,L,D)

  • Day 8: Depart Havana / Arrive Miami En Route

    Morning transfer to the airport for your return charter flight to Miami. (B)


North & Central America Cuba, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico & Panama

South America Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru & Uruguay