Splendours of Cuba

Overview

Cuba is changing rapidly, making this the perfect time to visit while its exotic and distinctive charm remains. Discover the faded colonial grandeur of Havana and Trinidad, the delightful rolling countryside, tobacco and coffee plantations, historical sites from the revolution, and the ever-present rhythms of son and mambo music.

Itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Havana

• Fly from London (regional connections available) to Havana with Virgin Atlantic.
• Transfer to the Iberostar Parque Central (or similar) for a 3-night stay. (N)

Day 2: Havana

• Morning walking tour of Old Havana, including the Camera Obscura and a stop at El Floridita, the home of the daiquiri cocktail.
• Afternoon panoramic tour in a classic American car, visiting Revolution Square and a rum museum. (B, L)

Day 3: Havana

• Day at leisure to stroll along Old Havana’s cobbled streets.
• Optional visits to the Bellas Artes Museum, Hemingway’s Museum, or the Revolution Museum. (B)

Day 4: Las Terrazas

• Morning drive to Las Terrazas in the western province of Pinar del Rio for a 2-night stay.
• Visit the local community and a partially restored 19th-century coffee estate. Las Terrazas offers an introduction to Cuba’s countryside life and landscapes. (B, L, D)

Day 5: Viñales

• Full-day tour of the Viñales Valley, its tobacco plantations, and limestone hills.
• Visit a cigar factory and take a boat ride through the Indian Cave. (B, L)

Day 6: Peninsula de Zapata • Cienfuegos

• Travel to Cienfuegos via the Peninsula de Zapata.
• Take a boat trip through the mangroves and drive past Playa Girón, site of the 1961 invasion.
• Continue to Cienfuegos, a city with distinct French influence, for a 1-night stay. (B, L, D)

Day 7: Cienfuegos • Trinidad

• Morning tour of Cienfuegos, including a visit to the Cienfuegos botanical gardens.
• Afternoon transfer to Trinidad for a 3-night stay† in a casa particular in the heart of the old town.
• Dinner at a privately run paladar. (B, D)

Day 8: Trinidad

• Morning walking tour of Trinidad, including the Romantic Museum or Cantero Museum and a visit to Casa de la Musica.
• Afternoon at leisure or optional excursions. (B)

Day 9: Valley of the Sugar Mills

• Morning tour of the Valley of the Sugar Mills, with ruins from former sugar plantations.
• Visit the Manaca Iznaga plantation’s watchtower, a reminder of Cuba’s slave trade and colonization.
• Afternoon at leisure. (B, L)

Day 10: Santa Clara • Havana

• Morning drive to Santa Clara, the site of a key turning point in the Cuban revolution.
• Visit Che Guevara’s museum and mausoleum.
• After lunch, continue to Havana for a final night, with an optional evening music performance. (B, L)

Days 11-12: Fly to London

• Transfer to the airport for your flight to London with Virgin Atlantic, arriving the following day. (B)