Extraordinary, diverse and vibrant, Cuba will leave you mesmerised. Experience some of the natural wonders of the Caribbean’s largest island, visit the home of the world’s most famous cigars, mix up a Cuba Libre cocktail and enjoy the musical vibe that can only be Cuban.

 

• Cuba

Day to Day Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive Havana (Cuba)
Day 2 - Viñales
Day 3 - Viñales
Day 4 - Viñales- Visit to Pinar del Rio
Day 5 - Cayo Levisa
Day 6 - Cayo Levisa
Day 7 - Soroa
Day 8 - Havana
Day 9 - Depart Havana

Please note the day to day itinerary above is given as a GUIDELINE ONLY.

Detailed Itinerary

Days: 1 - 2
Arrive Havana

Havana is a city that seems to be lost in time. Everywhere you look there is rich history from the original arrival of the very first Spanish conquistadors to the more modern history of the 1950s. There are many castles, plazas, churches and museums to explore and with its archaic bars and restaurants, this city can feel like stepping back in time to the days of Ernest Hemmingway!

Days: 2 - 4
Havana - Viñales

Leaving Havana early, passing through the scenic countryside en route to Viñales. This delightful town is nestled in the striking Sierra de los Organos Mountains. On arrival we’ll check into our home-stay and meet our friendly hosts. Choose to relax or go for a walk up into the sierra (mountain) with great views over Viñales. On Day 3 we have a free day with an included walking tour of the surrounding countryside. The tour takes you through tobacco, yucca and manioc fields. The local guide explains the agriculture, geology, flora and fauna of the area. We will also visit a tobacco farm with a historical house on the property. In the afternoon you will have free time. After dinner with your homestay families, it may be a good chance to listen to some Cuban music and try out some salsa steps. On Day 4 we will be transported to Pinar del Rio to visit a cigar factory (reputed to be the best cigars in the country) and then a Guayavita factory which is a typical drink of the region. You will also have time to visit the San Resendo Cathedral plus the History Museum and Museum of Natural Sciences. This is provincial Cuba at its very best - a lively town with architecture typical of the area. In the afternoon you will have free time for optional activities such as horseriding tours, bus and cave tours or just time to relax in a local café.

Days: 5 - 6
Cayo Levisa

This morning we will take a bus to the ferry and cross over early in the morning to the beautiful beaches of Cayo Levisa. You will have two free days to take in the sun and surf and enjoy some optional activities such as scuba diving, kayaking and snorkelling. Why not indulge yourself and take an optional catamaran cruise? (Note at times it is not possible to stay at Cayo Levisa and the tour will then stay at Playas del Este or Maria la Gorda)

Days: 7 - 9
Soroa - Havana

We leave beautiful Cayo Levisa and stay overnight in Soroa Hotel on our way back to Havana. There are waterfalls and orchid farms located close by for you to explore, or else you can relax by the hotel pool. The following morning we will travel by hired bus to Las Terrazas, where we will take a guided tour of a local coffee plantation and the Cuba’s first biosphere reserve. We enjoy a relaxing included lunch and there is also an option to have a go on the flying fox circuit. We then travel back to Havana and arrive late in the afternoon. You will have free time to enjoy the town - there are plenty of options to keep you busy. A UNESCO world heritage site steeped in history, Havana’s once sumptuous buildings are now run-down but the city is very atmospheric and you can easily imagine its former grandeur. You will see many of Havana’s lovely old American cars and you can take a “bicitaxi” (bicycle taxi) - the best way to see this fascinating old city! Our tour concludes on Day 9.

Additional Information:

• Accommodation: 8 nights in hotels & homestays
• Meals: Lunch in Las Terrazas
• Excursions: Cigar & Guayavita factory, countryside walking tour in Viñales, Tour to Las Terrazas
• Transport: Private bus, on foot, boat
• Group: Average 8 – 12; max 18
• Age: Recommended 18 – 60,
• Staff: Tucan Travel tour leader, local guides

Exclusions:

• Local Payment - NOTE: due to currency changes in Cuba the Local Payment must be paid in CDN (US dollars WILL NOT be accepted).
• International flights & departure tax
• Visas – required for all travellers
• Tips on included excursions, visas, travel insurance, personal items, other tips.
• Pre & post tour accommodation
• Airport transfers
• Spending money – allow CDN 40-60 per day to cover meals, snacks, drinks, limited souvenirs, laundry and any extras.
• Optional Excursions - Please see ask your travel agent for a comprehensive list of optional activities and excursions available on this tour.
   

Important note: The itinerary listed above is to be used as a guide only. Occasionally we may need to update this document and it may be different to the information printed in our current brochure. Tour leaders may need to make adjustments due to unforeseen circumstances during the tour. It is very important that you visit our website and review a copy of this dossier as close as possible t your departure date in case of changes that may affect your plans. Any last minute changes may also be posted in the Latest News section of our website.

Pre and Post Tour Accommodation
Very little time is spent in the starting and finishing cities and you will need to allow a few days at the beginning or end of your tour if you want to explore them further. For details of pre and post tour accommodation bookings (which should be made at the time of your tour booking) please refer to our current brochure or contact our reservations team.

About Adventure Tours
In Cuba, travelling exclusively on local transport can be quite difficult, so Cuba’s Adventure tours travel on privately leased transport. Where possible, we stay mostly in homestay accommodation and so have a high degree of interaction with the local people. This hands-on style means that you will need to travel light (see below for details). Tucan Travel Adventure Tours in Cuba will bring you into contact with cultures and experiences that contrast dramatically with those at home and therefore a sense of humour and patience is essential! It is common for pre-booked private transport to be late and for things to not go quite according to plan, this is one of the charms of travelling in Cuba and makes for a great adventure!

Don’t forget that Tucan Travel also offers four other tour styles: Discovery Tours (Central & South America) where we travel by private and comfortable, custom-built vehicle staying in hotels; Overland Expeditions (in South America only), which usually have a high percentage of camping, travel by overland truck and suit travellers who love the great outdoors; Budget Expeditions (great value tours for 18 to 35s in South America) are flexible tours offering travellers optimum control over their budgets, travelling in our custom-built expedition vehicles, plus coaches and local transport, staying in pleasant hotels, hostels and campsites; Independent Travel offers personalised itineraries, stopovers and language schools with your choice of accommodation and flexible travel days.

Local Payment
The cost of all Tucan Travel tours includes a compulsory Local Payment which is in addition to the Tour Price paid to your booking agent. The Local Payment MUST be paid to your Tour Leader in full EURO cash at the pre-departure meeting on the first day of your tour. The Local Payment is administered by Tour Leaders and no refunds can be made for any unused services or if you decide to leave the tour early.

Due to currency changes in Cuba the Local Payment must be paid in Euros (US dollars WILL NOT be accepted). See the Cuba Country Dossier for more details.

Pre Departure Meeting
The address of your joining hotel can be found on your joining letter and tour voucher. On arrival you should look for a Tucan Travel information sheet on the hotel notice board where you will find details of the pre-departure meeting. The tour leader will normally hold the pre-departure meeting on the afternoon of Day 1 (assuming that all clients have arrived by then). Your tour leader will give a briefing about the tour, outline the plan for the next few days, answer any questions and collect your Local Payment in full in Euros cash. Then there may be an option for everyone to go out for dinner and drinks to start to get to know one another.

Please note that you will need to bring the following important items to the pre departure meeting:

1. Passport (including any necessary visas) – original document and a photocopy.
2. Vaccination certificates (e.g. Yellow Fever, if required)
3. Travel voucher
4. Travel insurance policy
5. Local Payment

Tour Personnel
Adventure Tours use a variety of different styles of leadership in order to maximise your enjoyment and experiences. On this tour you will have a combination of Tucan Travel tour leader and local guides. The Tucan Travel Tour leader accompanies your tour and local guides will lead your included and optional excursions.

Degree of Difficulty / Fitness Required
Adventure Tours suit people who are fit and active. Although no experience is required there are many walks between bus/train terminals and hotels/homestays and travellers must be able to carry their own luggage over various terrains as well as lift up luggage onto the tops of buses!

On these particular tours there will be some up-hill walking which will not be difficult for those who are reasonably fit.

Pre-Departure Information
Once you have booked the tour (paid your deposit), your booking agent will provide you with a detailed pre-departure booklet with in-depth information to help you prepare. If you do not receive your pre-departure information shortly after booking your tour please consult your travel agent. After you have paid for your tour in full you will also receive from your travel agent: a local map & joining letter for your arrival city, your tour voucher and transfer voucher (if applicable).

Country Dossiers
This Tour Dossier is designed to be read in conjunction with our Cuba Country Dossier which you can download from our website or obtain from your booking agent. The Country Dossiers contain essential information about visas, arrival transfers, spending money & costs, taxes & tips, climate, local food etc.

What you need to bring
A full list of suggested equipment can be found in the pre-departure booklet.

A towel is suggested as some hotels will not allow you to take their towels to the beach and also for home stays when towels are not always provided. A sarong is also highly recommended as it can also be used in place of a towel. Snorkelling equipment may be useful, but not necessary, as you can easily hire it locally. If you want to save space you could just bring some swimming goggles - still great for spotting fish! You may wish to bring some kind of waterproof protection cover for your pack, as luggage tends to get thrown around a lot on transport and it may get dirty and sometimes wet.

On Adventure Tours it is very important that you do not bring too much luggage as you will find it extremely difficult to get on/off buses and trains etc and there is a fair amount of walking to/from hotels. You are also likely to encounter many cobbled streets and dirt roads so luggage on wheels is totally unsuitable. As this trip starts and finishes at the same hotel in Havana, you may wish to leave behind some luggage if you have been travelling before or plan to travel on after this tour. The lighter your luggage the better time you will have!

You must be prepared to carry your own bags at all times. We therefore strongly urge you to limit your luggage to a maximum of 10-14 kgs. Please see the relevant Country Dossier and Pre Departure Information booklet for further information about luggage requirements and what to pack.

Transfers
We do not offer arrival or departure transfers in Havana due to the ease, availability of local transport. Please see your tour Joining Letter for detailed information.

Accommodation
This tour includes 8 nights in hotels, homestays & cabins. All accommodation is chosen for its central locality, security, friendliness, cleanliness and ambiance. Although sometimes simple, you will find clean comfortable rooms, usually with en-suite facilities (occasionally bathrooms may be shared), and sometimes a bar and restaurant are attached or close by. Most of the homestays offer very good value, substantial typical meals (at your own expense). All rooms will be allocated on a share basis, usually in twins, sometimes triples (depending on the male/female ratios). There will usually be 2 to 4 Tucan Travel clients staying in each home and all homes are usually within the same block (neighbourhood) as one another.

Transport
On Adventure Tours our goal is to offer you as much variety as possible in terms of transport so that you’ll have good opportunities to meet the local people. On this tour we will be using privately hired buses, mini buses, taxis, boats (life jackets provided) and one flight. There will also be some walking with your luggage between some transport and hotels. Optional excursions may use other forms of transport, for example boats, horses, trains and mountain bikes.

Meals
Meals, snacks and drinks are not included on this tour and are at your own expense. Your tour leader will be able to advise the best places to eat. As much of our accommodation on this tour is in home-stays in Cuba, many of our hosts will offer delicious meals, typical of the country (at your own expense), so you might prefer this to eating out! Please see the relevant Country Dossier for more information about the local food.

Tour Highlights

• Havana Vieja (Old Havana) - One of the most interesting cities on this planet.
• Viñales Valley - Beautiful scenery in the heart of the main tobacco and sugar region of Western Cuba.
• Visiting the Cigar & Guayavita factories.
• Countryside walking tour in Viñales
• Tour to Las Terrazas Biosphere reserve including a delicious lunch
• Salsa, Rumba, Chachachá and other music throughout this tour.
• Orientation walks - Introductory walks conducted by your expedition leader at each main stopover.

Local Payment of approximately 100 CDN.