Cuba Meetup Tour
Sip mojitos with locals and learn to salsa dance in Havana. Explore old cobble stone streets while vintage cars wizzes by in Trinidad. Learn to roll a cigar and make a mojito in Viñales.
Cuba is where time stood still. Old architecture has barely been touched, the faint sweet scent of cigar smoke wafts in the air, and smiling locals are ready for a chat anytime. The cities are full of culture, music, and color. The beaches are made of pristine white sand and crystal clear water. The mountains are green and covered in coffee and tobacco fields with killer sunsets. This is a special country, and the time to visit is now before it all changes.
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Highlights
Get Instagrammable windswept hair as you ride a classic car ride down Havana’s historic Malecón
Mix yourself the perfect Mojito during a cocktail workshop with sunset views
Like a scene from “Dirty Dancing Havana Nights”, master the steps to salsa and dance the night away
Visit unique cultural museums in Trinidad, including an Afro-Cuban temple
Learn about the country’s most iconic product, Cuban cigars, directly from a tobacco farmer
Marvel at the incredible Fusterlandia, a neighborhood covered in mosaics
Itinerary
Day
1
HAVANA AIRPORT PICKUP
Day
2
HAVANA TO VIÑALES
Day
3
VIÑALES
Day
4
BAY OF PIGS TO CIENFUEGOS
Day
5
CIENFUEGOS TO TRINIDAD
Day
6
TRINIDAD
Day
7
SANTA CLARA TO HAVANA
Day
8
HAVANA
Day
9
Hasta Pronto, Cuba
Behind the Scenes of this Tour
We love to share our Meetup Tours on social media, and you might already be following us on Instagram. One of our SoFe ambassadors went on our Meetup Tour in Cuba and covered the whole experience for us on Instagram. To get a glimpse into what it is really like on our Cuba Meetup Tour, go behind the scenes with our Instagram story highlight!
Accommodation
It’s extra important to support locally owned businesses in Cuba, where small businesses and non-government owned properties are not typical. Many of the accommodations are called Casa Particulares, which are people’s homes that they open up for guests. Each Casa or Casita is different, and we think this is one of the most special parts of our Meetup Tour in Cuba.
These homestay-like experiences make for the best meals, unparalleled hospitality, and an inside look at Cuban culture. The best part of the experience are the laughs over a glass of rum, the morning conversations with local coffee, and dancing on the porch until the wee hours of the morning.
Since we aren’t staying at hotels, people’s homes often don’t have a website or even a proper name. Rest assured, our guides know the owners very well. We have been working with these guest houses for many years, so you know you’re in good hands.
These are photos from our collection of favorite casitas and casa particulares to give you a sense of the accommodation you can expect while traveling in Cuba.
Details
General Inclusions
- Accommodation in twin rooms
- Guide
- 8 Breakfasts
- 4 Lunches
- 3 Dinners
- Local transportation
- Airport pickup (see arrival details)
- All entrance fees and activities in the itinerary unless specified as optional
Specific Activity Inclusions
- Havana cathedral
- Plaza de Armas
- San Fransicode Asis
- Plaza Vieja
- Central Park
- Informal spanish lesson
- Informal salsa lesson
- Local home experience
- Bay of Pigs
- UNESCO world heritage town of Trinidad
- Playa Ancon
- Valle de los Ingenios
- Sierra del Escambray
- Santa Clara mausoleum and memorial
- Vintage car ride
- Airfares
- Visa or entrance fees
- Travel insurance (mandatory for all travelers)
- Airport drop off
- Covid PCR test(s)
- Any meals not listed under inclusions
- Any optional activities
Arrival: José Martí International Airport (HAV) anytime between 8:00am and 4:00pm on tour start date
- We will will have an airport transfer waiting for you at the Havana International Airport, when you arrive during the above arrival window. The transfer will take you from the airport to our group hotel. If fellow travelers arrive around the same time, we’ll bring you to the hotel together.
Departure: José Martí International Airport (HAV) anytime after 10:00am on tour end date
- Please note: SoFe will help travelers leaving Cuba secure a covid test appointment, as needed per US regulations. If you leave before 10:00am on the tour end date, your PCR test results may not be ready in time. Please book your flight according to the times above.
- All payments are subject to our terms & conditions
- A non-refundable $500 deposit is required to hold your spot.
- Final payment is due 60 days before departure.
- Pay as much as often as you like until the due date.
- If you cancel your spot earlier than 60 days before departure, you can apply your payment to any trip within the next year.
- No refunds on deposits.
Last Updated May 11, 2022
These are the most current Covid regulations that we have for Cuba. Keep in mind these may change on short notice, so please be alert for more communication from SoFe.
- It is no longer required to bring a negative PCR test from the country of departure nor upon arrival to Cuba.
- All travelers to Cuba must fill out this compulsory check-in form, where you will be required to attach your vaccination record.
Most nationalities need a visa to enter Cuba. Americans can visit Cuba if they choose “support of the Cuban people” as the reason for their visit, and they use their money to support locals, not government owned businesses. Our itinerary supports locals.
- Wifi is scarce, often expensive, not available at any accommodation. You should not expect to have regular wifi access. Consider it a chance to immerse yourself in Cuba.
- The casas particulates we use are much nicer than an average Cuban home and each room is unique. No matter where you stay, power cuts and breaks in hot water supply are sometimes unavoidable, as in any developing country. Consider it a part of the local experience.
- US credit cards and bank cards or those affiliated with a US bank are not accepted. Bring cash to exchange at the airport and at banks.
- Cuba runs on its own time, so strict adherence to a schedule will only leave us disappointed. So sip a mojito and turn off your phone like the locals.
- Things like professionally decorated rooms, high thread count sheets, and sometimes even air conditioning are scarce. Accommodation will be clean, comfortable, and full of character but not luxurious.
What our travelers have to say
Loved every minute of Cuba
“I would definitely book another trip with SoFe travel. I’ve used other travel group trips in the past. I found the Cuba tour to be VERY organized, yet flexible and accommodating.” – Kimberly D.
So much Cuba Goodness!
“What an amazing experience! I was connected with amazing, interesting and fun female travellers – some with years of experience, some just starting their solo travel adventures. It was the perfect group to explore all that Cuba had to offer with.” – Melinda G.
Best trip of my life. No, seriously.
“As an American, Cuba has always been a place that’s intrigued me, but hasn’t been too accessible due to political reasons. The Cuba Meet-Up Tour made the mysterious island open to discovery; not just spending the day in Havana on a cruise ship, but actually immersing into the country and it’s culture.” – Jordynn H