Cuban DiscoveryEscorted Tour, Cuba

An island lost in time, Cuba is a decadent blend of romantic grandeur and off-beat Caribbean charm. Iconic 1950s automobiles parade through the seafront streets and rumba bars rub shoulders with centuries-old churches. Forested inland landscapes are home to tobacco plantations and rugged mountaintops, while swathes of white sand skirt the northern coast. You’ll wind through the country, uncovering its treasures as you go - from Spanish colonial heritage to underground rivers.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

10 nights in hotels and 1 in flight (accommodation as specified or similar)

International flights. Prices are based on return flights with Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow or Gatwick. Supplements may apply from other airports

29 meals: 10 breakfasts (days 2-11) 10 lunches (days 2-11) 9 dinners (days 2-10)

All-inclusive food and drinks during your stay in Cayo Ensenachos

VIP door-to-door travel service

Services of a tour manager and local guide

Travel in destination by coach

Porterage

11 excursions and visits

Tours of Havana, Viñales Valley and Cienfuegos

Visits to cigar factory or museum; rum factory or museum; Finca Vigia; Las Terrazas Eco Mountain Resort; Trinidad; and Santa Clara

9pm cannon ceremony

Cuban cocktail lesson

ITINERARY

Day 1 UK - Havana

VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Havana.

Day 2 Havana

Culture lovers will be charmed by Havana, Cuba’s bustling, atmospheric capital with the ambience of a bygone era. Your fascinating walking tour begins through the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the faded Spanish colonial architecture is slowly being restored to its former glory. Discover a host of beautiful streets with elegant plazas, and the legendary Floridita Bar, where Ernest Hemingway famously drank daiquiris.

You’ll visit a rum factory or museum and the rest of the day is at leisure. Tonight, you’ll witness the cannon firing at La Cabaña Fortress, a daily tradition to announce the historical closure of the city gates at 9pm.

Day 3 Hemingway Museum

You’ll head to Finca Vigia, Ernest Hemingway’s home. Purchased by the American writer in 1949, the estate (whose name translates as ‘Lookout Farm’) was where he wrote many of his best-known works. Now preserved as a museum, it provides a wonderful insight into the author’s life. You’ll also visit Cojimar, where Hemingway gained the inspiration for ‘The Old Man and the Sea’. Enjoy a Cuban cocktail lesson and spend a relaxed afternoon at your leisure.

Day 4 Las Terrazas - Viñales Valley

You’ll travel by coach to Las Terrazas Eco Mountain Resort, an ‘eco-village’ created in the 1960s, and take a tour of a 19th-century coffee plantation. You’ll then continue to the lush Viñales Valley.

Day 5 Viñales Valley

The inspiringly beautiful Viñales Valley is interspersed with dramatic rounded limestone formations known as mogotes. You’ll visit a farmer’s tobacco plantation, before continuing to the Cuevo del Indio (Indian Cave), where you’ll board a boat to sail on an underground river. You’ll see the Murial Prehistorica and end your day with a visit to a cigar factory or museum.

Day 6 Santa Clara - Cayo Ensenachos

Continuing your adventure, you’ll arrive in Santa Clara, the site of the last battle of the guerrilla war in 1958. This town is the final resting place of Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, with a museum and mausoleum dedicated to the revolutionary leader. Here you can see Tren Blindado, the famous military train that was carrying soldiers and weapons when it was derailed by Che and a group of rebels, paving the way for the Revolution. You’ll drive on to Cayo Ensenachos, where you’ll find some of Cuba’s best white-sand beaches.

Days 7-8 Cayo Ensenachos

Two full free days at leisure, with all food and drink included, to relax and enjoy the facilities at your beachfront hotel.

Day 9 Trinidad - Cienfuegos

Your journey continues to Trinidad, a World Heritage Site which has been hailed as one of the best-preserved colonial cities in the world. You’ll visit either the Trinidad History Museum, where history buffs will be in their element, or the Museo Romantico, a sumptuous mansion displaying the decorative arts of the Trinidad aristocracy. You then continue to Cienfuegos.

Day 10 Cienfuegos

Soak up the history of Cienfuegos, known affectionately as the ‘Pearl of the South’. Characterised by palaces overlooking a beautiful Caribbean bay, star attractions include Parque Jose Marti with its imposing cathedral.

Day 11 Havana

You’ll return to Havana Airport for your return flight to the UK.

Day 12 UK

Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.

Important information about your destination

This tour contains areas of rough terrain and customers are advised that a significant amount of walking is involved. • Cuba is a unique and beautiful country; however, due to the political situation and restrictions on trade, the tourism infrastructure can be basic, especially outside major tourist areas.

Cuban Discovery is located in Escorted Tour, Cuba. Accommodation rating is the operators own rating and may not be the official rating. Hotel details correct at 17/12/2021