4/5 Day Cuba Tour - Havana Weekend

We start our group tour in Havana at 9:30 am today with a friendly welcome meeting where you will meet your tour leader and fellow group participants. The morning activity is a classic but essential historic tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This 2-hour walking tour encompasses the four principal plazas of Old Havana. Following the tour, we have lunch at our first paladar (a privately owned restaurant). Once fed and watered, we will have a walking tour of the less visited streets of Old Havana on the Off Beat Havana Tour. Here we encounter the residential community of Old Havana, you will see the contrast between this area just around the corner from the touristic destination of the historical old centre, and meet the locals who live here. You’ll also learn about the ration system with a visit to a local bodega.
Tonight we will start with a cocktail lesson where you will learn to prepare your own rum based drink to enjoy before our dinner at one of Havana's classic paladars.
Included Activities: Historic tour of Old Havana, Offbeat Old Havana tour walk, Cocktail lesson, Meeting and discussion with local community members
Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Today we will start our day with a visit to a local community project where they tackle issues on gender and race in Cuba and promote wellness, self-esteem and empowerment in the Afro-Cuban community.
Later we board classic convertible cars for a panoramic tour of the less touristic neighborhoods of Havana. Following this we partake in a traditional Afro-Cuban meal for lunch
After lunch we drive around Havana in classic cars on a special Mafia Tour - Learn about the fascinating history of the American Mafia and the role it played in pre-revolutionary Cuba. The tour ends at the place previously known as the notorious Mafia headquarters and the lodging of choice for ‘America’s royalty’.
Tonight’s dinner is at a river-view restaurant, founded by an internationally recognised passionate local sailing enthusiast. The atmosphere is extremely unique and the fresh seafood is straight off the boat!
A post dinner visit to the famous Fabrica de Arte Cubano ends our day. Named one of Time Magazine’s World’s 100 Greatest Places, you’ll see why as we tour the oil factory turned arts complex. Featuring five salons showcasing various types of art, from textiles, to architecture, music, dance, and eye-catching installations, plus bars and pop-up shops, you’ll marvel at the innovation and talent of ‘New Cuba’.

Included Activities: Meeting and discussion with local community members, Afro-Cuban show, Panoramic city tour in Classic Car, Mafia History tour and Fabrica de Arte.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we visit a neighborhood that previously would not have stood out from any other suburb. One man’s dream and enthusiasm turned this suburb of Havana into a successful project involving the entire community and has even caught the notice of President Obama! Today we’ll learn about how individuals used their talents to fuel positive change in their neighborhoods on this special tour - Don’t forget your camera, you’ll visit two of the most artistically remarkable neighborhoods in Havana.
After lunch we cover the topic of ‘cuentapropistas’ entrepreneurship in Cuba. Beginning in 2011 the Cuban Government began opening the private sector and legalising private businesses not seen since the 1959 Revolution. We will illustrate this topic with a visit to two of Havana’s successful new businesses to hear their stories. We will have a special demonstration of local manufacturing processes and even partake in some delicious product samples.
In the evening we will have our group dinner in one of Havana's private restaurants.

Included Activities: ‘Murals and Mosaics’ local art communities tour with lunch, meet & greet at two local businesses.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

If this is the end of your 4 day tour you can depart at any time today. There are no included activities. An airport departure transfer is not included in the tour package. You can hire your own taxi, otherwise please advise your tour leader in advance if you require assistance arranging this service.

For the 5 day option we depart by 8am in the morning to head off towards the mountains and the province of Pinar del Rio. On our way into the town of Vinales we will stop at the Cuevas del Indio (Indian Caves) for a boat ride. You will also see the controversial Prehistoric Mural (Some say it is art, some say it is not!).
Arriving in the town of Viñales we will meet with a specialist local guide who will take us through the tobacco fields to meet local farmers & visit a farm, learn about growing tobacco, how to roll cigars, taste some local coffee and experience real life in the small country town, After our light trek through the Viñales valley we visit an organic farm for a fantastic farm-to-fork lunch.
We will have a light orientation tour around this small town and time permitting, maybe even end our day with a cocktail in a small local bar (perhaps with some local musicians) before heading back towards Havana for our final night and farewell meal.

Included Activities: Day trip to Viñales - visit to tobacco farm, organic farm, Indian caves and Prehistoric Mural.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

If you are on the 5 day tour you can depart at any time today. There are no included activities, however, your tour leader will be around at least until midday in case you have a few extra days planned in Havana and need some pointers or recommendations. An airport departure transfer is not included in the tour package. You can hire your own taxi, otherwise please advise your tour leader in advance if you require assistance arranging this service.

Included Meals: Breakfast