Cuba Family Holiday
Cuba Family Holiday
Cuba Family Holiday
11 Days Starting and ending in Havana
Visiting: Havana, Vinales, Soroa, Playa Giron, Cienfuegos, Trinidad
Tour operator:
Tour code:
QUFA
Recommended For:
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
2 - 16
Physical rating:
Low
Age range:
5-99 years
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
From tobacco fields and fishing villages, to revolutionist monuments and relaxing beaches, Cuba is home to one of the most captivating cultures in the world. Take in the crumbling facades of colonial buildings, meet chilled out locals puffing on cigars and wiggle your toes in the sand on an isolated beach. Experience Cuba in all its glory and discover the colours, cuisine and culture that make up this truly distinctive country.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Havana
Location: Havana
Accommodation: Hotel, Presidente or similar
Meals Included: No Meals
Bienvenidos a Cuba! Welcome to Cuba!
Today is an arrival today while families fly in from around the world. If you arrive early, Havana is a fantastic city to explore.
Havana is one of the finest colonial cities in the Americas with narrow streets, spacious plazas and glorious Spanish architecture. There is an air of faded glory about the place with paint peeling off buildings and '50s and '60s American automobiles still dominating the roads.
A welcome meeting will take place at 5pm this evening. On check-in the hotel will advise where the group meeting will be.
Day 2 : Vinales
Location: Vinales
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Meals Included: Breakfast
Drive through an exotic landscape of cane fields, tobacco plantations and swaying palm trees on the way to Vinales. Upon arrival we will take an orientation walk through the main street with it's colourful colonial-era wooden houses. Orchids and palms fill the Casa de Caridad Botanical Gardens. Vinales is the gateway to the Sierra de los Organos mountains and the Vinales Valley.
In the evening, watch as thousands of bats stream out of the limestone caves on a tour of the picturesque Vinales Valley
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 3 : Vinales
Location: Vinales
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Meals Included: Breakfast
The Vinales Valley boasts the oldest geological formations in Cuba, unique to the area. Spectacular mogotes - sheer-sided, conical towers of limestone - some over 300 metres high are all that is left of a great plateau after millions of years of erosion by wind and water.
The resultant karst terrain is similar to southern China or Vietnam, especially when a layer of mist carpets the valley floor in the early morning. It is a fascinating scene, all the more so when oxen are working the fields and the scent of tobacco fills the air.
We'll take a guided walk through this rich countryside to see something of rural life, and hopefully stop at a farmer's house.
In the afternoon we'll visit the Cueva del Indio, an impressive limestone cave once inhabited by local Indians and filled with stalactites and stalagmites. A river runs through the second half of the cave and we'll board a boat to take us through and out into the daylight. At dusk thousands of bats stream out of the cave to go and feed.
Included Activities:
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Day 4 : Soroa
Location: Soroa
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we start with breakfast before driving the relatively short distance to Soroa (approximately 1 hr 30 minutes). Soroa is known by some as the "Rainbow of Cuba". It is a gorgeous natural area set within the mountains. It is significantly cooler here than the other places we go on the tour and refreshing during the summer months.
The rainfall here promotes the growth of tall trees and orchids and bird life here is abundant. We will undertake an enjoyable walk to a waterfall and get the chance to swim at a water hole, all very relaxed and enjoyable.
We stay tonight in a set of guesthouses in the village, being country folk the locals are humble and very friendly and hospitable.
Included Activities:
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Day 5 : Playa Giron
Location: Playa Giron
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Meals Included: Breakfast
Our route today takes us past the badlands of the Zapata Peninsula to Playa Larga, standing at the head of the famous Bay of Pigs where, in 1961 a force of CIA-trained Cuban exiles landed to stir up a counter-revolution. Further along the coast at Playa Giron a small museum commemorates this failed US effort to impose its will on socialist Cuba.
We stay tonight at a homestay near this beautiful Caribbean beach. While here this is an opportunity to go snorkelling and time spent on the beach.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 6 : Cienfuegos
Location: Cienfuegos
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we head to Cienfuegos (approximately 1 hour). Cienfuegos' appeal lies partly in the European flavour of its colonial centre, with a wide Parisian-style boulevard and elegant colonnades.
There is ambience enough here to have inspired Cuba's most celebrated 'son' singer to write the words 'Cienfuegos is the city I like best'. He was born nearby, which may have helped.This afternoon we will take a walking tour of the town. We will also visit one of the famous Coppelia ice cream parlours where you can enjoy a sweet treat on us!
Included Activities:
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Day 7 : Trinidad
Location: Trinidad
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning we visit Santa Clara (approximately 1 hours drive) and the mausoleum of the legendary Che Guevara. Santa Clara was the first major city to be liberated by Castro's army in December 1958 and a number of monuments now commemorate this important period of Cuba's history.
Along the way to Trinidad we stop off at a farm just on the edge of the Topes de Collantes National Park for lunch. Lunch will be a creole meal consisting of food from the farm or from other local neighbouring farms: root vegetables, chicken, pork, seasonal salad veggies, rice and beans, fresh local coffee from their little mountain plantation, local fruits, juice, and deliciously smoked green banana chips.
Afterwards, we continue onto Trinidad (appoximately 2hrs). For most visitors to Cuba, the World Heritage site of Trinidad is their favourite destination. No other colonial city in Cuba is so well preserved, and the local residents are extremely friendly and festive. The town rose to prominence during the sugar boom and the wealth generated by the industry remains visible in the town's once grand mansions, colourful public buildings, wrought iron grill-work and cobble-stoned streets. Trinidad is also steeped in religion, such as Santeria, which is one of the Afro-Cuban religions (related to voodoo).
Included Activities:
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Day 8 : Trinidad
Location: Trinidad
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Meals Included: Breakfast
Our last day in this wonderful World Heritage site. Trinidad is one-of-a-kind, a perfectly preserved Spanish colonial settlemen. Built on huge sugar fortunes amassed in the adjacent Valle de los Ingenios during the early 19th century, the riches of the town's pre–War of Independence heyday are still very much in evidence in illustrious colonial-style mansions.
During our time here we will take a half day walk to Salto de Javira, a beautiful waterfall with a natural pool you can swim in. We will also take a trip to Playa Ancon, a classic Caribbean beach where you can relax and unwind and just soak up the Caribbean vibe.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 9 : Havana
Location: Havana
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Meals Included: Breakfast
Settle in for the long drive from Trinidad to Havana today (approximately 4 hours). Take the opportunity to catch up on your book or play a game of eye spy as you watch the landscape roll by. We'll stop for lunch and snacks along the way. Arrive at your guesthouse later this afternoon. There's no activities planned for this evening, so perhaps take a walk with the other families and head out for dinner.
Day 10 : Havana
Location: Havana
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today we take a walking tour of Old Havana. Havana's Old City is well preserved and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1982. The streets are lined with colonial architecture, 16th century fortresses and countless churches. Sites we may visit include La Catedral San Cristobal de la Habana, described by the novelist Alejo Carpentier as 'music set in stone', Palacio de los Marqueses de Aguas Claras (now a restaurant) and the Plaza de Armas, complete with a statue of Manuel de Cespedes, one of the leaders of the independence movement.
We also visit the Plaza de Revolucion, Miramar and the Malecon on a tour, driven in vintage American cars.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 11 : Havana
Location: Havana
Meals Included: Breakfast
There are no activities planned for the final day and you are able to depart the accommodation at any time.
What's Included
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Havana - American Vintage Car Tour (guide and transport included)
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Vinales - Cueva del Indio - Cave Visit including boat trip
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Vinales - Half-day Valley Walking Tour including Tobacco Farmhouse
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Soroa - Waterfall hike and swim
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Caleta Buena - Snorkelling
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Cienfuegos - Coppelia ice cream parlour
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Cienfuegos - Leader-led walking tour
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Santa Clara - Che Guevara Mausoleum and Museum (entrance fee included, no guide)
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Topes de Collantes National Park - Farm Lunch
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Trinidad - Half day trip to Ancon Beach
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
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International Travel
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Airport Transfers at Destination
Included Activities
- Vinales - Leader-led Orientation Walk
- Vinales - Cueva del Indio - Cave Visit including boat trip (entrance fee included, no transport)
- Vinales - Half-day Valley Walking Tour including Tobacco Farmhouse (guide included, no transport)
- Soroa - Waterfall hike and swim
- Caleta Buena - Snorkelling
- Cienfuegos - Coppelia ice cream parlour
- Cienfuegos - Leader-led walking tour
- Trinidad - Leader-led Orientation Walk
- Santa Clara - Che Guevara Mausoleum and Museum (entrance fee included, no guide)
- Topes de Collantes National Park - Farm Lunch
- Trinidad - Half day trip to Ancon Beach
- Trinidad - Trek to Salto de Javira Waterfall
- Havana - Leader-led Walking Tour of Old Havana
- Havana - American Vintage Car Tour (guide and transport included)
Transport
- Minibus
Accommodation
- Guesthouse (9 nights), Hotel (1 night)
Check out our Q&As
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
Yes if aged 15+ and accompanied by an adult
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Is this trip right for you
The guesthouses (casas) we use are much nicer than your average Cuban dwelling and each room is unique. Regardless of where you stay, power cuts and breaks in hot water supply are sometimes unavoidable, as in any developing country – but we believe that this is all a part of the local experience. To help set your expectations correctly, please read the ‘Accommodation’ section of the Essential Trip Information.
Part of Cuba’s appeal is its old-fashioned style – this includes the banking systems. Funds in Cuba can be difficult to access. Please read our Essential Trip Information to be fully prepared.
Luxuries such as air conditioning, and even kitchen sinks, are often scarce. Part of the experience here is learning to appreciate everyday Cuban resourcefulness.
There's plenty of time to eat the delights of the sea, but it's good to keep in mind that accompaniments are not as expansive as in another countries, due to limitations on imports.
Internet access can be hard to come by, and when it's available it's often unreliable and expensive. This is, on the other hand, a great opportunity to take a break from modern devices and have a true holiday.
Cuba is different and that’s what makes it such a fascinating destination. You will find that things don’t always go according to plan or work the way they do back home. Regulations concerning foreigners and currency may appear strange to you, buses and planes often run late and sometimes the water in your bathroom can run cold and the electricity fail. In order to get the most out of your holiday, a degree of patience, good humour and understanding is a definite advantage. Cuba may not be wealthy in a monetary sense, however if you approach your holiday with an open and enquiring mind, the warm welcome you receive from Cubans will ensure you a rich and rewarding holiday experience. -
Are airport transfers included in this tour?
No
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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Are international flights included in this tour?
No
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Are all entrance fees included in the price?
Yes, except optional activities
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
Reviews of this Operator
Book with Confidence
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 200 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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COVID Protection
Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards
From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
However, we continue to strongly recommend that all travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and other Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.
This policy excludes all Polar trips and select adventure cruises, where testing and vaccination remains a requirement. Please refer to the Essential Trip Information of your chosen tour for more details.
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