ITINERARY: 10 DAY TOUR

Day 1: Arrive Havana - Tour Havana

Welcome to Cuba! Today we arrive in Havana and settle into our accommodations. We will walk to a charming restaurant in our neighborhood for dinner and relax after our long journey.

No Meals Included

Day 2: Havana - Artist Visits & Tour Havana

In the morning we will visit a large mansion stuck in time with little changed since the Revolution that has slowly aged over the years. After that we will visit the home studio of one of Havana's leading women photographers. Next we will visit the amazing studio of one of Cuba's leading contemporary artists in her beautiful home. We will have lunch nearby and then stop by the legendary mid-century Riviera Hotel formerly owned by Meyer Lansky.

Mid-afternoon we will go for a ride in some of Cuba’s classic cars and tour it's many neighborhoods and the famous Malecon. Before dinner we will stop at the legendary 1930’s era Hotel Nacional. After that we will have our welcome dinner with our Cuban guide at a famous restaurant in Old Havana that has breathtaking early architecture.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3: Havana - Havana & Artist Visits

Our first stop will be an artist visit. From there we will drive to the fishing village of Jaimanitas and the home of the famous artist Jose Fuster. Fuster has made his entire home, and much of the surrounding neighborhood, into an artwork using tiles in mosaic forms and is an amazing place to visit. (link) We will eat lunch at a delicious restaurant on the coast and then visit the lovely home of a well know female contemporary artist. After that we will visit the home studio of a very inspiring photographer. For dinner we will eat at one of the restuarants in our neighborhood.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 4: Havana - Old Havana & Artist Visits

First thing in the morning we will have a walking tour of Old Havana and walk in the footsteps of Havana’s colonial past, visiting the main plazas of Old Havana with our expert guide offering insightful history along the way. Following the walking tour we will stop at the famous Havana cigar factory and see them being made in the same way they have been doing it for centuries. We will have lunch in Old Havana and then visit the studio of a well known Cuban painter. After this we will walk a bit and explore the residential side of Old Havana and see how people live. After that we will visit an art project where two artists converted an old warehouse/laudry mat into a large art exhibition space in a poor neighborhood.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 4: Matanzas

Today we will leave Havana and head to the coastal town of Matanzas. En route will stop at a former fort which was an arrival port for slaves and wander around taking in the history. We will have lunch at a charming restuarant along thw water front. We will explore the town a bit and then we will drive then check into our houses. For dinner we will eat at one of the houses and have a traditonal home cooked Cuban meal by candle light. Following dinner we will be entertained by a group of 10 musicians and dancers will come perform a Rhumba show on the house's roof top terrace just for us.

Meals Included: Breakfast, and Dinner

Day 6: Matanzas

In the morning we will drive to an amazing an organic farm and learn about sustainable farming in Cuba. The mother of the family is a contemporary ceramic artist so art prevades the whole farm with large sculptures everywhere and their own ceramic studio. The family will show us around the farm and give us a tour their ceramic studio. We will enjoy a deliciously fresh home cooked meal, a truly authentic farm-to-fork experience. Following lunch we will drive to a nearby small town that used to be a resort escape in the 30s and wander its abandoned mansion and see the small town rural life. For dinner we will wander down to the river front and eat at one of Matanza's charming cafes.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 7: Trinidad

Today we will depart for Trinidad. We will drive to Cienfuegos and then on to a little village on the coast for a simple lunch. There is also a botanical garden we might visit. We will then drive on to Trinidad to check into our house and relax a bit before we go to town for dinner and an evening of music.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 8: Trinidad

The beautiful colonial city of Trinidad is an UNESCO landmark and it is a joy to walk and explore its cobblestone streets. For our first morning in Trinidad we will first stop at a ceramic studio of one of Trinidad's leading artists. We'll then meet with a group of about 13 Afro-Cuban musicians and dancers who will do a performance for us. They will also do a percussion and dance demostration where you can give it a try. We will eat lunch on the plaza and meet and listen to one of the town's many delightful Cuban groups. Late afternoon we will go out to Playa Ancon, stop and collect coral and then relax at the beach with a picnic.

In the evening if you like we can go to town. In Trinidad music is everywhere, with numerous live venues and many dance performances every day of the week, day and night, all amongst the enchanting setting of old colonial buildings and cobblestone streets.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 9: Trinidad

We will leave Trinidad to head back to Havana via Cienfuegos and visit a charming small town that has a large Afro-Cuban population. We will visit an Afro-Cuban religious temple where they will do a special musical and dance presentation just for us. This is not a town tourists normally visit and it will be an opportunity to see authentic life in small town Cuba. We will have lunch in nearby Cienfuegos at a restaurant overlooking the sea. We will then head back to Havana where we will have some free time to freshen up before our farewell dinner.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 10: Havana

In the morning we will relax before our flights then wave goodbye to the city’s warm waters, colonial palaces and vintage cars before boarding our flights back to the US. Breakfast and Transport to the Airport Included.

Meals Included: Breakfast