Bienvenido! Welcome to Cuba! Following your arrival at Havana’s José Martí International Airport, you will be transferred to your hotel, and the rest of the day is yours to spend at your leisure.  Havana is the jewel in the crown of Cuba, marrying as it does disheveled beauty with risqué and vibrant charm. The flourishing tourist trade has aided the restoration of the Old Town, which celebrates its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Relish the prospect of exploring the Havana’s enticing streets where salsa music emanates from every window, and the sweet pungent aroma of cigar smoke holds the air. At every turn you will see classic cars cruising along the streets. Depending on your arrival time, you might like to accompany your guide for dinner, during which time you may discuss your itinerary, interests and expectations. Your guide will happy to arrange a wide variety of evening activities for you, during your time in Cuba. Evenings are generally free time, allowing you to explore the city at your leisure.

This morning you will enjoy a guided walking tour of Havana’s Old Town. The tour will take you to El Capitolio, the Museo de la Revolución, and the Gran Teatro Habana; it will also take in some of the magnificent squares, such as the Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza San Francisco de Asis and Plaza Vieja. On this tour and throughout your holiday, you will savour the unique atmosphere of Havana’s cafes and restaurants, which serve culinary delights. Following a sumptuous lunch, take a ride in one of Cuba’s classic cars. This classic car tour will also take you past the Colon Cemetery, Revolution Square and through the once affluent Miramar district. You will then be taken to the Hotel Nacional in Havana Vedado for a drink, where you may relish the wonderful view of the Malecon at sunset. Round off the day with a cocktail and meal in one of the family-run Paladar restaurants. There’s also the option of visiting Havana's most famous jazz club The Vixen and the Crow. 

Today you shall set out on a journey to explore the dramatic beauty of the Pinar del Rio province and the rural town of Viñales. The landscape itself is dotted with mogotes, which are steep rounded hills that stand out against the surrounding flat plains around them. Nestled in a fertile valley, the picturesque village of Viñales is deceptively industrious, where many of Cuba’s trademark cigars are made from the tobacco that is grown here. Upon arrival you will have the chance to stroll about and experience lively music and dance scene which Viñales is also famous for. Just outside the village is the Los Jazmines look-out point from where you can admire Viñales and the Pinar del Rio province in all their splendour. Enjoy a sumptuous lunch followed by a pleasant biking excursion, which will take you through the plantations, which grow manioc, arrowroot, sweet potato, tobacco, tomato, banana, mango and pineapple. Crossing small private farms, you can see the farmers working with their oxen and their traditional methods of cultivation.  From Viñales you will journey 4km west, where, on a cliff at the foot of the 617m-high Sierra de Viñales,  you will find a 120m-long painting designed in 1961 by Leovigildo González Morillo.  This massive mural took 18 people four years to complete. The huge snail, dinosaurs, sea monsters and humans on the cliff are said to symbolize the theory of evolution.

Cuban cigars and rum, immortalized by Hemingway, are the themes of this sightseeing-filled day. Your guide will collect you and take you on a tour of the palatial Havana Rum Museum. On this tour rum you will learn about the rum making process, with tastings to follow. From there you will proceed to El Floridita, one of Hemingway’s favorite bars- and where you will find a statue of the writer.  The next stop is the Partagas Cigar Factory where you will come to appreciate the effort, care and tradition that goes into making these Cuban treasures. Your afternoon will begin with a short drive to La Finca Vigía on the outskirts of Havana, which was the home of Ernest Hemingway. From there you will proceed to the fishing village of Cojimar (14km from Havana), where Hemingway was inspired to write his novelette The Old Man and the Sea.  Here you will find another unique statue of Hemingway here. You will also vist the restaurant Las Terrazas, closely associated with the author and the late Captain of his boat the ‘Pilar’, Gregorio Fuentes. Return to Havana and head to celebrated Callejon de Hammel, a small alleyway in the where the Cuban artist fraternity congregate.  For your last night you may choose to visit La Taberna in the heart of Havana’s Old, which offers best traditional Cuban music as popularized by the Buena Vista Social Club.

Today you will explore Trinidad’s stunning surroundings. Your first port of call will be the glorious Valle de los Ingenios, translated as the Valley of the Sugar Mills, and which is nurtured amongst the rugged peaks of the Sierra del Escambray mountain range It was here that the bulk of Cuba’s sugar production took place, which came to an end with the abolition of slavery. Here you will take a tour of an old sugar mills, along with slave quarters and manor houses., such as Manaca Iznaga, an estate purchased in 1795 by Pedro Iznaga. Following this, the tour will proceed to the famous Playa Ancón Beach, where you will feel fine white sand beneath your feet. The beach is only 15 minutes by car from Trinidad, or 30 minutes by bike. The tour may also take you a short distance to the sleepy old fishing port of Casilda. Enjoy evening time in Trinidad, by visiting some local restaurants and music venues, such as Palenque de los Congos Reales, with its this open patio looking out over Trinidad's music alley. 

Today you will explore Trinidad’s stunning surroundings. Your first port of call will be the glorious Valle de los Ingenios, translated as the Valley of the Sugar Mills, and which is nurtured amongst the rugged peaks of the Sierra del Escambray Mountain Range. It was here that the bulk of Cuba’s sugar production took place, which came to an end with the abolition of slavery. Here you will take a tour of an old sugar mills, along with slave quarters and manor houses, such as Manaca Iznaga, an estate purchased in 1795 by Pedro Iznaga. Following this, the tour will proceed to the famous Playa Ancón Beach, where you will feel fine white sand beneath your feet. The beach is only 15 minutes by car from Trinidad, or 30 minutes by bike. The tour may also take you a short distance to the sleepy old fishing port of Casilda. Enjoy evening time in Trinidad, by visiting some local restaurants and music venues, such as Palenque de los Congos Reales, with its this open patio looking out over Trinidad's music alley. Overnight in Trinidad.

Aside from the Spanish, other European powers have made their mark on Cuba. This is particularly obvious when you see the rich French-influenced architecture of Cienfuegos. Founded in 1819 by Don Luis de Clouet, the town Cienfuegos flourished, whilst largely managing to remain free of pirate attacks. Your guided walking tour will take you along the town’s wide streets and promenades. Visit Parque Jose Marti and enjoy a walk along the Malecón, the longest promenade on the island. Your tour ends with cocktails in the local Yacht club. You can also enjoy lunch in the Palacio de Valle which is an upscale restaurant, which boasts an inviting terrace bar. Next stop on the itinerary is the Bay of Pigs., the dramatic staging ground for the disastrous US-backed 1960 invasion of Cuba. Today the beach is now a place of natural beauty, and is extremely popular with snorkelers and divers due to the cave systems, coral formations and an abundance of sea life. The wreck of the Jaruco, deliberately scuttled just offshore in 1994, affords an excellent opportunity for exploration, and is suitable even for novices. The local museum, principally dedicated to the invasion, is also worth a visit. After some time spent relaxing at the Bay of Pigs, it will be time to make your way back to Cuba’s capital city, where you will spend the final evening of your trip.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight. Adiós and come back soon!