Day 1 - Day of arrival - Havana
On arrival at Havana airport you will be met by your guide and driver who will escort you to your accommodation.
Overnight at the Iberostar Parque Central.
Havana
Day 2 - Havana City Tour by bike
Enjoy a two-wheel tour of Havana. You’ll visit the well-to-do Miramar district, home to the city’s foreign diplomats and some of Havana’s most striking 20th century architecture. Keep an eye out for the sprawling and strange Russian embassy. Then cycle through Parque Metropolitano de la Habana
and Nuevo Vedado before stopping at Plaza de la Revolución, the political heart of Castro´s Cuba. From here you will wheel through vibrant Vedado towards the famous Hotel Nacional, which has offered shelter to many a celebrity over the years, including Winston Churchill and prominent US mafia members. You finish your cycling tour on the edge of the Old Town next to the Bay of Havana.
Included: English speaking cyclist guide, lunch at Doña Eutimia Paladar and walking tour of Havana
Overnight at the Iberostar Parque Central.
City tour by bike
Day 3 - Havana to Trinidad
Transfer to Trinidad, stopping in Santa Clara on the way. The provincial capital of Villa Clara province in central Cuba, the city of Santa Clara was founded in 1689 by settlers fleeing the coast and constant lootings by pirates. Today Santa Clara is an important university town, but it’s best known for the
historic events that surround revolutionist Che Guevara. Che led his rebel forces in the battle of Santa Clara, a decisive victory over Batista's army that resulted in the triumph of the revolution. Che’s remains were brought here from Bolivia in 1997 and are kept in an impressive mausoleum. After visiting Santa Clara, you continue to Trinidad, the jewel in Cuba's patrimonial crown. Named an UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988, Trinidad’s collection of beautifully preserved colonial buildings have the Sierra del Escambray as a backdrop and overlook the Caribbean Sea. Much of the city's fortune was made during the sugar boom of the early 19th century when the city’s nucleus of elegant mansions was built.
Trinidad is best explored on foot, following its winding cobbled streets to open marketplaces where innovative locals sell artisanal goods, from hand-woven tablecloths to pottery. There are many interesting museums to visit in the daytime, but it is as the sun sets that Trinidad really comes to life. We recommend a visit to Casa de la Trova for traditional Cuban music and dancing.
Included: Private Transfer from Havana to Trinidad, visit to the Ernesto Che Guevara Memorial, buffet Lunch at Los Caneyes Hotel Restaurant en route and dinner at “La Esquina” Restaurant
Overnight at the Grand Hotel Trindad
Santa Clara
Day 4 - Trinidad to Topes de Collantes
Departure to Topes de Collante Nature Reserve, part of Escambray or Guamuhaya Mountain Massif. This is the second largest mountain range in the island being its highest peak Pico San Juan (1148 metres). This is a delight for bird watchers and walkers and the vegetation of the area is mainly Caribbean pines, ancient tree ferns, bamboo and eucalyptus. The area is one of the most spectacular sceneries in Cuba, the views are fabulous during early evening with silvered light filtering down through the clouds.
Included: Private Transfer to Topes de Collantes and back, Vegas Grandes Mountain Trek - Vegas Grandes path leads to an impressive fall, surrounded by thick trees and beautiful landscapes deep in the heart of the Escambray Mountains.
Overnight at the Grand Hotel Trindad
Topes de Collantes
Day 5 - City Tour of Trindad
Trinidad has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988 and is perhaps the best-preserved colonial town on the island. It is a perfect relic of the early days of the Spanish colony with beautifully preserved streets and buildings and hardly a trace of the 20th century anywhere. It was founded in 1514 by Diego Velazquez as a base for expeditions into the New World, and Hernan Cortes who became known for conquering the Aztecs who set out from Trinidad for Mexico in 1519. Exploring Trinidad is like stepping back in time, the cobbled streets and horse drawn transportation whisk you back to the colonial era. There are several interesting museums housed in old colonial buildings such as the Romantic, Municipal, Archaeology and Architecture museums.
Included: Visit to the Manaca Iznaga tower, Manacu Community Project, a private pottery Class, lunch at Bata con Ache Restaurant in Ancon beach and dinner at Restaurant Vista Gourmet (El Bolo)
Overnight at the Grand Hotel Trindad
Trinidad
Day 6 - Trinidad to Cienfuegos
Today you´ll travel to Cienfuegos (1 hour away from Trinidad), once a French settlement for immigrants from Bordeaux and Louisiana, situated on the south coast. The locals refer to it as ‘La Perla del Sur, (Pearl of the South) for its beauty and the fact it is considered one of the cleanest cities in Cuba. The colonial centre with its grand structures surrounding the central square is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2005.
Included: Private Transfer from Trinidad to Cienfuegos and a Sea Kayak Tour (Lunch Included and Kayak Instructor).
Today you will enjoy a kayak tour around the beautiful bay of Cienfuegos. First you stop in Marina Marlin of Cienfuegos for you to be assigned kayaks. Then you transfer to the old dock of Pasacaballos where you will row to the other side of the canal of the bay, till the fortress of Nuestra Señora de Jagua for a guided visit to the fortress. Continue by the fishing town of El Perche until you reach Cayo Carenas where you´ll have the opportunity to go swimming. After leaving Cayo Carenas, head to La Milpa where you´ll have lunch in the Rancho Cristal Restaurant and afterwards continue the journey by bus.
Overnight at Melia San Carlos Hotel
Cienfuegos
Day 7 - Cienfuegos to Playa Larga
Departure to Playa Larga, a beach on the Bay of Pigs in Zapata Peninsula. The Bay of Pigs was the site of the failed US invasion of 1961, when CIA-backed Cuban exiles tried to overthrow Castro´s government. The Zapata peninsula is the largest wetlands in the insular Caribbean and home to
abundant bird and wildlife, earning its status as one of the six UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Cuba.
Included: Private Transfer from Cienfuegos to Playa Larga, lunch at Punta Perdiz Restaurant and snorkeling in Punta Perdiz
Overnight at Casa Particular de Enrique
Playa Larga
Day 8 - Playa Larga to Vinales
Departure to Viñales in the province of Pinar del Rio. Viñales is famous for its mogotes or karsts-rounded mountains (eroded limestone mountains) that seem to bubble out of the ground. This striking phenomenon dates back to the Upper Jurassic Period when the area was a cave system that collapsed,
leaving steep walls that turned into these unique mountains. Throughout the valley there are small villages, mostly self-sufficient farming communities and traders, plus a vast cave network. Viñales was recently proclaimed a National Park by UNESCO and a Natural Heritage Site.
Included: Private Transfer from Playa Larga to Viñales, panoramic Tour in las Terrazas - you will learn about the creation of this community in the Biosphere Reserve of Sierra del Rosario and the great variety of flora and fauna (mainly birds) of the area. Lunch at Cafetal Buenavista Restaurant and dinner at Finca Ecológica de Wilfredo.
Overnight at Encanto Central Hotel
Playa Larga
Day 9 - Explore Vinales
Enjoy a day exploring Viñales' many natural sites and attractions.
Overnight at Encanto Central Hotel
Vinales
Day 10 - Day at leisure
Enjoy a day at leisure to relax, explore the area or take part in an optional activity. You can explore the countryside while you admire the beauty of the landscape and meet farmers of the area to learn how they live and what they cultivate. There is also the chance to take part in the canopy
tour or ride horses or bicycles. You can also visit Santo Tomas caves, the largest cave network in Cuba.
Overnight at Encanto Central Hotel
Day 11 - Vinales to Havana
Journey back to Havana, Cuba´s cosmopolitan capital and the largest city in the Caribbean. This is a busy and bustling, energetic capital. Old Havana is described as a living museum with its marvellous monuments, cathedrals and palaces. It is the finest surviving Spanish colonial complex in the Americas, preserved by a combination of little war damage, post revolution restoration work and the millions of dollars invested since it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982.
After some time to freshen up, enjoy a one-on-one salsa class followed by a ride in an American classic car to La Guarida restaurant. (Dinner is not included, but we will make the reservation on your behalf if you so wish)
Included: Private Transfer from Viñales to Havana, an afternoon one-on-one Salsa Class and a classic car tour (2 hours)
Overnight at the Iberostar Parque Central.
Day 12 - Day of departure
Transfer to Havana airport for your return flight back to the UK.