Benefits of Traveling to Cuba on a Guided Tour

For most Americans, visiting Cuba legally requires taking a guided tour. “People-to-people” travel, introduced in 2000, takes travelers into the heart of Cuba, helping forge real connections between islanders and visitors.

Over nearly 15 years, insightCuba has fostered friendships with Cuba’s dynamic creative class. We introduce travelers to painters, performers, photographers, students, professors and chefs in their spaces, studios, farms, schools and communities.

Local guides know the island inside and out, and love to share their knowledge and appreciation of the island’s heritage, geography, and cuisine. “Our tours are jam-packed with so many highlights that it really allows you to leave the country with a greater understanding of Cuban culture, history, and people,” says insightCuba tour leader Robert Green. “Oftentimes, someone who travels with us for a week will have a deeper understanding of Cuba than a Canadian or European tourist who goes to Cuba year after year for ‘sun and fun’ vacations.”

People-to-people travel is, by design, educational. However much you may think you know about Cuba, when you discover this captivating island country through an insightCuba tour, you will learn so much more.

Traveling with a guide carries other benefits, too. For one thing, you don’t have to worry about whether you speak the language well enough to understand and be understood.

A Cuban tour guide will provide an unforgettable experience

Guides can also help you bypass high-traffic areas or activities. More important, they unlock doors.  The best places, activities, dining experiences, and cultural encounters are planned for you. You don’t have to worry about where to go, how to get there, what to see first, or where to get the best travel tips. Even small-but-important things like fresh bottled drinking water are taken care of—which means less to stress about, and more time to enjoy your trip.

Discover the best places to dine

When the unexpected arises, it can help to have an advocate who speaks the language and understands the culture. Guides can assist with bureaucratic challenges such as obtaining licenses and permits for various activities. Don’t forget: guides know the lay of the land and can steer you toward safer experiences and areas.  They also know first aid and can arrange for more substantial medical services should you need them.

Best of all, perhaps, you will almost certainly form friendships when you share the experience of discovery with like-minded fellow visitors. 

Photos by Robin Thom, © all rights reserved