Overview

Cuba is a country that can’t be singularly defined. Just when you think you have it pegged by the raw energy and hustle of Havana, its urban hub, its softer side – the outlying rustling tobacco fields, the farms tended by ox-driven plows – beckons to be explored.

Tobacco Farmers in Viñales ValleyExperience both worlds with our eight-day Scenic Cuba tour. Under the care of a Cuban guide, dedicated to fostering authentic connections between you and local residents, explore city life in Cuba’s biggest metropolis before voyaging afield to the western province of Pinar del Río, known for its quiet, red-earth pastures and breathtaking national park, Viñales.
 
While these two destinations hit your senses in wildly different ways, the warmth and spirit of their people is steadfast. Lifelong residents reveal the real Cuba to you in ways never before possible.

The first part of your trip is spent in Havana, where cobblestone streets are flanked by beautiful 16th-century Colonial courtyard buildings, Buena Vista-style guitar rifts flutter from cafes and romance sparks near the Malecón, the city’s magnificent seaside boulevard where couples often stroll and Cuban leisure life bustles.
 
Begin your journey in Old Havana, the historical city center and famous UNESCO heritage area. Engage with resident musicians and artists at Callejón de Hamel, a street rife with art displays and public music performances. Learn about organic farming at Vivero Organopónico and get to know the students and teachers at a school committed to preserving Cuba’s cultural and architectural heritage by training local youth in arts, crafts and theoretical knowledge.

From Havana, travel to the Pinar del Río province. This is western country – a tranquil land with a temperate climate and decidedly fewer tourists than the big city. Here your Cuban guide introduces you to Sierra del Rosario, a wooded range and UNESCO World Heritage Biosphere Reserve that flaunts waterfalls and flower-lined paths. To put its wonder in perspective, meet with residents from Las Terrazas, a small community and nature reserve situated therein.
 
Next, journey to Viñales Valley, where red earth and unique stone formations greet you like a mirage. This farming region is traversed by modest guajiros (peasant farmers), who you’ll come to know as you spend time chatting and soaking up their way of life.
 
The final leg of your trip spent exploring the town of Pinar del Río. Sit down for meaningful conversations with local residents and tobacco famers and learn about the history of the plants in the region and how its commerce runs today. Of course there is more to explore, from unique Corinthian column architecture to a children’s art therapy program, before you journey back to Havana.

Pinar del Río

What's Included

Sample Itinerary

*A significant portion of your in-country programming is customized for each group to maximize your cultural experience. Many of the places we visit are not tourist destinations and are thus not always available. Therefore, this program should be considered as a sample only – please keep in mind that your particular tour may vary. Final itineraries are sent to guests one to two weeks prior to departure.

Tour Dates & Prices