Cuba Music Tour: Rhythms of the Island
Your Tour:
11 nights
12 days
18 meals
Up to 4 miles / day
Tour overview
Program activities, schedules and personnel may change due to local circumstances.
In such an event, we will alert you as quickly as possible.
Day by Day
Day 1
Overnight: Havana
The tour coordinator will greet everyone, and we will review the program schedule, emergency procedures and answer questions. After orientation we will set out with our tour coordinator to take a walk and explore the area around the hotel. At a restaurant, we will enjoy a welcome dinner with a delicious set menu.
Day 2
Overnight: Havana
Breakfast at the hotel. We will depart from the hotel by private bus towards Old Havana, UNESCO Wolrd Heritage Site, where we will meet a local expert who will lead our walking tour around the area discovering the main colonial squares.
After this, we will enjoy a traditional Cuban lunch enlivened with music and dances. In the afternoon, a local expert will join us for a presentation on Cuban History through one of the best ways to get to know Cuban idiosyncrasy: music and the different Cuban rhythms.
Day 3
Overnight: Havana
Breakfast at the Hotel. We will depart from the hotel by private bus towards Casa de África. This museum holds an impressive collection and information of the African heritage both in arts and religion. We will learn about their celebrating traditions and fusions between African and Catholic religions.
After this, we will continue learning about one of the main Santería neighborhoods in Havana, Cayo Hueso. An expert guide will show us the picturesque Hamel Alley and how the Cuban artist Salvador González Escalona describes his Afro-Cuban style as a mix of surrealism, cubism, and abstract art.
Day 4
Overnight: Trinidad
Breakfast at Casa Particular. We will depart to Trinidad, Cuba’s finest colonial town founded in 1514, UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town was built thanks to the success of the sugar industry from the beginning of the XIX century produced near the Ingenio Valley. After check-in at Casas Particulares, private guest houses with all amenities which contribute to the local economy, we will have a delicious home-made food for lunch.
Afterwards, we will visit downtown discovering its amazing architectural value.
At night, we will assist a live music and dance show at the Escalinata music house.
Day 5
Overnight: Trinidad
Breakfast at Casa Particular. We will visit a local pottery workshop where artisans produce classical pieces that characterize the city of Trinidad.
Afterwards, we will depart to Ancón Beach, probably the most beautiful beach on the South coast of Cuba, where we will have time to relax at and enjoy their warm and crystal waters.
Day 6
Overnight: Camagüey
Breakfast at Casa Particular. We will depart towards Camagüey, the third largest town in Cuba, UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a peculiar labyrinthine layout which harbor squares with formidable baroque churches.
After checking in at the hotel and settling into your room we will have an orientation tour around this fascinating urban section by horse-drawn carriage. We will then have a delicious set menu for dinner at a local restaurant while also enjoying a vibrant live music show.
Day 7
Overnight: Santiago de Cuba
Breakfast at the Hotel. We will depart to Santiago de Cuba. In this bustling city we will find the richest cultural mix and historical background with an enormous influence of Haití or Jamaica. After checking in at Casa Particular, we will meet a local expert who will lead our walking tour around the area discovering the main points of interest in Santiago.
Day 8
Overnight: Santiago de Cuba
Breakfast at Casa Particular. We will visit San Pedro de la Roca Castle, a fortress declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. We will have a tour around the fortress, originally built to defend the city against pirate attacks, where impressive views can be enjoyed from the upper terrace where you can see part of the east coast and Sierra Maestra, mountain range where the highest elevation of the whole island (Pico Turquino) is located at the back. There, we will enjoy a delicious set menu at a local restaurant. Afterwards, we will continue to Santa Iphigenia Cemetery where we can find the graves of historical figures such as José Martí, Fidel Castro, Emilio Bacardí Moreau or Compay Segundo.
At night, we will assist a live performance of Tumba Francesa, a secular Afro-Cuban genre of dance, song, and drumming that was introduced by slaves from the French colony of Haiti.
Day 9
Overnight: Santiago de Cuba
Breakfast at Casa Particular. We will depart to the Basilica of Our Lady of Copper located on the top of a hillside next to an old copper mine. This Sanctuary holds the patron saint of the nation, The Virgin of the Charity, the most worshiped in Cuba.
After this, we will continue to Casa del Caribe, where we will learn more about the other Caribbean influences. There, an expert will talk about folklore and Santería.
We will have a spectacular farewell dinner at local Paladar (private restaurants).
Day 10
Overnight: Havana
Breakfast at Casa Particular. We will depart to Havana by plane. This domestic flight from Santiago de Cuba takes about 2 hours until arrival in Havana.
Check-in at the hotel and free time to relax.
Day 11
Overnight: Havana
Breakfast at the hotel. We will spend the morning at ISA, The Higher Institute for The Arts, the most prestigious art institute in Cuba where a local expert will guide us through, while enjoying an artistic environment. Afterwards, we will continue to the San José warehouse which is located in the biggest craft market of Havana. Free afternoon to pack, explore or just relax. Farewell dinner at a restaurant.
At night, we will have the opportunity to enjoy a freestyle Jazz Show at one of the most famous Jazz Clubs in Havana where you can still feel in the atmosphere the energy of great musicians such as Chucho Valdés or George Benson.
Day 12
Breakfast at the Hotel. Transfer to the airport at a designated time.
Tour Inclusions
- Bilingual Staff
- Expert Tour Coordinator during the entire program
- Expert Local Guides for the visits included
- Local Experts for each lecture
- Private ground transportation
- Entrances fees to Casa de África, Hamel alley, The Cuban Higher Institute for The Arts and Local Craft Market in Havana. The pottery house in Trinidad. Copper Cathedral, Santa Iphigenia Cemetery and San Pedro de la Roca Fortress and Casa del Caribe in Santiago de Cuba
- Enriching Experiences: 5 Live Music Shows in Havana, Trinidad, Camagüey and Santiago de Cuba
- 1 Lecture
- 10 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners
- Accommodation in 4* hotel at city center in Havana and Camagüey. Casa Particular in Santiago de Cuba and Trinidad
- Domestic Flight Santiago de Cuba to Havana
- 24/7 Emergency support
- Tips are included throughout the visits programmed
- Taxes
Tour Pricing
- $3420 USD
Price per person based on double occupancy. Single supplement $570.
For a minimum of 15 pax.
Additional Experiences
Customize your trip according to your interests by adding any of these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
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