Cuba

Havana > Viñales

Havana: Drinks @ Sia Kara

Order the mojito and fried cheese balls. Tip the guitarist singing live.

Drive by: Hotel Florida

Beautiful old world interior and charm

Havana: Drinks @ Sia Kara

Order the mojito and fried cheese balls. Tip the guitarist singing live.

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Itinerary

Day

1

Havana

12:00 pm: After you land and clear immigration and customs. Exit the building on the arrivals level. Flanking the entrances are two kiosks where you will see lines forming to exchange money at the CADECA.

After getting money, grab a taxi (25-30 CUC to Central Havana, about a 30 minute drive).

If you are a large group, consider reserving a taxi in advance. We hired a Jeep that could fit 6 people + bags. Contact is Tomas. Cell: (+53) 5-255-7563. Email: tomy8704@nauta.cu

2:00 pm: Wander the streets of Havana and walk along the Malecon (aka Cuba's sofa). It's an esplanade that stretches for 8 km and has great views of the sea and Havana. On weekends the city revels at the Malecon, gathering to socialize and party.

4:00 pm: Have a drink at Sia Kara Cafe. Order a Cubanito (like a Bloody Mary) or Mojito and some appetizers like the mariquitas (plantain chips) and fried cheese balls.

6:00 pm: Dinner at Chanchullero restaurant. It's a three story, young bar, gritty decor, $2 cocktails, great rooftop, and a fun night scene. Make a reservation in advance as lines tend to form at peak dinner hours.

Day

2

Viñales

Bring Cash. Many US credit cards and debit cards don't work in Cuba. We brought about ~$150/day per person (including activities & meals)
Exchange Euros instead of US Dollars. There is a 10% tax on US Dollars. Read this article for more info on money.
Try using Airbnb. We found the hotel supply was limited. We'd recommend staying near Habana Centro (downtown Havana)
- Here's the Airbnb where we stayed (we were 9 people, included breakfast)
Download Map.Me and the Google Translate app and ensure you have selected Spanish for offline use.
Here are some names of guides & drivers we used.
- Guide: Mary Duleidy Echevarria Ceballos. Cell: +(53) 5-392-3411. Email: maryduleidy21@gmail.com
- Driver: Tomas. Cell: (+53) 5-255-7563. Email: tomy8704@nauta.cu
Learn about Cuba before going.
- To better understand the history, the revolution and political background, read the book Havana Nocturne by T.J. English
- Watch the episodes about CUBA by VICE and Anthony Bourdain

6 Tips

The Map

Click on the Map above to see a full-size version with the legend.

Colors: each day is in different color
Knife/Fork: places to eat
Stars: main attractions

We'd recommend downloading the app Map.Me and starring the recommended restaurants and sites. You can also download the map to your phone using Google Maps so you may use it offline if you don't have cell phone service in Cuba.

8:30 am: Depart Havana. We paid for a private tour guide & transportation (which happened to be an old yellow school bus for the 9 of us). The total cost was 70 CUC/person for the day + tip for the guide and bus driver.

11:30 am: Arrive Viñales, known for its beautiful, mountains with rounded tops and tobacco farms, it has been a World Heritage Site since 1999. The first stop is Finca Agroecologica El Paraiso, an organic farm where all types of produce are cultivated and used on the family farm restaurant.

1:00 pm: Hop on horses (5 CUC/person) to explore the surrounding area. Along the way, you'll stop and see how they produce coffee beans in the valley and try some local drinks, including fresh coconut water. You'll also explore local caves (2 CUC/person), including seeing bats and snakes.

3:00 pm: Lunch, which is all sourced from the Finca Agroecologica El Paraiso farm.

Cost: 15 CUC/person + 3 CUC/drink
- It is served family style so you can try a variety of dishes.
- Some of our favorite dishes were the vegetable soup, grilled chicken and flan.

4:00 pm: Drive from the farm to a nearby tobacco farm.

4:30 pm: Visit the barn where they dry the tobacco and learn about the cigar making process. Then walk around the farm to see some of the tabocco leaves up close. You only need about 45 minutes on the tobacco plantation to see it all.

8:00 pm: Leave your hotel/Airbnb to head to Fabrica de Arte Cubano (FAC). It's an old factory that has been converted into a three-story arts center, with paintings, dance lessons and a live orchestra/performance space. This is a can't miss if you're in Cuba!

Arrive by 8:30 pm because the line does get very long.
Entrance is 2 CUC/person, and they give you a card when you enter. When you get a drink, they stamp the card, and then you pay when you leave based on the number of stamps on our card. So make sure you don't lose it!
Check the hours. FAC is only open Thursday-Saturday.

10:00 pm: Dinner at El Cocinero. Make a reservation in advance or stop by before you head into FAC to ensure you can get a table for dinner. At the very least, try and get in for a drink on the rooftop (an old smoke stack).

Day

3

Old Havana

9:30 am: Start with an Old Car Tour of Havana. Cost is 35 CUC/hour per car. We did a 2 hour tour. Stops include: Plaza de la Revolucion, Christopher Columbus Cemetery, Parque Almendares, Malecon, Castillo de los Tres Reyes de Morro

Make sure to reserve this in advance; we organized through our tour guide from the day before (Mary)

12:00 pm: We ate at La Terazza on the rooftop balcony, but found the food to be pricey and mediocre. Here are a few other places we didn't get a chance to visit but heard are good:

El Dandy: cafe/ restaurant/ bar. Go during the day for food and drinks.
La Bodeguita: the supposed home of the mojito and Ernest Hemingway's favorite spot. get a mojito ($4) and write your name on the bar.
Floridita: Ernest Hemingway's favorite daiquiri bar. The daiquiris aren't extraordinary but great vibe.
El Del Frente: great rooftop bar with light snacks.

2:00 pm: Walking tour of Old Havana. Cost is 20 CUC/person for 3 hours (with a stop in the middle for the tasting below)

Visited the 4 plazas: Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de San Francisco

4:00 pm: Coffee, Cigar and Rum tasting in Palacio de la Artensania

Cost: 15 CUC/person for 1 hour and you smoke a Rome & Juliet cigar, taste with espresso and finish off with Havana rum. Enjoyable pre-dinner activity.

8:30 pm: Dinner and show at The Tropicana. Make a reservation in advance online for the show. We'd skip the dinner there though. If you arrive at 8:30 pm, you eat dinner inside, and then you move outside to a table to view the show at 10:00 pm

Cost: 90 CUC/person. We booked the Package Oferta1 + Cena. which includes: 1 appetizer, 1 salad, 1 entree, 1 welcome drink, ¼ bottle of rum
Be sure to wear semi-formal attire, such as slacks and a button down. No shorts or sneakers allowed.
Show lasts 2 hours and they give you an entire bottle of rum + cigar for the duration of the show.

FYI

For our next visit

Have a drink at:
- La Bodeguita: the supposed home of the mojito and Ernest Hemmingways favorite spot. Get a mojito ($4) and write your name on the bar.
- Floridita: Ernest Hemmingway's favorite daiquiri bar. The daiquiris aren't extraordinary but great vibe
- El Del Frente: great rooftop