Havana and Santiago de Cuba best private incentive tour

Highlights

• Old Havana private city tour with local guide.
• Old American vintage car tour.
• Tour of Santiago de Cuba historical center including “Céspedes Park”.
• Original Cuba Rum Bacardi experience.
• Best real Cuban music at Casa de la Trova in Santiago de Cuba. Rhythms and folklore in Santiago de Cuba.
• Sanctuary of Caridad del Cobre, patron of Cuba.
• Tour of Baracoa, eastern most city of Cuba.
• Tour of Bayamo city, cadre of Cuban nationality.
• Knows Gibara City on the eastern region of Cuba, out of beaten path place.
• Enjoy at best Cuba beaches on northern Cuba coast.

Places you will visit:

Havana- Holguín- Santiago de Cuba- Baracoa- Bayamo- Gibara- Guardalabaca

Itinerary

DAY 1 HAVANA

Arrival at Havana International Airport.

Meet and Greeting at the Airport.

Private Transfer to Private House.

Check in and relax.

If times allow go straight out to see the magic of Havana City and local people.

Dinner on own.

Accommodation in B&B at Hotel boutique 4* in Old Havana or similar in Havana with central location.

Day 2 HAVANA CITY TOUR

08:30 Breakfast.

09:15 Full City Tour of Old Havana starting the walking tour of Old Havana from the Templete, where Havana villa was founded in 1519. Walking through the Plaza de Armas and all other Squares of Old Havana: San Francisco de Asís Square, then to Old Square, visit the Cathedral Square. Seeing the monuments and buildings more relevant from the different centuries all well preserved, the Palacio Del Segundo Cabo, the Cathedral; entrance to the Museum of Capitanes Generales & the Old Havana Small Scale Museum.

13:00 Luncheon at a private family restaurant .

After lunch continuation of the city tour, visit the Prado Avenue, the Grand Theater of Havana, and the Capitol Building. Continue to Colon Cemetery, one of the most historical cemetery of the world and the most significant in Latin American with more of 500 mausoleums, chapels and family vaults; enjoy some of the most relevant mansions of the Vedado on Paseo Avenue, President Avenue, 17 Street between others, visit the University of Havana, the Coppelia building, the Rampa, the first Hilton built outside USA in the fifties, etc.

Back to the hotel.

Optional Dinner (not included).

Accommodation in B&B at Hotel boutique 4* in Old Havana or similar in Havana with central location.

B,L (breakfast and lunch included) 

Day 3 HAVANA-SANTIAGO DE CUBA

3:30 Early wake up and box breakfast.

04:00 Transfer Out to Havana Airport domestic flight terminal to take flight to Santiago de Cuba.

Departing on flight 07:00 am, arriving into Santiago de Cuba International Airport at 08:30 am, meet and greeting.

Transfer In to Hotel 5* where you will be lodging for next 2 nights.

Have a breakfast on your own.

Get a rest and be ready to be pick up to start the City tour to Santiago de Cuba, second most important city of Cuba and crucial to understand Cuba its culture , history, formation of the nationality and the nation.

Santiago de Cuba is considered also the home of Cuban Rum, the music name “Son”, one of the main source of modern Cuban popular music including “Salsa” music and also the cadre of most recent Cuba Revolution led by Fidel Castro as well as the fights which took place in the XIX century in Cuba to get independence from Spain Empire. Visit Céspedes Park, which the center of the historical area of Santiago de Cuba, where you will see the municipal government building, the first house built in Cuba by general governor and conquer of the island in the xvi century Diego Velázquez nowadays a Museum, the Hotel Casa Granda the emblematic Hotel of Santiago de Cuba and the Santiago de Cuba´s Cathedral which you will visit. You will be walking through main streets of Santiago de Cuba like Enrramada where many interesting buildings will be shown to you by your local tour Guide, including where the Casa de la Trova is located, emblematic night life music club which is hardly recommend to be visited You will see the Bacardí Museum, where an important collection of paintings from famous Cuban and “Santiagueros” painters are exhibited. Then you will go to the Morro Fortress of Santiago de Cuba which was built by the Spaniards built it to have control over the Santiago de Cuba´s bay, from here you will have an excellent panoramic view over the City and the harbor of Santiago de Cuba.

18:30 Back to your accommodation.

Welcoming dinner at Hotel´s restaurant.

The life in the city ending it at Casa de la Trova to enjoy very good Cuban popular music.

Accommodation in B&B at Hotel 5* or 4* centrally located.

B, D ( breakfast and dinner included).

Day 4 SANTIAGO DE CUBA

08:00 Breakfast

Visit the Gran Piedra Park where you will have most excellent view over the nature of the area surrounding Santiago de Cuba Enter to the ruins of a French coffee plantation the Isabelica.

Lunch in a local restaurant at Gran Piedra.

On the way back visit La Granjita de Siboney, from where Fidel Castro and his companions were hidden and left on early morning of July 26 1953 to assault the second most important military barrack in Cuba, attempt which not fructified and all of the group were rejected and dispersed, many died of were assassinated and others were made prisoners .

Then you will visit the Moncada Barrack Museum, used to be the main military fortress of Santiago de Cuba which was attacked by revolutionaries group led by Fidel Castro in 1953 departing from La Granjita which ended in a defeat for you young revolutionary movement July 26 ( it was attacked on July 26 1953) , a day of Carnival in Santiago de Cuba where the whole city was immerse in the festivities.

Finally visit the Carnival Museum of Santiago de Cuba, best carnival in Cuba.

Free evening.

Accommodation in B&B at Hotel 5* or 4* centrally located.

B,L (breakfast and lunch included)

Day 5 SANTIAGO DE CUBA- SANCTUARY OF CARIDAD DEL COBRE--SANTIAGO DE CUBA.

08:30 Breakfast.

Departing to see the Basilic of Caridad del Cobre the patron of Cuba venerated by all Cubans.

It will take your driver and local tour guide around 25 minutes to reach the Basilic 20 kms from Santiago de Cuba and near of the town " El Cobre ".

When inside the Church you will appreciate the many religious offerings to the Virgen by Cuban people from all walk of life even from foreigners and famous personalities of the world like the american writer Hemingway who dedicated to the Virgen of Caridad del Cobre his medal of Nobel Prize in Literature won by the novelist and writer of Old man and the Sea in 1954.

Then you will be back to Santiago de Cuba for a very nice tour through the Santiago de Cuba Harbor, crossing from the mainland to the key at the Bay name Granma, there you will visit the fisherman town, and will have a delicious local seafood luncheon.

Coming back to the city and you will enjoy time free to explore further Santiago de Cuba.

Dinner at famous first class family restaurant or similar local restaurant in Santiago de Cuba.

Explore Santiago de Cuba night life.

Accommodation in B&B at Hotel 5* or 4* centrally located.

B,D (breakfast and dinner included).

Day 6 SANTIAGO DE CUBA-GUANTANAMO-BARACOA .

07:30 Breakfast.

08:00 Check Out and departure for Baracoa via Guantanamo City.

10:40 Panoramic Tour of the historical center of Guantanamo.

11:30 Continuation to Baracoa.

12:50 Arrival and optional luncheon in a local restaurant.

City tour of Baracoa City, the first villa founded by Christopher Colombus in Cuba in 1511, visits the historical center, the Matachin Museum, the Church Primada de Cuba.

Optional dinner at local restaurant.

Free night to enjoy Baracoa's unique changüí music traditions.

Accommodation in B& B at Hotel 3* like Hotel El Castillo or Porto Santo o similar ones.

B (breakfast included).

Day 7 BARACOA BEST CUBA NATURE DAY.

08:00 Breakfast.

After breakfast have some short walk through main streets of Baracoa to enjoy local atmosphere and local people. Colonial architecture is not as impressive as in Havana or Trinidad but local Cuban spirit and customs is worthy to see particularly in the early hours in the morning when locals gather around the park in front of the Cathedral ready for a game of chess or domino. Here you will meet real local people, since it is busy activity time.

Going to Finca Duaba in the outskirts of Baracoa city to experience the rich natural flora and fauna at this almost virgen region of Cuba. Visit the Cacao plantations , talk to the farmers producing Cacao in Baracoa area, goes to production plant where the Baracoa Cacao is processed to produce best handmade Cuba chocolate.

Go with your local tour guide for an special ride on special boat through the Yumuri River navigating through the canyons, swim at nice local Baracoa beach.

Free time to enjoy the nature, try a horse ride in the area, back to Baracoa City.

At evening enjoy dancing with the locals, or talking to them at best places for music like Casa de la Trova excellent to learn to dance Cuba music.

B (breakfast included).

Day 8 BARACOA-BAYAMO.

8:00 Breakfast.

Departure to Bayamo City, cadre of Cuban nationality.

On the way stop at El Cobre Sanctuary, the saint patron of Cuba, visit the basilic of Caridad del Cobre, appreciate many offers made to the Cuban virgin including one made by American writer Ernest Hemingway who deposit at the Basilic the Nobel Literature medal prize he won in 1954 for its literary work over years in particular its late novel Old Man and the See.

Arrival and panoramic tour of Bayamo, visit its historical center at Square Carlos Manuel de Céspedes who born here in Bayamo, see the house of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes considered Father of Cuba nation, the Cuban nationality museum.

Luncheon in a local restaurant.

Free time to explore the city on own in the evening.

Accommodation in B & B at Hotel Royalton or at best private guesthouse.

B, L (breakfast and lunch included).

Day 9 BAYAMO-HOLGUIN-GIBARA-GURDALAVACA.

After breakfast departing to Holguin ( around 1.25 hour trip), visit the third most populated Cuba city going through the main avenues and parks looking at most important Squares. going for lunch at Mayabe lookup center with a beautiful view over the city and great natural landscape.

Departing for Gibara town, to appreciate this lovely town on the north coast also known as La Villa Blanca (The White Town). It was the first place where Columbus arrived in 1492 but the modern day town was founded in 1817. Starting out life as a prosperous trading port, Gibara’s wealth grew off the back of the expanding sugar cane industry and strong trade links to the US and Spain.

What remains today is an attractive coastal town that feels rather like a living museum of a more traditional Cuba. It’s a place where you can meander around quaint piazzas, wander among aging Spanish buildings, enjoy wonderful seafood and generally soak up a slow paced, easy-going atmosphere.

You will visit Central Park name Calixto García and see Museo de Arte Colonial.

Continuation to Guardalavaca or Esmeralda beach.

18.00 Check In.

Dinner at the Hotel restaurant.

Accommodation in All Inclusive plan at Hotel 5* or Hotel 4*.

B, L, D (breakfast, lunch and dinner included).

Day 10 Guardalavaca.

Time at leisure to enjoy beach, tranquility, nature at Hotel´s facilities.

Accommodation in All Inclusive at any Cuba Hotels in the area.

B (breakfast included).

Day 11 GUARDALAVACA- HOLGUIN-HAVANA.

Check Out and departure in the morning to Holguin International airport to take flight to Havana.

Meet and greeting at Havana international airport.

Transfer to Hotel in Habana or at nice and comfortable private guest house located in main areas of the city.

Free afternoon and evening.

Optional tours to undertake in Havana:

• Depending on time of arrival and accommodation, you may try the Cannon Ceremony at Cabañas Fortress in Havana (at evening tour).
• Visit to Hemingway Museum.
• Old American vintage car ride tour.
• Museum of Fine Arts.
• Cuban Capitol building tour.

B(breakfast included).

Day 12 DEPARTURE FROM HAVANA.

Breakfast.

On time private transfer to Havana International Airport to take flight out of Cuba.

B (breakfast included).

END OF SERVICES

Price will depend on the size of the Group tour to Cuba as well as type of accommodation, number of activities and meals to be included on this custom Group tour to Cuba.

Included:

• Accommodation as described the program.
• Private Transportation throughout the tour depending on size of Cuba group.
• Round trip flight Havana-Santiago de Cuba-Holguin-Havana.
• Local Cuban tour guide.
• Tours as indicated on the itinerary with the entrances pointed out.
• Meals as described the program.
• Private Transfer in and out.
• Old American car ride tour throughout Havana.
• 24 hours phone emergency number.
• Staff assistance during the whole staying of Group in Cuba.
• Local Taxes include.

Not included:

• International Airfares.
• Medical Insurances
• Tips
• Visas
• Other service not includes in this program.