Cuba Itinerary
This was our itinerary in Cuba:
Upon arrival in Miami, we checked into the Courtyard Marriott located very near the airport at 1201 Le Jeune, Miami, Florida. They offer free transportation to and from the Miami airport beginning as early as 5:00am. For more day to day details, please refer to the blog section of this website.
Day 1
5:00am-7:00am - World Atlantic Airlines (Xael International Charters) check-in counter was available at Miami International Airport, Concourse G, 2nd Floor. Check-in closed for our charter flight at 7:00am.
Present passport, ticket voucher, $25 USD (cash) for Cuba departure tax and Cuban visa to the check-in agent for flight to Havana.
8:00am Depart Miami on World Atlantic #K8426
This is a very short flight with most of the time spent on the runway in Miami and Havana.
9:15am Arrive Havana, Cuba
Note: You will be given a Cuban arrival card which needs to be completed prior to your arrival in Havana. Be sure to check the "Tourista" or Tourist" box on the card when it asks about the reason you are traveling to Cuba.
Charter Airline baggage allowance: There is a $20 fee for each checked bag. 44lbs. are allowed free. Excess baggage: $2 per lb. over 44lbs. (including carry-on.) No checked bag can weigh more than 70lbs.
Cuba Immigration and Customs
Upon arrival in Cuba you will first go through Immigration and Customs. The immigration officer will ask you to present your passport and Cuban visa. If you're holding a U.S. passport, a Cuban Immigration Officer will then stamp an entry approval on the visa and give it back to you. The visa officially authorizes your entry into Cuba. The visa card must be surrendered upon your departure from Cuba so be sure to keep it somewhere safe during your stay in Cuba.
Collect your luggage and proceed through Cuban Customs which can, but rarely does involve a luggage search. You might want to consider changing some money into Cuban currency at the Currency Exchange booth inside the terminal before proceeding outside to meet your Cuban guide. It's cheaper.
Here's where we went sightseeing:
Havana City Tour and Old Havana (Colonial style buildings), lunch at Habana 61.
Tour of Club Habana Rum Factory
Sunset on the top of the Parque Central
Dinner on our own at La Guarida. We hired 2 cars (blue for the guys and pink for the ladies) to take us to and from the restaurant. The restaurant was not beautiful on the outside but it was an example of the 1950's style elegance that once was indicative of Havana before communism. Don't EVER lean on a railing and watch your step as you climb up the marble staircase to the restaurant.
Day 2
Colonial city walk
Colon Cemetary and Revolutionary Square
El Ajibe (State run restaurant) Lunch
Fusto - Mosaic Artist
Amos Photography
Buena Vista Social Club (Dinner, dancing & music) @ Square of San Francisco
Day 3
A.M. - Leave Havana for transport to Cienfuegos (4 hr. drive)
Finca stop (little farm with animals, crocodiles, turtles and a small cafe for delicious pastries and cafe au lait. Yay! Bathroom break.
Lunch - Cienfuegos - Restaurante Bahia
Check-in hotel - Hotel La Union
Afternoon free to shop in the plaza - Great prices and interesting items to purchase!
Took a taxi (OMG!) to one of the beautiful palaces in the French, Moorish style - a former Sugar Plantation and later turned into a school.
Walked to dinner restaurant and met the rest of the group at Villa Lagarto (translation: lizard) on the waterfront.
Guide organized an impromptu experience at Tropi Sur Caberet, a Las Vegas style show outdoors under the moon (entrance fee $2 pp) Total cost for mojitos, beer and entrance fee for 2 people $9.00 USD.
Day 4
A.M. - City Square and waterfront in Cienfuegos on our own
12pm -Check out of Hotel La Union at 12pm. Left on bus for our next stop in Trinidad, making an impromptu stop at a fruit stand by the side of road along the way for bites of mangos, coconuts, star fruit, ginger with tea, lime, honey and salt.
1:30pm - Lunch at Hotel Iberostar Grand Trinidad.
2:30pm - Our group travelled by taxi to the Art district of Trinidad as far as he could take us. The rest of the way was closed by cars and featured lovely cobblestone streets with shops, art galleries and bars along the way. The highlight of this excursion was a stop at La Bodeguita Del Medio - A bar made famous by Ernest Hemingway's recipe for mojitos.
Bicycle taxi back to hotel. Excellent choice!
Dinner at Paladar Davimart where we dined on shrimp, lobster and red snapper.
Day 5
9am start for bus trip to sugar plantation & mills.
After a brief presentation we climbed to the top of the sugar plantation tower to check out the pastoral views.
Returning in the afternoon to the hotel, we took a walking tour of the colonial part of Trinindad. We drank a canchanchara drink at an aptly named bar called Canchanchara . (Rum, honey and lime drink.)
Afternoon on our own - beer and pizza at the Hotel La Union.
7:30pm - Dinner at Quince Catorce and then an outdoor venue to listen to music (on our own). Back to hotel at 12:30am.
Day 6
Checked out of hotel for an early departure from Trinidad for the long trip back to Havana making several stops along the way.
1) Outdoor sandwich shop that was not very impressive.
2) ChiChi Pottery - Owned by 2 brothers who stopped talking to each other 15 years ago but work side by side daily.
Back at Parque Central Hotel. Met with Ramses Battista (owner of photography studio) and purchased several photo prints. 1) Man with Tobacco Leaves by Ramses and May Day by Alex Castro. (Fidel Castro's son.)
Dinner on our own at La Otramanera - Lovely and excellent. Highly recommend. Lamb, Ahi Tuna, Sea Bass, African Pinotage wine, Chocolate Lava Cake for dessert.
After dinner some friends went to the Tropicana live show and we went back to the hotel for a rooftop drink, live music and lots of great conversations with friends.
Day 7 (Final day)
9am - Departed hotel for Cuban Cigar Factory tour. (Cohiba)
Visited the state run store to purchase several cigars (Cohiba Siglo VI) and 2 bottles of 12 yr. old Santiago de Cuba, Extra Anejo, Rum. It's worth saying that you will need to check the Rum into your baggage for your return trip so pack accordingly. If you try to carry it onboard it will taken away from you in security and you will be very sad!
Mid-morning - Ferry ride to Regla to visit Regla's Santeria Church. Outside their were palm readers and I chose a large, cigar smoking woman who gave me a reading in Spanish, which Michael had to translate. Cost $5.00. The church was small, warm and inviting.
Hemingway home where Ernest Hemingway lived part of the year. His old Corona typewriter remains in his office. We were not allowed to enter each room but they opened it up so that you could walk around and look into the rooms. His boat, Pilar, was in the boat house near the pool and the grounds were impeccable.
Stopped at a bar called La Terraza de Cojimar, a bar where Ernest Hemingway invented the cocktail Don Gregorio, named after Gregorio Fuentes, a local fisherman. Hemingway styled his main character in The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, after Fuentes.
Lunch at Cafe Ajiaco, Cojima. Delicious!
Stop at the Handicraft Market in Old Havana where locals rent stalls and sell their handicrafts. An excellent place to pick up authentic souvenirs.
Dinner at Restaurante del Cafe Oriente. Very lovely and excellent food and dining experience. European style dining.
Upon arrival in Miami, we checked into the Courtyard Marriott located very near the airport at 1201 Le Jeune, Miami, Florida. They offer free transportation to and from the Miami airport beginning as early as 5:00am. For more day to day details, please refer to the blog section of this website.
Day 1
5:00am-7:00am - World Atlantic Airlines (Xael International Charters) check-in counter was available at Miami International Airport, Concourse G, 2nd Floor. Check-in closed for our charter flight at 7:00am.
Present passport, ticket voucher, $25 USD (cash) for Cuba departure tax and Cuban visa to the check-in agent for flight to Havana.
8:00am Depart Miami on World Atlantic #K8426
This is a very short flight with most of the time spent on the runway in Miami and Havana.
9:15am Arrive Havana, Cuba
Note: You will be given a Cuban arrival card which needs to be completed prior to your arrival in Havana. Be sure to check the "Tourista" or Tourist" box on the card when it asks about the reason you are traveling to Cuba.
Charter Airline baggage allowance: There is a $20 fee for each checked bag. 44lbs. are allowed free. Excess baggage: $2 per lb. over 44lbs. (including carry-on.) No checked bag can weigh more than 70lbs.
Cuba Immigration and Customs
Upon arrival in Cuba you will first go through Immigration and Customs. The immigration officer will ask you to present your passport and Cuban visa. If you're holding a U.S. passport, a Cuban Immigration Officer will then stamp an entry approval on the visa and give it back to you. The visa officially authorizes your entry into Cuba. The visa card must be surrendered upon your departure from Cuba so be sure to keep it somewhere safe during your stay in Cuba.
Collect your luggage and proceed through Cuban Customs which can, but rarely does involve a luggage search. You might want to consider changing some money into Cuban currency at the Currency Exchange booth inside the terminal before proceeding outside to meet your Cuban guide. It's cheaper.
Here's where we went sightseeing:
Havana City Tour and Old Havana (Colonial style buildings), lunch at Habana 61.
Tour of Club Habana Rum Factory
Sunset on the top of the Parque Central
Dinner on our own at La Guarida. We hired 2 cars (blue for the guys and pink for the ladies) to take us to and from the restaurant. The restaurant was not beautiful on the outside but it was an example of the 1950's style elegance that once was indicative of Havana before communism. Don't EVER lean on a railing and watch your step as you climb up the marble staircase to the restaurant.
Day 2
Colonial city walk
Colon Cemetary and Revolutionary Square
El Ajibe (State run restaurant) Lunch
Fusto - Mosaic Artist
Amos Photography
Buena Vista Social Club (Dinner, dancing & music) @ Square of San Francisco
Day 3
A.M. - Leave Havana for transport to Cienfuegos (4 hr. drive)
Finca stop (little farm with animals, crocodiles, turtles and a small cafe for delicious pastries and cafe au lait. Yay! Bathroom break.
Lunch - Cienfuegos - Restaurante Bahia
Check-in hotel - Hotel La Union
Afternoon free to shop in the plaza - Great prices and interesting items to purchase!
Took a taxi (OMG!) to one of the beautiful palaces in the French, Moorish style - a former Sugar Plantation and later turned into a school.
Walked to dinner restaurant and met the rest of the group at Villa Lagarto (translation: lizard) on the waterfront.
Guide organized an impromptu experience at Tropi Sur Caberet, a Las Vegas style show outdoors under the moon (entrance fee $2 pp) Total cost for mojitos, beer and entrance fee for 2 people $9.00 USD.
Day 4
A.M. - City Square and waterfront in Cienfuegos on our own
12pm -Check out of Hotel La Union at 12pm. Left on bus for our next stop in Trinidad, making an impromptu stop at a fruit stand by the side of road along the way for bites of mangos, coconuts, star fruit, ginger with tea, lime, honey and salt.
1:30pm - Lunch at Hotel Iberostar Grand Trinidad.
2:30pm - Our group travelled by taxi to the Art district of Trinidad as far as he could take us. The rest of the way was closed by cars and featured lovely cobblestone streets with shops, art galleries and bars along the way. The highlight of this excursion was a stop at La Bodeguita Del Medio - A bar made famous by Ernest Hemingway's recipe for mojitos.
Bicycle taxi back to hotel. Excellent choice!
Dinner at Paladar Davimart where we dined on shrimp, lobster and red snapper.
Day 5
9am start for bus trip to sugar plantation & mills.
After a brief presentation we climbed to the top of the sugar plantation tower to check out the pastoral views.
Returning in the afternoon to the hotel, we took a walking tour of the colonial part of Trinindad. We drank a canchanchara drink at an aptly named bar called Canchanchara . (Rum, honey and lime drink.)
Afternoon on our own - beer and pizza at the Hotel La Union.
7:30pm - Dinner at Quince Catorce and then an outdoor venue to listen to music (on our own). Back to hotel at 12:30am.
Day 6
Checked out of hotel for an early departure from Trinidad for the long trip back to Havana making several stops along the way.
1) Outdoor sandwich shop that was not very impressive.
2) ChiChi Pottery - Owned by 2 brothers who stopped talking to each other 15 years ago but work side by side daily.
Back at Parque Central Hotel. Met with Ramses Battista (owner of photography studio) and purchased several photo prints. 1) Man with Tobacco Leaves by Ramses and May Day by Alex Castro. (Fidel Castro's son.)
Dinner on our own at La Otramanera - Lovely and excellent. Highly recommend. Lamb, Ahi Tuna, Sea Bass, African Pinotage wine, Chocolate Lava Cake for dessert.
After dinner some friends went to the Tropicana live show and we went back to the hotel for a rooftop drink, live music and lots of great conversations with friends.
Day 7 (Final day)
9am - Departed hotel for Cuban Cigar Factory tour. (Cohiba)
Visited the state run store to purchase several cigars (Cohiba Siglo VI) and 2 bottles of 12 yr. old Santiago de Cuba, Extra Anejo, Rum. It's worth saying that you will need to check the Rum into your baggage for your return trip so pack accordingly. If you try to carry it onboard it will taken away from you in security and you will be very sad!
Mid-morning - Ferry ride to Regla to visit Regla's Santeria Church. Outside their were palm readers and I chose a large, cigar smoking woman who gave me a reading in Spanish, which Michael had to translate. Cost $5.00. The church was small, warm and inviting.
Hemingway home where Ernest Hemingway lived part of the year. His old Corona typewriter remains in his office. We were not allowed to enter each room but they opened it up so that you could walk around and look into the rooms. His boat, Pilar, was in the boat house near the pool and the grounds were impeccable.
Stopped at a bar called La Terraza de Cojimar, a bar where Ernest Hemingway invented the cocktail Don Gregorio, named after Gregorio Fuentes, a local fisherman. Hemingway styled his main character in The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, after Fuentes.
Lunch at Cafe Ajiaco, Cojima. Delicious!
Stop at the Handicraft Market in Old Havana where locals rent stalls and sell their handicrafts. An excellent place to pick up authentic souvenirs.
Dinner at Restaurante del Cafe Oriente. Very lovely and excellent food and dining experience. European style dining.