Cuba adventure tours
Highlights
Old Havana | Viñales | Santa Clara | Che Guevara Museum | Staying with Cuban families | Sierra del Escambray | Trinidad | Playa Ancon | Live Cuban music | Optional: Scuba diving, snorkelling, waterfall trek, horse riding, caves, tobacco farmDescription of Cuba adventure tours
This Cuba adventure holiday takes small groups on a round trip from Old Havana to experience life away from the tourist attractions, with Vinales, Cienfuegos and the Caribbean beaches of Trinidad all undisputable highlights incorporated into an eight day itinerary.Exploring Cuba with an experienced local guide is a fantastic way to get more out of your Cuba adventure holidays with walking tours of Old Havana and visits to the Che Guevara museum in Santa Clara allowing travellers to find out more about the island’s history alongside optional activities, such as: valley hikes, cave explorations and snorkelling nearby the beautiful Bay of Pigs.
Guesthouse accommodation on a bed & breakfast basis is used throughout this Cuba adventure tour with airport arrival transfers and a private bus allowing travellers to explore in style and benefit from the friendly and knowledgeable local guides who accompany tour groups throughout.
Below is a list of the overland travel times that you’ll experience during this Cuba adventure tour:
Havana to Vinales by way of Soroa – four hours
Vinales to Cienfuegos – seven hours
Cienfuegos to Trinidad – two hours
Trinidad to Havana by way of Santa Clara – six hours
More useful information:
The maximum size of the group is 16 travellers.
Not included within the overall price of the tour: international flights, visas, insurance, drinks, tips, departure transfers and baggage fees.
Day-by-day experiences
| Day 1: | Arrival Havana - Arrive in Havana at any time. Your included airport arrival transfer will take you to your arrival guesthouse accommodation. Optional group gathering tonight with your tour guide at 7pm. The guide will offer those that have already arrived, to join him/her for dinner at a local restaurant, and to explore Havana's nightlife. |
| Day 2: | Vinales - From Havana to Vinales its about a 3 hour drive, and on the way we usually stop for lunch at the mountain resort town of Soroa. There are quite a few attractions around this heavily forested area including a short trek to a waterfall, a steep walk to a lookout, a very impressive orchid garden. |
| Day 3: | Vinales - Free day to choose your own adventure in Vinales. We do not include any activities, however your guide will be ready to give you information about the options of things to do and help you arrange them at best value local prices. A lot of the time our groups like to do activities together such as exploring caves, hiking in the valley, biking, horseback riding or simply enjoying the views of the valley and sprawling tobacco fields. There is also the option of doing some voluntary work on a local organic farm (and staying for dinner!), or heading to one of the beautiful beaches nearby - Cayo Levisa or Cayo Jutias. |
| Day 4: | Cienfuegos via Bay of Pigs - Before reaching the French founded city of Cienfuegos we first pass through the densely vegetated Peninsula de Zapata swamp-lands, and then along the beautiful Bay of Pigs. If the conditions are favourable, we will stop for a swim at a beautiful spot on the bay that is ideal for snorkelling. Snorkelling masks are available at a small cost. |
| Day 5: | Trinidad - A short drive to Trinidad along the Caribbean coast. You'll have time in the afternoon for a trip to nearby Ancon beach or a walk around the historic part of town. |
| Day 6: | Trinidad - Free day in Trinidad. Again your tour guide is there to provide you with information and options, and help you organise any of the available activities at low cost local prices. Options area trek to a waterfall, a steam train ride, scuab diving, snorkelling, horse riding or a guided tour of the beautifully preserved colonial hub. |
| Day 7: | Havana - We arrive back in Havana for one last night out on the town. |
| Day 8: | Depart Havana - Today you are free to depart at anytime. |
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.com
Check dates, prices & availability
The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travellers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.
We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.
Have big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.
Simplicity
Make the most of your holiday time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!
Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.
If you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your holiday.
Solo travellers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those travelling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.
Less confident travellers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.
Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travellers their own room.
“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.
“The accommodation will be basic”
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.
“I won’t like the other travellers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.
“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.
Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.
We minimise the single use plastic on our tours by encouraging our travelers to bring reusable bottles and water filter bottles with them. Since tap water is not drinkable in Cuba, unfortunately there isn’t a safe large-scale plastic-free way to make sure our travellers stay hydrated, but we purchase several gallon water bottles so that reusable bottles can be refilled. Additionally, our tour leaders (guides) participate in the No Straws campaign by encouraging our travellers to use reusable straws or to decline straws altogether. All of our tour leaders have been given metal straws which not only reduces their own plastic consumption but sets an example for others in their community. They have enthusiastically supported this campaign, so much so that one tour leader found a rural vendor selling sustainably produced bamboo straws which we now purchase to use on our tours, supporting both the environment and the local economy.
Some of our tour leaders started an initiative to pick up trash en route between the provinces, not only does this maintain the health and beauty of the environment, but also sets an example for the community which has noticed the efforts of the group.
The treatment and care of animals is a particular concern of ours, to that end we donate a portion of tour proceeds to Cubans in Defense of Animals (CeDA) a non-governmental non-profit organization in Havana that provides care and sterilization to street animals, advocates for animal rights, and facilitates adoptions of stray dogs and cats. We encourage our travellers to bring donations of money or much needed supplies to CeDA, our guides will help arrange a drop off. We run in the Havana Marathon in November to raise funds for CeDA, and you are welcome to participate!
All our staff are trained in Responsible Tourism and make this an important part of their tour. We ensure all the activities offered to the travellers take into consideration the impact on the local environment and wildlife.
We promote best practices in responsible tourism and actively encourage our local suppliers to join us in our green campaigns.
The Impacts of this Trip
This trip is filled with opportunities to get to know the culture and vibrant society of the intriguing island nation of Cuba. Nearly all of the accommodation is in the homes of Cuban families, where you will get to see how Cubans live, observe their way of life, and participate in their culture.
We directly run all the on-ground services and do not go through a second agent as the majority of tour providers to Cuba do. We have our own dedicated staff of locals in Havana and regional centres. A network of tour leaders, local guides and local transport providers, plus local office staff. We use local coordinators in regional centres to get the best possible access to services possible and to bring in local expertise.
Our tour leaders are paid fair and healthy wages, and thusly are prohibited from taking commissions or other unethical business practices. We offer bonuses and other incentives to encourage honesty and transparency from our tour leaders which results in better service to our customers and has a positive influence on the local culture where they are seen as role models. The tour leaders receive annual training in several different subject areas, including responsible travel, safety, diversity, and ethics, and we encourage them to develop and grow through additional training, special projects, and leadership opportunities.
We encourage and support their charitable endeavors. We have a team of kind-hearted generous tour leaders who have initiated company-supported donation drives and fundraising for disaster relief, medical expenses, and animal welfare.
We also encourage our groups to eat in small Paladars run by the locals or to eat in homestays with local families.
We ensure that we 'spread the wealth' throughout each town so the benefit is to the community as a whole and not a few individuals. In this we attempt to get as many local providers involved in our tours as possible, providing a BBQ by the river, or similar activities where the group is mixing with the real locals and not just those in the tourism industry.
We encourage respectful travel in Cuba. Our Cuban tour leaders will give you an insight into the complex Cuban history and society. The tour leader will demonstrate how this unique country has managed to resist many of the negative impacts of North American culture, influence, and capitalism, and how it has achieved significant social goals, and at the same time, show you the short-comings of the present system.
The maximum group size of this tour is limited to 16 travellers which enables us to more easily interact with the Cubans and to visit their homes and places of work and play. It also minimises our impact on the local culture and society. You will get the chance to visit government run local community projects such as the ‘organoponicos’ (urban based community organic produce gardens), and ration stores.
All travellers are encouraged to explore with the group and on their own, learn a few words of the ‘Cubanised’ Spanish, and to interact with the locals as much as possible. The local guides are employed to help explain as much as possible about the cultural differences and the historically significant places that we visit and to make your experience in Cuba as enjoyable and as much fun as possible.
Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our Australian and US offices operate according to our responsible tourism policy.
We minimise the single use plastic on our tours by encouraging our travelers to bring reusable bottles and water filter bottles with them. Since tap water is not drinkable in Cuba, unfortunately there isn’t a safe large-scale plastic-free way to make sure our travellers stay hydrated, but we purchase several gallon water bottles so that reusable bottles can be refilled. Additionally, our tour leaders (guides) participate in the No Straws campaign by encouraging our travellers to use reusable straws or to decline straws altogether. All of our tour leaders have been given metal straws which not only reduces their own plastic consumption but sets an example for others in their community. They have enthusiastically supported this campaign, so much so that one tour leader found a rural vendor selling sustainably produced bamboo straws which we now purchase to use on our tours, supporting both the environment and the local economy.
Some of our tour leaders started an initiative to pick up trash en route between the provinces, not only does this maintain the health and beauty of the environment, but also sets an example for the community which has noticed the efforts of the group.
The treatment and care of animals is a particular concern of ours, to that end we donate a portion of tour proceeds to Cubans in Defense of Animals (CeDA) a non-governmental non-profit organization in Havana that provides care and sterilization to street animals, advocates for animal rights, and facilitates adoptions of stray dogs and cats. We encourage our travellers to bring donations of money or much needed supplies to CeDA, our guides will help arrange a drop off. We run in the Havana Marathon in November to raise funds for CeDA, and you are welcome to participate!
All our staff are trained in Responsible Tourism and make this an important part of their tour. We ensure all the activities offered to the travellers take into consideration the impact on the local environment and wildlife.
We promote best practices in responsible tourism and actively encourage our local suppliers to join us in our green campaigns.
The Impacts of this Trip
This trip is filled with opportunities to get to know the culture and vibrant society of the intriguing island nation of Cuba. Nearly all of the accommodation is in the homes of Cuban families, where you will get to see how Cubans live, observe their way of life, and participate in their culture.
We directly run all the on-ground services and do not go through a second agent as the majority of tour providers to Cuba do. We have our own dedicated staff of locals in Havana and regional centres. A network of tour leaders, local guides and local transport providers, plus local office staff. We use local coordinators in regional centres to get the best possible access to services possible and to bring in local expertise.
Our tour leaders are paid fair and healthy wages, and thusly are prohibited from taking commissions or other unethical business practices. We offer bonuses and other incentives to encourage honesty and transparency from our tour leaders which results in better service to our customers and has a positive influence on the local culture where they are seen as role models. The tour leaders receive annual training in several different subject areas, including responsible travel, safety, diversity, and ethics, and we encourage them to develop and grow through additional training, special projects, and leadership opportunities.
We encourage and support their charitable endeavors. We have a team of kind-hearted generous tour leaders who have initiated company-supported donation drives and fundraising for disaster relief, medical expenses, and animal welfare.
We also encourage our groups to eat in small Paladars run by the locals or to eat in homestays with local families.
We ensure that we 'spread the wealth' throughout each town so the benefit is to the community as a whole and not a few individuals. In this we attempt to get as many local providers involved in our tours as possible, providing a BBQ by the river, or similar activities where the group is mixing with the real locals and not just those in the tourism industry.
We encourage respectful travel in Cuba. Our Cuban tour leaders will give you an insight into the complex Cuban history and society. The tour leader will demonstrate how this unique country has managed to resist many of the negative impacts of North American culture, influence, and capitalism, and how it has achieved significant social goals, and at the same time, show you the short-comings of the present system.
The maximum group size of this tour is limited to 16 travellers which enables us to more easily interact with the Cubans and to visit their homes and places of work and play. It also minimises our impact on the local culture and society. You will get the chance to visit government run local community projects such as the ‘organoponicos’ (urban based community organic produce gardens), and ration stores.
All travellers are encouraged to explore with the group and on their own, learn a few words of the ‘Cubanised’ Spanish, and to interact with the locals as much as possible. The local guides are employed to help explain as much as possible about the cultural differences and the historically significant places that we visit and to make your experience in Cuba as enjoyable and as much fun as possible.
Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our Australian and US offices operate according to our responsible tourism policy.
40 Reviews of Cuba adventure tours
Reviewed on 25 Nov 2019 by May Breisacher
The tour was great. Yenni, our tour guide, was amazing. Miguel, our driver, was lovely Read full reviewReviewed on 18 Jan 2019 by Roger Kendall
Walking in the fields of Vinales and talking to farmers there was the most memorable part of this holiday Read full reviewReviewed on 07 Jul 2018 by Srini Sankar
One of the best trips ever. Our guide Emilio was awesome. Very knowledgeable and suggested all the right places. Read full reviewReviewed on 06 Mar 2018 by Mary Clare Woods
Snorkelling in the bay of pigs was the most memorable. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 Feb 2018 by Frank Kromidas
The country was beautiful. The group that I travel with was fantastic. I being the oldest at 75 there were quite a few younger. It was a great mix of mines and personalities, the people are very friendly our guide was great. And the homes we stayed in or outstanding. One of my greatest travel experiences I’ve had! Read full reviewReviewed on 17 Feb 2018 by Anne Roberts
There were a few memorable parts of this trip. Firstly, the casas in which we stayed. I was surprised at how clean and tidy they were... For me the highlight was Vinales, mainly because of its tropical and unique landscape and that the town was quite small, which made it somehow more likeable. Read full reviewReviewed on 04 Nov 2017 by Ruth Mcintosh
I think learning the history of Cuba through the eyes of a Cuban and conversing with the families we stayed with was the most outstanding part of the trip. I left with a different perspective than what I had been led to believe here in the US and it is good to know both sides of the story. Read full reviewReviewed on 09 Jul 2017 by Lucy Beishon
The highlight was swimming in the waterfall just outside of Trinidad! Had a great time, the tour was the highlight of our holiday and we would thoroughly recommend it to see the best bits of Cuba! Read full reviewReviewed on 02 Jun 2017 by Joanna Bell
The highlight was probably the cave tour. We had a great time and very organized tour. Read full reviewReviewed on 26 May 2017 by Pat Griffin
It was an excellent educational and fun experience. Read full reviewReviewed on 12 May 2017 by Erin Buzuvis
So many great things, but our guide had to be number one. He made sure we were comfortable, happy, well-informed and active at all times. I will definitely never forget the Cuban people that we met -- those whose homes we stayed in and others that we got to chat with about their work or other aspects of their lives. Read full reviewReviewed on 12 May 2017 by Ronald Pederson
The most memorable was being in and around Vinales. Our driver, guides and most hosts were very professional. Some of the host tried harder than the others as far a hospitality and breakfast prep, but you will have that the world over. Read full reviewReviewed on 26 Feb 2017 by Holly Espiritu
This trip has stimulated my interest in the Cuban people. I wish to learn more, by reading, watching films, and of course planning future trips! But having conversations with Cuban residents let me really feel the diversity and fullness of life in Cuba 10+ 6 stars. Thank you so much Much love to Adrian and Jorge Read full reviewReviewed on 26 Feb 2017 by Maaike Fekkes
Exploring Havana, Trinidad, Cienfuegos on foot; cycling in the Vinales valley and around Trinidad; beautiful Playa Ancon; sleeping in the "casas"; always live music everywhere! This tour was great! Enthusiastic local tour leader, great destinations! We visited very scenic places. Read full reviewReviewed on 25 Feb 2017 by Kieun Park
Beautiful blue sky. We had such a nice weather most of time in Cuba. I will definitely remember the blue sky. 5 out of 5. Tour guide was very helpful and willing. I had wonderful interaction with group of people I travelled which was unexpected. Read full reviewReviewed on 04 Feb 2017 by Roxi Marsen
Our tour guide, Yaima Janet, made Cuba come alive for us. She shared her authentic experience and knowledge about the culture and daily life of Cuba with a seamless ease. Everyday was memorable and exciting. Read full reviewReviewed on 29 Jan 2017 by Kate Martin
There were so many memorable moments but I think the morning spent hiking, learning about local flora and fauna, meeting a local resident to the park and sharing herbal tea before ended up at the most beautiful waterfall pool was truely the best part of the trip. Five stars! This was extremely interesting getting to know Cuban life a little better. Read full reviewReviewed on 20 Dec 2016 by Janette Steele
Hard to sum up in one moment -- we have many great moments of exploring a strange land with wonderful companions and an excellent tour guide. Read full reviewReviewed on 12 Jul 2016 by Gina Cambridge
The whole tour was amazing, we had the best guide and group..it was all a highlight! Read full reviewReviewed on 03 Dec 2016 by Corinne Male
Best bits: Spending time with a lovely bunch of really interesting people, all strangers on the first night. The countryside & stunning scenery at Viñales. Read full reviewReviewed on 11 Jul 2016 by Liz Schnautz
It was great! Loved our tour guide Tatiana and our driver Giovanni. Read full reviewReviewed on 09 Jul 2016 by Kristin Groves
I learned so much about a fascinating country. My tour guide, driver, and tour group were wonderful and we had a lot of fun together. Read full reviewReviewed on 23 May 2016 by Nicole Rom
It was a great trip and I was really impressed with our guide Read full reviewReviewed on 02 Oct 2016 by Kelly Keegan
Tour guide's organization was fantastic so 10/10 Read full reviewReviewed on 28 Oct 2015 by Rosie Sperring
Both of us have confirmed its been our best holiday ever! Read full reviewReviewed on 09 Nov 2015 by Anthony Madison
Highlights were Havana, the various excursions in Baracoa and the historic centre of Trinidad...One of the best trips I've been on. Read full reviewReviewed on 18 Aug 2015 by Maeve Joyce
It was like stepping back in time. Fabulous countryside, friendly people and lots of culture. Read full reviewReviewed on 21 Nov 2014 by Averill Marks
I loved the entire trip - snorkelling, salsa dancing, seafood, old cars, the people, the scenery, historical sights and our excellent tour guide Read full reviewReviewed on 12 Oct 2014 by Marie Eberhard
The best parts were chatting with the guide for hours trying to understand Cuba! Staying with the locals and eating their amazing food. Read full reviewReviewed on 14 Apr 2014 by Howard Gossington
Fantastic! I would definitely recommend Cuba to the adventurous and open-minded traveller. It was also great fun being able to share the holiday with a wonderful group of people Read full reviewReviewed on 12 Jan 2013 by Naranee Ruthra-Rajan
Excellent. Great homestays, great guide, met lots of friendly people, interesting excursions, plenty of opportunities to learn about Cuba and many many chances to enjoy Cuban food, rum and salsa. I can't wait to go back. Read full reviewReviewed on 01 Aug 2013 by Clare Morley
This was a fantastic trip and I wish I had gone on the 15 day one. Our guide was superb, the levels of organisation were brilliant and the company is very efficient...For me, the most enjoyable evening was our tour and meal out at an organic market garden in the Vinales valley. The welcome was great, the food was fantastic and we played lots of dominoes and salsa-ed a lot whilst an enormous thunderstorm rolled round the hills. Read full reviewReviewed on 09 May 2013 by Rachel Grubb
Excellent...Staying in the guest houses, observing local life/cultur and being part of life in Cuba made this holiday memorable. Read full reviewReviewed on 15 Apr 2013 by Elizabeth Hanan
We enjoyed our experiences in Cuba with the group and the diversity offered in locations and the casas. A very different culture and life style. Read full reviewReviewed on 14 Apr 2013 by Sue Reynolds
Havana and Trinidad were the most memorable parts of the holiday Read full reviewReviewed on 06 Sep 2012 by Michael Parry-Jones
The Nightclub in a cave in Trinidad was amazing!...10/10. Read full reviewReviewed on 24 May 2012 by Nina Tahhan
Vinales was a beautiful town, I very much enjoyed the visit to the tobacco farm and the dinner at another farm near by. It was also a great experience to have a local person take us around and introduce us to other locals and to tell us so much about local life. Read full review
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