Cuba

The group leader on this Cuba group trip will be one of our Americas based group leaders. His/her job is to ensure the safety and well being of everyone on the trip and, of course, to show everyone the most amazing time ever! While he/she will have a basic knowledge of the history, culture and customs of Cuba he/she is not an expert in the matter. However, you will have a local Cuban guide on days 2, 3 and 4 to teach you all about Cuba!

A passport is required for this Cuba trip. It is strongly recommended that your passport have at least 6 months validity (from the time you leave Cuba) to avoid any problems. Further, a tourist visa is also required. You will pick up your visa at your airline’s check-in desk (in the U.S.) upon arrival at the airport; the visa will cost about $50. No further paperwork is required.

You will be staying in casa particulars for the duration of this Cuba group travel trip. Casa particulars are privately owned homes that have been converted into rooms for rent. You can think of a casa particular like a Bed and Breakfast. Each room is set up with a private bathroom and has air conditioning; a simple breakfast (eggs, fresh fruit, bread and jams, coffee) is served each morning in the kitchen area. Please understand that the people of Cuba do not have much and the majority have been cut off from the outside world for over 60 years. While the casa is extremely clean, safe and in a beautiful neighborhood the infrastructure and decor is very old and dated.

It’s extremely important that we stay in casas (and not hotels) as all the hotels in Cuba are government owned while the casas are privately owned; your dollars will go directly to the locals in Cuba. The casa we use is located in the Vedado neighborhood of Havana – a residential neighborhood home to old mansions and beautiful, old architecture. The casa is walking distance from many great restaurants and night venues.

In order to budget properly please consider the following items which are not included in this Cuba group trip:

• Tipping 
  • Local drivers and guides and restaurant staff: Tipping is not compulsory but can make a big difference to individuals in Cuba. Therefore, we recommend budgeting around $50 for these services.
  • Group leader: Tipping your group leader is completely discretionary. For outstanding service you may consider tipping your group leader ~$10/day.
• Visa: A tourist visa is required for entry to Cuba. You will pick up your visa at the (U.S.) airport upon departure. Budget around $50 for the visa.
• Travel insurance: Travel insurance covering our minimum requirements ($100k+ in medical coverage including emergency evacuation) is compulsory for all participants. Budget anywhere from $50 to $130 for travel insurance (from a 3rd party) depending on your specific coverage inclusions.

The single room supplement on this Cuba trip is $299. You will be able to select your preference for a single room supplement when filling out the application. If you are applying for this trip within 3 months of the departure please contact us for single room availability before applying.

Your group leader will be waiting for you at the airport in Havana! Upon meeting your group leader he/she will help you exchange money then get you set up with your airport transfer. After arriving at the casa you will have free time until around 6pm upon which you will meet the group at the casa. Then you will walk to a nearby spot for drinks/dinner as you begin to get to know one another!

While you will not physically meet your group mates until the evening of the first day you will be in contact with everyone well ahead of time in the group WhatsApp chat and, in addition, we will provide you with everyone’s traveler bios so you’ll already know each other a little before physically meeting!

You will need cash only for this Cuba trip. If you hold a credit card from a U.S. based financial institution please know it will not work in Cuba as there is no relationship between the Cuban government and U.S. financial institutions. Cuban currency (CUP) is a closed currency which means you will only be able to obtain it in Cuba. Therefore, you will exchange all your USD to CUP when you arrive at the airport in Havana. Your group leader will help you obtain local Cuban currency upon arrival at the airport in Havana.

We recommend bringing a carry-on sized suitcase for this trip. The waiting time for a checked bag (to come on the carousel) in Havana can be unpredictably long so we recommend a carry-on only bag to avoid this.

WiFi is available at hotels, public parks, and recently in some casa particulars. The WiFi in Cuba is cumbersome, expensive ($2/hour) and logging into the government owned network is not always possible. It’s best to approach this trip thinking you will not have WiFi for the duration of this trip. For a more complete understanding of WiFi in Cuba check out our article about WiFi in Cuba.

Cuba has come a long way in recent years and you will find some nightlife options in Havana though certainly much different than what you will find in the U.S. While there are a handful of bars in Havana most of the nightlife revolves around music and dancing salsa!

We’ve heard the beaches in Cuba are absolutely breathtaking but, unfortunately, you will not be allowed to go to the beach on our Cuba group travel trip. We operate a legal trip to Cuba for U.S. citizens under the Support for the Cuban People license in which we must provide a full-time schedule of activities designed to result in support of local businesses and individuals in Cuba. It is still illegal for U.S. citizens to visit Cuba for recreational purposes (like visiting the beach). But don’t worry – you will love our itinerary and be able to experience the real Cuba before it changes forever.

Depending on your cell service provider you might get cell phone (roaming) service in Cuba. Please note that if you indeed get service it will be roaming and the fees are extremely expensive (as high as $3/minute and $2/MB of data). Therefore, we recommend putting your phone in airplane mode for the duration of your trip to avoid these fees.