Day 1: ARRIVE HAVANA

Welcome to Cuba! Today we arrive in Havana and settle into our accommodations in the nice residential neighborhood of Vedado in Havana. After our day of travel we will walk to a charming neighborhood restuarant for a delicious dinner and relax.

Meals included: Dinner


Day 2: ARRIVE HAVANA: TOUR HAVANA


In the morning we will visit a large mansion stuck in time with little changed since the Revolution that has just aged over the years. After that we will visit the home studio of one of Havana's leading women photographers and see her work. After lunch we will go for a ride in some of Cuba's classic cars and tour some of its many neighborhoods and ride the famous Malecon as the sun sets. On our way to dinner we will stop at the famous 1930s Hotel Nacional and enjoy a cocktail in its tropical gardens. We will then have our welcome dinner with our guide.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: HAVANA: OLD HAVANA AND ARTIST VISIT

First thing in the morning we will have a walking tour of Old Havana and walk in the footsteps of Havana's colonial past visiting the 4 plazas of Old Havana with our expert guide offering insightful history along the way. We will then visit the Cigar Factory, and see behind the scenes this traditional Cuban art for. After lunch we will visit the fishing village of Jaimanitas and the home of the famous artist Jose Fuster. Fuster has made his entire home, and much of the surrounding neighborhood, into an artwork using tiles in mosaic forms and is an amazing place to visit. For dinner we will visit one of Havana's most famous restaurants in Old Havana with breathtaking views over the city. (link)


Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 4: MATANZAS

Enroute to Matanzas we will meet with our first beekeeper and then drive onto Matanazas along the coast. We will stop at a former fort which was an arrival port for slaves and wander around taking in the history. We will eat lunch and maybe drive to one of Cuba's nearby leading beaches to take in the beauty and relax a bit. Then we will drive back to Matanzas and check into our houses. Before dinner we will have brief cooking class with a delightful woman who will teach us some classic Cuban dishes. We will enjoy our dinner relax a bit. Following that a group of 13 musicians and dancers will come perform a Rhumba "Spectaculo" on the house's roof top terrace just for us.

Meals included Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: MATANZAS


IN the morning we will drive to an amazing an organic farm and learn about sustainable farming in Cuba. Here we meet the family who will show us around the organic farm and also talk about their beekeeping and business raising queens. We will enjoy a deliciously fresh and diverse meal, a truly authentic farm-to-fork experience. Following lunch we will drive to a nearby small town that used to be a resort escape in the 30s and wander its abandoned mansions and see the small town rural life.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 6: TRINIDAD


Today we will depart for Trinidad. We will drive to Cienfuegos and then on to a little village on the coast  where we will meet and have lunch at a beekeeper's home. Their family has produced honey for four generations and he and his father will talk at length about beekeeping industry in Cuba. They are a delightful family and very wecoming and knowledgeable. Their home is a short walk to a beautiful beach so make sure to pack your swimsuit!  We will also stop at a Pharmacy that sells and produces medicinal products from honey. We will then drive on to Trinidad to check into our casa and then go to the plaza for dinner and music.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 7: TRINIDAD

The beautiful colonial city of Trinidad is an UNESCO landmark and it is a joy to walk and explore its cobblestone streets. For our first morning in Trinidad we will first stop at a ceramic studio of one of Trinidad's leading artists. We'll then meet with a group of about 13 Aro-Cuban musicians and dancers who will do a performance for us. They will also do a percussion and dance demostration where you can give it a try. We will eat lunch on the plaza and meet and listen to one of the town's many delightful Cuban groups. Late afternoon we will go out to Playa Ancon, stop and collect coral and then relax at the beach with a delicious picnic.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 8: TRINIDAD

In the morning we will go up to a farm in the mountains where we will visit a local beekeeper and spend the day with his extended family. His nephew is a wonderful musician who will play for us in the shade as we eat our lunch. This is a really special day and was a highlight of last year's tour.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 9: TRINIDAD- HAVANA

We will leave Trinidad to head back to Havana again via Cienfuegos and visit a beekeeper in a small town. His family are also fourth generation Cuban beekeepers. It is a very friendly relaxed town that has a large Afro-Cuban population and we will visit a very special religious temple where they will do a musical and dance presentation for us. This is not a town tourists visit and will be an opportunity to see real life in small town Cuba. We will then head back to Havana where we will have some free time to freshen up before our farewell dinner.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 10: HAVANA

There are no activities planned for today. Wave goodbye to the city's warm waters, colonial palaces and vintage Cadillacs before boarding your flight back to the US.

Meals Included: Breakfast