Hi friends,
Thank you for your interest in traveling to Cuba. I started leading small group tours to Cuba in 2022, and led tours again in 2023 and 2024. Each time, I have learned something new about Cuba, and about how to organize a successful tour. I am looking forward to going again next winter (2024-2025). You can expect good food, great weather, and opportunities to meet ordinary Cubans and learn about life in Cuba today.
Because we will be staying in private homes, dining in privately owned restaurants, and hiring local independent guides, the money we spend will directly benefit the Cuban people, and we wlll be in compliance with the U.S. Treasury Department restrictions on travel to Cuba.
“Very glad we signed up for a Cuba Tour with Jeremy as it introduced us to a new culture, new friends and great food. The trip was also quite edifying in that it broadened our understanding of the cuban peoples’ experiences via curated tours, conversations and spontaneous interactions.”
If you are interested, keep reading, and complete this survey, or just email me at jeremyiggers@gmail.com. I can also help arrange a private tour with a guide, and I am happy to provide free advice about independent travel to Cuba.
This time around we plan to start in Havana, spend a couple of days exploring Viñales in western Cuba, and then take a road trip to Cienfuegos, Trinidad, and Santa Clara – with some beach time and a visit to a Slow Food eco farm along the way. My wife and I followed a similar route when we visited four years ago (except for Viñales). You can see our very amateurish video about the experience here.
This is a classic itinerary for first-time visitors to Cuba, with good tourism infrastructure, and an interesting assortment of historical, cultural and scenic attractions. If there is enough demand, I would like to offer two or three different tour dates this coming winter.
Before departure, I like to meet with each group to get acquainted, and to tailor our schedule to the interests of participants. In the past, my tours have included all meals and a full schedule of activities every day for the entire group. This time around, I will try to offer a more flexible schedule with more choices – some group dinners and some group activities, but also some opportunities for “down time” and to sign up for individual activities – e.g., snorkeling, dance lessons, music. (Treasury Department regulations require that you maintain a full schedule of activities that support the Cuban people, but we don’t all have to engage in the same activities.)
You need to know that this is a very difficult time for the Cuban people. Because of the economic crisis, many struggle to make ends meet. More than 400,000 Cubans, mostly young people, have fled the island in the past two years. All participants will be encouraged to make room in their luggage for some health care necessities and school supplies that are in short supply in Cuba, for donation to families and clinics.
Group size: I would like to keep the group to 10 people or fewer.
Dates: Possible tour dates include December 6-13, 2024, and January 18-25, and 26-Feb 1, 2025, with optional extensions. These can be adjusted according to travelers’ requirements.
Cost: I anticipate around $1700 p.p. double occupancy for an eight-day tour, or slightly more for a nine-day itinerary (including an extra day in Havana), unless prices or exchange rates change significantly. This includes accommodations, airport transfers, ground transportation, all breakfasts, most lunches and dinners, some drinks, and guide services. Add $300 for single occupancy, or better yet, find a traveling companion. (The fewer bedrooms we need, the easier it is to find great accommodations.)
Not included are airfare to Havana, Cuban visa, gratuities for guides, driver, casa housekeeping, and optional activities that you do on your own. One alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink is included with meals; additional drinks are not.
Accommodations: We’ll stay at simple, well-maintained casas particulares – private homes that rent rooms to travelers. All will have air-conditioning and private bathrooms.
Meals: An ample breakfast is included at all of our casa stays. On most travel days, we will pack a light lunch, prepared for us by the casa. At least three dinners will be included – the welcome and farewell dinners in Havana, and dinners in Vinales and Trinidad, as well as more substantial lunches in Soroa and at the Slow Food farm near Santa Clara. But there will also be opportunities to explore and dine on your own. (You will always be welcome to stick with me.)
Transportation: For our road trip, we will have a late-model air-conditioned van or bus with driver. Our van or bus will also be available for activities that the entire group participates in, (such as an outing to a beach) but for optional activities you may have to take a taxi, at your own expense.
Things you should know:
- To comply with US Treasury regulations, we are required to maintain a full schedule of activities that “support the Cuban people” (basically, patronizing private businesses and entrepreneurs.) Our tour itinerary will document those activities, and should be kept as a record after the tour is completed.
- As a tourist, you will have access to goods that are unavailable or unaffordable for most Cubans, but you may still want to bring your own supply of essentials such as toilet paper, pain relievers, etc.
- Money: U.S. credit cards are not accepted, so many of our daily expenses will have to be paid for in cash. The official exchange rate for CUP to USD was raised two years ago from 25 to 1 to 120 to 1, but Cubans desperate to immigrate have driven the informal exchange to over 300 to one. Many restaurants and taxi drivers will accept dollars – but the exchange rate may vary.
- Airfares fluctuate a lot. I usually rely on Google Flights to find the best fares. We’ll have to coordinate so that we all arrive in Havana at approximately the same time.
- I am not a professional tour guide or operator, but I will do my best to vet our providers and ensure a very positive experience. Travel in Cuba is an adventure, and lots of things can happen. Power outages. Fuel shortages. There are holes in Havana’s sidewalks big enough to fall into. Consider buying travel insurance.