Splendours of Cuba - Oriente departure

Fly from London (regional connections available) to Havana with Virgin Atlantic. Transfer to Hotel Santa Isabel / Hotel Telegrafo for 3 nights. (N)

Morning walking tour of Old Havana, including the Camera Obscura and a stop at El Floridita, home of the daiquiri cocktail. Afternoon panoramic tour in a classic American car, visiting Revolution Square and a rum factory. (B, L)

Day at leisure to stroll along Old Havana’s cobbled streets or take optional visits to the Bellas Artes Museum, Hemingway’s Museum or the Revolution Museum. (B)

In the morning, drive to Las Terrazas in the western province of Pinar del Rio for a stay of 2 nights. Established as a sustainable environmental and development project, Las Terrazas provides an ideal introduction to Cuba’s countryside life and landscapes. Visit the local community and the partially restored 19th-century coffee estate. (B, L, D)

Full-day tour of the beautiful Viñales valley, its tobacco plantations and rounded limestone hills. Visit a cigar factory and take a boat ride through the Indian Cave. (B, L)

Travel to Cienfuegos via the Peninsula de Zapata. Take a boat trip through the mangroves and drive past Playa Girón, site of the 1961 invasion. Continue to the small city of Cienfuegos, with its distinct French influence, for an overnight stay. (B, L, D)

Morning tour of Cienfuegos, known as the ‘Pearl of the South’, and visit the Cienfuegos botanical gardens. Afternoon transfer to Trinidad for a 3-night stay in a casa particular in the heart of the old town. Dine this evening at a privately run paladar. (B, D)

Morning walking tour of the town, including the Romantic Museum or Cantero Museum and a visit to Casa de la Musica. Founded in 1514, Trinidad contains well-preserved colonial buildings with hardly a trace of 20th-century architecture. Afternoon at leisure or take optional excursions. (B)

Morning tour of the Valley of the Sugar Mills, dotted with ruins of large former sugar plantations. Visit the watchtower of the Manaca Iznaga plantation, a reminder of Cuba’s colonisation and slave trade, then have lunch before returning to Trinidad. Afternoon at leisure. (B, L)

This morning drive to Camagüey (5-6 hours). Short tour of its winding streets built to deter pirate attacks, and stay overnight. (B)

Full-day journey to Santiago de Cuba for a 2-night stay, visiting Holguin and Castro’s birthplace at Biran, en route. Explore the island’s first capital and birthplace of Afro-Cuban culture including the historical centre, El Morro fortress, and the Gran Piedra and the spectacular scenery of the Sierra Maestra mountains. (B, L)

Full-day journey to Sancti Spíritus for an overnight stay visiting El Cobre church, Cuba’s most important shrine, and Bayamo en route. (B)

Take a short city tour and continue to historic Santa Clara for a visit and onto Havana for a final night. (B)

Morning at leisure. Fly to London overnight with Virgin Atlantic. (B) (N)