Splendours of Cuba (Oriente Departure)

Discovery (Oriente) Group Tour in brief

Day 1: Fly to Havana

Fly from London (regional connections available) to Havana with Virgin Atlantic. Transfer to the SO Paseo del Prado La Habana (or similar) for 2 nights. (N)

Day 2: Havana

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

Day 3: Las Terrazas

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)

Day 4: Viñales

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)

Day 5: Peninsula de Zapata - Cienfuegos

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 1 night. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Cienfuegos - Trinidad

Morning tour of Cienfuegos, known as the ‘Pearl of the South’, and visit the Cienfuegos botanical gardens. Afternoon transfer to Trinidad for a 2-night stay in a casa particular in the heart of the old town. Dine this evening at a privately run paladar. (B, D)

Day 7: Trinidad

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. In the afternoon, drive to the Valley of the Sugar Mills, dotted with ruins of large former sugar plantations and visit the Manaca Iznaga watchtower, a reminder of Cuba’s slave trade and colonisation. (B, L)

Day 8: Trinidad

Day at leisure in Trinidad or take optional excursions. (B)

Day 9: Camagüey

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

Days 10-11: Holguin - Santiago de Cuba

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 Sierra Maestra mountains. (B, L)

Day 12: Sancti Spíritus

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

Days 13-14: Santa Clara - Havana

TTake a short city tour and continue to historic Santa Clara for a visit and onto Havana for 2 nights at the SO Paseo del Prado hotel. (B)

Days 15-16: Fly to London

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

Meal basis: As per itinerary – B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, N: No meals.

TOUR EXTENSIONS

Tour + Cayo Santa Maria: 7 days & 5 nights from £325 After visiting Santa Clara on day 8 or day 13, continue to a white sandy cay off Cuba’s north coast. Stay for 4 nights at the all-inclusive Meliá Cayo Santa Maria or the first class Meliá Buenavista (upgrade to an ocean-view room from £85). Drive back to Havana for a final night before your flight to London with Virgin Atlantic.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Accommodation: This tour features a combination of simple, good standard and superior hotels, and casas particulares, which are simple, private, bed and breakfast-style accommodations that allow for an authentic insight into the Cuban way of life. Cuba combines increasing popularity with very limited good quality hotel options and the properties we use may vary from departure to departure. The specific accommodation for each departure as well as the exact order of your itinerary will be confirmed in your final travel documents.

Travel in Cuba: We recommend an extremely flexible approach to booking a holiday and travel in Cuba. The extended Oriente departures are better suited to the hardier traveller due to longer road drives.

Private & tailor-made travel: This itinerary can be taken privately on a date that suits you, for which guideline prices are shown. Alternatively, it can be tailored to your exact requirements.

Discovery (Oriente) Group Tour in brief

Day 1: Fly to Havana

Fly from London (regional connections available) to Havana with Virgin Atlantic. Transfer to the SO Paseo del Prado La Habana (or similar) for 2 nights. (N)

Day 2: Havana

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

Day 3: Las Terrazas

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)

Day 4: Viñales

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)

Day 5: Peninsula de Zapata - Cienfuegos

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 1 night. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Cienfuegos - Trinidad

Morning tour of Cienfuegos, known as the ‘Pearl of the South’, and visit the Cienfuegos botanical gardens. Afternoon transfer to Trinidad for a 2-night stay in a casa particular in the heart of the old town. Dine this evening at a privately run paladar. (B, D)

Day 7: Trinidad

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. In the afternoon, drive to the Valley of the Sugar Mills, dotted with ruins of large former sugar plantations and visit the Manaca Iznaga watchtower, a reminder of Cuba’s slave trade and colonisation. (B, L)

Day 8: Trinidad

Day at leisure in Trinidad or take optional excursions. (B)

Day 9: Camagüey

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

Days 10-11: Holguin - Santiago de Cuba

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 Sierra Maestra mountains. (B, L)

Day 12: Sancti Spíritus

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

Days 13-14: Santa Clara - Havana

Take a short city tour and continue to historic Santa Clara for a visit and onto Havana for 2 nights at the SO Paseo del Prado hotel. (B)

Days 15-16: Fly to London

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

Meal basis: As per itinerary – B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, N: No meals.

TOUR EXTENSIONS

Tour + Cayo Santa Maria: 7 days & 5 nights from £325 After visiting Santa Clara on day 8 or day 13, continue to a white sandy cay off Cuba’s north coast. Stay for 4 nights at the all-inclusive Meliá Cayo Santa Maria or the first class Meliá Buenavista (upgrade to an ocean-view room from £85). Drive back to Havana for a final night before your flight to London with Virgin Atlantic.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Accommodation: This tour features a combination of simple, good standard and superior hotels, and casas particulares, which are simple, private, bed and breakfast-style accommodations that allow for an authentic insight into the Cuban way of life. Cuba combines increasing popularity with very limited good quality hotel options and the properties we use may vary from departure to departure. The specific accommodation for each departure as well as the exact order of your itinerary will be confirmed in your final travel documents.

Travel in Cuba:

We recommend an extremely flexible approach to booking a holiday and travel in Cuba. The extended Oriente departures are better suited to the hardier traveller due to longer road drives.

Private & tailor-made travel:

This itinerary can be taken privately on a date that suits you, for which guideline prices are shown. Alternatively, it can be tailored to your exact requirements.