DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY FOR TOUR OF
CUBA’S CHARMING COLONIAL CITIES AND HAVANA
OCTOBER 20-28, 2016
CUBA TOUR OVERVIEW: See Cuba through the eyes of its people! Shrouded in mystery for the past fifty years, the island nation of Cuba is finally available to be discovered. Be among the first American travelers in five decades to visit this captivating country. From it beautifully adorned churches and vintage cars to its world renowned cigars and lush tropical climate, Cuba will transport you to a bygone era. You will discover a place filled with friendly people eager to share their heritage and culture with you and eagerly curious to hear about the customs and traditions of the neighboring United States of America. Come to Cuba and experience a variety of educational, cultural and personal encounters that await your personal discovery.
Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience through this rare opportunity to visit Cuba with Group Voyagers, Inc. Be among the first American travelers in five decades to visit Cuba and its most fascinating cities. Group Voyagers, Inc. is an organization licensed by the United States Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), CFR 515.565(b) and authorized to provide those who register as participants in programs to visit Cuba legally for educational people-to-people interactions. United States law requires that all participants adhere to the full-time schedule of people-to-people activities as outlined in the day-to-day itinerary.
This unique program allows Americans and Cubans to share in special people-to-people interactions while enjoying the rich history and culture of this amazing country. Every day of your program will be wrapped in compelling education and conversation, where both Cuban and American residents can openly share their ideas and opinions. Join in a variety of discussions about Cuba’s history, agriculture, music, religion, and art. You can fully embrace Cuban culture when you meet and join in a discussion with the dancers of the world-renowned Camaguey Ballet Company, interact with local artists and exchange views on the importance of art to a community, enjoy a dance lesson and engage with musicians who will introduce you to “son”, Cuba’s popular music, and be introduced to Cuban baseball players and discuss this favorite pastime in both Cuba and the United States. The people-to-people interactions you will experience weave seamlessly into the daily visits around the country, serving to enrich and enlighten. Fascinating, informative, and insightful discoveries await every participant, both Cuban and American, on this trip of a lifetime to this great island known as the “Pearl of the Antilles”.
DAY #1: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20th – DEPART WASHINGTON, D.C. AND ARRIVE IN MIAMI.Depart from Washington National Airport on American Airlines Flight Number 1441 at 10:35am. Arrive at Miami International Airport at 1:15pm and transfer to the Miami Airport Marriott Hotel. Meet with the Globus Group Leader for a 6:00pm welcome drink. This will be a good time to meet your fellow program participants, get your questions answered and prepare for your trip to fascinating Cuba. Later that evening, enjoy dinner (on your own) and overnight at the Miami Airport Marriott Hotel. Meals Included: None.
DAY #2: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21st – DEPART MIAMI AND ARRIVE IN CAMAGUEY, CUBA. After breakfast, check-out of the Miami Airport Marriott Hotel. Transfer to the Miami International Airport and enjoy a short charter flight from Miami to Camaguey, Cuba’s third-largest city. After clearing immigration and customs, meet your Cuban National Tour Director, who will show you the city’s beautifully restored plazas and explain why Camaguey is nicknamed the “City of Squares”. One of the first seven villages founded by the Spaniards when they arrived in the “New World”, much of the city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a refreshing lunch, meet an award-winning ARTIST and discuss the inspiration for her work and how she has given back to the community. Later that afternoon, enjoy a bike ride (taxi) tour through the city center as well as visit a FARMERS MARKET and interact with the local merchants. Afterwards, check-into the Hotel Santa Maria located in the heart of Camaguey. Enjoy a relaxing dinner and overnight at the Hotel Santa Maria. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
DAY #3: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22nd – EXCURSION TO KING RANCH. After a refreshing breakfast, meet with dancers with the world-renowned Camaguey BALLET COMPANY, which has performed in over forty countries. You will have a chance to meet and interact with the dancers as well as the teachers and costume makers. Afterwards, journey by road to KING RANCH, an expansion of the famous ranch of the same name in Texas, and its neighboring village, including stepping inside a home and school to discuss rural life and education. After enjoying a barbeque lunch, connect with the cowboys who call the ranch home. Stop at the Casanova POTTERY STUDIO to learn about Camaguey’s famous tinajones – the large red pots found outside homes, a symbol of the city. See the traditional way of making the vessels and interact with the artists to learn about the local legend. Later that evening, enjoy a relaxing dinner at a local paladar (special privately-owned restaurant). Before returning to the Hotel Santa Maria, meet members from the American Car Association and enjoy a ride in an OLD STYLER car. Overnight at the Hotel Santa Maria. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
DAY #4: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23rd – DEPART CAMAGUEY AND ARRIVE IN TRINIDAD. After a refreshing breakfast, check out of the Hotel Santa Maria in Camaguey and transfer by road to Trinidad, the crown jewel of Cuba’s colonial cities, founded in 1514 and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arrival, enjoy a refreshing lunch at a casa particular (bed and breakfast) and discuss private enterprise in Cuba with the owners and staff. Later that afternoon, after checking into the Brisas Trinidad del Mar Resort, spend time walking the streets of Trinidad, a cobblestone showcase of colonial architecture and pastel-colored houses decorated with wooden shutters and wrought-iron grilles. Caged songbirds outside the home are a Trinidad tradition. Interact with the librarian at the local LIBRARY, built from the estate of an American woman in the early 1900s, and learn about the library system in Cuba, including censorship and how the facilities are supported. Enjoy a stopover at Templo Yemaya to discover the Santeria religion. This religion was first brought to Cuba by African slaves who worked on the sugar plantations and it has connections to Roman Catholicism and the traditions of the indigenous Indians. Also spend time at a family-owned CERAMIC STUDIO to learn the family’s history and how this distinctive pottery is made. You will also enjoy a tasty Canchanchara drink. After returning to the Brisas Trinidad del Mar Resort enjoy a relaxing dinner before joining in an interactive DANCE LESSON and discuss the rhythms and history of Cuba’s traditional forms of music. You will hear typical salsa, rumba, and son (Cuban popular music). Overnight at the Brisas Trinidad del Mar Hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
DAY #5: MONDAY, OCTOBER 24th – EXCURSION TO CIENFUEGOS. After a refreshing breakfast, travel by road to Cienfuegos and get acquainted on a walk around the main square. Settled by French immigrants more than 150 years ago, Cienfuegos is often referred to as the “Pearl of the South” because of its impressive beauty and colorful history. Join in a discussion with artists at a graphic arts STUDIO and learn more about their lives, their work, and how their art is created. Next, enjoy an opportunity to engage with tobacco rollers at a CIGAR FACTORY and learn about the importance of tobacco, both culturally and commercially, for Cuba. Afterwards, enjoy a refreshing lunch served at a waterside paladar. Before returning to Trinidad, enjoy a performance and discussion with the CIENFUEGOS ORCHESTRA. Later that evening, return to the Brisas Trinidad del Mar Hotel and enjoy a relaxing dinner and overnight. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
DAY #6: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25th – DEPART TRINIDAD AND ARRIVE IN HAVANA. After a refreshing breakfast, check out of the Brisas Trinidad del Mar Resort and depart by road to Havana. Enjoy the scenic drive through the countryside, passing sugar cane fields and banana plantations. Stop in Playa Giron for a guided visit of the BAY OF PIGS MUSEUM. Nearby is the old sugar mill used by Fidel Castro as his center of operations during the 1961 ill-fated invasion. Enjoy a refreshing lunch and join in a DISCUSSION with a local naturalist as well as the family that runs the restaurant. Later that afternoon, arrive in Havana, Cuba’s vibrant capital city. Check into the Melia Cohiba Hotel which is a modern five-star property located in the El Vedado district facing the famous Havana Malecon near the historic center of Havana. Before dinner, meet with jazz musicians from the CUBAN INSTITUTE OF MUSIC. Enjoy a lively discussion to share the importance of music in everyday life and then be treated to a performance. Afterward, enjoy a tour of the illustrious HOTEL NACIONAL DE CUBA, a symbol of history, culture and Cuban identity. The hotel has hosted celebrities and world figures over the decades, including Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, Muhammad Ali, and Steven Spielberg. Later that evening, enjoy a relaxing dinner and overnight at the Melia Cohiba Hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
DAY #7: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26th – FULL DAY IN HAVANA. After a refreshing breakfast, your full day begins with a DISCUSSION with a local architect. Topics include Havana’s unique architecture, the challenges of renovating the city’s exquisite historic buildings, and the future of these renovations. Then enjoy an opportunity to explore the charming cobblestone streets of OLD HAVANA, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while participating in open dialogue with the local architect on architectural topics of interest. Afterwards, learn about the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Ernest Hemingway, who lived in Cuba for over thirty years and left behind an enduring legacy. It is here that he wrote several books, participated in fishing contests, and enjoyed the laid-back ambiance and warmth of the Cuban people. Engage with staff at FINCA VIGIA, his beloved home, and see his fishing boat, El Pilar. Enjoy a refreshing lunch at a local ORGANIC FARM, where you will join in a discussion with the owners and learn about organic farming in Cuba. Before returning to Havana, visit a DAYCARE CENTER to interact with the children and workers who run the program. Later that evening, enjoy a relaxing dinner (on your own) and overnight at the Melia Cohiba Hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch.
DAY #8: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27th – FULL DAY IN HAVANA. After a refreshing breakfast, enjoy a photo stop at REVOLUTION SQUARE before exploring the world-famous COLON CEMETERY with its elaborately sculpted memorials. Hear the cemetery’s captivating history, folklore, and stories about the many noteworthy people laid to rest here, including musicians, filmmakers, writers, politicians, Major League Baseball players, and la Milagrosa – “the Miraculous One”. Next enjoy a visit to JOSE FUSTER’S STUDIO, cleverly nicknamed the “Picasso of the Caribbean”. Here you will discover a surreal world – like nothing you have seen before. Interact with members of the neighborhood to discuss the project’s impact on the surrounding area. Enjoy a refreshing lunch before an afternoon choir performance and join in a discussion with choir members and their director from the CUBAN INSITITUTE OF MUSIC. Afterwards, meet a former Cuban baseball player for a DISCUSSION about the history and the love of this favorite pastime in Cuba and the United States. Later that evening, join your Cuban Tour Director and Globus Group Leader for a festive Farewell Dinner – the perfect ending to your time in Cuba. Overnight at the Melia Cohiba Hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Farewell Dinner.
DAY #9: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28th – DEPART HAVANA AND ARRIVE IN MIAMI/RETURN TO WASHINGTON, D.C. After a refreshing breakfast, check out of the Melia Cohiba Hotel and transfer to the Havana Airport for your return flight to Miami. Upon arrival at Miami International Airport later that afternoon, process through immigration and customs before connecting om your return flight to Washington, D.C. Depart Miami on American Airlines Flight Number 1486 at 4:07pm and arrive at Washington, D.C. at 6:40pm. Meals Included: Breakfast.
OPTIONAL OVERNIGHT STAY IN MIAMI ON DAY #9: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28th – DEPART HAVANA AND ARRIVE IN MIAMI. After a refreshing breakfast, check out of the Melia Cohiba Hotel and transfer to the Havana Airport for your return flight to Miami. Upon arrival at Miami International Airport later that afternoon, process through immigration and customs before checking into the Miami Airport Marriott Hotel. Enjoy the remainder of the day at your leisure. If interested, visit downtown Miami for an evening of entertainment and a relaxing dinner (on your own). Overnight at the Miami Airport Marriott Hotel. Meals Included: Breakfast.
DAY #10: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29th – DEPART MIAMI AND ARRIVE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. Enjoy a refreshing breakfast before checking out of the Miami Airport Marriott Hotel. Time permitting, enjoy some last chance shopping/sightseeing. Transfer to the Miami International Airport for your return flight to Washington, D.C. Depart Miami on American Airlines Flight Number 1486 at 4:07pm and arrive at Washington, D.C. at 6:40pm. Meals Included: Breakfast.
END OF PROGRAM
YOUR TOUR TO CUBA INCLUDES:
- Visa for Cuba based on a people-to-people tour program
- Roundtrip Charter Flight (Miami-Camaguey and Havana-Miami)
- Roundtrip Airport Transfers at Miami International Airport
- One Night Hotel Accommodation at Miami Airport Marriott Hotel
- One-way airport transfer in Camaguey, Cuba
- Two Nights Hotel Accommodations at the Hotel Santa Maria (or similar) in Camaguey
- Vacation Highlights in Camaguey: Discussion with an award-winning artist, city orientation, Camaguey Ballet Company, spend time at King Ranch and interact with local cowboys and village residents, program at Casanova Pottery Studio, paladar dinner and discussion with the owner, meet with the American Car Association and ride in an Old Styler car
- Two Nights Hotel Accommodations at Brisa Trinidad del Mar Resort (or similar) in Trinidad
- Vacation Highlights in Trinidad: Visit a Casa Particular and enjoy lunch, historic city center, discussion at a library, workshop at a family-owned ceramic studio, and an interactive dance lesson
- Vacation Highlights in Cienfuegos: City orientation, interact with tobacco rollers at a cigar factory, discussion with a local artist and studio visit, performance by the Cienfuegos Orchestra
- Vacation Highlights in Playa Giron: Visit the Bay of Pigs Museum, interact with a local family and Naturalist over lunch
- Three Nights Hotel Accommodations at Melia Cohiba Hotel (or similar) in Havana
- Vacation Highlights in Havana: Performance and discussion with jazz musicians, tour of Hotel Nacional de Cuba, discussion with architect Old Havana, discussion and lunch at an organic urban hotel farm, interact with children and workers at a daycare center, Revolution Square, Colon Cemetery, Finca Vigia (Hemingway’s home), workshop at artist Jose Fuster’s studio, performance and discussion with members of the Cuban Institute of Music, and discussion with Cuban baseball players
- One-way airport transfer in Havana
- Meals (8 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 6 dinners) as Indicated in the Day-To-Day Itinerary
- Local transportation in an air-conditioned motor coach
- English-Speaking Tour Guide
- Mandatory Cuba Health Insurance
- Tips and Gratuities for wait staff at restaurants and porters at hotels
YOUR CUBA TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE:
- Roundtrip domestic airfare between Washington, D.C. and Miami
- One Extra Night’s Hotel Accommodation at Miami International Airport
- Items of a personal nature (i.e. – long distance telephone calls, laundry services, etc.)
SPECIAL NOTES:
- The Cuba’s Charming Colonial Cities and Havana program requires walking on cobblestone streets and uneven pathways, climbing stairs, and participating in a full-time schedule of people-to-people scheduled activities.
- Due to the special requirements to visit Cuba, participants will be required to complete visa application and travel reservation forms and sign an affidavit confirming that they are traveling under a people-to-people license and are aware of the travel rules.
- In Cuba, activities that have been scheduled far in advance can sometimes become unavailable for a number of different reasons. The purpose of the trip is to have meaningful interactions with locals and if the planned people-to-people educational exchange is not available, rest assured that another people-to-people exchange will be just as enriching and will be substituted.
TOTAL COST FOR PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE TOUR TO CUBA FOR “CHARMING COLONIAL CITIES AND HAVANA” IS $4,699.00 PER PERSON BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY AND AN ADDITIONAL $700.00 FOR SINGLE OCCUPANCY. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE RDTP AIRFARE BETWEEN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND MIAMI. IF REQUESTED, THIS WILL COST ANOTHER $300.00 AND IF REQUEST AN EXTRA OVERNIGHT STAY IN MIAMI, THIS WILL COST ANOTHER $200.00. PLEASE CONSULT WITH VENUE INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONALS, INC. FOR DETAILS.
