This is a “Working” Itinerary. There will be changes, additions and/or subtractions to the Final Itinerary. All venues and artist’s studios are subject to final confirmations. Rest assured that any changes made will be done to enhance the total program and insure a smooth and trouble free experience.
I've done my best to include pictures and links to all the interesting and important locations we'll be visiting. I hope that this helps everyone get a lot more use out of the itinerary and learn more about the things we'll see!
Day 0
Tuesday, February 9
Participants will fly independently to Miami and overnight at Crowne Plaza Miami located at 950 NW Le Jeune Road, Miami, Florida 33126. Phone: (305) 929-0116.
9:30 AM
Breakfast is available at the hotel, however, is not included.
Meet in lobby of the hotel for our bus transfer to the airport. You will be met by your ABC Charter representative who will accompany you to the airport and assist with check-in. Our flight from Miami to Havana is on ABC Charter Flight AA9446, operated by American Airlines. Check-in is located in Concourse D. Enter through Door 1 and check-in at the AA counter.
ABC Charters has the following luggage policy: All additional luggage fees must be paid in cash at the time of check-in. One carry-on and one personal item at no charge*. 1st checked bag; $20.00. Each additional checked bag; $20.00. 70 lbs max weight per bag. 44 lbs allowed free; $2.00 per pound over (including carry-on). No luggage fees apply on your return to Miami. *Please be aware that in the event of a full flight into Havana you may be required to check your carry-on luggage for an additional $20.00 fee.
12:30 pM
1:30 pM
Charter departure time from Miami International Airport.
Arrive in Havana. Clear immigration, customs and baggage, a process that takes about an hour and a half.
Once outside baggage claim you will be received by your HavanaTur guide and driver who will accompany the group for the duration of your time in Cuba. You bus is an extension of your hotel room and all of your belongings will be safeguarded at all times. Please do not worry about your gear or luggage as your driver and guide will ensure that they are protected at all times.
En route to lunch, we will stop by the Plaza de la Revolucion. The center of government, this area contains most of the offices of the main ministries and is often used for massive rallies, including that of the Pope in 2012.
4:00 PM
Check-in to the newly renovated Hotel Capri located in the Vedado neighborhood - home to the most iconic buildings of Havana’s modernist movement including the Habana Libre Hotel, The Coppelia Ice Cream Parlor, the Pabellon Cuba, and the Riviera Hotel.
Hotel Capri
53 7 839 7200
Calle 21 Entre Calle N y O, La Habana
Meet your Photo Guides Néstor Marti & Alain Gutíerrez who will accompany the group for the duration of your time in Havana. On some occasions the group will split into smaller groups. Daily meeting times can be arranged on a day-to-day basis so as to best suit the program.
7:30 PM
Dinner at La Guarida. One of the best restaurants in Havana and famous not only for its delectable dining, but also as the location for the film “Strawberry and Chocolate.” It is housed on the third floor of a large, old town house carrying the charming ambience of the 1920's.
Evening entertainment to be determined. For those who choose, the concierge can arrange for tickets to the show at the world famous Tropicana. Individual pays for admission fees.
Day 2
Thursday, February 11
Complimentary breakfast is served everyday at the restaurant in the lobby 7 AM - 10 AM.
6:30 AM
Optional early morning street photography with Néstor and Alain. Meeting time may be adjusted on a day by day basis.
8:30 AM
Board bus and depart for Havana Vieja. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes!
Walk along the Paseo de Marti (El Prado), a tree lined pedestrian promenade leading to the sea. This area includes the home of Cuba's former president Jose Miguel Gomez and the lavish Palacio de los Matrimonios.
We will visit Havana’s Central Park and the first monument erected in Cuba (1904), dedicated to National hero Jose Marti.
Palacio de los Matrimonios
See the massive renovation project of the Capitolio and continue to the Parque de la Fraternidad. This is “Old Taxi” central; here you will find all make and models of American cars from the 50’s. It is a great opportunity to mingle and converse with taxi drivers and engage in their favorite subject; their cars.
10:00 AM
Rafael Trejo Boxing Gym located across the street from the Iglesia de las Merced is this local amateur boxing gym. This boxing gym is the place for the young and not-so-young athlete to learn and train for their country’s second favorite sport. The determination and focus of these young boxers will inspire you as they train with the aspirations to compete on the national level.
Rafael Trejo Boxing Gym
11:30 PM
Visit the Escuela de Taller where we will learn about the Restoration Project that is underway in Havana Vieja. This urban rehabilitation project is preserving the architectural history and cultural heritage of this beautiful city. We will visit a construction site and meet with engineers, builders, woodworkers and other craftsman utilizing traditional handcrafting methods to preserve the authenticity of these once – and soon to be once again - resplendent structures. Faced with challenges such as lack of materials, tools, equipment and even vehicular access to some of these sites, these monumental projects are a testament to the indomitable Cuban spirit to succeed in the face of adversity.
We see the Plaza de San Francisco, a cobbled plaza surrounded by buildings dating from the 18th century, dominated by the baroque Iglesia and Convento de San Francisco dating from 1719.
1:00 PM
Lunch at Paladar Mercaderes. This impeccably restored mansion is a welcome retreat from the bustling streets of the old city. Our affable host Yamilys will entertain us with his charming anecdotes as will the house musicians.
Visit the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales. The palace currently houses the Museo de la Cuidad and was the former residence of the Spanish Captains.
We will visit the Plaza de Armas, a scenic tree-lined plaza formerly at the center of influence in Cuba. It is surrounded by many of the most historic structures in Havana as well as important monuments.
Optional visit to the Taller de Grafica Experimental. The Taller is Havana’s printmaking and lithographic workshop. It is a studio, a school and most of all, an art institution that preserves and develops the sophisticated art of print making with relative freedom of spirit and form. We will be welcomed by artist Yamilis Brito and several fellow printmakers that belong to the guild.
See the beautifully restored Hotel Ambos Mundo where Hemingway lived for several years. Hemingway's room has been preserved to remain as it was when Papa Hemingway resided in Havana.
Tour of the El Museo del Ron Havana Club located in Havana Vieja.
Remainder of afternoon free for People-to-People activities. Your Cuban guides will have suggestions for suitable destinations and visits based on your personal interests and will accompany you to these locations.
7:30 PM
Dinner at Atelier. Atelier is equally known for its atmosphere and exquisite cuisine. The lighting and textures of the house, coupled with walls adorned in modern art, create a cozy, romantic setting. The chef boasts international experience, serving a range of cuisine from traditional Cuban dishes, Paella, and seafood. This meal is complimentary.
Optional: Enjoy an evening of music at Habana Café, a venue that features a nightly variety-type show that includes Cabaret dancers combined with comedy and music. With a 1950’s, nostalgic décor, Habana Café attracts locals and tourists alike. Be ready to get on the dance floor and dance all night to the rhythm of great Caribbean music.
6:00 AM
Optional early morning street photography with our Cuban photo guide. Meeting time may be adjusted on a day by day basis.
9:30 AM
Meet in the hotel lobby and board our bus.
10:00 AM
See the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA). One of the few major architectural projects completed in Cuba in the early 1960s, this remarkable post-revolution campus is the premier school in Cuba for students studying music, visual arts and performing arts. Castro commissioned Cuban architect Ricardo Porro and two Italian architects, Vittorio Garatti and Roberto Gottardi for this tuition-free, educational institute built on a former golf club. "Cuba will count as having the most beautiful academy of arts in the world.” – Fidel Castro (1961).
1:00 PM
Lunch at the whimsical home of artist Jose Fuster who has made a major contribution to rebuilding and decorating the fishing town of Jaimanitas, in the outskirts of Havana, where he lives. Jaimanitas is now a unique work of public art where Fuster has decorated over 80 houses with colorful ornate murals and domes.
Remainder of afternoon free to explore the seaside villages. Your guides will have suitable recommendations.
5:30 PM
Meet in Conference Room located in the Hotel Business Center.
Dinner on your own. Suitable recommendations will be provided.
7:00 AM
Optional early morning street photography with Néstor and Alain. Meeting time may be adjusted on a day by day basis.
10:00 AM
Board our bus and depart for the village of Bacuranao in Alamar. We will interact with habaneros in this mostly tourist-free location.
Exploration of the Guanabacoa neighborhood. Lunch TBD.
AFTERNOON
Visit Callejon de Hamel located in the Cayo Hueso neighborhood. The buildings have been decorated with colorful murals that celebrate Cuba’s African cultural roots and religious roots.
Explore the Malecón. This broad esplanade, roadway and seawall stretches for 4 miles along the coast from the mouth of Havana Harbor in Old Havana, along the north side of the Centro Habana neighborhood to the Vedado neighborhood. There is no other place which shows more of the Havana's soul, or attracts more locals and tourists than the Malecón.
5:30 PM
Return to the hotel.
7:30 PM
Dinner at El Cocinero in Vedado. This chic and elegant bar & restaurant is located in a converted power station is considered a world class establishment popular with Cubans, Diplomats and foreigners alike.
Visit Fábrica de Arte Cubano located in the Vedado neighborhood. Built in the beginning of the XX Century, this former tramway power plant was later converted into an olive oil factory and is the most current collaborative art project in Havana.
7:45 AM
Group meets in the hotel lobby and boards our bus for our day trip to Viñales Valley. Considered by many to be the most beautiful place in Cuba, the Viñales Valley National Monument holds stunning landscapes. The area is also famous for being the premier tobacco growing area in the world.
Continue to the town of Viñales and meet CCT Representative Yaniel Luis.
12:30 PM
Arrive Finca Confianza in the valley with stunning views of the mogotes. We will learn about the production of a multitude of organic fruits, vegetables, grain and tobacco. Lunch will be a community event on the farm where we will be served a large variety of organic fresh vegetables, fruits, chicken and roasted pork. A true field to table experience.
2:00 PM
Visit the home of Ramón Vázquez León, an artist born in Viñales, Pinar del Río, who graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in Havana. Ramon creates fantastic worlds full of allusions with his bright colors.
3:00 PM
Following this visit we will continue to explore the Viñales Valley on foot for an easy stroll with our local guide Yaniel. We will visit with rural farmers and sample some of their fresh produce. No John Deere tractors here - just oxen and old fashioned manual labor. We will visit the tobacco farms and drying barns that produce the world's finest cigars and enjoy a cigar rolling demonstration.
3:00 PM
Return to Havana.
Dinner on your own. Suitable recommendations will be provided.
7:30 AM
Optional early morning street photography with Néstor and Alain. Meeting time may be adjusted on a day by day basis.
10:00 AM
Attend a dance performance of the Compañía Irene Rodríguez (flamenco). We will receive a warm welcome by Irene Rodriguez, who is considered by many to be the finest flamenco dancer in Cuba. Irene will introduce us to the dancers and discuss the cultivation of artistic talent in Cuba.
Optional visit to the Museum of Cuban Art (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes) with art historian & independent curator Nelson Herrera. This museum is dedicated to the latest generation of contemporary Cuban artists.
Lunch on your own. Your guide will make suitable recommendations.
Remainder of the afternoon free to explore Havana. Your Cuban guides will have suggestions for suitable locations based on your personal interests.
Optional visit to the Arts and Crafts Market, a great place to interact with local, everyday artisans. You’ll find just about anything here, a great place to find souvenirs or gifts for your friends and family back home.
5:00 PM
Return to the hotel to freshen up for dinner.
6:30 PM
Board the bus and depart for Centro Asturianos for a private musical performance and dinner. Our evening begins with demonstrative lecture on Cuban Music at Bar Asturias by Professor Alberto Faya who, since 1973, has been working as a musician, professor and researcher within the Cuban musical world. He has won national awards in music and musicology. He will be joined by a trio of musicians who will take us on a musical journey through the history of Cuba.
8:00 PM
Farewell Dinner at San Cristobal. This cozy paladar has a reputation of excellence in both atmosphere and local cuisine. The food is refined and balanced (enjoy dishes like gazpacho, tender lobster, crème caramel) and the nostalgic atmosphere is unforgettable, adorned in a unique style of art nouveau. This meal is complimentary.
12:30 AM
Check out at Hotel. Depart hotel for airport.
3:40 PM
Depart for Miami on CTS Charter Flight #SY8830
4:40 PM
Arrive in Miami.