Day 1 – Sunday, March 1 – Arrive Miami
Come to know the people of Cuba and explore the cultural treasures of this island just 90 miles off the coast of the United States. Today, fly to Miami on your own, our gateway to Cuba. Tonight, get acquainted with your fellow travelers during an Amazing Journeys Welcome Reception and trip briefing.
Day 2 – Monday, March 2 – Miami – Cienfuegos, Cuba
Our journey begins as we fly from Miami to Cienfuegos Airport. Transfer to our hotel in Cienfuegos, “La Perla del Sur” or “Pearl of the South.” We’ll travel to a local graphic arts studio where we will meet the artists and learn how they make their colorful creations. Tonight, a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant introduces you to the vibrant culture of the Cuban people. Mingle with the locals and enjoy some live traditional music. Your evening includes a fascinating interactive lecture on the instruments used to produce the distinctive “Sounds of Cuba.” (B, D)
Day 3 – Tuesday, March 3 – Cienfuegos
Spend the morning at Cienfuegos Province Botanical Gardens, the oldest of its kind on the island. During a fascinating walking tour, learn about the garden’s ties with Harvard University and its founding as a research center where a sugar mill once stood. After a picnic lunch, explore the historic Plaza Mayor in the heart of the city. Peruse the shops, converse with the shopkeepers and get a true taste of the local culture. Learn how Cuba’s ration system works and discover which types of goods are available for Cubans to purchase. Afterwards, visit a working Cuban cigar factory! Learn about the life of the workers and get an in-depth look at how a typical Cuban factory runs. Later, enjoy a visit to a local Jewish community within the city of Cienfuegos. Converse with the locals and gain an understanding of what it is like living in Cuba and being Jewish. We’ll return to our hotel and enjoy dinner in the gardens. (B, L, D)
Day 4 – Wednesday, March 4 – Cienfuegos – Trinidad – Manaca Iznaga – Cienfuegos
Discover Trinidad with a local expert who will guide you on a walk through the Palacio Cantero – the city’s history museum – which is housed in a restored Neoclassical palace. This is the perfect opportunity to ask about the unique houses that make up this museum of a city. Next, visit Manaca Iznaga’s former sugar factory and estate located in the beautiful “Valle de los Ingenios” or “Valley of the Sugar Mills.” Learn about the history of sugar production and its integral importance to the island’s economy and the Cuban way of life. Our guide offers insight on the types of agriculture that are significant today. Enjoy lunch at the estate before learning about the local art of linen-making from the residents who make their living via this craft. This afternoon, visit a ceramic studio and enjoy a pottery demonstration. The owners will be on hand to discuss traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation, along with a live demonstration. Enjoy a “Canchachara”, a local drink perfected by the owners of the studio. (B, L, D)
Day 5 – Thursday, March 5 – Cienfuegos – Havana
Embark on a scenic drive this morning, past lush mountains and forests, pleasant country towns and farms, and the pristine Caribbean Sea. Enjoy lunch at La Cueva de los Peces, which is named for the nearby “Cave of the Fish,” a “cenote” or sinkhole filled with multicolored sea life. You may even spot Cuba’s national bird, the Tocororo, and some of the island’s most colorful fish. Visit the historic sugar mill which Fidel Castro once used as his headquarters during the Bay of Pigs Invasion. After lunch, climb aboard a steam train and be whisked away through farmlands, stopping along the way to see farmers at work. Strike up a conversation and discover what a typical work day is like for them. Next, travel across the countryside to Havana, Cuba’s capital. Explore our hotel, the Hotel Nacional, an iconic national landmark. Tonight, enjoy Cuban favorites as you dine at Comedor Aguiar. (B, L, D)
Day 6 – Friday, March 6 – Havana
Learn about Cuba’s revolutionary literacy campaign of 1961 while visiting the Literacy Museum. Engage with its director who offers his personal perspective into the education system in Cuba and efforts to reach even the most rural communities. Then, we’ll visit a local healthcare facility to meet the staff and learn more about the healthcare system in Cuba. Next, savor lunch at a traditional restaurant in Old Havana, the perfect setting to immerse yourself in the culture of the city. You are in for a treat when you visit a local performing arts school and meet its creative students. This evening, attend a traditional Shabbat service at Temple Beth Shalom, widely considered the headquarters of the Cuban Jewish Community. Dinner at a Havana Paladar is included tonight as we join local Jewish community members. Share stories of your own life with your new friends as you listen to stories of theirs. (B, L, D)
Day 7 – Saturday, March 7 – Havana
Explore the strong connections of this community as you spend time visiting the benefactors of a local charity that focuses on caring for the elderly. Afterwards, visit a local park where local antique car owners gather. Discuss how car ownership in Cuba works, along with the ingenious ways they keep these classics running after all these years. Visit Maqueta de la Cuidad de La Habana Museum and enjoy a lecture from a city planner. Next, visit a historic hotel in Old Havana to interact with some professional dancers. Learn about the Cuban national dance, Salsa. Strike up a conversation with the dancers about their lives and Cuba’s dance culture while learning some of the basic steps of this remarkable dance. (B)
Day 8 – Sunday, March 8 – Havana – Casa Fuster – Havana
Walk through the dramatic evolution of Cuban art at the Cuban Fine Arts Museum. Enjoy a presentation given by a passionate local art historian. Travel to Casa Fuster for an insider’s look at the work and life of Cuban artist Jose Fuster. One of his apprentices or even the artist himself will be on hand to talk about his art, inspired by Spanish artist, Antonio Gaudi. Experience a lunch that captures the energy of daily life in Havana at La Ferminia, a popular restaurant that resides on legendary 5th Avenue. Later, learn about policies between the U.S. and Cuba during an interesting discussion led by a Cuban scholar. This evening, take a trip around Havana in one of the antique American cars that the city is known for. Tonight, we join together for our Amazing Journeys Farewell Event. Finally, savor dinner in one of Havana’s finest restaurants as you celebrate an amazing journey. (B, L, D)
Day 9 – Monday, March 9 – Havana – Miami – Tour Ends
After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer to the airport for our flight back to Miami. We arrive in the early afternoon (subject to change) saying good-bye to our traveling companions, and an amazing experience in Cuba. (B)
Our Hotels:
Day 1 Marriott Miami Airport, Miami,Florida
Days 2-4 Hotel Jagua, Cienfuegos
Days 5-8 Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Havana
Please Note:
This itinerary is subject to change – this tour may also operate in reverse on certain dates. Flight times are also subject to change. On some dates, alternate hotels may be used
Record Keeping Requirements per OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury): Each passenger is required to keep a general written record of each day’s activities in Cuba as to the various sites visited and transactions or activities engaged in. Such records shall be kept and retained by passenger to be made available for examination upon demand (by OFAC) for at least five (5) years from the date of each transaction. This is an educational program that requires full-time participation.
Collette Travel Service, Inc. d/b/a Collette has been issued a license (license number CT-2012-299283-1) by the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) which authorizes registered guests of our programs, under the auspices of Collette, to legally travel to Cuba, to participate and engage in a full time schedule of authorized educational exchange activities in Cuba, which will involve meaningful interaction between you and people in Cuba. Prior to departure, Collette will provide you with a Letter of Authorization to confirm your legal travel status, the authorized travel agenda and activities, and your recordkeeping responsibilities.
In order to fulfill OFAC’s licensing requirements on this tour, you will have a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities that will result in a meaningful interaction between the traveler, you, and individuals in Cuba. The itinerary has been designed with these requirements in mind and there will be no leisure time on this program as on other Collette tours. The days and order of sightseeing may change to best utilize your time on tour and to better facilitate meaningful educational exchanges. Due to unforeseen circumstances and schedule changes, educational visits may be interchanged with similar activities.
This tour includes moderate physical activity. Walking tours, as well as walking slightly longer distances, up stairs or on uneven walking surfaces should be expected.
All rooms where we provide roommate matches are non-smoking. Items listed on this website are subject to change at any time. By providing payment you agree to the terms and conditions as outlined on this website.
Cancellation Policy: From November 11 – December 30, 2014, the cancellation penalty is $250. From December 31, 2014 – February 13, 2015, the cancellation penalty is 30% of the package price. From February 14 – 28, 2015, the cancellation penalty is 50% of the package price. For cancellations made on the day of departure (March 1) and including “no-shows,” there is no refund. There is no refund in the event of interruption or cancellation by the passenger after the start of the journey.
Cancellation Insurance: Cancellation insurance is highly recommended. Information will be sent in your confirmation letter.
Passport Requirements: A US passport is necessary to travel on this itinerary. It must be valid for six months beyond the last day of the trip. A visa is necessary to enter Cuba. The cost of $80 is included with our tour rates. We will help you with the process of obtaining the visa. Due to US and Cuban government regulations, this tour is only open to those who are US citizens.
Currency Fluctuations: In case of currency fluctuations greater than 3%, Amazing Journeys reserves the right to adjust our prices accordingly in order to operate the tour.
Taxes: Taxes, surcharges, immigration and government fees have been included in the rate. Not included is a Cuban airport departure tax of approximately $30 USD. This must be paid personally in cash upon departure from Cuba in local currency. Taxes, surcharges, visa fees and government fees are based on August, 2014 rates and are always subject to change.
Gratuities: Due to government regulations, gratuities have not been included in the rates for our local Cuban tour guide and drivers. We will be adding gratuities of $71 to your final payment, made payable to Amazing Journeys to cover these costs and we will pay them to the appropriate staff during the course of the tour. Gratuities for included meals, baggage handling and housekeeping staff are included with the cost of your tour.
International Flights and Transfers: Airfare from Miami to Cuba has been included in the tour rate. Passengers will need to make flight arrangements to MIA to connect with our group flights. Transfers are included as part of the tour. A one-night hotel stay in Miami at the start of the tour is included. Travelers may need to reserve an additional night at the end of the tour. Amazing Journeys can help with these arrangements and have held hotel space for the night of March 9.
This tour is operated by Collette Travel Services, Inc
CST#2006766-20 UBN#601220855 Nevada Sellers of Travel Registration No. 2003-0279
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