Best Cuba Itineraries
Curated itineraries for an immersive Cuban journey
Are you going to Cuba for a week?
Of course the timing is tight but you still have time to get a good overview of the country’s riches! What to do in one week in Cuba?
We’ve put together 5 itinerary suggestions to satisfy all tastes! So, are you more of an architecture, beach or nature lover?
How many days should you spend in Cuba ?
Staying 1 Week in Cuba
A long round trip, jet lag, changes in temperature, changes in food, in short, a lot of inconvenience for little time in the end.
A week spent on the island can however be used to visit Havana, mythical and sensual, the Viñales valley famous for its mogotes (huge rounded limestone hills) and its extremely picturesque nature, Trinidad the best preserved colonial city in the country inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list.
Staying 2 weeks in Cuba
2 weeks are undoubtedly more appropriate to let you soak up the island and its inhabitants. Renting a car will considerably facilitate your journeys and access to the most remote provinces.
In a fortnight or so, the possibilities multiply, but you must limit the trips. It is not advisable to go from Havana to Santiago de Cuba: the island is 1,000 km long, so you would spend a lot of time travelling (count 16 hours by bus, or 11 hours by car, to get to Santiago from Havana!).
If you’re really interested in the Eastern region, take a flight to Santiago and limit yourself to the provinces of Bayamo and Granma. In the heart of the Oriente cubano, the country of sound will surprise you with its very Caribbean musical fervour.
Spend 3 Weeks in Cuba
This is the ideal time to discover the country and its riches. You will have time to walk around the island from one end to the other without necessarily hurrying.
Cuba Itinerary 7 days
Here is an example of a route that provides a first overall cultural approach, but a quick one.
- Day 1: Arrival in Havana. Stroll on the Malecón River at sunset to enjoy this superb spectacle, soak up the city while relaxing. Aperitif in a trendy Vedado bar and dinner in a privately owned restaurant of our selection to enjoy from the very first evening.
- Day 2. Havana – Visit of the Habana Vieja. Discovery of the old historic center classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Stroll through the picturesque cobbled streets; visit the Baroque palaces, museums, monumental squares (Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de Armas…). Lunch in Plaza de la Catedral, in a superb historical setting. In the afternoon, direction Plaza de la Revolución to take pictures of this mythical square, then visit the Museum of the Revolution.
- Day 3. Departure for Viñales. Discovery of the village. The landscape has been declared a natural heritage site by UNESCO. Stroll through the village then aperitif mojito on the terrace of a special casa to admire the sublime surrounding mountains.
- Day 4. Day through the mogotes, on foot or on horseback, discovery of the tobacco plantations. Deep-sea aficionados will extend towards the far west to María la Gorda, the great diving spot of the country and the Caribbean.
- Day 5. Departure for Trinidad. Discovery in the late afternoon and evening of the best preserved colonial city in the country.
- Day 6. Trinidad. Discovery of the valley of los Ingenios and its sugar past. Horseback riding can be a good alternative to the car. A tour to Playa Ancon is highly recommended.
- Day 7. Havana. Return to Havana. Take advantage of what little time you have left to explore a part of Havana that was not visited at the beginning of your stay. Departure.
Beach & colonial cities itinerary 7 days
In one week in Cuba, you can offer yourself a nice overview of the old-fashioned charm of the famous Cuban colonial cities! On the program: Havana of course, but also Trinidad, Cienfuegos and Santa Clara.
- Day 1: Havana
- Day 2: Cienfuegos
- Day 3: Cienfuegos
- Day 4: Trinidad
- Day 5: Trinidad
- Day 6: Trinidad or Santa Clara
- Day 7: Havana
Beach & nature itinerary
In one week in Cuba, you have plenty of time to discover some of the country’s natural treasures.
On the program: Havana, but also the famous Viñales Valley, listed as a Unesco heritage site, the paradisiacal island of Cayo Levisa, as well as Soroa or Las Terrazas, in the Sierra del Rosario.
- Day 1: Havana
- Day 2: Viñales
- Day 3: Cayo Levisa
- Day 4: Cayo Levisa
- Day 5: Viñales
- Day 6: Soroa or Las Terrazas
- Day 7: Havana
Nature & colonial cities itinerary
Contrary to popular belief, Cuba is far from being limited to its paradisiacal beaches! Between breathtaking landscapes and colonial cities full of history, the “Pearl of the Caribbean” has enough to satisfy the most demanding travelers!
Let’s go for a week in Cuba to discover the incredible Cuban natural and cultural heritage!
- Day 1: Havana
- Day 2: Viñales
- Day 3: Viñales (departure for Havana at the end of the day – night in Havana)
- Day 4: Trinidad
- Day 5: Trinidad
- Day 6: Cienfuegos
- Day 7: Havana
Itinerary from Varadero
Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport is the second largest airport on the island after Havana’s José Marti Airport.
Arriving directly in Varadero is therefore an interesting possibility for travelers wishing to discover Cuba.
You are not obliged to land in Havana (even if, in our opinion, it is a pity to miss the Cuban capital!)
So we have concocted a one-week itinerary in Cuba starting from Varadero.
On the program: discovery of some of the most emblematic tourist sites of the island! All this sprinkled with some heavenly beaches, of course!
- Day 1: Varadero
- Day 2: Varadero
- Day 3: Cienfuegos
- Day 4: Cienfuegos
- Day 5: Trinidad
- Day 6: Trinidad
- Day 7: Varadero
Itinerary in the Oriente from Santiago de Cuba
If you have already visited the West of Cuba or if you want to avoid the hordes of tourists, why not opt for the Oriente, in the East of the island?
The majority of tourists do not venture there.
However, the Oriente has more than one trick up its sleeve! Let’s go for a week to discover the East of Cuba!
- Day 1: Santiago de Cuba
- Day 2: Santiago de Cuba
- Day 3: Baracoa
- Day 4: Baracoa
- Day 5: Baracoa
- Day 6: Santiago de Cuba
- Day 7: Santiago de Cuba
2 weeks tour in Cuba: 3 itinerary suggestions
In 15 days, there is enough to make a beautiful circuit and there is for all the tastes! Contrary to popular belief, Cuba is not only a beach, lazing around and coconut trees destination.
The adventurers will also have enough to concoct a well-filled itinerary to visit Cuba in 2 weeks and make a lot of discoveries.
What to do in 2 weeks in Cuba? How to organize your trip? We’ve prepared three options for 2-week stays in Cuba.
So, are you more of a beach person, a hiker or a little bit of both?
Discovery itinerary
Discovery itinerary
In people’s minds, Cuba is often reduced to Varadero and its paradisiacal beaches.
However, the “Pearl of the Caribbean” has much more to offer than its famous seaside resort.
Spectacular landscapes, old colonial cities full of charm, folklore and traditions… in 15 days in Cuba, travelers who are fond of meeting people and discovering new things will never get bored!
Here is our 15-day tour in Cuba to get a taste of it:
- Day 1: Arrival in Havana
- Day 2: Viñales
- Day 3: Viñales
- Day 4: Cayo Levisa (night in Viñales) -Bonus day: Soroa
- Day 5: Cienfuegos
- Day 6: Cueva de los Peces, Punta Perdiz & Playa Giron (night in Cienfuegos)
- Day 7: El Nicho & Trinidad
- Day 8: Trinidad
- Day 9: Trinidad
- Day 10: Camagüey
- Day 11: Santa Clara
- Day 12: Havana
- Day 13: Havana
- Day 14: departure from Havana
Itinerary between discovery and farniente
Discovery or farniente? Finally why choose between the two?
We have concocted a small itinerary of 2 weeks in Cuba that combines the best of cultural visits, hikes and beaches of Cuba:
- Day 1: arrival in Havana
- Day 2: departure for Viñales
- Day 3: Viñales
- Day 4: Cayo Levisa (night in Viñales)
- Day 5: Cienfuegos
- Day 6: Cueva de los Peces, Punta Perdiz & Playa Giron (overnight in Cienfuegos)
- Day 7: El Nicho & Trinidad
- Day 8: Trinidad
- Day 9: Trinidad
- Day 10: Varadero
- Day 11: Varadero
- Day 12: Havana
- Day 13: Havana
- Day 14: departure from Havana
Itinerary farniente
Varadero is undoubtedly the most famous seaside resort in Cuba.
But the island has other strings to its bow to charm visitors in search of heavenly beaches!
In 15 days in Cuba, you will have the time to skim some of the most beautiful beaches of the country.
Then it is not the need to deprive yourself!
Here is our 15-day tour in Cuba for those who dream of 2 weeks of relaxation in the shade of coconut trees:
- Day 1: arrival in Havana
- Day 2: departure for Viñales
- Day 3: Cayo Levisa (night in Viñales)
- Day 4: Vinales
- Day 5: Cienfuegos
- Day 6: Playa Giron (overnight in Cienfuegos)
- Day 7: El Nicho & Trinidad
- Day 8: Trinidad
- Day 9: Varadero
- Day 10: Varadero
- Day 11: Varadero
- Day 12: Varadero
- Day 13: Havana
- Day 14: departure from Havana
Cuba itinerary 14 days (From Havana)
- first 4 days. You can take the previous itinerary and spend two days in the West in the heart of the Viñales Valley with its mogotes and tobacco fields.
- Day 5 and 6. Take the road to Trinidad and stay there for at least two days. Visit the colonial historic center classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spend an afternoon at the beautiful and wild beach of Playa Ancon and another afternoon at the Valley of los Ingenios to immerse yourself in lush nature while learning about the history of the sugar industry in this valley.
- Day 7 and 8. Continue on the central highway to Santa Clara to visit, among others, the Che Memorial. Day trip to the small town of Remedios and visit the museum of las Parrandas (famous carnival held every December 24th in this town).
- Day 9. Departure for Camagüey, the third largest city in the country and visit of the beautiful historical center, including some of the 14 churches in the center.
- Day 10, 11 and 12. Departure for Morón, the ideal starting point to reach the cayos of the north of the island connected to the mainland by the pedraplen (land roads). Cayos Ensenachos and Santa Maria, the best preserved, and Cayo Coco, the most touristy, deploy their white sand beaches and turquoise waters as far as the eye can see.
- Day 13 and 14. Return to Havana. A last stroll in Habana Vieja and its picturesque alleys. Shopping in the Vedado district (purchase of cigars, rum…).
Cuba Itinerary 14 days (From Santiago de Cuba)
- Day 1. Arrival in Santiago de Cuba.
- Day 2 and 3. Visit of the city and its casco histórico. Stroll around the Parque Céspedes, discover the different squares (Plaza Marte, Plaza de Dolores, etc.) to soak up the atmosphere of Santiago. At the end of July, the carnival breaks out over the city. Enormous fiesta guaranteed! If you visit the city the rest of the year, visit the Carnival Museum which is very well done.
- Day 4, 5 and 6. Then head to Baracoa, in the heart of a magnificent tropical region on the southeastern tip of the country. Stroll in the lush nature then walk on the malecón with a stop at the statue of Christopher Columbus who landed here on October 27, 1492. Visit of the Parroquial Church of Nuestra Señora Asunción de Baracoa where there is a cross that Christopher Columbus would have brought with him on his arrival.
- Day 7 and 8. A short detour through Bayamo will take you close to the Sierra Maestra and Turquino Peak, the highest peak in the country. (1 972 m). Hike in the Sierra Maestra in the footsteps of the Cuban revolutionaries. Visit the wax museum the next day for a quieter day.
- Day 9. Visit of Guardalavaca, a large seaside resort that is not far north. Relaxation program: sunbathing and swimming in its clear waters
- Day 10 and 11. Now head towards Holguín, the “city of parks”. Discover the parks concentrated in the city centre. Visit the folk dolls museum and the barrel organ workshop, the only one in Latin America.
- Day 12. Still in the same region, the very picturesque port of Gibara is a pretty white Mediterranean-style village. If you are there at this time, don’t miss the Festival Internacional del Cine Pobre during the second half of April.
- Day 13. Return to Santiago. During the day, discovery of the Tivoli district, built by the French. Salsa evening at the Casa de la Trova or Casa del Estudiante.
Itinerary 21 Days
This is the ideal time to discover the country and its riches. You will have time to walk around the island from one end to the other without necessarily hurrying.
- Day 1: Arrival in Havana. See the short stay.
- Day 2. Havana. Visit of the Habana Vieja. Discovery of the historical heart of the capital, UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Day 3. Havana. Visit the Museo de la Revolución and the Plaza de la Revolución. Discovery of the Centro Habana neighborhood, less touristic than the others, and lunch in the small Chinatown. Evening in a paladar of the Vedado and outings to a trendy bar in the Miramar district.
- Day 4 and 5. Departure for Viñales. Stroll in this village with pretty colorful houses in the middle of nature. The landscape has been declared a natural heritage site by UNESCO. Stroll around the mogotes on foot or on horseback.
- Day 6 and 7. Varadero. Paradise beach during the day and big fiesta in the evening, in one of the many bars or clubs of the seaside resort.
- Day 8. Drive to Santa Clara to visit, among others, the Che memorial.
- Day 9. Departure for Trinidad. Discovery in the late afternoon and evening of the best preserved colonial city in the country.
- Day 10 and 11. Trinidad. Visit of the colonial historic center classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, then the Valley of los Ingenios and its sugar past. Swimming and sunbathing in Playa Ancon.
- Day 12 and 13. Departure for Morón, ideal starting point to reach the cayos of the north of the island. Cayo Los Ensenachos, Santa María and Cayo Coco offer magnificent white sand beaches.
- Day 14. Direction Santiago de Cuba early in the morning. Arrival at the end of the day due to the long trip from Morón. Stroll around the Parque Cespedes then aperitif on the panoramic terrace of the nearby Casa Granda hotel to get a global view of the city and take pictures of the mythical Sierra Maestra on the horizon.
- Day 15 and 16. Santiago de Cuba. Visit of the city and the casco histórico. Discovery of the different squares (Plaza Marte, Plaza de Dolores, etc.). Visit of the Carnival Museum.
- Day 17. Baracoa. Stroll in the lush nature then walk on the malecón with a stop at the statue of Christopher Columbus. Visit of the Parroquial Church of Nuestra Señora Asunción de Baracoa.
- Day 18 and 19. Bayamo. Morning dedicated to the rather long journey between Baracoa and Bayamo. Visit of the town in the afternoon. The next day, hike in the Sierra Maestra not far from Bayamo, following in the footsteps of the Cuban revolutionaries.
- Day 20. Return to Havana. Day dedicated to the trip (16 hours by bus or about 11 hours by car) if you don’t take the plane. Those arriving by air will be able to go shopping for souvenirs in La Habana Vieja or Vedado.
- Day 21. Return flight.