Cuba Photography Tour: La Ruta del Són

Arrive at José Martí airport, where guide Tristan meets you after luggage collection. A 30-minute transfer brings you into the heart of Havana Vieja, passing classic cars, colonial facades and sea light. Check in, settle into your rooms and take a short break. A tour orientation covers the itinerary and initial tips. Then enjoy a relaxed first photo walk to get acquainted with the city, with gentle street photography, advice on approaching Cubans for portraits, and the Malecón boardwalk as evening light arrives. Dinner follows, then Chacon 160.

Day 2 begins with a generic breakfast before a slow stroll through Habana Vieja, passing the cathedral square, Plaza Vieja and Calle Obispo, meeting Cubans and making first portraits. A privilege to document a boxing training, Cuba’s national sport, follows. After a generic lunch, discover the iconic squares and landmarks of old Havana, then capture golden and blue hour around the Capitol and Central Park. The day closes with a generic dinner and Chacon 160.

Start with breakfast before a quiet Sunday morning walk along Paseo Del Prado, then continue into Barrio Chino and Havana Centro for street photography sessions. See the Capitolio area in golden light, followed by free time. Later, ride in an American car past the Plaza de la Revolución, the Malecón and the Christ of Havana, stopping at Callejón de Hamel for rumba roots. End with blue hour in Central Park, dinner, and Chacon 160.

After breakfast and hotel check out in Havana, transfer to the Viñales valley, leaving the city for tobacco fields and limestone mogotes. Enjoy lunch, check in, and free time before the Viñales Discovery Tour, visiting the Indian Cave, the prehistoric mural, and the iconic mogotes. Watch sunset from Hotel Jasmin, then dine and stay at Hostal Buena Vista Viñales.

Begin with breakfast before catching sunrise from a nice viewpoint, photographing the mogotes of Viñales as light spreads over the valley and tobacco fields. A morning hike through the tobacco fields includes a visit to a little-frequented farm for environmental portraits among the plants that made Cuba’s cigars famous. An optional horse carriage ride offers a slower look at the third valley of Viñales. End the day with sunset from Hotel Jasmin, the finest viewpoint in Viñales, then dinner and rest at Hostal Buena Vista Viñales.

After a generic breakfast and hotel check out in Viñales, transfer from the tobacco valley to colonial Trinidad on a long road day crossing the island, with a lunch stop on the way. Stop over in Cienfuegos to stretch your legs along its elegant boulevard and main square, with time for photographs of this French-flavoured port. On arrival, hotel check-in and a short break before a first walk in Trinidad to discover the city’s cobblestone streets, colonial houses, classic cars and horse-drawn carriages. Golden and blue hour photos in Trinidad follow, then a generic dinner and Casa Colonial Torrado 1830.

Start with a morning walk before breakfast to see Trinidad waking up, taking in life scenes, colonial architecture and soft early light. Visit the palaces and museums of Trinidad for architectural details and city panoramas, then join a relaxed street photography session with impromptu portraits. After free time, take a self-guided afternoon at Valle de los Ingenieros and Manaca Iznaga for panoramic valley views. Return to the centre as the light softens for more street photography, then golden and blue hour shots around the plazas, closing the day with dinner and a stay at Casa Colonial Torrado 1830.

After breakfast, transfer from Trinidad to Parque El Cubano at the foot of the Sierra del Escambray for a self-guided 3.6 km hike along the Huellas de la Historia trail to Javira Waterfall, with a chance to swim. Return to Trinidad for lunch and free time, then enjoy solo street photography, a golden-hour photoshoot with a horse carriage, panoramic shots from a city tour point, and street photos with impromptu models until sunset and blue hour. Dinner and overnight at Casa Colonial Torrado 1830.

Check out after breakfast and transfer from Trinidad back to Havana’s Old Town, a long road day through the Cuban countryside with a lunch stop on the way. On arrival, check in and settle in before a last walk through Havana Centro and along the Malecón, with free time for street photography. Close the day with a cocktail on a rooftop offering one of the best views of the city, followed by dinner and Chacon 160.

After a generic breakfast and hotel check out in Havana, a transfer leads to José Martí airport for a domestic flight to Santiago de Cuba Airport (Antonio Maceo). A transfer continues into Santiago de Cuba Old Town, where hotel check-in allows a short break. A generic lunch precedes a relaxing photo walk through Santiago de Cuba’s Old Town, capturing colorful colonial architecture and vibrant street scenes. The day closes with a generic dinner and a stay at Hotel Casa San Felix Santiago de Cuba.

After breakfast, a morning photo walk explores Santiago de Cuba’s historic center along Calle Enramada and its colonial squares. An exclusive photo session follows with a famous Santiago musician, then documentary photography of musicians in the city’s legendary venues. After lunch and free time, a guided photo walk through the Tivoli neighborhood captures colonial charm until sunset. Dinner precedes an evening of live music on Calle Heredia, where Cuban son and salsa fill the street. The day ends at Hotel Casa San Felix Santiago de Cuba.

A day in Santiago de Cuba begins with breakfast before a private Afro-Cuban culture show of music and dance. Walk the Malecón (Alameda) for ocean breezes and street life, then lunch. Transfer to Cayo Granma, where a Cuban family welcomes you for cubanías and an intimate portrait session. Return to Santiago with a panoramic photo stop at El Morro (San Pedro de la Roca fortress). Free time follows, then sunset from a rooftop, dinner, and live music at La Trova.

After a generic breakfast and hotel check out, travel from Santiago de Cuba to Baracoa on a four-hour drive along Cuba’s south-eastern coast, passing crystal-water beaches. Check in to your guest house on arrival, then enjoy a generic lunch. A guided photo walk through Baracoa’s Old Town captures colonial charm, vibrant facades, and daily street life. End the day with a sunset photo session over El Yunque, the iconic flat-top mountain, followed by a generic dinner.

Day 14 begins with breakfast before a portrait session with Taino descendants in Baracoa, capturing their living heritage and traditional attire. After lunch, the route continues to Maguana Beach for relaxation, sunbathing and snorkeling in crystal-clear waters. The day closes with dinner and an overnight stay at a guest house in Baracoa, balancing cultural encounters with coastal time.

After breakfast and hotel check out in Baracoa, transfer to Santiago de Cuba Airport for a domestic flight to Havana. On arrival, transfer to Havana’s Old Town, check in and relax. Enjoy a generic lunch, then a last walk through Havana Centro and along the Malecón with free time for street photography. End the day with a rooftop cocktail offering one of the best views of the city, followed by dinner.

Enjoy a generic breakfast (8€) before a leisurely morning for resting, shopping or enjoying the hotel infrastructure. Later, take the final transfer from Havana’s Old Town to Havana Airport (José Martí), ending the journey with one last look at the city. We’ll drop you off at the airport for your flight back home. We hope you had an incredible adventure with us!