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Captivating Cuba

When:
Saturday, August 17, 2019 to Sunday, August 25, 2019
Where:

Additional Info:
Category:
Trips
Registration is required
Payment In Full In Advance Only
$3,395.00
$1,000.00
$449.00


For pricing and additional information,
contact Dan Hapner
email:international_trips@ovsc.org, phone:937-657-4750

Featuring An encompassing Cuba tour: Havana, Cojimar, Varadero, Trinidad, Santa Clara & Sancti Spiritus Trip Sign
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Price Includes
  •  
     

     FLIGHTS  COACH  TRANSFERS

    HOTEL

    • MEALS
    • GUIDES

  •  
  • Non-stop flights from Miami to Santa Clara & Havana to Miami, including fuel surcharges, taxes, and fees
  • U.S. Treasury Department, OFAC License Certification and Authorization Letter
  • Cuba Entrance Visa & Departure Tax
  • All land transportation, transfers & porterage in Cuba
  • 7 nights superior first class hotel accommodations in Cuba
  • 17 meals: 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 4 dinners
  • Comprehensive educational exchange program, including entrance fees
  • Friendly Planet escort
  • Professional, English-speaking local guide, who will facilitate the educational exchanges with Cubans
  • Health insurance in Cuba (mandatory)
Optional
  • Post-Night stay in Miami

Highlights
  • Explore the charming, Spanish Colonial towns of Sancti Spiritus and Trinidad
  • Learn about the Afro-Cuban religion, Santeria, at Templo de Yemaya
  • Step back in history at the Che Guevara Mausoleum
  • Meet a talented fashion designer and a woodcraft expert at their home workshop near Varadero
  • Walk in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway at Finca Vigia
  • Take a ride in Classic cars to a workshop where the antique treasures are maintained

Departs Miami (MIA) - you make your own arrangements to get to MIA

What to Expect This fast-paced, escorted educational program includes a reasonable amount of walking or hiking and requires an average level of physical fitness.

Captivating Cuba itinerary
Captivating Cuba itinerary

You’ll truly be captivated and delighted by all the aspects of Cuba you’ll discover on this engaging and comprehensive tour coveringa large swath of the island.  From the picturesque Spanish Colonial towns of Sancti Spiritus, Santa Clara and Trinidad to one of the best beaches in Cuba, Varadero, to the bustling city of Havana, Cuba's political and cultural center, you’ll meet and interact with Cubans, where they work, live and play. You'll discover why the world loves Cuban music, meet some of the best up-and-coming artists on the island, and enjoy meals at local paladars where young entrepreneurs are taking advantage of relaxing laws to build private business in Cuba.

With included, scheduled flights, fully guided touring, the services of one of our gifted tour managers, great hotel accommodations in boutique properties and 5-star hotels and beach resorts, fully inclusive programming and 17 included meals, this is one of the best bargains in Cuba travel available anywhere.



Itinerary


DAY 1
Miami

Accommodations: 1 night Crowne Plaza Miami Airport

  • Depart your home city on your flight to Miami (not included)
  • Overnight in Miami


DAY 2
Miami/Santa Clara & Sancti Spiritus

2 nights Hotel PlazaHotel del Rijo or Hotel Don Florencio, Sancti Spiritus.Breakfast & dinner.

  • Depart the USA on your flight for Cuba
  • Drive to Sancti Spiritus
  • Dinner at a local restaurant or paladar
  • Join Cubans at Casa de la Trova for a neighborhood block party (time & energy level permitting)


DAY 3
Sancti Spiritus & Trinidad
Breakfast & lunch.
  • Stop at the Hacienda de Manaca Iznaga
  • Visit Casa del Afarero, a pottery house
  • Continue to a casa particular or bed and breakfast
  • Enjoy lunch at a local paladar
  • Learn about the religion of Santeria at Templo de Yemaya
  • Explore the historic town on your own


DAY 4
Sancti Spiritus, Santa Clara & Varadero
nights Melia Varadero.Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
  • Drive to Santa Clara
  • Visit the Santa Clara Performing Arts School or a community project
  • Stop at the Che Guevara Mausoleum
  • Enjoy lunch at the Los Caneyes Hotel
  • Continue on to Varadero Beach


DAY 5
Varadero

Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

  • Learn about the official national dance and musical genre of Cuba at the Danzón's Club
  • Visit a unique craft workshop


DAY 6
Varadero, Alamar, Cojimar & Havana

3 nights Melia Cohiba, Havana.Breakfast & lunch.

  • Visit co-op community gardens in Alamar called Organopónicos
  • Enjoy lunch in the fishing village of Cojimar
  • View the interior of Ernest Hemingway's home, Finca Vigia
  • Discover Jose Fuster's whimsical "Fusterlandia"


DAY 7
Old Havana

Breakfast & lunch.

  • Visit one of Havana's famous cigar factories
  • Enjoy a walking tour of Old Havana, including the Used Booksellers Market
  • Learn about Cuba's two currency system at a local ration store
  • Enjoy lunch at a local paladar
  • Take a ride in vintage cars to visit a mechanic's workshop
  • Tour the famous Christopher Columbus Cemetery


DAY 8

Havana

Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

  • Stop at Plaza de la Revolución
  • Tour Modern Havana
  • Enjoy lunch at a local paladar
  • Visit the Fine Arts Museum (Cuban collection)
  • Walk along Paula promenade and stop at the Artisans Market
  • Join your fellow travelers at a farewell dinner


DAY 9

Havana/Miami

Breakfast.

  • Transfer to the airport and board your flight back to Miami


Note:Itinerary is subject to change based on local availability.

This itinerary provides a full time schedule of educational activities that will result in meaningful interactions between you and individuals in Cuba. U.S. law requires that all persons who participate in this program adhere to this full time schedule.

Infrastructure in Cuba, including even the best hotels, may not always be up to U.S. standards. The hotels really do try to maintain quality accommodations, and in the properties we select for our tours, they generally do a good job. However, Cuba's resources and climate do sometimes impact a hotel's ability to keep up with maintenance and indoor air quality. For example, in Cuba's tropical climate, you might notice musty odors in some buildings, including hotels. We do our best to select the highest quality hotels, restaurants and paladars that Cuba has to offer, but we appreciate your flexibility and understanding when you encounter a minor imperfection. Cuba has a long way to go before its hotels, highways, public restrooms and other features reach U.S. levels, but all in all, you will not suffer any major difficulties in tolerating the small issues that may occur. If you have any medical or dietary concerns, however, please inform us when you make your reservation, so we can take whatever special precautions are required to assure your comfort and wellbeing.

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