Cuba

The Best of Cuba: From Viñales Valley to Habana Vieja

Program No. 22143RJ
From dominoes to a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, experience all things Cuban on a learning adventure that explores the western regions of this fascinating island nation.

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Protecting the Environment

We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more

Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Filling Fast!
May 7 - May 18, 2024
Starting at
4,599
May 14 - May 25, 2024
Starting at
4,599
Oct 15 - Oct 26, 2024
Starting at
4,599
Oct 22 - Nov 2, 2024
Starting at
4,599
Oct 29 - Nov 9, 2024
Starting at
4,599
Nov 5 - Nov 16, 2024
Starting at
4,599
Nov 12 - Nov 23, 2024
Starting at
4,599
Dec 3 - Dec 14, 2024
Starting at
4,599
Filling Fast!
Dec 10 - Dec 21, 2024
Starting at
4,599
Jan 7 - Jan 18, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Jan 14 - Jan 25, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Jan 21 - Feb 1, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Jan 28 - Feb 8, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Feb 4 - Feb 15, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Feb 11 - Feb 22, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Feb 18 - Mar 1, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Feb 25 - Mar 8, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Mar 4 - Mar 15, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Mar 11 - Mar 22, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Mar 18 - Mar 29, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Mar 25 - Apr 5, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Apr 1 - Apr 12, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Apr 8 - Apr 19, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Apr 22 - May 3, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Apr 29 - May 10, 2025
Starting at
4,849
May 13 - May 24, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Oct 14 - Oct 25, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Oct 21 - Nov 1, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Oct 28 - Nov 8, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Nov 4 - Nov 15, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Nov 11 - Nov 22, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Dec 2 - Dec 13, 2025
Starting at
4,849
Dec 9 - Dec 20, 2025
Starting at
4,849
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Filling Fast!
May 7 - May 18, 2024
Starting at
5,049
May 14 - May 25, 2024
Starting at
5,049
Oct 15 - Oct 26, 2024
Starting at
5,049
Filling Fast!
Oct 22 - Nov 2, 2024
Starting at
5,049
Oct 29 - Nov 9, 2024
Starting at
5,049
Nov 5 - Nov 16, 2024
Starting at
5,049
Nov 12 - Nov 23, 2024
Starting at
5,049
Dec 3 - Dec 14, 2024
Starting at
5,049
Dec 10 - Dec 21, 2024
Starting at
5,049
Jan 7 - Jan 18, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Jan 14 - Jan 25, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Jan 21 - Feb 1, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Jan 28 - Feb 8, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Feb 4 - Feb 15, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Feb 11 - Feb 22, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Feb 18 - Mar 1, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Feb 25 - Mar 8, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Mar 4 - Mar 15, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Mar 11 - Mar 22, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Mar 18 - Mar 29, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Mar 25 - Apr 5, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Apr 1 - Apr 12, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Apr 8 - Apr 19, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Apr 22 - May 3, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Apr 29 - May 10, 2025
Starting at
5,299
May 13 - May 24, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Oct 14 - Oct 25, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Oct 21 - Nov 1, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Oct 28 - Nov 8, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Nov 4 - Nov 15, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Nov 11 - Nov 22, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Dec 2 - Dec 13, 2025
Starting at
5,299
Dec 9 - Dec 20, 2025
Starting at
5,299

At a Glance

Support the people of Cuba while we take an immersive look at this island nation's natural spaces and cultural treasures. Journey through Havana, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Matanzas and Viñales to meet local residents who share with you their way of life, their arts and community organizations dedicated to giving back to their people. Gain insight into Cuba's natural resources during field trips to Las Terrazas — a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve — Casa de Caridad Botanical Garden, and local tobacco and organic farms. Enjoy meals at local paladares, immerse yourself in Havana’s Fine Arts Museum, and discover captivating plazas that invoke the colorful culture and powerful history that makes Cuba, Cuba.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles a day on a combination of cobblestone streets and dirt paths. Getting on and off of a motorcoach. Navigating high curbs, uneven steps, and stairs without railings. Travel in a tropical climate.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

What You'll Learn

  • Learn about local crops during a field trip to an organic farm where you will enjoy a home-cooked lunch with fresh ingredients from the farm.
  • Engage with local Cubans as you learn to play dominoes with members of a local club.
  • Explore Las Terrazas, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that began as a reforestation project in the 1960s.

General Notes

Note: Round-trip flight from Miami to Havana is included. Road Scholar offers opportunities to travel legally to Cuba under the new OFAC Regulations published June 5, 2019. Following the General License category “Support for the Cuban People,” Road Scholar programs include activities intended to strengthen civil society in Cuba. Each day's program promotes independence for the Cuban people and results in meaningful interactions with the Cuban people. Questions about traveling to Cuba? Road Scholar has your answers. Learn more: https://www.roadscholar.org/travel-tips/cuba/.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Profile Image
Marta Núñez Sarmiento
Marta Núñez Sarmiento is a retired professor at the University of Havana where she taught methodology and gender studies. Her research has concentrated on women and employment in Cuba, gender studies in Cuba, images of women in Cuban mass media, and transition projects for Cuba proposed by Cuban American and U.S. scholars. She holds a master’s in sociology and a PhD in economics. She has been a visiting professor at universities around the world and a consultant on gender for the UN and other NGOs.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Jose Luis Sande
Jose Luis Sande View biography
Jose Luis Sande has been a Cuban travel leader for more than 16 years. He is fluent in English and Spanish, and his far-reaching knowledge about Cuba makes him especially capable of providing a world-class educational experience. Jose was a high school English teacher before training to become an exploration leader. He lives with his wife, an English teacher herself, and his two sons in Havana. Jose is also an avid cyclist and specializes in leading groups in Cuba by bicycle.
Profile Image of Elias Valor
Elias Valor View biography
Elias Valor is one of the many amazing bi-lingual Cuban leaders, who works with and has been trained by Road Scholar. He is the Cuban expert, and is responsible for relaying local knowledge, and both cultural and historical information for the places we visit throughout the program. Elias will answer questions pertaining to Cuba and the Cuban people.
Profile Image of Marta Núñez Sarmiento
Marta Núñez Sarmiento View biography
Marta Núñez Sarmiento is a retired professor at the University of Havana where she taught methodology and gender studies. Her research has concentrated on women and employment in Cuba, gender studies in Cuba, images of women in Cuban mass media, and transition projects for Cuba proposed by Cuban American and U.S. scholars. She holds a master’s in sociology and a PhD in economics. She has been a visiting professor at universities around the world and a consultant on gender for the UN and other NGOs.
Profile Image of Camilo Garcia Lopez Trigo
Camilo Garcia Lopez Trigo View biography
Camilo García Lopez Trigo has represented Cuba at its Embassy in Canada, the United Nations in the Netherlands, and in Washington DC. He also is involved in the National Center for Sex Education (Centro Nacional de Educación Sexual, or CENESEX. He shares his experiences representing Cuba in both friendly and adversarial nations, and his views on the current and future state of US-Cuba relations. Dr. García is a professor at the University of Havana International Relations School and an expert in US political studies.
Profile Image of Betty Vander Kaaij
Betty Vander Kaaij View biography
Betty Vander Kaaij graduated with a BA in hotel and tourism and jump-started her career in hospitality with Westin Hotels. After stints in Miami, Seattle, and abroad, she moved back to Mexico City and married a Dutch hotelier. In 1997, they were invited to Havana for Cohiba Cigars’ 30th anniversary. Betty fell in love with Cuba and its people and promised herself that one day she would return. Her dream came true in 2011, when she started leading groups to the island.
Profile Image of James Fitch
James Warner Fitch View biography
James “Jim” Fitch is a Vermont native and graduate of Northeastern University with a degree in international business. After several years in the corporate world, he traded in his loafers for trekking shoes, leading educational travel programs for teenagers to Spain and Costa Rica. Jim joined the Peace Corps for three years, teaching entrepreneurship and business skills to underserved communities in the Dominican Republic. He began working with Road Scholar in 2015.
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You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.





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