Cuba Today: Havana and Viñales

I signed up for this trip because it was on my husband's "bucket list" and I was there purely as a "good sport" but I ended up loving this trip and becoming fascinated by Cuba - its successes and failures, challenges, burgeoning entrepreneurial activities, the day-to-day difficulties of navigating their lives in situations of crumbling infrastructure and yet the cheerful good nature of the people.

If you’re looking for an enjoyable, inspiring, informative first experience in Cuba consider the 6 night Havana & Vinales trip. It was wonderful!

Marvelous adventure--terrific staff, fascinating travel mates, delicious cuisine, great accommodations, well-planned itinerary and travel arrangements.

The Road Scholar trip to Havana and Vinales (and points between) is an amazing journey, a wonderful introduction to Cuba and truly is a way to help the Cuban people. Highly recommended!

The Havana and Vinales trip was truly an education on the subject of Cuba and an opportunity to interact with and help the Cuban people. Thanks to Road Scholar and to the team who led our trip!

Fascinating overview of a country that has been of interest for decades! I am much better informed, and will continue to study this country as it faces many challenges. Enjoyed a warm, gracious welcome from locals!

This is a great trip for those who want to understand better the history and current state of affairs between Cuba and America.

A wonderful opportunity to understand the background and effects of the decades-long trade embargo.

This was a wonderful experience, and Jocelyn and Yolandra made it even better. Jocelyn surprised us with a lot of "treats," including a multi-car tour of Havana in antique cars and goodies to taste along the trip. Yolandra had a wealth of knowledge and a great personality to deliver it. And Modesto, our driver, was terrific. We got a flavor of the country, its government, and its people. Everyone should take a tour like this one.

What a wonderful experience! There was so much to see and learn about Cuba.

Excellent way to visit Cuba!

My wife and I really liked this tour! I would highly recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about the Cuban culture in this time of transition. The Cuban people we met were quite friendly, and we felt very safe wandering around. At time of writing (2020) many items that we can pick up in pharmacies and dollar stores are still difficult for the average Cuban to obtain, so please be generous about bringing donations/gifts that your trip information may recommend.

I participated in the program to Havana and Vinales in Cuba. Please tell all your friends that Cuba is an exceptional place to visit. It is "still open" and, yes, it is safe. To experience Cuba for the first time, Road Scholar is the way to go.

Love to learn about other cultures, beyond food and costumes? This is the place! I hope to make more trips with Road Scholar.

Cuba: Havana and Vinales far exceeded expectations. The trip surprised and delighted at every turn. We connected with locals, experienced variety in culture, politics and activities. Accomplished everything on my list, though not all in the agenda. Food, though fairly similar everywhere, was a surprise in preparation. Group leaders met every need with flexibility and knowledge. Could not have enjoyed the trip more! Unforgettable!!!! Thank you!

This trip exceeded expectations! The people of Cuba are warm and welcoming. Havana has a surprise around every corner and the rural areas were breathtaking! Highly recommend this trip!

Wonderful educational experience chucked full of cultural, culinary, and varied learning adventures. Warm and very knowledgeable tour guides. Safe, and pleasant bus driver and bus. Friendly travelers from all over the USA.

ROADSCHOLAR website is well organized and offered an excellent description of our trip.

I learned so much about this neighboring country. The guides and lecturers were very knowledgeable and informative and the sites were amazing!

Great time to go to Cuba: so much happening! The Road scholar tour is first-rate: very informative and with so many new angles to explore.

Loved Cuba, but my group had 24 participants - not what I consider "Small Group."

We had a wonderful, diverse, dynamic educational program tour of Cuba thanks to the great people leading and supporting us. We could never have visited or done much of what we did without this program. We stared in a small town at a cigar factory that Che Guevara helped establish. We visited an organic farm run by a collective of workers who know how to honor the earth and treat the land in ways that limit the carbon footprint while maximizing their yields and productions from fish to sugar cane and dairy. We experienced first hand learning to dance with members of a Cuban dance academy! We visited artists and workers in their homes from Remedios to Havana. Learned about the history of Havana through on-site visits to Ol

What an extraordinary experience this was! We visited an organic farm, professional dance troupe, artists' homes, community cultural centers, a senior center (where we learned the national dance), a cigar making workshop, and many, many other "everyday" places. It was truly a people-to-people exchange. Our trip leaders gave us a balanced, well-rounded perspective on all aspects of this country. If you are adventuresome, flexible, and interested in the Cuban people, you will find this an unparalleled learning experience.

This was a once in a lifetime experience. Our guides, Rosa and Jim were knowledgeable, caring and well organized. They went out of their way to make this a special experience. We were able to meet and talk to the people and the places and events that were planned were excellent. We were able to experience the art, music, dance and spirit of the Cuban people and witness their struggle to survive up close. We rode an old train to a sugar factory and took a tour of Havana in the old convertible cars from the 50's. We visited community cultural projects and had private concerts. We had a lecture from a Cuban diplomat and historian. This was one of the best trips I have ever taken and I definitely plan to travel with Road Scholar again in the future.

Rode Scholar exceeded my expectations in all aspects (logistics, meals, hotels, tours, etc). I have never been part of a tour group, having always traveled alone with my wife at our own pace, but Rode Scholar opened avenues into the people that have not been generally available to us as individuals. The interactions with the people of Cuba were invaluable. Additionally, the cost of this trip was comparable (if not less) than what I expect when travelling individually. Rode Scholar is a tremendous cultural and financial value.

This is a wonderful way to travel and see more than could be planned by an individual. Each day is well organized and particpants are carefully guided though each experience while touching many who are doing exciting things in their country if origin. This program is well researched.

My Road Scholar trip to Cuba was fabulous! I was fully prepared by the staff, and I was well cared for by the tour guides. It was perfect. I would travel with Road Scholar again!

Our Road Scholar tour was the best from start to finish. The itinerary and leadership was first rate. The guides and tour info was everything we needed and they responded to all of our questions before and during the tour.

Recently returned from the Remedios and Havana Cuba trip and cannot speak highly enough of the experience. The trip was well-planned and provided the opportunity to have some amazing experiences - from hands-on activities to people-to-people opportunities to being with fellow travelers. Our instructor, Vivian, was knowledgeable and provided just the right amount and level of information. Our guide, Alex, was amazing - keeping the group organized, providing excellent care to all the travelers, and surprising us with fun moments. This is the first Road Scholar trip we have been on; it will certainly not be our last!

This trip was fascinating thanks to our excellent guides, Alex Vicente and Vivian Quintero. This is an immersion experience in Cuban culture and history, not a beach vacation. Our itinerary took us to an astonishing variety of places to meet people in all walks of life, all of whom were interesting and welcoming. If you are interested in culture, art and history, I highly recommend this trip with Alex and Vivian. The tour participants were a wonderful, congenial bunch.

Loved the trip, would go back in a minute. Leaders were outstanding! Great experience....

Absolutely Fantastic! A wonderful trip. Prepare to open your hearts because the Cuban people will open theirs.

I truly enjoyed this trip, and learned from the experience. I loved meeting the Cuban people, and hearing about their lives.

This was a great program. Our US guide, Carole, and our Cuban guide/hostess, Yohandra, were wonderful. As a 70+ year-old person who grew up in the US where our government has hated and feared Cuba for decades, I came away from this trip convinced that Cuba and its people represent a remarkable society that has grown in pride, resourcefulness and energy. I discovered a patient people who are waiting for the foolish embargo of their country to end so Cuba can (and will) take her place among the most respected countries of the world. If you go, you will be impressed and delighted by what you see and the people you meet. The lodgings were first rate, the food was great and the days were filled with excitement. My only complaint was that I was unable to stay longer. Go now! Go before our current government cuts back travel opportunities!

This trip to Cuba was a most exciting adventure, enlarging my understanding of the island of Cuba and its history and heroic people. I whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone interested in Cuba.

This program was not about mojitos on the beach or moonlight cruises. It was a wonderful glimpse of the lives of Cuban people and a chance to hear them tell their own stories.

This program made me want to learn more and be a strong as the people of Cuba. I would recommend this program to all.

The trip to Cuba was an eye-opening experience that has altered my world view. This people to people cultural exchange helped me understand another, very different, part of the world. Road Scholar has included so many experiences in this trip that I have to review my photos day-by-day to remember all the activities we shared with the wonderful Cuban people. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Do explore Cuba program offerings . It is a wonderful opportunity to explore a country that is so close to us and yet so different in terms of culture, economics and-lifestyles!

A great insight into a close neighbor

It is chock-full of info with intuitive navigation.

I participated in the Remedios to Havana Road Scholar trip and I loved it! The guides were knowledgeable, courteous and efficient. This particular trip immersed in the history and culture of Cuba. The team, Liliana, Rosalyn and Luis (the bus driver) made sure that the trip ran very smoothly. I would highly recommend a Road Scholar trip to Cuba (there are several). I hope that all are as good as the one to Remedios and Havana.

Very educational and well organized. Do not hesitate to go. This is a great experience!

This is a trip everyone should take. So much is packed into a week that can change your outlook of the world.

We loved everything about this trip. It was well organized, and very interesting.

Tourism is one of the few areas of development today for Cuba and the Road Scholar Program provides an interesting learning experience. I hope that my participation will help, in even a ver modest way the wonderful people of Cuba.

This was a sensational trip. Get some comfortable shoes, and sign up.

The warm and informative "people to people" moments in this program were exceptional--opportunities we never would have had if traveling on our own. We felt like welcome guests rather than tourists, thanks to the grace of our guides. They also demonstrated an impressive depth of familiarity and understanding of the Cuban culture, and their ability to communicate enhanced every experience. The hotels were superb!

This was one of the best trips I have ever taken. The country is wonderful, welcoming and upbeat. The people to people activities were very special and allowed for a much deeper understanding of Cuba. The program was diverse and I loved the surprise activities! In addition Carole and Vivi were exceptional leaders. I would most highly recommend the program.

Going to Cuba has been a lifelong dream. I lived the dream on my recent tour. Our Cuban guide was extremely informative, enthusiastic, had a great sense of humor and was a perfect hostess. Cuba is so warm, colorful, lively, interesting and safe. The fact its economy is so stifled did not affect us as tourists as the economy needs us and caters to us. I would go again and again. The art, the history, the music and dance all have much to offer.

I am happy to have Road Scholar use my comments on the evaluation form.

Cuba was amazing, incredible. I would highly recommend this trip. The booklist was very useful and informative.

This tour was the best ever. I learned far more about the country and the people than I would have on my own. The quality and the knowledge of the guides was outstanding. It is a totally no hassle experience from the moment one arrives at the airport in Cuba until one steps on the airplane to return to the States. Do not miss this one!!!!

The Road Scholar Cuba Today: Remedios and Havana tour was everything we hoped for - informative, fascinating, compelling and lots of fun. The quality and intelligence of the guides was very strong, and they spared no effort to provide us a full program while showing great passion for sharing the country and it's people. It was truly a people-to-people experience.

Our Road Scholar trip to Cuba was the best traveling experience of my life so far, and I've traveled a lot. If you want to actually "experience" and learn about another culture rather than simply sightsee and souvenir shop, this is the way to go. My husband and I felt this tour was worth every penny it cost--and then some. We plan to take more Road Scholar trips in the future!

For anyone interested in better understanding the people, culture, economics, politics, history of Cuba, this trip offers a first hand view. I left feeling inspired by the hopefulness and warmth extended to us. I will never forget this trip.

I cannot say enough about how wonderful my first Road Scholar adventure was. Road Scholar's employees were top notch in every way. Their Cuban partners were just as wonderful. The experience was beyond my expectations in every way. I will recommend Road Scholar to everyone I know. I hope to be able to take other Road Scholar excursions in the future. Julie Richardson

Trip provided insights on the life of everyday people in Cuba.

Fabulous trip. Particularly liked the dance school, the water tower community center and the family in Remedios.

I enjoyed reviewing trips and info on the website.

I can't say enough for what Road Scholar provided for our trip to Cuba. What an outstanding company that I would highly recommend for travelers who like difficult areas planned out in minute detail. Their group leaders are so well trained and so competent in their areas.

The print is too small!

This was my first Rhoad Scholar trip and I will consider going on another. The people on the trip and the group leader and guides were well informed, personable and flexible. I learned so much.

We had a delightful time learning about Cuba, seeing the country, seeing a modern dance studio and its dancers, visiting a home, riding in the 1950s convertibles cars, .....and there was more! This has been such an interesting trip and we are so glad we had the opportunity to travel with Road Scholar and their top-notch guides.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Road Scholar adventure to Cuba. This was my first travel through Road Scholar program and I hope to be able to do more. I loved the people of Cuba and hope to go back and see them again some day. Diana

People interested in Cuban history and art would love this week long trip. The program keeps you busy every day with interesting activities related to history and art. Being able to visit Remedios was wonderful. I would feel cheated if I only saw Havana on my first trip to Cuba. We were also well fed and were typically served by Cubans running their own restaurants called paladares. Overall, an outstanding trip by Road Scholar.

If you are curious about one of America's closet neighbors and want to learn more about the country and its people- including its challenges and history- this Cuban program and adventure will meet all your goals.

People at home cringed with fear when I said I am going to Cuba. I don't know why. With a Road Scholar tour guide at your side 24/7, there's nothing to fear. I read four books before I left, but nothing is as explicit as seeing for yourself. Going into people's homes, whether it is for dinner or to learn about their particular chosen dedication, sheds light on the heart of a country that doesn't come across in a book.

My trip to Cuba with Road Scholar was very educational and enriching. Cuba has a lot of history and culture. She is a "poor" (in need) country, but by no means are the people poor, they are rich in spirit, rich in love for family and community and very resilient. It is my prayer that the embargo and the other restrictions placed on her be lifted soon. The world is too rich in resources for any "third world" country to be in need of the basic.

The Cuba tour was everything it was advertised to be and more. The interaction with the Cuban culture and people was phenomenal. Everyone made us feel so welcome and I can honestly say that I have a true love for Cuba and its people.

The trip to Remedios and Havana Cuba was top notch in every way. It opened my eyes to the resourceful, joyful people who love their country as much as their families and communities.

Jam-packed and informational, with people who care a lot about Cuba and about their educational/tour group, too.

I would not generally choose to take a guided trip such as this. However, I was taking my stepmother as an 80th birthday present and this was a perfect way to share this unique experience. We both really enjoyed the people, the educational experience and most of all the exposure to Cuba that this provided.

This is a 5 day program, not 7, you can come early and stay later but its still just 5 days

A wonderful trip! Will return Jim Friederich

Our trip to Remedios and Havana was wonderful! Jocelyn, Yohandra, and Junior were a wonderful team. The best!! The other travelers in our group were wonderful. Our 2nd trip to Cuba. We will return for a 3rd! Liz and Jim Friederich. Class of 18 October 11-17.

First time to Cuba? Take this trip! It is chock full of incredible experiences and you will leave Cuba with a full heart and a thirst to learn even more about this beautiful island. It is hard to convey in words how much we experienced in 6 days. If you want to learn about the history of Cuba, the politics, the economy, the culture including dance, art, music, food, incredible children's programs that will bring you to tears...well, this is the trip. The group leader, local guide, and bus driver all went above and beyond to make this a safe, delightful, organized, mind and heart opening journey.

Just completed my first Road Scholar experience and couldn’t be more satisfied. The thorough planning, intensive program, and experienced and helpful guides, made for a meaningful and enjoyable personal experience. I have been enriched by the travel experience Road Scholar provided. Excellent value for the money as well!