Tuesday 26th December

• Guests arrive/transfer to their homestay accommodation
• Free afternoon in Havana
• Meet up with group
• Dinner and drinks in top local paladar (private restaurant)
• Overnight in Havana

Wednesday 27th December

• Early morning the group departs for the historic city of Cienfuegos, a UNESCO world heritage (5 hour drive via Bay of Pigs)
• On the way to Cienfuegos we firstly travel along the flat central plain of Cuba where there are lots of citrus plantations. We turn off the main highway and shortly after this the scenery changes to a densely vegetated swamp where the natural fauna includes boa snakes and crocodiles. We have the opportunity to visit a crocodile farm here at Boca de Guamá.
• Once reaching the Caribbean coast we travel along the picturesque Bay of Pigs past the site where the landing of counter-revolutionary exile militia occurred in 1961.
• Today we visit the museum here that recounts the events of this conflict which resulted in the first defeat of a US-backed takeover in Latin America. There are some beautiful places to stop for a swim along the way including a sink hole which resembles a huge natural tropical fish tank, so make sure to pack your swim wear. SCUBA diving and snorkelling are optional activities here. Cubans are known to be very proud people, and the citizens of Cienfuegos call their town La Perla del Sur (the pearl of the south). Founded by the French, Cienfuegos’ appeal lies partly in the European flavour of its colonial hub, with a wide Parisian-style boulevard and elegant colonnades, and there is an ambiance to inspire Cuba’s most celebrated Son singer to write the words “Cienfuegos is the city I like best”.
• After checking-in with your host family, you will have a short time to walk around the city and take in the atmosphere.
• Go with the guide or explore on your own.
• Dinner in a local paladar private restaurant
• Night out drinking in the bars of Cienfuegos
• Overnight

Thursday 28th December

• Morning – walking tour around Cienfuegos. Visit the historic Teatro Tomás Terry.
• Depart Cienfuegos for Trinidad  – stop en route at Palacio de Valle, the outlandish house of an eccentric millionaire. (1.5 hours)
• Lunch on arrival in Trinidad
• We head off on our walking tour of Trinidad.
• La Villa de la Santisima Trinidad was founded by Velazsquez in 1514 and the defender of indigenous rights in the Americas, Fray Bartolome de Las Casas, attended over the settlement’s first mass. The future conqueror of Mexico, Hernan Cortes, recruited sailors here for his future expedition into that land. It is a charming, small town with the green mountains in the background, and the turquoise waters and pure white sand beaches of the Caribbean Sea just a short distance away. The town was fairly inactive until the 1800s, when French refugees fleeing a slave revolt in Haiti landed here en masse and brought with them sugar cane cultivation. The new residents settled and farmed in the Valle de Los Ingenios, just northeast of the town. Vast wealth flowed into the local economy from sugar cane cultivation and the area produced one third of the country’s sugar at one point. The sugar boom was terminated by the two wars of independence, but the wealth generated by the industry remains visible in the town’s once grand mansions, colourful public buildings, wrought iron grillwork and cobble-stoned streets. The town and area also saw a lot of action during and following the triumph of the Revolution, as gangs of counter revolutionaries hid out and struck from the safety of the mountains.
• Visit to The Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra los Bandidos and the  which chronicles the struggles of this period in the town’s history. The best part is the view from the tower!
• Dinner in a local top private restaurant.
• The nightlife in Trinidad is probably the most accessible and intense in all of Cuba, with numerous live music venues and many dance performances every day of the week, all amongst the enchanting setting of old colonial buildings and cobblestone streets.
• It’s optional but we very strongly recommend a visit to the unique and (in)famous Disco Ayala, a nightclub in an underground cavern!
• Overnight in homestay

Friday 29th December

• Free day in Trinidad.
• Suggested activities: trip to the beautiful Valle de los Ingenios in the morning (by classic train ($10), if it’s working), followed by afternoon horse riding or salsa dancing.
• Other possibilities include a visit to the beach (Playa Ancón), salsa dancing lesson ($25) or just exploring the city.
• Overnight in homestay

Saturday 30th December

• Today we travel to the city of Santa Clara, which was a key city in the triumph of the Revolution.
• Depending on road conditions we can take a number of different routes around or through the Sierra del Escambray perhaps making a few stops along the way.
• Upon entering Santa Clara there is a huge statue of Ernesto Ché Guevara, beneath which is the mausoleum where he is buried.
• We visit the museum here that is dedicated to his life.
• We take a walking tour of Santa Clara where we come across significant sites such as the armoured train derailed by Che and his troops, in the final battle of the Cuban revolution.
• For New Year’s Eve we head out for dinner and drinks in town, celebrating the end of the annus horribilis 2020!
• Overnight in Santa Clara

Sunday 31st December – New Year’s Eve!

• We head back to Havana in the morning, stopping at the open air October Crisis museum overlooking Havana bay, featuring Soviet nuclear missiles (thankfully now inert!) of the period in 1962 when the world came closer than ever to the brink of nuclear war.
• Lunch in city
• Visiting San Carlos de la Cabaña fortress where Che had his office.
• Visit to the Havana Club Museum of Rum! Free samples optional
• Meet up for dinner and evening out at the iconic Hemingway Bar amongst other places
• Overnight in homestay

Monday 1st January

• Breakfast
• City tour of Old Havana, encompassing the Plaza de Armas, complete with a statue of Manuel de Cespedes, one of the leaders of the independence movement. We pass the spot where the city of Havana was founded almost 500 years ago. We pass the open air exhibit of the Museo de la Revolución to see the yacht Granma and learn about its importance in Cuban history.
• Afternoon free time for some rest and relaxation or to wander some more.
• Dinner at our favourite secret private restaurant
• Optional but very strongly recommended visit to Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC – Cuban Art Factory, $3). This is one of the coolest art and night venues in the world right now.
• Goodbye drinks, Havana style, on the Malecón
• Overnight in homestay

Tuesday 2nd January

• Group A: End of tour! It is completely fine to leave your things at the homestay whilst you either wait for your flight, or go exploring the city further. Cuban Pioneers can arrange a private taxi to the airport for you if you wish.
• Group B: Carry on for Viñales extension part of the tour.
• We aim to leave at 11.00 am, depending on Cuban bureaucracy!
• Our first stop is Lenin Hill, which is where the first ever statue of Lenin was erected following his death; practically unseen by tourists!
• Lunch at a Cuban style street restaurant
• TRIP HIGHLIGHT We now visit the top-secret bunker where the Soviet Union stored the nuclear weapons that precipitated the Cuban Missile Crisis. This site is of extreme historical significance and was only recently discovered. This is not on the tourist trail!
• We now visit the former Soviet embassy, a huge example of socialist architecture, as well as some other Soviet-era tower blocks for some great fusion photos of Havana’s rich history
• We now take the 2-3 hour scenic drive to Viñales. On arrival, we check into our casa before heading out for dinner and drinks in this formerly sleepy town that whilst still relaxing now has a bustling nightlife.
• Overnight in Viñales

Wednesday 3rd January

• In the morning we head to the bizarre prehistoric wall for some amusing photos before heading over to a tobacco farm for a chance to see the process of cigar making, as well as have a try of the produce
• Another great reason to come to this farm is for the stunning views of the surrounding rolling hills that you get from here
• Lunch at farm accompanied by great views
• Viñales is famous for its stunning caves, with a number being big tourist attractions. We avoid them like the plague, grab our local guide and head to a cave that is (currently) relatively unknown. It takes half an hour’s hike, and then heading through the cave network with torches before we hit the swimming part of the adventure. Truly stunning, so don’t forget the GoPro!
• We head back to the casa for a shower before heading out to a great vantage point to enjoy our last sunset with a cocktail as a group
• We finish our last night in Viñales with an authentic home cooked Cuban meal at our casa.
• Drinks and conversation in the rocking chairs on the patio to end our last evening in Cuba
• Overnight

Thursday 4th January

• Head back to Havana after breakfast – about 3 hours’ drive
• End of tour! Cuban Pioneers can arrange a private taxi to the airport for you if you wish, or we can help with accommodation if you want to stay longer. Or pick from our tour extension offerings below!

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