Monday 31st October – Havana, Cuba (Group 1)

Morning

• Group arrive at own leisure and transfer from Jose Martí International Airport to the Vedado part of Havana.
• An official taxi from the airport is CUC$25. Alternatively, Cuban Pioneers can arrange meet-and-greet pickup in an old 1950s American car for $50, or arrive in real style in a classic convertible for $95.
• On arrival at the casa, your guide will show you to your homestay (all have A/C and hot shower), where you will be free to relax or meet up with other group members to drink some cool beers.

Afternoon

• The group assembles at around 8:00pm for our introduction into the contemporary night scene of modern Havana.
• We head for dinner at Cafe Laurent, one of the oldest, and we feel best private restaurants, with a range of options to fit all budgets
• We finish the night in classic Cuban style by grabbing a carton (or two) of rum,  and going to people watch on the Malecón – Havana’s famous seawall, known as the “sofa of the city”
• Overnight in Vedado

Tuesday 1st November – Havana – Cienfuegos

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and depart for the historic city of Cienfuegos, a UNESCO world heritage – 5 hour drive via Bay of Pigs
• On the way to Cienfuegos we travel along the flat central plain of Cuba where there are lots of citrus plantations. We turn off the main highway and shortly after 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.

Afternoon

• 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. You may go with your guide or explore on your own.
• Dinner at a local paladar private restaurant
• Explore the nightlife of Cienfuegos
• Overnight in Cienfuegos

Wednesday 2nd November – Cienfuegos – Trinidad

Morning

• Breakfast and begin a walking tour around Cienfuegos with the first stop being the historic Teatro Tomás Terry.
• Depart for Trinidad  stopping en route at Palacio de Valle – the outlandish house of an eccentric millionaire. (1.5 hours drive)

Afternoon

• Lunch on arrival in Trinidad
• We head off on our walking tour of Trinidad.
• La Villa de la Santísima Trinidad was founded by Velázquez 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, Hernán 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 which tells the struggles of 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

Thursday 3rd November – Trinidad

Morning

• Breakfast and a day of choose your own adventure.
• Option 1: take a trip to the beautiful Valle de los Ingenios in the morning by classic train if it’s operating for $10
• Option 2: include a visit to the beach (Playa Ancón) and relax in the sun

Afternoon

• Both of the above options can include a salsa dancing lesson for $25 or horse riding in the afternoon for $20
• Dinner, drinks and overnight at our homestay

Friday 4th November – Trinidad – Santa Clara

Morning

• Breakfast and being our journey 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 making a few stops along the way.

Afternoon

• 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.
• 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.
• Dinner and optional evening of local music.
• Overnight in Santa Clara

Saturday 5th November – Santa Clara – Havana

Morning

• We head back to Havana in the morning, stopping at 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.

Afternoon

• Lunch in city
• Visiting San Carlos de la Cabaña fortress where Che had his office.
• Visit to the Havana Club Museum of Rum! Of course free samples are available.
• Meet up for dinner and evening out at the iconic Hemingway Bar amongst other places
• Overnight in homestay

Sunday 6th November – Havana

Morning

• Breakfast at homestay and begin our city tour of Old Havana, encompassing the Plaza de las 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 explore the open air exhibit of the Museo de la Revolución to see the yacht Granma and learn about its importance in Cuban history.

Afternoon

• Afternoon free time or rest for those weary. Our guide is able to make recommendations to you particular interests.
• Dinner at our favourite secret private restaurant
• Optional but very strongly recommended visit to Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC – Cuban Art Factory, $2). This is one of the coolest art and night venues in the world right now.
• Drinks, Havana style, on the Malecón
• Overnight in homestay

Monday 7th November – Havana – Viñales

• Breakfast at homestay and we aim to depart at 11:00am, depending on Cuban bureaucracy!
• Our first stop is Lenin Hill, which is where the first ever statue of Lenin was erected following his death, this is very derelict and not at all touristy!

Afternoon

• Lunch at a Cuban style street restaurant
• Trip highlight: Explore the incredibly 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!
• 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
• Begin our 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

Tuesday 8th November – Viñales

Morning

• Breakfast and head out to the prehistoric wall for some amusing photos before we visit 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.

Afternoon

• Lunch at the 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, so we’ll grab our local guide and head to a cave that is (currently) relatively unknown. It takes an hours 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 go-pro!
• 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 in Viñales

Wednesday 9th November – Viñales – Havana (Group 2 ends)

• Breakfast and begin our journey back to Havana – 3 hour drive
• free afternoon to relax and explore Havana.
• Optional activities include a visit to the newly-refurbished Capitol building – seat of Cuba’s parliament, and the Jose Martí monument in Revolution Square – the highest point in Havana.

Thursday 10th November – Havana – rest day

Friday 11th November – – Bogota, Colombia (Group 3)

Morning

• Board our flight to Colombia, where we’ll land in the capital, Bogotá. (Flights not included in the price of the tour)

Afternoon

• Arrive into Bogota and check into our hotel situated in the La Candelaria historical district of Bogotá.
• Group 2 & 3 members: meet your YPT tour guide and group at hotel lobby to go over pre-tour information
• Ceviche, or raw fish cooked in lime juice is a very South American, and Colombian thing, so we head to a restaurant to try this delicacy. For non-fish lovers there will be other options.
• Beer and explosives go together like peas and carrots, so we finish our first night in Bogotá by playing the local traditional sport of tejo, which is literally throwing iron balls at explosives while drinking beer. Great stuff!

Saturday 12th November – Bogotá

Morning

• Breakfast in hotel
• Head to the Military Museum where we even learn about the not commonly known role of Colombia in the Korean War!
• Stop by the Congress and Supreme Court, which was seized by the Marxist guerrillas in 1985

Afternoon

• Lunch in the city
• We visit the Colon Theatre, which is where the peace process between the government and FARC was signed, as well as the Museo Banco De República, the main modern art museum
• Head to the south side of the city, the main working-class area, for a bit of people watching. We head for dinner and then for a Friday night salsa night to remember in the Colombian capital. If you can’t dance don’t worry, rum will be available
• Overnight in Bogotá

Sunday 13th November – Sierra Nevada National Park

Morning

• We get up early for the under two hours 9am flight from Bogotá to Santa Marta
• On arrival, we transfer directly to the Sierra Nevada national park, which is home to many of the indigenous peoples of Colombia as well as its most diverse biosphere.

Afternoon

• Lunch in Sierra Nevada
• We will have lots of opportunities to explore the area and see wildlife
• At night we not only camp out in the reserve but also do the whole BBQ and rum thing
• Camping overnight

Monday 14th November – Sierra Nevada National Park

Morning

• We visit one of the local indigenous peoples the Wiwa in an Indian Reserve in the mid-highlands to learn about how they live

Afternoon

• Local lunch with the Wiwa
• We head back to Cartagena, where we check into the hotel before heading out for dinner to a Peruvian restaurant and drinks in Café Havana
• Overnight in Cartagena

Tuesday 15th November – Cartagena

Morning

• Cartagena is an old colonial city, so we spend the day touring around this historical city
• We check out the old town and the city walls, as well as its 500-year-old coral stone forts from the Spanish era

Afternoon

• Climb La Popa Hill for a great view of the area and visit the 17th century Santa Cruz monastery
• Check out the Spanish Inquisition Palace, where people were tortured and executed for crimes against Catholicism
• Head out for local food and drinks in the Cartagena old town
• Dinner at Interno, a restaurant inside the women’s prison, staffed by prisoners
• Overnight in Cartagena

Wednesday 16th November – Guatapé

Morning

• Take a 10am flight to Medellín, Colombia’s second city
• Medellín was the notorious crime-ridden home of drug lord Pablo Escobar, but since the mid-1990s things have calmed down a lot.

Afternoon

• Head to Finca la Manuela, reachable only by boat. Pablo has many houses, but this is the only one which is largely untouched since the time when he was alive.
• We’ll head to Piedra de Peñol, a striking monolithic rock sticking 220 metres out of the ground. Time permitting, we’ll climb to the top for the spectacular sunset view.
• Overnight in our rustic accommodation in the Colombian countryside.

Thursday 17th November – Medellín

• Head to Hacienda Nápoles, the biggest of Pablo Escobar’s residences. Now a theme park, we’ll see the animals descended from those which Pablo kept in his private zoo. We’ll be able to ride the water slides, while exploring to find the traces left of Pablo’s time there.
• Head back to Medellín
• Dinner and drinks in the trendy Poblado area

Friday 18th November – Medellín

Morning

• You can’t go to Medellín without learning about its most infamous resident, so we do the full Pablo Escobar tour. Our local guide was Pablo Escobar’s driver – now gone straight, he’s very open to questions about what it was like working for the world’s most infamous drug lord!
• We then go to explore the many luxurious buildings used to launder his money, as well as check out his bombed-out safe in the Monaco building, which was where the first car bomb in Colombia was detonated
• After visiting Pablo´s prison or the “Cathedral”, get spectacular Medellín views and get ready to visit the cemetery where siblings and cousins of the mafia boss finally rest even near Griselda Blanco or “black widow”, who was once Pablo´s mentor.

Afternoon

• After lunch, we finish off the Pablo tour by visiting the spot where he died. Now a quiet residential neighbourhood, the rooftop location is easily recognised in the photos published of his lifeless body. It’s still uncertain whether he was shot by the police, or whether he killed himself to avoid capture.
• We’ll jump on the metro system and transfer to Medellín’s famous cable car public transport, for a bird’s eye view of local neighbourhood life.
• Head to the famous Museo de Antioquia including the world-famous sculptures by Fernando Botero in the park outside the museum
• Go for dinner and drinks in Medellin
• Overnight in Medellin

Saturday 19th November – Medellin – Bogota – Quito, Ecuador (End of Group 1)

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and board our morning flight to Bogota
• Group 1 members: tour concludes in Bogota – YPT is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing transportation
• Group 2 & 3 members: continue with our connecting flight to Ecuador (flight not included in the price of the tour)
• Dinner and overnight in Quito

Sunday 20th November – Quito – El Coca – Yasuni National Park – Amazon

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel and drive to Quito Airport to board our 1 hour flight to El Coca that’ll put us right on the doorstep of Ecuadorian’s remote Amazonian rainforest.
• Upon our arrival we’ll board our boat that’ll take us into the heart of Yasuni National Park – famous for being one of the world’s most biologically rich regions

Afternoon

• Stop along the way for a local lunch
• We’ll then be greeted by our local guide who’ll lead us along a gentle hiking path to have unique opportunities to see the local wildlife in their natural habitats – optional kayaking is available to take you further off track for a more in-depth experience
• Check into our Amazonian lodge to freshen up.
• Receive a warm welcome by the locals and greeted with a true Amazonian feast for dinner
• Drinks & overnight at our lodge

Monday 21st November – Amazon

Morning

• Breakfast at our lodge and being the day by seeing the colourful side of the Amazon by checking out the Clay Licks, Parrots and Parakeets – fantastic opportunity for photos
• Stop by the local cultural centre with facts about the importance of the Amazon. Expect sizes to be all in number of Wales’s.

Afternoon

• Climb to the top of a 40 m canopy tower that’ll give us an incredible view across the tree tops
• Jump aboard an indigenous catamaran ride – experience the traditional way of how the locals have been using the river for transport for centuries
• Dinner and overnight back at the lodge

Tuesday 22nd November – Amazon Morning

• We’ll embark on a canoe tour that’ll give you a closer encounter with the river and wildlife that surrounds it – expect to see some of the 20 different species of monkeys, over sixteen hundred different species of birds, sloths and countless marine life.

Afternoon

• Lunch back on land
• We’ll embark on one of the most extensive hiking trails available and visit a local indigenous family – here we’ll learn how they’ve turned this wilderness into their home and the benefits of it
• Dinner and overnight at lodge

Wednesday 23rd November – El Coca – Quito

Morning

• In the morning we’ll take part in a “Dream interpretation” session by drinking Wayusa – drank like tea this native plant is infused with naturally occurring caffeine and it can give of stimulative effects. YPT might be more about Commies and Unrecognised Countries, but when in Rome…
• We’ll say goodbye to our local guide and jump back on another boat to make our way back to El Cola

Afternoon

• Board our flight back to Quito city
• Dinner and drinks in Zona Rosa AKA Gringolandia – Quito’s notorious famous nightlife district
• Overnight in Quito

Thursday 24th December – Quito Morning

• Start the day off by walking off our breakfast and heading up to the very top of Panecillo Hill – the epicentre of Quito – for a perfect view of the bustling city below
• For those seeking more of a breathtaking view you’ll have the chance to head further up the Virgin of El Panecillo Statue – this monumental sculpture is one of the biggest in South America, even bigger than Rio’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue.

Afternoon

• Lunch downtown at a local eatery – Quito’s cuisine benefits from a unique mix involving a variety of dishes inspired by both Coastal and Andean style
• Begin our walking tour to learn more of the historical side of the city – Quito was the first city in the world to be listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.
• Return to hostel to freshen up
• For those who really want to soak up the party atmosphere we’ll jump on one of Quito’s famous Chivas – a brightly-lit decked out party truck with our very own DJ complete with drinks on tap that’ll take us around the city in style
• Overnight in hotel

Friday 25th November – Quito – TelefériQo – Mitad del Mundo

Morning

• Breakfast and being making our way to the top of Pichincha Volcano by catching the TelefériQo cable car reaching 4000 m (13000 ft)
• Providing the weather holds up, which is usually fine in the morning, we’ll have a view of another 6 volcanoes surrounding Quito, with the city laid out below us. Incredible opportunity for photos
• Time to indulge ourselves with a local specialty, being that of the empanadas! – deep-fried parcels of sweet bread, filled with a little cheese and sprinkled with sugar. What better way to wash it down with a cup of Canelazo – a local specialty beverage made with raw sugar, cinnamon and a dash (or three) of aguardiente – fire water!
• You have the option of riding on horseback even higher up the volcano, or alternatively have a ride on the rollercoaster in the amusement park back at the bottom of the volcano (extra charge)
• We’ll drive 45 minutes to the famous Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) monument just outside Quito – Mitad del Mundo was built straddling the equator. You can try out various science experiments here, one of them being if the myth is true about water going down the plughole in opposite directions on opposite sides of the equator

Afternoon

• Lunch at Mitad del Mundo
• Return to our hotel to freshen up
• We’ll hit up a local joint that does an incredible Churrasco dish – a local version of a Brazilian dish which involves noodles mixed with chicken or beef.
• Drinks in town followed by a good sleep at the hotel

Saturday 26th November – Quito – Cuenca

Morning

• Breakfast and make our way to the airport and jump aboard a 45 minute flight to Ecuador’s third largest city of Cuenca – situated in a valley at about 2500 m with a population of 450,000 people.
• Visit to a hat factory to see the part-artisanal, part-industrial process of making Panama hats – it’s a common misconception that Panama hats are made in Panama, but in fact they are made right here in Cuenca! Hats are available to buy hats at factory prices – around $25, though the very finest hats cost $800 or more!

Afternoon

• After lunch, for a truly local experience we’ll catch the newly-inaugurated streetcar to the local hot mineral springs baths to restore your wellbeing after being on a few boats and flights from earlier in the trip
• Dinner at a local restaurant
• Overnight in Cuenca

Sunday 27th November – Cuenca

Morning

• Breakfast and morning walking tour of the historic centre of this UNESCO World Heritage city
• Climb up to the roof of the ‘New’ Cathedral with its very distinctive domes for a view down to the main city square

Afternoon

• After lunch we’ll visit the Pumapungo park, where you can see real live (well, dead actually) human shrunken heads – a ritual that involved using a severed human head that was used for trophy, ritual, or trade purposes.
• Dinner, drinks and overnight at Cuenca

Monday 28th November – Cuenca – Guayaquil

Morning

• Breakfast and board a bus to Guayaquil – the largest and most populous city of Ecuador. This four-hour trip through the Cajas National Park will take us high up into the mountains with spectacular views of the cloud forests before dropping down to the Pacific coast.
• Check into our guest house located in the heart of the historical quarter of Guayaquil

Afternoon

• Head down to Malecón (sea wall) park to board a boat as we believe one of the best ways to see Guayaquil is along its waterfront
• Guayaquil is nowadays the economic and industrial capital of the country, and for centuries everyone wanted a piece of it, so the conquistadores built a look-out on top of a handy hill to watch for invading pirates and Brits. There’s 650 steps to the top, but to make things easier there is a bar roughly every 10 steps, so our challenge is to make the journey to the very top!
• Dinner and overnight in our guest house

Tuesday 29th November – Guayaquil – Galapagos Island (End of Group 2)

Morning

• Group 2 members: tour concludes – YPT is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing transportation
• Group 3 members: Board our two hour flight to Baltra – the gateway to the Galapagos Islands. On our way we’ll pick up our Galapagos National Park permits

Afternoon

• Once arriving we’ll then transport across Santa Cruz Island to our hotel
• Begin our boat tour of Academy Bay – visit “La Lobería”, named because of the colony of sea lions that are located here. You can snorkel and play with these friendly animals, observe goldfish and countless sea turtles.
• We’ll then make our way to the Canal of Love, where you can see whitefin sharks and marine iguanas in the “Playa de los Perros”.
• Overnight in Galapagos guess house

Wednesday 30th November – Santa Fe

Morning

• Breakfast and begin the day off by a Santa Fe boat tour – Santa Fe is a small island of 24 square km located in the central part of the archipelago, southeast of Santa Cruz.
• Walk along the beach of Santa Fe – here we’ll have an up close glimpse of the sea life and playful sea lions
• Explore the picturesque turquoise lagoon – perfect for snorkelling with its calm waters and numerous sea lions!

Afternoon

• Lunch onboard our boat
• Head back to our guest house on Galapagos
• Dinner, drinks and overnight

Thursday 31st November – Isabela Island – Poza de Flamingos Morning

• Breakfast and make our way to a Giant Turtle Breeding Centre located on a bay with beautiful shallow, calm and transparent water allowing you to observe the fascinating marine fauna of Galapagos. Swimming with the sea lions and penguins is highly encouraged!

Afternoon

• Lunch on the beach
• We’ll move to Tintoreras for more frolicking and absorbing all of what the nature of Galapagos has to offer
• Dinner and drinks on our last night in this island paradise
• Overnight in the Galapagos Islands

Friday 1st December – Galapagos – Guayaquil

Morning

• An early morning breakfast and begin our one hour walk (roughly 5km) to Turtle Bay. The route is perfect for bird watching; it’s easy to spot several species of finches when you walk the path.
• One hour transfer back to Baltra and board our two hour flight back to Guayaquil

Afternoon

• Group tour concludes – YPT is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing transportation

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