DETAILS
Visiting Cuba can be a transformative and moving experience. Ring in 2025 with the National Trust in Havana on a thrilling New Year’s journey. On this exclusive program in support of the Cuban people, take an inspiring look at contemporary Cuban life that few visitors will witness, all during a festive time of year. With expert guides, learn about Cuba’s complex history, shaped by colonialism, revolution, and the intermingling influences of Indigenous, European, and African cultures.
- Pricing from
- $3,999
- Trip Type
- Group Travel Tour, International Land & Rail Tours
- Departure Dates
-
Dec 28, 2025 - Jan 3, 2025
ESTANCIA BOHEMIA, HAVANA
Built in 1780 as the home of the Conde de Lombillo family, Estancia Bohemia faces Plaza Vieja, a central square in UNESCO-listed Old Havana. This restored mansion retains its original character—wooden ceiling beams,
stone archways, and hand-painted frescoes—paired with contemporary comforts including Frette linens, Erbolario bath products, and Nespresso machines. Guest rooms feature handcrafted Sicilian tiles, made by artisans to
reflect the building’s colonial-era proportions, along with king-size beds dressed in Italian linens.
Click here for the full terms & conditions
TOUR MAP
ITINERARY
-
day 1
DEPARTURE / HAVANA, CUBA
AFTERNOON
■ Welcome to Havana: Upon your independent arrival at José Martí International Airport, you will be greeted and transferred to Estancia Bohemia, your privately owned boutique hotel in the Old Havana district.
EVENING
■ Gather for a festive welcome dinner at a paladar, a privately owned restaurant usually located in the proprietor’s home. -
day 2
HAVANA
MORNING
■ Discussion with a local historian: Founded in 1519, Havana is one of the Caribbean’s most historically significant cities. Participate in a lecture and Q&A with a local historian on Havana’s architectural evolution and the complexities of Cuban home ownership.
■ Guided tour of Old Havana: Walk through the UNESCO-recognized historic center, visiting four of its grand plazas and the 18th-century Havana Cathedral (Catedral de San Cristóbal), one of the oldest cathedrals
in the Americas.
AFTERNOON
■ Lunch at a paladar.
■ Private tour of the Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso: Go behind the scenes inside the splendidly renovated home to the Cuban National Ballet. ■ Explore artists’ homes and studios: Meet some of Havana’s leading artists for insights into their creative processes. There may be an opportunity to purchase paintings and drawings.
EVENING
■ Rooftop dinner at El Cocinero: Enjoy delicious food and world-class daiquiris at this former cooking oil factory transformed into a chic restaurant and bar.
■ Curator-led private tour of the Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC): Take an inside look at what Time magazine calls one of “the world’s greatest places.” Housing performance venues and an art gallery, this spellbinding, multilevel space defies categorization. -
day 3
HAVANA / MATANZAS / HAVANA
MORNING
■ Guided excursion to Matanzas: Journey to this captivating seaside city, renowned as a birthplace of rumba and numerous Afro-Cuban folkloric traditions. Matanzas is also known as the “Venice of Cuba” for the 17 bridges and three rivers that traverse its environs.
■ Pause at the Bacunayagua Bridge: On Cuba’s tallest bridge, revel in the panoramic views of the verdant valley below.
■ Guided tour of the Castillo de San Severino: Join an expert guide for a tour of this 18th-century castle built by African enslaved people. The castle houses objects and photos that offer powerful insights into the reality of
enslaved life.
■ An inside look at Ediciones Vigía: Meet a representative of this artisanal publishing house where skilled craftspeople create handmade books.
■ Meet an artist in his studio.
AFTERNOON / EVENING
■ Enjoy a group lunch.
■ Attend a special performance by the Choir of Matanzas: Ascend the Monserrate hills to La Ermita de Monserrate, a small late 19th-century neoclassical church, for this private concert.
■ Return to Havana for the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure. -
day 4
HAVANA
MORNING
■ Attend a private rehearsal with the Rosario Cárdenas Dance Company: Watch some of Cuba’s top contemporary dancers hone their craft and perform. You will have an opportunity to chat and perhaps even have an impromptu dance lesson with the performers.
■ Guided tour of the 122-acre Colón Cemetery: Discover an exceptional repository of Cuban history and artistry with more than 500 elaborate mausoleums, chapels, and family vaults. Admire intricate funerary sculptures and grand mausoleums that blend Classical Revival, Art Deco, and eclectic architectural styles.
AFTERNOON
■ Enjoy a group lunch.
■ Special visit to Dador, a privately owned boutique: Stroll along Calle Obispo, Havana’s main shopping street, and visit Dador, where designers craft and sell handmade clothing. Meet one of the shop’s owners to discuss the realities of running an independent business in Cuba’s shifting economic climate.
EVENING
■ Toast to 2026 at a special New Year’s Eve reception and dinner. -
day 5
HAVANA / SAN FRANCISCO DE PAULA / HAVANA
MORNING
■ Guided visit to Ernest Hemingway’s residence, Finca Vigía (Lookout Farm): Head outside the capital to the small, hilltop village of San Francisco de Paula. Visit Hemingway’s longtime Cuban retreat, where he lived for
two decades and wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea. View the beautifully preserved rooms through open windows from the surrounding terraces. While exploring the property, see Pilar,
Hemingway’s famous, 38-foot fishing boat.
AFTERNOON
■ Enjoy a group lunch.
■ Attend a Q&A with a former ambassador and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs: Return to Havana and gather for a lecture on the island’s current realities with an insider.
EVENING
■ Cocktail reception and dinner hosted by the President of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba: Venture to one of the few Cuban NGOs, which supports emerging Cuban artists. After the President shares a presentation on the
organization’s important work, gather for cocktails and a buffet dinner on the penthouse terrace, where guests will include Cuban artists. -
day 6
HAVANA
MORNING
■ Private tour of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana: Meet an independent curator for a wide ranging exploration of the National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana, Cuba’s largest museum. Explore its collection
of works by leading modern and contemporary Cuban artists, including the revered Afro-Cuban surrealist Wifredo Lam, an acolyte of Picasso.
AFTERNOON
■ Enjoy free time with lunch at leisure.
■ Visit to the Hotel Nacional de Cuba: Spend time at the glamorous 1930 hotel designed by the acclaimed New York architecture firm McKim, Mead & White. Stop in its storied Hall of Fame to see tributes to its many famous
guests, including Nat King Cole, Sir Winston Churchill, and Gabriel García Marquez. Enjoy the hotel’s signature mojito on a terrace overlooking Havana’s harbor.
EVENING
■ Gather for a festive farewell dinner at an excellent Havana paladar. -
day 7
HAVANA / RETURN
Depart the hotel this morning for the flight home.
Everything you need to know about the tour
Save this information for later by downloading the full tour brochure.
Be prepared with the National Trust Travel Plan
Since 1973, USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services has served travelers just like you, to help protect their travel plans