If there is one time of the year that can be the most interesting to visit Cuba, it would have to be for the May Day parade - the biggest and most colourful celebration of the year in Cuba. A fusion of Soviet-era politics and Latin American carnival that the whole country comes to a standstill for. Enjoy the euphoric party atmosphere on the streets to the sounds of Latin revolutionary music, while watching the communist party elite presiding over the festivities and parade.
The tour begins in Old Havana, one of the best-preserved colonial cities in all of the Americas. What you will see around you is a Cuban city that was once incredibly rich, as is still evident in its now faded art deco and internationally influenced design - none of which has lost its appeal. Many buildings are now being restored and a stroll around Havana when you arrive for the first day of your tour is a sensory overload.
Cuban food sometimes gets a bad rap, and perhaps deservedly so if you remain inside the confines of a tourist resort in and around Havana without the insider knowledge of our guides and our commitment to show you only the best and most authentic, on all of our Cuba tours. So across the five cities you will visit in Cuba, expect handpicked local places that are off the tourist trail not just in terms of food, but nightlife too - with Trinidad specifically being fairly incredible. Cuba is, of course, the birthplace of the Mojito and you haven't really tried one unless it's been made with the world's best rum made with locally grown mint and raw cane sugar, while cooling off in the Caribbean sunshine with pastel colours bouncing off the walls
With our own A/C tour bus for the duration of the tour, it means lots of flexibility and opportunities to get off the beaten track. For example, as part of our trip around the Bay of Pigs, close to the UNESCO city of Cienfuegos and where US-backed land invasion was attempted, there are a few beautiful swimming spots along the route that we can check out including a sinkhole that resembles a tropical fish tank! Visiting Santa Clara, you will see the giant statue of Che Guevara, sitting atop the mausoleum where he is buried. You will see a lot of unique places on our Cuba tour, that are again, off the well-worn tourist trail. If you are looking for a Cuban resort stay - our tours won't be that interesting for you. But, if you feel more comfortable seeing a secret bunker where the Soviet Union stored their nuclear weapons that precipitated the Cuban Missile Crisis followed by a freshly prepared lunch on a farm in Vinales with a tour group of like-minded travellers, this is most definitely up your street.
Cuba May Day Tour Highlights
- Start your Cuba tour in the capital city Havana on one of the best times of the year to visit Cuba, for the May Day celebrations and parade. We will join a million people on the streets for an amazing carnival atmosphere.
- Visit five Cuban cities during the tour, travelling from Havana on to Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Santa Clara and Vinales
- At Global Village Tours, we take you to handpicked, authentic Cuban restaurants for the best Cuban food, not limited to a BBQ on a beautiful beach in Trinidad
- This tour is off the tourist trail and we get to check out some amazing beaches and little visited tropical swimming spots
- Get ready for vibrant Cuban nightlife with a lot of cool clubs, bars with a wide variety of music styles
Show itinerary
Sunday 25th April
Arrive at Jose Martí International Airport in Havana, as per your own travel schedule. A taxi is approx $25 from the airport but if you wish to be picked up in a 1950s convertible ($50) that can be arranged in advance.
Transfer to your homestay accommodation in district Havana (we will provide you with all the arrival info)
Check-in to your AC/shower room and relax before meeting up with the rest of the group for a chat about the tour we will be taking together for the next 10 days.
In the evening we will get dinner at Cafe Laurent in Havana before getting a few bottles of rum and heading down to the Malecón to chill out there and get chatting to the locals. This is the giant promenade sea wall that runs along the city and one of the main hangout areas for locals and visitors. Always a great atmosphere down here.
Overnight at our casa accommodation.
Monday 26th April
In the morning, we head for the UNESCO world heritage city of Cienfuegos, a 5-hour drive via The Bay of Pigs
En route to Cienfuegos, we will travel through the central plain of Cuba where you can clearly smell the citrus plantations in the air. It takes us through swampland with unique fauna and varying species of reptiles including crocodiles and snakes. We may also visit a crocodile farm at Boca de Guamá
Once we hit the Carribean coast, we will make our way to the Bay of Pigs itself which apart from its historical significance of the US 1961 invasion, is generally a beautiful location. We will visit a museum in the area that documents the events of 1961
As mentioned in the tour introduction, you will be able to take a swim in some postcard style tropical swimming spots, including a sinkhole. Obviously, swimming is optional so if you prefer to chill out in the sun, then by all means! There will also be an opportunity to scuba dive and snorkel here (these are optional extra cost activities, let us know when booking if you wish to do either of these)
Arriving into Cienfuegos later in the day, prepare to be transported back in time with its relaxed atmosphere on the streets and French colonial style architecture
Check-in to our casa before heading out to the city for a walkabout, you can either stay with the group and guide or if you feel like exploring a bit by yourself, feel free
We will have dinner together that evening at a home-style private Cuban (paladar) restaurant with authentic food aplenty before getting a few drinks and checking out the nightlife
Overnight at your casa
Tuesday 27th April
This morning, we will take another little look around Cienfuegos. This will include visiting some Cuban shops to see how commerce is conducted here between selling imported goods and local/national produce
We can drink a cocktail on the roof of the Palacio de Valle - a palatial home built in 1913. Prepare for serious home envy here and incredible views from the top.
Leave Cienfuegos for the 1.5-hour drive to Trinidad
Hipster pizza joint lunch on arrival in Trinidad while our casa accommodation is being prepared before check-in.
After check-in we head off on an insider walking tour of the city. Once fantastically wealthy in the 1500's thanks to sugar cane cultivation, the city has been a place of major historical significance including during the revolution. You will learn a lot about the city which was also a centre of the slave trade, with lots of interesting stories. We will also check out a cigar shop
Next up is The Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra los Bandidos and which chronicles the town’s history. There is a tower here where we can grab some fairly breathtaking views
There will be a chance to try the local cocktail of Canchanchara - rum, lime, honey, crushed ice & soda water
Dinner at La Redacción, serving contemporary fusion cuisine
If you like nightlife and music, Trinidad is pretty special. There are a lot of live music venues catering for many tastes with plenty of salsa happening also. The night spots are centered around ancient colonial buildings and cobblestone streets
Overnight at your casa
Wednesday 28th April
We start today with a visit to Valle de los Ingenios (The valley of the sugar mills) which was once at the heart of commerce in Trinidad in the 1800s partly responsible for the cities wealth in days gone by.
Later in the afternoon you have the option between some free time to enjoy Trinidad at your own pace or alternatively, you can take a horse ride to a nearby waterfall or have a salsa lesson (there is an extra charge for both of these activities, let us know when booking if you would like to do them)
Dinner this evening we have a few different options depending on how hungry people are!
After dinner if people feel like partying we can visit the infamous Disco Ayala, buried deep in an underground cave. It is of course, optional but highly recommended!
Overnight at your casa
Thursday 29th April
Next stop on our blazing city trail is Santa Clara which played a key role in the revolution
On the way, we will stop at a family-run tobacco farm and see what it is involved in producing the world's most sought-after cigars. Coffee is also produced here, so you can sample some
As we approach Santa Clara you will see a gigantic statue of Ernesto Ché Guevara that towers above the mausoleum where he is buried
We will, of course, visit the museum that is dedicated to the life of this major historical figure. Afterward, we will take a walk about tour of Santa Clara city and check-out some cool sites scattered around the area including an armoured train that was derailed and captured by Ernesto Ché Guevara and his troops in the last battle of the revolution
Dinner in the evening and optional drinks. We will head out to a cultural centre where there will be music and other performances
Overnight stay in Santa Clara
Friday 30th April
Up early this morning to make our way back to Havana
We will check out the open air October Crisis museum that looks out on Havana Bay. There are old Soviet nuclear missiles here from 1962 – of the variety that brought the world on the cliff edge of thermonuclear war
Lunch in Havana
In the afternoon, we tour Old Havana, including the Plaza de las Armas, complete with a statue of Manuel de Cespedes, one of the leaders of the independence movement. The spot where the city of Havana was founded almost 500 years ago and an open-air exhibit of the Museo de la Revolución to see the yacht Granma and learn about its importance in Cuban history
Afterward, it’s off to the Havana Club Museum of Rum with free samples
Return to our casa to get freshened up for our last night out in Havana.
We go for a more upmarket dinner in Havana tonight and eat at San Cristobal Paladar Restaurant in the city. It’s about an hour away we can stroll there through the city or (for an extra charge, we can arrange to hire a Soviet-era Zil limousine to take you there)
Optional drinks and clubbing after dinner if you are up for it
Overnight stay at our homestay in Havana
Saturday 1st May - International Worker's Day (May Day)
Today is May Day and we want to take in as much as possible and get us nicely set up for the day ahead. So it's an early 6 am start for breakfast and leaving the casa at 6.30 am (don't worry, not all mornings are this early, just for May Day!)
We will make our way to Plaza De Revolución where the atmosphere will be building in preparation for the parade to start at 7.30 am. When things get started, we will join the parade with up to 1 million people parading through the plaza. It's an unbelievable experience and we will hopefully get a wave from the communist party delegation on the podium
The parade will finish up in the baseball stadium where we will meet our private bus and head into old Havana
We take a more relaxed stroll around Old Havana to see some of the Spanish colonial architecture and the famous Bacardi building before drinking a few daiquiris in Ernest Hemingway’s favourite bar El Floridita, the birthplace of the daiquiri itself
If you are in need of some rest after the early morning start, you can head back to the casa to relax and get cleaned up or if not, there will as usual be a great atmosphere at the Malecón if you want to drink a few beers there
Dinner that evening if you like, at a Soviet-inspired restaurant in Havana with typically Russian dishes on the menu
Overnight at our casa accommodation
Sunday 2nd May
We plan to depart Havana for Vinales at 11 am, this is dependent on Cuban bureaucracy so please be patient!
Lenin Hill is the first stop, the spot where the statue of Lenin was erected following his death. It's way off the beaten path but so worth it for the fact that it's a statue of Lenin in the Caribbean and not in one of our Eastern European destinations. It's a unique place and certainly Instagram worthy!
Nice lunch at a Cuban-style street restaurant
Secret bunker where the Soviet Union stored their nuclear weapons during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Again, this is way off the tourist trail and a must see location. It has only been made available for visitors recently, we are among the first to have access. There will likely be little other people here apart from our group
Next stop is the former Soviet Embassy, a perfect example of socialist architecture, like the Lenin Statue, a somewhat bizarre and uniquely impressive sight
The scenic drive along to Viñales is 2-3 hours in duration, so sit back and relax, taking in the sights along the way
Check into our casa before getting dinner and drinks in town. Although the town has retained its relaxed atmosphere, there is a bustling nightlife here
Overnight in our Viñales casa
Monday 3rd May
Morning visit to a prehistoric wall for some good photo opportunities before visiting a stunning tobacco farm with rolling hills all around where we can see the process of cigar making and also try out some of the produce if you like.
Lunch at this beautiful farm.
Viñales is famous for its caves, man of which are overrun with tourists. So, with our local guide we will get to some of the more quiet spots to enjoy. We will hike for an hour and journey through the cave network with flashlights before arriving at an amazing swimming spot.
Make our way back to the casa to get cleaned up before heading to one of the best spots in town to take in our last sunset, with a cocktail in hand.
The last dinner in Viñales will be an authentic home cooked Cuban meal at our casa.
We will wind down with drinks and chats on the patio in the casa's garden. At this point you will probably have made several friends for life!
Overnight at our Viñales casa.
Tuesday 4th May
Journey back to Havana after breakfast this morning.
This marks the end of the tour. A private taxi to the airport can be organised, if you need it.
