Escorted Tours 2023 - 2025

 Cienfuegos Varadero Viñales Havana < <     <    <   Coach Air Nights 2 2 1 2 2 Havana Day 1: UK to Havana D Depart the UK on your flight to Havana, via Madrid. On arrival, you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure then re-join your group for tonight’s welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Day 2: Havana B/L/D Today starts with a walking tour through Old Havana. Wind your way along the cobbled streets, through wide squares and past the faded grandeur of old buildings. Stop at Floridita’s Bar, the famous hangout of Ernest Hemingway. Enjoy one of the bar’s famed daiquiris before lunch. Make your way to the city’s lively craft market, before continuing on to Revolution Square. This evening, after a festive dinner, witness the Nine Cannon Ceremony at Morro Fortress. Next, experience Cuba’s rich musical culture with a performance at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, and a cocktail included. Day 3: Havana to Viñales B/L/D Following breakfast, journey to the nearby fishing village of Cojimar, the inspiration behind Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”. Visit Finca Vigia, the writer’s former home which now serves as a dedicated museum. Next, enjoy a Don Gregorio cocktail, named in Hemingway’s honour, before lunch. Day 4: Viñales B/L/D After the energy of Havana, soak in the slower pace of rural life in Viñales. A scenic drive takes you to the cigar factory and tobacco plantation in Pinar del Rio where you can witness how Cuba’s famed cigars are toasted and rolled. Travel onward into the surrounding valley then board a boat and float downriver to Cueva del Indio, an otherworldly river cave that was once an ancient, indigenous dwelling. Your boat ride then carries you to Mural de La Prehistoria. After lunch, return back to the hotel to enjoy a Cuban cocktail lesson, followed by a sunset dinner. Day 5: Viñales to Cienfuegos B/L/D Depart Viñales and drive onward to Soroa, whose natural beauty has earned it the name “Rainbow of Cuba”. Wander the fragrant pathways of Soroa’s Orchideary, then travel to Las Terrazas, a small rural community set in the heart of a picturesque 25,000 hectare UNESCO biosphere reserve. After lunch, drive onwards to the seaside city of Cienfuegos. Day 6: Cienfuegos B/L/D After breakfast, make the short trip from Cienfuegos to Trinidad for a morning tour of the city. Admire the stately architecture and fascinating artefacts of the Romantic Museum. Catch a glimpse of the pretty yellow and green bell tower of Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco, located a stone’s throw from the museum, as you continue on to Bar La Canchanchara for a taste of the bar’s signature cocktail. Visit the soaring bell tower of Manaca Iznaga before lunch. This afternoon, return to Cienfuegos for a tour of this city. Enjoy a leisurely walk down the central boulevard, making your way to the magnificent Palacio de Valle. Before returning to your hotel, visit a local Cigar Factory. Day 7: Cienfuegos to Varadero B/L/D After breakfast, travel to Santa Clara. Explore the Che Guevara Square, Museum and Mausoleum, then visit the Armoured Train Monument. Make your way to tranquil Parque Vidal, the city’s central park, and take in the elegant neo-classical buildings which line its borders. Drive onward to the seaside resort town of Varadero for an afternoon at leisure. Day 8: Varadero to Havana to the UK B After a morning at leisure transfer to Havana for your return flight to the UK, via Madrid, or continue on to your chosen extension. Viva Cuba What you’ll see ⚫ Enjoy a walking tour of lively Havana ⚫ Wander along Trinidad’s pretty streets and plazas ⚫ Enjoy a tour of Che Guevara’s mausoleum in Santa Clara ⚫ Witness a cannon ceremony at La Cabaña Fortress ⚫ Visit a tobacco plantation, ancient river cave and Cuban cigar factory Take in classic Cadillacs, the faded grandeur of colonial-era buildings and the ever-present sounds of salsa as you tour Havana, explore the country’s revolutionary past in Santa Clara, experience rural Viñales and make your way to Caribbean shores in Cienfuegos, all on our tour of this unique island. What’s included ✔ Return flights Heathrow to Cuba with British Airways/ Iberia (via Madrid) ✔ Where you’ll stay Havana, 4 H Hotel Riviera By Iberostar Viñales, 3 H La Ermita Hotel Cienfuegos, 4 H La Union affiliated by Melia Varadero, 5 H Iberostar Bella Vista ✔ 20 meals ✔ 7 excursions ✔ Expert local tour guide Tour pace: Intermediate P R I V A T E T O U R U P G R A D E S F R O M £629 Departures & from prices Sep 2023 £1,899 Nov 2024 £2,299 Oct 2023 £1,999 Jan 2025 £2,599 Nov 2023 £2,399 Feb 2025 £2,499 Jan 2024 £2,659 Mar 2025 £2,699 Feb 2024 £2,599 Apr 2025 £2,299 Apr 2024 £2,299 Jun 2025 £2,299 Jun 2024 £2,099 Sep 2025 £1,999 Sep 2024 £1,849 Oct 2025 £2,099 Oct 2024 £1,999 Nov 2025 £2,499 • Lead-in price based on 8 Sep 24 • A single supplement starts from just £139 • Tipping paid locally $24 pp per tour Extend your tour Varadero beach stay, 5 H All-Inclusive, 4 nights from £359 or 7 nights from £559 North America 82 Hundreds of escorted tours are available on our website www.mercuryholidays.co.uk