Experience a Feliz Navidad when you take a trip back in time to Cuba over Christmas in 2026!
Arriving in Cuba prior to our Cuba Scuba liveaboard is the perfect opportunity to spend a week exploring Havana, Cienfuegos, and colonial Trinidad!
Enjoy your first weekend in Havana at the brand-new Grand Aston La Habana. By day, walk the enchanting streets of Old Havana, visit Hemingway's country home, and explore the Cuban art scene on this legal visit in support of the Cuban people. By night, meet gay Cubans in a local bar or strolling on the seaside Malecon, or check-out the Afro-Cuban jazz clubs or the world-famous Tropicana.
After four exciting nights in Havana, we'll head southeast to the Bay of Pigs to learn about the unique nature of the area, including the world's smallest hummingbird! Then travel back in time, to colonial-era Trinidad, the Valley of the Sugar Mills, and historic Cienfuegos, a lively city filled with French-inspired architecture. Our tour ends in Júcaro, Ciego de Avila province, where guests can board the Avalon III liveaboard to dive the Gardens of the Queen marine park.
E-mail us now to experience Cuba at Christmas!
Tentative Itinerary:
- Day 1: Saturday, December 19, 2026 Arrive Havana (Dinner included)
Arrive Jose Marti International Airport (HAV) around noon. Meet our English-speaking guide and driver and transfer to Old Havana.
3:30 PM Check-In Marques de la Torre hotel + Welcome drink
5:00 PM Meet private owners and taxi drivers of classic American cars and learn about their daily challenges to keep these relics running as you cruise the streets of Havana in pre-1959 Classic American cars. Pick up at the hotel, and drop off at restaurant.
7:00 PM Dining Experience at local private restaurant La Esperanza or similar
Overnight at Iberostar Marques de la Torre.
- Day 2: Sunday, December 20, 2026 Colonial Havana (Breakfast, Lunch included)
7:30 AM Breakfast at the hotel
8:45 AM Visit Community Project Beyond Roots and engage in an Immersion in Afro Cuban Culture
9:00 AM Depart on foot for guided walking visit through Old Havana to learn about recent restoration projects as well as the history of the city as you visit the four colonial plazas. Interact with private artisans and small business owners along Calle Obispo. As you shop local food, books, and art, learn about Cuba’s dual economy, in which private and government-owned businesses operate.
11:30 PM Visit San Jose handcraft market, a 19th century storage house by the harbor turned into a huge indoor craft market. Time to explore and interact with various private local artists. A good opportunity to purchase souvenirs and help artisans!
12:30 PM Dining Experience at private restaurant Michifu or similar
2:30 PM Visit Vi Humos, a private project focused on the manufacturing of purses out of recycled cigar wood boxes, along with guayabera dresses designed by Vivian Acosta, the project owner.
Enjoy a cigar rolling and tasting experience, while you listen to Vivian’s personal story in the world of high-end habanos
4:00 PM Return to hotel
7:00pm Dinner on your own (the guide will provide options).
Optional Evening Entertainment: Attend a show at world-famous Tropicana or Le Parisien cabaret in Hotel Nacional. Or enjoy a performance by Buena Vista Social Club at Havana Café for some excellent traditional Cuban music. Or watch world-class jazz at La Zorra y el Cuervo.
Overnight at Iberostar Marques de la Torre.
- Day 3: Monday, December 21, 2026 Havana Music, Art, & Humanitarian Aid (B,L)
8:00 AM Breakfast at the hotel
9:30 AM Depart by motorcoach to Havana Compas Dance
10:00 AM Visit Havana Compas Dance project. Discuss about their project and see a demonstration of dance, music and art followed by an interaction with the dancers and instructors
11:00 am Depart for a visit to the impressive Fusterlandia house/studio to see this unique mosaic masterpiece and learn about the artist’s project to beautify his home town
12:30 PM Dining Experience on the water at private restaurant Marea.
2:00 PM After lunch, depart for Los Cocos AIDS Sanatorium. Located near Santiago de las Vegas in Havana, Los Cocos is Cuba’s primary AIDS sanatorium, established in the late 1980s as part of the country’s public health strategy to manage HIV/AIDS. We'll deliver much-needed medical supplies. Instructions on what to bring will be provided, including any spare antiretrovirals.
7:00pm Dinner on your own (the guide will provide options). Rest of the evening at leisure.
Overnight at Iberostar Marques de la Torre.
- Day 4: Tuesday, December 22, 2026 History, Religion, and Hemingway (B,L)
7:00 AM Breakfast at the hotel
8:30 AM Meet the captivating Camilo García Lopez-Trigo, who will provide profound insights into Cuba's historical and current economy, the dynamics of US/Cuba relations, and the enduring impact of the longstanding US embargo on the island nation. Hotel meeting room.
9:00 AM Visit Community Project Beyond Roots and engage in an Immersion in Afro Cuban Culture
11:30 AM Continue to local development project Villa La Nena
12:00 PM Explore the farm's environment, gaining insight into their community project and meeting the owner and staff. Enjoy a hands-on "mojito" making and tasting experience using farm-sourced ingredients. This journey culminates in a farm-to-table dining experience
2:00 PM Depart for Hemingway Museum at Finca Vigia
2:30 PM Visit the museum which is supported by several non-governmental and independent organizations. Interact with local caretakers of Hemingway’s former home and learn about the life and work of the writer when he lived in Cuba
3:30 PM Return to hotel
7:00 PM Dinner on your own (the guide will provide options). Rest of the evening at leisure.
- Day 5: Wednesday, December 23, 2026 Bay of Pigs and Trinidad (B,L)
7:00 AM Breakfast at the hotel
8:30 AM Depart to Trinidad, via Bay of Pigs and Cienfuegos.
11:00 AM Visit the hummingbird house (Bernabe’s House) near Playa Larga.
12:00 PM Dining Experience at local private restaurant Casa de Enrique (private enterprise featuring rooms for rent and private restaurant) or similar. Meet with a local naturalist to discuss the Cienaga de Zapata Biosphere Reserve
2:30 PM Continue to Trinidad, a charming city settled in 1514 which has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988.
5:00 PM Check-in to hotel La Ronda or La Calesa
7:00pm Dinner on your own (the guide will provide options).
Evening free after dinner to enjoy the charming colonial center by night.
Optional Evening Entertainment: Choose from Casa de la Musica, Casa de la Trova, Palenque de Congos Reales and dance the night away over a refreshing Cuban cocktail!
Overnight at La Ronda or La Calesa
- Day 6: Thursday, December 24, 2026 Charming Cienfuegos & Christmas Eve (B,L)
7:00 AM Breakfast at the hotel
8:00 AM This morning, we visit the beautiful port city of Cienfuegos, Cuba’s “Pearl of the South".
9:30 AM Interactive guided walking tour around Cienfuegos historic center, including Jose Marti Park, Terry Theater, the boulevard with its small private businesses and other sites
11:00 AM Visit the Cantores de Cienfuegos in Palacio Municipal. Enjoy a performance and interaction with the private artists
12:30 PM Dining Experience at local private restaurant Villa Lagarto
2:30 PM Visit Palacio de Valle. Tour the beautiful building and enjoy a cocktail. Built in 1917 by Acisclo del Valle Blanco, a wealthy Spaniard from Asturias, the structure resembles an outrageously ornate Moroccan casbah, with a mix of Gothic, Byzantine, Baroque influences.
3:30 PM Return to Trinidad and nap
7:30 PM Be our guest for a special Noche Buena dinner!
Evening free after dinner to enjoy the charming colonial center on this special night.
Night owls - this could be your chance to meet LGBTQ+ Cubans from the surrounding area at an outdoor annual late-night drag contest!
Overnight at La Ronda or La Calesa
- Day 7: Friday, December 25, 2026 Colonial Trinidad (B,L,D)
8:00 AM Breakfast at our hotel
9:30 AM Walking tour of historic Trinidad, a 500-year-old city with Spanish colonial architecture. We learn about the efforts to preserve the city’s heritage as we walk its cobblestone streets, pastel houses with wrought iron grills, and beautiful palaces and plazas.
11:30 AM Visit Lazaro Niebla private Art Gallery. Lázaro Niebla is a contemporary Cuban artist native to Trinidad, known for his striking wood relief sculptures. He creates detailed portraits using reclaimed materials like old doors and windows, giving new life to discarded elements of traditional Cuban architecture.
12:30 PM Dining Experience at local private restaurant San Jose
2:00 PM Meet with the famous family Santander, well-known local potters. Visit their workshop and gallery. These artists have been making handmade pottery for over 100 years.
3:00 PM Return to hotel
7:00 PM Dinner on your own (the guide will provide options).
Evening free after dinner to enjoy the charming colonial center by night.
Overnight at La Ronda or La Calesa
- Day 8: Saturday, December 26, 2026 Valle de los Ingenios - Júcaro
8:00 AM Breakfast at our hotel
9:00 AM This morning, we depart for Júcaro. On the way, enjoy a visit to Manaca Iznaga, one of several ruined 18th-century
sugarcane plantations nestled amid the verdant landscapes of the Valle de los Ingenios - the Valley of the Sugar Mills. Practice both Spanish and charity with dignity with private street vendors selling beautiful spun tablecloths and other embroidered pieces, or enjoy a glass of sweet and refreshing “guarapo” (sugar cane juice) from the private kiosk on the way out.
Lunch at local restaurant.
Continue to Jucaro to board Avalon III liveaboard.
Itinerary subject to modification.
Non-divers are welcome to join us and will be transferred to the Santa Clara (SNU) airport for departure on December 26, or have the option to add an additional night in Havana.
Please contact us for up-to-date flight information.
Travel to Cuba
- United, American, JetBlue, and even Southwest Airlines all fly to Havana directly from the US.
- Book your flight to Havana (HAV) to arrive anytime on Saturday, December 19.
Mid-day to early afternoon arrival recommended.
- Schedule your departure after our Cuba Scuba liveaboard from Camaguey (CMW) on Saturday, January 2 on American Airlines.
- Flying from the U.S., you'll need to indicate to the airline that you are on an authorized,"Support for the Cuban People" visit. You'll receive a letter authorizing your travel under Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury regulations, and you'll need to print it and carry it with you when re-entering USA.
- E-mail us for assistance with international flight selection. We'll help you find the best option online for your flights.
Liveaboard Diving on board Avalon III
December 26, 2026 - January 2, 2027 (Saturday – Saturday): including five and half days of diving.
Included:
- Four nights at Grand Aston La Habana in Havana and three nights hotel in Trinidad, all double occupancy (single occupancy available with a supplement)
- Seven full day schedule of of authorized activities in support of the Cuban people
- Seven breakfasts, seven lunches, and two dinners, including a special Christmas Eve dinner.
- English speaking LGBTQ-welcoming Cuban guide throughout the tour.
Not included:
- International airfare to Havana, returning from Camaguey (CMW) on January 2 or Santa Clara (SNU) on December 26.
- Five dinners at own expense, along with any non-included beverages.
- Avalon III liveaboard December 26, 2026 - January 2, 2027 ($3599)
- Travel Insurance
- Entrance fees and beverages at nightlife venues
- Tips and personal expenses at the hotels such as internet and laundry
Single rooms are available for a supplement, or we are happy to match you with a roommate.
Deposit:
A $500 deposit is due upon booking. Balance due 90 days prior to departure.
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