Cuba Explorer — Self-Launched (Havana to Havana)
9 days · Cuba
G Adventures charges £1,749
No-markup version: ~£730 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 9-day DIY version of G Adventures' "Cuba Explorer" — Havana's classic-car streets, Viñales tobacco country and mogotes, the Bay of Pigs, Cienfuegos and colonial Trinidad. Instead of a private group vehicle you travel the same route using Viazul coaches, colectivos (shared taxis) and vintage cars, staying in casas particulares (Cuban homestays) booked directly via Airbnb or WhatsApp. Bring plenty of cash — card and ATM use in Cuba is notoriously unreliable. Costs are approximate per person, excluding international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Havana
Havana
Fly into Havana and clear immigration (buy the tourist card before departure from your airline or at check-in; ~£20-25). Skip the official taxi queue and agree a fare in CUC-equivalent pesos with a private driver, or pre-book through your casa host, into Centro Habana or Habana Vieja. Settle into a casa particular — a private Cuban homestay room with host family, breakfasts and a fridge of cheap beer.
🚌Private airport taxi ~£20-25 for the car (shared between passengers); or ask your host to arrange a pickup for ~£15
🛏Casa particular, Habana Vieja or Centro Habana (private double room with breakfast)
- →Airport transfer to casa particular
- →Settle in to Habana Vieja/Centro
- →Evening stroll along the Malecón at sunset
Old Havana walking tour + classic car ride
Havana
Morning self-guided wander through the four plazas of Habana Vieja — Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja and Plaza de San Francisco — all free to enter. Free walking tours leave from Parque Central most mornings (tip-based, ~£5-8 tip). In the afternoon hire a classic 1950s American car for a 1-hour open-top cruise along the Malecón, Vedado and the Revolution Square area; negotiate the price before you get in.
🚌Walking; classic car tour ~£25-30 per car per hour (split between passengers)
🛏Casa particular, Havana
- →Habana Vieja self-guided plaza walk
- →Free/tip-based city walking tour (GetYourGuide & local operators)
- →1-hour classic car city cruise
- →Optional: Museo de la Revolución (~£8)
Havana to Viñales via a tobacco farm
Viñales
Take an early Viazul coach from Havana's Terminal de Ómnibus to Viñales (~4 hours). Or book a shared colectivo transfer door-to-door, which is faster and drops you in the village. On arrival check into a casa particular (Viñales has excellent ones with mountain views). In the afternoon walk or cycle out to a working tobacco farm in the Valle de Viñales — farmers will show you the drying barn and hand-roll a cigar for a small fee or a purchase.
🚌Viazul coach ~£10-12 (book online in advance); colectivo shared taxi ~£15-20 per person
🛏Casa particular, Viñales
- →Viazul coach Havana→Viñales
- →Check in to casa particular
- →Tobacco farm and cigar-rolling visit
- →Valle de Viñales viewpoint walk
Viñales hiking and countryside
Viñales
A full free day in Viñales. Hire a local guide (your casa host can arrange one, ~£8-12) or set off independently on the classic mogote walk to Cueva del Indio and the Valle de Silencio, skirting limestone 'haystack' hills through farmland and coffee plantations. Optional morning horse-riding trips run from most casas. Back in town, the main street fills with live son music at night.
🚌On foot from the village; bicycle hire ~£3/day if you want to cover more ground
🛏Casa particular, Viñales
- →Guided mogote hike (Cueva del Indio / Valle de Silencio)
- →Optional horse-riding excursion (~£12)
- →Visit a coffee and rum farm
- →Live music on Viñales main street
Viñales to Cienfuegos via the Bay of Pigs
Cienfuegos
This is the long travel day. The simplest self-launched version is a direct Viazul coach Viñales→Cienfuegos, but to include the Bay of Pigs stop you can do it as a private or shared transfer via Playa Girón: the Museo de la Brigada 2506 at Playa Girón tells the story of the 1961 US-backed invasion, and the beach itself is great for a swim and a snorkel over the reef. Continue on to the elegant seaside city of Cienfuegos and check into a casa.
🚌Direct Viazul coach ~£18-22 (no Bay of Pigs stop) OR private/shared transfer with Girón stop ~£45-55 per person — the private option is worth the extra to see the museum en route
🛏Casa particular, Cienfuegos
- →Transfer south via Playa Girón
- →Bay of Pigs museum visit (~£4)
- →Swim / snorkel at Playa Girón
- →Evening walk on Cienfuegos' Punta Gorda
Cienfuegos to Trinidad + salsa
Trinidad
Morning walk around Cienfuegos' UNESCO-listed historic centre and the Palacio de Valle on Punta Gorda, then a short 1.5-hour transfer east to Trinidad. Check into a casa in the UNESCO-listed colonial core, where cobbled streets and pastel houses spill down to the music bars. In the evening take a group salsa lesson (many casas and the Casa de la Música arrange them) — the town is a salsa and son music hub after dark.
🚌Viazul coach Cienfuegos→Trinidad ~£5; or shared taxi ~£8-10 per person
🛏Casa particular, Trinidad's historic centre
- →Cienfuegos historic centre walk
- →Palacio de Valle viewpoint
- →Transfer to Trinidad
- →Salsa dancing lesson (~£8-12)
- →Live music at Casa de la Música
Free day in Trinidad
Trinidad
A whole free day in one of Cuba's best-preserved colonial towns. Climb the bell tower of the Museo Histórico Municipal for rooftop views, wander the Plaza Mayor, browse the craft market, and pick a beach or a valley excursion. Options include a half-day trip to Playa Ancón for white sand and turquoise water (~£10 return by taxi), horse-riding to the Valle de los Ingenios sugar mills, or a hike into the Topes de Collantes mountains and a swim under the El Nicho waterfalls.
🚌Walking in town; taxi to Playa Ancón ~£10 return per person; shared excursion vans for Valle de los Ingenios ~£12
🛏Casa particular, Trinidad
- →Museo Histórico Municipal bell tower (~£2)
- →Playa Ancón beach trip
- →Horse-riding to Valle de los Ingenios
- →Topes de Collantes / El Nicho waterfall hike
- →Trinidad craft market and Plaza Mayor
Trinidad back to Havana
Havana
Long transfer day back across the island to the capital (~5-6 hours). Take a Viazul coach Trinidad→Havana, or split the trip with a stop in Santa Clara to see the Che Guevara mausoleum and the monument to the armoured train — a worthwhile halfway break and easily done by shared taxi. Arrive Havana in the late afternoon, check into your casa, and spend the last evening on the Malecón or at a rooftop bar in Habana Vieja.
🚌Viazul coach Trinidad→Havana ~£18 (direct, ~6h); shared taxi with Santa Clara stop ~£35-45 per person
🛏Casa particular, Havana
- →Transfer Trinidad→Havana
- →Optional stop at Santa Clara (Che Guevara mausoleum, Tren Blindado)
- →Final night out in Havana
Depart Havana
Havana
Final breakfast at the casa, then transfer to José Martí International Airport for your flight home. Allow 3 hours before an international departure and keep some cash back for the departure tax if applicable. If your flight is late, use the morning for a last Havana coffee and a rum-and-cigars stock-up at a state shop or the airport.
🚌Private taxi to the airport ~£20-25 per car; or negotiate a shared ride from the Malecón area
🛏—
- →Breakfast at the casa
- →Airport transfer
- →Optional final souvenir shopping
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£730 | £1,749 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,019 per person (58%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£730
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Cuba Explorer — Self-Launched (Havana to Havana) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £730 per person for 9 days in Cuba. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,749 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £730 — a saving of roughly £1,019 (58%) per person.
How long is the Cuba trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Cuba.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, budget trip through Cuba, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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