Cuba Family Adventure — Self-Launched Version
12 days · Cuba
G Adventures charges £2,250
No-markup version: ~£685 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY take on a 12-day family loop from Havana through Viñales, Las Terrazas, Playa Girón, Cienfuegos, Trinidad and Santa Clara — same route, same experiences, but booked independently using casas particulares, shared taxis and colectivos, local guides and self-booked activities. Prices are rough per-person backpacker/mid-range estimates for a family booking two rooms; expect real-world variation given Cuba's shifting supply and the 2021 currency reforms (CUP/MLC). No advance booking platforms for most Cuban accommodation and transport — book casas via Airbnb or WhatsApp and arrange shared taxis through your casa host a day ahead.
Day-by-day
Arrive Havana — settle into a casa
Havana
Fly into José Martí International (HAV) and take a shared or private taxi into Centro Habana or Vedado (~£20-25 private for the car, or ~£5-8 per person shared). Check into a family-friendly casa particular with two rooms and breakfast — hosts are the best source of local advice and onward shared-taxi bookings. Spend the evening strolling the Malecón at sunset and eating at a paladar.
🚌Airport taxi HAV to city ~£20-25 per car (shared ~£5-8 pp)
🛏Casa particular, Centro Habana or Vedado (two rooms with breakfast)
- →Malecón sunset walk
- →Dinner at a paladar
- →Settle into casa particular
Havana by vintage car + salsa
Havana
Hire a classic American convertible for a one-hour city tour — you can flag one on the Prado or Parque Central and negotiate (~£35-45 per car for an hour, split across the family). Cover Old Havana, the Malecón, Revolution Square and Vedado. In the afternoon book a family salsa lesson through your casa host or a local school in Vedado (~£8-12 pp). Evening free to explore Obispo street and the Plaza Vieja.
🚌Walkable city centre; short taxis ~£2-4 each
🛏Casa particular, Havana
- →Vintage American car city tour
- →Family salsa lesson
- →Old Havana walking explore
Havana to Viñales — limestone valleys
Viñales
Book a shared taxi/colectivo from Havana to Viñales (~£15-20 pp, 3-4 hours) through your casa host — Viazul bus is cheaper (~£10) but slower and less flexible for families. In the afternoon walk the Valle de Viñales among the mogotes, and visit the Cueva del Indio where you take a small boat through the cave (~£4 pp). Sunset from the Hotel Los Jazmines mirador.
🚌Shared taxi Havana–Viñales ~£15-20 pp (or Viazul ~£10)
🛏Casa particular, Viñales
- →Viñales Valley mogote walk
- →Cueva del Indio boat ride
- →Los Jazmines viewpoint
Viñales to Las Terrazas
Las Terrazas
Morning at the Caverna de Santo Tomás with a local guide (~£6-8 pp) — Cuba's largest cave system, walkable with a guide from the community. Then transfer by shared taxi to Las Terrazas (~£20-25 pp, 3-4 hrs) in the Sierra del Rosario biosphere reserve. Check into a community guesthouse or nearby eco-lodge, and swim in the San Juan natural pools and river terraces in the afternoon.
🚌Shared taxi Viñales–Las Terrazas ~£20-25 pp
🛏Community guesthouse / eco-casa, Las Terrazas
- →Caverna de Santo Tomás guided visit
- →San Juan river natural pools swim
- →Biosphere reserve walk
Las Terrazas to Playa Girón — Cueva de los Peces
Playa Girón
Long transfer day by shared taxi or collective minibus south to the Bay of Pigs (~£25-30 pp, 4-5 hrs). Stop en route at Cueva de los Peces — a freshwater cenote just inland from the coast with a snorkel-friendly pool and small snack bar (~£3-5 entry). Arrive and settle into a casa in Playa Girón village, with a swim at the beach before dinner.
🚌Shared taxi Las Terrazas–Playa Girón ~£25-30 pp
🛏Casa particular, Playa Girón
- →Cueva de los Peces swim
- →Playa Girón beach
- →Bay of Pigs coastline drive
Playa Girón to Cienfuegos — Castillo de Jagua ferry
Cienfuegos
Transfer to Cienfuegos (~£20-25 pp, 2 hrs). In the afternoon take the small passenger ferry across the bay to the Castillo de Jagua fortress (~£1-2 pp each way), a 18th-century Spanish fort with a small museum — a favourite with kids. Return and wander the UNESCO-listed Parque Martí and Punta Gorda at sunset.
🚌Shared taxi Playa Girón–Cienfuegos ~£20-25 pp; local ferry ~£1-2 pp
🛏Casa particular, Cienfuegos
- →Ferry to Castillo de Jagua
- →Fortress visit
- →Cienfuegos colonial centre walk
Cienfuegos to Trinidad — colonial town tour
Trinidad
Shared taxi to Trinidad (~£15-20 pp, 1.5 hrs). Check into a family casa in the cobbled centre. Join a locally guided walking tour of the colonial town — Plaza Mayor, the Canchanchara bar, and the Museo Romántico (~£8-10 pp with a private guide arranged by your host, or DIY with a map for free). Evening free to explore the live music scene around the plaza.
🚌Shared taxi Cienfuegos–Trinidad ~£15-20 pp
🛏Casa particular, Trinidad
- →Colonial Trinidad walking tour
- →Plaza Mayor and museums
- →Live son music in the plaza
Trinidad free day — beach or horses
Trinidad
Full free day. Take a taxi or local bus 12 km to Playa Ancón for snorkelling (~£3-5 snorkel hire, ~£6-10 taxi each way) and a beach day under the palms. Alternative: arrange a horseback ride or bicycle tour into the Valle de los Ingenios through your casa host (~£15-25 pp). Evenings back in Trinidad for dinner at a paladar.
🚌Local taxi Trinidad–Playa Ancón ~£6-10 each way
🛏Casa particular, Trinidad
- →Playa Ancón beach and snorkelling
- →Horseback riding in the valley (optional)
- →Cycling to Valle de los Ingenios (optional)
Topes de Collantes + hacienda night
Topes de Collantes
Drive up into the Escambray mountains to Topes de Collantes (~£10-15 pp shared taxi/truck). Take a guided nature walk to the Salto del Caburní or Vegas Grandes waterfalls with a local park guide (~£8-12 pp including entry) — reasonably strenuous for kids but very doable with plenty of swimming stops. Overnight at a rural hacienda or mountain guesthouse.
🚌Shared transfer Trinidad–Topes de Collantes ~£10-15 pp
🛏Hacienda / mountain guesthouse, Topes de Collantes area
- →Topes de Collantes nature reserve walk
- →Caburní waterfall swim
- →Hacienda evening
Topes to Santa Clara — revolution history
Santa Clara
Transfer down to Santa Clara (~£15-20 pp, 2 hrs). Visit the Che Guevara mausoleum and museum at Plaza de la Revolución, plus the Tren Blindado (armoured train) monument — both key sites of the 1958 Battle of Santa Clara, and both entered on cheap tickets (~£2-4 pp, mausoleum free). Explore the lively Vidal Park in the evening.
🚌Shared taxi Topes–Santa Clara ~£15-20 pp
🛏Casa particular or small hotel, Santa Clara
- →Che Guevara mausoleum and museum
- →Tren Blindado armoured train site
- →Vidal Park evening stroll
Santa Clara to Havana — music workshop
Havana
Bus or shared taxi back to Havana (~£15-20 pp, 3 hrs — Viazul bus is also an option from ~£10). In the afternoon, arrange a short percussion or instrument-making workshop with a local music teacher or community arts project in Centro Habana (~£10-15 pp) — a lovely hands-on family experience. Final evening on the Malecón and a farewell dinner.
🚌Bus or shared taxi Santa Clara–Havana ~£15-20 pp
🛏Casa particular, Havana
- →Percussion / instrument-making workshop
- →Malecón evening walk
- →Farewell paladar dinner
Depart Havana
Havana
Breakfast at the casa and transfer to José Martí International Airport for your flight home (~£20-25 per car). If your flight is late, do a last wander around Old Havana's Plaza de Armas craft market.
🚌City to airport taxi ~£20-25 per car
🛏—
- →Airport transfer
- →Optional Old Havana final wander
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£685 | £2,250 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,565 per person (70%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£685
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Cuba Family Adventure — Self-Launched Version cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £685 per person for 12 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 £2,250 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £685 — a saving of roughly £1,565 (70%) per person.
How long is the Cuba trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 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, adventure, beaches 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.