Treasures of Cuba: Self-Launched Edition
15 days · Cuba
G Adventures charges £2,199
No-markup version: ~£835 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 15-day loop from Havana to eastern Cuba and back — vintage-car city tours, colonial towns, the mountains of the Sierra Maestra, Caribbean beaches at Baracoa and Trinidad, and nights in Cuban casas particulares. Instead of a private tour vehicle and a CEO, you'll use Viazul coaches, shared taxis (collectivos) and local taxis, book casas directly, and pick up guides and activities as you go. Note: everything in Cuba runs on cash — bring euros or GBP in good-condition notes and budget accordingly. Costs below are approximate per-person estimates and exclude international flights, the Cuban tourist card (~£25-40) and mandatory medical insurance.
Day-by-day
Arrive Havana
Havana
Fly into José Martí International Airport (HAV) and take an official airport taxi to your casa particular in Centro or the Vedado area (~£20-25 for the car, split if sharing). Settle in, meet your hosts, and take a gentle evening wander along the Malecón. Stock up on cash before arrival — ATMs and card payments are unreliable across the island.
🚌Official airport taxi from HAV international terminal (~£20-25 per car)
🛏Casa particular, Centro Habana or Vedado (~£15-20/night, private room with bathroom)
- →Malecón sunset stroll
- →Meet casa hosts, get oriented
Havana by vintage car and on foot
Havana
Book a classic-car city tour directly through your casa host or on the street around Parque Central — a one-hour shared/private ride through Vedado, Miramar and the Revolution Square area runs about £20-30 per car (negotiate). In the afternoon, join a free/cheap walking tour of Old Havana (tip-based, ~£5-10) covering the plazas, cathedral and colonial streets. Evening option: Tropicana cabaret (~£60-80) or a cheaper local jazz bar in Vedado.
🚌Walking + classic car tour
🛏Casa particular, Havana
- →Vintage car city tour (~£25 per car)
- →Old Havana walking tour (tip-based)
- →Optional: Tropicana cabaret or Vedado jazz bar
Havana to Sancti Spíritus
Sancti Spíritus
Take a morning Viazul coach from Havana's Viazul terminal toward Sancti Spíritus (roughly 6-7 hours, ~£25-30) — book a day or two ahead online or at the terminal. Arrive in the afternoon and self-orient around this quiet colonial city: the bridge over the Río Yayabo, the Parroquial Mayor church and the main plaza. Ask your casa host about the best local paladar for dinner.
🚌Viazul coach Havana → Sancti Spíritus (~£25-30)
🛏Casa particular, Sancti Spíritus (~£12-15/night)
- →Río Yayabo bridge and colonial centre walk
Overland to Bayamo
Bayamo
Continue east — Viazul connections run via Santa Clara/Camagüey, or ask your casa to arrange a shared collectivo taxi for a faster, more direct run to Bayamo (~£25-35 depending on numbers). Spend the afternoon in Cuba's 'cradle of the nation': the pedestrianised Plaza de la Revolución, the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes house museum, and a horse-drawn cart ride like the locals do (~£3-5).
🚌Viazul coach or shared collectivo to Bayamo (~£25-35)
🛏Casa particular, Bayamo (~£12-15/night)
- →Plaza de la Revolución
- →Casa de Céspedes museum
- →Optional horse-cart tour (~£4)
Bayamo to Baracoa
Baracoa
The long, spectacular haul over the mountains to Baracoa — Viazul runs most days (roughly 6-7 hours, ~£20-25) and the road through the Sierra del Purial is a highlight in itself. On arrival, walk the seaside malecón and the compact colonial centre, and try Baracoa's signature dishes: cucurucho (coconut and honey in a palm cone) and tetí.
🚌Viazul coach Bayamo → Baracoa (~£20-25)
🛏Casa particular, Baracoa (~£12-15/night)
- →Malecón and old town orientation
- →Try cucurucho and local chocolate
Baracoa community and countryside
Baracoa
Explore the rural communities and small businesses around Baracoa independently: visit a cacao farm such as Finca Duaba (~£16-20 including transport and tasting), see how coconut oil and chocolate are made, and stop by the Finca La Esperanza area. Most casas can arrange a local guide or driver for a half-day loop (~£10-15). Evening on the boardwalk with a rum and a view.
🚌Local taxi/shared car for countryside loop (~£10-15)
🛏Casa particular, Baracoa
- →Finca Duaba cacao farm visit (~£18)
- →Local community and small-business visits
Baracoa free day: beaches and waterfalls
Baracoa
Full free day. Options: hike to El Yunque (the anvil-shaped mountain, ~£15-20 with a local guide), take a boat-and-hike trip up the Río Yumurí (~£10-12), or head to Maguana or Playa Blanca for a Caribbean beach day (~£5-10 by shared taxi). Rent a bike from your casa (~£5/day) if you want to pootle along the coast. Don't buy snail-shell souvenirs — the Polimita snail is under threat.
🚌Shared taxi or bicycle for beach/waterfall trips (~£5-12)
🛏Casa particular, Baracoa
- →El Yunque hike with local guide (~£18)
- →Río Yumurí boat trip (~£12)
- →Beach time at Maguana or Playa Blanca
Baracoa to Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba
Take the dramatic coastal road to Santiago de Cuba — Viazul (~£12-15, about 4-5 hours) or a shared collectivo (~£15-20). On arrival, wander the hilly streets of Cuba's Afro-Cuban capital: Parque Céspedes, the cathedral, and the Moncloa steps. In the evening, catch live son or trova music at Casa de la Trova (~£3-5 entry) — the birthplace of Cuban rhythms, after all.
🚌Viazul coach or collectivo Baracoa → Santiago de Cuba (~£12-20)
🛏Casa particular, Santiago de Cuba (~£12-15/night)
- →Parque Céspedes and cathedral walk
- →Live music at Casa de la Trova (~£4)
Santiago sites to the Sierra Maestra
Sierra Maestra
Morning for Santiago's revolutionary sites: the Moncada Barracks, Santa Ifigenia cemetery (resting place of Fidel Castro and José Martí) and the Bacardí museum — all cheap entry (~£2-3 each). Collectivos can take you there (~£2-3 per ride). Then arrange a taxi up into Sierra Maestra National Park (~£25-35 per car) to stay in simple wooden cabins by the Yara River. Bring cash — there are no ATMs up here.
🚌Local taxis in Santiago + private taxi up to Sierra Maestra (~£30 per car)
🛏Cabins near the Yara River, Sierra Maestra (~£20-25/night)
- →Moncada Barracks (~£3)
- →Santa Ifigenia cemetery (~£2)
- →Optional Bacardí museum
Che's trail to Camagüey
Camagüey
Walk the trail to Comandancia de la Plata, the guerrilla headquarters in the mountains, with a local park guide (~£10-15 including guide and transport arrangements) — the route follows in the footsteps of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. Afterwards, head down to Camagüey (~£20-25 by shared taxi), Cuba's largest and most labyrinthine colonial city. Take a bicitaxi tour (~£3-5) through the plazas and markets, then find a rooftop bar for sundowners.
🚌Local guide transport + shared taxi Sierra Maestra → Camagüey (~£25)
🛏Casa particular, Camagüey (~£12-15/night)
- →Comandancia de la Plata hike with local guide (~£12)
- →Bicitaxi tour of Camagüey (~£4)
Camagüey to Trinidad, salsa night
Trinidad
Travel on to Trinidad by Viazul (~£15-18, 5-6 hours). Arrive and self-orient in one of Cuba's best-preserved colonial towns — cobblestones, pastel houses, the Plaza Mayor. Book a group salsa lesson directly through your casa or a local dance school (~£8-12 for an hour) and practise your moves later at Casa de la Música on the steps of the Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad (~£3-5 entry).
🚌Viazul coach Camagüey → Trinidad (~£16)
🛏Casa particular, Trinidad (~£15-18/night)
- →Plaza Mayor orientation walk
- →Salsa lesson (~£10)
- →Casa de la Música evening (~£4)
Trinidad free day: Topes de Collantes or Ancón
Trinidad
Choose your own adventure: a day trip into Topes de Collantes National Park to hike to the Salto del Caburní waterfall (~£20-25 with transport and guide), or a lazy beach day at Playa Ancón (~£5-8 by shared taxi, plus lounger). Diving and snorkelling can be booked onsite at the Ancón dive centre. In the evening, ask your casa family to cook an authentic dinner for you (~£10-12) — the best meal of the trip, usually.
🚌Shared taxi to Topes de Collantes or Playa Ancón (~£5-10)
🛏Casa particular, Trinidad
- →Salto del Caburní hike (~£22)
- →Playa Ancón beach and snorkelling
- →Home-cooked dinner with casa family (~£11)
Trinidad to Cienfuegos or the Bay of Pigs
Cienfuegos
Head west — either to elegant Cienfuegos, a UNESCO-listed French-founded port city (~£10-12 by Viazul or collectivo), or via the Bay of Pigs for snorkelling at Playa Girón (best arranged as a shared car day, ~£30-40). Explore Cienfuegos' Punta Gorda and Palacio de Valle, and catch a sunset from the malecón.
🚌Viazul or collectivo Trinidad → Cienfuegos (~£11)
🛏Casa particular, Cienfuegos (~£13-16/night)
- →Punta Gorda and Palacio de Valle
- →Malecón sunset
Cienfuegos to Havana
Havana
Return to Havana by Viazul (~£18-22, 4-5 hours). Spend your last afternoon filling gaps: the Museo de la Revolución, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, a wander through Havana's second-hand book market in Plaza de Armas, or a final cigar-and-rum stop. Book a taxi to the airport for tomorrow depending on your flight time.
🚌Viazul coach Cienfuegos → Havana (~£20)
🛏Casa particular, Havana (~£15-20/night)
- →Museo de la Revolución (~£6)
- →Plaza de Armas book market
- →Last-night paladar dinner
Depart Havana
Havana
Spend any remaining CUP before you leave — it's illegal to export Cuban pesos and airport CADECA queues can be long. Take a pre-booked taxi (~£20-25) to José Martí International Airport. Double-check any US transit rules if your route passes through the States, as travel to Cuba can affect ESTA eligibility.
🚌Taxi to HAV airport (~£20-25 per car)
🛏N/A
- →Exchange remaining CUP
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£835 | £2,199 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,364 per person (62%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£835
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 Treasures of Cuba: Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £835 per person for 15 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 £2,199 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £835 — a saving of roughly £1,364 (62%) per person.
How long is the Cuba trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 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?
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