• Cathedral of Santiago de Cuba
  • Santiago de Cuba city, view on the sea
  • Santiago de Cuba city, main plaza
  • Street of Bayamo city
  • Royal Palm trees in Camaguey
  • Giroud Bar Restaurant in Trinidad
  • A Cuban boy on horse during agricultural fair in Sancti Spiritus
  • Artist during the Latin American monologue festival in Cienfuegos

DISCOVER THE COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE

  • Colonial Archituecture of Bayamo's church, Cuba

- Overview -

List of Activities

Day 1
Arrive in Havana's Aeropuerto Internacional José Martí at any time. Transfer to Hotel Melia Habana, check-in and welcome cocktail. Orientation talk in the evening with photographer-guide. Vedado city walk from Hotel Capri to Hotel Nacional.

Day 2
Breakfast at hotel. All-day city walk and photo shoot in the streets of Old Havana.

Day 3
Early flight to Baracoa. Check in at Maguana Village. Baracoa streets city tour, featuring the downtown area and all main landmarks. Visit to iconic Hotel El Castillo and luch at Finca Duaba. Late afternoon tour on kayak across Toa river. Dinner at a local restaurant with a menu of criollo food.

Day 4
Early breakfast at at the hotel. Drive to Santiago through the picturesque La Farola route. Lunch at Santiago's El Castillo del Morro, ancient Spanish fortress. Afternoon tour and photo shoot in the streets of Santiago de Cuba. Accommodation at at Hotel Melia Santiago de Cuba. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 5
Breakfast at at the hotel. Morning road trip to Bayamo, then photo-safari type of expedition into the core of the city. Tour on horse carriage and lunch in a local restaurant. Afternoon transfer to Camagüey and check in at Hotel Santa María. Diner at La Campana de Toledo restaurant and some free time in the evening for you to explore the town on your own.

Day 6
Breakfast at at the hotel. City tour to downtown Camagüey, featuring all main sites. Lunch at a local restaurant. Afternoon road trip to Trinidad and check-in at all-inclusive hotel Breezes Trinidad del Mar. Camera roll review by the pool bar in the early evening with your Cuban photographer-guide.

Day 7
Breakfast at at the hotel. Whole day city tour to Trinidad including all main plazas and landmarks. Visit to the Valle de los Ingenios. Half-hour road trip to Sancti Spíritus and city tour during late afternoon. Check in at Hotel El Rijo.

Day 8
Breakfast at at the hotel. Road trip to Cienfuegos for a downtown tour and street photo shoot. Lunch will be at Palacio del Valle restaurant. Transfer to Havava and check in at Hotel Melia Habana. Time scheduled for camera roll review with your photographer guide.

Day 9
Breakfast at at the hotel. Then we will take the Hemingway in Cuba route in Havana, followed by a visit to his estate of Finca Vigía. Visit to Cojímar fishermen's village. Lunch is at Las Terrazas restaurant. Visit to Guanabacoa and all its main streets and plazas. Evening will be spent at famous Cuban club and cabaret Tropicana.

Day 10
Breakfast at at the hotel. Expedition closure and final imagery review with your tour leader and guide. This day is mostly free so you can make all late arrangements for your trip, although we encourage you to go out to the city on your own one last time, depending on your departure time.
Duration
10 days

Group Size
Small group of 6-8 people

Type of Photography:
Street, Travel, People, Cityscape, Architecture and Landscape photography

Highlights:
People-to-people, cultural and educational trip. Photography and travel advice.

Photographer-guide:
Marcel Fernández

Accommodations:
Hotel Melia Habana, Maguana Village, Hotel Melia Santiago de Cuba, Hotel Santa María, Hotel Breezes Trinidad del Mar, Hotel El Rijo

Featured in this Tour:
Old Havana, Baracoa, Santiago de Cuba, Bayamo, Camaguey, Trinidad, Santi Spiritus, Cienfuegos

Activity Level:
Easy/Moderate

Difficulty Level:
Everybody: Beginners to professionals alike

- Dates & Pricing -

Costs are per person and based on a double occupancy. For requesting a single occupancy please specify "single occupancy" in the bookings form. Please note that prices may vary depending on your selection of dates and type of occupancy.
Minimum number of participants is 5. Once you have submitted your request, one of our team members will contact you confirming the number of participants already enrolled.
You may also request additional Cuba travel services using the bookings form below.
A 20% deposit is required to secure your booking.


Date
Photographer Guide
Cost
Availability
Nov 20 - 29, 2017
Marcel Hernandez
$3373.00
Feb 2 - 11, 2018
Marcel Hernandez
$3373.00
Mar 26 - Apr 4, 2018
Marcel Hernandez
$3373.00
May 14 - 23, 2018
Marcel Hernandez
$3112.80
Jul 2 - 11, 2018
Marcel Hernandez
$3112.80
Aug 20 - 29, 2018
Marcel Hernandez
$3112.80
Oct 8 - 17, 2018
Marcel Hernandez
$3112.80

- Full Itinerary -

  • camera_enhanceDay 1
    Following your arrival in Havana's Jose Marti Airport, you will be transported to Miramar district, where Hotel Melia Havana is located. On the way to the hotel you will get your first impressions of Cuba and by all means feel free to request a quick stop should you see a good shot. Check in at the hotel and meet us a little later for a welcome cocktail and orientation talk. During this time, your tour leader(s) will provide essential information on the activities scheduled and the country itself, and will also answer all of your questions.

    There are no activities scheduled in the evening or nighttime so you can roam freely through this modern, quiet vicinity, very contrasting with what you are about to see in the downtown area over the next few days. Feel free to ask your tour leader for advice on the best places to eat and drink nearby. There are a great many of suitable, high-end paladares in Miramar.
  • camera_enhanceDay 2
    First thing right after breakfast at the hotel is an all-day Old Havana city walk and photo safari. Old Havana is the capital's very own historical district, where you will have the chance to truly immerse yourself in the myriad of colours, textures, shapes and fascinating history of some of Cuba's most cherished architectural treasures. Much of this area is a living and standing museum with hundreds of buildings listed in UNESCO's historic sites.

    There is no other place on the planet quite like Havana's historical downtown. You will be able to witness first-hand its narrow, cobbled streets, the vine-covered, crumbling facades of just about the average residential building, and the heavy-looking, stone facades of Spanish forts that stand out amongst the Caribbean's all-top landmarks of its kind.

    A classic car tour to the gaudy Fusterland follows in the schedule. Fusterlandia is a community art project led by José Fuster, who is a Cuban naif artist and master of the mosaics. The place itself roughly resembles Gaudí's Parque Güell and Pablo Picasso's iconography overall. The Cannon Shot ceremony at the Fortaleza de San Carlos de La Cabaña followed by an informal talk with Cuban photographers are your final happenings of the day.
  • camera_enhanceDay 3
    Breakfast will be at the hotel and right after we'll be taking a flight off to the the fabulous micro-climate of Baracoa. Check in Maguana Village. You tour the town, people to people, meeting everyone who crosses your path. A gregarious and happy people who are very interested in who you are and your town or city. Many Cubans speak English and are great subjects for a photo or two. We take you to the city church and main square, full of history at this landing place of Columbus on his first voyage in 1492. You visit the colonial hotel, El Castillo (The Castle) and have lunch at the Duaba Farm. The round trip takes you by kayak to the Toa river. Dinner is at a charming local restaurant offering a tasty menu of criollo food. In Baracoa have always ready your gear because this is one of the most photogenic places in Cuba!!!
  • camera_enhanceDay 4
    We take you through the mountains, on the picturesque La Farola route through Guantanamo province to fabled Santiago de Cuba with time allotted for photos. Lunch at El Morro (The Castle) for more tasty and healthful criollo food with special international fare. Next a Santiago downtown tour, Enramada Street, Marte Square and the famed Moncada Barrack where the final uprising began. Virgen del Cobre, a nexus for Cuban Catholics is surrounded by mountains and full of the repentant and those seeking guidance. Great opportunity to photograph some very interesting characters. You spend the night at the Melia Santiago Hotel.
  • camera_enhanceDay 5
    Breakfast at the hotel and road trip until Bayamo. Off to the famed Bayamo, where written the Cuban national anthem. When Spanish tried to take Bayamo during the independence war they discovered the place and crops burned to the ground by the "Mambises" the Cuban Liberation Army. Once there, visit and photographs the main square and church. A round trip by horse and carriage will let you shoot the streets and people of Bayamo. After a hearty lunch, back on the road as we head to Camagüey and Hotel Santa Maria. During all road trips you will have time to stop and take photographs of stunning landscapes and villages beside the roads. Once in Camagüey and after accommodation you dine at restaurant Campana de Toledo. At night we will take you to see the night life of the city and prepare tripods and cameras for amazing low light pictures in the ambience of the lights of Camagüey.
  • camera_enhanceDay 6
    In the morning you see the plazas (town squares): Los Trabajodores, Del Gallo, La Caridad, San Juan de Dios and Ignacio Agramonte. You will spend the morning shooting in one of the most historical and well conserved architecture of Cuba, also known as the City of "Tinajones" Camagüey is known for it friendly people and photogenic places and buildings, a perfect opportunity for knowing cuban people and take photos of their daily life. Lunch at a local paladar (a private restaurant). Then we drive to Trinidad to relax in comfort at all-inclusive Breezes Trinidad del Mar hotel. Another opportunity to enjoy the pool and share photos and get to know other guests and cuban people.
  • camera_enhanceDay 7
    Once in Trinidad you will get the chance to walk and photograph a perfect conservated colonial city, with a rich history and plenty photogenic places, this town was a favorite stop over for pirates. So much so that the streets were designed in maze-like puzzles. We go to a craft market giving you a chance to pick up a souvenir or two then a trip to Ingenius Valley and the lookout and the Manaca Iznaga tower. Lunch and a half hour hop to the provincial capital, Sancti Spiritus (Saint Spirit). We go on an afternoon walking tour of sites of interest then dinner after at a nice restaurant. You sleep at El Rijo Hotel.
  • camera_enhanceDay 8
    After breakfast a little over an hour drive brings you to Cienfuegos for a full day at this beautiful city. Known for being the home town of Benny Moré, one of the most famous cuban musician, Cienfuegos is a city full of joyful people and colorful places where you can spend your morning shooting in the streets or making people's portraits. after a morning full of chances to take amazing pictures you will lunch at Palacio del Valle restaurant near the Jagua Hotel. Then onto the highway back to Havana for another relaxing night at luxury hotel. Melia Havana is our first pick for you, a full featured hotel close to all the best night spots or have a break and enjoy the broad range of offers, the best rums and cigars and large swimming pool. Take into account every single place in Cuba is a photographic opportunity and a chance to get once in a lifetime pictures.
  • camera_enhanceDay 9
    Once in Havana see the fascinating museums dedicated to Ernest Hemingway; his plantation at the famous Finca Vigia and seaside home in Cojimar, downtown Cojimar, a fishermen village full of sea landscape where Hemingways inspired to write his novel "The oldman and the sea". We lunch at Las Terrazas de Cojimar restaurant, just beside the house of famous cuban photographer Raul Corrales and then a leisurely drive through the hilly municipality of Guanabacoa, east of Havana proper, where you will be able to shoot in a cuban slum with a great tradition in afro-cuban religion. We highly recommend Guanabacoa for street and people photography. Later rest up at the hotel for the fabulous "flesh goddesses" at the Tropicana Night club dinner included.
  • camera_enhanceDay 10
    After these days of adventures we are sure your head will be full of memories and your camera full of amazing images of the streets, people and most historical places of Cuba. All the foundational cities of Cuba shelter the history of a country full of traditions and contrasts, with the "Colonial Cities Expedition" you will be a witness of the history and will be able to tell through your photographs. On day ten we will give you a send off and you head to the airport. Depending on the time of your flight you may wish to take a walk on the picturesque malecon or photograph art at some of the better galleries in Miramar.

- Important Info -

  • hotelAccommodation
    Whilst we have visited all hotels featured in this tour, you need to be advised that sometimes even in top end hotels in Cuba, the standard are of the same as in other counties you might have previously visited.

    Right now Cuba is an exciting destination, with rapidly changing local conditions and legislation. Hence, Cuba has seen a massive increase in tourism lately, which has put a strain on local tourist infrastructure. While we will strive to operate our tours as closely to published, minor tour modifications, such as accommodation changes, may be necessary with no advance notice. In any case, we guarantee that the itinerary and activities will not be affected.
  • restaurantMeals
    Unless differently specified, only breakfast is included. Food in Cuba is very tasty and cheap, locals take their time to eat all together around a table and fast foods restaurants are still not very common, although recently some have opened their doors; allow USD25-30 per meal if not included. In our itinerary, we have included restaurant suggestions, so members can eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. Although recommended, there is no obligation to do so.
  • card_membershipTourist Cards / Visas
    Not included in this package.
    Almost everybody needs a Cuban Tourist Card/Visa to enter in Cuba. You can check our website www.cubavisas.com for more information.
  • local_hospitalMedical Travel Insurance
    Not included in this package.
    From 01 May 2010 all tourists entering Cuba will require "Medical Travel Insurance" that is on a Government approved list. We urge you to check with your insurance provider to ensure your policy is on the list of approved providers. If it is not, tourists will be forced to purchase a Government approved policy on arrival in Cuba. The cost of buying this insurance in Cuba will be in addition to any insurance already purchased, and it is likely the rates for these polices will be inflated compared to what you may purchase in advance from home.
  • monetization_onMoney
    Cuba has 2 different currency: CUC for non-Cuban citizens and CUP for Cuban nationals. The value of CUC is set 1:1 with the USD. However, when exchanging USD in CUC a commission of 10% is applied.

    CUCs are only available in Cuba and they can be purchased at the Cuban airports, banks, some hotels and Cadecas or Casas de Cambio (currency exchange offices). In the main cities ATMs are available. Cards accepted in Cuba are Visa, MasterCard and for Americans Stonegate Bank and Banco Popular de Puerto Rico - you should check with your financial institutions for the latest information. You will be charged a 3% processing fee for a cash advance from the Cuban bank as well as whatever your home bank charges.
  • location_onJoining Instruction
    Our photographer/guide will welcome you at Havana international airport, if you arrive in Cuba on the same day the tours starts. If you cannot find him, please contact the emergency number provided or make your own way to Hotel Capri (or the alternative starting hotel if you have been notified of a modification).

    If you arrive in Cuba before the tour starting date, please meet our photographer/guide directly at Hotel Capri (or the alternative starting hotel if you have been notified of a modification).

    If your arrival to Cuba is for any reason delayed, please contact our Sales and Customer Service Team as soon as possible (sales@cubafotografia.com). We will have to start the tour on the set date anyway, unless you are travelling in a group and this tour is exclusive to your group.
  • assignment_indTour Leader
    While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad knowledge of Cuba, including historical, cultural and religious aspects, aside of the socio-cultural side which they live and experience on their everyday life.

    Please note that Day 1 is an arrival day and no activities have been planned for that day other than your welcome meeting in the evening, so you can arrive at any time. Similarly the last day is a departure day during which no activities have been planned.
  • local_mallWhat to Take
    Your photography equipment!
    We recommend a practical and easy to carry luggage or backpack - you must be able to carry your own package throughout the whole itinerary - and a good size day pack.
  • playlist_add_checkCheck List
    Documents:
    Flight info and tickets
    Insurance info + photocopies
    Passport + photocopies
    Tourist Card / Visa + photocopies
    Vouchers + photocopies

    Essentials:
    Your photography equipment + extra memory cards and batteries
    Cash, credit and debit cards
    First-aid kit (Aspirin, Ibuprofen, band aids/plasters, tape, anti-histamines, antibacterial gel/wipes, antiseptic cream, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhoea, rehydration powder, insect repellent, sewing kit, extra prescription drugs you may be taking)
    Sunscreen lotion
    Flash light/torch (Headlamps are ideal)
    Sun hat/bandana
    Outlet adapter
    Personal entertainment (cards, music player, reading and writing materials, etc.)
    Sunglasses
    Toiletries
    Watch and alarm clock
  • local_atmTipping
    Not included in this package.
    As in most of South and Central American countries, tipping expected, though not mandatory. The salary of state-owned enterprises is quite low, so although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to some of the people you will meet. Your hotel maid, waitress or taxi driver will value your tips (propinas in Cuba).
  • directions_runOptional Activities
    Our CubaFotografia Expeditions are quite tight, but please feel free to let us know if you would like to participate in any additional activity.

- Book This Tour -

Please fill out this booking form carefully. After you click on "Send", please allow 1-2 business days for one of our Cuba travel specialists to get in touch via email for deposit and payment arrangements, as well as for any other details resulting from your booking choices.

Thank you for requesting a booking of our Havana Street Tour. You will shortly receive an email regarding the details of your request. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
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- Colonial Cities, 10 days -