On June 9, 2022, the Department of The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) published the new amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 CFR part 515. The existing 12 categories of Cuba legal travel remain in place. The General License for Group People-to-people Educational Travel has been reinstated while the General License for Individual People-to-people Educational Travel has been eliminated. The US embassy in Havana will remain open and commercial flights are allowed to Havana and other regional cities. Learn more about the updated
Cuba Travel Regulations
Cuba Tours
Whether you want to go to Cuba for Professional Research, Support for the Cuban People, Professional Meetings, Religious Activities, Public Performances, Exhibitions or Workshops, chances are you can find a Cuba tour that matches your interest in our 2024 rooster. Here’s our full roster of Cuba tours:
Travels to Havana, Bay of Pigs, Trinidad..
Dec 26 to Jan 2, 2025 $2,599
Authentic Cuba Travel®, Your Gateway to Authentic Cuba Unparalleled USA Cuba Travel Expertise
Authentic Cuba Travel® provides travel services to Cuba for educational institutions, organizations, and travelers from USA, Canada and all over the world.
We take care of flights to Cuba’s main destinations departing from USA ports (Miami, Tampa, New York, Los Angeles, and others) or through third countries like Canada and Mexico. Authorized US travelers can travel through a third country subject to the same restrictions and requirements as those flying directly from USA.
After the publication of the new amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (31 CFR Part 515) on June 9, 2022, none of the existing 12 categories of Cuba legal travel have been eliminated, the US embassy in Havana will remain open and commercial flights will continue. Cruise ships are prohibited from departing the U.S. on temporary sojourn to Cuba. Furthermore, the General License authorization that was in place within these 12 categories was not eliminated either.
US Educational, Cultural & Religious Institutions can organize a trip to Cuba for their members under the General License for Educational Activities; the General License for Support for the Cuban People; the General License for Professional Research; the General License for Religious Travel; the General License for Semi-Professional & Amateur International Sports Competition; and others.
However, most of these US organizations do not have the legal contracts with Cuban providers, the contacts and the know-how in Cuba to run their trips. It can take years for US organizations to obtain all approvals and permissions from the Cuban Ministry of Tourism and other pertaining Cuban bodies.
Those US organizations (including US tour operators and travel agencies) rely on the travel services of a well-established Cuba tour operator like Authentic Cuba Travel® that:
has many years of experience in the Cuba travel industry;
has all contracts, contacts and approvals in Cuba to run any sort of Cuba group tours from US;
has the best rates in the industry due to high volume of travelers, years of operation, and reputation among Cuban travel service providers (hotels, transportation companies, tour guides, ect);
has the largest selection of thematic Cuba tours (educational, arts, architecture, sports, ect) to choose from.
There is no doubt that Cuba is one of the most incredible travel destinations in the Caribbean. So much of history has happened here over the course of hundreds of years, and due to political issues that have strained Cuba travel and tourism, much of the Cuban culture lies relatively untouched by outside influences. At Authentic Cuba Travel®, this is the side of the island that we want our travellers to see and explore. We want to take you beyond tourist resorts and beautiful beaches and into authentic Cuba.
Getting to know the authentic Cuba means taking the time to see smaller towns and villages. It means getting to explore Cuba’s architecture, see Cuba’s beautiful parks and nature reserves, and hear Cuba’s music and spend time with the Cuban people. Our Cuba educational & cultural tours will do so much more than simply give you fun in the sun; we can provide a true cultural experience. So many people outside of Cuba know only what they have read in history books or seen on television, but the true Cuban experience is one that is richer, broader, and deeper than you could possibly imagine.
Take the time to look through the large selection of thematic authentic Cuba tours we offer and we are sure you’ll understand why Authentic Cuba Travel® is your gateway into the authentic Cuba.
Authentic Cuba Travel® proudly supports the campaign Autentica Cuba (AUTHENTIC CUBA) by the Cuban Tourist Board of Canada. Take a tour of the real Cuba!
Authentic Cuba Travel®'s Core Values
Despite the fact that almost 4 million travellers come to Cuba each year, very few people get the opportunity to see and experience the real Cuba that can only be found outside of overcrowded tourist resorts and sunny beaches.
What makes Cuba unique are its people and its culture. For travellers seeking more than just a fun in the sun getaway, Cuba cultural and educational travel from Authentic Cuba Travel® offers a completely different approach to Cuba tourism. Each year we run more than 70 unique authentic Cuba tours that offer anything from festivals and cultural events to arts, architecture, nature, and more. At Authentic Cuba Travel®, we work to create escorted Cuba tours that help better capture Cuba’s cultural identity and to showcase what makes Cuba authentic even among other Caribbean islands.
To put it plainly, we want people who embark on our authentic cuba tours to have the opportunity to experience the real Cuba; to eat the Cuban food, speak with the Cuban people, and see Cuba the way locals see it. The moment you contact our Cuba travel agency, you speak with bilingual tour directors with years of experience in the Cuban travel industry. Better still, once you arrive on the island, you will find that your tour escort will be a world-renowned, Cuban expert and university graduate.
Another quality that helps set Authentic Cuba Travel® apart is that all of our fully escorted tours to Cuba are built on the principles of sustainable tourism. In short, it means that our travellers are given the chance to see and experience the authentic Cuba because we make a promise to respect the people, culture, and environment during our tours.
Cuban locals play a large role in developing our itineraries in accordance with the rules and guidelines of the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism, and actually receive a large percentage of the money generated by our tours.
The staff here at Authentic Cuba Travel® has gathered years of firsthand experience in Cuba’s tourism industry as well as in working with North American travellers. If you are looking for the opportunity to experience the real Cuba, Authentic Cuba Travel® is your gateway to the authentic Cuba.
US Cuba Legal Travel
In terms of visiting Cuba, legal travel from the USA has been all but impossible for over half a century.
Right now, however, a rare alteration in travel regulations made by former US President Barack Obama offers US citizens, professionals, educators and students the opportunity to go to Cuba under the General License for Educational Activities, Support for the Cuban People, Professional Research among others.
After the publication of the new amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (31 CFR Part 515) on June 9, 2022, all 12 categories of legal Cuba travel remain unaffected.
Here at Authentic Cuba Travel®, we offer Cuba education tours, Cuba cultural tours, Cuba religious tours, Cuba study tours, Cuba architecture tours, Cuba festival travel, custom tours and more.
The future of travel from the US to Cuba is uncertain, and right now, US travelers still have the chance to go to Cuba legally for Professional Research, Support for the Cuban People, Religious Activities, and other venues. Learn more at authenticuba.com
It’s been a few years now since the US Department of The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) reintroduced the so called people-to-people tours to the Caribbean island. Recent surveys show that the ordinary Cuban has now a better and more educated opinion of Americans which was the main objective of the Cuba travel program. Surprisingly it also shows that the majority of Americans traveling to Cuba do also return to USA with a better understanding of the communist nation and the negative impact of the US Embargo on the Cuban people.
International Ballet Festival of Havana 2024. Organized by the Cuba’s National Ballet, the International Ballet Festival of Havana draws dancers, choreographers and companies from all over the globe.
Authentic Cuba cultural travel goes to Havana for the 40th Jazz Festival of Havana 2024 organized by renowned Cuban jazz musician Chucho Valdes will run January 19- 26, 2025 at several locations in Havana.
Travel to the festival with the highest attendance in Cuba: the 33erd Havana International Book Fair 2025 that will begin in Havana City on February 2024, and then it will spread east and west of the capital. The book fair will end in Santiago de Cuba.
Authentic Cuba Travel® Lifetime Deposits offers any of our tour participants forced to delay a departure to retain their deposit for use at a later date at no extra charge and NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
For Authentic Cuba Travel® safety always comes first. Constant on-tour safety expertise & on-site assistance. Your safety is our top priority.
Nobody knows Cuba as Authentic Cuba Travel®! Our staff is fluent in English and Spanish and have lived and worked in Cuba Travel Industry for over 10 years. Guaranteed!
Sustainable tourism is where our Cuba tour participants can enjoy their holiday and at the same time respect the authentic culture of local people and also respect the environment.
