Morning: Authentic Cuba Travel@’ specialist photography tours are designed to give you close, unforgettable encounters escorted by expert Cuban guides and professional award-winning Cuban photographers like Natasha Forcade, Abel Ernesto, Ricardo Lopez, Yander Zamora and others.

Accompanied by a Cuban specialist photographic guide, your photographic Cuba travel experience will begin right away with a day trip to Vinales Valley. Visually striking, the valley contains a number of unusual geological features including caverns and magotes—rocky hills with cliff-like sides and domed tops.

As part of our support for the Cuban people and photo shooting session this morning, we will be visiting tobacco farms and meeting with local farmers who have been growing the finest tobacco in the world for centuries. In fact, Pinar del Rio’s tobacco accounts for almost 70% of all tobacco produced in the Caribbean island. Ask any Cuban cigar connoisseur and they all agree it is the best quality.

After meeting with traditional tobacco farmers in the valley, your Cuba travel will make a stop at the “Mural de la Prehistoria.” Leovigildo Morillos painted this giant mural on the side of a magote in the early 1960s.

Lunch: our tours to Cuba for Americans feature a delicious traditional lunch at the privately-owned bar-restaurant Paladar Yuri & Nino, El Campesino. Yuri is a young woman entrepreneur who started this small restaurant that has expanded into a large establishment. Yuri and her family work hard to create delicious and plentiful food that comes with a beautiful mountain view.

During our specialist photography expeditions to Cuba, lunch breaks provide an excellent opportunity for your Cuban specialist photographic guide for the day to talk about how to be more resourceful with your composition and exposure given the current light conditions of the day. Your professional award-winning Cuban photographer will also discuss the proper use of shutter speed and aperture, filters and long exposure and other technical aspects so that you can capture that perfect image in the photographic setting you are visiting today.

After lunch, your Cuba journey will continue with a fascinating boat ride through Cueva del Indio on its underground stream. Part of a massive system of caverns, the caves were used by early Amerindians—as evidenced by cave painting—and as a hiding place for African slaves escaping their Spanish masters.

During the afternoon you’ll have time to wander Viñales town and to photograph its quaint small houses and local church, take-in the handicraft market or Viñales’ famous cigar shop, or just enjoy snapping the world as it strolls by your lens.

Return to your accommodation in Havana.

Evening: After refreshing yourself at the hotel, Authentic Cuba Travel® suggests visiting Club La Zorra y El Cuervo. It’s a must-do for jazz enthusiasts and a great way for anyone who enjoys music to experience the jazz stylings of authentic Cuba. (Not included.)

Morning: escorted by a Cuban specialist photographic guide, we board privately-owned Cuba’s vintage American cars from the 1950’s to continue our Cuba photography journey with a tour through various sections of Havana… in style.

In 1960, the new government of Cuba nationalized numerous US-owned businesses, in response; the US government imposed a total ban on exports to Cuba, so the regular import of American-made cars to the island was completely cut off overnight. Your participation in these activities directly supports the Cuban people and the Cuban families financially while encouraging independent entrepreneurial activities that in turn strengthen civil society in Cuba.

You’ll see modern construction and public art in places like the Square of Revolution and the University of Havana, as well as contrasting, traditional, buildings and monuments like the Cementerio de Cristóbal Colón.

Lunch: a new wave of paladares (privately-owned restaurants) has recently swept the Cuban dining scene offering excellent food and charming ambient. Today we’ll enjoy a welcome lunch at the stylish Paladar San Cristobal, one of Havana's top ten private restaurants. Eating in private family-run restaurants directly supports the Cuban people and the Cuban families financially while encouraging independent entrepreneurial activities that in turn strengthen civil society in Cuba. Even President Obama and his family are among the patrons of this paladar!

During our specialist photography expeditions to Cuba, lunch breaks provide an excellent opportunity for your Cuban specialist photographic guide for the day to talk about how to be more resourceful with your composition and exposure given the current light conditions of the day. Your professional award-winning Cuban photographer will also discuss the proper use of shutter speed and aperture, filters and long exposure and other technical aspects so that you can capture that perfect image in the photographic setting you are visiting today.

Afternoon: Get your cameras ready as your authentic Cuba tour continues with a walk through Old Havana. This UNESCO World Heritage Site provides ample opportunity to take some great photos as you stroll through ‘Habana Vieja’s’ historic squares.

From the Square of Arms where the Spanish colonial forces conducted their drills, to the monumental, baroque Cathedral that gives Cathedral Square its name, you’ll be treated to people watching, colonial architecture, and a pace of life that can only be described as authentic Cuba.

You’ll have the chance to see the magnificent restoration work that has been done on buildings like the 16th century, Castillo de la Real Fuerza, a Spanish fortress complete with a water-filled moat.

Another visual treat will be a stop in to observe the young lithographers making prints at the Taller Experimental de Gráfica.

Your Cuba cultural tour of Old Havana will continue past rambling little side streets into the Square of San Francisco and then to Plaza Vieja, the crossroads of Old Havana featuring a mix of architecture varying from art nouveau to baroque.

The final stop of the day includes a chance to both shop and take photographs in Old Havana’s delightful handicraft market. You’ll find handmade pottery, jewelry and leather goods, authentic Cuba clothing, and fanciful paper maché.

Tonight there will be the chance to shoot photographs while soldiers in 18th century costumes shoot cannons! Making the short journey across the harbor with your Authentic Cuba Tours guide, you’ll get a taste of a popular tradition, as well as a stellar view of Havana, at the “ Fire of the Cannon of 9 O'Clock.” We will enjoy the last lights of the day with an eagle-like view to Old Havana and Havana City.

Morning: returning to Plaza Vieja, you’ll be immersed in Cuban photography at the Fototeca de Cuba, a preeminent archive, museum, and exhibition space. During your visit, you’ll have a chance to view the permanent and rotating photographic exhibitions, as well as talk to the staff about their ongoing projects to study, preserve and exhibit the photographic legacy of the authentic Cuba.

On our way to lunch, there will be a wonderful photographic opportunity at Callejon de Hamel, an innovative and imaginative community art installation. Using entire buildings as canvases, the late Salvador Gonzales grounded his fantastic paintings and mesmerizing sculptures in themes taken from Afro-Cuban legend. Local artists will be present to meet with the Authentic Cuba photo tour to discuss the impact of community art. This Support for the Cuban people activity will result in a meaningful interaction with the individuals of the community of Centro Havana, Cuba.

Lunch: during our support for the Cuban people trip to Cuba, we will engage in authorized support for the Cuban people activities such as visits to internationally recognized Cuban based independent community projects whose programs promote independent activity intended to strengthen the civil society in Cuba. Our midday meal today will include a little food for the soul as we visit the residence and workplace of one of Cuba’s most original and well-known artists. Our luncheon host, Jose Fuster, works in a variety of mediums and is a wonderful ambassador for Cuban culture.

Afternoon: our Cuba cultural agenda this afternoon offers an intimate look into the world of some established photographers as well as a glimpse of Cuba’s photographic future.

With independent studio visits to well-known contemporary photographers like Juan Carlos Alom and Rene Pena as well as up and coming artists, you’ll have a rare chance to interact photographer to photographer.

This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a photography workshop and to discuss your ideas with expert Cuban photographers that will sure take your photography skills to the next level. At the same time, patronizing Cuban photographers directly supports the Cuban people and the Cuban families financially while encouraging independent entrepreneurial activities that in turn strengthen civil society in Cuba.

Evening: Tonight the Cuba photography trip will attend a reception at the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, a non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to the promotion of Cuban art. Working to create Cuba cultural bridges to other countries, LFC encourages international dialogue.

Morning: Cuba explorer tours Cienfuegos City en route to Trinidad. Cienfuegos is not a large city, but it is home to one of the busiest harbors on the island and its historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Upon arrival in Cienfuegos city, we will visit Proyecto Comunitario Trazos Libres (Free Strokes Community Project), a cultural community project founded by contemporary Cuban visual artist, Santiago Hermes in La Gloria neighborhood, in Cienfuegos city.

La Gloria neighborhood offers a unique photogenic location for the avid Cuba travel photographer to capture the authentic Cuba. Cubans are some of the most engaging and friendly models for portrait photography found anywhere in the world. This visit is a great opportunity to take amazing pictures of locals going about their daily lives. It is also a perfect setting for amazing street photography and architectural photography.

Hermes has turned his house into the operational base for a cooperative of local artists whose work center around the preservation and promotion of Cuban artistic traditions through the production of art exhibits, performances and installations about the sugar, cigar and coffee production.

During this Support for the Cuban People visit, we will mingle among the artists and enjoy unique handicrafts, murals, photographs, and traditional costumes. We will learn more about the role of this Cuban based nongovernmental art collective in the promotion of culture in countryside Cuba.

Lunch is included at Paladar Ache, one of Cienfuegos top ten private restaurants, serving local specialties in a pleasant courtyard.

Singled out by UNESCO for its extensive and well-preserved Neo-classical architecture, Cienfuegos boasts 333 structures built in the 19th century or earlier. Cienfuegos is also home to the Paseo de Prado, the longest tree-lined boulevard on the island.

Known as “The Pearl of the South,” Cienfuegos offers much to please the photographer’s eye including gorgeous domed buildings, an asymmetrical Cathedral with stunning stained glass, and the Tomas Terry Theater, a national monument with an excellent ceiling fresco and its original, wooden, theater seats.

Following the lead of a professional Cuban photographer, your authentic Cuba photography odyssey continues with a stroll through the old city, a fabulous example of early urban planning. Carefully constructed to take you to the most photogenic locations (taking into account different lighting conditions), your itinerary also helps our photographers visualize a scene before pressing the shutter to capture that perfect image.

Next, you’ll have an excellent view of the bay from Palacio de Valle, an opulent, early 20th century home. Originally built for a wealthy sugar merchant, it presents a strikingly eclectic blend of European and Moorish architectural features and has three towers in three distinct architectural styles.

Before departing Cienfuegos, we’ll stop at Galleria de Arte Maroya located on the main city park. Featuring a variety of work by local artists and artisans, the gallery is especially known for Fidel Lopez’s handmade replicas of Spanish galleons.

Now we journey on to the historic city of Trinidad and check in at your Luxury Casa Particular. You'll have time for dinner and a swim in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Morning: you’ll hardly believe you are still in the 21st century as you spend your day on a guided cultural tour of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Trinidad & The Sugar Mill Valley. The avid Cuba travel photographer will enjoy our itinerary in Trinidad and the Sugar Mill Valley with amazing street photography and colonial architectural photography as well as landscape and wildlife photography. Trinidad and the Sugar Mill Valley should be at the top of any photographer’s list who wants to capture stunning images.

You can take plenty of photographs as you walk the streets, visit museums located in historic buildings, and stop at a lookout tower for a breathtaking view of the Sugar Mill Valley. However, most foreign photographers who visit the city are quite weighed down by the sheer number of photographic opportunities available. Each street, each house, each street market, each individual has a unique appeal to the creative photographer. No worries, your Cuban specialist photographic guide will provide an amazing turnkey walking tour that will fast forwards you to the best settings at the best hours.

One unusual stop is the Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra Bandidos, a historical museum housed in a former convent. Dedicated to the struggle against mountain-based counterrevolutionaries, part of an American U2 spy plane brought down over Cuba is also exhibited.

Lunch at Solananda Paladar. Eating in private family-run restaurants directly supports the Cuban people and the Cuban families financially while encouraging independent entrepreneurial activities that in turn strengthen civil society in Cuba.

During our specialist photography expeditions to Cuba, lunch breaks provide an excellent opportunity for your Cuban specialist photographic guide for the day to talk about how to be more resourceful with your composition and exposure given the current light conditions of the day. Your professional award-winning Cuban photographer will also discuss the proper use of shutter speed and aperture, filters and long exposure and other technical aspects so that you can capture that perfect image in the photographic setting you are visiting today.

Afternoon: accompanied by your Cuban photographer leader, your photographic Cuba travel experience will continue to the Sugar Mill Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is one of the most photographed landscapes in Cuba, as well as a must-see place in every tour made in that village. The monumental value of the 65 sites that form the valley increases the interest to visit this place, where important vestiges of the island's sugar colonization still survive.

The regal mansion of the slave-owner Mariano Borrel still astonishes because of its colossal columns, its arcades, its roof, and the elegance of its well-preserved interiors holding frescos with exotic landscapes and friezes set out by the Italian artist Daniel Dall Aglio. A watch out tower, the Manaca-Iznaga Tower, stands 143 feet (43.5 meters) high a mile away from the main mansion, and offers the best views of the valley from the top. The tower was built to watch over the slaves working in the sugar plantations, in order to prevent their escape.

After lunch we’ll also stop to visit a local family of artisans who have been making handmade pottery for more than 100 years. The Santander Family definitely represents the best of authentic Cuba. Cubans are some of the most engaging and friendly models for portrait photography found anywhere in the world. This visit is a great opportunity to take amazing pictures of locals working on their pottery wheels! Shopping in these sorts of independent businesses directly supports the Cuban staff and their families while encouraging independent entrepreneurial activities that in turn strengthen civil society in Cuba.

For a lively musical outing and a chance to do a little dancing, head over to the Casa de la Música. At 10pm you can join with locals on its sweeping staircase for a salsa show. Full salsa concerts are also held in the rear courtyard for a small cover charge.

Morning: Today’s adventure includes a short trip into the Escambray Mountains via Russian army trucks, worthy of their own photographs!

While the south face of the mountains is rather dry, the north facing side of the mountains is home to a wide variety of trees and lush tropical plants. These mountains are a landscape photographer’s paradise and provide infinite opportunities to capture unique natural and outdoors scenes. Once again, the lead of your Cuban specialist photographic guide is invaluable to show you to the best settings under different lighting conditions.

Lunch: we’ll have an authentic Cuba luncheon at Hacienda Codina. An old Spanish estate, it’s home to numerous species of orchids, medicinal mud baths and gardens, and a cave with a secret passage leading to a spectacular view of Trinidad.

Your expert photographic Cuban guide will also show you to the most photogenic locations to capture native wildlife and provide you an array of information about your potential subjects so that you are better prepare and take the better images you can shoot. You will return home with images you will be proud of and a newfound set of skills to build upon your artistic creativity and photographic techniques.

Topes de Collantes National Park in the Escambray mountains in Central Cuba. A perfect place for encountering the Cuban Emerald (Chlorostilbon ricordii), Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus), Cuban Parrot (Amazono leucocephala), Fernandina’s Flicker (Colaptes fernandinae)…

Afternoon: return to Havana City and check back into hotel Valentin Quinta Avenida (Valentin 5th Avenue) or Luxury Casa Particular.

Your Cuba photography tour ends with a morning transfer to Jose Marti International Airport.