University & College faculty, staff & students, K-12 teachers from USA are eligible to travel to Cuba under the General License, a process that can be completed by individuals & educational institutions without submitting the application to OFAC.
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
Cuba Educational Travel, Your Entryway to Authentic Cuba
Authentic Cuba Study Tours for North American Professionals and Educators by the hand of our team of USA Cuba Travel Experts
Authentic Cuba Travel® offers a new kind of education tours to Cuba for those travellers who want to explore the authentic Cuba beyond all-inclusive beach resorts. With more than 70 fully escorted Cuba educational and cultural tour departures scheduled in 2024, we attempt to satisfy the increasing demand for educational tours by the North American Cuba travelers. Cuba educational travel is without doubt your entryway to Cuba.
As part of our Hello Cuba campaign, we also offer Cuba school tours and Cuba study trips that are fully customizable to meet the budgets and academic objectives of Canadian and US Universities, Colleges and Secondary Schools. Our Cuba educational tours for North American professors and teachers who have never been to Cuba before represent an unparalleled approach in the educational travel industry that allows Canadian and American educators (from Canada and USA only at this point) to travel to Cuba even before taking their students to fine tune the Cuba travel experience for their classroom.
Now US travelers have a chance to visit Cuba legally as part of Cuba educational tours under the provisions of the General License for Support for the Cuban People; the General License for Professional Research; and others. Authentic Cuba Travel® has the largest variety of Cuba educational tours to choose from, including business tours, healthcare tours, photography tours, performing arts tours, and even tours for lawyers and architects. If you are interested in conducting research on your particular profession or area of study, chances are you will find a Cuba travel opportunity with us. Welcome aboard!
Notice to US Academic Institutions, US Secondary Schools and other US Educational Organizations on Cuba Travel:
In January 2016, the US Government announced further enhancements to the 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba that previously required a specific license (this is, lengthy applications to OFAC). Now travel to the Caribbean island is allowed under a general license (this is, self-completed paperwork with no application to OFAC needed).
After President Biden’s policy change on USA Cuba travel on June 9, 2022, the General License for Educational Activities remains in place. Accredited U.S. graduate or under graduate degree-granting institutions; U.S. Academic Institutions; and U.S. Schools can organize and sponsor an educational trip to Cuba for their students, faculty and staff under the General License for Educational Activities, provided that the trip meets OFAC guidelines; and that an employee or other representative of the organization escorts the trip to make sure such guidelines are followed by all participants.
The purpose of the Cuba travel should be for:
_ the participation in a structured educational program offered for credit as part of a course of the sponsoring institution;
_ educational exchanges sponsored by Cuban or U.S. secondary schools involving secondary school students’ participation in a formal course of study or in a structured educational program offered by a secondary school or other academic institution, and led by a teacher or other secondary school official are authorized. This authorization allows for participation of a reasonable number of adult chaperones to accompany the secondary school students to Cuba.
_ attendance at non-commercial academic seminars, conferences and workshops related to Cuba sponsored or co-sponsored by U.S. academic institution.
_ non- commercial academic research related to Cuba for the purpose of obtaining a graduate or undergraduate degree;
_ the participation in a formal course of study at a Cuban academic institution provided that credits will be accepted toward the student’s graduate or undergraduate degree;
_ participation in a 10-week structured educational program in Cuba as part of a course offered at the U.S. institution;
_ participation in a formal 10-week course of study at a Cuban academic institution, provided the formal course of study in Cuba will be accepted for credit toward the student’s undergraduate or graduate degree at the U.S. institution;
_ teaching for 10 weeks at a Cuban academic institution by an individual regularly employed in a teaching capacity at the U.S. institution.
We take care of all details both in North America and in Cuba, including VISA and flight arrangements to Cuba's main destinations via USA ports (Miami, Tampa, New York, Los Angeles, or other) or through third countries like Canada and Mexico. Authorized US organizations can travel through a third country subject to the same restrictions and requirements as those flying directly from USA.
At Authentic Cuba Travel®, we have been organizing such educational and cultural travel experiences from the United States of America for years with great success.
What Past Teachers Say About Cuba Educational Tours Click Here
"The trip went absolutely wonderful. Tatiana, our tour guide, was superb and dealt with the different situations in the most professional and kind way. None of the students were in sociology, politics, economics etc. so many concepts might have been irrelevant or over their head to them or over emphasized, but this is the reason I wanted to take them to Cuba. I wanted for them to learn not only about politics, culture and society, but also what brings us together and this is the human interaction. In that perspective it was great and Tatiana was great, the many people we met were great, and the driver was outstanding." Jessica D. Cassleman, Washington State University, USA
"The trip was the most amazing experience ever!!! Mildred, our Cuban guide is FANTASTIC!!!! Wow!!! I can not say enough about the time we had!!
The kids, the moms - everyone, had such a great time. We were treated like gold everywhere we went and everything ran very smoothly. I know I'm gushing, but I truely can not say enough about the experience! I would recommend it to anyone who would like to see Cuba the way we did!
Thank you so much again for making this a trip of a lifetime for the DancEast dancers!" Shelley Chiasson-Collins, Danceast Ballet School of Canada
"Our tour guide (Alexis) was one of the best tour guides I have ever
had. I have a PhD in Latin American literature and I had read
extensively about Cuban history before the Cuba educational tour, and yet I
learned so much from Alexis on this Cuba study trip. He was incredibly
knowledgeable about so many aspects of Cuban life: politics, history,
art, music, sports, relationships- Alexis was also entertaining,
comical; he had us all on the edge of our seats when he spoke."
Daniel Gilden, PhD Department of World Languages, Kent Denver School
"The caliber of the artists, and the art, that our students were exposed to was nothing short of awe inspiring! Suffice to say, some presentations had students rivetted for 2 hours straight, which is near of unheard of for a teenage audience. Highly reccomended!" Sean Clancy, Seycove Secondary Community School, Canada
"Authentic Cuba Tours created an absolutely unique, educational, and
fun experience for 19 of our students. Yane and the staff were
extremely responsive to our needs at all stages of planning the trip.
The activities and accommodations were well-tailored to our interests
and budget. The agency was quite knowledgeable about U.S. legal
issues, and even helped with some of the required paperwork. I would
unconditionally recommend them for a group of any size, and found them
very well equipped to respond quickly to any issues both before and
during the trip.
"Patrick G. Blaine, Ph.D., Morningside College, USA
"Cuba offers amazing people, a lively culture, breathtaking architecture, and a beautiful environment for the visual arts and photography. Our tour and fantastic Cuban guide Raul gave the students the time of their lives, and created memories they will cherish forever." Daylen Luchsinger, Argyle Secondary School, Canada
"THE HIGHLIGHT for our students was meeting with Cuban students. We spent time with first-year student teachers of English in the teacher training college in Santa Clara. This visit was a huge hit for the Cubans and the Canadians. Within minutes the conversations were buzzing. My students enjoyed meeting with young Cubans who spoke English and the Cubans always love to practise their English. How much did they have in common? A lot as it turned out, particularly in music and political opinions. My students did not want to leave." Jacqueline Birchall, Fraser Heights Secondary School, Canada
"We are all back at school and work this week, but still dreaming of our amazing time in Cuba. The girls are all saying how much they loved the trip and what an amazing experience it was. They are planning to do a group presentation to the school at an upcoming assembly, to share their experiences with the rest of the school. Thank you so much for all your efforts and support prior to, and during our trip." Christina Cuk, Crofton House School, Canada
"We had a fabulous trip thanks to Mildred- she is fabulous and we all learned so much about the culture and history while having fun. We had an amazing time. I will write a reference letter as well as an account of our trip. I have asked parents for permission to send a few pictures to you. We are going to have a group gathering/meal to share pictures and stories in a few weeks. I will be in touch. Thanks again for all your preplanning. It paid off." Laurie Morphet, Alberni District Secondary School, Canada
"We're baaaack. And what a wonderful trip we had!! It was a terrific itinerary - lots of wonderful visits!! And MILDRED!! What an angel she is......a wonderful tour guide and wonderful human being. We love her too now...... more Cuban friends! We will get ourselves organized with all the photos etc, and share them with you.......perhaps post some on the website?? Thanks very much....and we look forward to sharing our stories (all good!!)" Sooz Klinkhamer, Kwantlen University College, Canada
"The students have all expressed how great the trip was and what an impact it has had on them. Thank you for organizing the trip, it was everything that it was promised and more!" Kendall Brownlee, Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Canada
US Cuba Education Travel
Thanks to a very rare political opening in US Cuba Travel policies, Authentic Cuba Travel® is very proud to offer legal Cuba travel for educators and students from the United States. This policy allows for Cuba study tours for educational groups, classes, students, and education professionals, including faculty members.
Cuba educational tours from Authentic Cuba Travel® offer a unique opportunity for students and educators to discover not only Cuba's educational system, but Cuba's architecture, music, people, and diverse landscape.
World renowned Cuban scholars as well as university graduated professional guides will be your escorts, which is part of what makes our Cuba education tours such a popular choice.
With the future of relations between Cuba and the United States so uncertain, waiting could mean missing out on the educational opportunity of a lifetime for you and your students.
Interesting to notice that on May 2017, U.S. Sens. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) led a bipartisan group of 55 Senators in reintroducing the Freedom for Americans to Travel to Cuba Act, legislation that would eliminate current restrictions on traveling to Cuba for tourist purposes. This act was introduced 2 years ago (2015) but supported by 8 senators only at the time.