Morning: the first activity in our full-time schedule of professional research this morning, it is to attend professional meetings with healthcare and medical professors and students at the Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina – ELAM (Latin American School of Medicine). Established in 1999 and finance by the generosity of people of Cuba, ELAM is the largest medical school in the world with a current enrollment of over 10,000 students from over 29 countries.

All its students are from outside Cuba and mainly come from Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa. The school also accepts disadvantaged students from the United States. Tuition, accommodation and board are free, and a small stipend is provided to students. This activity will be of particularly interest for the professional research of those travelers from USA, Canada and all over the world whose profession, professional background, or area of expertise (including area of graduate-level full-time study) relates to healthcare education and medical education research.

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.

Afternoon: as part of our full-time schedule of professional research on Cuba’s educational system, our group will meet with Cuban doctors at a Maternity Home. This exchange presents an unparalleled chance for North American university and college professors, faculty and staff; K-12 teachers, and other educational professionals to conduct professional research on Cuba’s medical education.

Since Cuba places special emphasis on maternity and infant care, expectant mothers with high-risk pregnancies or other special needs can stay at a maternity home where an on-duty nurse lives and is available 24-hours. The most common reasons for going to a maternity home are the need for additional nutritional supplements, the risk of carrying a low-weight baby and carrying twins.

Followed by guided walking tour of Old Havana, UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Visit to Square of Arms, ancient military parade ground for Spanish soldiers and surrounded by impressive buildings such as Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, Palacio del Segundo Cabo, the seat of the second authority of the island, Castillo de la Real Fuerza (the second oldest fortress built by the Spaniards in the West Indies), and others.

Continue walking tour onto San Francisco Square, one of the oldest in the historical quarter.

Visit to Plaza Vieja, the only civic square of colonial times. Notice it doesn't have a church or government building around. Here we will visit important institutions for visual arts.

Visit to the Cathedral Square, the most beautiful and private 18th century colonial plaza of Cuba, named after the masterpiece of Cuban baroque architecture: the Cathedral of Havana built by the Jesuit order.

Free time in the famous handicraft market of Old Havana where you can purchase all sorts of crafts and souvenirs by local artisans.

Evening: enjoy Afrojazz, Cubajazz and Sonjazz at Club La Zorra y El Cuervo, Havana’s most famous Jazz club. The club features great performances by island bands and soloists! (optional, not included)

Morning: departure to Santa Clara, capital city of the Cuban province of Villa Clara. It is located in the most central region of the province and almost in the most central region of the country.

Santa Clara was the site of the last battle of the Cuban Revolution in late 1958, led by Ernesto Che Guevara. Guevara's column first captured the garrison at Fomento. Then, using a bulldozer, Guevara's soldiers destroyed railroad tracks and derailed a train full of troops and supplies sent by Batista. After taking the city of Santa Clara, Batista fled Cuba less than 12 hours later.

As part of our full-time schedule of professional research on Cuba’s HealthCare System, we will attend professional meetings with Cuban doctors, healthcare professional and staff at the Cardiovascular Hospital “Ernesto Che Guevara”. Named after argentine physician and revolutionary guerrilla, Cuban official, diplomat and national hero, this hospital is Cuba’s premier cardio centre.

This visit represents a great opportunity for North American healthcare professionals, medicine professors, students and faculty, and other medical professionals to conduct professional research on the diagnosis, care and treatment of patients with both simple and complex cardiac and vascular disease.

Lunch at Paladar La Terraza in Santa Clara. 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.

Afternoon: the afternoon activity in our full-time schedule of professional research, it is to attend professional meetings with healthcare and medical professors and students at the Villa Clara Medical Institute. The Institute trains doctors from Cuba and all over the world. They regularly host elective students from Canada, but few so far from the UK.

This activity will be of particularly interest for the professional research of those travelers from USA, Canada and all over the world whose profession, professional background, or area of expertise (including area of graduate-level full-time study) relates to healthcare education and medical education research.

Followed by visit to Ernesto Che Guevara Square of Revolution and Mausoleum, where the remains of Che and 16 of his men killed in action in 1967 in Bolivia rest in peace. This is a memorial complex featuring a large square, used for parades and large rallies, a monument now emblematic of Santa Clara, and a mausoleum crypt with an exhibit displaying artefacts, photos and memorabilia of Che, an extensive view of his life and work.

Visit to the Armoured Train Battle Monument, the site where guerrilla forces commanded by Che Guevara defeated reinforcements sent in an armoured train (tren blindado) by Batista's army in 1958. The monument site includes original armoured boxcars with displays of photos, armaments and artefacts inside, and a bulldozer used by the rebels to derail the train.

Continue on bus transfer to Cienfuegos City. Check in at your Luxury Casa Particular

Evening is free to enjoy hotel amenities, and the lively streets of Cienfuegos' Punta Gorda neighbourhood. How about live Cuban popular music at Casa de la Música– a great opportunity to dance with Cubans and your tour companions.

Morning: as part of our full-time schedule of professional research on Cuba’s HealthCare System, we will attend professional meetings with Cuban primary care physicians and nurses at a community clinic and a family doctor’s office in Cienfuegos. We’ll talk about localized health problems and learn about preventive care.

In the mid-1980s, Cuba created a system of neighborhood doctors’ clinics. One doctor is responsible for a catchment area of a couple of city blocks. They get to know their patients well. If somebody has a problem, they can see the doctor in the clinic that day.

This activity will be of particularly interest for the professional research of those travelers from USA, Canada and all over the world whose profession, professional background, or area of expertise (including area of graduate-level full-time study) relates to preventive medicine, primary care and community-based outreach.

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 L'Ache, one of Cienfuegos's top ten private restaurants.

Afternoon: guided walking tour of Cienfuegos Historical Center.

We will visit neoclassical buildings around Paseo del Prado and the main Square Jose Marti such as:

The Tomas Terry Theatre, completed in 1895 and named after a sugar baron from Venezuela who arrived in Cuba with no money and made his fortune by buying sick slaves for a low price, to later nurse them back to health and reselling them.

This money was invested in a sugar estate that brought him the wealth to build several outstanding buildings in Cienfuegos, including this theatre, with materials specially brought over from Europe.

The Casa de la Cultura, home of another wealthy sugar baron, stunning mansion in neoclassical style.

The Cathedral built with the donation of wealthy families like the Lebrancs, the Albis, the Terrys. Inside you find the reproductions of the 12 Apostles in stained glass imported from Paris. Also the original machinery of the clock tower was built in France. Still in place and working.

We'll also visit the elegant art gallery Galería de Arte Maroya and review its impressively displayed collection of paintings, sculptures and antiques.

Next we will visit the Palacio de Valle. This architectural jewel originated as a home for trader, Celestino Caceres, who later gave it as a wedding present to the Valle family who added to it (in a Mughal Style with carved floral motifs) a stunning Carrara marble staircase, cupped arches, bulbous domes and delicate arabesques.

Return to your private rental accomodation.

Morning: today we journey on to the historic city of Trinidad

As part of our full-time schedule of professional research on Cuba’s HealthCare System, we will attend professional meetings with Cuban primary care physicians and nurses at a community clinic and a family doctor’s office in Trinidad. We’ll talk about localized health problems and learn about preventive care.

In the mid-1980s, Cuba created a system of neighborhood doctors’ clinics. One doctor is responsible for a catchment area of a couple of city blocks. They get to know their patients well. If somebody has a problem, they can see the doctor in the clinic that day.

This activity will be of particularly interest for the professional research of those travelers from USA, Canada and all over the world whose profession, professional background, or area of expertise (including area of graduate-level full-time study) relates to preventive medicine, primary care and community-based outreach.

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 Solananda, one of Trinidad's top ten private restaurants.

Afternoon: guided walking tour of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Trinidad’s Historical Center, a perfect relic of the early days of the Spanish colony with beautifully preserved streets and buildings with hardly a trace of the 20th century anywhere.

Visit to the Architecture Museum (Casa de los Sanchez Iznaga), housing the most representative samples of the city's architectural development in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Visit to Museo Lucha contra Bandidos, former home of the San Francisco de Asis convent.

Visit to Museo Romantico, overlooking the Trinidad main square. It has an excellent exhibition of romantic style porcelain, glass, paintings and decorative furniture which belonged to the Conde de Brunet and other Trinidad notorious families.

We will stop at a mirador (lookout) over the Sugar Mill Valley, where the sugar barons used to have their countryside mansions and mills. This site is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Trinidad is well known for its pottery makers. We meet with a family that has been passing the tradition for generations: the Santanders.

Free time to wander the streets of historical centre or enjoy the beach.

Return to Cienfuegos city.

Evening is free to enjoy the beach, hotel amenities, and the lively streets of Cienfuegos. How about live Cuban popular music on steps of Casa de la Música– a great opportunity to dance with Cubans and your tour companions.

Morning: early departure to Havana City.

Lunch at Paladar El Litoral over arrival (optional)

Afternoon: visit to CENESEX (Centro Nacional de Educación Sexual / National Center for Sexual Education) for a meeting with Dra. Ada C. Alfonso.

This organization and its founder Mariela Castro Espín campaign for equality and dignity for lesbians, gays, transsexuals and transgendered people. In particular CENESEX leads in the areas of HIV/AIDS awareness and support services, and gender and sexuality counseling.

Evening: attend one of the most traditional and popular ceremonies in Cuba, the Shooting of the Cannon of 9 O'Clock at the Fortress of San Carlos de La Cabana.

Morning: as part of our full-time schedule of professional research on Cuba’s HealthCare System, we will attend professional meetings with Cuban doctors, healthcare professional and staff at the Hospital Clinico Quirurgico “Hermanos Ameijeira”, inaugurated by Fidel Castro Ruz in 1982. It provides specialized medical care at the level of the best centers of its kind in the world.

In addition to its medical services, the centre has been offering advanced medical academic and training programs for national and foreign professionals and health technicians. This visit represents a great opportunity for North American healthcare professionals, medicine professors, students and faculty, and other medical professionals to conduct professional research on the Cuban specialized medical care.

After a short drive, we’ll arrive in Cojimar, the setting for Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.

Lunch at La Terracita Paladar in Cojimar fishing village. 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.

After the lunch break, your Authentic Cuba Travel® tour guide will give you a short tour of Cojimar including a bust of Hemingway created from the propellers of the community’s fishing boats.

Next activity in our full-time itinerary, it is a visit to Hemingway’s home, Finca la Vigia. Hemingway lived in Finca la Vigia for twenty years, sharing it with his third and fourth wives, and his famous cats. After his death, the Cuban government took possession of the home and converted it into a museum.

As the place where Hemingway wrote some of his most important works, the home is a national landmark housing manuscripts, first editions, photographs, and many of Hemingway’s personal possessions—including his fishing gear and personal library. It is an experience that will bring the author’s world to life.

Early morning departure to Havana City International Airport for departure.