Morning: we will embark on a guided walking tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We start at the Cathedral Square, named after the stunning Cathedral of Havana, a prime example of Cuban baroque architecture built by the Jesuit order. Next, we will visit the Square of Arms, a historic military parade ground for Spanish soldiers, surrounded by impressive structures, including:

- Palacio de los Capitanes Generales: Once the official residence of Havana's governors (Captains General), this building now houses the Museum of the City of Havana, featuring art exhibitions and historical artifacts, with many rooms preserved in their original Colonial style.

- Palacio del Segundo Cabo: This building served as the seat of the island's second authority and currently hosts significant publishing houses.

- Castillo de la Real Fuerza: The second oldest fortress constructed by the Spaniards in the West Indies, recently renovated and reopened in June 2008, it now features an impressive maritime museum with well-organized exhibits detailing Spain and Cuba's naval history.

We will continue our tour to Plaza Vieja, the only civic square from colonial times that lacks a church or government building. Here, we will explore important institutions dedicated to the visual arts.

Finally, strolling to San Francisco Square, named after the Convent of San Francisco. Established in 1628, this square was originally designed to provide water for ships trading with the metropolis and served as a storage area for goods arriving from the harbor for many years.

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

We are now "leaving" Havana and entering Jose Fuster, the studio, residence and wild kingdom of José Rodriguez Fuster, one of the most important Cuban ceramists and painters today. Complimentary lunch will be hosted by the artist himself in his personal residence and privately-owned studio-art gallery. Hence, supporting the Cuban people by patronizing privately owned restaurants, stores, art galleries and other small businesses.

Afternoon: attend various performances, events, and fashion shows at the FABRICA DE ARTE (The Factory of Art), which serves as a parallel venue for Havana’s Art & Fashion Festival. This remarkable location has been recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 Greatest Places in the World! Opened in 2014 and led by the renowned musician X Alfonso, it has quickly become one of Havana's trendiest spots.

Housed in a converted factory in the Vedado neighborhood, this exceptional art space is the vision of Afro-Cuban fusion musician X Alfonso. After achieving success in the Hip Hop circuit, he aimed to give back to his community. Notable celebrities such as Mick Jagger, Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, Sting, and Katy Perry have all visited this vibrant venue.

Evening: attend the happenings and performances of the 21st edition of the Art and Fashion (Arte y Moda) Festival of Havana, Cuba 2025 at the Cuba’s National Museum of Fine Arts. Over the years, the event has served as an ideal platform to showcase the creativity of Cuban designers using natural or recycled materials. It also highlights innovative textile use, functioning as a laboratory for fashion that is not merely for wear but aims to experiment and look toward the future.

Morning: enjoy a panoramic tour around Modern Havana in privately-owned vintage cars. These classic cars range from 55 to 85 years old, featuring dream cars from the 1950s. The portfolio includes nearly every brand you can think of, such as Cadillac, Ford, Buick, Chevrolet, Mercury and Chrysler.

As part of our Support for the Cuban People itinerary, we will engage in authorized Support for the Cuban People activities such as visits to independent Cuban businesses whose work promotes independent economic activity intended to strengthen the civil society in Cuba.

We will visit the stores, workshops, and headquarters of some of Havana's most iconic independent clothing brands. During these visits, we will have the opportunity to interact with Cuban designers and staff from brands such as:

- Clandestina: known for its t-shirts and tops featuring popular Cuban phrases like "Se acabó el Drama" (The Drama is Over), Clandestina also offers a variety of prints on socks, leggings, bags, and more.

- Barbara’s: as the first Afro-Cuban clothing brand, Barbara’s has set trends that even the most discerning fashionistas can't resist. It made a notable appearance at the Torino Fashion Week 2022 in Turin, Italy. Founded by entrepreneur Bárbara Abreu, this brand showcases stunning Cuban-style blouses and skirts, along with a range of earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and bags made from recyclable materials.

- Dador: this brand is known for its elegant and simple designs, with each piece possessing a unique charm. Dador offers clothing made from cotton and linen, including comfortable jumpsuits and floral-printed skirts. Like Barbara’s, Dador tailors its garments to fit the body, ensuring that everyone can find a fashionable piece that suits them.

- Brava Designs: specializing in beautiful Caribbean-style accessories, Brava's creations enhance any outfit during your stay in Cuba. Their designs celebrate Cuban heritage, featuring unique pendants inspired by fruits, daisy flower earrings, and colorful glasses chains. Their latest collection, "Marea," captures the spirit of the tropics with wave-shaped pendants and seashell-inspired earrings, allowing you to carry a piece of the Caribbean with you.

- Nativa: this remarkable brand offers accessories that are miniature works of art. Nativa draws inspiration from famous paintings by artists like Gustav Klimt, Van Gogh, and Michelangelo, bringing masterpieces such as "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Johannes Vermeer and "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" by Hokusai to life in their jewelry. Nativa successfully blends originality with modern trends in Cuban fashion, appealing to both art lovers and pop culture enthusiasts.

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: visit to the headquarters of Havana Compass Dance Company. The work of Habana Compass Dance attracts international personalities. U.S. singer Usher and the vocalist of the British band The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, have visited its headquarters. Exchange with students and dance instructors.

Evening: attend the closing happenings and performances of the 21st edition of the Art and Fashion (Arte y Moda) Festival of Havana, Cuba 2025 at the Cuba’s Museum of Fine Arts (Cuban Collection). The runway will serve as an ideal platform to reflect the work of over 20 Cuban designers. Notable Cuban designers include Ignacio Carmona, Sandra de Huelbes, Jose Luís González, Mario Freixas, Laura Macías, Ileana Jiménez, Jacqueline Fumero, Pavel & Guido, Anaise Fuigueroa, Vladimir Puenca, Alexander Rodríguez, Mariela Alemán, Celia Ledón, Idania del Río, and Gabriela Lara.

Morning departure to Trinidad, in Central Cuba.

En route, we will visit Cienfuegos, a city of neoclassical buildings with a European flair.

Upon arrival to Cienfuegos city, we’ll have lunch at paladar (private family-run restaurant) Finca del Mar.

Afternoon: meeting with the renowned fashion designers from Cienfuegos, Reinel and Dianko, at the Ilusión Gallery of the Cuban Fund for Cultural Goods (FCBC), where the designs of the Reiniel and Dianko brand are exhibited and sold.

We will attend the fashion show "Tardes de la Moda" (Fashion in The Afternoons) at the Santa Isabel Corridor, a project by the Reiniel & Dianko brand in collaboration with the modeling group EXPRESARTE. Designers Reinel and Dianko, along with the EXPRESARTE modeling group, present a more conceptual runway that addresses social themes through fashion, targeting a young audience. These themes include issues such as drug abuse and alcoholism, among others.

Followed by a guided walking tour of Cienfuegos Historical Center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Visit to Palacio de Valle upon arrival. 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.

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.

Now we journey on to the historic city of Trinidad and check in at all-inclusive Melia Trinidad Peninsula Hotel. You'll have time for dinner and a swim in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Morning: as part of our Support for the Cuban People itinerary, we engage in exchanges with independent community projects. This morning we will meet with the women of the Agujas de Trinidad.

UNESCO has declared the "Agujas de Trinidad" project as a living heritage due to their knowledge of weaving and embroidery techniques. Among the characteristic needlework of this region are bobbin laces or Catalan lace and Tenerife lace. Ancient needlework finds its place amid the modernity of textiles. Projects like this have helped to highlight the value of ancestral techniques such as crochet, patchwork, and macramé, inherited from past generations.

Followed by a 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 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, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is one of Cuba's most iconic landscapes and a highlight for visitors to the area. The valley is home to 65 significant sites that showcase the historical importance of sugar colonization on the island, making it a compelling destination for tourists.

In the 18th and late 19th centuries, a burgeoning national middle class, enriched by the sugar industry, established themselves in this expansive and fertile valley, which quickly became one of the country's leading sugar-producing regions. Tragically, countless enslaved Africans lost their lives while laboring in the grand sugar mills and the lavish structures that were constructed amidst the lush natural surroundings.

Followed by visit to the Manaca-Iznaga Hacienda. The famous Manaca-Iznaga Tower, built in 1816, is 45m high, has seven floors and 136 steps to the top. The restored hacienda is now a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the valley.

A traditional guarapera at the rear serves fresh-squeezed cane juice. Some barracones (slave quarters) still stand too.

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

Lunch back at the hotel.

Afternoon: private visit to the studio of local artist Yudit Vidal. Yudit is the founder and director of the project ‘Entre hilos, alas y pinceles’ (Between threads, wings and brushstrokes) which groups 21 craftswomen who cultivate unique and exclusive stitches. Yudit was appointed ‘Ambassador for Peace’ by the International Circle of Ambassadors for Peace of Switzerland and France.

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

After a complimentary breakfast at your accommodation, we will board our bus and head back to Havana.

Afternoon: upon arriving in Havana, we will visit the stores, workshops, and headquarters of some of Havana's most iconic independent clothing brands. During these visits, we will have the opportunity to interact with Cuban designers and staff from brands such as:

- Clandestina: known for its t-shirts and tops featuring popular Cuban phrases like "Se acabó el Drama" (The Drama is Over), Clandestina also offers a variety of prints on socks, leggings, bags, and more.

- Barbara’s: as the first Afro-Cuban clothing brand, Barbara’s has set trends that even the most discerning fashionistas can't resist. It made a notable appearance at the Torino Fashion Week 2022 in Turin, Italy. Founded by entrepreneur Bárbara Abreu, this brand showcases stunning Cuban-style blouses and skirts, along with a range of earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and bags made from recyclable materials.

- Dador: this brand is known for its elegant and simple designs, with each piece possessing a unique charm. Dador offers clothing made from cotton and linen, including comfortable jumpsuits and floral-printed skirts. Like Barbara’s, Dador tailors its garments to fit the body, ensuring that everyone can find a fashionable piece that suits them.

- Brava Designs: specializing in beautiful Caribbean-style accessories, Brava's creations enhance any outfit during your stay in Cuba. Their designs celebrate Cuban heritage, featuring unique pendants inspired by fruits, daisy flower earrings, and colorful glasses chains. Their latest collection, "Marea," captures the spirit of the tropics with wave-shaped pendants and seashell-inspired earrings, allowing you to carry a piece of the Caribbean with you.

- Nativa: this remarkable brand offers accessories that are miniature works of art. Nativa draws inspiration from famous paintings by artists like Gustav Klimt, Van Gogh, and Michelangelo, bringing masterpieces such as "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Johannes Vermeer and "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" by Hokusai to life in their jewelry. Nativa successfully blends originality with modern trends in Cuban fashion, appealing to both art lovers and pop culture enthusiasts.

Shopping in these stores directly supports the Cuban people and the Cuban families financially while encouraging independent entrepreneurial activities that in turn strengthen civil society in Cuba. Supporting Cuban entrepreneurs like fashion designers and creators is the main objective of our shopping visits.

Check in at your accommodation in Havana

We will have dinner at another privately-owned restaurant, Paladar La Moneda de Cuba serving delicious Cuban food in a charming environment.

Evening: attend one of the most traditional and popular ceremonies in Cuba, Fire of the Cannon of 9 O'Clock at the Fortress of San Carlos de La Cabana where Che Guevara established his headquarters after the Revolution came to power in 1959.

Morning: as part of our Support for the Cuban People itinerary, we will visit his privately-owned AMOS Photography Gallery, and get up close and personal with the work of Ramses Batista. We will revisit Mr. Batista’s 20-plus-year career featuring portraiture, social documentary, religion, landscapes, and nudes. Supporting these Cuban entrepreneurs is the main objective of our Support for the Cuban People trips. We will engage with our Cuban hosts in a conversation to learn more about the Cuban culture.

Lunch: we will enjoy a complimentary lunch at AMOS paladar (privately-owned restaurant) owned by Ramses Batista, one of Cuba’s most well-established photographers today. As part of our lunch and our Support for the Cuban People experience to Cuba, we will establish a dialogue with Ramses and his team to learn how they have been able to reconcile the socialist centralized economy with the demands of the free market in the booming private Cuban hospitality industry.

Afternoon: visit to Finca Vigia, a hilltop villa 20 kilometers east of Havana, where famed author Ernest Hemingway lived from 1939 to 1960. It is here where the writer completed some of his greatest works, including The Old Man and the Sea, Across the River and into the Trees, and Islands in the Stream.

The villa has been maintained as a museum for the past 49 years. It contains original book and short story manuscripts, letters, over 3000 photographs, Hemingway’s fishing tackle and gun collections, furniture, priceless art collection, and a 9000 volume library that contains rare first editions of his books and those of other famous writers.

Evening: farewell dinner at the family-run restaurant La Cocina de Liliam. President Jimmy Carter dined here during his historic visit to Cuba in 2002.

Followed by visit to La Maison, often referred to as Havana's premier fashion house, with a rich history that dates back to its construction in 1946. Designed by the talented architect Manuel Gamba Alvares de la Campa, this elegant building originally served as the residence for a wealthy family in the capital. However, like many luxurious homes in the city, it was abandoned following the Revolution.

On April 15, 1982, it was officially inaugurated as a fashion house, offering a diverse array of services in an atmosphere characterized by distinction, exclusivity, and elegance. The early 1990s marked a significant turning point for modeling in Cuba, as it began to flourish as a means to promote and defend the works of esteemed haute couture designers. La Maison quickly became the epicenter of Cuban fashion, hosting a variety of events and showcases.

The venue boasts multiple spaces, including event rooms, a piano bar, a café, a pool area, and a patio equipped with a traditional catwalk. These facilities are designed to host fashion shows and evening entertainment, featuring live music and captivating cabaret performances. Additionally, La Maison houses boutique stores that offer a selection of clothing, accessories, and jewelry, all reflecting notable aesthetic value and refined taste.

The influence of Cuban fashion, along with the efforts of La Maison to promote it, has sparked a vibrant exchange among creators, artisans, and artists dedicated to its preservation and growth. This collaborative spirit has led to the establishment of significant cultural initiatives, including Fashion Week in Cuba and the prestigious Art and Fashion Festival. As La Maison continues to thrive, it remains a vital part of Havana's cultural landscape, celebrating the artistry and creativity of Cuban fashion.

Early morning departure to Havana City International Airport for departure.