Morning: as an opening of our Cuba tours to the Havana jazz festival, Authentic Cuba Travel® will introduce North American citizens traveling to Cuba to what’s considered as the historical quarters of the Cuban capital. Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site showcases an array of colonial squares and heritage buildings dating back to Spanish colonial times. From Plaza de Armas to Plaza de La Catedral to Plaza de San Francisco and Plaza Vieja, we will explore the old city by the hand of our Havana jazz expert guide.

Just up the southwest corner of Plaza de La Catedral, we find the Experimental Printing Workshop. Support for the Cuban People meaningful exchange in between the US travelers and the Cubans is quite an unforgettable experience of our Cuba tours and travel. Next you will meet a cooperative of young artists who work tirelessly, shirtless in an airy, spacious colonial building where you can see original prints being created.

As the morning unfolds we will hear the distinctive Cuban music booming from 1950’s vintage American and “modern” Russian cars, pouring out of restaurants, bars and tourist hotspots, and inundating the lively colonial squares. No wonder Jazz is such a natural fit for this sultry, vibrant and tropical destination in the Caribbean.

Before enjoying an authentic Cuban lunch at Paladar San Cristobal, you’ll have time to explore the attention-grabbing handicraft market of Old Havana at a leisurely pace. The cool breeze blowing from the sea waters of the Bay of Havana makes this somehow sultry venue a pleasant spot. No wonder participants of our Jazz tours to Cuba unanimously voted it as a highlight of the Cuba travel experience.

Afternoon: we board privately-owned Cuba’s vintage American cars from the 1950’s to follow Hemingway's trail in 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.

Retracing the footsteps of US novelist Ernest Hemingway in Havana is another highlight of our Havana jazz tours. This afternoon Cuba tour participants will be treated to Finca la Vigia, the home of the American author in Cuba for about twenty years. The magnificent property sits on a small hill of San Franciso de Paula, a working class town east of Havana, and contains the main state, a watch tower, a swimming pool and a detached house where Hemingway used to keep his fishing and hunting gear.

Afterwards, your Authentic Cuba Travel® guide will take you to explore Cojimar village, another of Hemingway’s favorite hangouts in Havana, and where the Nobel Prize winner used to park El Pilar boat.

Evening: the Jo Jazz Havana Competition kicks of tonight. The Havana Jo Jazz Competition (Concurso de Jovenes Jazzistas Jo Jazz in Spanish) has been unfolding for over 16 years now in the Cuban capital.

With jazz lovers descending over the venues of the Havana Jazz festivals by busloads, it is important to go to Cuba with a Cuba travel company that can guarantee premium seats at the main venues and events.

As the official partners of the organizing committee of the Havana Jazz Festival, Authentic Cuba Travel® provides full access to the Havana Jazz venues, happenings and latest updates. From the impromptus Jazz sessions at the gardens of the Mella Theatre or in secluded cobblestone street alleys in Old Havana to the opening and closing ceremonies, tour participants will be there.

Morning: the Jo Jazz Havana Event is the result of music education in Cuba to a great extend. As waves of young talented jazz musicians emerged from Cuban music schools every year, they were eager to showcase their talents in Havana’s most popular jazz venues. Soon this turned into friendly music competition in a spontaneous way, and then the Jo Jazz Competition of Havana was established and music awards were officially introduced.

That’s why, Authentic Cuba Travel® has scheduled this morning an exclusive visit to the Cuban National School of Arts. Participants of our Jazz tours to Havana will have the rare opportunity to meet with young Cuban musicians at the Faculty of Music and learn firsthand about artistic education in Cuba. There are good chances you will talk to Cuban rising jazz stars in the making.

What sets apart Authentic Cuba Travel®’s jazz trips from the rest is the rare access it provides North American visitors to Cuba’s off the beaten track attractions and activities. Visiting the studio and private residence of visual artist Jose Fuster and seeing his art work personally, it is one of the many reasons to go to Cuba with USA Cuba travel experts. Jose Fuster will treat tour participants to a delightful lunch.

Afternoon: attending the International Jazz Festival of Havana and/ or the Jo Jazz Havana Competition serves also as an excuse to visit Havana’s most authentic attractions such as the 400-worker Partagas Cigar Factory which has been rolling Cuba’s best cigars since 1845.

Next we will visit the home of a Cuban, Elsa who has managed to create a privately-owned cultural project La Azotea de Elsa in the rooftop of an Old Havana dilapidated building. Elsa is also the leader of a locally famous band that will play live for our group. Be ready to dance to Cuba’s most popular rhythms such as Son, Rumba and Salsa by the hand of Elsa, her family and friends. This is another great chance for our American visitors to patronize and to learn firsthand about the daily life of ordinary Cubans.

Evening: exploration of the several official and parallel venues of the Jo Jazz Havana Competition (Concurso de Jovenes Jazzistas Jo Jazz in Spanish).

Even Cuban jazz legend and Grammy winner Chucho Valdes has leisurely performed musical miracles at the Jo Jazz Havana Contest. In fact, the Havana Jo Jazz has become the prelude to the world acclaimed Jazz Festival of Havana, presided over by Chucho Valdes. For more information on Cuba Tours to the Havana Jazz Festival of Havana, click here.

Morning: during our Support for the Cuban People trip to Cuba, we will engage in authorized Support for the Cuban People activities such as a visit to the recognized independent Cintio Vitier Community Project based in Havana, Cuba. This project offers painting, papier-mache, drama, music, dance, and other skill development workshops to elementary and secondary students.

We’ll meet with director Pedro Pulido for a presentation on his outreach work in the community of Nuevo Vedado. This is a great opportunity to interact with the kids by drawing, dancing, reading and playing games with them! This Support for the Cuban People activity will result in a meaningful interaction with the individuals of the community of Nuevo Vedado in Havana, Cuba. We will present donations of educational & humanitarian items and ask how we can help promoting their social work in the USA.

An enriching cultural experience of our jazz tours to Cuba is a guided tour to the Museum of Cuban Art (Museo Nacional Palacio de Bellas Artes in Spanish). From the early colonial art created in Cuba by incipient foreign artists to the trendiest art movements, foreign visitors to Cuba should not miss this world class art facility which is the pride and joy of Habaneros (people from Havana).

For lunch, your Authentic Cuba Travel® guide will show you to private restaurants in Havana (optional/ not included). Locally knwon as Paladares these family-owned establishments are the reflection of Cuba's awakening economy.

Afternoon: an authentic Cuban attraction of Havana city for years has been La Rumba Saturday (Sabado de La Rumba in Spanish) at Vedado’s El Gran Palenque where the Cuba’s Folk Dance Ensemble performs an enthralling show of Afro-Cuban religious and secular dance and drumming for about three hours. Even though it is a Cuba’s tourist hotspot, jazz travel to Cuba is greatly enhanced by this mesmerizing musical experience.

Evening: exploration of the several official and parallel venues of the Jo Jazz Havana Competition (Concurso de Jovenes Jazzistas Jo Jazz in Spanish).

The Cuban jazz sound is distinctive and unique. And it is A VERY popular music form among locals. Havana jazz is the result of the African and Spanish musical heritage and mixture, with contributions from the United States of America and many other countries as far as China and France.

Today the Havana Jazz sound is cosmopolitan, sophisticated and freed from commercial pressure- which allows Cuban jazz players to experiment freely and create the new sounds and styles known as the Havana jazz sound that attracts jazz lovers and jazz professionals from all over the world to this Cuban jazz Mecca.

Morning: attend a mesmerizing rumba performance at one of Havana’s most authentic neighbourhoods, Centro Habana. This frantic rumba performance is hosted at Hamel Alley Street by local artists and musicians. The project was founded by the late Salvador Gonzales, one of Cuba's most renowned painters of Afro-Cuban religious themes. Callejon de Hamel is not only about music, it is about street art. Mural paintings, sculptures and installations of Afro-Cuban religion motives serve as the backdrop for the street performance_ for sure a highlight of our CUBA JAZZ TOURS.

Optional Lunch: optional lunch presents as a great opportunity to eat in a privately-owned family restaurant which are abundant in the area. Your Authentic Cuba Travel® tour guide will facilitate individual bookings and we will provide you with a list of recommended paladares before tour departure. Enjoy!

Afternoon: next we will visit Fabrica de Arte Cubano (The Cuban Art Factory). This is one of Havana’s finest new art spaces located in a converted factory in Vedado neighborhood. This vibrant cultural center is the brainchild of Afro-Cuban rocker, rapper, composer and filmmaker X Alfonso who, after making a lot of money in a highly successful music career, wanted to put something back into his community. FAC is directed by a team of award-winning musicians and artists. Celebrities Mick Jagger, Michelle Obama, Lady Gaga, Sting and Katy Perry have visited here.

Retrace some of the parallel venues of the Jo Jazz Havana Competition (Concurso de Jovenes Jazzistas Jo Jazz in Spanish).

Evening: attend the Award Ceremony and closing performances of the Jo Jazz Havana Competition tonight. It is clear that recipients of the Jo Jazz awards are on their way to become Cuba’s next jazz stars.

Worth mentioning are the memorable performances that take place during the Award Ceremonies. Cuba jazz tours participants still remember the excellent performance by Habana Jazz Collectivo in 2012, led by Yasek Manzanos who won the prestigious Jo Jazz award when he was 15 years old.

Morning: the end of the Havana jazz festival signals the begging of the exploration of beautiful Western Cuba. Usually our jazz trips to Cuba start with a day visit to Las Terrazas, an eco-friendly community secluded in the Sierra del Rosario mountain range, declared as the first Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in Cuba.

In addition to first class accommodation (without breaking the bank!) and second-to-none Cuba travel services, in this opportunity Jazz lovers and Jazz professionals will also be treated to explore the best that Havana and Western Cuba has to offer. As a highlight authentic Cuban destination this year, Authentic Cuba Travel® has included a full exploration of the Vinales Valley and Vinales Village, declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the category of Cultural Landscape.

Several authentic Cuban attractions and activities make this community a popular destination for local folks and US citizens traveling to Cuba alike. As part of today’s itinerary we will meet with local artist and artisans, visit the ruins of a 19th century coffee plantation, learn about the environmental projects under development, and take a bath in the crystal clear waters of the San Juan River.

A complimentary lunch at Casa del Campesino to enjoy a typical countryside lunch is also included in your Authentic Cuba Travel® itinerary today.

After lunch, we can enjoy a replenishing nap in our air-conditioning motor coach as we head further west towards our ultimate destination: the Valley of Vinales.

En route to Vinales Valley, we will also visit the outreach community project El Patio de Pelegrin, the brainchild of Cuban painter Mario Pelegrin. This humble privately-owned art gallery and pottery workshop in Consolacion del Sur Municipality (Western Cuba) has turned into a powerhouse for the promotion of cultural and artistic projects in this countryside community.

During this visit we will engage with Mario Pelegrin and his team to learn more about the role of this independent organization in Pinar del Rio. This Support for the Cuban People activity will result in a meaningful interaction with the individuals of Consolacion del Sur, Cuba. We will present donations of educational & humanitarian items and ask how we can help promoting their work in the USA.

Overnight will be at a Luxury Casa Particular in Vinales Valley. Dinners at the accommodation are also included in the price of your jazz travel package.

Morning: during our Support for the Cuban People trip to Cuba, we will engage in authorized Support for the Cuban People activities that are organized by independent Cuban individuals and organizations. This morning, we will visit the Titiriparque Community Project (Puppet Park Community Project), an artistic community project founded by children’s theatre actress, Maria Marquez Lopez in the Carlos Manuel de Cespedes community, in Pinar del Rio city in 2012.

The goal of this community project is to educate, promote and teach theatre to children as well as ethical and aesthetical values. During this visit we will exchange with Maria and her team to learn more about their work in the development of storytelling and the creation of puppets and other theater paraphernalia in children. This Support for the Cuban People activity will result in a meaningful interaction with the children and neighbors of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes Municipality, Cuba. We will present donations of educational & humanitarian items.

Vinales Valley is one of the most geologically striking areas on the island. It has dramatic cliffs, numerous caves, and mogotes, unusual hills with steep sides and rounded tops. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the pride and joy of the inhabitants of Western Cuba, and one of the most beautiful Cuban destinations to spend your last day in the Caribbean island.

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.

The Cueva del Indio is part of the largest system of subterranean caves in all of Latin America. The caves are the site of both Amerindian pictographs and burials. Indigenous people also used the caves, as well as runaway plantation slaves, as places to hide from Spanish colonialists.

An underground river runs through the caverns, and you’ll get to experience the cave during a trip by boat.

One the way to Viñales, you’ll view the “Mural de la Prehistoria,” a gigantic hillside painting commissioned by Fidel Castro, and painted by the artist Leovigildo Gonzalez Morillos in 1961.

In the afternoon, you’ll have free time to roam the delightful town of Viñales with its small wooden homes fronted by porches. You can shop at the stalls in the craft bazaar, people watch in the city park, visit the town church, or stroll the Viñales Botanical Garden.

Early morning departure to Havana City International Airport for departure.