Arrive in Havana, proceed through immigration, and step outside to meet your Cuban guide.

Enjoy your first drive-thru of Havana with two iconic stops. In central Havana, at the Plaza de la Revolution, walk across the enormous square and view the monument to Cuban hero José Marti. On the outskirts of the city, roam through whimsically charming Jaimanitas where Cuban artist José Fuster, inspired by Gaudi and Picasso, has turned his own home and the surrounding neighborhood into a showcase of fanciful, brightly colored murals and sculptures. Also, if time permits, a stop at a wonderful ceramic studio (Beatriz Santacana) and time to talk with the ceramist herself about her artwork and inspiration.

Settle into the first of the many paladars you’ll sample on this trip. As restaurants that are privately owned rather than government-owned, paladars are a recent and welcome phenomenon in Cuba. Some have two tables and some have thirty. Each was started by a family in their own home or on their own property, and each is unique.

Enjoy a private jazz performance for your group with musicians who have traveled internationally to attend festivals around the world.

Gather this evening with your local guide before dinner to enjoy a welcome mojito and review any questions you may have about the trip.

Many visitors on a week-long trip, spend their arrival day and then three more days exploring Havana and nearby locales. Start off these days enjoying an informal chat this morning with a sociologist on gender and Cuba, and how the role of women continues to change in Cuban culture. For the rest of the morning, explore the four distinct plazas and the cobblestone walkways of Old Havana with an expert and learn about the unique history and architecture, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Stop in a local printmaking workshop before lunch to make your own print t-shirt with a choice of popular Cuban sayings.

Next visit La Cabaña Fortress across the harbor for a spectacular view of the city. Enjoy a ferry ride back across the harbor and travel as so many local Cubans do on a daily basis.

Dinner is on your own tonight but your tour leader can recommend places to eat.

This morning visit the nearby picturesque small seaside town of Cojimar and participate in a cooking class with a chef from a small local restaurant. Enjoy a traditional Cuban dish.

Enjoy a short day trip out of Havana to Finca Vigía, the farm, and estate of Ernest Hemingway. Finca Vigía, which translated means the “lookout farm,” was the place where Hemingway wrote a great chunk of one of his most famous works, “The Old Man and the Sea.” His home is now an indoor/outdoor museum.

Dinner on your own in Havana.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Havana is the largest art collection in the Caribbean. The Cuban Art collection spans from the Colonial Period to the present day. The collection includes sculptures, engravings, paintings, photographs, and videos by pioneering Cuban artists such as Ana Mendieta and Wifredo Lan. Enjoy your time here with an arts specialist.

Next, visit a local Cuban artist in their home and have a chance to talk one-on-one with them about their work.

Enjoy lunch at a private restaurant in Havana.

Cuba is known for its music and dance. This afternoon you will be instructed by Cuban teachers on the history of dance and participate in a dancing class of Son or Salsa with a professional instructor.

Drive eastward to beautiful Pinar Del Rio province. (2 1/2 hours)  En route, visit Finca Tungasuk and tour the property, talking with the entrepreneurial couple who live there and enjoy a meal by Annabelle Cantero, a professionally trained chef who will prepare an amazing lunch from their products on hand.

Continue on to Viñales, arriving late afternoon. Check into your bed and breakfast and enjoy a beautiful view of the Viñales Valley. Enjoy a homemade Cuban meal at your bed and breakfast.

This morning walk the national park trails. Stop at the home of locals for some freshly cut pineapple and a chat to see what’s being planted in the area for the season. Lunch in Viñales Valley.

In the afternoon visit a rural farm that successfully produces goat cheese and supplies products for a local restaurant.

This evening you’ll have the opportunity to walk to a local cultural house in town for live music or a dance performance.

After breakfast, drive to Las Terrazas in Sierra del Rosario, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Las Terrazas was Cuba’s first eco-community; the residents here make their living by maintaining the hardwood forests and engaging in small-scale ecotourism. Tour the area with a local specialist who will explain the history of the program and the challenges and successes it has endured.

Visit the home of a well-known artist and learn about his inspirations for his unique work.

Traditional Cuban countryside lunch.

Stop at a community music project, Camino Al Sol, which teaches local youth how to play guitar, and how to play traditional Cuban music. Enjoy a performance by the students and talk with them afterward.

Check into your private bed and breakfast in Havana. Tonight have a farewell dinner in one of the best paladars in Havana and enjoy your last night in the fabulous city.

Bid a fond farewell to Cuba. After breakfast, you will transfer to the international airport for your flight home.