Itinerary

The Havana Jazz Experience: January 27 - February 2, 2026

Note: This itinerary is subject to changes as we await the release of the Jazz program schedule. Expect minor changes to other activities. All meals and activities are included in the cost unless indicated by “cost not included.” Cuba remains a developing country and guests traveling here should adjust their expectations accordingly. Traveling to Cuba on a cultural exchange is quite unlike journeying to other destinations.

DAY 1: TUESDAY, JANUARY 27 | WELCOME TO HAVANA

Meet at Havana International Airport

The Havana airport can be confusing. Once you have your bags you can exit the airport individually. You will be greeted by our Cuban tour guide Gretell and/or Nadine Erickson, our U.S.-based tour leader who will be holding a sign for Project Por Amor. We will gather outside the airport in groups according to arrival times and transfer to our Havana hotels.

A smooth landing in Havana

Transfer to Havana

During the drive, our travel staff will introduce themselves and give you some important information about Havana. Brief stop in Plaza de la Revolución to see ministries, monument to José Marti, and the colossal famous image of Che Guevara.

Che Guevara at in Plaza de la Revolución

Check-in to Boutique Casa Italia

We will be staying in one of our favorite private hotels in Havana. This remodeled historic mansion is a classic, luxurious, and lavish house set in the Miramar neighborhood. Enjoy the swimming pool, gardens, and decor. The friendly Cuban-Italian staff serves some of the best food in the city. This is an opportunity to support independent small businesses and get to know Cuban people on a more personal level while staying in compliance with today's legal requirements for travel to Cuba under a General License for Support for the Cuban People.

Our hotel: the Boutique Casa Italia

7:00 pm ~ Welcome dinner and orientation at our house

After settling in, we'll acclimate to the new time zone and trip with a welcome dinner party on the patio of our hosts at the Casa Italia. Enjoy live music and the best Cuban-Italian cuisine you'll ever eat to ease into our Havana adventure.

Dinner at our house, La Casa Italia

Concert TBD: Síntesis, Camerata Cortés, and Orquesta Aragón

Welcome to Havana with the legendary Afro-Cuban fusion band Síntesis featuring Eme Alfonso, followed by a multi-flute ensemble, Camerata Cortés, with Cuba's famous traditional son band, Orquesta Aragón.

Concert: Orquesta Aragón

DAY 2: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 | HABANA VIEJA

Please note: To best experience the historic core of Havana, we will be walking--more today than any other day. Please wear your best walking shoes and anything else that will help you be comfortable such as a hat, sunglasses, a backpack, and sunscreen. Shorts and t-shirts are fine to wear. And make sure to grab some waters from the bus in the beginning of the day. There will be many interesting things to see while we walk but we ask you to please stay together as a group. There will be plenty of time to return and visit anything on your own. If the walking is too much please let Gretell know and we can arrange an alternative accommodation that best meets your needs.

Breakfast at our villa

Our house chef will cook a traditional Cuban breakfast which usually includes café con leche, freshly squeezed tropical juice, fresh fruit, bread, cheese, eggs, and ham. Breakfast is served between 8 and 10:00 am.

Traditional Cuban breakfast

10:00 am ~ Habana Vieja four plazas and contemporary art walking tour

Starting at the Plaza de la Catedral where our hotel is located, we’ll visit the collective graphic arts workshop, Taller de Gráfica. This public studio for local artists was established by Pablo Neruda and Che Guevara at the beginning of the Revolution as a place where artists living and visiting Havana work on printmaking. Next we'll see an exhibit at the Wilfredo Lam Center, the organization that produces the Havana Biennial. We'll continue on to la Plaza de las Armas, Havana’s first square and the origin point of the city’s settlement.

Four Plazas of Old Havana

11:00 am ~ Private concert with the all-women Camerata Romeu string orchestra

Visit the beautifully restored Basílica San Francisco de Asis to experience a private performance of the first all-women string orchestra in Latin America. Under the direction of Zenaida Romeu, Camerata Romeu is one of Cuba’s most extraordinary classical music ensembles. This non-governmental independent music group frequently tours internationally and performs new works of numerous Cuban and other Latin American composers.

Camerata Romeu

12:30 pm ~ Lunch at paladar Los Mercaderes

We’ll stroll down the oldest street in Havana, Calle de los Mercaderes (Merchants Street), to have lunch in a beautiful new restaurant built inside the home of the owner.

Lunch at Paladar Los Mercaderes

2:00 pm ~ Habana Vieja's Four plazas and contemporary art walking tour continued

We will get to know the historic core of Havana. In this UNESCO World Heritage Site, one can find extraordinary Colonial architecture of Cuban baroque and art nouveau, both well preserved and decayed, many galleries, contemporary centers, boutique museums, and little shops. The third stop is Plaza San Francisco where we'll see the Basílica and finish at the Plaza Vieja where we can see a couple of exhibits of contemporary Cuban art at two of Havana’s most important contemporary art centers, El Centro del Desarollo de Arte Contemporánea and la Fototeca de Cuba.

4:00 pm ~ Time of leisure

Continue exploring Old Havana or return to the casas in our bus to recharge your batteries, go for a swim, or take a siesta.

Plaza Vieja

Explore Havana on your own

6:30 pm ~ House tour of curator Pamela Ruiz

Pamela Ruiz and artist Damien Aquiles have invited us to their beautifully restored luxurious Havana mansion for a tour with cocktails. Read more about their home and story in New York Times Style Magazine.

Pamela Ruiz’ and Damien Aquiles’ house

8:00 pm ~ Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC) jazz concert & dinner

Perhaps the trendiest address in Havana, the FAC is an expansive, multi-purpose venue housed inside a refurbished oil processing plant. It boasts a fairly dense cultural program which includes art exhibitions, shows and concerts, and is currently the hippest nightlife hot spot of the Cuban capital. Have dinner at one of the on-site restaurants, Tierra, serving fine dishes of international origin, or the café for a lighter nosh (dinner not included). Our hotel is only two blocks from the FAC so feel free to walk home at your convenience and it is safe.

Fabrica del Arte Cubano (FAC)

DAY 3: THURSDAY, JANUARY 29 | CAPITOLIO

Breakfast at our villa

Typical Cuban breakfast

9:30 am ~ A Conversation with jazz expert and private performance

Start the day with freshly brewed Cuban coffee and a conversation with the L.A. "Jazzcat" LeRoy Downs to discuss, contextualize, and synthesize some of our musical experiences here in Havana. As an expert on American jazz also in Cuba for his first time, LeRoy will offer some of his thoughts on what's unique that is going on in the Cuban jazz scene. Then he will interview clarinetist Alejandro "Coqui" Calzadilla. This will take place in one of the meeting rooms at our accomodations, the Casa Italia.

Alejandro "Coqui" Calzadilla is a Cuban jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, flutist, bandleader, composer, arranger, and music professor from Havana. A graduate of the Amadeo Roldán Music Conservatory, he has performed at renowned festivals such as the Jazz Plaza Festival and the Leo Brouwer Chamber Music Festival. In 2023, he received a prestigious scholarship from the Preservation Hall Foundation in New Orleans. His debut album, Vía d'escape, features ten original compositions that blend concert music and jazz, highlighting the clarinet as a central voice. He lives in Havana with his wife and two children. Coqui also runs an after hours bar in Miramar where musicians head after their late night gigs are over for jam sessions.

Discussion with L.A. jazz expert LeRoy Downs and Coqui

11:00 am ~ Private performance with modern dance company "Mi compania"

Watch one of Cuba’s top contemporary dance companies under the direction of Susana Pous. We will visit a beautiful house transformed into her private dance school and company headquarters.

Mi Compañía Modern Dance

12:30 pm ~ Lunch at Grados Paladar

For a truly authentic culinary experience, we invite you to indulge in a delightful lunch at Grados restaurant in Havana. Nestled in a historic building, this under-the-radar new eatery offers a fusion of traditional Cuban cuisine reimagined by a new generation of talented and creative chefs. Their own fermentation practice of traditional Cuban sauces and drinks such as "pru oriental," ginger beer, and kombucha are not to be missed.

Grados Paladar lunch

2:00 pm ~ Capitolio neighborhood walking tour

We’ll introduce ourselves to Havana by getting to know its most grand neighborhood. El Prado is one of the most exquisitely designed major avenues in all the Americas and home to the quintessential structures that define Havana, ranging from Colonial to Baroque to Neoclassical to Art Deco. Designed in 1772 by French landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, El Prado runs for many blocks from the dramatic fountain, La Fuente de la India, to the iconic Malecon, marking the boundary between Habana Vieja and Centro Habana. El Paseo, a marble promenade lined with a natural canopy of trees, marble benches and bronze lions was chosen by the House of Chanel for one of the most dramatic runway shows in the history of fashion. It is home to El Capitolio (1929): El Gran Teatro de La Habana (1918), home to the National Ballet of Cuba; The Bacardi Building (1930), a testament to Art Deco and dozens of other structures immortalized in photography and film for decades. El Prado encompasses all the cultural wealth that Havana has offered from the 17th to the 20th Century.

Walking tour of Capitolio neighborhood

3:00 pm ~ Afternoon free and dinner on your own

Return to the hotels and split into small groups to explore Havana, attend jazz concerts and jam sessions, or rest at the hotel.

Jazz festival

9:00 pm ~ JAZZ FESTIVAL CONCERT: Jacky Terrasson Trio and Cecilia Krull Band

A concert not to miss! Start with the Jacky Terrasson Trio ‘Moving On” featuring Jacky Terrasson (France/US), Felipe Cabrera (Cuba), and Lukmil Pérez (Cuba). Followed by Cecilia Krull Band en La Habana featuring Cecilia Krull (Spain), Francisco López (Spain), Daniel García (Spain), and Pablo Gutiérrez (Spain). Note: This concert is not included but you can get tickets at the entrance.

Jacky Terrasson Trio

DAY 4: FRIDAY, JANUARY 30 | HEMINGWAY & ART

Breakfast at our villa

10:00 am ~ Ernest Hemingway’s Finca Vigía

Visit the hilltop house of American writer Ernest Hemingway where he lived from 1940 – 1960 with his wife, Martha Gellhorn, and their children. Cuba was Hemingway’s most frequented country where he wrote The Old Man and the Sea, To Have and Have Not, and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Hemingway donated his Nobel Prize to the Cuban people. His home in San Francisco de Paula has recently been the subject of a massive preservation effort by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. At this estate, you will see his sport fishing boat, the Pilar. The Finca Vigia estate and the fishing village of Cojimar are considered the most significant locales for those interested in Hemmingway’s history. We will also do a short visit to a neighborhood arts project at the Lidice Theater.

Hemingway’s house “Finca Vigía”

11:30 am ~ Museo Nacional de la Música

The National Museum of Cuban Music opened to the public in January 2025. It represents a culmination of two historical institutions: the Museum and National Archive of Music and the Odilio Urfé Center for Information and Musical Documentation. The museum houses an extensive collection of Cuban musical heritage, including instruments, scores, and documents, some of which date back to the 18th century. It is dedicated to preserving, studying, and disseminating Cuban musical history, having undergone modernization to incorporate digital resources and improved research capabilities.

National Museum of Cuban Music

12:30 pm ~ Lunch at Marechiari Cocina

One of Cuba's best restaurants that remains relatively undiscovered. Some of the best Italian food we've tasted not just in Cuba but outside of the island, too. Located in Centrohabana on the Malecón, this restaurant benefits from an ideal location. Also, check out their other location, Totò e Peppino Ristorante in Vedado, for a casual experience.

Lunch at Marechiari Cocina

2:00 pm ~ Guided tour of the National Museum of Fine Arts, Cuba Collection

The National Museum of Fine Arts was designed by Cuban architect Alfonso Rodriguez Pichardo in 1955 and is dedicated to the history of Cuban painting from 1500 – 2000. Art historian Omar will walk us through the history of the island through the eyes of its visual artists.

Nacional Museum of Fine Arts

3:30 pm ~ Afternoon free to relax or on your own

Take the afternoon without structure to visit Havana with a more spontaneous, personal, and individualized rhythm. We don’t have anything planned for the group, but we’ll be in the hotel lobby from 2:30 - 3:00 to help you figure out a good plan for the evening and make any reservations you’d like. If you’re a music lover there will be lots of concerts. If you’re not, there is a lot more to see in Havana including the Museum of the Revolution, Capitol tour, or take a stroll through Havana’s many charming and scenic neighborhoods.

Scenes of Havana

7:30 pm ~ Dinner at La Guarida

Anyone who has been to La Guarida will find it difficult to disagree that Enrique and Odeisys have managed to create their own magical home restaurant. The building, originally known as La Mansión Camagüey, shows its former grandeur from the magnificent wooden entrance door through the marble staircase up the two flights of stairs to the restaurant itself. The location is glamorized by Cuba's provocative and most iconic film “Fresa y Chocolate.” La Guarida has gone on to become one of the most popular restaurants in Cuba. On the menu is a choice of squash soup, eggplant caviar, or smoked marlin tacos for a starter; fish, chicken, or pork for the main course with sides of rice, black beans, fried yuca and plantains; and a cocktail, spring water, and coffee for dessert.

Dinner at La Guarida

8:30 pm ~ Rooftop concert of Los Hermanos Abreu at La Guarida Sessions

At La Guarida restaurant, Havana's hottest new music scene unfolds on their rooftop patio beneath the stars. Tonight, we’ll enjoy Cuba’s greatest rising jazz teenagers. The Hermanos Abreu, consisting of brothers Diego and Fabio, showcase impressive talent at such a young age. Students at the Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán in Havana, Diego shines on piano and as a composer, while Fabio displays exceptional skill on drums. Coming from a musical family, with parents deeply involved in Cuban music, they are quickly gaining recognition through performances at prestigious events like the Havana International Jazz Plaza Festival and various other venues. Their commitment to blending traditional Cuban rhythms with jazz influences positions them as promising contributors to the future of Cuban jazz.

Los Hermanos Abreu rooftop jazz concert

DAY 5: SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 | VIÑALES

Breakfast at our villa

8:30 am ~ Check out and depart for Viñales countryside

The drive is two hours with a rest stop along the way.

11:30 am ~ Visit to the tobacco farm Finca Paco y Concha

On our way to Viñales we’ll stop by a 3rd generation tobacco farm that grows and prepares tobacco for the Cohiba brand. The farmer will show us the process of how the world’s finest tobacco is created.

Finca Paco y Concha tobacco farm

12:30 pm ~ Lunch at El Cuajaní

Tucked away on the road from El Mural de la Prehistoria to Viñales, this hidden gem offers a remarkable dining experience with beautifully presented, flavor-packed dishes. A whitewashed cottage in a field with a thatch roof overhung with mauve fausto flowers. The fresh country food, the beauty of the setting, and the warmth of the owners, Berta Carral and José Gómez, are unmatchable. Guests are welcomed with warm hospitality, invited to explore the lush garden where fresh ingredients are grown, and even have the chance to meet the talented chef, whose international experience adds a touch of sophistication to every plate.

Lunch at El Cuajani

2:30 pm ~ Horseback ride through the Cuban countryside or walk with city historian

Enjoy a horseback ride through the small farms, stunning landscapes, geological wonders, and the world’s finest tobacco-growing region. Passing by mogotes (limestone karsts) and viewpoints, we'll explore the Gran Caverna de Santo Tomás (Santo Tomás Cave), one of the largest cave systems in Latin America.

Those who prefer not to ride a horse can meet with the City Historian of Viñales, Ricardo Alvarez, who will stroll with us on a shorter walking tour through the valley. He'll share information on the history and current events of the region.

Horseback ride through Viñales Valley

4:00 pm ~ Depart for Havana

The drive is two hours with a rest stop along the way.

6:30 pm ~ Arrive at the hotel and dinner on your own

Have dinner on your own at the hotel or we can make recommendations and reservations for you.

9:00 pm ~ CONCERT: Síntesis, Camerata Cortés, and Orquesta Aragón

The legendary Afro-Cuban fusion band Síntesis featuring Eme Alfonso, followed by the Camerata Cortés and Cuba's famous traditional son band, Orquesta Aragón.

Síntesis Afro-Cuban fusion band

DAY 6: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1 | GRAND FINALE

Breakfast at our villa

11:00 am ~ Discussion: The Cuban Political Economy with Marc Frank

Marc Frank is a well-known American author and journalist who has been living in Cuba with his family since 1993. He will tell us about how Cuba’s planned economy and political system works and doesn’t work and what changes the state is working on for the future with the new constitution, new currency system, economic reform, and many post-pandemic challenges. Marc Frank is the leading economic correspondent to Cuba for Thomson Reuters.

The Cuban economy with Reuters correspondent Marc Frank

12:30 pm ~ Lunch at Vista Mar

Located in a mid-century modern home with an exceptional view of the Havana seafront and a piano-shaped swimming pool, this restaurant is a favorite place to catch the breeze while enjoying quality Cuban cuisine inspired by the sea.

Lunch at Vista Mar

2:00 pm ~ Havana shopping tour: Alma Shop, Clandestina, San José Artisan Market

For those of you who are interested in shopping, we’ll visit a selection of the most interesting and highest-quality Cuban designers and artisans. This is the best time to find a piece of Cuba to bring home with you for gifts or memories while supporting small Cuban entrepreneurs. Alma stocks one of Havana's finest selections of Cuban souvenirs, from traditional straw hats to clothing, ceramics, jewelry, artwork, and many other unique, hand-made items procured locally. Feel free to get inspired by their Instagram. Clandestina is a wildly popular all-female design studio that makes hip and innovative products that reflect social concepts of today’s Cuba with up-cycled clothing bears clever slogans. They also ship worldwide, a service to-date unmatched by local competitors. The Almacenes San José is a huge artisan market of sprawling kiosks where hundreds of handmade souvenirs can be haggled for. It's the one stop shop for visiting pleasure cruisers looking for the largest possible selection of Cuban souvenirs, all under one roof on Havana's Bay.

Cuban design & fashion

3:00 pm ~ Time of leisure

Explore Havana on your own or return to the casas to recharge your batteries, go for a swim, take a siesta, or explore Havana.

5:00 pm ~ Classic convertibles scenic car ride

Leaving from our hotel, we will travel to our final dinner “Havana-style” in a fleet of specially selected 1950s American convertibles that will take us on a scenic route through Havana’s most beautiful neighborhoods. Don't forget your cameras!

Classic convertible scenic ride

6:00 pm ~ Dinner party at artist Kadir Lopez’s house and Habana Light Neon Studio

Celebrate with a home-cooked Cuban meal in a magical setting in the tree-filled Kohly neighborhood of Havana. In his home, gallery, and studio which includes a neon shop and studio for neon sign restoration, Kadir will discuss neon, some of the restoration projects in the city, and the efforts to restore the post-war heritage of Havana. Our trip will be wrapped up with a concert from one of our own, Windy Barnes, a renown jazz singer in Los Angeles who will perform with clarinetist Coqui Calzadilla and his local Cuban jazz ensemble.

Dinner party at artist Kadir Lopez' house and neon art studio

8:30 pm ~ Jazz Festival closing concert with Roberto Fonseca

Close out the Jazz Plaza Festival and your week in Cuba with a live concert of the festival's artistic director and dazzling pianist Roberto Fonseca at Cuba's National Theater. The concert will include an all-star list of invited artists to perform through his set in the Sala Covarrubias. https://www.robertofonseca.com/en/

Closing ceremony jazz concert

DAY 7: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2 | ¡HASTA LUEGO CUBA!

Breakfast at our villa

Your house will cook a traditional Cuban breakfast which usually includes café con leche, freshly squeezed tropical juice, fresh fruit, bread, cheese, eggs, and ham.

Transfer to José Martí International Airport

We’ll drop you off at the airport two hours in advance of your flight home and assist you with check in.

¡Adios, Cuba!

GENERAL TOUR INFO