Havana Jazz & Culture

with Lewis & Clark College & Professor Freddy Vilches

Jan 27 - Feb 2, 2026

Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends,

We are delighted to introduce you to an extraordinary journey that blends adventure, learning, and meaningful connections. Lewis & Clark’s Alumni and Parent Travel Program is designed to deepen your appreciation of the world’s diverse cultures while fostering a shared sense of discovery among members of our community.

This year, we invite you to embark on a life-changing cultural immersion in Havana, led by the talented musician and Latin American Studies professor Freddy Vilches. Together, we will explore Cuba’s vibrant arts scene, savor its exquisite cuisine, and dive into its rich cultural heritage. A highlight of the experience will be the Havana Jazz Plaza Festival, where live Latin jazz performances ignite the city in a thrilling celebration of sound and soul.

As a fully licensed tour under the U.S. Treasury Department, this insider’s journey offers unparalleled access to Havana’s iconic cultural landscape. Just 90 miles from the U.S. border, Cuba feels like a world away—full of history, charm, and creativity waiting to be discovered.

We hope you’ll join us for this unforgettable adventure. Together, we’ll make memories, build connections, and experience the transformative power of travel.

Warm regards,


Andrew McPheeters
Associate Vice President, Community Education & Travel Programs

Program Details

Double occupancy: $4,845 (per person)
Single occupancy: $5,395

PAYMENT SCHEDULE: Non-refundable deposits of $750 are due to Project Por Amor upon signing up to secure a space. Full payment of the final balance is due by October 27, 2025.

Spots will be given on a first-come-first-serve basis, 14 travelers need to make deposits in order for this program to go. All funds will be refunded if the minimum is not reached. We encourage you to sign up while there is still availability.

NOTE: Airfare is not included. A number of flights on major airlines flying to Havana are available. You can purchase online or through your preferred agent. Staff at Project Por Amor are available to offer guidance ahead of you making your own arrangements.

Program Price Includes:

  • Cuban Visa and U.S. licensing paperwork for support for the Cuban People travel

  • Medical insurance in Cuba

  • Flight purchasing guidance, pre-trip information on preparing for Cuba, orientation meeting, and trip app

  • Accommodations for six nights at privately owned Hotel Alameda

  • Daily home-cooked deluxe breakfasts (6), five (5) lunches, and four (4) dinners at select paladares (Havana’s top private restaurants), farms, and private homes

  • Welcome and farewell dinner parties with live music at private artist venues of Andrés Levin's Tribe Caribe rooftop and Kadir Lopez' neon workshop & gallery

  • Guided activities with local experts covering a panorama of historical and contemporary topics, including the Partagas cigar factory, National Museum of Fine Arts, Capitol building, the Cuban Art Factory (FAC), Finca Marta organic farm, walking tours of Habana Vieja and the Capitolio neighborhoods, Fusterlandia, San José Artisan Market, and scenic drives in classic 1950s American convertibles (see itinerary for details)

  • Private concerts and interactions with Cuban artists including Mi Compañia modern dance company, La Camerata Romeu all-female string orchestra, the Cuban children's choir La Lucecita, artist Kadir Lopez, and conversations with curator Cristina Vives and photographers Liudmila Velazco and Nelson Ramirez

  • Attendance to a curated selection of 6 Jazz Plaza Festival concerts  

  • Discussions with local experts on politics, economics, and other current social topics featuring Reuters correspondent Marc Frank and Dr. Fernando Funes Monzote

  • Free time to relax or explore individually, including guidance to festival concerts, shopping opportunities, and other happenings

  • Full-time luxury Mercedes Sprinter buses with chauffeur transportation (one per twelve pax)

  • Daily bottled water

  • 24-hour program management by the expert Project Por Amor staff and full-time professional bilingual Cuban tour guide Gretell Síntes

Program price does NOT include:

  • Airfare to and from people’s home cities in the US to Cuba

  • Two dinners on your own

  • Tips for Cuban guide, chauffeur, and chambermaids

  • Third-party trip interruption insurance

  • All other items not listed in ‘PROGRAM PRICE INCLUDES’

Freddy Vilches Meneses, a composer, musician, and scholar from Santiago, Chile, is an Associate Professor at Lewis & Clark College, where he has taught since 2006. With a PhD in Latin American Literature from the University of Oregon, Freddy specializes in 20th- and 21st-century Latin American literature, music, and culture. His academic and artistic work focuses on creating cultural bridges, with research on the Chilean New Song Movement, Latin American detective fiction, and connections between literature and popular music.

As a musician, Freddy has performed extensively across the Americas with his own Latin ensembles and recorded with numerous bands. His orchestral compositions, including the acclaimed "Latin American Suite" and "Abya Yala Choral Suite," have been featured by prominent orchestras and vocal ensembles in the US, Cuba, Bolivia, and beyond. In addition to teaching Latin American instruments like the charango, Venezuelan cuatro, and Afro-Cuban percussion, he directs Lewis & Clark’s Latin American Ensemble.

Freddy will lead the Lewis & Clark alumni cultural and music tour to Havana, offering a rich exploration of Cuba’s vibrant traditions. With his deep expertise in Latin American music and culture, as well as his engaging teaching style, Freddy promises an unforgettable journey blending live performances, historical insights, and hands-on experiences.

Legal Travel to Cuba

Our itinerary is designed to fully adhere to the US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) §515.574 General License for Support for the Cuban People category of legal travel to Cuba. Each traveler will engage in a full-time schedule of activities that result in meaningful interaction with individuals and professionals in Cuba, enhance contact with the Cuban people, and support civil society in Cuba. Eating at privately owned Cuban restaurants (paladares), staying in privately owned hotels, shopping at stores run by self-employed Cubans (cuentapropistas), and professional exchanges with the Cuban people are an important part of this program.

A trip of lifetime.

  • "Our experience in Cuba met and exceeded expectations. If we’d visited Cuba on our own we wouldn’t have had the opportunities and adventures afforded us. Every day was packed with fascinating education, beautiful music, connection with the people, architecture and art, and so much good healthy food!"

    Melinda Soules

  • "Five star all the way. Superb planning, timing and interests. Great leaders, lectures, sights, food, hotels experiences and transportation. Cannot imagine a better introduction and understanding of Cuba than we were able to attain from this travel opportunity. The other travelers in the program were an integral part of making the tour such a memorable experience. Thank you!"

    Loren Rice

  • "This trip to Cuba was honestly the best travel experience I've ever had. The itinerary was thoughtfully planned, the activities were all amazing, and the leaders were beyond expectations. I can't recommend this tour enough. It was a great honor to participate in this once in a lifetime adventure. Thank you!"

    Kathleen Elliot