Day 1: Arrive in Havana
Fly from London Gatwick to Havana via Madrid on Air Europa. Your private driver meets you at José Martí Airport and takes you to your boutique hotel in Old Havana, a restored colonial property in the heart of the UNESCO quarter. Drop your bags and walk to the Malecón for sunset, then find a rooftop paladar for dinner.
Days 2–3: Havana
Two full days to explore the Cuban capital. Walk the cobbled plazas of Old Havana, Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de Armas, and lose yourself in the backstreets where life happens on front steps and balconies. Take a classic car convertible tour along the Malecón and through Vedado. Visit the Museo de la Revolución, browse the second-hand book stalls, and eat at paladares like Doña Eutimia or El del Frente.
In the evenings, Havana comes alive: jazz at La Zorra y El Cuervo, cocktails at Hotel Nacional's terrace, or the Buena Vista Social Club show. Two nights gives you enough time to feel the rhythm of the city without rushing.
Day 4: Havana to Trinidad (Private Transfer)
Your private driver collects you after breakfast for the scenic four-hour drive to Trinidad. The route passes through sugar cane country, past the Bay of Pigs (with an optional stop at Playa Girón or the museum), and into the foothills of the Escambray Mountains. Arrive in Trinidad by early afternoon. Check in and spend the rest of the day exploring on foot, the cobbled streets, the colourful houses, the Plaza Mayor with its baroque church.
Days 5–6: Trinidad
Trinidad is Cuba's best-preserved colonial town, a UNESCO World Heritage site where the streets are still paved with original cobblestones and the houses glow in pastel yellows, blues and pinks. It feels like stepping back 200 years, but the town is very much alive, especially at night, when the plazas fill with live music, dancing and rum.
During the day, visit the Valley of the Sugar Mills (another UNESCO site), hike a trail in the Escambray Mountains, or take a taxi to Playa Ancón, a quiet beach on the Caribbean coast, 15 minutes south of town. Trinidad is small enough to walk everywhere, and the best moments are often unplanned, a doorway that leads to a courtyard gallery, a street musician playing son cubano on a corner, or a conversation with a local over coffee.
Day 7: Trinidad to Varadero (Private Transfer)
After a final morning in Trinidad, your driver takes you north to Varadero, about three hours through the Cuban countryside. Check in to your 4-star all inclusive resort and let the beach phase of the holiday begin.
Days 8–10: Varadero Beach, All Inclusive
Four nights on Varadero's 20-kilometre white sand beach with everything included, meals, drinks, pool, activities. After a week of exploring cities and colonial towns, this is your chance to do absolutely nothing. Swim, read, sleep in the sun, drink mojitos by the pool. If you get restless, optional excursions include a catamaran trip to Cayo Blanco, the Saturno Cave (a natural swimming cenote), or a snorkelling trip to the coral reef.
Day 11: Departure
After breakfast, your transfer takes you from Varadero to Havana airport (about 2.5 hours). Fly home via Madrid with Air Europa, arriving back in the UK the following morning.
