The Perfect Five Day Cuba Itinerary

I know from experience that planning a Cuba trip can be intimidating. If you want to travel to Cuba but haven’t done much research yet, check out a few general tips here. Figuring out the travel logistics can be complicated and confusing, and itinerary planning isn’t much easier. There is not much information out there on Cuba. Websites are sparse or nonexistent. Figuring out just how to get from point A to point B isn’t easy. After A LOT of research, Britton and I went to Cuba and had an incredible time during our five day trip. From a show in Havana to waterfalls near Trinidad, we got a great taste of what Cuba has to offer. Here is our itinerary:

Day One: Arrive in Havana and stay the night.

Day Two: After breakfast in Havana, drive 2.5 hours to the beaches of the Bay of Pigs. Go scuba diving with a local dive company. There is beautiful shore diving and you’ll get a chance to see deep blue water and a vibrant reef. If you have your own mask, I highly recommend bringing it, as most of the dive shops have worn out gear and the masks are scratched and not easy to see out of. Stay the night in Cienfuegos. Cienfuegos is relatively small, and food options are limited.

Day Three: Drive one hour to El Nicho waterfalls. Spend a few hours hiking and swimming around this lush, tropical paradise. There are several spots where you can take photos and go swimming, and I recommend taking your time and visiting all of them. Try to get to El Nicho early, as it is a popular tourist spot that gets very crowded by mid morning. After El Nicho, drive one hour to Trinidad and stay the night. Trinidad is my favorite city in Cuba! The colonial old town and cobblestone streets have a historic charm and I could have easily spent hours aimlessly wandering around. For dinner in Trinidad, go to Cafe Bistro Madeley. It is hands-down the best food we had in Cuba. The chef told us that he developed his menu by asking guests what they would like to eat and working with the limited ingredients available in Cuba to come up with something similar. The food options are diverse and creative, which is hard to come by in Cuba. Better yet, there are labeled vegan options!

Day Four: Drive back to Havana. Have a late lunch at El Cafe – an open-air cafe in Old Havana with healthy food and vegan options. In the evening, go to a show at Buena Vista Social Club. Buy your tickets as soon as you get back to Havana, as shows often sell out. Buena Vista Social Club is a world-famous ensemble of Cuban musicians established in 1996 to revive the music of pre-revolutionary Cuba. The show is excellent; the food, not the other hand, is subpar. But the exceptionally talented performances will make you quickly forget how terrible your dinner was.

Day Five: Start the day driving around in a 1950s convertible in the morning, before it gets too hot.

Spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon wandering around Havana before you fly out.