When traveling to Cuba, it is a must to book all of your tours before arriving!

Cuba is a great place to travel on a budget and you will feel so surprised by the service and experience!

Day One: Arrive at AirBnB

We loved this AirBnB and the folks who hosted us treated us as family. One thing to keep in mind is that some AirBnB’s will give you a Cuban phone to use for easy communication, which is a huge detail to consider. Our AirBnB did not do this but we felt that traveling in a group was already an advantage for us.

Cultural takeaway: Staying in an AirBnB is known as staying in a Casa Particular. While Europeans and other world travelers are allowed to stay in government hotels, Americans are required to book Casa Particulars. Thankfully, staying in a Casa Particular can be just as homey as staying in an AirBnB in other parts of the world. You’ll be able to see your host everyday and learn Cuban culture from them. Our host were so gracious and caring; they set the tone for us to have positive experiences the entire trip.

Find the link for my stay: here.

Goals for the first day: relax, exchange money, find local favorites for dining, explore the Havana, and rest.

Day Two: Two photoshoots through AirBnb — one touring the city in a vintage car, the other on foot.

For the first half of the day, we saw the whole city by car and reached places that would not have been easily accessible on foot. Our tour guide, Dayan was very kind and knowledgable. The photography aspect was secondary to the tour. If I were to book again, I would select midday to late afternoon.

Story: the driver put on the radio for us and the synchronicity of “Havana” by Camilla Cabello playing was the cherry on top of our sundae.

Cultural takeaway: This is the first part of the trip where I started to realize how luxury may be distinguished in Cuba. Mainly because this is the first tour we booked; partly because we were able to see how people gaze at the cars zooming around.

While riding in vintage cars are a norm for tourists, it’s not something to take for granted. Once upon a time, flying was a symbol of opulence and now around the world it is much more affordable. On the other hand, classic car tours may be deemed low-cost to travelers, especially in comparison to tours taken in other countries, but they are always going to signify fortune for Cubans.

Dayan also talked to us about Cuban healthcare, which I felt so proud to have researched through my Model UN experience as a World Health Organization Delegate. Cuba’s universal healthcare model has been praised by the UN and many members of the global community are working to replicate their system. I encourage you to look into Cuba and have conversations or pose questions to your hosts.

Find the link for this experience: here.

The second half of our day was spent with Claudia, a photographer who is absolutely wonderful! I loved her ability to connect with us and that she was very perceptive of our angles and directive during the photoshoot.

Claudia gave us a tour of Old Habana with her husband and snapped photos of us very organically, even though she directed us to pose. After the shoot, she took us to get drinks and let us all select our photos for about an hour and a half.

I will say that if I ever go back, I will ask photographers to convert the photos for me from raw to png or jpeg but to leave the photos unedited. Also a pro-tip: bring your own flash drive for every trip you go on and you will be able to get your photos!

Cultural takeaway: From Claudia, we learned about what married life is like and we even discussed romance and how Cuban couples meet. I don’t know if it’s just me but I absolutely love learning about how there may be cultural differences in love stories around the world. With most Cubans living in their home country their whole lives, I was fascinated that I continued to think: love in Cuba must be like how people met in the past — people meeting more organically or knowing each other their whole lives.

I also enjoyed learning about how Claudia has interacted with the world through photography and the different opportunities presented through a camera lens.

Book with Claudia: here .

Day Three: Culture & Nightlife — take salsa dancing classes and then go on a tour of Havana’s roof top bars, drinks included.

The morning of day three: Salsa Dancing.

I am a horrible choreographed dancer. I thrive doing a freestyle dance in a club but I would recommend putting me in the back of a group dance formation.

Even with that in mind, I always sign up for partner dance classes to try and better my skills. This class was no joke. Our instructor Carlos was determined that we left the studio with the basics nailed down — as to not embarrass ourselves at the late night dance party. By dance party, I mean a very classy rooftop bar with a live band and Cubans dancing with their natural born talents.

Cultural takeaway: Cubans are so wholesome and welcoming. Aside from the intensity of the counting of beats, the atmosphere was warm. I felt that Carlos enlisted friends who were able to make all of us feel at comfortable and familiar. Even when meeting later in the evening, we felt that everyone genuinely wanted us to make fond memories together and we weren’t just clients that needed to be pleased. As you can tell, I was very touched by their presence and have not forgotten them.

Book dance classes: here.

The only way to survive is with the gals by our side! (picture from the night time portion)

After dance class we explored the city some more until it was time to head to our rooftop bar tour.

This was one of our absolute favorite experience as we got to meet a lovely New York couple and other friends close to our age. I am so in love with the opportunity of meeting people through AirBnB’s travel community.

Cultural takeaway: Robin, our host, also shared the inspirational story of how he started the AirBnB experience without any money in his pockets. We learned a lot about how Cuban people treat each other and the resilience of private business. Our conversation with Robin gave us a glimpse as to how AirBnB has change Cuba’s economy. We can expect that overtime, returning to Cuba may be different in the scope of political relations with the U.S. or globalization.

We were so jazzed that we were able to visit the famous restaurant were Beyonce took her photos in Cuba.

Day Four: Snorkeling, dipping, swimming in Varadero

This trip is so much packed into one AirBnB experience. It was definitely worth the price, but I felt exhausted afterwards. Next time, I would probably pick an experience that is just a trip to the beach, which was mainly what we wanted.

Sadly, we didn’t get any beach photos or quality cave pics. But we did get to see a famous lookout point and bridge while enjoying a pina-colada.

Cultural takeaway: Our host Luis, was the youngest host we had leading a tour on our whole trip. Being in his early twenties just like my friends and I, we felt he created an approachable environment for us to ask random questions. Over a couple of days, we wondered about Cuban life and Cuban interaction with American pop culture from music to television. Luis was able to share details with us about how he views American influence in Cuba from technology like streaming services to educational opportunities.

Fabrica at night! (Not a booked experience)

We loved the art installations at the world famous Fabrica. There was so much going on, from live music and dancing, to food and VIP rooms.

Imagine the philosophical and artistic movements that emerged from socializing in cultural hubs, Fabrica offers that historic feel combined with the modern wave of touristic attraction.

Day Five: Vinales day trip

On the fifth day, we were losing our energy. Thankfully we were able to sleep in the car on our way to Vinales.

We felt the hosts were very wholesome people and loved every part of the trip. They also sent a driver who made us feel cared for and safe.

Read more about the trip in my separate blog post: here.

Cultural takeaway: Seeing life outside of the city in Cuba, I believe is not far off from the comparisons made when seeing rural America. There’s a lot to learn from farmers and different types of land owners. I’m not the kind of person who romanticizes a pastoral life, but I love interacting with people who are in their element with the landscapes surrounding them. Hearing about the Tobacco cultivation and the history of cigars and rum is a fun way to learn about the Cuban economy.

Book your Vinales adventure with Boris: here.

Day Six: A cooking class for the last supper

Cooking class! Cuban food is quite simple, especially when you are taking a vegetarian friendly class.

Our host Marianne was incredibly inviting and a true hostess. There were general cooking tips we learned that could be applicable to different cuisines. Afterwards, Marianne also sent us the recipes.

Cultural takeaway: Marianne was able to talk to us about food accessibility and how vegan or organic movements are coming in waves to Cuba. We talked about things from grocery shopping to traditions. I think cooking classes are a great way to expand your breadth of knowledge of a country’s culture.