Cuba tour, The Revolutionary Trail
Highlights
Havana | Walking tour of Old Havana | Museum of the Revolution | Santa Clara | Che Museum | Camaguey | Bayamo | Turquino National Park | hike to La Comandancia de la Plata | Santo Domingo | Santiago de Cuba | Fidels final resting place | El Morro castle
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this vacation or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
Toll free 1-866-821-6866 Calling from outside the US? rosy@responsibletravel.comDeparture information
Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your vacation will help support conservation and local people.
When out on tour we encourage learning about the country we are traveling in, the local culture of the people we work with and the areas we pass through. Our Cuban guides conduct detailed briefing meetings and informal talks with clients to inform about and discuss with them all aspects of local life. This helps our clients to understand the country more and to better appreciate the lives of the people who live there. We encourage everyone to learn some Spanish before they come on tour so as to be able to communicate with local people, even at a basic level. By staying in local homes and mountain community refuges, we are able to make a direct economic input into local communities. We enable interaction with local people thorough community activities and other events thus enabling our clients to meet and get to know people from the area. All our dance tutors and specialist guides are local people and they are treated and paid fairly. Where possible, food is purchased locally and we encourage cooking with local products. We ask everyone to bring donations of clothing and other items to present to one of the community projects we visit thus directly benefitting local people.
The Impacts of this Trip
We include accommodation in casas particulares where possible, so that our clients have an opportunity to meet and spend time with local people in their homes to learn something of local life. It also enables them to use their Spanish language skills, even at a basic level. Importantly, this also ensures that monies are spent at a very local level and go into the pockets of Cuban households and communities. All our dance/music/language tutors and specialist guides are professionally trained Cubans and they are treated and paid fairly.
We support local Cuban businesses in every aspect of our trips - accommodation, transport, meals, drinks and activities - thus contributing directly to the local economy and community. We also regularly organise donations for local schools and educational projects. We recommend that clients consider donations of items such as toiletries, baby and childrens clothing, some medicines and luxuries such as soap to the families they visit and projects we support.
We also regularly provide donations to two youth theatre and drama companies in Santiago de Cuba, bringing material for costumes and stage make from the UK or buying essential items locally such as paint for props.
On our dance and music vacations, we recommend that clients bring with them any musical or dance items which they can leave for their tutors, such as shoes, strings, instruments or dancewear. On our hiking trips, we encourage the donation of appropriate items such as hiking shoes or boots, small rucksacks, water bottles, penknives and other such items for the specialist guides accompanying the tour.
When out on tour we encourage learning about the country we are traveling in, the local culture of the people we work with and the areas we pass through. Our Cuban guides conduct detailed briefing meetings and informal talks with clients to inform about and discuss with them all aspects of local life. This helps our clients to understand the country more and to better appreciate the lives of the people who live there. We encourage everyone to learn some Spanish before they come on tour so as to be able to communicate with local people, even at a basic level. By staying in local homes and mountain community refuges, we are able to make a direct economic input into local communities. We enable interaction with local people thorough community activities and other events thus enabling our clients to meet and get to know people from the area. All our dance tutors and specialist guides are local people and they are treated and paid fairly. Where possible, food is purchased locally and we encourage cooking with local products. We ask everyone to bring donations of clothing and other items to present to one of the community projects we visit thus directly benefitting local people.
The Impacts of this Trip
We include accommodation in casas particulares where possible, so that our clients have an opportunity to meet and spend time with local people in their homes to learn something of local life. It also enables them to use their Spanish language skills, even at a basic level. Importantly, this also ensures that monies are spent at a very local level and go into the pockets of Cuban households and communities. All our dance/music/language tutors and specialist guides are professionally trained Cubans and they are treated and paid fairly.
We support local Cuban businesses in every aspect of our trips - accommodation, transport, meals, drinks and activities - thus contributing directly to the local economy and community. We also regularly organise donations for local schools and educational projects. We recommend that clients consider donations of items such as toiletries, baby and childrens clothing, some medicines and luxuries such as soap to the families they visit and projects we support.
We also regularly provide donations to two youth theatre and drama companies in Santiago de Cuba, bringing material for costumes and stage make from the UK or buying essential items locally such as paint for props.
On our dance and music vacations, we recommend that clients bring with them any musical or dance items which they can leave for their tutors, such as shoes, strings, instruments or dancewear. On our hiking trips, we encourage the donation of appropriate items such as hiking shoes or boots, small rucksacks, water bottles, penknives and other such items for the specialist guides accompanying the tour.
3 Reviews of Cuba tour, The Revolutionary Trail
Reviewed on 15 Apr 2019 by Adele Dow
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Visiting the cemetery where Fidel Castro is buried. Cuban families lined up to have photos taken in front of his grave. They were so quiet and respectful as they waited in line, and when their turn came, posed proudly with solemn faces, in front of the stone with the marker that reads simply, "Fidel". It was touching, and broadened my understanding of Cuba.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
It helps to read up on Cuban history before hand. Having an understanding of the conditions before the Revolution helps put the accomplishments of the Revolution in perspective.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, definitely benefited local people. Staying in Casa Particulares was fun! As far as reducing environmental impacts, I'm not sure - I consumed a lot of bottled water while I was there.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent.
Read the operator's response here:
Reviewed on 26 Mar 2019 by Huma Kidwai
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Memorable: Visiting both Che's mausoleum and the cemetery where Fidel's remains are entombed. Most fun was sitting on the steps at the Mayor's square
in Trinidad, sipping Kanchechera (plz correct the spelling) and swaying to live
music.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Come prepared to dance at all times. Bring some condiments for your food at homestays, since nothing but garlic, onions and salt are available due to US
imposed sanctions.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Homestays and guides and taxi drivers are all local people and they really benefit from this kind of tourism
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
You need to standardise the breakfast across all homestays. It was very difficult with my allergies.
Read the operator's response here:
Cuba has some food shortages in some areas of the country some of the time, and much of the fresh food is available only seasonally and not all over the country at the same time either, so it would be an impossible task to try and standardise breakfasts or any other meals. We passed on details of your allergies to all of the homestays where you were staying and the hosts would therefore have been aware of the type of food to avoid serving. We are very pleased that your memorable moments included locations associated with the Cuban Revolution and also live music as these are undoubtedly key elements of any trip to Cuba.
Reviewed on 24 Feb 2017 by Leslie Repp
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Meeting the warm, friendly people in cuba, our hosts at home stays and our
wonderful guides. The hiking was great too.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
The exchange rate in cuba is not good for Americans so bring extra money
as you can't use cards.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I hope it benefited them. I know they appreciated the tips. The single use water bottle issue will be a problem quickly as the infrastructure probably can't handle the amount of tourists.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It was an amazing experience. Well organized, beautiful country and people. We enjoyed every minute.
Popular similar vacations
Cuba cultural vacation
Immerse yourself in Cuban culture on this 8 day adventure
From US $690 8 days excluding flights
Classic Cuba vacation, 11 days
Get into the Cuban swing over just ten days
From £1125 12 days excluding flights
Cuba salsa dance vacation
Learn to salsa with the pros in Santiago de Cuba, tuition, day trips and nights out
From £1560 15 days excluding flights
protection
