Society of Architectural Historians Cuba Study Tour

Overview

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Miami

Crowne Plaza Miami Airport.

• Introductory lecture on the history of Cuba and its architecture

Full Day Itinerary: Convene in Miami at airport hotel for drinks and an introductory lecture on the history of Cuba and its architecture.

Day 2: Miami & Havana

Parque Central Hotel, Havana. Breakfast & lunch.

• Depart from Miami to Havana, arriving early afternoon
• Introductory bus tour of Havana

Full Day Itinerary: This morning, depart Miami and arrive in Havana in the early afternoon. Upon arrival,  enjoy an introductory bus tour of the city with stops at key sites including the harbor fortress El Castillo del Morro. Here, take in panoramic views of the city.

Later, check into the historic hotel Parque Central, your home base for the Havana segment of the tour.

Day 3: Colonial Havana

Breakfast & lunch.

• Morning walking tour of Old Havana
• Afternoon walking tour of "Las Murallas" 

Full Day Itinerary: This morning, take a walking tour of Old Havana, visiting major buildings and public spaces from the 17th through the 20th centuries.

In the afternoon walk "Las Murallas" and its civic buildings of the early Republican period. 

Day 4: Art Deco, Eclecticism and Early Modernism

Breakfast & lunch.

• Walking tour in Centro Habana and El Vedado

Full Day Itinerary: Today, take a combined bus and walking tour in Centro Habana and El Vedado, the neighborhoods developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Day 5: Havana Modernism with Eduardo Luis Rodríguez 

Breakfast & lunch. 

• Walking tour in El Vedado
• Afternoon bus tour through Nuevo Vedado, Miramar, Playa and Cubanacán

Full Day Itinerary: Morning walking tour in El Vedado, including residential, commercial and civic buildings along “La Rampa.”  Afternoon bus tour through Nuevo Vedado, Miramar, Playa and Cubanacán, with selected interior visits to private homes.

Day 6: Post Revolution Havana: Tale of Two Campuses with Universo Garcia  

Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

• Visits to Ciudad Universitaria José Antonio Echeverria and the Escuelas Nacionales de Artes

Full Day Itinerary: Today we will visit two major university campuses built after the revolution; Ciudad Universitaria José Antonio Echeverria and the Escuelas Nacionales de Artes.

Day 7: East of Havana to Matanzas and Varadero

Iberostar Hotel, Varadero. Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

• Depart Havana and travel to Habana del Este
• Evening at Vardero Beach 

Full Day Itinerary: This morning, we depart Havana and travel east to visit the 1962 new town of Habana del Este, the historic sugar port of Matanzas and the fabled Varadero beach resort with notable architecture from the 1920s through the 1970s.

Spend the night at at your all-inclusive hotel in Vardero. 

Day 8: Cienfuegos/Trinidad 

Accommodation: Iberostar Hotel, Trinidad. Breakfast & lunch. 

• Visit Cienfuegos
• Walking tour of Trinidad

Full Day Itinerary: Today, drive south to the Caribbean port city of Cienfuegos, with its remarkably intact 19 century opera house, eclectic houses and civic buildings, mid-century modern hotel and two extraordinary cemeteries. 

Later, drive to Trinidad in time for evening walking tour and overnight.

Day 9: Trinidad, Valle de los Ingenios, Sancti Spiritus, Camagüey 

Hotel E Santa Maria. Breakfast & lunch.

• Morning tour of Trinidad
• Explore the historic sugar plantations of Valle de los Ingenios
• Visit Sancti Spiritus
• Evening at leisure in Camagüey 

Full Day Itinerary: Morning tour of Trinidad, an astonishingly well-preserved colonial city and UNESCO world heritage site.  Drive east into the Valle de los Ingenios to visit historic sugar plantations, continuing on through the old town of Sancti Spiritus to Camagüey. Check in to your hotel.  Evening free at leisure. 

Day 10: Camagüey to Gibara

E Ordono, Gibara. Breakfast & lunch.

• Morning tour of Camagüey
• Visit Las Tunas and Holguín provinces
• Evening in Gibara

Full Day Itinerary: This morning, take a tour of Camagüey, the mid-island city that Cubans consider the most romantic of places, with its beautiful squares, churches and neoclassical houses.

Afterwards, drive east through Las Tunas and Holguín provinces, visiting early 20th century sugar mill towns and the village of Velasco with its eccentric 1964 Casa de Cultura.

End the day in Gibara, a beautiful historic sugar port - like Trinidad without the tourists!

Day 11: Holguín, Bayamo & Santiago

Imperial, Santiago de Cuba. Breakfast & lunch.

• Holguín visit
• Pass through Bayamo
• Evening at leisure in Santiago

Full Day Itinerary: Morning visit to Holguín, Cuba's 4th largest city and an important regional center.  Drive south to Bayamo, with its historic church and remarkable 1964 forestry station on the edge of town.

Continue on to Santiago. Check into your hotel on arrival. Evening free at leisure.

Day 12: Santiago de Cuba with Omar López Rodríguez

Breakfast & lunch.

• Full day tour of Santiago

Full Day Itinerary: Enjoy a full day tour of Santiago, including the Parque Céspedes, Cathedral, 16th century  Casa de Don Diego Velázquez, 17th century Morro fortress, Moncada Barracks, major university buildings from the 1950s and 60s and a post-revolution pre-fabricated concrete housing complex. 

Day 13: Santiago & Guantánamo with a local architectural historian. 

Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

• Morning visits to additional sites in Santiago
• Visit to an early 18th century French coffee plantation and Guantánamo
• Guantánamo
• Farewell dinner

Full Day Itinerary: This morning we will make stops at additional sites in Santiago.

Later, visit an early 18th century French coffee plantation in the mountains as well as the old port city of Guantánamo. From a hilltop mirador one gets a view of Guantánamo Bay and the U.S. Naval Base.

This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with your fellow group members.

Day 14: Santiago/Departure

Breakfast.

• Today, bid farewell to Cuba as you transfer to Holquin Frank Pais Airport and check-in for your flight back to Miami. ¡Adiós, Cuba!

Trip Details

• What should I know before I go? We've compiled a comprehensive checklist, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
• Do I need a visa or other documents? Are there any entry requirements? Travel visas are required for this package. Please review the visa & entry requirements.
• Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Something else? Just ask!
• Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 21 or older. Your traveling companions must be 8 or older at time of travel.
• Should I purchase travel insurance? Yes! We recommend you purchase travel insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer a plan provided by Travelex Insurance Services.
• What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
• What should I know about Cuba? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.