Cuba 9 Days Tour by Travel International Group

Chi indian (122 x 122) Cuba 9 Days

Saturday arrival in Miami, Florida

Vacation Overview

A once-in-a-lifetime experience awaits participants in this rare opportunity. Be among the first American travelers in five decades to visit Cuba and its most fascinating cities with Globus! This program allows Americans and Cubans to share in special people-to-people interactions while enjoying the rich history and culture of this amazing country. Every day of your program will be wrapped in compelling education and conversation, where both Cuban and American residents can openly share their ideas and opinions. Join in a variety of discussions about Cuba’s history, agriculture, music, religion, and art. You can fully embrace Cuban culture when you meet and join in a discussion with the dancers of the world-renowned Camagüey Ballet Company, interact with local artists and exchange views on the importance of art to a community, enjoy a dance lesson and engage with musicians who will introduce you to son, Cuba’s popular music, and be introduced to Cuban baseball players and discuss this favorite pastime in both Cuba and the U.S. The people-to-people interactions you’ll experience weave seamlessly into the daily visits around the country, serving to enrich and enlighten. Fascinating, informative, and insightful discoveries await every participant, both Cuban and American, on this trip of a lifetime to this great island—the “Pearl of the Antilles.”

Group Voyagers, Inc.* is an organization licensed by the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), CFR 515.565(b) and authorized to provide those who register as participants in our programs to visit Cuba legally for educational people-to-people interactions. Our unique itinerary for 2015: “Cuba’s Charming Colonial Cities & Havana” provides a full-time schedule of people-to-people educational exchange activities designed to result in meaningful interactions between our travelers and individuals in Cuba. United States law requires that all participants in our programs adhere to the full-time schedule of people-to-people activities.

*Group Voyagers, Inc. is the company that markets and sells the Globus family of brands through Travel International Group, Inc.

NOTES:

• The “Cuba’s Charming Colonial Cities & Havana” program requires walking on cobblestone streets and uneven pathways, climbing stairs, and participating in a full-time schedule of people-to-people activities.

• Due to the special requirements to visit Cuba, participants will be required to complete visa application and travel reservation forms and sign an affidavit confirming that they are traveling under a people-to-people license and are aware of the travel rules. Participants are also required to send a copy of their passport photo page. These items must be sent to Globus within 7 days of making a reservation.

• In Cuba, activities that have been scheduled far in advance can sometimes become unavailable for a number of different reasons. The purpose of the trip is to have meaningful interactions with the locals and if the planned people-to-people educational exchange isn’t available, rest assured that another that will be just as enriching will be substituted.

• Small-Group Discovery – Never more than 24 participants in a group

• Your program also includes: airport transfers, gratuities to wait staff at restaurants, porters at hotels, motorcoach driver, Cuban National Tour Director, and your Globus Group Leader, Baggage fee on your charter flight from Miami to Cuba (bag cannot exceed 44 lbs), Cuban visa fee.

• On departures: 0411, 0425, 0502, 0917 passengers will overnight in Cienfuegos at the Jagua Hotel instead of at the Iberostar in Trinidad.

• On departures: 0516, 0523, 0530, 0606 passengers will overnight at the Hotel La Ronda instead of at the Iberostar in Trinidad

Itinerary:

DAY 1: Miami

Arrive in Miami and transfer to your hotel. Tonight, meet your Globus Group Leader for a 6 pm welcome drink. This is a good time to meet your fellow program participants, get your questions answered and prepare for your trip to fascinating Cuba.

DAY 2: Miami–Camaguey, Cuba

This morning, a short flight brings you to Camagüey, Cuba’s third-largest city. Meet your Cuban National Tour Director, who will show you the city’s beautifully restored plazas and explain why Camagüey is nicknamed the “City of Squares.” One of the first seven villages founded by the Spaniards, much of the city has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After lunch, meet an award-winning ARTIST and discuss the inspiration for her work and how she has given back to the community. Then, visit a FARMERS MARKET and interact with the local merchants. Arrive at your hotel located in the heart of Camaguey. (CB,L,D)

The World Heritage List includes over 800 properties with cultural and/or natural heritage of global significance.

DAY 3: Camaguey. Excursion to King Ranch

Today, meet dancers with the world-renowned Camagüey BALLET COMPANY, which has performed in over 40 countries. You’ll have a chance to meet and interact with the dancers as well as the teachers and costume makers. Journey to KING RANCH, an expansion of the famous ranch of the same name in Texas, and its neighboring village, including stepping inside a home and school to discuss rural life and education. Then, over a barbecue lunch, connect with the cowboys who call the ranch home. Stop at Casanova POTTERY STUDIO to learn about Camagüey’s famous tinajones —large red pots found outside homes, a symbol of the city. See the traditional way of making the vessels and interact with the artists to learn about the local legend. A relaxing dinner is at a local paladar (special, privately owned restaurant). Before returning to the hotel, meet members from the American Car Association and enjoy a ride in an OLD STYLER car. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 4: Camaguey–Trinidad

Travel to Trinidad, the crown jewel of Cuba’s colonial cities, founded in 1514 and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch at a casa particular (bed and breakfast) and discuss private enterprise in Cuba with the owners and staff. This afternoon, spend time walking the streets of Trinidad, a cobblestone showcase of colonial architecture and pastel-colored houses decorated with wooden shutters and wrought-iron grilles. Caged songbirds outside the home are a Trinidad tradition. Interact with the librarian at the local LIBRARY, built from the estate of an American woman in the early 1900s, and learn about the library system in Cuba, including censorship and how the facilities are supported. Before arriving at the hotel, spend time at a family-owned CERAMIC STUDIO to learn the family’s history and how this distinctive pottery is made. You’ll also enjoy a tasty Canchanchara drink. Before dinner tonight, join an interactive DANCE LESSON and discuss the rhythms and history of Cuba’s traditional forms of music. You’ll hear typical salsa, rumba, and son (Cuban popular music). (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

The World Heritage List includes over 800 properties with cultural and/or natural heritage of global significance.

DAY 5: Trinidad. Excursion to Cienfuegos

Travel to Cienfuegos and get acquainted on a walk around the main square. Settled by French immigrants more than 150 years ago, Cienfuegos is often referred to as the “Pearl of the South” because of its impressive beauty and colorful history. Join in a discussion with artists at a graphic arts STUDIO and learn more about their lives, their work, and how their art is created. Next, an opportunity to engage with tobacco rollers at a CIGAR FACTORY and to learn about the importance of tobacco, both culturally and commercially, for Cuba. Lunch is served at a waterside paladar. Before returning to Trinidad, enjoy a performance and discussion with the CIENFUEGOS ORCHESTRA. (Breakfast, Lunch)

DAY 6: Trinidad–Bay of Pigs–Havana

After breakfast, travel through the countryside, passing sugar cane fields and banana plantations. We’ll stop in Playa Girón for a guided visit of the BAY OF PIGS MUSEUM. Nearby is the old sugar mill used by Fidel Castro as his center of operations during the 1961 invasion. Over lunch, join in a DISCUSSION with a local Naturalist as well as the family that runs the restaurant. Arrive in Havana, Cuba’s vibrant capital city. Before dinner this evening, meet with jazz musicians from the CUBAN INSTITUTE OF MUSIC. Enjoy a discussion to share the importance of music in everyday life and then be treated to a performance. Afterward, enjoy a tour of the illustrious HOTEL NACIONAL DE CUBA, a symbol of history, culture, and Cuban identity. The hotel has hosted celebrities and world figures over the decades, including Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, Muhammad Ali, and Steven Spielberg. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 7: Havana

Your day begins with a DISCUSSION with a local architect. Topics include Havana’s unique architecture, the challenges of renovating the city’s exquisite historic building, and the future of these restorations. Then, the opportunity to explore the charming cobblestone streets of OLD HAVANA, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while participating in open dialogue with the local architect on architectural topics of interest. Our attention then turns to Nobel Prize-winning novelist Ernest Hemingway, who lived in Cuba for over 30 years and left behind an enduring legacy. It is here that he wrote several books, participated in fishing contests, and enjoyed the laid-back ambiance and warmth of the Cuban people. Engage with staff at FINCA VIGIA, his beloved home, and see his fishing boat, El Pilar. Lunch is at a local ORGANIC FARM, where you’ll join a discussion with the owners and learn about organic urban farming in Cuba. Before returning to Havana, visit a DAYCARE CENTER to interact with the children and workers who run the program. (Breakfast, Lunch)

The World Heritage List includes over 800 properties with cultural and/or natural heritage of global significance.

DAY 8: Havana

A photo stop is made at REVOLUTION SQUARE before exploring the world-famous COLON CEMETERY with its elaborately sculpted memorials. Hear the cemetery’s captivating history, folklore, and stories about the many noteworthy people laid to rest here, including musicians, filmmakers, writers, politicians, Major League Baseball players, and La Milagrosa—the “Miraculous One.” Next, enjoy a visit to JOSÉ FUSTER’S STUDIO, cleverly nicknamed the “Picasso of the Caribbean.” Here you’ll discover a surreal world—like nothing you have seen before. Interact with members of the neighborhood to discuss the project’s impact on the surrounding area. Enjoy an afternoon choir performance and join a discussion with choir members and their director from the CUBAN INSTITUTE OF MUSIC. Before dinner, meet a former Cuban baseball player for a DISCUSSION about the history and the love of this favorite pastime in Cuba and in the U.S. This evening, join your Cuban Tour Director and Globus Group Leader for a festive farewell dinner—the perfect ending to your time in Cuba. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 9: Havana–Miami, USA

After breakfast, depart for the airport and your return flight to Miami. Those returning to Miami on Sundays, please schedule connecting flights after 6:50 pm and those returning to Miami on Fridays, please schedule connecting flights after 2:45pm. (Breakfast)

***End of Tour***

Land Tour Package Rate:

from USD 3079 per person based on twin sharing

Single Supplement: USD 499

HOTELS TO BE USED

Miami

Miami Airport Marriott (First-Class)

Address: 1201 NW LeJeune Road, Miami, FL United States

Camaguey

Gran Hotel (First-Class)

Address: Maceo No 67 e/Gral General, Camaguey, Cuba

Trinidad

Hotel La Ronda (Moderate First-Class)

Address: 45 Calle Jesus Maria, Trinidad, Cuba

Jagua Hotel (First-Class)

Address: Calle 37 No 1e/0 y 2, Cienfuegos, Cuba

Iberostar Grand Hotel (Superior First-Class)

Address: Calle Jose Marti 262 Adjacent, Trinidad, Cuba

Havana

Melia Cohiba Hotel (Moderate Deluxe)

Address: Paseo between 1st Y 3rd, Havana, Cuba

With breakfast daily including a Continental Breakfast in Miami, 7 lunches, 5 dinners including a farewell dinner in Havana

REMARKS:

Dates & Prices do not include air travel.

Participation in this vacation requires purchase of the following flights from Globus, not included in pricing: (1) roundtrip air from your U.S. gateway and intra-vacation air segments; or (2) intra-vacation air segments only, starting at $548. Required intra-vacation air segments are: Miami/Camagüey; Havana/Miami. Air price includes luggage allowance of 44 lbs per person (total for checked and carry-on), required Cuba Health Insurance ($46), and applicable taxes. Air prices were effective on December 1, 2014, and their availability is limited. At the time you purchase your trip, air prices may be higher.

Cuba visa fee ($85) is additional and mandatory. These fees will be added to your vacation summary.

For your convenience, as credit and debit cards issued by U.S. banks have limited use in Cuba, program gratuities ($175) are additional and mandatory. These fees will be added to your vacation summary.

Prices based on double room occupancy.

Single Room Supplement: $480

Triple rooms are not available.

Extra Nights per person in Miami:

Weekend (Friday-Sunday): in single room $197; in twin room $104

Weekday (Monday-Thursday): in single room $255; in twin room $135

Payment must come directly from you to Globus using any of our accepted forms of payment (checks, money orders, Visa, MasterCard, Discover/Novus or American Express). You may not make payment directly to a travel agent. Your travel agent may assist you in making the payment by mailing the check or providing Globus your credit card information.

*Group Voyagers, Inc. is the company that markets and sells the Globus family of brands.

Travel Terms & Conditions

The purchase of any travel services offered by Globus, constitutes a contractual arrangement between you and Globus, and represents your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions. Please ensure that you read carefully and understand the Terms & Conditions prior to booking. These Terms & Conditions cover Deposit & Final Payment information, Air-Inclusive Deposits & Final Payment, Revisions & Revision Fees, Air Arrangements, Participation, Travelers Who Need Special Assistance, Young Travelers, Smoking, Price Policy, Visas and Passports, Hotels & Accommodations, Baggage Allowance, Travel Documents, Not Included in the Land Price, Refunds, Service Inquires After the Vacation, Holidays, Safety, Photos & Pictures, Optional Excursions, and Responsibility.

View full Terms & Conditions

Important Notes

• Vacation departures, itineraries and prices are subject to change.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable deposit is required for Globus to reserve space for you. View Terms & Conditions for limited exceptions.

• The following charges are not included in the land vacation price unless otherwise noted: airfare to and from the start of your vacation; Intra-vacation air unless specified in the itinerary; airline baggage fees including checked and/or excess baggage fees; Federal inspection fees for the Federal U.S. Customs and Immigrations; International Air Transportation tax; agricultural tax; other per person taxes imposed by government entities; airport taxes and fees including the September 11th Security fee up to $10 per person, passenger facility charges up to $18 per person, Federal domestic flight segment fees up to $3.70 per segment, and U.S. and International arrival and departure and other government-imposed added by the airline and applicable at time of booking; port taxes; passports; visas (except on Cuba programs) and vaccinations; tips to your Tour or Cruise Director, Globus Group Leader in Cuba, Local Host, driver, Local Guides, and/or ship's crew; gratuities on ferries, trains, and cruise ships; laundry; telephone; minibar; alcohol, beverages, and food outside of the contracted Globus menu as presented at a hotel or restaurant or onboard your vessel (these extra items will be billed to you before leaving the hotel, ship, or restaurant); airport transfers on non-qualifying flights; optional excursions; additional activities and excursions purchased online; porterage at airports and train stations; Travel Protection; and all other items of a personal nature.

Booking your Vacation with Air

For air departure dates within 331 days, you'll be offered a choice of carriers and flight schedules as well as price points to choose from when selecting your flights. Your schedule will be provided to you at the time of booking (schedules are subject to change by carriers). Globus offers 2 air options: Flex Air and Instant Purchase Air. Flex Air allows flexibility if you want to make changes to your vacation schedule. Instant Purchase Air may offer additional airline options but has more restrictions. Some vacations may only offer one Air type option. Guaranteed air-inclusive prices: air is only available to passengers traveling from the United States and only available when booked in conjunction with a land vacation. An additional $300 per person non-refundable air deposit is required for Flex Air booked in conjunction with any land vacation (i.e. air-inclusive vacation). Air can only be booked by Globus in conjunction with a vacation package. Instant Purchase Air requires air payment in full at time of booking (i.e. air-inclusive vacation) plus non-refundable service fee ($30 per person for North America, $50 per person for International air). Once booked, Instant Purchase Air is non-refundable, and non-changeable. Some vacations may only offer one Air type option. However, once your airfare is confirmed and Globus has received your full air and land deposit, your air-inclusive vacation price is guaranteed.

Air-Inclusive Vacations — Applicable Taxes & Fees

Air inclusive price quotes will include all government-imposed taxes and fees applicable at the time of booking and will be shown as a Total Amount. Additional airline fees for baggage may apply. At the time of booking your air-inclusive vacation online, carrier Websites will be provided to check baggage fees, or you can visit www.iflybags.com for up-to-date baggage pricing/restrictions. The total airfare price, the base airfare price, and the applicable government taxes and fees are broken-out line-by-line and shown while booking online and on the invoice after your travel is booked. For return travel from some countries, international travelers are required to pay entry and/or exit fees at the airport. These fees will be collected by the local government and are payable by the traveler at time of travel. Your confirmation booking information will contain information about these fees.

REMARKS: Rates are subject to change unless booked and finalized.

Tour Code: tig-gt

***Pictures courtesy of Cuba Tourism Board***