Spending Five Days in Cuba - The Shadrian Chronicles

If you are planning to visit Cuba on the “Support for the Cuban People” visa, you need to plan out at least 6 hours of activities each day. Check out our plan for spending five days in Cuba. The plan below meets the requirements for reaching the 6 hours each day, but you can do more or mix the activities up however you’d like.

Day 1 – Arriving and Relaxing

After arriving in Cuba, grab a taxi at the airport and head to your accommodation. You can probably book a taxi with your host prior to arriving. Taxis from the airport to Havana usually run about 30-35 CUC.

After arriving and dropping off your bags, ask your host for a good recommendation for food within walking distance. Head out for dinner and explore along the way.

Day 2 – Touring Havana

Start off your day with a driving tour through modern Havana, checking out the city by one of the famous historic cars. Car tours cost roughly 35-45 CUC an hour, so plan to spend only 1-2 hours touring by car.

After your driving tour, take a guided walking tour through old Havana. Your tour guide will direct you through the streets and share history as you tour. Tours usually run between 25 and 30 CUC per person.

Guides can be booked ahead of time through Airbnb experiences or through touring companies like Via Hero. If you are new to Airbnb, sign up here.

Ask your guide for a dinner option for the evening. Spend the rest of your day exploring the shops and in old Havana.

Day 3 – Enjoy the Beach

After breakfast pack your beach towel, sunglasses, and sunscreen for a wonderful day at the beach. From the main park area in old Havana, a bus can take you to the beaches for 5 CUC round trip. The buses run every 40 minutes and drop you off at a few beach locations along the way.

You can rent a chair and/or an umbrella for only a few CUC. There are also a few places to grab lunch just beyond the beach that are pretty good.

After spending your day at the beach, grab dinner and relax for the evening.

Day 4 – Salsa and Shopping

Before heading to Havana book a salsa dancing lesson. You can book these online through Airbnb experiences. Salsa lessons usually last 2 to 3 hours.

After your salsa lessons grab some lunch in old Havana then head to the Almacenes Craft Market (south side of old Havana along the waterfront). You can spend a few hours here walking through the stalls and checking out the crafts. There are hundreds of paintings and wooden crafts, so this is a great place for picking out your souvenirs.

If you are up for it, check out a salsa club in the evening to test out those salsa lessons. If you don’t feel so adventurous you can book a fishing guide to fish off of the Malecon (sidewalk) along the the ocean. You can book a fishing guide through Airbnb experiences before arriving.

Learning about history of the revolution on our guided tour.

Day 5 – Last Day

On your last day, choose from a few options for activities, such as a cooking class, checking out the mosaic tile art in Fusterlandia, or check out other Airbnb experiences.

Ask your host for a taxi to the airport, but expect to pay between 30 and 35 CUC for the trip.

Activities outside of Havana

If you have the time, head out of Havana to explore the eastern portion of the island. Some of the cities in eastern Cuba are almost frozen in time, so you can see the colonial towns straight out of the history books.

There is also a national park in Cuba that boasts a wide assortment of animals and beautiful vistas. You can also hire a tour guide to take you to the park.