Wanderlist

Caribbean · Havana, Viñales, Trinidad & the beaches

Cuba

Vintage cars and live music in Havana, tobacco farms in the Viñales valley, the pastel colonial town of Trinidad and white Caribbean beaches.

☀️ Best monthsJan, Feb, Mar, Dec
✈️ From Geneva13h–15h · 1 stop · from CHF 650
💰 Mid-range / dayCHF 100–160 pp
🛂 Swiss passportYou need a Cuban e-Visa (the electronic tourist card, mandatory since 2025/2026), bought online before travelling (≈ CHF 25–50)

Overview

Why Cuba?

Cuba is like nowhere else: crumbling colonial grandeur, 1950s cars, salsa and son in every bar, and warm people who welcome you into their homes (casas particulares). Havana is endlessly photogenic, and Viñales' tobacco valley with its limestone 'mogotes' is best explored on horseback. Trinidad is a perfectly preserved sugar-baron town, and Varadero and the cays have some of the Caribbean's best beaches. In normal times, it works well without a car thanks to shared taxis (colectivos) and Viazul buses. In 2026, however, the country is going through a severe energy and economic crisis, and the Swiss FDFA advises against travel (see the warning above).

Highlights

  • Old Havana's plazas, the Malecón at sunset and a ride in a classic convertible
  • Live music and the Fábrica de Arte Cubano in Havana
  • A tobacco farm and horseback ride in the Viñales valley
  • Trinidad's cobbled streets, and salsa on the steps of the Casa de la Música
  • Valle de los Ingenios by horse or tourist train
  • The white beaches of Varadero or Playa Ancón

Scorecard

How it rates

Tap a criterion to see why it got that score.

3.1
★★★★★★★★★★

Average of 19 criteria

Experiences

  • Food ★★★★★★★★★★

    Simple and often limited by shortages; the best food is at private 'paladares' and home-cooked meals in casas.

  • Sightseeing & culture ★★★★★★★★★★

    UNESCO-listed Old Havana and Trinidad, colonial Cienfuegos, Che's memorial in Santa Clara.

  • Nature ★★★★★★★★★★

    The Viñales valley, the Topes de Collantes waterfalls, the cays and reefs.

  • Beaches ★★★★★★★★★★

    Varadero, the northern cays and Playa Ancón are among the Caribbean's finest.

  • Animals ★★★★★★★★★★

    Birds and reef fish; little else on this route.

  • Sport & adventure ★★★★★★★★★★

    Horseback riding, hiking, snorkelling and diving.

  • Nightlife ★★★★★★★★★★

    Live music everywhere: son, salsa, jazz and the Fábrica de Arte Cubano.

  • Relaxation ★★★★★★★★★★

    Relaxed rhythm, but daily logistics can be stressful now.

  • Variety ★★★★★★★★★★

    City, tobacco valley, colonial towns and beaches.

Getting there & around

  • Flight from Geneva ★★★★★★★★★★

    Nonstop Zurich–Havana with Edelweiss twice a week (late Sep – mid-May, ≈ 11 h).

  • Transport without a car ★★★★★★★★★★

    In 2026, fuel shortages make buses and taxis scarce and unreliable.

  • Ease of travel ★★★★★★★★★★

    e-Visa, cash-only economy, patchy internet, and the 2026 crisis: complicated.

  • Jet lag ★★★★★★★★★★

    −6 h from Geneva.

Comfort & practicalities

  • Value for money ★★★★★★★★★★

    Casas particulares are cheap (CHF 30–60), but tourist prices in foreign currency and dual exchange rates are confusing.

  • Weather ★★★★★★★★★★

    Warm and dry from December to April; hot, humid and hurricane-prone from June to November.

  • Safety ★★★★★★★★★★

    Low violent crime, but blackouts, shortages and hustlers; the FDFA currently advises against travel.

  • Health ★★★★★★★★★★

    Medicine shortages, outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases; travel insurance is mandatory.

  • Accommodation ★★★★★★★★★★

    Charming casas particulares, but power cuts affect air conditioning and water; some hotels are closed.

  • Crowds ★★★★★★★★★★

    Very few tourists in 2026.

When to go

Best time of the year

Go from December to April, and only once the FDFA advice and the energy situation improve.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
BestGoodMixedAvoid

Dry season · Nov – Apr

  • Sunny, warm, low humidity
  • Edelweiss nonstop flights operate
  • The highest prices of the year

Wet & hurricane season · May – Oct

  • Very few tourists, low prices
  • Heat, humidity and storms
  • Hurricane risk (Aug–Oct)
  • More power cuts in the heat

Getting there

Flights from Geneva

Edelweiss flies nonstop from Zurich to Havana (Mondays and Thursdays, late September to mid-May, about 11 h), plus seasonal flights to Varadero. Otherwise, go via Madrid (Iberia). Air France suspended its Paris–Havana flights for part of 2026 because of jet fuel shortages, and schedules can change at short notice.

RoutingAirlineStopsTravel timeReturn, economy
Geneva → Zurich → HAV nonstop
Seasonal, twice a week.
 Edelweiss Nonstop ≈11h + connection CHF 700–1200
GVA → MAD → HAV Iberia 1 13h–15h CHF 650–1100
GVA → CDG → HAV
Suspended at times in 2026; check.
 Air France 1 13h–15h CHF 700–1150

Itinerary

Day by day, without a car

Pick a trip length. Day 1 is arrival day and the last day is departure day; the overnight flights are extra. Each transfer lists every option, with the recommended one first.

Trip length:
Taxi / driver

+ Varadero beach finish

The classic loop finishing with two nights on Varadero's beaches, via Santa Clara.

Havana · 3 nightsViñales · 2 nightsCienfuegos · 1 nightTrinidad · 3 nightsVaradero · 2 nights
  1. Day 1

    Arrive in Havana · the Malecón at sunset

    Land in the afternoon, change money, check into your casa, and walk along the Malecón seafront at sunset.

    • Airport → casa

      30–40 min to Old Havana or Vedado.

      How to get there (1 option)
      • Taxi or pick-up arranged by your casa Recommended
        ⏱ 30–40 min CHF 25–35 Comfort ★★★★★★★★★★
        Book: Casa particular
        Price per car. Book the pick-up in advance.
    • Malecón at sunset

      Havana's sea wall, where locals gather in the evening.

    🛏️ Night: Havana
  2. Day 2

    Old Havana on foot

    The four colonial plazas, the Capitolio, the cathedral, the Museum of the Revolution, and an evening of live music.

    • Plazas of Old Havana

      Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza Vieja and Plaza San Francisco, with Hemingway's bars (El Floridita, La Bodeguita).

      ⏱ Half day
    • Fábrica de Arte Cubano

      A cooking-oil factory turned art gallery, concert venue and club (Thu–Sun).

      CHF 3–10
    🛏️ Night: Havana
  3. Day 3

    Classic cars, Vedado & Fusterlandia

    A convertible tour through Vedado and Miramar, the mosaic village of Fusterlandia, the Callejón de Hamel's Afro-Cuban art, and a mojito at the Hotel Nacional.

    • Classic car tour

      One or two hours in a 1950s convertible along the Malecón, Revolution Square and Vedado.

      ⏱ 2 h CHF 40–70
    • Fusterlandia & Callejón de Hamel

      A neighbourhood covered in mosaics, and a street of Afro-Cuban murals with rumba on Sundays.

    🛏️ Night: Havana
  4. Day 4

    To the Viñales valley

    A colectivo west to Viñales. Sunset over the mogotes from the Los Jazmines viewpoint.

    🧭 Havana → Viñales: your options
    • Colectivo shared taxi (door to door) Recommended
      ⏱ 2h30–3h CHF 25–40 Comfort ★★★★★★★★★★
      Book: Through your casa
      Per person; availability depends on fuel.
    • Viazul bus
      ⏱ 3h30 CHF 12–20 Comfort ★★★★★★★★★★
      Book: viazul.wetransp.com (reduced timetable)
    • Private car
      ⏱ 2h30 CHF 100–150 Comfort ★★★★★★★★★★
      Book: Agency / casa
      Price per car.
    • Sunset at Los Jazmines

      The classic view over the valley.

    🛏️ Night: Viñales
  5. Day 5

    Horses, tobacco & caves

    A horseback ride through the valley to a tobacco farm (learn how cigars are rolled), a coffee farm and a cave swim.

    • Horseback ride & tobacco farm

      3–4 hours through red-earth fields, with a farmer rolling a cigar and a guava-rum tasting.

      ⏱ 4 h CHF 20–35
    • Cueva del Indio

      A boat ride along an underground river.

    🛏️ Night: Viñales
  6. Day 6

    Across the island to Cienfuegos

    A long colectivo ride to the elegant bay city of Cienfuegos, with the Malecón and Punta Gorda palaces at sunset.

    🧭 Viñales → Cienfuegos: your options
    • Colectivo shared taxi Recommended
      ⏱ 5–6 h CHF 35–50 Comfort ★★★★★★★★★★
      Book: Through your casa
      Per person.
    • Private car
      ⏱ 5 h CHF 180–250 Comfort ★★★★★★★★★★
      Book: Agency
      Price per car.
    • Parque Martí & Palacio de Valle

      A neoclassical square, the Tomás Terry theatre, and sunset drinks on the roof of a Moorish-style palace.

    🛏️ Night: Cienfuegos
  7. Day 7

    El Nicho waterfalls · Trinidad

    Via the El Nicho waterfalls in the Escambray mountains (tour), to colonial Trinidad for an evening of salsa.

    🧭 Cienfuegos → Trinidad: your options
    • Colectivo (1h30), or a day tour via El Nicho ending in Trinidad Recommended
      ⏱ 1h30 / full day CHF 10–50 Comfort ★★★★★★★★★★
      Book: Casa / agencies
      Per person.
    • Viazul bus
      ⏱ 1h30 CHF 6–10 Comfort ★★★★★★★★★★
      Book: Viazul
    • Casa de la Música steps

      Live salsa bands on the steps next to the Plaza Mayor every evening.

    🛏️ Night: Trinidad
  8. Day 8

    Trinidad & the Valle de los Ingenios

    A morning in the colonial centre, then a horseback ride or tourist train through the valley of old sugar mills.

    • Plaza Mayor & the Romantic Museum

      Cobbled lanes, pastel houses and the bell tower of the San Francisco convent.

    • Valle de los Ingenios

      The Manaca Iznaga tower and sugar-plantation ruins, by horse or tourist train (if running).

      ⏱ Half day CHF 15–35
    🛏️ Night: Trinidad
  9. Day 9

    Playa Ancón or Topes de Collantes

    A beach day at Playa Ancón, or a hike to waterfalls in the Topes de Collantes nature park.

    • Playa Ancón

      A long white beach 15 minutes from Trinidad.

      How to get there (1 option)
      • Taxi or bici-taxi / beach shuttle Recommended
        ⏱ 20 min CHF 8–15 Comfort ★★★★★★★★★★
        Book: Street / casa
    • Topes de Collantes (alternative)

      Hikes to the Salto del Caburní waterfall in cloud forest (4×4 tour).

      CHF 30–50
    🛏️ Night: Trinidad
  10. Day 10

    Santa Clara · Varadero

    Via Santa Clara's Che Guevara memorial to Varadero's white-sand peninsula.

    🧭 Trinidad → Varadero: your options
    • Colectivo / private car via Santa Clara Recommended
      ⏱ 4h30 with a stop CHF 40–200 Comfort ★★★★★★★★★★
      Book: Casa / agency
      Per person shared, or per car private.
    • Che Guevara memorial, Santa Clara

      The mausoleum and museum of Che, and the 'Armoured Train' monument.

    • Sunset on Varadero beach

      The first swim in the turquoise water.

    🛏️ Night: Varadero
  11. Day 11

    Beach day in Varadero

    Swimming, a catamaran trip with snorkelling, or simply the beach.

    • Catamaran & snorkel trip

      A day sailing to a cay with snorkelling on the reef.

      CHF 60–100
    🛏️ Night: Varadero
  12. Day 12

    Fly home from Varadero or Havana

    A morning swim, then the airport (Varadero 30 min, Havana 2 h).

    🧭 Varadero → Havana: your options
    • Transfer to Havana airport (or fly from Varadero) Recommended
      ⏱ 2h CHF 80–130 Comfort ★★★★★★★★★★
      Book: Agency / hotel
      Price per car. Edelweiss also flies Varadero ↔ Zurich seasonally.
    🛏️ Night: Flight home
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Getting around

Transport without a car

Ask your casa particular to book a colectivo (shared taxi) for each leg: it picks you up at the door. Viazul buses are cheaper but run fewer services during the fuel crisis. In Havana, use classic-car taxis, bici-taxis and walking. Keep 1–2 buffer days, and never plan a long transfer on your flight day.

🚕 Taxi ★★★★★★★★★★

Colectivos and private taxis are the usual way between towns; currently scarce and pricier.

🚌 Bus ★★★★★★★★★★

Viazul tourist buses are comfortable but have reduced timetables in 2026; book ahead.

🚘 Private driver ★★★★★★★★★★

The most reliable option during the crisis, if booked through a solid agency.

🚶 Walk ★★★★★★★★★★

Old Havana and Trinidad are best on foot.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Organised tour ★★★★★★★★★★

Organised tours (Viñales, Valle de los Ingenios) include transport.

Where to stay & budget

Three budget levels

Per person per day, excluding international flights. Assumes two people sharing a room in casas particulares, colectivo taxis and paladar meals. Bring enough cash in euros (small notes): cards issued abroad work only occasionally.

Budget CHF 50–80 per person / day
Mid-range CHF 100–160 per person / day
Comfort CHF 250–450 per person / day

Havana

A decaying and magnificent colonial capital: restored plazas, pastel mansions, the Malecón seafront and live music everywhere.

Where: Old Havana or Vedado, in a casa particular (preferably with a generator or solar backup).

Budget
CHF 30–50 / room / night
Casa particular room with breakfast
Mid-range
CHF 80–150 / room / night
Boutique casa in a colonial mansion
Comfort
CHF 200–400 / room / night
Historic hotel (e.g. Iberostar Grand Packard), if open

Viñales

A farming village in a green valley dotted with limestone 'mogotes', where tobacco is still grown and dried by hand.

Where: A casa in the village with a terrace facing the valley.

Budget
CHF 25–40 / room / night
Family casa
Mid-range
CHF 50–90 / room / night
Casa with a valley view and home-cooked dinner
Comfort
CHF 120–200 / room / night
Best hotel in the valley

Cienfuegos

The elegant French-founded 'Pearl of the South' on a bay, with neoclassical buildings and a seafront promenade.

Where: Near the Parque Martí or in Punta Gorda.

Budget
CHF 25–40 / room / night
Casa particular
Mid-range
CHF 50–90 / room / night
Casa on the bay in Punta Gorda
Comfort
CHF 100–180 / room / night
Historic hotel

Trinidad

A UNESCO-listed 18th-century sugar town frozen in time: cobbled streets, pastel houses, and music on the Plaza Mayor steps every night.

Where: In the historic centre.

Budget
CHF 25–40 / room / night
Casa particular
Mid-range
CHF 50–100 / room / night
Colonial casa with a patio and rooftop
Comfort
CHF 120–250 / room / night
Boutique hotel in the centre

Varadero

A 20 km peninsula of white sand and turquoise water, lined with resorts.

Where: A casa in the town part, or an all-inclusive resort (check it's open).

Budget
CHF 30–50 / room / night
Casa particular in Varadero town
Mid-range
CHF 100–180 / room / night
All-inclusive resort, per room
Comfort
CHF 250–500 / room / night
Adults-only luxury resort

Practical

Good to know

🛂 Visa (Swiss passport)
Swiss passport: you need a Cuban e-Visa (the electronic tourist card, mandatory since 2025/2026), bought online before travelling (≈ CHF 25–50). You must also fill in the D'Viajeros online form before arrival and carry travel insurance valid in Cuba.
💉 Health
Travel insurance is mandatory. Pharmacies are very short of medicines, so bring a complete medical kit. Mosquito-borne diseases (dengue, chikungunya, Oropouche) are present: use repellent. Drink bottled or boiled water.
🛡️ Safety
Violent crime is rare, but hustlers ('jineteros') are common. During blackouts, streets are dark, so carry a torch and a power bank. Keep copies of your documents. Follow the Swiss FDFA advice.
💱 Money
Cuban peso (CUP), with a large gap between official and informal rates; many tourist prices are in USD or EUR. Bring plenty of cash in euros, in small notes. Cards from Swiss banks work only in a few places, and US-issued cards not at all.
🗣️ Language
Spanish; basic English in tourism.
🕒 Time zone
UTC−5 (UTC−4 in summer): 6 h behind Geneva.
🔌 Plugs
110 V and 220 V, type A/B/C: bring a universal adapter.
📶 Phone & apps
Internet is slow and limited (ETECSA Wi-Fi cards or a tourist SIM); download offline maps before you go.

Information last checked: September 2026. Visa rules, prices and timetables change, so always check before booking.