CUBA TOURS WITH JEREMY IGGERS – WINTER 2024

Hi friends,
Thank you for your interest in traveling to Cuba. I led three tours to Cuba with different groups of travelers last December and January, and I am looking forward to going again next January. You can expect good food, great weather, and opportunities to meet ordinary Cubans and learn about life in Cuba today.

\”Very glad we signed up for a Cuba Tour with Jeremy as it introduced us to a new culture, new friends and great food. The trip was also quite edifying in that it broadened our understanding of the cuban peoples\’ experiences via curated tours, conversations and spontaneous interactions.\”

If you are interested, keep reading, and email me at jeremyiggers@gmail.com. I can also help arrange a private tour with a guide, and I am happy to provide free advice about independent travel to Cuba.

My most recent tours have started with a couple of days in Havana, and then a road trip to Cienfuegos, Trinidad, and Santa Clara – with some beach time and a visit to a Slow Food eco farm along the way. My wife and I followed a similar route when we visited three years ago. You can see our very amateurish video about the experience here.

This is probably the best itinerary for first-time visitors to Cuba, with good tourism infrastructure, and an interesting assortment of historical, cultural and scenic attractions. But if there is enough interest, I would also consider a tour or extension to eastern Cuba, a culturally distinct region that gets far fewer foreign visitors.

You need to know that this is a very difficult time for the Cuban people. Because of the economic crisis, many struggle to make ends meet. More than 250,000 Cubans, mostly young people, have fled the island in the past year. All participants will be encouraged to make room in their luggage for some health care necessities and school supplies that are in short supply in Cuba, for donation to families and clinics.

To comply with US Treasury regulations, we will stay in private casas particulares, dine in privately owned restaurants, hire local guides, and maintain a full schedule of activities that “support the Cuban people.”

Group size: I would like to keep the group to 12 people or fewer.

Dates:  Tentatively, January 12-19, 2024. And if there is sufficient interest, a second tour from January 19-26.

Cost: I anticipate around $1950 p.p. double occupancy for an eight-day tour, or slightly more for a nine-day itinerary, unless prices or exchange rates change significantly. This includes accommodations, airport transfers, ground transportation, most meals, and guide services. Add $300 for single occupancy, or better yet, find a traveling companion. (The fewer bedrooms we need, the easier it is to find great accommodations.) This compares favorably with most commercial tours that offer similar amenities, which range from $2400, and $2795 up to $4000 or more.

Accommodations: Most of our accommodations will be booked through AirBnB. As a practical matter, I will try to book nicer casas particulares that can accommodate the entire group, but in smaller towns, that may not always be possible. 

Meals: In general, I’ll seek out high quality private restaurants for dinner, and more casual fare for lunch. Most meals and some drinks will be included – details to come. But there will also be opportunities to explore and dine on your own. (You will always be welcome to stick with me.)

Transportation: For our road trip, I will rent a late-model air-conditioned van with driver. For transportation in Havana, we will probably rely on private taxis. Not included: airfare to Havana, Cuban visa, gratuities, some meals and drinks, (details to come) and some optional activities.
Things you should know:

• To comply with US Treasury regulations, you should keep a daily diary of activities that support the Cuban people (basically, patronizing private businesses and entrepreneurs.)
• As a tourist, you will have access to goods that are unavailable or unaffordable for most Cubans, but you may still want to bring your own supply of essentials such as toilet paper, pain relievers, etc.
• Money: U.S. credit cards are not accepted, so many of our daily expenses, including our guide, transportation and meals will have to be paid for in cash. To avoid carrying all of that cash myself, I will ask each traveler to bring their final installment with them in cash. The official exchange rate for CUP to USD was recently raised from 25 to 1 to 120 to 1, but Cubans desperate to immigrate have driven the informal exchange to over 200 to one . Most establishments accept dollars, though not always at a favorable exchange rate. What is unclear is how much Cuban cash you will actually need – most of your expenses will be covered, and many restaurants and taxi drivers will accept dollars – but the exchange rate may vary.
• Airfares fluctuate a lot. I usually rely on Google Flights to find the best fares. We\’ll have to coordinate so that we all arrive in Havana at approximately the same time.
• I am not a professional tour guide or operator, but I will do my best to vet our providers and ensure a very positive experience. Travel in Cuba is an adventure, and lots of things can happen. Power outages. Fuel shortages. There are holes in Havana’s sidewalks big enough to fall into. Consider buying travel insurance.