Itinerary, Logistics and Cost

Traveling Cuba’s National Freeway: The Road to Revolution
Dates: January 2-24
Accommodation: 3-star hotels

Important Dates
Application deadline: Oct. 13.
Registration and $500 non-refundable downpayment deadline: Nov 1.
Final payment: December 1 to AltruVistas.
(If an advance on spring financial aid is needed, please contact Financial Aid.)
Required Intercultural Competence Training: TBA
Pre-departure Meeting: TBA

Costs

10-14 participants:  $4144 in double room accommodations.*
15 participants: $3996 in double room accommodations.*

(Students using loans may contact the Financial Aid Office (finaid@miis.edu) to inquire about an advance to cover costs.)


*This includes:

  • Lodging in 3-star hotels
  • 2 meals a day
  • All ground transportation (in air-conditioned motor coaches)
  • Bottled water
  • Speakers fees
  • Entrance to all events, museums, etc. 

Additional Costs:
Airfare to and from Havana (on the carrier of your choice)
Visa $75 (provided by AltruVistas)

Each participant is responsible for the following charges:

  • Expenses of a purely personal nature
  • Gratuities to the hotel staff, waitstaff, and your guide and driver
  • 1 meal a day
  • Room service charges
  • Travel Insurance (We advise participants to have travel insurance, but it is not required.)
  • Extra Beverages or Snacks

Tentative Itinerary*

 Day 1- Thursday, Jan 2nd. Santiago de Cuba                                                           (D)

Arrival (Flight Itinerary pending)

Panoramic view of the city

16:00 hrs Accommodation at the Hotel (Casagranda)

Welcome  Dinner at the hotel

Free night for personal exploration (Casa de la Trova recommended)

Day 2- Friday, Jan 3rd. Santiago de Cuba                                                                (  B, L )

Breakfast

City tour for Santiago de Cuba accompanied by the historian of the city Omar López. Visit “Cuartel Moncada”

11:00 hrs Visit Santa Ifigenia Cemetery

12:30 hrs Lunch at local restaurant “Terraza Caridad”.

14:00 hrs Visit El Cobre Sanctuary and  Enjoy “Steel Band” del Cobre. Musical group with more than 30 years created that stands out for the peculiarity of its instruments called Pailas and contagious melody Return to the hotel

16:00 hrs Exchange with ICAP to learn about the history of US/Cuban Relations from the Cuban perspective.

Dinner on your own

Free night for personal exploration

Day 3- Saturday, Jan 4th. Santiago de Cuba                                                (  B, L )

Breakfast

9:00 hrs Visit FMC, interchange with specialists to learn about the history and struggle for gender in equity in Cuba 

11:00 hrs Visit “Morro San Pedro de la Roca”

12:30 hrs Lunch at local restaurant El Morro

15:30 hrs Visit “Coro Orfeón”

17:00hrs   Enjoy an informal exchange with the Isabelitas,  to discuss LGBT life and rights in Cuba today. 

Return to the hotel

Dinner on your own

Free night for personal exploration

Day 4- Sunday, Jan 5th. Santiago de Cuba-Guantánamo                                      (  B, L )

Breakfast

9:00 hrs Departure for Caimanera at Guantánamo province

11:00 hrs Visit the “Mirador de la Base Naval de Guantánamo” at Caimanera Hotel.

12:30 hrs Lunch at Caimanera hotel

City tour

15:00 hrs Departure for Guantánamo city

16:30 hrs Visit “La Tumba Francesa”

Accommodation at Martí Hotel

Dinner  

Free night for personal exploration

Day 5- Monday, Jan 6th. Guantánamo- Niquero                                                    (B, L )

Breakfast

8:00 hrs Departure for Niquero

11:30 hrs Arrive, panoramic view of the city

12:00 hrs Lunch at Niquero Hotel

13:30 hrs Tour for the city: Visit the library, the house of culture where different cultural activities are carried out, visit the chess academy and the museum.

Visit Casa del Farero in Cabo Cruz is an interesting walk and was declared a Municipal Monument.

Accommodation at Niquero Hotel

Dinner at the hotel

Free night for personal exploration

 Day 6- Tuesday, Jan 7th. Niquero- Holguín                                    (B, D)

Breakfast

9:00 hrs Departure for Holguín

11:30 hrs Arrive, panoramic view of the city

12:00 hrs Lunch at La Loma de la Cruz, emblematic place of the city

14:00 hrs  Visit to a local polyclinic or family doctor to examine the Cuban Medical Health Systems (Minsap).

15:30 pm City tour for the city

Dinner and Exchange at the hotel with  health specialist and yogi Mariela Góngora to share with the group about Living in Holguín and the importance of integrative medical care. 

Accommodation at El Bosque Hotel

Free night for personal exploration

 Day 7- Wednesday, Jan 8th. Holguín- Camagüey                                      (B, L)

Breakfast

8:00 hrs Departure for Camagüey

11:30 hrs Arrive, panoramic view of the city

12:00 hrs Lunch at La Loma de la Cruz, emblematic place of the city

City tour for the city

14;30hrs    Exchange with the CTC to learn about  labor rights  and discover how workers are organized in Cuba. 

Accommodation at El Bosque Hotel

Dinner at the hotel

Free night for personal exploration

 Day 8-   Thursday, Jan 9th. Camagüey- Ciego de Ávila                                         (B, L )

Breakfast

9:00 hrs  Departure for Ciego de Ávila

11:30 hrs Arrive, panoramic overview of the city

12:00 hrs Lunch at local restaurant

City tour for the city

15:00hrs  Exchange with a representative of MINED, the Ministry of Public education in Cuba. We will endeavor to visit a school, or a special needs school (depending on availability). 

Accommodation at La Rueda Hotel 

Dinner at the hotel

Free night for personal exploration

 Day 9- Friday, Jan 10th. Ciego de Ávila- Sancti Spíritus                                        (B, L )

Breakfast

9:00 hrs Departure for Sancti Spíritus

11:00 hrs Arrive, panoramic view of the city

12:00 hrs Lunch at local restaurant

City tour for the city

Accommodation at Rijo Plaza Hotel

Dinner at the hotel

Free night for personal exploration

 Day 10- Saturday, Jan 11st. Sancti Spíritus- Santa Clara                             (B, L)

Breakfast

9:00 hrs Departure for Santa Clara

11:00 hrs Arrive, and panoramic view of the city.

12:00 hrs Lunch at local restaurant Los Caneyes

14:00 hrs Visit to El Mejunje and lecture with Norge Espinoza

16:00hrs Exchange with Hermanos Saiz 

Accommodation at Granjita/ Caneyes Hotel

Dinner at the hotel

Free night for personal exploration 

 Day 11- Sunday, Jan 12nd. Santa Clara- Matanzas                                                    (B, L )

Breakfast

8:00 hrs Departure for Matanzas

12:00 hrs Arrive, lunch at local restaurant El Chiquirrín

City tour  

Accommodation at Velazco Hotel

Dinner at the hotel

Free night for personal exploration

 Day 12- Monday, Jan 13rd. Matanzas- Varadero                                          (B,L,D)

Breakfast

10:00 hrs Visit San Severino and the slave rout

11:30 hrs Visit “Ediciones Vigía”

Departure for Varadero

13:30 hrs Lunch at local restaurant of Varadero

City tour for the peninsula. Visit Josone´s Park

16:00 hrs Exchange with Hotel workers or representative of MINTUR, to learn about the importance of tourism receipts in Cuba.

Accommodation at Arenas Doradas Hotel (TI)

Free night to enjoy the cultural options of the hotel

 Day 13- Tuesday, Jan 14th. Varadero                                                (B,L,D)

Free day to explore on your own

 Day 14- Wednesday, Jan 15th. Varadero- Habana                                      (B,D)

Breakfast

Free morning

12:00 hrs Lunch and check out

13:30 hrs Departure for Havana. Visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Severino.

17:30 hrs Arrive, accommodation at the hotel Vedado 500

19:00 hrs Dinner at La Moneda Cubana Restaurant

Enjoy the Cannon blast Ceremony

Free night

 Day 15- Thursday, Jan 16th. Habana                                                 (B,L)

Breakfast

9:00 hrs Meeting with a representative of the Ministry of International Relations to talk about the Cuban US relationship under Trump  (MINREX).

11:00 hrs Visit the Literacy Museum

12:30 hrs Lunch at Café Laurent restaurant

15:00 hrs Briefing by Cuban Architect Miguel Coyula, “Havana Past, Present, Future” (Room at the National Hotel)

17:00hrs Exchange with Kcho’s community arts program or visit to a Joven Club (technology and access).

Return to the hotel

Dinner is on your own

Free night for personal exploration

 Day 16- Friday, Jan 17th. Habana                                                       (B,L)

Breakfast

9:00 hrs Visit and briefing at the Higher Institute of International Relations Raúl Roa García. Interchange with students and professors

11:00 hrs Visit CENESEX. Interchange with specialists

12:30 hrs Lunch at local restaurant La Casa de La Amistad

14:30 hrs Conference on the Future of Cuban relations with  a representative of MINREX.

16:00 hrs Visit the Community Project “Pogolotti”

Return to the hotel

Dinner is on your own

Optional briefing and discussion at the hotel with Dr. Gisela Arandia to talk about Race and Cultural Identity in Cuba.

 Day 17- Saturday, Jan 18th. Habana                                                  (B,L)

Breakfast

9:30 hrs  City tour for the city and the main squares. Visit the artist studies

12:00 hrs Lunch at local restaurant

14:00 hrs Visit Muraleando Community Project

16:00hrs  Presentation and exchange on sustainable development trends in Cuba with Roberto Pérez de la FANJ

Return to the hotel

Dinner is on your own

Free night for personal exploration experience  cultural or sports events.

Day 18- Sunday, Jan 19th. Habana                                                                 (B)

Breakfast

Individual Research and Meetings

Lunch on your own

17:00hrs Briefing on “Socially Responsible Enterprise and Local Development in Cuba”, by economist Rafael Bentancourt, professor of Urban Economics at the Colegio Universitario San Geronimo de La Habana of the University of Havana

Dinner is on your own

Free night for personal exploration

Day 19- Monday, Jan 20th. Habana- Pinar del Río- Viñales                      (B,L) 

Breakfast

8:00 hrs Departure for Pinar del Río province

11:00 hrs City Tour of the city

13:00 hrs Lunch at Vueltabajo Hotel

15:00 hrs Visit the Community Project “Amor y Esperanza”

17:00 hrs Departure for Viñales

Accommodation at Los Jazmines Hotel

Dinner at the hotel

Day 20- Tuesday, Jan 21st. Viñales                                                              (B,L)

Breakfast

9:00 hrs Visit a tobacco plantation “Despalillo de hoja”

11:00 hrs Visit La Cueva del Indio

12:30 hrs Lunch at local restaurant “Finca Paraíso”

Tour and overview of agro-ecology in Cuba.

Free time in Viñales town

Optional: Horse ride/ canopy

Return to the hotel

Dinner at the hotel

Day 21- Wednesday, Jan 22nd , Viñales- Habana                (B,L)

Breakfast

9:00 hrs Check out and departure for Havana

12:00 hrs Arrive and lunch at local restaurant

14:00 hrs Meeting with a representative of Poder Popular to discuss political representation in Cuba and the new constitution.

15:30 hrs Tour for the University of Havana

17:00 hrs Visit to OSPAAL

Accommodation at the hotel

Hotel Vedado 500

 Day 22- Thursday, Jan 23rd , Habana                                    (B,D)

Breakfast

9:00 hrs Visit the Capitol of Havana

10:30 hrs Visit the Revolution Museum

12:30 hrs Lunch at local restaurant

Free time at the city. (San José art craft market)

15:00hrs Exchange at the US Embassy

Return to the hotel

20:00 hrs Farewell dinner at local restaurant Fusión Havana

21:45 hrs   Visit Fábrica de Arte

Day 23- Friday, Jan 24th . Habana OUT                               (B)

Breakfast

Departure to the airport

(More detailed itinerary of events and speakers to come.)       

*This itinerary is subject to change as needed.