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15 Day Cuba Small Group Tour

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FROM $846 USD PER PERSON, TWIN SHARE Travelling with Inspiring Vacations allows you to explore the wonders of the world in a variety of different ways. We have partnered with a worldwide network of local travel experts to bring you culturally unique and delightfully unforgettable travel experiences. Whether it is meandering through narrow canyons by rail, cruising the idyllic waters of the Mediterranean or touring through t...

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TOUR ITINERARY

The information provided in this document is subject to change and may be affected by unforeseen events outside the control of Inspiring Vacations. Where changes to your itinerary or bookings occur, appropriate advice or instructions will be sent to your email address.

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DAY 1 Destination Havana Meals included Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

Bienvenido a la Havana! Welcome to Havana! Your included airport arrival transfer will take you to your guesthouse for the night. Your tour guide will leave a note for you in the guesthouse with information for you to get settled and details of the upcoming tour group meeting time. If you arrive early in the day, you may have time to go and explore some of Havana. At some stage during the tour, your tour guide will include a walking tour of Old Havana.

DAY 2 Destination Havana   Baracoa Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

Today we take a mid-morning flight to Baracoa. When Christopher Columbus first encountered Cuba it was here, and he duly noted in his log-book that this was the most beautiful land that human eyes could set upon. You will understand what he meant when you see the beaches and verdant mountain landscape that surround Baracoa. Situated on a beautiful bay with the mountains of the Sierra del Purial in the background, Baracoa was the first settlement founded by the Spanish in Cuba, and was only accessible by sea until the end of the 1960s.

We have two full days here as there are numerous options for outdoor activities in the nearby mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and beaches which your tour leader will help you arrange while on tour.

DAY 3 Destination Baracoa Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

Explore Baracoa at your own pace.

DAY 4 Destination Baracoa Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

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Continue exploring Baracoa at leisure.

DAY 5 Destination Baracoa  Santiago Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

A spectacular drive through lush mountains of eastern Cuban, then along a rugged and beautiful section of coast, and later past the region’s most controversial leasehold of Guantanamo Bay, brings us to what is known as the “cradle of Cuba's Revolution”. Santiago is home to much of Cuba’s famed music, like the Son. There are also museums, colonial churches and buildings of more recent historical importance, such as the Moncada Barracks, which are well worth exploring.

Santiago de Cuba has a very vibrant traditional music scene, and it's here that we include what we call a Noche Santiaguera. It's an interactive night of music and dance where we invite some local Santiago friends of ours to come with us to a local traditional music venue, and they will invite you to join them on the dance floor to learn some dance moves. For those that are willing, you'll have the chance to get up on stage and play an instrument with the local Cuban band. Culturally, Santiago has a different feel to the rest of Cuba, undoubtedly coming from the mix of French speaking slaves from Haiti and its proximity to Jamaica.

DAY 6 Destination Santiago Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

Explore Santiago at your own pace. Your Tour Leader will be at hand to help you make the most of your time here.

DAY 7 Destination Santiago  Camaguey Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

Cuba's third largest city lies about halfway between Havana and Santiago de Cuba. Our longest travel day (a 6 or 7 hour drive) brings us here from Santiago. Camaguey was designed in the 17th century to disorientate potential invaders such as pirates and plunderers, so the street layout is a jumble of narrow alleys where no two streets are parallel. There are

Call 1 888 356 2021 Email [email protected] www.inspiringvacations.com Page 3 TOUR ITINERARY large parks, various private art galleries, and a thriving market garden, and one will enjoy strolling through this city. This is also a university town and has a rich cultural tradition, and like just about everywhere in Cuba, there is plenty of night time entertainment to be had.

DAY 8 Destination Camaguey Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

Camaguey is a proud and cultural city, and has some of the best schools and institutions in Cuba. Today you will take a guided visit to a ballet school.

DAY 9 Destination Camaguey  Trinidad Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

Trinidad is home to numerous churches and many beautiful colonial buildings. We are near the lovely Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of Sugar Mills) and Playa Ancon, where you can enjoy long stretches of unspoiled, white sand beaches. Scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming in waterfalls and horse-riding are other optional activities.

The nightlife in Trinidad is probably the most accessible and intense in all of Cuba, with numerous live music venues and many dance performances everyday of the week, all amongst the enchanting setting of old colonial buildings and the cobblestone streets.

DAY 10 Destination Trinidad Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

Explore Trinidad at your own pace.

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DAY 11 Destination Trinidad Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

Continue exploring Trinidad at leisure. Your Tour Leader will be at hand to help you make the most of your time in this picturesque town.

DAY 12 Destination Trinidad  Santa Clara  Cienfuegos Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

Before reaching the French founded city of Cienfuegos we first drop in on the historic inland city of Santa Clara. It's here that we encounter a huge statue of Ernesto Che Guevara. We take time to visit the museum that is directly under the statue, and which tells the story of Che's fascinating life. There is also a mausoleum with an eternal flame that commemorates his death and that of the revolutionaries who were with him in Bolivia.

Cienfuegos appeal lies partly in the European flavour of its colonial hub, with a wide Parisian-style boulevard and elegant colonnades, and there is an ambience to inspire Cuba’s most celebrated Son singer to write the words “Cienfuegos is the city I like best”. You'll have time to take in the ambience with a pleasant stroll along the boulevard and to the main square.

DAY 13 Destination Cienfuegos  Havana Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

On our way back to the capital, we drive along the beautiful coastline of the Bay of Pigs. This is where the landing of counter-revolutionary exile militia occurred in 1961. The ensuing battle with the Cuban Revolutionary forces resulted in the first defeat of a U.S backed take-over in Latin America. Your guide will explain in more detail the dramatic events. If the conditions are favourable, we can stop for a swim at a beautiful spot on the bay that is ideal for snorkelling. Snorkelling masks are available at a small cost.

We then pass through an area of densely vegetated swamp-lands called the Cienaga de Zapata, before arriving bank in Havana.

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DAY 14 Destination Havana Meals included Breakfast Hotel Comfortable Guesthouse (B&B), or similar

The Caribbean's largest and most exciting urban concentration, Havana is one of the oldest cities in the Western Hemisphere, and was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Options are to take the included walking tour of the Old town with the guide or to find your own adventure.

DAY 15 Destination Havana Meals included Breakfast Accommodation N/A

If you have more time to spend in Cuba before flying out, your Tour Leader can suggest a number of excellent options for spending a few extra days, and give you details on how to get there and where to stay. At the appropriate time, your Tour Leader will help you arrange a transfer to the airport in time to board your ongoing flight.

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Inclusions

WHAT'S INCLUDED Incredible sightseeing including in-depth exploration of Havana, Baracoa, Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Bay of Pigs & Santa Clara Small group tour of up 12 travellers only English speaking Tour Leader throughout 14 nights accommodation in comfortable and private Guesthouses (BtoB) Breakfast daily Arrival airport transfers

SIGHTSEEING HIGHLIGHTS Explore Havana on a guided walking tour Stroll along the Malecon - Havana favourite social gathering venue Explore Baracoa, one of Cuba's best kept secrets Learn about Che Guevara's legacy on a visit to the Che Guevara's museum Make the most of a rare opportunity to visit Ballet School in Camaguey Dust off your dancing shoes for a music and dance night in Santiago

Fine Print

FREE DATE CHANGE Book now, change later with our Free Flexible Date Change. Change your date free of charge PROTECTION for any COVID-19 related reason up to 35 days prior to departure. Date change must be requested prior to 35 days before your original selected departure. Once inside 35 days of departure, date changes may not be permitted. Date changes are subject to availability and any difference in price between the old and new date collected at the time of amendment.

The Free Flexible Date Change option does not cover cost incurred for components not fulﬁlled by Inspiring Vacations or in the event extra services have been booked with Inspiring Vacations outside of the standard package, including but not limited to airfares, pre/post accommodation or insurance.

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BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE Inspiring Vacations has been globally recognised and awarded for its handling of COVID-19 during the pandemic. The safety and wellbeing of our guests is our highest concern during this time of uncertainty, and we are continuously monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation.

We have adopted the advice of the WHO to ensure all customers can travel with the knowledge of how to travel safely and with confidence.

Australian owned and operated with 100% Australian Customer Service support

We are proudly 100% Australian owned and operated, with our head ofﬁce located in Melbourne, Victoria. When you make your booking, you will receive dedicated and ongoing support from our team of travel professionals throughout your booking, up until you are due to depart.

Cooling off period

If you change your mind within 7 days of making your booking online, you can request a refund of your initial deposit payment as part of our cooling off period. Once your purchase date falls outside of the 7 day period, our standard terms and conditions will apply.

Please ensure that any request to cancel your booking is received via email to [email protected], including the reason for cancellation.

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HOW TO BOOK & PAYMENTS Deposit & Payments

Please follow the 'book now' prompts to view the deposit amount A second installment will be due 28 days after your initial deposit of 30% of the package cost per person You will then be invoiced for final payment 90 days prior to departure

Booking Process

'Sign Up' first by entering your email and creating a password Then select the red 'Book now' tab of the tour you have selected Select your Departure Date, Number of Passengers, Room Conﬁguration, any Upgrade Options, and enter any Special Requests Click the red ‘Proceed to Secure Checkout' tab Enter your credit card or PayPal details to secure your deposit/payment Once your order is complete, you will be prompted to complete a Booking Form so that we can fulfil your booking Your booking is on request and will be conﬁrmed by Inspiring Vacations once all components of your package have been secured with our partners, please see below for further information

Booking On Request

Your Inspiring Vacations package is made up of multiple components and travel partners. Once your booking is made and passenger details form submitted, we will begin to confirm all of your arrangements. Please note, this process can take several business days to complete Once all elements have been confirmed we will send you an email confirmation, if we are unable to confirm we will provide you with alternative dates or offer a full refund of your deposit or re-credit your account if a travel credit was used Please DO NOT book any additional services, such as flights, until we have confirmed your Inspiring Vacations package in writing. Inspiring Vacations will not be liable for any fees or charges incurred to change or cancel components not booked by Inspiring Vacations should your selected package be unavailable

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LOCAL PAYMENT A local payment of USD 250 applies to this trip.

This local payment must be handed to the tour guide at the first group meeting in Cuba (usually on the morning of Day 2 of the tour). This payment must be made exclusively in USD cash.

Why is there a local payment on this trip? Due to the current political situation, sending funds to Cuba is an expensive and challenging exercise. Paying part of the cost of your tour locally in Cuba alleviates the difficulties in getting enough money to Cuba to provide the services included in the tour. Also, minimising the amounts of funds moved through international transfers allows us to keep the cost of your trip as low as possible.

What part of the tour does the local payment pay for? The local payment does not cover any one particular aspect of the trip, instead it goes towards paying part of the costs of running this trip which are also paid in cash locally.

Is local payment legal? Absolutely.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION COVID-19 Due to COVID there maybe disruptions to standard operating schedules of particular components of this itinerary. Should a component be effected a substitute will be conﬁrmed prior to departure.

Fitness Requirements While the tour itinerary should give you some guidance and overview to the expected requirements, to determine if this tour is right for you we categorise each of our tours in terms of their intensity. These guidelines are to ensure that each tour group is conducted as expected and to ensure the overall satisfaction of all Inspiring Vacations customers.

As a general rule, porterage is not included, therefore at all times you are expected to handle your own luggage where help may not be available.

Accommodation The accommodation listed is subject to change. Any changes will be of an equal or higher standard.

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Single Supplement Select 'book now' and choose 1 passenger to show the single supplement for this tour.

Triple Share Not Available

Travel Insurance Travel insurance is required to protect yourself against the unexpected.

Tour Documentation Final documentation including, e-tickets and hotel details, will be provided approximately 30 days prior to travel.

Group Size Minimum 2, maximum 12 travellers

Tour Type - Fully Escorted This tour is fully escorted by an expert English-speaking guide who will accompany you throughout the tour.

Children Children must share a room with parents at all times and are charged the same price as adults.

EXCLUSIONS Flights Personal expenses Optional activities Anything not mentioned in the itinerary Travel insurance (highly recommended) Tipping/Gratuities

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