How much time should I plan for a round trip in Cuba?
To see the most beautiful places and spend a few days on a beach vacation in Cuba, two weeks are enough for a round trip to Cuba.
If you want to get to know the whole island from west to east, it’s better to take three weeks.
How to get around on a round trip in Cuba?
Our tip: Cuba round trip by rental car
We recommend that you do your round trip in Cuba by rental car. As there is only a very small bus network, you are most flexible with your own car and can easily reach all destinations in Cuba.
You can book your rental car with TUI Cars, for example.
Book a rental car for Cuba with TUI Cars
Note: Bear in mind that many roads in Cuba are in poor condition and progress is sometimes very slow.
Cheap travel: Cuba round trip by bus
The cheaper alternative is public buses. The only provider that takes you to the main tourist destinations is Viazul. However, there are usually only a few connections per day and you are reliant on these.
You can buy tickets online or at the bus terminals. You can only pay by credit card and should definitely book a few days in advance as they get booked up quickly.
The most comfortable way: Cuba round trip by cab
You can also make your round trip to Cuba by cab. Sounds strange, but it’s not that rare in Cuba. There are many cab drivers who offer long journeys. You can ask for contacts at your accommodation.
In the long run, such cab rides are expensive, but they are still affordable for our two-week route. You will also quickly meet other tourists in Cuba with whom you can share a cab.
Our suggested route for 2 weeks in Cuba
This is our suggestion for an individual 2-week itinerary:
- Day 1-2 Havana
- Day 3-5 Viñales
- Day 6 Havana
- Day 7 Cienfuegos
- Day 8-10 Trinidad
- Day 11 Santa Clara
- Day 12-14 Beach vacation in Varadero
Our 2 week itinerary for Cuba on a map
To give you a better overview of where the places in Cuba are located, we have marked them on a map.
Day 1-2 Havana
Pick up your rental car at Havana airport or take a cab or shuttle bus to your accommodation.
Don’t take on too much on the first day, as you will probably be pretty tired from the flight. On the Malecón – Havana’s beach promenade – you can watch the sunset in comfort.
However, buy a SIM card on the first day and change money.
To our tips on changing money and paying in Cuba
To our tips on internet and SIM cards in Cuba
On the second day, you will visit the most important sights in Havana. In the morning, you will explore Old Havana and the Capitol.
In the afternoon, take a cab to the other side of the harbor bay to the Christ the Redeemer statue and the Castillo del Morro fortress.
You can find out more about the sights in Havana and all our tips for the city in our Havana article.
Day 3-5 Viñales
On the third day, you drive from Havana to Viñales in the morning. This will take you about three hours as a self-driver and four by bus.
Viñales is a small, touristy town in the middle of an impressive, green landscape with limestone hills. There is so much to do in Viñales. That’s why it’s best to stay for three days.
Our tips for sights and activities in Viñales
- The Cueva del Indio cave
- Horseback ride through the Valley
- Mural de la Prehistoria
- Watch the sunrise from the Los Acuaticos viewpoint
- Smoking a cigar on a tobacco farm
- Sunset from Hotel Los Jazmines
- Excursion to Cayo Levisa beach
A rental car is a great way to get everywhere. There are also guided tours on offer or you can hire a bike.
You can find more tips on activities in our article about Viñales.
Day 6 Havana
On day 6, you will travel back to Havana by car. There you can visit Revolution Square with the Che Guevara monument and spend a relaxing afternoon in the old town.
In the evening you spend another night in Havana.
Day 7 Cienfuegos
On the seventh day of your round trip, you leave Havana early in the morning.
You don’t drive directly to Cienfuegos, but make a stop at Playa Larga or Playa Girón in the famous Bay of Pigs beforehand. It will take you a good two hours by car to get there.
From there, you continue to Cienfuegos around midday. This is about a 1.5-hour drive. In the afternoon, you’ll have plenty of time to explore the town.
Highlights in Cienfuegos are the Palacio del Valle, the José Martí Park and the old colonial buildings.
Note: If you are doing your round trip by bus, you will travel directly from Havana to Cienfuegos.
Day 8-10 Trinidad
From Cienfuegos you travel to Trinidad the next morning. It will only take you a good hour.
As you have a total of three days in Trinidad, you can take it easy on day 8 and take a leisurely look around the center of Trinidad. Trinidad’s city center is small and the sights are close together.
The next day, you can enjoy a day at the beach at Playa Ancón. It is located around 12 kilometers from Trinidad. You can drive there by car or hire a bike in Trinidad and cycle there.
On day 10, you will go on an excursion to the Topes de Collantes National Park and hike to a waterfall. We recommend the Vegas Grande waterfall. You can get there by rental car or book a guided tour in Trinidad.
You can find all the tips for our 3-day program in Trinidad in our Trinidad article.
Day 11 Santa Clara
On the eleventh day, you drive from Trinidad to Santa Clara in the morning. It will take you about two hours.
Santa Clara is home to some important monuments from the revolutionary era. These are super exciting. Otherwise, Santa Clara is rather boring.
One afternoon you can visit the Tren Blindado, the Che Guevara Mausoleum and the Parque Vidal. For sunset, we recommend the Lomo del Capiro viewpoint.
Day 12-14 Varadero
In Varadero, you can enjoy a beach vacation after your round trip to Cuba.
Leave Santa Clara as early as possible so that you can enjoy the beach in Varadero in the afternoon. It will take you a good 3 hours by car.
In Varadero you have a wide choice of beach hotels. They all have private beach access – and the beach in Varadero really is a paradise! You can find affordable accommodation in the center.
There are direct flights from Varadero to Germany. So you don’t have to drive back to Havana, but can book the return flight from Varadero airport.
Our suggested route for 3 weeks in Cuba
If you have three weeks for your Cuba vacation, you can explore the whole island and not just the western part. This route is particularly suitable for self-drivers.
Our 3-week itinerary for Cuba on a map
- Day 1-2 Havana
- Day 3-5 Vinales
- Day 6 Havana
- Day 7 Cienfuegos
- Day 8-10 Trinidad
- Day 11 Santa Clara
- Day 12-14 Cayo Coco
- Day 15 Camagüey
- Day 16-17 Bayamo & Sierra Maestra
- Day 18-19 Baracoa
- Day 20-21 Santiago de Cuba
Until day 11, you do the same program as on our 14-day itinerary.
From Santa Clara, however, you continue to Cayo Coco and not to Varadero.
You spend your beach vacation in Cayo Coco – the beaches are at least as beautiful as in Varadero. Continue to the city of Camagüey, where you will make a short sightseeing stop.
You will then discover the beautiful city of Bayamo and the high mountains in the Sierra Maestra range. From there, you will travel to the beach resort of Baracoa.
At the end of your round trip, you will explore Cuba’s second largest city, Santiago de Cuba.
Tips for staying overnight on your round trip to Cuba
We recommend booking accommodation on Airbnb for an individual round trip in Cuba. There you will find so-called casas particulares. These are privately run accommodations and the hosts are usually very welcoming and will give you great tips.
Of course there are also hotels in Cuba. However, these are often not up to European standards and are sometimes really run-down.
You can find more information about accommodation in Cuba in our travel tips article.
To our travel tips for Cuba
Note that Airbnb does not work properly in Cuba (this also applies to some apps and websites). Download a VPN before your vacation in Cuba so that you can use all apps. We recommend Nord VPN.
About Nord VPN
FAQ about a round trip in Cuba
How did you get to Cuba?
There are direct flights from Germany to Havana and Varadero.
The connections are usually cheaper if you make a stopover. Many flights go via Madrid. There are also flights from Madrid to Santiago de Cuba.
Book flights to Cuba with Skyscanner
You can find out which documents you need to enter Cuba and what else you need to consider in our article on entering the country.
To our tips on entering Cuba
How expensive is an individual round trip through Cuba?
A round trip through Cuba can be very cheap, but also very expensive. It all depends on you.
The cheapest way to do the round trip is to travel by public bus and sleep in casas particulares. We particularly recommend this to backpackers. With a daily budget of around 30 euros, you can get by quite well.
The more cabs you take, the more you eat in state restaurants and the more you stay in hotels, the more expensive your vacation will be.
Rental cars are also not cheap in Cuba. However, if you are a self-driver and save a little on accommodation and food, you can still travel much more cheaply than in Europe.
Is Cuba a safe destination?
Yes, Cuba is one of the safest countries to travel to in Latin America. You can explore the country on your own.
Please note, however, that Cuba is a very poor country and as a tourist you will be begged and approached a lot on the streets.
To our tips on safety in Cuba
When is the best time to travel to Cuba?
The best time to travel to Cuba is during the dry season from November to April. You can find more information on this in our travel time article for Cuba.
To our tips for the best time to travel to Cuba
These were our tips for an itinerary in Cuba
Did you also do an individual 2 or 3 week round trip in Cuba? What are your experiences? Share them with us in the comments.