Ideas for day in Havana

Hello. We will be in Havana for one day at the beginning of March on the Holland America Veendam. I am not wild about any of the tours offered by the cruise line. I much prefer to take a private tour from a local vendor, but am concerned about being able to get off the ship in time to meet any such tour.

I'd like to experience the people, food, rum, and smoke a cigar :-) I would love to hear people's experience and any tours or companies you would recommend.

Thank you so much!

I booked a private old car tour online, through http://oldcartours.com/

It was great, we only booked for two hours, but they took us for 3+. They worked with myself and my family to get a great tour for us. Because there were five of us, we couldn't hire an english speaking guide and have a spot for them too, but turns out our guide spoke english quite well, and is italian (which we know) so it was fine. They were really great, I'm sure if you told them exactly what you told me, they would help you come up with an itinerary.

It's really a very easy city to get around, either on foot, or pedicab, or just regular taxi. I only scheduled that one tour and the rest of the time we just explored, and it was great.

Thank you for telling me about oldcartours.com. I will contact them. How soon were you off the ship after it docked? I'm trying to figure out timing.

I just came back today from an overnight in Cuba on Empress of the Sea and although we were on bus tours...we were followed very closely by many of the Old Car Taxi's that people had rented. So you can definitely do it on your own. I would suggest that you look at the descriptions of the shore excursion offered and pick and choose where you would like to go and give it to your taxi driver.

I did a 3 hour bus tour, saw some important sites that were far away. Returned to the ship, and we grabbed my wife's wheelchair/scooter and we went out to dinner at a small place, stopped by Floridita, and had one of Hemingway's favorite drinks, listed to music. Than we left, and found another outdoor café, with music, and sat for a while. When they broke for a break, we left, an as we wondered back to the ship, stopped at another café on a square, and enjoyed another drink, and listening to more music. Finally by almost midnight, we went back to the ship.

Next day, we took a taxi to the cigar factory. Note the closed one is "closed" as of this week, so we went to another one. Taxi waited for us. It cost $10.00cuc per person, and was good. We also bought some cigars at the place, since I knew they were fresh. We were dropped off by the Capital building, as requested, and we walked old Havana. Many sites to see, in town. We ate lunch at a nice open air café. A little later on, we sat in a café for lunch and watched the activities on a square and talked to two different groups of people form other countries, while enjoying the day. We stopped in stores, looked at artwork, and buildings. Bought some rum. Other words, we just experienced the city, and observed and looked at what it had to offer.

Side note, a full time wheelchair is nearly impossible, but you can use scooters, but you must be able to lift up curbs etc. We had no issues, and we knew what to expect.

Thank you so much! We are "on your own" types of travelers, so it's good to know this is reasonable in Havana. Thank you!

I just came back today from an overnight in Cuba on Empress of the Sea and although we were on bus tours...we were followed very closely by many of the Old Car Taxi's that people had rented. So you can definitely do it on your own. I would suggest that you look at the descriptions of the shore excursion offered and pick and choose where you would like to go and give it to your taxi driver.

This is a great idea to see some sites we wouldn't get to, then do Havana itself on our own. I think I'll re-look at some of the ship tours to see what might fit with this plan. Thank you!

I did a 3 hour bus tour, saw some important sites that were far away. Returned to the ship, and we grabbed my wife's wheelchair/scooter and we went out to dinner at a small place, stopped by Floridita, and had one of Hemingway's favorite drinks, listed to music. Than we left, and found another outdoor café, with music, and sat for a while. When they broke for a break, we left, an as we wondered back to the ship, stopped at another café on a square, and enjoyed another drink, and listening to more music. Finally by almost midnight, we went back to the ship.

 

Next day, we took a taxi to the cigar factory. Note the closed one is "closed" as of this week, so we went to another one. Taxi waited for us. It cost $10.00cuc per person, and was good. We also bought some cigars at the place, since I knew they were fresh. We were dropped off by the Capital building, as requested, and we walked old Havana. Many sites to see, in town. We ate lunch at a nice open air café. A little later on, we sat in a café for lunch and watched the activities on a square and talked to two different groups of people form other countries, while enjoying the day. We stopped in stores, looked at artwork, and buildings. Bought some rum. Other words, we just experienced the city, and observed and looked at what it had to offer.

 

Side note, a full time wheelchair is nearly impossible, but you can use scooters, but you must be able to lift up curbs etc. We had no issues, and we knew what to expect.

I did a 3 hour bus tour, saw some important sites that were far away. Returned to the ship, and we grabbed my wife's wheelchair/scooter and we went out to dinner at a small place, stopped by Floridita, and had one of Hemingway's favorite drinks, listed to music. Than we left, and found another outdoor café, with music, and sat for a while. When they broke for a break, we left, an as we wondered back to the ship, stopped at another café on a square, and enjoyed another drink, and listening to more music. Finally by almost midnight, we went back to the ship.

 

Next day, we took a taxi to the cigar factory. Note the closed one is "closed" as of this week, so we went to another one. Taxi waited for us. It cost $10.00cuc per person, and was good. We also bought some cigars at the place, since I knew they were fresh. We were dropped off by the Capital building, as requested, and we walked old Havana. Many sites to see, in town. We ate lunch at a nice open air café. A little later on, we sat in a café for lunch and watched the activities on a square and talked to two different groups of people form other countries, while enjoying the day. We stopped in stores, looked at artwork, and buildings. Bought some rum. Other words, we just experienced the city, and observed and looked at what it had to offer.

 

Side note, a full time wheelchair is nearly impossible, but you can use scooters, but you must be able to lift up curbs etc. We had no issues, and we knew what to expect.

How far is La Floridita from the cruise port? Is it easy to find? Want to go in the early evening, so it will be dark, when we venture out.

Thanks!

14 minute walk straight up Calle Obispo, you can’t miss it. Google Maps could have told you that.

We stopped in there about 3:30 in the afternoon on a Friday and it was packed solid, no place to sit or stand, much less score a daiquiri. This was before the megaships started visiting Havana...

There is a hotel he lived in for seven years. Pink on the outside. Great rum neat. Live piano music. Also the Bodega is his other bar.

You can eat at both of them . No idea of cost.

You must have their money

There is a hotel he lived in for seven years. Pink on the outside. Great rum neat. Live piano music. Also the Bodega is his other bar.

You can eat at both of them . No idea of cost.

 

You must have their money

I suspect that you're referring to Bodeguita del Medio.

Hello. We will be in Havana for one day at the beginning of March on the Holland America Veendam. I am not wild about any of the tours offered by the cruise line. I much prefer to take a private tour from a local vendor, but am concerned about being able to get off the ship in time to meet any such tour.

 

 

 

I'd like to experience the people, food, rum, and smoke a cigar :-) I would love to hear people's experience and any tours or companies you would recommend.

 

 

 

Thank you so much!

I️ just got back on a cruise on empress of the seas . We did a private tour with Havana journeys . The cost is 100. Cucs for 2 . We had a tour with Ana and a driver in a 56 Ford she spoke perfect English . The tour was well worth it and Cuba is perfectly safe . We were very Skeptical at first . I️ have a new respect for Cubans now. Any questions I️ would be happy to answer.

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I️ just got back on a cruise on empress of the seas . We did a private tour with Havana journeys . The cost is 100. Cucs for 2 . We had a tour with Ana and a driver in a 56 Ford she spoke perfect English . The tour was well worth it and Cuba is perfectly safe . We were very Skeptical at first . I️ have a new respect for Cubans now. Any questions I️ would be happy to answer.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

How long was the tour?

How many people in the group?

How far did you go?

What did you see?

Thanks