8 Top Tours In Havana To Truly Explore This Infamous Capital In 2023!
Are you on your way to a spectacular Cuba holiday and wondering what tours in Havana you should do when you find yourself in the infamous capital of Cuba?
I have mostly been based in Havana since January 2021, and I can assure you – there is a myriad of really great tours in Havana tailor-made to give visitors like you the best possible experience!
Habaneros love their city, and below I have collected the top tours in Havana that will do their best that you will too!
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The Best Tours In Havana In 2023
You can find all kinds of tours in Havana, from short tours of an hour or two to tours that will keep you engaged for a whole day.
1. Must-do: Unique Classic Car Tour In Havana
Whether you like to be “touristy” or not, taking a Classic American Car tour of Havana is simply a must-do thing when visiting.
The Classic Cars have roamed the streets in the city since the first half of the last century and are still going strong.
I always recommend people visiting to do this tour unique to Havana!
Classic car tours in Havana will take you from your hotel or Parque Central to all the interesting spots to see in Havana. Fly down the Prado, the Malecon, up in the Vedado, the Havana Forest!
Stop for a photo shoot on the Plaza de la Revolucion, where the Cuban heroes still are watching you, passing the University of Havana, and maybe stop for ice cream?
A classic car tour is a great way to get a feel for Havana, not just the old city, and is a truly unique experience!
Brand new tour from Havana to Vinales!
From September 2023, Civitatis is launching a brand new two day tour from Havana to Vinales!
With this tour, you will have more time to explore this amazing part of Cuba, including horseback riding, cave boat tour, and zip lining!
2. Havana Photo Tour 10/10
This guided photo shoot tour of Havana gets absolutely top scores from a lot of travelers.
When you visit a new place for the first time, it can be hard to find the best spots for great photos and even harder to create great photos of yourself!
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Havana is full of brilliant photo op details and places, whether for your holiday album or viral Insta stories! What is included in this Havana tour is:
- Professional English speaking–photographer
- Selection of 25 high-resolution images
- Classic car ride
- Cocktail
On this two-and-a-half-hour tour, you will visit the most spectacular places in Havana.
You will be closely followed by a professional photographer who will make sure your holiday photos from Havana are unsurpassed and that you are the shining star of the photos!
3. Havana Art & Culture Tour
This half-day guided tour of cultural Havana will take you to the colorful and weird Callejon de Hamel, a small alley renowned for its Afro-Cuban art, music, and religion.
Spanning just a short distance of two blocks on the edge of Central Havana, this alley has become an ode to the Afro-Cuban religions through Salvador Gonzalez’s remarkable artwork over time.
On Sundays, this place comes to life with music, tambores, colorful costumes, and dance for hours!
You can also opt for a stop at Fusterlandia, a whole neighborhood of mosaics created by artist José RodrÃguez Fuster.
This whole barrio in Jaimanitas is a project renowned artist Fuster worked on for over 30 years, and it is truly a unique and impressive place with impressive huge mosaics and sculptures covering the whole neighborhood!
Pro Tip: Get yourself a water bottle with a filter before your Cuba holiday, and you can drink water from anywhere!
What is included:
- Pickup and drop off at Hotel Inglaterra
- Transport by classic car (if you choose to visit Fusterlandia)
- English–speaking guide
- Typical Cuban drink
- Visit to Fusterlandia (optional)
4. Havana Complete Tour
On this top-rated 5-hour Havana tour, you will see all the spectacular highlights of Havana in one day, guided by knowledgeable local guides who will make your experience exceptional!
What is included:
- Hotel pickup and return transfer
- English, French, and Spanish-speaking guide
- Transportation by bus or minibus
- Lunch at a typical Cuban restaurant
- Entrance to the Colon Cemetery
You will see the University of Havana, the cultural and religious key point Callejon de Hamel, with the eclectic work of sculptor and muralist Salvador Gonzalez.
Head on to the important Christopher Columbus cemetery and the Partagas tobacco factory before a typical Cuban lunch.
After lunch, you head over to Old Havana to see the famous Capitolio and the Bacardi building and the colonial-style architecture that was started back in the 16th Century.
5. Snorkeling Tour To Varadero
If Varadero is not on your Cuba itinerary, you still have the chance to do a one-day getaway snorkeling tour to Varadero and get the best of the crystal clear waters and Caribbean island feel!
What’s included:
- Hotel pickup and drop off
- Transportation by minibus
- English–speaking guide
- Catamaran ride
- Snorkel equipment
- Lunch
- 1 cocktail
For this top-rated snorkeling tour from Havana to Varadero, you will be picked up at your hotel and set straight for Varadero, which is around a couple of hours’ drive.
Pro Tip: Get a cute travel duffle bag that has room for your towel, bikini, pair of shoes, change of clothes, water, and the necessities for your flight! I love this one from Bagsmart!
You will board a catamaran for an unforgettable paradisiacal journey through the stunning coral reefs of Coral Beach.
This is one of Latin America’s largest reefs, surrounded by beautiful turquoise waters teeming with vibrant fish and sponges. If you’re lucky, you might even run into a few dolphins playing beside the boat!
Afterward, you’ll head back to shore for a seafood lunch along with some classic Cuban cocktails as the perfect end to a day on the water before heading back to Havana.
6. Top-Rated Yoruba Religion Tours In Havana
Begin your Yoruba Religion Tour in Central Park, separating Old and Central Havana, and head over to the Orishas museum, taking in the iconic Capitolio along the way.
On this excursion, you will gain insight into Yoruba religion as well as uncover secrets about its motley history within the exhibition halls of this remarkable museum.
Yoruba is better known as Santeria in Cuba, a religious practice originating from West Africa that was brought to the Caribbean and to Cuba via African slaves during the colonial period.
Today, Santeria is immersed in everyday modern life in Cuba; you see signs of it everywhere, in religious relic shops, and in hair, jewelry, and clothes on the people you see on the streets!
The term “Santeria” itself translates from Spanish into “worship of saints” and is a mix of the Catholic religion and the African Yoruba.
The saints worshipped by the Catholic church and in Santeria are actually the same – only with different names and histories, and you can learn all about this fascinating mixed practice on this tour!
7. Private Classic Car Beach Day Trip
For this private beach trip with a Classic American Car, you will drive out to the Playas del Este outside Havana, like the Boca Ciega, Santa Maria del Mar, or Guanabo Beach.
Only 25 minutes outside of Havana is this stunning string of white sandy beaches for you to enjoy.
These beaches are also very popular with the Cuban locals, so here you will embrace the Cuban beach experience!
You can also opt for a few hours extra of driving time and go to Varadero and Bahia de Cochinos (or the Bay of Pigs) for a beach day.
Spend the day away from the city buzz, lounging at the beach; either of these sandy heavens will give you a stunning Caribbean experience.
Just remember sunscreen, a hat, and lots of water!
8. Private Tour Of Havana
To be able to really get some insight into the history of the start of Havana, the historic city, I strongly recommend you take a top-rated private guided Old City walking tour!
Not only will you be able to admire the old classic colonial architecture securing the old city, an area on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
You will also pair it with the history of the foundation and development of Havana and its importance in history through the centuries.
You start at the venerable Hotel Inglaterra in Parque Central, and from there, you will see the famous Capitolio, the Parque de la Fraternidad Americana, Partagas tobacco factory, Bar Floridita, and walk the narrow colonial streets down to the Plaza Vieja.
A local guide will follow you around and tell you all there is to know about the key points, plazas, and buildings in Old Havana, including important events and historical happenings.
Other Things To Do!
Outside the organized tours, there is a myriad of fun places to go by yourself, and here is a list of 42 incredible things to do in Havana in 2023!
Make sure you get lost in the old city streets, watch the sunset at the Malecon, have a mojito on a rooftop terrace, and take a dance class – for example, the magic and beautiful Kizomba dance!
Check out the 8 best casa particulares in Havana here!
Wrap-Up Tours In Havana
The great thing about choosing a tour to get to know a new place is you don’t risk missing out on any of the best experiences!
The best local guides make sure you get it all, or at least as much as possible, for the limited time of your visit.
After traveling in Cuba and Havana for four years, I still find weird new places every now and then, so for a couple of days, getting a little guidance is probably the smartest thing you can do.
And leave a bit of time to explore Cuban destinations on your own as well, and maybe take the time to get a bit lost in the old colonial streets!
Happy Travel Planning
xoxo/Hege
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11 Perfect Day Trips From Havana Cuba (2023)!
8 Amazing Top-Rated Casa Particular Havana Old City 2023!
I went to Havana a couple of years ago and had no idea they offered snorkeling tours. This was such a great compilation that I’ll have to reference when I make my way back 🙂
Hi Larissa,
I think a lot of people might not know, as most people think of the buzzing city life when visiting Havana! There are great snorkeling options on Playas del Este, the Eastern Beaches outside the city!
That’s a really good handy list of different tours to consider. You should definitely share it on TrovenTrip.com do that a wider group of travel lovers can benefit from your blog 😊
That is really great input, thank you!
Oooh you found so many great tour options! It may be touristy, but I love the idea of a tour via a classic car! Plus you just taught me about Santeria being a mix of the Catholic religion and the African Yoruba – that is fascinating.
The one other option I was wondering about would be a Havana food tour… or a way to learn how to cook with the local ingredients…
Hi Josy!
A actually knew nothing about the Santeria when I first visited, but years later, I see that it is “everywhere”! The Santeria is a mundane part of life in Cuba, if you go, just notice that “everyone” has some kind of clothing, or jewels, connected to it! And do try the Ropa Vieja, “old clothes” – which is the Cuban version of pulled pork!
I’ve seen so many traveling to Havana recently. I’ve never been, but I would love to do the snorkeling tour to Varadero and the photoshoot tour! Looks like so much fun!
Hi Brittney,
After the pandemic, slowly, tourists are returning to Cuba and Havana, and that is great! Both in the capital, and lots of other Cuban destinations there are so many amazing things to do, and explore! In Havana, at least Old Havana, it is easy to explore on your own, but as transport in Cuba is still not super easy (although better), it is actually quite smart to go on an organized tour (even if it feels a bit touristy), as you will get the best of everything, and the risk of a car breakdown or other issues are not that common! 🙂 The photoshoot tour will make sure you find the best photo op spots in the city!
I’ve been curious about Cuba. It seems like such a cool place to visit. I didn’t know about the beautiful beaches. It’s is on my bucket list and this is going to help me when I’m able to get there. Thank you!
Hi there!
I can tell you after traveling here for 4 years that it for sure is a unique destination with experiences you will not find anywhere else! If you decide to go, I would recommend the top three destinations to be Havana, Vinales, and the colonial city of Trinidad where you can walk the centuries-old cobblestoned streets as they were at the top of the colonial sugar era! And if you have the time, Santiago de Cuba also has a unique history in Cuba, and hiking in the Sierra Maestra mountains is amazing!
Wow i’m not one usually for tours we tend to prefer exploring in our own but a few of these would actually be really interesting they seem!! A friend just did the classic cars and loved it !
Hi Brianna,
I am mostly a “lone explorer” myself when I travel, but for various reasons, in Cuba, it might be a good idea to succumb to being a tourist and join an organized tour. Car rental and other transportation are not as easy as in most other destinations, so doing a “done for you” tour here is rather a good idea in my opinion 🙂 And the Classic Car tour is probably the most touristy thing to do in Havana, BUT, it is also an amazing way to get a feel for an overview of the whole city – in style!
Havana is one of the best cities in the world! And you e highlighted some great tours! The first time I was there was nearly 20 years ago and the place changed so much! Back then tourists were not really allowed in the classic cars hahaha
Hi Marta,
Really?? I did not know that! Today tourists are the vast majority of passengers in classic cars, hehe. I first visited in 2019, so unfortunately I “missed” what it was like before they started opening up! I know though, that it is very different today from only 5-6-7 years ago, as now there is internet quite easily available, and even a few online services for travelers!
Lots of great ideas! I’m most intrigued by the mosaics and sculptures at Fusterlandia, they look so unique!
Hi Melania,
Fusterlandia is truly amazing, the artist (who is internationally recognized and quite famous outside Cuba) worked on this project in the whole “barrio”, neighborhood, for 30 years! It basically is a whole block covered in mosaic, absolutely unique and super impressive!