Havana International Jazz Festival 2025

Take in the heart and soul of this colorful & cultural island: 40th Havana International Jazz Festival | Optional 3-night Pre-Tour Extension w/ Opening Jazz Performance

Overview

This package is currently closed.

Please Note: The 40th Annual Jazz Plaza will take place January 26 - February 2, 2025. Our Havana Jazz Festival departure includes the final days of the festival and the closing events. In order to experience the entire festival, including the Opening Ceremony event, please add on the optional pre-tour.

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Style	Small Group TourTravel with a small, intimate group of no more than 16 likeminded travelers (and often much fewer), escorted by an English speaking guide and/or tour manager for some or all of your journey. (Some exceptions, including special promotional packages, may accommodate up to 30.) More of these packages Dedicated tour escorts & guides throughout
Departures		Group Size	30 travelers max
Themes	Festivals, Bucket List, City Stays
Activity Level	Moderate
What to Expect	This fast-paced, escorted program includes a reasonable amount of walking and requires an average level of physical fitness. Be advised that the Jazz Festival concerts and events begin at 9PM.
Already booked?	Find everything you need to know before you go, including information about passport & visa requirements, flights, luggage, and more.

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“To jazz, or not to jazz, there is no question!” exclaimed jazz legend Louis Armstrong – and we couldn’t agree more. Deep in the heart of Cuba, a cacophony of chords flows through the island like a heartbeat or the very lifeblood of its colorful communities. And it is something every music-lover has to experience to understand!

With an itinerary any jazz aficionado will adore, this expertly crafted tour includes passes to the 40th Havana International Jazz Festival, also known as Jazz Plaza, meet and greets with contemporary jazz musicians and pianists, private dance lessons, and more! And, of course, we’ve packed every day with immersive experiences that will leave you with an unforgettable trip and memories that last a lifetime. Cook like an expert next to locals; walk in Ernest Hemingway’s footsteps at Finca Vigia; meet up-and-coming Cuban artists; visit inspiring community projects, and more.

Package includes

Flights
Coach
Transfers
Hotel
Meals
Guides

Non-stop round trip flights from Miami to Havana, including taxes & fees
Health insurance in Cuba, included in the cost of your airfare
U.S. Treasury Department, OFAC License Certification
Cuban Tourist E Visa
All land transportation & transfers in Cuba
5 nights 5-star hotel accommodations in Havana
11 meals: 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches & 2 dinners
Comprehensive support for the Cuban people program, including entrance fees
Professional, English-speaking guide
VIP Jazz Festival Pass

Optional add-ons

Flights from other cities are available. Request pricing when making your reservation
Optional 3-night Pre Tour with access to the opening Jazz performance

Why you'll love it

Immerse yourself in the lively atmosphere of the 40th Havana International Jazz Festival.
Meet young jazz artists and learn about life in Cuba as an aspiring musician.
Step into Cuba's world of dance with a private demonstration and lesson.
Get hands-on during a traditional Cuban cooking class.
Explore Old Havana’s architectural treasure trove and learn about the restoration efforts and improvement of social services to the community.
Cruise the streets of Havana in a privately-owned classic American car.
Enjoy several meals at Cuban paladares: small, family-run restaurants.

Itinerary at a Glance

Optional Pre Tour: Jazz Festival Opening Ceremony and Las Terrazas

1 January 26, 2025: Depart USA
2 January 27, 2025: Havana
3 January 28, 2025: Las Terrazas
4 January 29, 2025: Havana

Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices, with flights per person, double occupancy*
2025 DEPARTURES
Dates	Price
Departs U.S.: Wed, Jan 29, 2025 Finishes: Mon, Feb 3, 2025 Jan 29 – Feb 3	$3999	Sold Out

Dates & Prices, tour only per person, double occupancy*
2025 DEPARTURES
Dates	Price
Starts: Wed, Jan 29, 2025 Finishes: Mon, Feb 3, 2025 Jan 29 – Feb 3	$3699	Sold Out

Options & Fees

HAVANA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
ROOMING SELECTION
Double Occupancy	included
Single Occupancy	$599

3-NIGHT PRE TOUR WITH OPENING JAZZ PERFORMANCE
3-Night Pre Tour with Opening Jazz Performance	$1299
ROOMING SELECTION
Double Occupancy	included
Single Occupancy	$149

TAXES & FEES
Cuba Visa Fee	included
Airline Baggage Fee (per flight paid at airport)¹ (paid separately)	$30

1. Baggage fees must be paid at airport for each flight. In Cuba, this must be paid in cash. Price is subject to the airline and can change at any time.

TRANSFERS FOR PASSENGERS BOOKING TOUR ONLY
OPTIONAL AIRPORT TRANSFERS¹
Arrival Transfer: Havana airport to accommodation	$25
Departure transfer: Havana accommodation to airport	$25

1. NOTE: Based on a minium of two passengers

So that we can offer you the best deals, our packages are, like most hotels and cruises, priced based on double occupancy rooms or cabins. We charge solo travelers an extra fee to cover the extra costs of single occupancy rooms or cabins. (Consider: if you booked a $200/night hotel room solo, you would pay the $200 yourself; but if a couple booked the same room, each one would pay only $100.) But you only pay extra for the rooms or cabins, nothing else, including meals, sightseeing, tips, etc. Why are single rooms more?

Flights & Departure Cities

Departure Airports
Miami (MIA)

This package includes round-trip flights from the city listed above. Please review the flight schedule, especially if you're booking connecting flights.

Want to fly from another city? We can arrange flights from most major cities. Ask us for a quote for flights from your preferred city when (or after) you book, and we'll get back to you with the price and availability within 3 business days. Of course, you can also book your own flights. More information

Detailed Itinerary

Main Tour

Day 1 January 29, 2025: Depart USA

Depart the USA on your flight to Havana, Cuba
Tonight, enjoy the Jazz Festival performances

Hotel Grand Aston La Habana or similar

Full Day Itinerary

¡Bienvenidos a La Habana! Upon arrival to Cuba's capital city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, our representative welcomes you with a Friendly Planet sign outside the arrivals terminal at the Havana Airport. Board your air-conditioned vehicle and transfer to your hotel.

Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own, and later, attend the Jazz Festival performances.

Day 2 January 30, 2025: Havana

Walk through Old Havana and engage with and support Cuba's growing private business sector
Enjoy a welcome lunch at a paladar (privately owned restaurant) in Old Havana
Step into Cuba's world of dance with a private demonstration and lesson
Tonight, enjoy the Jazz Festival performances

Hotel Grand Aston La Habana or similar Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Full Day Itinerary

After breakfast, your expert guide will lead you on a leisurely walk through the labyrinthian streets of Old Havana. Immerse yourself in the vibrant colors of Cuba while walking along the cobblestone streets and explore the four beautiful plazas of the Old City – Plaza de Armas, Plaza San Francisco, Plaza Vieja, and Plaza de la Catedral - each a historic and architectural gem.

Step into Cuba's world of music and dance with a private dance class. First, experience Cuba's most traditional dances through a demonstration by your talented and personable teachers. Learn how important music and dancing are to life in Cuba. Then, learn the basic steps and try Cuban dancing for yourself.

Tonight, enjoy dinner with your fellow travelers, and later, attend the Jazz Festival performances.

Day 3 January 31, 2025: Havana

Participate in a discussion on the history of Cuban Jazz
Travel to Cojimar, the local fishing village that was the setting for Hemingway’s "The Old Man and the Sea"
Enjoy a traditional Cuban cooking class , from gathering ingredients to putting them to use in the kitchen as you prepare your own lunch
Explore Finca Vigía, Hemingway’s old home
Tonight, enjoy the Jazz Festival performances

Hotel Grand Aston La Habana or similar Breakfast & lunch

Full Day Itinerary

After breakfast, meet with a contemporary jazz musician and bass guitarist, David Faya, to discuss the rich history of Cuban Jazz.

Then, learn the secrets of the Cuban kitchen and participate in a traditional Cuban cooking class. Begin your experience by meeting the staff of the paladar, Café Ajiaco, who will guide you on your culinary journey. First, stop at the paladar’s “organopónico” (organic garden) to see where their products and ingredients grow. Pick some for yourself and bring them back to the restaurant to create your dishes. Then, the experienced chefs of Café Ajiaco will teach you the process of making some of Cuba’s most delicious traditional food and an authentic Cuban mojito, along with how to pair rum with cigars.

Later, venture out to Finca Vigía, where Hemingway lived and wrote his most famous novel, The Old Man and the Sea. At Finca Vigía, supported by independent organizations, meet the local caretakers as you walk the perimeter of the house. While entry to the house is not permitted, you'll get a clear view of the interior as you peer through the large windows to see how it was kept when he lived there. The walls are lined with bookshelves and covered with paintings, some of them depicting Hemingway on his African safaris. The heads of many of the animals he encountered and hunted are mounted in several rooms. Then, view the tower next to his house where he did much of his writing, and get a glimpse of his typewriter and fishing boat.

Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own, and later, attend the Jazz Festival performances.

Day 4 February 1, 2025: Havana

Meet the talented car mechanics
Take a ride in a classic American automobile to tour picturesque Havana in style
Enjoy lunch at a local paladar
Interact with members of the community project, Clave de Sol
Tonight, enjoy the Jazz Festival performances

Hotel Grand Aston La Habana or similar Breakfast & lunch

Full Day Itinerary

Today, meet the talented car mechanics that keep the antique cars running. Imagine the ingenuity mechanics have in keeping these original cars on the road, such as a ‘58 Ford powered by a Soviet Lada or Toyota engine!

Then, travel back in time as you tour the city in one of Havana’s classic American cars. Enjoy the picturesque views of Havana from your incredibly maintained automobile.

After lunch, visit the Clave de Sol community project, established by parents in the San Augustin neighborhood, to provide safe, wholesome after-school activities for their children. Children select among various string instruments and then learn to play them, performing Cuban and international music. Meet the young musicians and their teachers during your visit and hear them rehearsing for upcoming performances.

Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own, and later, attend the Jazz Festival performances.

Day 5 February 2, 2025: Havana

Explore Callejon de Hamel
Stop by the workshop of artist Beatriz Santacana
Enjoy lunch at a local paladar
Meet with Santa Amalia dancers
Join your fellow travelers for a farewell dinner at a local paladar before attending the Jazz Festival closing ceremony

Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Full Day Itinerary

After breakfast, visit Callejon de Hamel, the shortest street in Havana, decorated with fanciful objects referencing Santería, an Afro-Cuban religion fusing African beliefs and Christianity. Marvel at the murals by one of Cuba’s most famous artists, the late Salvador Gonzáles Escalona. A local guide will help you explore the area, introduce you to some of the artwork on display and explain Santería's beliefs, customs, and how it is part of Cuban culture.

Then, visit the private home and art gallery of the independent artist Beatriz Santacana, whose unique ceramics, oils, and sculpture works are exhibited in Cuba and major cities worldwide.

After lunch, meet the enthusiastic jazz dancers of Santa Amalia. These dancers have been at it since the 1960s and are now joined by Havana's youth. Combined, they create some of Havana's most lively dance parties.

Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner and later, attend the Jazz Festival closing event.

Day 6 February 3, 2025: Havana/USA

Transfer to the airport and board your flight back to Miami

Breakfast

Optional Pre Tour: Jazz Festival Opening Ceremony and Las Terrazas

Take advantage of your already-included international airfare with a pre-tour extension to Las Terrazas! A "must-see" in Cuba, Las Terrazas is known worldwide for its postcard-worthy beauty. Meet with aspiring locals and enjoy a taste of an authentic way of life.

Day 1 January 26, 2025: Depart USA

Depart the USA on your flight to Havana, Cuba
This evening, attend the Havana Jazz Festival Opening event

Hotel Grand Aston La Habana

Full Day Itinerary

¡Bienvenidos a La Habana! Upon arrival to Cuba's capital city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, our representative welcomes you with a Friendly Planet sign outside the arrivals terminal at the Havana Airport. Board your air-conditioned vehicle and transfer to your hotel.

Depart for an evening of excitement as you attend the opening Jazz concert.

Day 2 January 27, 2025: Havana

Visit the community project, Okantomi, to experience a lively Rumba session
Tour a famous Cuban recording studio

Hotel Grand Aston La Habana or similar Breakfast

Full Day Itinerary

Visit the community project Okantomi, which teaches Afro-Cuban and traditional Cuban dance to Cuban youth, where you'll experience a lively Rumba session.

Enjoy lunch on your own before touring one of Cuba’s most prestigious recording studios where some of the island-nation’s most prominent artists record and master their music.

Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own, and later, attend the Jazz Festival performances.

Day 3 January 28, 2025: Las Terrazas

Visit the Las Terrazas community
Visit the museum of the late musician Polo Montañez
Enjoy lunch at Casa Campesino
Later, attend the Jazz Festival

Hotel Grand Aston La Habana or similar Breakfast & lunch

Full Day Itinerary

Depart for Las Terrazas in Pinar del Rio Province, a “must-see” in Cuba known worldwide for its magnificent, scenic beauty. Las Terrazas was founded shortly after the Cuban Revolution in 1959 as a model community, where local farmers, known as campesinos, moved closer together to help each other overcome the hardships of sleeping in huts with thatched roofs, of living without electricity, local schools, or medical services. Later, visit the home and museum of the late Polo Montañez, one of Cuba's most charismatic and beloved musicians, whose original style of mixed genres won him adoring audiences throughout Cuba, Latin America, and even Europe. Stop at the town’s only coffee shop, Café Maria, where she and her family have welcomed visitors for many years and enjoy the “best coffee in the country.” Discuss coffee culture in Cuba and worldwide and how cafes serve as places for social interaction.

Later, visit the art studio of Lester Campa, an internationally acclaimed Cuban artist who lives and works in Las Terrazas. His lavishly detailed paintings reflect the beautiful landscape that surrounds him as well as the environmental impact that man has had on that very landscape.

Enjoy an authentic, country-style lunch prepared and served outdoors at a local farmhouse near Las Terrazas.

Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own, and later, attend the Jazz Festival performances.

Day 4 January 29, 2025: Havana

Interact with an art connoisseur to learn about the collection at the Museum of Fine Arts
Visit a music school in Havana
Tonight, enjoy more Jazz Festival performances

Hotel Grand Aston La Habana or similar Breakfast

Full Day Itinerary

There is no better way to learn about Cuban art than with a local expert! Enjoy the works of acclaimed Cuban artists housed in the Museum of Fine Arts with a local art connoisseur.

Later this afternoon, visit the elementary-level school of music, Guillermo Tomás, in Guanabacoa. Enjoy a Jazz performance by the school's band and participate in a lively exchange of ideas with students and teachers.

Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own, and later, attend the Jazz Festival performances.

See Day 1 of the main tour itinerary for the continuation of your touring program.

Hotel

Hotel Grand Aston La Habana

First Class

Hotel Grand Aston is located in the Vedado area of Havana, on the iconic Malecón seawall. This modern hotel offers a blend of contemporary comfort with access to the Malecón, the perfect vantage point for incredible sunsets and views of the city.

More information

In the unlikely event that a particular hotel is not available, a similar or better hotel may be substituted.

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Trip Details

What should I know before I go? We've compiled a comprehensive checklist, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
Do I need a visa or other documents? Are there any entry requirements? Travel visas are required for this package. Please review the visa & entry requirements.
Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Depart from another city? Something else? Just ask!
Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 18 or older. Your traveling companions must be 8 or older at time of travel.
Should I purchase travel insurance? Yes! We recommend you purchase travel insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer a plan provided by Travelex Insurance Services.
What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
What should I know about Cuba? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.