I traveled with InsightCuba February 1-4, 2018, on a Varadero to Havana people-to-people tour. The communication from the company prior to travel was clear and accurate. The air travel to and from Cuba went without a problem. We were met at the Varadero airport by our tour guide and driver who welcomed us and escorted us to a small bus that was to take us each day to the sights on our itinerary. The bus was spotlessly clean and modern. While enroute to our hotel, our guide Alain, gave us an overview of the itinerary, which matched the published itinerary that we had received. He noted that, at times, some sights might be closed. He was sensitive to US citizens expectations and managed that very well. Our hotel was Hotel Melia Varadero, a lovely all-inclusive beach front hotel, where we met an international array of guests. Remember, the rest of the world's citizens have been able to travel to Cuba for many years. The staff was friendly and we took the opportunity to speak with them and learn more about them and their families. During our tour we had some free time at the hotel to wander the beautiful grounds with views of a turquoise sea. The meals were very good with buffet selections of many cuisines. The rooms were very nice, Caribbean style with a balcony. There was one 110v outlet in the bathroom. The other outlets are 220v. On this tour, we visited a crafts market in Varadero. in Cardenas we saw the primary modes of transportation: bicycles, horse-drawn carts and carriages and during a stop in the town square we independently visited a church and talked with a Catholic sister about her work in the community. Men, women, and children were gathered to celebrate and worship. We visited a sugar mill museum, learned how to cut cane, and sampled a chunk of cane and later the juice. This outdoor museum also has a great collection of trains that were used throughout Cuba. We were also able to visit a food coop and see the growing independent businesses that Cubans are developing. A real surprise was the visit to the Varahicacos Eco Reserve where we visited a cave with 2,000 year-old cave drawings! We had one day in Havana. Our guide led us on a stroll through the historic areas, a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, an old-car cruise around Havana to the Hotel Nacional for a mojito in the bar made famous by celebrities. The Cathedral happened to be closed at the time we reached it but that was out of the control of the guide or InsightCuba. We ate Cuban food at two restaurants that was delicious! My suggestions are these: Read what you can about Cuban history and Cuban life today. Read about the improvements introduced by the Revolution. Travel with an open mind. Realize that we, as US citizens, are restricted by our government as to what we can experience in Cuba. Be open to meeting people who have lived in a different political reality and open to hearing their stories. Suspend assumptions. In my experience, I met wonderful, warm, open, and loving people in Cuba! read more

A group of 6 of us (my family and friends) traveled to Cuba in March 2017, using InsightCuba. I was the point person who handled the arrangements for all of us. I am not normally a "tour traveler," but given the special circumstances of visiting Cuba, which at the time of booking still required person-to-person type trips, we wanted to make sure to find the perfect tour company. I researched various tour companies and based upon the cost and itineraries offered, we selected InsightCuba. I booked the Jazz in Havana tour and we all absolutely loved it. The booking was well-handled. We received all the necessary papers in time. The people with whom I communicated were friendly, helpful and responsive to all my questions. When I first booked the trip, there were no US flights going to Havana and therefore the cost had included a charter flight from Miami. However, a few months before our trip, Havana airport opened up for the US and InsightCuba was very helpful in assisting my group with making flight plans from Florida to Havana. They also made sure to refund the cost of the original charter in a timely fashion. When we arrived in Havana, we were met by our tour guide, Gretel, who would be with us for the entire tour. Gretel was a marvel. Her knowledge of the history of her country was extraordinary and we learned so much from her. She was truly a lovely woman. It was also refreshing to learn about Cuba through the perspective of someone who not only lives there, but has a deep love for her country. Our tour leader, Jaime, was also just wonderful. She went out of her way to make sure we were accommodated, including making sure that those with special food issues were taken care of at the restaurants. The tour itself was truly one of the best trips I have ever been on. We met with so many wonderful people, toured amazing sites (including visiting a Cuban school for the arts, which was so delightful). Every day was packed with wonderful experiences. There wasn't a bad day to be had. The accommodations, Hotel Melia, were perfectly fine. Although a word of warning, the mattresses at the hotel are super hard, like lying on the brick floor. As the hotel is often used by InsightCuba, if you have back issues, do what my sister and I did - partake of the pillow bar (yes, that's a thing!) and order a couple super long pillows and use them to lie on. Voila!, pillow top mattress! As for the food, we had heard that the food in Cuba leaves much to be desired, but InsightCuba went out of its way to book paladars and restaurants where the food was for the most part quite good. All in all, I highly recommend InsightCuba and I hope I can use them again for another trip because there is so much more of Cuba I would love to see. read more

I was in Havana with my 14-year-old recently for a long weekend through InsightCuba. I am so glad I did it with a tour company because not only was the trip extremely memorable, InsightCuba took away all the planning and the cultural/language barriers for us. I did not realize how wonderful a "people-to-people" visit can be; I had no idea how deeply involved I can be with a culture in a matter of days. Case in point: we visited an elementary music school where we sang and played with the children. My daughter played the piano with the students on stage. We hugged; we laughed; we talked. This may sound corny in a review... but that experience is what traveling is all about - connection between people and exchanges of ideas and love. It opened my child's eyes to new friends and to different ways of life. I could not believe something like this could happen on a tour! Case in point 2: we visited a local hospital where we sat down with a young and handsome psychotherapist (only because he speaks English!) where he explained how the Cuban healthcare system worked and answered all my capitalistic questions. I had a hard time wrapping my head around this experience... the hospital had equipment from 50 years ago yet with people who are so committed to healthcare and their medical training. He was trained in Angola... and working on a project to decrease the use of medication on ADHD children. Who would have thought about medication use for the Cuban ADHD children? Not me and certainly not before this trip. It opened my eyes to more and I learned. I see that there are some negative reviews here... Like always, there are different experiences for different people. I wanted to share mine because my experience with InsightCuba changed how I think of travel and what I want from travel. InsightCuba had set an incredible high bar for themselves and overachieved for me. The service was awesome and almost flawless. I think some of my "would have been" complaints are mostly due to cultural differences and how "stiff" I was in the beginning of the trip. I find that once my heart is open, people are warm and open back to me. Then things flowed - food tasted better - we learned more - we smiled - we laughed - we lived. My daughter and I had a once-in-a-life-time experience in Havana. Thanks to InsightCuba. read more

Fabulous cultural tour ! My husband and I went on the 9 day cultural tour and it was really an unbelievable tour. We had a pretty small group - about 15 - and we went in April which is excellent weather there. As you may know, Cuba is a country like China where all tours are regulated and so we were met by an official state Tour Guide who had been an English language teacher in the schools, so he was great with language and also really knowledgeable about the history and cultures of Cuba. While some people would think they "can go travel Cuba and see it themselves" - that would not be wise or good use of time. First off, there are two currencies - one that Cuban nationals use, and one for tourists. Plus use of credit cards is not on and there is sparse internet access. But Cubans are very nice people and the place is a real live museum. I would saw go see it now before the Americans ruin it - and the best way is an organized cultural tour. We went to the hospital and the seniors center, and the farmers market, and even stayed two nights with a family in their B&B - plus of course we went to all the "tourist spots" and national museums. When we decided to go, we looked into all of the various tours offered and when we discovered that the tours are all "state run", we then looked for thoroughness and value which led us to InsightCuba. Yes we were talken to all the prime photo spots but did not have to pay for some photographer to join our tour - Yes we got a thorough history lesson, but did not have to pay for some US professor to join our tour - Yes we got a real depth insight into the way of life and culture, because we had an excellent tour guide who has lived there his entire life, and he took us places where usual tours or tourists would normally not venture. We found the food interesting - the big hotels all cater to the tourists and have the usual buffet full breakfasts and menus - but on the tour we were taken to some local places as well, and were taken in the markets and shops and into the interior outside of the cities and we learned and tasted a lot of local food - no problems with food safety and really enlightening. Would highly recommend InsightCuba ! read more

I have taken four trips to Cuba with InsightCuba (and if InsightCuba offers a people to people diving trip I'll take a fifth) starting in August 2012 (to Havana, Trinidad, Bay of Pigs) and continuing to August 2016 (Vinales and Havana). I also went on the trip to Santa Maria, Santa Clara, and Havana and the long weekend in Santiago de Cuba which doesn't seem to be currently offered (although I loved it). I have enjoyed all the "People to People" activities - economists, artists, children of Russian women who married Cubans who studied in Moscow before 1990, hospitals, elderly homes, local markets, museums, photographers (including the photographer who traveled with Fidel and Che in the late 1950s). I have sat in John Lennon's lap in the park named after him (and near a restaurant called Yellow Submarine which amusingly Ringo wrote) and wandered in synagogues. I can't say enough great things about Insight - I have really gotten a feel of the Cuban people, had enough time to wander through old Havana and other neighborhoods but also met dozens of fascinating Cuban people and really felt like I could confer with them about their lives, hopes, and views on America. I've wandered on fortress walls and visited all the Hemingway sights. I have had a total of three Insight guides and am still in contact with two of them (Adam and Jeff). In fact, I broke my leg just before the long weekend in Santiago de Cuba and reached out to Jeff, who had been my guide on the Legendary Cuba trip, and he said "come on" so it was fascinating to take the trip with a wheel chair and crutches - and I worked out in the PT facility in the hospital that we visited! Marjorie Roberts St. Thomas Virgin Islands read more

My husband and I, both architects, wanted to tour Havana for its architecture, culture, and non-commercialized experience. The trip did not disappoint. Cuba is not for those looking to hide in an all-inclusive and relax. This is a cultural experience, and one that would be hard to find elsewhere. The Melia Cohiba hotel had everything we needed - converter, soap/shampoo, fridge, bottled water, hair dryer....no need to bring your own "stuff" if staying there. The people-to-people encounters were as advertised by Insight Cuba. Not what we are used to on vacation, but appropriate for what our trip was intended to be. Our guide, Marianela, and the driver Odelis were great. We think that the guide is very critical to the experience. All the meals were good, with one dinner great. I read a complaint on Yelp about the lack of variety of food......well, you are in Cuba. This is not a place to expect American amenity or range of choices. The food so kindly offered to tourists is far beyond what is available to the average Cuban. We do plan on returning to Cuba, albeit years from now. We would use Insight Cuba again, and we've passed on the website to quite a few folks at home who are intrigued about Cuba travel. The customer service was good, responsiveness to emails good, and the FAQs were spot on. Cuba was an experience wholly different than any other vacation that we've been on. If you're looking for cultural enrichment and exposure to an interesting place and people......GO FOR IT!!! read more

I recently got back from a trip with insightCuba and can't thank them enough for planning a thoughtful trip for me and my family. We went on the Legendary Cuba trip but originally had a hard time deciding because of our diverse interests. Hats off to Samara who was incredibly patient and helpful with us as we had a million questions, and she always was able to happily answer all of them. She took care of us every step of the way. Equally as wonderful, was our guide Pedro, who made us feel so welcome the minute we arrived. He was kind and thoughtful and explained everything to us and our group, making every visit that much more meaningful. We loved Havana, especially our visit to this cute little community project where we met some friends of our guides and insightCuba. We felt so at home. My family who is normally a little shy ended up singing and dancing with everyone. The Melia Cohiba hotel was great, and we loved the ability to walk on the boardwalk right outside the hotel in the mornings. My son especially liked the people fishing. Vinales Valley was so beautiful. Who knew that Cuba had such scenic beauty, and of course visiting a tobacco farm and learning all about tobacco and cigars was so fascinating even though I don't like cigars too much, however, I did try one for the first time. We're all still talking about our trip to Cuba and can't imagine going with anyone else. Thank you, insightCuba. read more

We had a wonderful trip with InsightCuba! The guides, Vonya and Heldrices (hope the spelling is correct) were thorough and patient with our dozens of questions. Our group of about twenty bonded and got along very well. We are still in contact with some of them. The tour was carefully organized to include lots of interesting venues. The choice of hotels and the dining, provided exceeded our expectations. We left with the feeling that we really understood the people and the culture of Cuba. One night we were free to explore Havana on our own. I speak Spanish, which helps, so we meandered from Hotel Melia through the streets to the Hotel Nationale for a drink, then with help from the locals found a great family restaurant. We also took a side trip for a little extra money to the Copacabana for the unbelievable show. Be careful of the bottle of rum provided as part of the show its very powerful. A small extra but nice touch was that on our departure InSight provided access to a lounge at the airport. We waited comfortably in the nicely air conditioned mezzanine overlooking the boarding gates. As we were boarding some people from another tour asked how we were allowed "up there." It was, I guess, just a part of the way InSight treats their customers. We have recommended Insight Cuba to our friends that are considering a visit to Cuba. Thanks InSight for a memorable trip. read more

we thought the trip was extremely organized and provided all the detail and services needed. it was a great hotel in a great location with an information desk to inform us of what we can do and if we needed any help with figuring things out. great job. the city of Havana is great and the people are great too. even though I don't speak Spanish I found it was easy to get around and see the sights. the sights are pretty cool and seeing the history was awesome too. riding in the 1950's cars was a real treat even though they aren't as comfortable as we are used to in current American vehicles. we had a driver we kept using for where to go and it was relatively cheap. we even took him and his wife out to dinner with us. the pubs and bars were great and we saw some amazing bands playing jazz better than you can hear in the US any more. we bought cigars from the state stores only to get the true cigars because buying cigars from just anyone were most likely fake. I wanted to see the city before they started to change it and take away the county charm. as far as insight Cuba the arranged all the paperwork, flights, transfers, hotels and provided all the information we needed. they do an excellent job and I didn't want to have to do all that organizing myself while being in a foreign country. read more

My trip to Cuba changed my view of what a vacation should be. Over a week our days were packed with talks by historians, by ordinary Cubans, by journeys to historical sights both in Havana and six hours away in the countryside, by performances of dance and art and by visits to the quirky (I mean that as a positive) small restaurants that served tasty, spicy meals. It was a little bit like taking a grad course run by NPR. By the end of the trip I really understood the history, the politics, the impact of the fall of the Soviet Union on the country. There was plenty of free time for folks to experience the nightlife and the galleries. The two women who led our tour were knowledgeable and organized. This was my first group tour, I was skeptical that would be as satisfying as going on my own. By the end, I was positive that it was the best way to really see and understand a society that has been so closed off from America. I did a lot of research before choosing Insight Cuba. By the end I realized how much their professionalism and expertise created the 100% positive experience I had. read more

I've been blessed to travel to Cuba 4 times, each time with InsightCuba. Twice in 2016, once in 2017 and recently this year for the Havana Jazz Fest. I've lodged 3 times at the Melia Cohiba and once at the Four Seasons Sheraton. For every trip the guides were highly knowledgeable, accommodating, friendly and very hard working in order to insure a pleasurable journey. Especially Juliet, who was a guide for the "Havana Getaway" tour. The paladores selected served great food, particularly the seafood. The tours to Old Havana were enlightening and interesting. However they do require lots of walking but that's essential if one is to experience the "real" Havana and go beyond the typical "tourist" experiences. InsightCuba does a great job in arranging interesting sight seeing but also allows for ample free time to sample Havana on one's own. God willing, I plan on returning sometime this year and plan on utilizing InsightCuba and their great staff and experience. As a wise man once said: "If it works, don't fix it." read more

Our trip to Cuba was a 'bucket list' for me that was only enhanced by sharing the excitement with my daughters to celebrate their graduations from college. Our travel experience could not have been better...we had our own Cuban travel guide, partnered with our own 'Insight Cuba' guide and our own bus/and bus driver. Having our own Cuban guide gave us more insight and personal perspectives that only a native could share with us about daily life in Cuba. Each day was filled with exciting, educational and inspirational itineraries that never let us down. From visiting remote areas traveling by train, boat & bikes, each day was filled with wonderful adventures. The food was fabulous and the accommodations were great. The challenges of traveling to new country along with the challenges two different visas, different currencies and new language we felt confident, safe and well cared for. It was a great experience for all of us and I can't wait to explore another area of Cuba. read more

I have made two trips to Cuba with InsightCuba, each rather different than the other. The first was an extraordinary trip down full length of the island, their "Undiscovered Cuba", with stays first in Havana, then in Santa Clara, Camaguey, Santiago and Baracoa, with a long enough stop in Bayamo to get a pretty good sense of the town. There was a considerable amount of time in the coach but the life along the highways and the villages and country life the whole way made that an important part of the whole trip. Each city was really completely different in atmosphere and all were of compelling interest. This was a marvelous and very thorough way to see the country. All the hotels were more than acceptable and some were superb. The mandated (by the U.S. Congress!) people to people aspect of the trip made it very rich indeed. It would take me pages to list everything I saw. This trip is highly recommended to the adventurous travelers of the world. read more

Recently took a short 6-night tour to Havana & Vinales Valley with InsightCuba and it was fantastic! We stayed at the Melia Cohiba hotel in Havana, which is a modern fully-equipped hotel on the Malecon. Accommodations in Pinar del Rio were not quite as spectacular, but still adequate considering the economic situation in Cuba and the outlying provinces. Our guides Diana and Rene were great, very helpful in showing us the sights, giving us options for meals, independent activities, etc.. Vinales Valley is very photogenic. We had a great tour of the tobacco farms & fields, spectacular overlook of the unusual rock formations (mogotes), and later a visit to an amazing ecological reserve, Las Terrazas. In Havana, we also had a great lunch at a Soviet-themed restaurant complete with vodka mojitos, and also visited Hemingways Finca Vigia. I would highly recommend InsightCuba for a great touring experience. Jim B, Maryland USA read more

My wife, a good friend, and I took the Weekend in Havana trip with InsightCuba. The trip was excellent. The itinerary was advertised and the tour provided real value for the quite reasonable price. The hotel accommodations were first rate (much better than we had anticipated), our guides were excellent, and we saw a tremendous amount of Havana. We have friends (and relatives) who have toured the entire island but we just wanted a relatively short but comprehensive introduction to Cuba. This tour was the perfect way to accomplish this objective. We saw art studios, jazz clubs, government monuments and buildings, and a substantial amount of the old, colonial Havana. The food was also quite good (some restaurants were better than others, but overall, they were good.Finally, we had about the right amount of free time (including some time to explore some restaurants our guides recommended and they were great). read more

I went on my Vintage Cuba vacation with my daughter. We both loved it. It was a positive experience from the moment we arrived to the time we left. When our departure flight was delayed, we were given the comfort of the first class lounge at the airport, updated information about the delay and then quickly guided through the exit protocol onto the plane. Our tour guides, German Meyer and the second guide (whose name I do not recall) were knowledgeable, fun and helpful. They made us feel as though we were the best group of tourists they ever had. The tours successfully showed off historical and cultural segments of cuban society. The people were amazing. I especially loved the choir group, the artist's house we visited, and the restaurants. The hotel was beautiful. The hotel room had all the perks including a magnificent view of the beach. I want to come back and when I do I will use InsightCuba again. read more

I traveled to Cuba on a people to people trip with insightCuba in 2013. It was one of several trips to Cuba that I've taken and it is the one that gave me the most solid experience of Cuba on the ground. It is one of the first if not the first tour operator to start offering people to people trips in 2000 when it became legal for Americans to travel there. The company has a great deal of experience working this market as a specialist for years, has great knowledge of the travel infrastructure in Cuba and of how to navigate that tricky landscape and has great dedication to Cuba and to providing connections between Americans and Cubans. When traveling to Cuba Americans have to be flexible and go with the flow. If they expect the same kind of experience as they would get in more developed destinations they may be disappointed. It's a very special experience and has to be judged on its own terms. read more

My husband and I booked a tour with Insight Cuba in 2016 and thoroughly enjoyed our trip. One of the things that was pointed out to us the evening before our flight was that things can change in Cuba and that you need to be flexible. So I feel we were prepared for the few delays and itinerary changes we experienced. They also pointed out that the food in Cuba can be pretty bland and that we would have a lot of rice and beans. Still, we found the food plentiful, and there were some interesting side dishes as well. We were encouraged to talk to everyone we met, which made the trip quite enjoyable even though my Spanish is pretty limited. Insight Cuba did an excellent job showing us the culture of Cuba and our guide even made a few unscheduled stops which were real highlights, like visiting a small hardware store. We would definitely book with Insight Cuba again. Marie L. read more

My husband and I toured Cuba with Insight Cuba March 6 thru March 17, 2017. It was an amazing trip we were a small group of 11 or 12 people plus Nico Chavez our Insight Guide and our Cuban Guide Marlon Diaz Pino. Throughout tour we felt the accommodations were probably the highest quality for Cuba, yes some of them were large tour hotels but that is to be expected when you are on a bus tour. Our rooms were great. Even the fun small hotels, they were funky and full of charm. The one that comes to mind is the hotel in Colon. I loved the Paladares either coordinated by the leaders or on our own offered a unique dining experience. I celebrate their entrepreneurship and trying to improve their lives and enhance our experience. I could go on and on - We would definitely recommend them to anyone who is thinking about going to Cuba. read more