Arrive in Havana, proceed through immigration, and step outside to meet tour leader and your Cuban team.

Enjoy your first drive-thru of Havana with two iconic stops. In central Havana, at the Plaza de la Revolution, walk across the enormous square and view the monument to Cuban hero José Marti. On the outskirts of the city, roam through whimsically charming Jaimanitas where Cuban artist José Fuster, inspired by Gaudi and Picasso, has turned his own home and the surrounding neighborhood into a showcase of fanciful, brightly colored murals and sculptures.

For the group lunch and orientation meeting, settle into the first of the many paladars you’ll sample on this trip. As restaurants that are privately owned rather than government-owned, paladars are a recent and welcome phenomenon in Cuba. Some have two tables and some have thirty. Each was started by a family in their own home or on their own property, and each is unique.

This afternoon, a special meeting has been arranged for your group with a Cuban professor and ambassador who will discuss the evolving relationship between the United States and Cuba.

Late afternoon check-in at your 4-star hotel, followed by a group dinner at a lovely paladar.

The morning is devoted to exploring the four distinct plazas and the cobblestone walkways of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch is at La Moneda Cubana, a paladar and a first-of-its-kind training program for young Cubans interested in learning culinary arts and private entrepreneurship.

In the afternoon, drive outside Havana to Ernest Hemingway’s house and farm, Finca Vigia, which is now an indoor-outdoor museum.

Lots of choices for dinner on your own tonight.

Start the day as many Cubans do by heading by bicycle-taxi to a local farmers market.  Then, as all young Cuban children do, head to a primary school. Meet with the headmaster, visit classrooms, and learn about the educational system in Cuba.

After lunch at a special paladar in Old Havana, drive through the tree-lined streets of Havana neighborhoods to the rehearsal space for a phenomenal modern dance troupe where you’ll be privileged to preview a performance and talk with the troupe members. If time allows, also visit Havana’s Sephardi Synagogue, view the sanctuary, and learn about the Cuban-Jewish community.

Again, tonight choose your dining option from many suggestions by your guide.

Depart early from Havana and its 21st century news-making. Drive by comfortable air-conditioned vehicle 158 miles to 19th centruy Cienfuegos.

Most of the day is devoted to Cienfuegos. The historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The central plaza is greenery-filled, storybook-perfect, and surrounded by gems of colonial French architecture. The city’s peninsular extension is Punta Gorda with charming clapboard houses and views out over the Bay toward the Sierra Escambray Mountains in the distance.

After lunch on the waterfront at Villa Lagarto Paladar, visit the headquarters of UNEAC, the Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba, for a presentation and Q & A with the organization’s president followed by visits to artists’ homes and studios.

Accommodations are in Casas Particulares, private homes certified for hosting tourists. Casas are an alternative to the typically impersonal and over-booked Cuban hotels, which are always at least 50% government-owned. As an accommodation, Casas are the entrepreneurial parallel to the family-owned paladars.

After breakfast served by the family hosting you in their Casa, enjoy a walk through the botanical gardens in Cienfuegos before driving to Trinidad.

Trinidad is an astonishingly well preserved town, identified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The central historic district is closed to vehicular traffic and often cited as one of the most impressive colonial town centers in the Americas, with pastel buildings, ornate statuary, tall palms and serene gardens. Include a visit to a local “bodega” (grocery), where you’ll see a “libretta” (ration book) and learn about Cuba’s ration system. Your guide will lead you on a walking tour of the town center, then you’re free to choose from lots of charming cafe options for lunch.

In an unassuming home in the town center, meet a most astonishing couple: a sculptor and woodcarver whose life-size portraits on recycled old wood doors are gaining international acclaim; and, his wife who markets exceptional crocheted clothing and embroidery on behalf of women in remote villages.

Dinner included tonight at Davimart, one of Cuba’s finest paladars.

From Trinidad, the drive to Topes de Collantes National Park, only an hour-long, winds through the forested slopes of the Sierra del Escambray. Enjoy the view from the high look-outs, and the fresh cool air and the well-maintained trails through pine, palm, and eucalyptus stands. Note the orchids. A traditional country lunch is served in the park. Later, visit a coffee farming family nearby.

Lots of options this evening for dinner and live outdoor music at Casa de la Musica.

Depart Trinidad for a drive through the fertile farmlands of central Cuba to Santa Clara. Visit the Che Guevara Museum and Memorial before lunch at Paladar El Aldaba. In the afternoon, enjoy a special performance by the Piquetes Orchestra playing 200-year old instruments and by Alegrías de Vivir, a dance troupe doing traditional Danzón.

It’s a short and beautiful drive to the pretty little town of Remedios, well off the tourist trail.

Remedios offers a wonderful opportunity to experience life in a small Cuban town. Visit a local beekeeper to learn about his community project with local children and a Parrandas workshop where they prepare large parade floats for the end of the year celebrations.

After a final night dinner at a paladar in Remedios, it’s time for a splendid event. The locals are hosting a street party for you where they will perform the music and costumed dance pageant that they created months earlier for the renowned Parrandas celebration. Expect families with members of all ages from babies to grandfolks to join you all for a spirited time!

Bid fond farewell to Cuba.