'Besties' Tour: Curated Cuba

Day 1, Saturday, Mar 28: Arrive Havana
Following your private meet-and-greet transfer, your tour begins this evening with a welcome reception at our boutique hotel, followed by a ride in classic convertible cars to dinner at Havana’s most famous (and most remarkable) restaurant, La Guarida. Occupying the third floor of a dilapidated solar or ciudadela (slum-like tenement), in Centro Habana, its fantastical architecture and décor make it the city’s most popular venue for fashion shoots, and it was also the main cinematic setting for Fresa y Chocolate, Cuba’s only Oscar-nominated movie. Every VIP who hits town dines here (recent diners have included Rhianna, Beyoncé, and Madonna). See video below...
Overnight: Loft Habana OR similar deluxe boutique casa particular, Havana
Meals: D

Day 2, Sunday, Mar 29: Havana
Morning: Beginning in Plaza de Armas (the foundation site of Havana in 1519), this morning we’ll explore Habana Vieja, focusing on the exquisitely restored cobbled plazas of this centuries-old UNESCO World Heritage Site colonial quarter. Habana Vieja is a fascinating, densely-populated district: we’ll get insights into the quintessential Cuban lifestyle of this area, with its enchantingly chaotic street life and humble solares.
Afternoon: We'll lunch at Azúcar, a lovely paladar (private restaurant) overlooking Plaza Vieja--the most beautiful of the restored colonial plazas. After lunch and a welcome siesta, we'll thrill to a private session of colorful Afro-Cuban rhythms and dance themed to Cuba’s Santería religion with the Rumba All-Stars in a tumbledown solar. Finally, we'll visit El Floridita to savor daiquiris in Ernest Hemingway's favorite bar... a warm-up to rooftop cocktails while watching the sun set over Parque Central--Havana's main plaza.
Dinner: We'll dine at César Jazz Club, followed by a live show.
Overnight: Loft Habana OR similar deluxe boutique casa particular, Havana
Meals: B,D

Day 3, Monday, Mar 30: Havana
Morning: From ‘40s-era Buick Roadmasters to late ‘50s Edsel Citations and Chevrolet Impalas with fins sharp enough to draw blood, Havana is teeming with Eisenhower-era iron. To get the backstory, we’ll spend an entire morning touring Havana in classic convertible cars, taking in “modern” (20^th-century) Havana, including the Paseo de Prado, Capitolio, Morro Castle, the seafront Malecón, Hotel Nacional, and Plaza de la Revolución. We'll also head through Havana’s western suburbs to Fusterlandia, a remarkable community art project.
Afternoon: We'll lunch at Antojos, one of Chris' favorite restaurants in Habana Vieja (it serves the best shrimp enchilada--tomato garlic sauce--with moist fried sweet plantains, white rice, and the most flavorful black bean soup in town). Next we walk to Calle Empedrado, where we'll visit one of Havana's most colorful farmers markets then thrill to a fun-filled salsa dance lesson at El Cimarrón.
Dinner: This evening we’ll head to the 20^th-century once-chic Vedado district for dinner alfresco at La Bodega.
Overnight: Loft Habana OR similar deluxe boutique casa particular, Havana
Meals: B,D

Day 4, Tuesday, Mar 31: Havana
Morning: Cuba is synonymous with rum and cigars, and astonishingly creativity in the arts... our themes for today. We begin with a visit to a century-old cigar factory to learn whether there's any truth in the rumor that Cuban cigars owe their luxurious flavor to being "rolled on the thighs of dusky maidens." Next we'll visit the Museo de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Museum) to learn about the evolution of Cuba's contemporary art in the company of Cuban art historian Claudia Laguna or Sarah-Lis Muñiz-Bueno Aljovín.
Afternoon: Today we enjoy a special buffet lunch in the home and art studio of the Bordón family—three of whom are professors at Havana’s prestigious Instituto Superior de Arte. You’ll learn about Cuba’s impressive contemporary art scene with sculptor Yamilé Pardo, painter Edel Bordón, and photographer Pablo Bordon-Pardo. Our extended experience will also include a cocktail mixology session, and a cigar experience! We'll close our afternoon with a walk through the heart of Vedado--passing such sites as the former Habana Hilton (Fidel's first HQ after the Revolution) and  Coppelia, the world's largest ice cream store, en route to the Centro Hebreo Sefardi, where we'll thrill to a  contemporary ballet performance by the Malpaso Dance Company.
Dinner: Tonight a special treat as we enjoy a private dinner party at the chic home of Pamela Ruiz and artist Damien Aquiles. Here, we hope to be joined by a selection of Chris’ friends living in Havana, including such people in the arts as actor, film producer, and Eminente rum ambassador Raúl Bravo and his wife (and ballerina) Madison Hendricks; artist Kadir López; photographers and cinematographers Claudia Corral Mesa, music producer Lyng Chang; former diplomat Carlos Alzugaray; and U.S. residents Audrey Brown and CNN’s Patrick Oppmann.
Overnight: Loft Habana OR similar deluxe boutique casa particular, Havana
Meals: B,D

Day 5, Wednesday, Apr 01: Bay of Pigs - Cienfuegos - Trinidad
Morning: We depart Havana this morning and head east to the Caribbean shore and the Bay of Pigs. Here, we’ll get to see the world’s smallest bird (Cuba’s endemic “bee hummingbird”), while Chris’ friend Frank Medina, Director of Parque Nacional de la Ciénaga de Zapata, will introduce us to the rich ecology and wildlife of this well-preserved wetland ecosystem... home to two species of crocodile! 
Afternoon: We’ll then lunch at the beach of Playa Larga, where in April 1961 the CIA-trained Cuban exiles came ashore in a flawed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. We then continue east to Cienfuegos, a lovely bay city founded in the mid-19th-century by French settlers from New Orleans. After a brief tour, we'll stop at one of Chris' favorite photo-shoot locations: a bodega (ration store) adorned with remarkable revolutionary murals (perhaps also a chance to interact with school kids of all ages) before continuing along the Caribbean shore to Trinidad, arriving late-afternoon in time to enjoy sunset in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage colonial city.
Dinner: Dinner at San José. After dinner, we'll visit the Casa de la Trova for traditional Cuban music and dance.
Overnight: Casa Colonial Torrado 1830 OR similar boutique casa particular
Meals: B,L,D

Day 6, Thursday, Apr 02: Trinidad
Morning: This morning, Chris and local historian Luda Gutierrez will lead a walking tour of Trinidad, whose 18^th-century core seems to have been pickled in aspic. The exquisitely restored city looks almost identical to how it did two centuries ago, when it was the capital of Cuba’s sugar industry and one of the wealthiest colonial cities of its time. You’ll meet Chris’ friends Lázaro Niebla and Carlos Mata, two of Cuba’s most astonishingly talented artists, at their private galleries. 
Afternoon: Lunch is at leisure, followed by time for a siesta. Later, we may head to a humble home to witness a manifestación of Santeria, Cuba's syncretic religion that melds Catholic and Africa Yoruba beliefs, giving the hedonistic African deities dual personality as more virginal Catholic saints. The balance of the afternoon will be spent on the sugar-white sands of Playa Ancón, lined with palm trees and private beach bars.
Dinner: Tonight we'll dine at Casa de los Conspiradores, an eye-catching colonial building overlooking the main plaza. Later, you might want to practice your salsa dance moves at Disco Ayala, set in a huge limestone cavern above town, 
Overnight: Casa Colonial Torrado 1830 OR similar boutique casa particular
Meals: B,D

Day 7, Friday, Apr 03: Trinidad
Morning: We'll head out of town today into the Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of the Sugarmills). Our destination is Hacienda Guaimiro, a recently-restored 18th-century plantation estate where we'll learn about the history of what was once the most productive and wealthiest sugar-growing area in the world. We'll photograph a guide in period costume, and may even have a chance to go horseback riding in the countryside before our traditional family-style lunch at an adjoining farmstead.
Afternoon: After lunch, we'll return to Trinidad for a siesta and afternoon at leisure.
Dinner: Tonight, we'll dine at antique-filled Restaurante El Secreto Trinidad, in the home of award-winning “Painter of the Night,” Carlos Mata.
Overnight: Casa Colonial Torrado 1830 OR similar boutique casa particular
Meals: B,L,D

Day 8, Saturday, Apr. 04: Trinidad - Havana
Morning: We head back to Havana this morning, stopping in Cienfuegos to enjoy a soul-stirring performance by Cantores de Cienfuegos choir
Afternoon: We'll lunch in Cienfuegos at Finca del Mar, an upscale bayside restaurant, before arriving Havana mid-afternoon. Time permitting, we’ll call in at Finca Vigía—Ernest Hemingway’s former home, now the Museo Ernest Hemingway. The curator—a personal friend of Chris—will introduce us on a personal tour.
Dinner: This evening we'll enjoy a ride by bicitaxis through Habana Vieja for dinner at 5 Sentidos, an elegant restaurant--one of Chris' favorites--that reliably serves delicious fusion dishes. Perhaps end the night nearby at La Ley Speak Easy, a colorful “speakeasy” with live acts nightly (there’s even a trapeze artist to perform over the bar).
Overnight: Loft Habana OR similar deluxe boutique casa particular, Havana
Meals: B,D

Day 9, Sunday, Apr. 05: Havana
Morning: We drive west from Havana a short distance this morning to Finca Tungasuk, an organic farm and true farm-to-table restaurant where owner-Chef Annabelle Cantarero (a Nicaraguan who trained at the prestigious Ferrandi Culinary Institute, in Paris) will teach us about sustainable agriculture and offer a cooking class using local ingredients (and Eminente rum) to create dishes that celebrate the vibrant, resilient spirit of Cuba. We'll also marvel at her Peruvian husband Alfredo's hives of stingless Mayan honeybees!
Afternoon: We'll enjoy a fabulous lunch at Finca Tungasuk before returning to Havana, where the balance of the afternoon is at leisure.
Dinner: We end our visit to Havana with dinner at Casa Miglis, a chic restaurant in tumbledown Centro Habana that's the brainchild of Chris' friend, Swedish cinematographer Michel Miglis. The inventive menu is infused with international flavors, with a quintessential Cuban twist.
Evening: We'll then head to the Tropicana, Cuba’s foremost cabaret, for a sensational and unforgettable floorshow,  now in its ninth decade of stiletto-heeled paganism.
Overnight: Loft Habana OR similar deluxe boutique casa particular, Havana
Meals: B,L,D

Day 10, Monday, Apr 06: Havana
Depart Havana today with a classic car transfer to the airport.