Home to Havana — A Family Visit
A warm six-night return from Miami: unhurried days with family across Havana, Vedado and seaside Cojímar, and one green day out in the tobacco valley of Viñales.
For: Cuban-American families, first return visits
1 · Budget first
A transparent, itemised estimate for 2 travellers · 6 nights · casa tier. Every line is a planner range in USD — an estimate to budget with, not a quote.
| International airfare | $600 – $1,900 |
| Entry documents (tourist card) | $60 – $150 |
| Travel insurance | $80 – $300 |
| Accommodation | $150 – $300 |
| Local transportation | $190 – $550 |
| Food | $300 – $600 |
| Guides & activities | $30 – $80 |
| Connectivity | $30 – $110 |
| Tips | $30 – $120 |
| Water, laundry & sundries | $18 – $72 |
| Emergency reserve | $89 – $342 |
| Total (2 travellers) | $1,577 – $4,524 |
- Per traveller
- $789 – $2,262
- Per day
- $263 – $754
- Ground only (no airfare)
- $888 – $2,282
- Airfare est. / traveller
- $300 – $950
Basis: casa particular · local mixed food · shared taxi · 1 guided day.
Adjust every number in the planner →Estimates in USD to help you budget — not observed prices, quotes or guaranteed availability. Most US cards don’t work in Cuba; carry cash and keep the reserve.
2 · Fly in
Miami (MIA) → Havana (HAV) — José Martí International
Cuba's principal international gateway — the only truly diversified one, with links across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Example dates 2026-09-15 → 2026-09-21 (adjust on the live search). CubaAtlas books nothing — these open live results:
3 · Day by day
Where to sleep and dine each day is a real listing from the CubaAtlas provider dataset, nearest your base.
Morning
Land at José Martí; the long-awaited reunion and a family casa in the old city.Afternoon
Settling in, gifts unpacked, and coffee around the kitchen table.Evening
A big home-cooked family dinner, stories late into the night.
StayHotel Blau Arenal Habana Beach4★ · Grupo Cubanacán · La Habana(53 7) 77991200/ 77991274Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerCantabria, Restaurante Hotel Armadores de SantanderCimex · Internacional · La Habana(537)8628000Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Havana on the map →Nearby: Viñales, Varadero, MatanzasMorning
Walk the family's old streets in Habana Vieja and Centro.Afternoon
The four plazas and the Malecón with cousins and kids.Evening
Ropa vieja at a neighbourhood paladar, dominoes after.
StayHotel Blau Arenal Habana Beach4★ · Grupo Cubanacán · La Habana(53 7) 77991200/ 77991274Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerCantabria, Restaurante Hotel Armadores de SantanderCimex · Internacional · La Habana(537)8628000Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Havana on the map →Nearby: Viñales, Varadero, MatanzasMorning
Coffee in leafy Vedado and a walk past the old mansions.Afternoon
Coppelia ice cream, the university steps, and the Colón cemetery.Evening
Dinner with extended family in a Vedado garden, live guitar.Morning
Out to the fishing village of Cojímar, Hemingway's old harbour.Afternoon
Seafood lunch by the water and a walk along the little malecón.Evening
Sunset back in the city, a relaxed family supper.Morning
Drive west to the tobacco valley of Viñales with the family.Afternoon
A farm visit, a hand-rolled cigar, and the mogote viewpoint.Evening
Country dinner on a farm porch before the drive back.Morning
A last slow family breakfast and photographs on the doorstep.Afternoon
Final errands, gifts for those back in Miami, and long goodbyes.Evening
A farewell dinner with everyone before the airport.
StayHotel Blau Arenal Habana Beach4★ · Grupo Cubanacán · La Habana(53 7) 77991200/ 77991274Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerCantabria, Restaurante Hotel Armadores de SantanderCimex · Internacional · La Habana(537)8628000Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Havana on the map →Nearby: Viñales, Varadero, Matanzas
4 · Visa, entry & customs
Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card (tarjeta del turista) plus a passport valid for the stay and proof of onward travel and medical insurance. Buy the tourist card before you fly — the price and colour depend on your departure country and airline.
Travelling under US jurisdiction: there is no general tourism licence. US persons travel under one of OFAC’s authorised categories — most commonly Support for the Cuban People or family visits — which carry record-keeping duties and a full-time-schedule requirement. The tourist card for US departures is the pink one. Confirm your category before you book.
5 · Book direct, or compare an agency
This plan is costed to book direct — the $2,615 (expected) above is what the trip actually costs, itemised, with no package margin. A travel agency bundles flights, hotel and transfers into one price and adds a service fee for the convenience. We don’t quote agencies (we’d never invent a price) — so take a package quote and compare it line-for-line against the breakdown above.
Operating United States agencies serving Cuba, if you prefer a package:
- Cuba Travel Services (CTS) ↗
Long-running US seller of scheduled and charter air to Cuba plus packages.
Sells: flights, charters, packages, hotels
- ABC Charters ↗
Miami charter operator to Havana and other Cuban cities.
Sells: flights, charters · +1-305-263-6555
- Marazul Charters ↗
One of the oldest US–Cuba travel providers.
Sells: flights, charters, packages
- Xael Charter ↗
Direct flights Miami/Orlando/Tampa to Havana, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Camagüey, Holguín; since 1988.
Sells: flights, charters, hotels, cars, tours · (305) 643-2200
- insightCuba ↗
Non-profit people-to-people and custom group tours; since 2000.
Sells: tours, packages
- Cubamax Travel ↗
Flights, packages, shipping and remittances; 13 Florida branches.
Sells: flights, packages, hotels, cars · +1-305-512-0303
CubaAtlas is non-commercial and takes no commission. Agency links go straight to the operator; we don’t book, broker or earn from them.
Every Cuba agency, compiled — with the free equivalent for each →Questions
- How much does the "Home to Havana — A Family Visit" trip cost?
- An estimated $1,577–$4,524 all-in for 2 traveller(s) over 6 nights ($1,308 per traveller expected), including airfare, lodging, food, transport and a reserve. It is a planner estimate, not a quote — you book each part direct, with no agency margin.
- Do I need a visa to travel to Cuba?
- Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card. Travellers under US jurisdiction have no general tourism licence and travel under an OFAC category such as Support for the Cuban People or family visits. See the CubaAtlas visa & entry guide.
- When is the best time for this trip?
- Best months: Year-round (December holidays are special).
- Can I book this trip on CubaAtlas?
- No — CubaAtlas is a free, non-commercial planner. It gives you the itinerary, the budget, live flight-search links and real hotel and restaurant listings, and you arrange each part directly at the source. We book nothing and take no commission.
