Cultural Island Travel - Travel To Cuba Legally Bewertungen 

I am not a fan of group travel because most people seem like zombies. This was definitely an exception! I went to Cuba with Blue Note Jazz and was extremely impressed with not only the itinerary, but how well organized everything was. When I mentioned I had a mobility issue, they got me a walker so I could participate in the walking tour of Old Havana. No begging required, they just did it!
The jazz festival schedule was not available prior to departure, but we not only went to the jazz festival every night but they added many events that we weren't even expecting. Ivette, Dana, William (taxi) and bus driver were all exceptional. I am super impressed with their knowledge and warmth in sharing their personal experiences as well as the history. They were always on time and if an event ran long, they were in touch with me to let me know when they would arrive. I honestly can't give high enough praise! Even before the trip began, Teresa from Blue Note always responded quickly.

The trip to Cuba was all I expected and so much more. From the time we arrived in Havana until our departure we were well taken care of. Our guide Irma was spectacular she got us to excellent jazz shows and great restaurants

Irma Gonzalez customized an incredible experience to Michoacan and Mexico City for our very small group. She ensured we enjoyed sights, festivities, history and real craftspeople while touring Morelia, 4 Magic Towns and Mexico City. We cooked a traditional lunch with a certified, awarded cook, visit a Catrinas workshop, enjoyed Santa Claus village, joined a citywide Three Kings (Epiphany) festival in Morelia, trailed/hiked to a church partially buried in lava and visited an Orchidarium. Our dates were during tge Epiphany period and everywhere we went there were Christmas decorations and celebrations, which gave an even mire special flavor to our tour. The best experience was a visit to Monarch Butterflies Santuary up the Michoacan mountains. This can only be described as truly magical, a dream to treasure for life. Irma curated the nice hotels and restaurants we used on the trip, very special mention to Mansion Iturbe. She is a true professional that loves her work and is fast to pivot as needed. Our local guides were knowledgeable and personable. Kudos to our trusty driver Alejandra and tour assistant Amado.

I am happy to provide the highest recommendation for Cultural Island Travel and our personal tour guide Laura in Cuba, who was truly exceptional in every sense.

From the very beginning, Laura demonstrated deep knowledge of Cuban history, culture, and daily life—sharing insights that went far beyond scripted facts. Each explanation was thoughtful, balanced, and engaging, helping us understand not only what we were seeing, but why it mattered. Her ability to connect historical context with present-day realities made the experience both educational and meaningful.

What truly set Laura apart was her professionalism and care for the group. She was organized, punctual, adaptable, and attentive to everyone’s needs. Questions were welcomed and answered thoroughly, and the pace of the tour was adjusted thoughtfully to ensure comfort and understanding. Laura created an atmosphere that felt both safe and welcoming, which allowed for open dialogue and genuine cultural exchange.

Laura's passion for her country and pride in her work were evident throughout the tour. It was clear that guiding is not just a job for her, but a calling she takes seriously. Because of Laura's expertise, warmth, and integrity, our experience in Cuba was significantly richer and more memorable.

I would recommend this guide and company without hesitation to individuals, educational groups, and organizations seeking an insightful, respectful, and high-quality experience in Cuba.

My 5 star experience started before the trip thanks to Teresa Sanchez, who curated an itinerary that was experiential and moving...Teresa was also extremely responsive with all my pre trip questions!
Once we landed in Havana, Teresa's pre trip care was handed over to our guide, Ivan Leon...a person whose pride and knowledge of Cuba was evident and shared freely. Ivan answered our endless questions, shared the beauty of Cuba, it's people and instilled in me a love for Cuba, its wonderful people and landscape. Don't hesitate to visit this special place just be sure to connect with Cultural Island Travel... be sure to ask for Teresa Sanchez and the person you want with you in Cuba is Ivan Leon! Thank you CIT, Ivan and Teresa

Our visit to Cuba was a wonderful experience with Cultural Island Travel!
Our hotels were great - solar power - we had the full experience of Cuban culture and energy!
Our guide Yvette and driver Darien made the whole experience a memorable trip!

just returned from cuba yesterday. fantastic, fantastic trip. our guide Ivan was amazing. all the restaurants were great. we did the art and music cultural itinerary and the people were friendly and marvelous. highly recommend entire trip and an extra day at melia peninsula near trinidad for snorkling, etc
teresa sanchez helped plan trip and answered every question and concern immediately 100% 5 stars

We were assigned a guide, Ivan for the week and a drive, Willy. The detailed itinerary was well planned and when changes needed to be made, there was a seamless 'plan B'. Ivan was accommodating and answered our endless questions!
We requested a snorkel half day in Trinidad, and it was excellent. There were beautiful fish and coral to view.
We were given lots of 'pre-trip' instructions that made the trip easy in terms of entry and exit the country.
Highly recommend.

Cultural Island Travel,
Thank you all, for planning the most wonderful trip for Amie and me!
Our visit to Havana, Cuba and the countryside was so special, everything was above and beyond what we thought it would be!

The personalized itinerary was absolutely perfect!
Every day was jam-packed with activities we loved, to experience the culture, history, music, dance, food, and the people of Cuba.

Laura was the most perfect tour leader, with all her knowledge, fun conversations, and accommodating to all our needs!
Laura made sure going from one activity to the next was fine-tuned - from the driver, to meet with Chelman for the history tour, and with art museum tour guide Glenda, etc.
Drivers Carlos and Jordan were also wonderful, from stopping on a whim for photos at the Malecon, to making sure our rides were always comfortable.

We totally enjoyed every restaurant we went to, for the ambiance and delicious food!
We loved where we stayed, with the charming accommodations, wonderful fresh breakfasts, and the most pleasant, helpful people.

I would highly recommend Cultural Island Travel to anyone wanting to immerse themselves with the culture, people, and all that Cuba has to offer.

We haven’t stopped thinking and talking about how perfect our trip was! Thank you thank you thank you!

itinerary - this was perfect, the order in which we did things, the way in which various activities were packed into the day but then we were given our rest time before dinner. Fusterlandia, Habana Compas, Art Museum, Las Terrazas, Cooking Lesson and Synagogue (added and arranged by Laura only when she learned we were Jewish and wondered would we like to visit) were all such exceptional experiences.

guides, Laura es un sol. We so enjoyed her company, knowledge, patience, affability and care. She is “into it“100% of the time. We loved Chelman’s tour of the city. Glenda was one of the most extraordinary, poised, honest, intelligent, eloquent people I have ever met (wish we could have spent more time here), add to that list the young Habana Compás dancer who introduced the show and Abel, the youth leader at the synagogue. Carlos and Jordan were incredibly kind, punctual, friendly and courteous, we had many fascinating conversations

meals, breakfasts were amazing at Portería with a different set of beautiful china each day, excellent coffee and loads of fresh fruit and vegetables. The paladares were all so wonderful Casa Mia and La Guarida were definitely my favorites, but each restaurant Laura took us to or kindly reserved for us was impeccable. Oh and I really loved the lunch at Las Terrazas, I wish I had been hungrier!

accommodations - Portería was so so special, the art, the furniture, the atmosphere and the rooms were the best. Alex was kind and welcoming and Luchenko was so so sweet and helpful and charming.

We recently returned from a trip/tour of Cuba with Cultural Island Travel. The tour exceeded our expectations. The tour guide Ivan was outstanding and made the trip interesting and enjoyable. The tour itinerary is packed with events and sites…and they are flexible with modifying items based on your interests.

The support for the Cuban people experiences were wonderful from seeing a jazz group to salsa dancing. We learned extensive details of Cuba’s history.

The restaurants and meals were outstanding. Cuban food is wonderful and having the opportunity to make mojitos and cook our own lunch one day was a fun experience.

We arrived there the day before the Venezuelan operation involving Maduro. We were a bit concerned about safety considering the ties between Cuba and Venezuela, but Teresa and Ivan reassured us of the safety, and we continued the trip without incident. The Cuban people are very friendly and we never felt unsafe nor did we experience any negative attitudes during this trip.

The tour really allows you to connect and support with the Cuban people inside and outside Havana. I highly recommend CIT for your tour of Cuba. They handle all the details and you really just need to enjoy the experience and connections during your stay in Cuba.

We just returned from a late-December five day trip to Havana. Cultural Island Travel could not have made it easier or more enjoyable. Our American contact at CIT, Teresa, laid out our whole trip for us according to our needs and desires. We wanted cultural experiences and we got them. We wanted fine dining and we got it. Between CIT's knowledge of what’s going on in the street, their Cuban contacts and an awareness of the latest rules and regulations for travel, we had a worry-free adventure.
Our guide in Cuba, Allison was our ambassador to all of the activities we took part in. She was smart, funny, warm, articulate, and knew a little bit about everything and was able to open all the doors to contacts and experiences. Allison made everyone feel comfortable and was the liaison between us and the Cuban people.
If you’re going to Cuba, go Cultural Island Travel.

Our fervid wish for 2026 is to find our way back to Cuba with CIT ! In December 2025, we traveled as a family of four adults, and could not have planned a better selection of sights and historic locations to visit or a more luxurious stay other than at Animas y Vertudas boutique Hotel in Old Havana.
Teresa Sanchez and her CIT team took care of all of the unique Cuban travel requirements, and their excellent team in Cuba (Ivette, Dariel, Amado) provided a seamless personalized itinerary of exploration and experiences in and outside of Havana. Ivette is more than a tour guide – she is knowledgeable, enthusiastic AND charming! Each day began with smiles, hugs and door to door van service to our walking tours, museum visits, delicious lunches and famed coffee breaks, cooking and bartending class, rum tasting, art studios, natural spaces, music performances, and a classic car ride. Each day ended with fine dining and treasured memories of Cuban history, art, music, food, and new friends.
We are more than appreciative for the top-shelf service and value from the CIT team - we are their "fans"!

Our amazing journey to Cuba starts with Teresa Sanchez who helped develop an itinerary that fits our interest perfectly. My husband talked with a few agents that organize Cuba tours. Teresa stood out right away with her remarkable ability to understand our interest and hidden interest.

Our tour leader Ivan Leon is wonderful who is flexible and attentive to our needs during the 8-day tour. When accidentally he found out it was our anniversary, we got a surprise cake for celebration at a restaurant! Totally out of blue! Our driver Carols is super nice. All of our local guides (Dariel, Marilyn, Karen...) to different tours are very passionate and knowledgeable to each of the focus area.

We have a fond and unforgettable memory of our Cuba trip!

I want to share my awesome experience with the agency. Visited Habana and Santa Clara last week as a part of a group participating in a conference about Cuban baseball history. Amado was in charge for the logístics and managing the Schofield for the group since the very first moment, picking me up at the airport. Always full of energy and smiling, its easy to be a friend of Amado and understand his amazing concept of hospitality. Always making sure you are comfortable, safe and enjoying the experience, with great attention to detail. Cuba is experiencing difficult times with blackouts, but Amado ensured that all our stay was safe from that, carefully selecting places with generation plant. They make you feel at home. He ensured as well that the vehícles in which we moved were New, comfortable and air conditioned. But, even if we were privileged as tourists, the experience Amado gave us was still in you h with Cuban reality. You get to see the good things and the bad ones. I appreciate Amado’s attention, experience and friendship.

My Mom and I had an AMAZING experience with Cultural Island Travel on our recent trip to Cuba! Everything was meticulously taken care of from Teresa Sanchez's spot-on itinerary hitting all of our favorite cultural things to Dariel's expert knowledge as our tour guide as he showed us the best of what Cuba has to offer. Our lodging in Havana and Trinidad was exceptional and we were so well taken care of. We had a few drivers throughout our 8-days and each one was very kind and reliable. And don't even get me started on the food!!! Every single restaurant Teresa and Dariel recommended was phenomenal and I will forever miss the food until we can go back again!!! Dariel went out of his way many times to help make our trip everything we wanted, from procuring coffee for me to bring home to my husband, to finding a nice jewelry shop for my Mom and I to visit and they even stayed open later just for us, to even getting to meet Dariel's mom and having a nice chat all together while eating the delicious flan she made herself! Dariel also gave us an extra special habano tasting and we are so excited we got to experience that part of Cuban culture too. By the end of the trip Dariel was like family and we can't say enough good things about his warmth and expertise. There is still so much more to see and experience in Cuba and we can't wait to go back!!!

Our guide, Laura, was an amazing source of information on all aspects of Cuban life. The ultimate professional, she kept us apprised of what to expect the next day or at the next activity, and calmly solving problems faced by members of the group.
The scheduled events were all enlightening, educational and enjoyable, and being able to interact one on one with so many artists, musicians, dancers, etc. was an unexpected plus.
The BnB stays exceeded our expectations and the hosts were welcoming and eager to make sure we were comfortable.
We learned so much more than expected about Cuba and are already looking forward to a return visit - with Laura as our guide!

Laura is the best guide ever! She is very knowledgeable and a great advocate for her country and her people. The tour gave us insights I never expected into the culture, politics, religion, architecture... The list is endless. I would go back in a heartbeat!

This was the first time visiting Havana and hiring a tour company. 100% first class experience with CIT, from the moment the driver picked us up at the airport to when they dropped us off. Ivan Leon our personal tour guide was extremely polite, knowledgeable and most important a pleasure to be around. We felt safe and never worried about anything.
Highly recommend CIT & Teresa she was fantastic and all arrangements were perfectly planned. When in Havana its IVAN!!!!!

I could not possibly give a higher rating to this firm. They are professional and thorough and made our trip wonderful beyond our wildest expectations.