Cultural Island Travel - Travel To Cuba Legally Bewertungen 

We had a fantastic time visiting Cuba, which was my number one bucket list country to visit. CIT made the trip super easy and simple, and they handled all of the logistics to make our trip unforgettable. Teresa was extremely pleasant to work with, and our tour guide Ivan was fantastic. I cannot wait to visit Cuba again, and I will be using CIT again to plan my trip! Thank you Teresa and Ivan for a truly special experience; I’m forever grateful for the time I got to spend there.

I found this agency after a trip I had planned got cancelled in 2025 and I went to Cuba with them. I met some wonderful people in Irma and Amado who I then went to Mexico with for a Day of the Dead trip. Ah! Qué bueno! I love getting to see everything and learn about the beautiful places with people I get to call friends now. I am currently planning to go on more trips with Cultural and can’t wait! They take care of so much so you don’t have to worry and they put together such beautiful trips. This is not your every day travel agency. They put their love into all they do and it shows. I am constantly telling my friends about this company and the people. If you’re wondering whether to use them, just do it! Lol. You won’t regret it.

Ireland and Northern Ireland mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but for me it was a place I hoped to visit someday….Well, ask me how I felt once I returned? My heart was so full…2 spectacular countries!!! Friendly people, innumerable shades of green, breathtaking landscapes, colorful doors in one charming town after another, grazing sheep/cows, pubs galore, music, castles and churches, traditions and history, history and more history…. Ebony put together a spectacular trip that balanced historical city tours (Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Belfast), gorgeous splashes of nature (Cliffs of Moher, Giants Causeway), delicious food/drink experiences (chocolate tour, Irish coffee making lesson, etc. ) with hands-on experiences (seaweed immersion bath at a spa on the coast, falconry visit with soaring hawks eating from your hand, touring and then creating a piece at the Belleek Pottery factory ). From the famous Molly Malone statue in Dublin to the gorgeous Titanic Museum and the site of ‘The Troubles’ in Belfast, there was always something new to learn and experience. Ebony happily shared with us many “Irishisms” (i.e. craic, wee, sloncha - important in the pubs, etc.). And last but not least, I learned how to drink both Guiness and Irish Whiskey …. and saw several amazing rainbows. Our small group of 9 was fun loving and friendly, with Ebony leading the way, alongside our warm and friendly van driver. A lovely trip from start to finish! Go!!

Cultural Island Travel planned a trip to Ireland for a group of 6 of us - and there were 3 others that joined onto this trip. It was 9 days and Teresa and Ebony planned it out with Ebony as our tour leader. Our travel flights and then our 16 passenger van were all planned out very carefully by CIT. The hotel accomodations were great! First class hotels with breakfasts included at each hotel. We started in Dublin, worked our way to Belfast and back down towards County Clare, Galway and back to Dublin. Along the way we were able to have awesome hands on experiences like a Hawk walk, a Guinness tour, a sheepdog demonstration, Voya Seaweed baths, Chocolate factory tour and tasting, tour of Beleek Pottery factory with hand on pottery crafting and painting, and touring beautiful countryside. We saw the Cliffs of Moher, famous movie locations, Peace Walls in Belfast as well as experiencing local Irish pubs and drinks. They included the Titanic Hotel and Titanic Museum - both exceptional! The local guides were all great and offered many stories and history of Ireland. I would highly recommend this tour and company!

Everything about CIT is top notch. I hooked up with Teresa who took the time to figure out my needs and help me put together a well rounded and diverse trip. I went solo and they set me up with the absolute best guide and driver (Irma and Amado) and great accommodation's. All of the individual guides were also fabulous. Cuba is a wonderful place with lovely people. I had an awesome cultural experience. From Birding to museums to UNESCO heritage sights Cuba should be at the top of your list. And Be sure CIT handles your trip. You won’t be disappointed.

It was our first time visiting Cuba so we had a lot of questions leading up to the trip. All of our questions were answered quickly and we were able to easily alter our itinerary to our interests. We had the best time in Cuba. Our guide was terrific. We really hit it off and he really went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience. We were even able to add a few things we wanted to do and see along the way. We will definitely go back to Cuba with CIT. Thank you for everything!

I just came back from the Cuban Music and Art Tour.
I was with a group of 4 people (my husband and 2 friends).
We chose Cuba because we wanted a warm place that wasn't a long flight (we come from the northeast of the USA) and that would be interesting and different. This tour definitely met my expectations and more!
We extended the standard trip by 2 days wanting to arrive a day early and then augmenting the touring by adding into the itinerary a trip to the Las Teressas Biosphere, the tobacco factory in Havana and also a synagogue.
The accommodations were 5 star in Havana and I do think they met my expectations.
We were assigned Laura to be our guide and Rolando to be our driver. They were both superb! Rolando was timely, friendly, and drove very carefully. Laura was a wonderful primary guide who stayed with us throughout our time there. She was very open to answering any questions we had about living in Cuba and also offered her thoughts about many subjects. I feel as though I gained a friend from this. When we went to a specific area or event in the itinerary there was a separate specialist guide for the program. For example when we went to the Fine Arts Museum in Havana we had an individual who took us through a part of the museum and discussed the art work that on display. I can't imagine a tour program that could have been more thorough!
Overall I think the itinerary was excellent as it was varied and well paced. We were busy but not overwhelmed. The one place we went to that I would not go back to again was the Tropicana. This was an event we added on against the advise of Teresa our coordinator for the trip. So if you think that you have to go to the Tropicana as it is an icon of Havana you should listen to Teresa and skip it!
The restaurants that we went that were included as well as the ones that we asked them to suggest were all top notch. We were always allowed to order anything we wanted that was on the menu (never a restricted one that was special for our group).
I want to emphasize how receptive Teresa, the coordinator and Laura, our guide, were to making any changes to the standard itinerary and any reservations we wanted for dinner. We didn't have to worry at all about logistics including getting to the dinners which weren't included as part of the trip. If the restaurant wasn't within walking distance then we were driven to it.
I highly recommend this organization as everyone we dealt with were highly responsive to our needs and gave a lot of personalized attention to our little group. I can't imagine any organization doing a better job!

Our 9 day trip to Cuba was awesome. We visited Havana, Trinidad, Cienfuegos and Las Terrazas.

Laura our guide was amazing and Rolando our driver was great. The private hotels we stayed at were luxurious and the private restaurants we ate at were all gourmet.

Cuba has great lobster dishes on the menu which costs less than meat dishes and costs about the same as shrimp.

All the private restaurants and hotels we stayed at had generators so we were minimally effected by the frequent black outs.

Riding around Havana in a 50's convertible was fun. A night at the Tropicana night club and a tour of a cigar factory was also enjoyable. The music, dancing and food were highlights of the trip.

I wish there was a way to give 10 stars. Irma, our guide, was a fantastic ambassador for our trip to Mexico City. She was extremely knowledgeable, patient and very flexible when we wanted to make some last minute changes. Irma offered an 8 day experience where every day felt different - she gave us a variety of things to do and places to see. Best of all, Irma is a warm wonderful person and exactly someone you want on your vacation. It was hard to leave Mexico City and even harder to leave Irma.

I'm grateful to Cultural Island Travel for creating a dynamic and exciting itinerary for our 8-day visit to Cuba. Each day was planned so as to help us experience the richness of Cuban culture. The hours were filled with music, dance and art, all of the highest caliber. A special treat for me as a professional organist was attendance at a specially scheduled private organ recital performed by the senior organist of the Havana Cathedral. Magnificent. Also, I was able to have a percussion lesson with the founder of Arte Códova, a professional dance and percussion troupe and school. Kudos to the trip designer, Teresa Sanchez, who put together a remarkably customized experience for us, and special thanks to our amazing tour guide, Dariel, and his caring driver, Pedro. The care we received from both men was remarkable in every way. I can't imagine another guided travel experience that would measure up to this one in terms of meeting and wildly exceeding my hopes for the time in Cuba. Be smart and put yourself in the hands of the dedicated professionals at Cultural Island Travel. And if you can, consider a private customized tour with Cultural Island Travel.

Irma, our guide was vibrant, fun, knowledgeable, smart, professional, and empathetic. Couldn't ask for more.She kept us moving, while stopping everything to care for us when we experienced some challenges. Our driver Henri, in his quiet manner, was a real pro and also helped us whenever he could. All the ‘location guides’ were very knowledgeable, great communicators and charming. Accommodations ranged from "urban classy" to small-town quaint -- both lovely.

The itinerary was packed, in a good way. Lots of fabulous culture – music, dance, arts – the chorus was my favorite, dance/drum company spectacular, salsa lesson fun and hilarious; lots of fun touring Havana in vintage cars. The various Havana attractions were all worthwhile – culture, history, arts, dance music were phenomenal. Loved the music combos at the restaurants and Buena Vista Club was an excellent show. Trinidad was quaint and fascinating to tour with our knowledgeable guide, and our afternoon at the beach was such a huge treat!

Every restaurant that we were brought to was excellent with a wide variety of delicious dishes.

Trip coordination and communication by Teresa at the agency was superb.

Thanks for a wonderful time.

Some members of our original group backed out because of the blackouts. We went and had a GREAT time! (We experienced the regular blackouts in the city of Trinidad, but the hotel had the generator running within 5 minutes. They're used to this, and are ready.) Irma was the best guide anyone could imagine. Teresa (patiently!) took care of all the paperwork. Our driver, Henri, was wonderful too. The whole trip was the most informative and well-planned tour I've ever done. Kudos to all involved!

Everyone we worked with was highly professional. Our guide, Irma Gonzalez, is the reason we went to Cuba, having heard from friends that she really makes the trip. We were not let down! Irma knew where to go, the best restaurants, which local guides to book, what musical entertainment we should see at night. And she was a pleasure to spend time with. We were also impressed by the staff at the NYC based Cultural Island Travel. And everyone on the trip itself in addition to Irma, including our driver Rodolfo. The logistics were so much easier than I expected and the whole trip ran smoothly and was relaxing and easy while at the same time being educational and just FUN FUN FUN.

This was an incredible trip. Travel agent Teresa was wonderful to communicate with and really gave us detailed information to book and navigate this weekend trip. We saw so much and experienced many different things in Havana. Our tour guide Laura was AMAZING-so knowledgeable and communicated perfectly! The placed we ate at had delicious food! A trip you must go on!

Our trip to Cuba was very well organized and flexible to accommodate our suggestions. Our requests were handled with enthusiasm and professionalism by our tour operator, Irma Gonzales Salanueva.

We had an opportunity to experience the culture and beauty of Cuba with knowledgeable and very friendly guides. We learned a great deal during the variety of tours and enjoyed delicious food through the reservations organized by Cultural Island Travel.

We loved our experience with Cultural Island Travel! The planning was seamless with helpful information at every phase. The itinerary was outstanding -- a wonderful mix of tours, and activities. But it was the guides themselves that made this such a fantastic week. Their warmth, insights, and amazing attention to detail were amazing! We hope to return!

We had a great trip to Cuba with Cultural Island Travel in January 2025. Traveling to Cuba for U.S. Citizens is tricky, but Shabi and her team did a great job of arranging our visas and letting us know what to expect. Getting to Cuba and through immigration turned out to be easy. We signed up for a group tour, but the two of us were the only ones to join so we had a tour to ourselves.

Our guide, Irma, was wonderful. She was with us the entire time and took great care of us. She coordinated our tours and local guides and was flexible when we needed to adjust our itinerary. In Havana we stayed at a very nice B&B in the heart of old Havana, hosted by Yare who cooked us breakfast and arranged for nighttime transportation. During the day we were driven around in an air-conditioned classic car. Attractions included driving and walking tours of Havana, Trinidad, and Cienfuegos, performances by an acapella choir and a dance/percussion troupe, hiking to a waterfall, as well as many other activities. They kept us busy! Lunches were in small, locally run restaurants and were uniformly excellent.

Evening meals and entertainment were not included in the tour price, but CIT made recommendations and reservations and arranged transportation to the venues when needed. The meals we had in Havana were all excellent.

In summary, although Cuba is suffering economic hardships, we found the Cuban people to be warm and welcoming, especially the CIT guides and helpers. We learned a lot and enjoyed our time in Cuba. We recommend visiting Cuba and enthusiastically recommend Cultural Island Travel.

Our trip in early December was fantastic! All travel details were speedily handled by Teresa. The B&B was exceptional, with art and antiques throughout the house. Lubechenko provided outstanding service with delicious daily breakfasts. While waiting for our daily guide and driver, we could sit out in the garden area complete with 2 fountains, trees and plants. Our guide Dariel, friendly and energetic, acted as translator when needed, and was very knowledgeable about the historic and educational sites we visited, which included the Christ statue of Havana, and a walking tour of old Havana. Dariel kept up a running commentary as our driver Carlos expertly drove us between wide and narrow streets. We periodically observed local Cubans lining up for bakery items and long lines of cars waiting for gas. We explored a local agricultural market and the San Jose craft market. A stop was made at Fusterlandia, the home, gallery and mosaic art neighborhood of Jose Fuster. We were able to briefly meet the artist and take photos. Later we had a ride around the city in a classic convertible car. Another day we enjoyed a drive to the countryside to Las Terrazas, where we had a tasty lunch at El Campesino. Back in the city, a private guide took us through the Cuban Art Museum, and we experienced a delightful Afro-Cuban concert in a private artist's home. Our itinerary included riding in a Tok-Tok which was fun. We visited the home and grounds of Ernest Hemingway who lived in Havana for over 20 years, while writing books and pursuing his passions of sailing and deep-sea fishing. Back in the city we also visited one of the bar/restaurants that Hemingway spent time at, heard some music, and took photos with his statue. Our special requests included visiting a synagogue, a visit with a former Cuban physician about their health system, a drive by the British Embassy (not allowed to get too close!), and finally a brief visit with guide Dariel's mother at her home for a welcoming cup of tea. What a special way to end an amazing trip! We strongly recommend using Cultural Island Travel to visit Cuba, and thoroughly enjoyed our time with Dariel and Carlos. Definitely a 5-star experience!

We recently completed an 8 day family trip to Cuba with Cultural Island Travel ("CIT").

There are some challenges with travel to Cuba. The combination of OFAC regulations and Cuban law make simple monetary transactions complicated. No US credit cards allowed. Some locations do not even accept Cuban pesos- you need a Cuban Credit card. There were rolling blackouts in Trinidad and other locations outside Havana. Poverty and shortages of food and basic goods is prevalent throughout the country. Many buildings are in extreme disrepair leaving you to wonder how they remain standing. All that said the positives of this travel adventure far outweigh the negatives and make this a wonderful travel destination.

1- The Cuban people are warm, inviting, interested and interesting. Interactions with them were uniformly positive.
2- While many buildings are in disrepair many more have been renovated and are in excellent shape. Cuba has a rich heritage and its wonderful to experience.
3- Havana, Trinidad and other locations are easily accessible. Not overrun by tourists. Tourists are welcomed (cf Barcelona, Venice and many other European locations)
4. CIT is a first rate Travel company. Our booking agent Teresa was exceptional. She provided concise and accurate information regarding the trip, options, expenses and made the booking process seamless.
5- Our local guide Ivette was a gem. She was friendly, flexible, knowledgeable and a joy to be around. She was with us the entire 8 days and was willing to make last minute changes to the itinerary and to answer our never ending stream of historical, tourist and personal questions.
6 - Our driver Manuel was also excellent. Friendly and most importantly a very safe driver. We also enjoyed our Trinidad tour with local guide Rafael.

I highly recommend you add Cuba to your bucket list travel adventure locations and consider utilizing CIT. To reiterate we thought CIT was excellent!

Our 8-day trip, led by the beautiful and knowledgeable tour guide Irma Glez Salanueva, was steeped in Mexican history and culture, fine food and just plain fun. We had expertly guided tours of the Mayan temples of Teotihuacan and the ancient treasures of the Museum of Anthropology. We took an active part in the Day of the Dead festivities in the streets of San Miguel de Allende and in the private home of a Mexico City family. For fun and excitement, we had an ATV tour of Tepotztian and a serenaded cruise in Lake Xochimilco. From vineyards to local markets to fine dining, we sampled the full flavor of the Mexican experience.
If you want a finely curated and thoughtfully organized vacation adventure, I highly recommend Irma and Cultural Island Travel.