Cuba (Havana, Las Terrazas, & Vinales)
An immersive Cuban Music and Culture experience, including daily performances of Cuban traditional/popular music, personalized tours, art studio visits, and breathtaking natural environment. Join us for an opportunity of a lifetime!
* * January 11-19, 2026 * *
1 night in Miami, 2 nights in Vinales, 5 nights in Havana
In addition to 5 nights in Havana, we will visit spend 2 nights in the picturesque rural town of Viñales, and a day in the mountainous eco-village of Las Terrazas. This multi-city tour is led by Washington College professors Ken Schweitzer (music) and Aaron Lampman (anthropology), each of whom have extensive knowledge of Cuban Culture and share a deep desire to offer participants an insider’s view of Cuban music, art, culture, cuisine and politics.
Option 1 - Cuba only $3500* (includes housing, most meals, ground transportation, and all activities on the itinerary
in Cuba)
Option 2 - Full Service $4100* (includes everything above plus hotel in Miami, round trip MIA/HAV, & tourist visa)
* Prices are per person, assuming double accommodation. Surcharge for single accommodation: Option 1 ($280) | Option 2 ($420).
2023 Participants
2025 Participants
Sunday, January 11
Make your way to Miami by flying into either FLL or MIA. We will be staying at the Wyndam Garden Miami International Airport. Around 6PM many of us will head out for dinner and get to know one another. But, you can check in as late as you prefer. (Option 2 only)
Monday, January 12
Today we rise early, and take an early flight to Havana. Once we clear customs, we’ll board our coach bus, make a quick stop at the Plaza of the Revolution Square to learn about this important cultural institution. Lunch will be at El Jardin de los Milagros (The Garden of Miracles). Then we’ll hop in 1950s classic American convertibles and enjoy a tour tour of the city, including some of Havana’s most iconic sites! Our convertible rides will terminate at our hotel: a small, elegant, and beautifully restored colonial style hotel in Old Havana. For dinner, we will head to one of Havana’s finest restaurants. When we return to our beautifully restored homes in Havana Vieja, everyone will have the option to retire for the evening, or to set out on foot in search of some the nearby nightlife opportunities! (Option 2 folks should plan to meet us at the airport by 11:00AM to join this day’s itinerary. Otherwise, we will make arrangements to meet at the hotel in the evening).
Lunch and Dinner included today
Tuesday, January 13
After a delicious breakfast, we will walk into Havana’s Old Town (Havana Vieja), where we will get a guided tour of Havana’s four main squares (Plaza de Catedrál, Plaza de San Francisco, Plaza de Armas, and Plaza Viejo). After our tour, we will invite you to find lunch on your own, and to wander the old town at your leisure. After lunch, we will stop at the Museum of the Revolution, situated within the former Presidential Palace. In additional to learning about key events in the revolution, you’ll be able to get a glimpse of the Granma, the boat that transported Castro and his militia from Mexico to Eastern Cuba. We will then enjoy an Afro-Cuban folkloric performance by members of the Cuba’s premier dance company, the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional. In the evening, those who still have energy can head over to the Hotel Nacional de Cuba (known for its beauty and connection to American mobstesr like Lucky Luciano, and featured in the movie Godfather 2) and the iconic Cabaret Parisien (featuring dozens of dancers and a live band). Or stay closer to home and wander/explore the old town streets in search of some evening entertainment.
Breakfast and Dinner included today.
Wednesday, January 14
Today we will rise early and depart on a two-day tour of Cuba’s beautiful and lush countryside. Our first stop is in Las Terrazas, just one hour to the west of Havana. Once completely deforested as a result of centuries of charcoal production for coffee processing and cooking, Las Terrazas today is a vibrant self-sustaining eco-community and offers prime viewing of Cuba’s most important bird species. We’ll visit the rural village called Rancho Curujey and learn about this self-sustaining community’s successes in reforestation, historical preservation, environmental balance. We will meet with local guides, learn about local flora and fauna, meet locals in the community center, visit the workshops of local artists, and have lunch at an open-air restaurant specializing in traditional country cuisine – La Casa del Campesino. The eatery is located on the fresh water shore of the Río San Juan making it lush tropical paradise.
After lunch we will continue 2 hours to Viñales, in the provice of Piñar del Río, known around the world for its rugged mountains, known as Mogotes. Upon arrival, we will check-into our bed and breakfast, where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the mountains, or enjoy an evening dip in the lovely in-ground pool. Dinner in our B&B will be served family style and will consist of pork, beef, fish, shellfish, and other preparations, as well as the rice/beans, yuca, and dessert.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included today.
Thursday, January 15
This morning we have some great options. For those who enjoy the prospect of horseback riding, we offer a three-hour tour of the Valley of Viñales, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its dramatic landscape with rocky outcrops, its fertile soil, traditional farming techniques, and tobacco production. During our tour, we will visit a local farm, and spend an hour with its owner who will explain local faming traditions, including all stages of coffee and tobacco production. We will have an opportunity to enjoy coffee, cigars, honey, and a local rum (made from local fruit known as guayabita), all produced from start to finish on this very farm!
For those who would prefer an alternative activity, we will first visit another farm, and learn about cigar production and cigar rolling, honey, coffee, and rum, followed by a visit to Cueva del Indio (Cave of the Indians), one of the many caves carved into this region’s limestone. Here, we will take a short boat ride in an underground river.
After lunch on your own in town, everyone will have time to explore the town, take a salsa class, or just return to our homestay and enjoy the pool and sunset.
Breakfast included today.
Friday, January 16
After another fantastic breakfast, we will leave Viñales behind us and continue back to Havana, stopping on the way at Fusterlandia, the private wonderland of acclaimed Cuban muralist and ceramist José Fúster known as the Picasso of the Caribbean. We will also visit the magnificent studio of ceramist, Beatriz Sala Santacana. We will have enjoy a fantastic seafood lunch at Santy Pescador on the shores of the Rio Jaimanitas, and then continue on to the art studio of Lisandra Ramírez and Osmeivy Ortega Pacheco. This evening, we will return to our homes in Havana. We will surely be exhausted this evening. But, for anyone looking for nightlife, we will send you one of Havana’s best known nightspots, La Zorra y El Cuervo (The Fox and the Skunk).
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included today.
Saturday, January 17
Today we will provide a guided tour of Bellas Artes Museo Nacional which features some of Cuba’s greatest artistic treasures. In the afternoon, we will have some options, including a visit Ernest Hemmingway’s Finca Vieja 30 minutes outside Havana. Or for those who want stay in the city, we will lead you on a leisurely stroll of the Paseo del Prado (Havana’s tree-lined pedestrian boulevard), just four blocks from our homes and explore Havana’s best outdoor artist market, which ends with a visit to Parque Central with its beautiful street views & historic hotels, and possible tours of the Capitolio and the elegant Grand Teatro de la Habana (Alicia Alonso).
Breakfast included today.
Sunday, January 18
This is our last day in Havana! Weather permitting, we’ll take beach lovers to Playas de Este about 30 minutes east of Havana. Blessed with white sands and ultra clear aquamarine water, the beaches of Cuba are lovely. This is also a great day to walk around the old town of Havana and relish in its beauty and history. There are craft markets, shops, and hidden alleyways still to explore.
Breakfast and Dinner included today.
Monday, January 19
Farewell to Havana, Cuba, and our host families! Option 1 participants will rise early and head to their airport for a 9:30AM flight to Miami. Option 2 participants can join us on the bus, or make their own arrangements later in the day for their trips home. Safe travels! Thank you for sharing the experience with us.
Breakfast included today.
Program Details
Visit Ashe Cultural Tours, LLC website to get all the program details, including flight/hotel info, safety/legal concerns, health/safety, and a myriad Frequently Asked Questions.
Meet Your Guides
Dr. Ken Schweitzer is an Associate professor of Music who has spent nealry three decades studying the Afro-Cuban Musical Culture. Initially drawn to Cuba in 1999 to experience first-hand its unparalleled and vibrant music scene, Schweitzer returns annually to continue learning more about the unique musical, cultural, and political landscape of this Caribbean island nation. Dr. Schweitzer has expertise as both a drummer and an ethnomusicologist.
Dr. Aaron Lampman is a professor of Anthropology at Washington College. Dr. Lampman has conducted nineteen years of anthropological research in Latin America extending from Mexico to Peru. In addition to leading short-term student seminars to Panama, the American Southwest, Peru and Tanzania, he has co-led student and adult trips to Cuba 6 times. With a strong grasp of Cuban history, he provides insight into the food and agriculture of the island and expertise on the impact of globalization on Cuba culture.