Cuba: A Cultural Odyssey

See your travel advisor, or call Tauck at 800-468-2825 to make a reservation.

At the time of booking, please have the following information ready for all members of your party:

• Tour Name and Departure Date
• Traveler's Name: First and last names as they appear on your passport or driver's license
• Traveler's Address(es)
• Email Address*
  
• Traveler's Phone Number(s)*
• Emergency Contact Information: Please provide the name and phone number of a relative or friend (not travelling with you) whom we could contact during the tour in the unlikely event of an emergency
• Interest in purchasing a travel protection plan (US and Canada)
• Interest in extending your trip by staying in a Tauck recommended hotel before your trip begins or after it ends
• Interest in our specially negotiated airfares

* Required Fields

Deposits:

Deposits and fees for the optional Protection Plan or Cancel Fee Waiver [CFW] coverage are due at time of booking.

The deposit amount is $600 per person

Final Payments:

Final Payment is due to Tauck 90 days before departure for lands trips, and 120 days before departure for cruises and rail journeys. If your deposit was made by credit card, final payment will be automatic unless you opted out at time of booking. Bookings without full payment at this time may be subject to cancellation without notice. Failure to make payment will be a considered a cancellation by the guest and all applicable cancellation fees will apply.

Effective for plans purchased as of July 1, 2021:

Tauck's Guest Protection

Tauck's Guest Protection provides you with cancellation protection before your journey begins as well as insurance benefits while you are traveling. Guest Protection includes the following:

Cancellation Waiver – Provided by Tauck:

Under Tauck's Cancellation Fee Waiver you can cancel your tour for ANY REASON up to the day before departure and receive a money-back refund (except in Extreme Circumstances*) on the land tour cost, based on your original method of payment.

*Extreme Circumstances: In the event of an act of God, war (whether declared or undeclared), terrorism, accident, natural disaster, outbreak of disease, or other event or circumstance beyond our control that contributes to or results in cancellation rates above our historical cancellation rates in the absence of such event or occurrence, Tauck reserves the right to issue a credit to you in lieu of a money-back refund, applicable to a future Tauck journey.

Travel Insurance Benefits – Underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company.

• Trip Cancellation – If you must cancel your tour due to a covered reason, the plan provides coverage for the amount you paid for your travel arrangements. Since the non-insurance cancellation waiver takes care of the land package cancellation fees already, this benefit reimburses the airfare cancellation charges up to the value of your original airfare purchase.
  
  
• Trip Interruption – If you have to interrupt your tour for covered reasons, the plan provides reimbursement to catch up to your tour or return home.
  
  
• Travel Delay – Provides reimbursement for missed, prepaid travel arrangements if you are delayed by a common carrier, natural disaster, unannounced strike, or other reasons as cited in the plan.
  
  
• Medical Expense – Reimburses covered medical expenses incurred in the event you become injured or sick during your trip. 
  
  
• Baggage / Personal Effects Protection – Provides reimbursement in the event your luggage or personal effects are, lost, stolen, damaged or delayed during your trip.

• Worldwide Emergency Assistance Services – Provided by Carefree Travel Assistance; 24-hour emergency telephone assistance hotline for medical and travel related problems.

The cost of Tauck's Guest Protection is: $499 per person

This protection provides insurance coverage that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker.

This optional Guest Protection must be requested at time of booking and fee must be included with initial payment. Fees are based on costs as of July 1, 2021, and are subject to change. Details will be provided with written confirmation of your tour reservation. Guest Protection does not protect travel agent commissions. Reimbursements will be made according to original method of payment. The amount of any refund shall be reduced by any recoveries obtained by you from any third parties.

The Guest Protection plan waives cancellation fees outlined below, provided we are notified of cancellation before your tour departs. Tour cancellation fees are waived regardless of reason, without written notice, and Tauck will refund land tour cost.

To obtain your state-specific Certificate of Insurance that contains the complete terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the certificate, visit  affinitytravelcert.com/docs/TACGPPINTL.

If you cancel within 10 days of initial deposit

Within the first 10 days after you place your initial deposit, you may cancel your reservation for any reason with no cancellation fees.

If you cancel more than 10 days after initial deposit

Regardless of reason, cancellations result in costly charges from our travel and hotel providers covering penalties and fees incurred by canceling confirmed bookings. These fees vary from tour to tour. Therefore, the following fees apply.

Cancellation Fees with Tauck's Guest Protection Plan:

Loss of Guest Protection fee, per person 

Cancellation Fees without Tauck's Guest Protection Plan:

90 days or more before departure = $600 per person

89-8 days before departure = $900 per person

7-1 days before departure = $1500 per person

Time of cancellation will be when notice is received in our Wilton Woods, CT office.

In the event of an unforeseen circumstance beyond our control, Tauck reserves the right to amend the cancellation terms outlined herein.

Note: All Guests, regardless of residency, who book a Tauck journey have the option of purchasing the Cancellation Waiver provided by Tauck in the event they need to cancel their trip after making their reservations. Tauck's Guest Protection, which includes both the Cancellation Fee Waiver and the Travel Insurance Benefits and Assistance Services described above, is not available to residents of Puerto Rico.

Entry Requirements for U.S. Citizens: U.S. citizens will need a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the completion of this journey, and this passport must contain at least two blank visa pages.

A travel affidavit is also required for U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba. Please use this link to apply for your travel affidavit at least 75 days prior to your trip: https://cubatravelservices.com/tauck-travel-affidavit/

In addition, a Cuban visa is also required for travelers arriving from the U.S., and Tauck will provide this Cuban visa for you during the briefing meeting.  

Entry Requirements for Citizens of Other Countries: Citizens of all non-U.S. countries will need a passport for entry into the U.S. and Cuba. This passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the completion of your Tauck journey, and it must contain at least two blank visa pages.

Because all guests on this tour (U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens alike) will be arriving into Cuba from the U.S., a Cuban visa is required of all travelers.  Your Tauck Director will help guests complete the on line form for the Cuban visa during the briefing meeting.

Please Note: If you also require a visa to enter the U.S. from your home country, please be sure to apply for a multi-entry visa (because you will be entering the U.S. twice; once in Miami at the beginning of your trip, and once at the end of your journey when you fly from Havana to Miami).

Please be sure to check with the U.S. consulate or embassy to review any additional entry and exit requirements specific to your home country.

Tauck travelers who were born in Cuba, regardless of when they arrived into the U.S., are required to hold a Cuban passport in order to be admitted into the country.

Tauck travelers who were born at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station need to apply for special documentation. Please contact Tauck for further details.  

Please note that Tauck is not responsible for disruptions to travel or any related expenses experienced by travelers with improper or incomplete documentation.

Along with a passport (valid for six months beyond the completion of the trip) and the Cuban Visitor's Visa obtained on line, you will need the following documents which you will receive from Tauck in Miami:

• Boarding passes for your included round-trip flights between Miami and Cuba (which you will receive prior to boarding)

Guests will be required to fill out the "dviajeros form" on line at the welcome briefing.  Your Tauck Director will help you fill out the on line form.

It is a good idea to carry a photocopy of the photo page of your passport in a place other than with the original, and to leave a copy of all your travel documents with a friend or relative at home.  We recommend that travelers make at least two extra photocopies of all travel documents they are bringing on their journey. Travelers should secure one set of copies in their hotel room safe during their journey.  If you are a United States citizen and do not have a valid passport, please contact the closest U.S. passport agency or consult the U.S. State Department website for detailed information on how to obtain or renew your passport at:  https://www.travel.state.gov.

Beginning on January 8, 2025 all travelers of any age visiting or transiting through the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) will be required to show documentation of a United Kingdom Electronic Travel Authorization (UK ETA). The UK ETA is an advance travel permission required from foreign nationals who intend to visit or transit through the United Kingdom.  The exception are those traveling with their valid British or Irish
passport/documentation.

Requirement Start Date: The UK ETA will be mandatory from January 8, 2025.

Applications open on November 27, 2024.

Application Details: The authorization links to a valid travel document (e.g. passport), and a decision is typically provided within three business days.

How to Apply: Visit the UK ETA website or use the mobile app:

• Website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta
• Apple App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/uk-eta/id6444912481
• Android App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.gov.HomeOffice.ho3&hl=en_US

Our People-to-People cultural exchange include visits to rural areas, agricultural facilities and small villages, as well as to various sections of Havana with centuries-old streets and buildings with limited access. You should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances over unpaved and uneven terrain. Both hotels are equipped with elevators.  The road conditions in Cuba are improving; however, paved roads, especially in rural areas, are often in poor condition. Some roads to rural locations are not paved and some out-of-the-way destinations are accessible only by these roads; other roads may be unpaved and bumpy. Our People-to-People cultural exchange itinerary includes several early morning starts and leaves little scheduled free time.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN AND MOBILITY ISSUES:  This Tauck itinerary cannot accommodate oxygen tanks, wheelchairs or motorized scooters.  Oxygen tanks are strictly prohibited in many foreign countries on regional flights aboard small aircraft, such as those intra-tour flights featured on this Tauck journey.  Likewise, the very limited cargo capacity on such flights prohibits the transport of wheelchairs or motorized scooters.

Travelers should also bear in mind that the infrastructure in many foreign countries, particularly in developing countries, often presents severe and even insurmountable challenges for those with walking difficulties or other mobility issues.  The responsibility of the Tauck Director is to ensure that the larger group enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing individual assistance to any one traveler.  Travelers requiring such individualized assistance must be accompanied by an able-bodied companion who can provide it. While drinking water is generally safe at the hotels on the journey, bottled water will be available wherever the local water is not fit to drink. We also provide bottled water on your motor coach.

Airline Disinsection

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a guidance letter that requires airlines and travel agents to disclose to consumers countries that require the use of insecticides by airlines. Please click here for more information.

SPECIAL DIETARY REQUESTS

The restaurants, hotels, caterers and numerous other partners we work with all do their best to accommodate special dietary requests from Tauck guests. However, given the diverse nature of those food providers (from small wineries to grand hotels to world-famous restaurants in more than 70 countries worldwide), some of our partners are better able than others to accommodate such requests. We therefore cannot guarantee that all dietary requests can be accommodated at every meal. Also, please note that where dietary requests can be accommodated, choices will frequently be limited.

Cuba enjoys a pleasant, semi-subtropical climate, with generally warm temperatures year-round, and two main seasons: a wet season, from May to October, when nearly two-thirds of the year's rainfall occurs, and a dry season, from November to April, although fluctuations due to regional variations and trade winds can often occur. The country's tropical temperature remains fairly constant throughout the year with little seasonal variation, averaging approximately 77-78 °F (25 °C). Cuba's peak travel season is generally between December and April, when daytime conditions are pleasantly warm, drier and sunnier, with less humidity than most other times of the year. July and August are usually quite hot and humid, and the hurricane season typically runs from June through November.

To determine current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website, noaa.gov.

Bringing the right clothing for your trip is important – we've partnered with Necessary Gear who provide an "easy-to-use, one-stop shop" for your Tauck travel needs, specifically selected for this trip. Click here to visit their site.

Your trip to Cuba is casual. Dress for comfort and convenience with a wardrobe that is adaptable and allows for layering. Comfortable, cotton clothing is suggested. High temperatures and humidity in most areas make lightweight clothing practical. Long pants and long sleeves are suggested for sun and mosquito protection. Casual resort wear is appropriate for dinner.

Most importantly, bring comfortable yet sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in. It is important that your shoes have good ankle support.

Both hotels on this trip provide valet laundry services.

Please Note: Medicines, toiletries and other items that are easily obtainable in drugstores and pharmacies in the U.S. are in very short supply in Cuba, and may be expensive and very difficult or impossible to obtain. We recommend that you pack an adequate supply of your prescription medication in its original container to last through your entire journey, together with a copy of your doctor's prescription or a letter from your health-care provider on office stationery explaining that the medication has been prescribed for you, a list of the generic names of your medication, your travel documents and a change of clothing in your carry-on bag to avoid any inconvenience in the event that your flight or luggage is delayed.

Following is a list of recommended items to pack for travel to Cuba:

• Casual daytime wear – shorts, slacks, long and short-sleeved shirts
• Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat
• Swimwear
• Gym wear
• A light sweater or jacket for a breezy night
• A basic personal first-aid kit containing aspirin or other analgesics, antihistamines, antacids, antibiotic ointment, adhesive strips, etc.
• Insect repellent
• Small bottle of hand sanitizer
• Camera, lenses, batteries, memory cards and chargers
• Extra pair of prescription glasses and/or reading glasses (which may be difficult to obtain)
• Lightweight, comfortable, sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in
• Travel alarm clock/cell phone with alarm function (many hotels do not have clocks in the rooms)
• Travel packs of tissues
• Small, pocket-sized flashlight
• Rain poncho and collapsible umbrella
• Reusable zipper-lock bags or other waterproof bags
• Daypack for camera equipment
• Any sundries and toiletries you may need
• Copies of your travel documents that should be secured in the safe in your hotel room while traveling