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Cuba

Havana

Colonial plazas, sea air and music

Recommended stay: 3–4 days
Best time to visit: November to April
Airports: HAV

Havana at a glance

Havana layers colonial plazas, seafront walks, music and everyday neighbourhood life across a city best explored slowly.

Quick information

Recommended stay3–4 days

Best time to visitNovember to April

AirportsHAV

Budget travelUSD 25–45 / person / day

November to April is the dry season: lower humidity, reliable sunshine and cooler evenings. December to February are the most comfortable months for walking Habana Vieja. May to October is hurricane season — heavy rain is possible but storms rarely hit Havana directly. July and August are very humid. The annual Havana Jazz Festival takes place in January.

Plan your visit

Airport to centre

State taxi

A road journey to Vedado or Habana Vieja, depending on traffic

Fare agreed before the journeyTransport

Must-see sights

Habana Vieja (Old Havana)

El Malecón

El Morro Castle & La Cabaña Fortress

Sights

One-day itinerary

Morning: Walk the cobbled streets of Habana Vieja starting at Plaza de la Catedral and the Callejón del Chorro.
Lunch: Ropa vieja and black beans at a paladar in the streets around Plaza Vieja in the heart of the old city.
Afternoon: Browse the handicraft market at Plaza de la Catedral and walk to the Castillo de la Real Fuerza by the waterfront.
Evening: Stroll the Malecón at sunset, the broad seafront boulevard where the whole city gathers in the warm evening air.

Itineraries

Best areas to stay

Habana Vieja
The UNESCO-listed historic centre is the most atmospheric area, with cobblestoned plazas, colonial architecture and proximity to the main sights. Most casas particulares and boutique hotels are concentrated here. Can be noisy and warm; a good base for first-time visitors.
Best for
First-time visitors, sightseeing, atmosphere
Centro Habana
The busy commercial district adjoining Habana Vieja. More affordable accommodation, lively street life and a real slice of daily Cuban life. Less polished than Habana Vieja but authentic and well-connected.
Best for
Budget stays, authentic local life
Vedado
The leafy residential and hotel district west of Centro Habana, home to large state hotels, Coppelia ice cream park, the University of Havana and El Vedado's café scene. Quieter than the old city, with a 1950s modernist character.
Best for
Longer stays, quieter setting, 1950s architecture
Miramar
A residential western suburb of wide boulevards, embassies and upscale casas particulares. Further from the main sights — you will need taxis — but good for longer stays or if you prefer a quieter, more residential setting.
Best for
Upscale stays, embassies, residential setting
Playa / Jaimanitas
A coastal area west of Miramar, known for the Fusterlandia mosaic art project and beach access. Very local feel; suits independent travellers who want a break from the tourist circuit.
Best for
Independent travellers, Fusterlandia art, beach access
Old Havana waterfront / Malecón
Staying near the Malecón puts you between Habana Vieja and Vedado, with the sea wall promenade on your doorstep. Atmospheric in the evenings when locals gather; expect traffic noise from Avenida de Maceo.
Best for
Evening atmosphere, Malecón promenade, central location

Approximate budget

Budget
USD 25–45
per day, per person
Casa particular (private homestay) accommodation, local paladares, street food and shared almendron taxis. Requires paying mostly in CUP and being comfortable navigating without English.
Mid-range
USD 60–120
per day, per person
Private casa particular or small hotel, CUBATAXI taxis, private paladares and museum entries. Most tourists visiting independently fall in this range.
Comfort
USD 150–250
per day, per person
Boutique hotels in Habana Vieja, private taxis, upscale paladares and guided excursions. Note that luxury hotel supply in Havana remains limited and standards vary considerably.

Airports

HAV
José Martí International Airport
25 km from city centre

Airport to city transport

OptionTimePrice

HAV

State taxiHAVState-run taxis are the standard option for most visitors and queue outside the terminals. Confirm with the driver how the fare will be calculated before you leave.
A road journey to Vedado or Habana Vieja, depending on traffic
Fare agreed before the journey
Details
State-run taxis are the standard option for most visitors and queue outside the terminals. Confirm with the driver how the fare will be calculated before you leave.
Pre-arranged transferHAVOften arranged through your accommodation or tour operator, with the driver waiting in the arrivals area. Share your terminal and flight details in advance.
A road journey to central Havana, depending on traffic
Fare quoted when booking
Details
Often arranged through your accommodation or tour operator, with the driver waiting in the arrivals area. Share your terminal and flight details in advance.

Getting around

OptionTimePrice

Walking (Habana Vieja)Habana Vieja's core — Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja, Cathedral Square, the Malecón waterfront — is compact and best explored on foot. Cobbled streets are uneven; wear comfortable shoes.
N/A
Free
Details
Habana Vieja's core — Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja, Cathedral Square, the Malecón waterfront — is compact and best explored on foot. Cobbled streets are uneven; wear comfortable shoes.
CUBATAXI and private taxisState CUBATAXI taxis and privately-operated classic cars are the main way to move between neighbourhoods such as Habana Vieja, Centro Habana, Vedado and Miramar. Agree fares in advance. Apps do not work for booking — hail cabs at hotels or on the street.
15–45 minutes between neighbourhoods
5–20 USD depending on distance
Details
State CUBATAXI taxis and privately-operated classic cars are the main way to move between neighbourhoods such as Habana Vieja, Centro Habana, Vedado and Miramar. Agree fares in advance. Apps do not work for booking — hail cabs at hotels or on the street.
Almendrones (shared taxis)Shared classic cars run fixed routes for local fares in Cuban pesos (CUP). Popular on main corridors like the Malecón. Requires knowing the route and paying in CUP; a charming way to travel if you have the language.
Varies by route
A few CUP per journey
Details
Shared classic cars run fixed routes for local fares in Cuban pesos (CUP). Popular on main corridors like the Malecón. Requires knowing the route and paying in CUP; a charming way to travel if you have the language.
BicitaxiBicycle-rickshaws operate within central Habana Vieja and surrounding streets. Good for short trips; agree the fare before setting off.
Short distances only
Negotiable, typically a few CUP
Details
Bicycle-rickshaws operate within central Habana Vieja and surrounding streets. Good for short trips; agree the fare before setting off.

Top sights

Habana Vieja (Old Havana)
The UNESCO World Heritage historic centre is a living museum of Spanish colonial architecture. Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja, the Cathedral and the castles of El Morro and La Cabaña form the core. Allow a full day to wander the cobbled streets, admire baroque facades and step into inner courtyards.
El Malecón
The 8-kilometre seafront promenade stretching from Habana Vieja to Vedado is Havana's social spine. Locals gather here at dusk — it is the city's unofficial meeting point, performance space and romantic viewpoint. Best experienced at sunset or after dark.
El Morro Castle & La Cabaña Fortress
The imposing 16th-century Spanish fortifications guard the entrance to Havana harbour. The nightly Cañonazo ceremony (9 pm) — guards in period costume firing a cannon — has been a Havana tradition for over 300 years. The views across the bay to the city skyline are exceptional.
Plaza de la Revolución
The vast civic square dominated by the José Martí memorial tower and the iconic Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos steel sculptures on the Ministry of the Interior facade. Used for major political rallies; a symbolic if stark landmark of 20th-century Cuban history.
Hemingway's Havana
Ernest Hemingway lived in Havana for much of the 1940s and 1950s. His villa Finca Vigía (now a museum) is 15 km east of the city. In the centre, La Floridita bar (where he drank daiquiris) and La Bodeguita del Medio (mojitos) are famous stops, though both are heavily touristic.
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
Two buildings in Habana Vieja house the Cuban art collection (colonial to contemporary) and the international collection. The Cuban collection — spanning 18th-century portraits to 1960s revolutionary murals — offers excellent context for understanding the country's history through art.
Fusterlandia
Artist José Fuster has spent decades covering his home neighbourhood of Jaimanitas with vivid, Gaudí-inspired mosaic murals — now spreading across hundreds of neighbouring houses. Around 12 km west of Habana Vieja; reach it by taxi. A unique and joyful public art project unlike anything else in the Caribbean.
Museo del Ron Havana Club
The Havana Club rum museum in Habana Vieja traces the history of Cuban rum production from sugar cane to barrel. The guided tour ends with a tasting. Compact and well-presented; useful background before visiting a distillery on day trips to the countryside.
Coppelia Ice Cream Park
The landmark 1960s ice cream parlour in Vedado is a Havana institution — Cubans queue here for local-price scoops of the national ice cream brand. Tourists pay a higher price at the tourist section. The main hall, with its geometric dome, is worth seeing regardless.
Plaza Vieja
The most diverse of Habana Vieja's main squares, framed by restored baroque, neoclassical and art nouveau buildings. Now home to the Factoria Plaza Vieja craft brewery, rooftop bars, a photography museum and independent galleries. Lively day and evening; the most lived-in of the historic plazas.

Places to visit near Havana

Travel times are approximate and depend on traffic and timetables.

Nature
Viñales Valley
Valle de Viñales
Distance
178 km west
Travel time
2.5–3 hours each way
Best transport
Organised tour or private taxi from Havana.
The UNESCO-listed Viñales Valley in Pinar del Río province is Cuba's most dramatic countryside landscape — mogotes (limestone karst hills), tobacco farms and red-earth fields. Day trips are possible; an overnight stay allows more time on horseback or hiking.
UNESCO landscapes, tobacco culture, hiking
Day trip or overnight
- Mogote limestone karst hills
- Tobacco farms
Beach
Varadero
Distance
140 km east
Travel time
2.5–3 hours each way
Best transport
Tourist bus (Viazul) or private taxi.
Cuba's largest beach resort, with a 20-kilometre white-sand peninsula in Matanzas province. Best for a half-day beach stop if combining with Matanzas or overnight for the beach alone.
White-sand beaches, resort relaxation
Half day or overnight
- 20 km white-sand peninsula
Beach
Playas del Este
Distance
25 km east
Travel time
30–45 minutes each way
Best transport
Taxi from central Havana.
The nearest beaches to Havana — Santa María del Mar, Guanabo and Boca Ciega — form a 20-kilometre coastal strip. A popular weekend escape for habaneros; less developed than Varadero but more accessible for a half-day outing.
Quick beach escape, local atmosphere
Half day
- Santa María del Mar beach
Nature
Las Terrazas
Distance
80 km west
Travel time
1.5 hours each way
Best transport
Taxi or organised eco-tour from Havana.
An eco-community and biosphere reserve in the Sierra del Rosario mountains. Coffee plantations, waterfalls, birdwatching trails and a famous artist's studio (Lester Campa). A quiet contrast to the city.
Birdwatching, eco-tourism, coffee plantation walks
Day trip
- Biosphere reserve trails
- Coffee plantations
Culture
Cienfuegos
Distance
250 km south
Travel time
3.5–4 hours each way
Best transport
Tourist bus (Viazul) or private taxi; best combined with an overnight stay.
The 'Pearl of the South' is a UNESCO-listed 19th-century planned city on a large bay in southern Cuba. Known for its French-influenced neoclassical architecture and the Palacio de Valle. Best as an overnight stay combined with nearby Trinidad.
UNESCO colonial architecture, bay views
Overnight recommended
- Palacio de Valle
- Neoclassical city centre

Family travel

Habana Vieja's open squares, street performances and horse-drawn carriages make it manageable with children. The Acuario Nacional (National Aquarium, Miramar) and the Natural History Museum in Habana Vieja are well-suited to families. Beaches at Playas del Este are shallow and calm for younger children. Food availability for fussy eaters can be limited outside tourist restaurants; bring snacks. The heat and humidity in summer make afternoon activities harder for young children.

Safety

Petty theft: Pickpocketing and bag-snatching occur in crowded areas — Malecón evenings, Habana Vieja markets and bus stops. Keep valuables in a front pocket or money belt; do not display expensive cameras, phones or jewellery.
Jineteros (touts): Persistent touts offering cigars, restaurant recommendations, guided tours or special deals operate throughout Habana Vieja. Most are harmless hustlers; politely decline and walk on. Avoid following strangers to private shops or houses.
Currency and cash: Cuba operates a complex currency system. US-issued bank and credit cards do not function in Cuba. Cards from other countries (EU, Canadian, UK) are unreliable and frequently declined — do not count on them working. Bring enough foreign cash for your entire trip; exchange at official CADECA bureaux. US dollars exchange at a penalty — use euros or Canadian dollars instead.
Internet access: Mobile internet requires a Cuban SIM (ETECSA) or hotel Wi-Fi. Connection speeds are slow and access is state-controlled — some foreign websites and services are restricted or blocked. Download offline maps, guides and translation packs before arriving.

Useful tips

Bring all the cash you will need in euros or Canadian dollars — US-issued cards do not work in Cuba, and non-US foreign cards are unreliable. Do not plan on card payments. CADECA exchange offices in Habana Vieja offer standard rates.
State-run restaurants in Cuba are generally worse value than private paladares. Ask your casa particular host for paladar recommendations — local knowledge is far more reliable than online reviews, which can be out of date.
Download Maps.me Cuba, Google Translate Spanish pack and WhatsApp before boarding your flight. Wi-Fi is available at hotels and some parks via ETECSA scratch cards; buy them from hotel lobbies or ETECSA offices.
The Malecón at sunset is one of the great free experiences in the Caribbean. Walk west from Habana Vieja along the sea wall in the late afternoon and join the city as it transitions into evening — musicians, families, couples and fishermen all share the same kilometre of stone.

Official sources & verification

Direct links to the official pages behind this guide — use them to confirm anything that matters before you travel.

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Havana at a glance

Quick information

Plan your visit

Airport to centre

Must-see sights

One-day itinerary

Best areas to stay

Habana Vieja

Centro Habana

Vedado

Miramar

Playa / Jaimanitas

Old Havana waterfront / Malecón

Approximate budget