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Best-Day Adventures & Beyond
Tours for all adults: couples, singles,
married and beyond!
Mission to Cuba
February 17-24, 2020

Tour Rates & Dates:

There are no Departure Dates available for this Package.
*Please note that all rates displayed are based on standard room double occupancy.
All rates above are in US Dollars, and are based on full payment by credit card unless otherwise noted.
If check payment discount is available for this tour, it can be selected after clicking "BOOK" above.
(Deposit can still be paid by credit card). Upgraded room categories may be available to book later in the booking process.
If Land & Air price is displayed, the air portion includes tax and fuel surcharges, which are subject to change until ticketed.

Optional pre-arrival in Ft. Lauderdale on
February 16, 2020 available during booking process.

Option to book single occupancy room available after clicking "BOOK" above.

Tour Overview:

FLORIDA PRE-ARRIVAL INCLUDES:

1 night hotel accommodations
Late afternoon meet and greet
Follow-the-leader dinner plans (additional cost)
Transfer to airport for Cuba flight

INCLUDED IN MAIN TOUR:

5 nights Melia Cohiba Hotel, Havana
2 nights Melia San Carlos, Cienfuegos
Roundtrip airfare between South Florida and Cuba
All touring and sightseeing in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle with an expert English-speaking guide
Meeting with Jewish community leaders
Breakfast daily
6 dinners, including Shabbat dinner in Havana
6 lunches
Cigar factory tour
Habana Compas Dance performance
Vocal Clave del Sol program
Cuban little league baseball practice
Fabrica D'la Arte performance (schedule pending)
Classic car ride
Tropicana cabaret show
Porterage

NOT INCLUDED:
Domestic airfare to South Florida
Cuban visa fee (purchase directly from the airline at the airport)
Border taxes
Meals not listed above
Tips to guide, driver and dining room waiters ($20 per person, per day; pre-collected)
Items of a personal nature
Travel insurance (highly recommended)
Gifts and aid (suggestions of what to bring will be provided)


Tour Itinerary:

OPTIONAL PRE-TOUR ARRIVAL

Sunday, February 16, 2020: PRE-TOUR BEGINS

• Arrive in Ft. Lauderdale throughout the day.
• Late afternoon meet and greet.
• Group “follow the leader” dinner will be arranged (cost on own).

Overnight in Ft. Lauderdale

MAIN TOUR

Day 2: Monday, February 17, 2020: WELCOME TO CUBA!

• We depart on our flights to Havana, Cuba.
• Upon arrival, we meet our guide and driver.
• We begin our tour with a panoramic overview of the city including Revolution Square, which is dominated by the José Martí Memorial. This famous square is where Fidel Castro delivered the majority of his lengthy political addresses.
• We stop at the Rosenberg Memorial and John Lennon Park.
• This evening, we join together for a welcome dinner at Café del Oriente.
• After dinner, we gather at the hotel for our private welcome program, orientation and “gift drop”.

Overnight in Havana

Day 3: Tuesday, February 18, 2020: SIGHTS & SOUNDS OF HAVANA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning we visit the Patronato, where we meet with community leaders - likely either Adela Dworin, the President of Beth Shalom or David Prinstein, Vice President of the community. We tour the synagogue and learn about the Pharmacy with time to deliver our gifts and aid.
• We stop for lunch at San Cristobal.
• After Lunch, we set out on a walking tour of Old Havana (Havana Vieja), a UNESCO World Heritage site. Along the way, we learn about the history of Havana as we visit highlights of the city and the colonial plazas, as well as Jewish points of interest such as the Jewish themed Raquel Hotel.
• We visit the Habana Compas Dance headquarters to enjoy a dynamic musical performance and interact with the dancers and instructors.
• We return to our hotel for time to refresh before our evening out.
• Tonight, we enjoy dinner together at El Mediterraneo paladar.
• After dinner, we have the option to be dropped off at the famous Hotel Nacional, where we can explore this historic hotel and enjoy a drink in a world-famous bar surrounded by history. Cover charge required (not included). Return to hotel on own by taxi.

Overnight in Havana

Day 4: Wednesday, February 19, 2020: HAVANA TO SANTA CLARA

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We depart Havana by bus and travel to Santa Clara, an important city founded in the 1600's, where Che Guevara won a significant battle which led to the triumph of the revolution in 1959.
• We stop at Che Guevara Memorial for a photo opportunity at the Square.
• Next, we meet with David Tacher, a leading representative of the Santa Clara Jewish community to learn about the local community and deliver our gifts.
• Enjoy lunch together with members of the community on their rooftop deck.
• We continue for the beautiful port city of Cienfuegos, Cuba's “Pearl of the South".
• Upon arrival, we stop for a brief orientation of Cienfuegos' central landmarks, including Parque Marti and the Thomas Terry theater, and learn about this UNESCO World Heritage site founded by French immigrants in 1819.
• We enjoy a moving performance by Cantores de Cienfuegos at Museo Provincial de Cienfuegos.
• We check into our hotel and refresh before dinner together at the lovely seaside Finca del Mar.

Overnight in Cienfuegos

Day 5: Thursday, February 20, 2020: HISTORIC TRINIDAD & CIENFUEGOS

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we meet with Rebecca Langus and learn about the local Jewish community with time to deliver gifts.
• We depart for the beautiful colonial town of Trinidad, a charming city settled in 1514 and a UNESCO Heritage site since 1988
• Upon arrival, we enjoy lunch at San Jose paladar.
• After lunch, we enjoy a walking tour of historic Trinidad, a 500-year old city with Spanish colonial architecture. Only a few square blocks in size, historic Trinidad is famous for its lovely cobblestone streets, pastel houses with wrought iron grills, as well as beautiful palaces and plazas. Along the way, we'll learn about the efforts to preserve the city's heritage.
• Next, we meet with the famous Santander family, well-known local potters, and visit their workshop and gallery. These artists have been making handmade pottery for over 100 years.
• We return to Cienfuegos for dinner at D'Carmelina paladar.

Overnight in Cienfuegos

Day 6: Friday, February 21, 2020: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we depart for Havana, stopping for lunch on own en route.
• Upon arriving in Havana, we visit the Museum of the Revolution, where we gain an understanding of the momentous change that has occurred in Cuba due to the Revolution over 50 years ago.
• We check into our hotel for a chance to refresh.
• Late this afternoon, we visit the Sephardic Center and meet with Mayra Levy, President of the congregation, who discusses the role of Sephardic Jews in the resurgence of Jewish life in Cuba. We also have the opportunity to visit the only Holocaust exhibit in Cuba, opened in 2011. We will also deliver our gifts to the community.
• As the sun sets, we join together to participate in Shabbat services with the local community at the Sephardic Center, followed by Shabbat dinner together with members of the congregation.

Overnight in Havana

Day 7: Saturday, February 22, 2020: HAVANA & HEMINGWAY

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day at the Jewish cemetery in Guanabacoa, including a chance to view the Holocaust Memorial.
• We continue to Finca Vigia, the villa that Hemingway called home for 21 years. His home is now a museum with many of his personal belongings, and we learn about how Cuba influenced his writing.
• Enjoy the popularity of a local pastime by visiting a Cuban little league baseball practice.
• We return to our hotel for a chance to refresh.
• Dinner on own this evening (“Follow the Leader” option will be available).
• Later tonight, we enjoy Cuba Libres and a show at The Tropicana, a world-renowned cabaret and club in Havana, Cuba. It was launched in 1939 at Villa Mina, a six-acre suburban estate with lush tropical gardens in Havana's Marianao neighborhood.

Overnight in Havana

Day 8: Sunday, February 23, 2020: CLASSIC CAR RIDE

• Breakfast at our hotel
• This morning, we learn about the art and tradition of cigar rolling in Cuba on a tour of the Partagas Cigar Factory and see the process from leaf to finished product and ultimately distribution.
• Next, we visit the impressive Fuster house/studio to see this unique mosaic masterpiece and learn about the artist's project to beautify the community he lives in. This artists' colony is a perfect place to acquire an array of crafts, paintings and sculptures.
• Lunch together at Mambo.
• This afternoon, we visit Vocal Clave del Sol, a musical education program for children founded in 2009, where we have the chance to interact with some of the students and teachers and learn about the importance of this program.
• This evening, we enjoy a classic car ride from our hotel to our farewell dinner at Vista del Mar as we reminisce all that we have experienced together.

Overnight in Havana

Day 9: Monday, February 24, 2020: DEPARTURE

• Breakfast at our hotel
• This morning, we have the option to return to Old Havana for some time on our own to explore and visit the many cafes, stores, and museums. Enjoy lunch on your own while here, OR
• We can be dropped off to the Almacenes de San Jose market, Cuba's largest open market chock full of local crafts and artwork for time to browse the different stalls.
• We return to our hotel to pick up luggage.
• We transfer to the airport for our flights home.


The Memories Last Forever!!
*Itinerary subject to change