Cuba itineraries: 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks

Pick the length first, then the route. Every option below starts and ends in Havana because it is the only city with regular international flights in 2026, and every option keeps a buffer before the flight home.

Five nights in Havana gives you Old Havana, the Malecón and Vedado without rushing, plus one full day for a museum or a music night. Two nights in Viñales covers the tobacco valley and the mogotes. The return leg is the risky one, so come back to Havana with a day to spare rather than travelling on departure day.

Move between the two by Viazul bus or a shared colectivo taxi; both need booking a day ahead in high season. If a leg is cancelled, you lose a valley day, not your flight.

The 10-day loop above is the core. With 14 days you can add Santa Clara for the Che Guevara memorial and keep a spare day in Havana at each end. Trinidad deserves three nights: the Plaza Mayor and the Valle de los Ingenios are separate half-days, and transport out of Trinidad is the least predictable leg on the route.

Santiago de Cuba is worth three nights for music and history, but only commit if a domestic flight is confirmed for that week. If it is not, add Cienfuegos and Playa Girón instead and stay on the road.

Three weeks lets you continue past Santa Clara to Camagüey and, if conditions allow, Baracoa. Camagüey's maze-like colonial centre and tinajones fill a day. Baracoa is the far east: cacao, rivers and a long, slow transfer, and it has been hit by storms, so check road and flight status before committing.

Keep the eastern block flexible. If a bus or flight fails, cut Baracoa first and spend the days in Trinidad or Havana rather than losing your return flight.

In September 2026 the UK advises against all but essential travel to Cuba, Canada says avoid non-essential travel and Australia says reconsider your need to travel, because fuel, power and flights keep failing. The US rates Cuba Level 2. That changes the itinerary more than any sight: fewer moves, longer stays, more cash, more buffer.

Cash is the constraint. Bring enough in EUR, USD or GBP for the whole trip, because foreign cards mostly do not work, and budget from the daily cost figures rather than assuming you can top up. Book accommodation in advance where you can, and confirm every transport leg the day before you travel.