Destination OS · Old squares, cash and slack days
HavanaLa Habana
Havana is a cash-and-slack city: do the old squares and the Capitolio in the morning, keep a cool midday, carry enough cash for the whole stay, and treat power cuts and fuel shortages as part of the plan.
- Local time
- --:--
- Weather
- forecast below
- Currency
- CUP
- Best months
- Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · Dec
- Airport
- HAV
Cash need
5/5
Heat risk
4/5
Stroller
1/5
Friction
80/100
Rules in force · 9Several islands (Turks and Caicos above all, also the Bah…UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel (updated…US citizens and residents face US legal restrictions on t…Visa and Mastercard cards no longer work in Cuba (from Ju…
- Caribbean ↗Several islands (Turks and Caicos above all, also the Bahamas and Jamaica) jail visitors for a single stray bullet or cartridge in their luggage; empty every bag and pocket before you pack.
- Caribbean ↗From August to October keep a free last day before your flight home and check the national hurricane centre daily; airports close when a named storm approaches.
- Caribbean ↗Wearing camouflage clothing is illegal for civilians in several islands, including Barbados, Antigua, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Grenada, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica; leave it at home, children's clothes included.
- Cuba ↗UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel (updated 25 September 2026) and Canada says avoid non-essential travel (24 September 2026); the US is at Level 2 (check). Read your government's advice and check your insurance still covers you before booking.
- Cuba ↗Check entry rules for your passport with the Cuban embassy or official sources; most visitors need an e-visa (formerly the tourist card) and the online D'Viajeros form, and requirements change.
- Cuba ↗US citizens and residents face US legal restrictions on travel to Cuba: tourism is banned, travel must fit one of 12 OFAC categories, and US persons may not stay at properties on the State Department's Cuba Prohibited Accommodations List. Check the US government rules before booking, not just Cuban entry rules.
- Cuba ↗Carry proof of travel insurance with medical cover; you may be asked for it on arrival, and uninsured visitors must buy a Cuban policy.
- Cuba ↗Visa and Mastercard cards no longer work in Cuba (from June 2026): bring enough euros or US dollars in cash for the whole stay plus an emergency reserve.
- Havana area ↗Keep one slack day in each week for fuel shortages, cancelled buses and power cuts.
At a glance
- Clusters
- 4
- Places
- 4
- Day plans
- 1
- Places to eat
- 2
- Sleep areas
- 2
- Gateways
- HAV
Right now
Checking the weather…
Working out what is open near you…
Decide
Who it suits, the trade-offs and when to go
Overview
The city in one paragraph, who it fits, and how many days it takes.
Havana's sights are close together and easy to walk by day, but the trip runs on cash, patience and a host who books your rides. The trips that go wrong arrive late with no booked car, rely on a card that does not work, or pack a day too tightly for a city where buses and taxis stop when fuel or power runs short. Four clusters cover a first visit: Habana Vieja, the Prado and Capitolio, the Malecón and La Punta, and Vedado.
Fits
- Walking and architecture trips
- Music and food trips with cash to spend
- Travellers who plan slack days
Does not fit
- Card-only travellers
- Tight schedules
- Anyone who needs reliable power, phone data or medicines on demand
- 2 days
- Habana Vieja and the Prado/Capitolio, Vedado in the evening
- 3 days
- Four clusters, mornings and evenings only, with a midday break
- 5 days
- Four clusters + a Viñales or beach day + one slack day
- Don't confuse
- Habana Vieja is the old walled city; Centro Habana lies between it and Vedado, and the Malecón sea road runs along all of them.
Hover, tap or tab to an area to see what it is like. Pins are sleep areas; arrows at the edge point to the airport.
Off the map: José Martí International Airport (HAV) (35–60 min by the usual route).
Where’s what, as a list:
- Habana Vieja: Morning cluster: Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja and the cathedral on foot; start by 08:30 and be under a roof by 12:30.
- Prado and Capitolio: Late-morning cluster: the Capitolio, the Gran Teatro and Parque Central along the Paseo del Prado; shade under the Prado's trees.
- Malecón and La Punta: Late-afternoon cluster: the sea road, the Punta fortress and the revolution museum; go at golden hour, not at noon.
- Vedado: Evening cluster: tree-lined blocks, the hotel gardens and an ice-cream park; take a booked car there and back.
- Sleep area Habana Vieja casa particular: suits Families, price band $.
- Sleep area Vedado casa or hotel: suits Families, older travellers, price band $$.
- José Martí International Airport (HAV), 35–60 min by the usual route.
Decide
The honest trade-off: what you will enjoy, what will wear you down.
You will like
- Old squares and faded buildings
- Live music
- Slow, talkative evenings
You will hate
- Cash-only payment
- Power and fuel cuts
- Heat and humidity in summer
When
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec. Month-by-month verdicts below, with the live forecast first.
Havana: next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Air quality
Loading…
Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.
Dry and warm; best walking weather.
Dry; cool evenings.
Dry and warm; Semana Santa crowds late in the month.
Warm; last easy month.
Hot and humid; rains begin.
Wet and hot; hurricane season opens.
Hot; storms; Jul 26 holiday.
Peak heat and hurricane risk.
Peak of the hurricane season.
Storms and rain; hurricane risk.
Drying out; hurricane season closes.
Dry, mild; Christmas crowds.
Arrive & move
Getting in, getting around, and your bags
Arrive
Each gateway has its own airport-to-bed page with timings and the last safe connection.
Move
The default way around, when a pass pays off, and when the last trains go.
- Default
- Walk inside a cluster; a taxi or shared car (colectivo) between clusters, agreed before you get in.
- Passes
- No pass. Fix the fare and the currency before you ride; fares change with fuel supply.
- Last trains
- No metro; buses are crowded and unreliable. Have your casa host or a driver you trust book the airport and any late ride.
- Other modes
- Other modes (Rome2Rio) ↗
Luggage
Where big bags are a problem, and how to get rid of them for the day.
Rule
- Lockers
- No public lockers; casas hold bags after check-out.
- Forwarding
- No forwarding culture; leave the big bag with your host for a day trip.
- Dead zone
- Early flights out: agree the car the day before, since taxis at night can be scarce.
See & do
Walking clusters, day plans and the places worth the time
Clusters
Plan by cluster: each is a walkable area with a rescue point and a bag rule.
Morning cluster: Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja and the cathedral on foot; start by 08:30 and be under a roof by 12:30.
rescue 100% · max p90 5.1′ · half
Late-morning cluster: the Capitolio, the Gran Teatro and Parque Central along the Paseo del Prado; shade under the Prado's trees.
rescue 100% · max p90 5.1′ · half
Late-afternoon cluster: the sea road, the Punta fortress and the revolution museum; go at golden hour, not at noon.
rescue 100% · max p90 5.1′ · half
Evening cluster: tree-lined blocks, the hotel gardens and an ice-cream park; take a booked car there and back.
rescue 100% · max p90 5.1′ · half
Days
Ready-made day plans, timed against opening hours and walking distances.
Places
Each place gets a verdict and the time to be there, not a star rating.
Eat & sleep
Where to eat and which area to sleep in
Eat
A short list of places worth crossing the city for, each with how to get a seat.
Vegetarian-friendly score
1.5 / 5 · Hard work
- Country diet noteOur country guide rates vegetarian eating as workable.1 / 2
- Places to eat in this guideToo few places with a known answer (0) to judge; 2 not yet checked.0 / 1.5
- Budget eating lines0 vegetarian lines in "Eat by budget".0 / 0.6
- Meat-free national dishes4 meat-free dishes in the country food list.0.4 / 0.4
- Dedicated vegetarian kitchens0 mentions of vegetarian restaurants, Buddhist or fasting kitchens.0 / 0.5
Country note: Possible but monotonous: rice, beans, eggs, plantain; beans are often cooked with pork.
Vegetarian places near me →Make a diet card →
How we score
- Country diet note (up to 2): easy 2, workable 1, mixed 0.75, hard 0; no note 0.5.
- City places to eat (up to 1.5): 1.5 × (vegetarian-friendly + half of partly friendly) ÷ places with a known answer; needs 3 or more known places.
- Budget eating lines marked vegetarian (up to 0.6): 0.2 each.
- Meat-free national dishes (up to 0.4): 0.1 each.
- Dedicated vegetarian kitchens mentioned — Buddhist chay, shōjin ryōri, Jain, fasting food, vegan cafés (up to 0.5): 0.1 each.
- Total rounded to the nearest half point, 0 to 5. Built from our own pages only, not from reviews.
Sleep
Pick the area first: it decides your walk home at night and your first morning.
Practical
Money, essentials, safety and the pocket card
Money
What a day costs at three comfort levels, and how to pay.
- Budget
- CUP 10,000–18,000 excl. bed / day
- Mid
- CUP 18,000–35,000 excl. bed / day
- High
- CUP 35,000+ excl. bed / day
- IC card
- No transit card: walking, booked cars and shared taxis. Prices are often quoted in US dollars or euros; agree the currency before you order or ride.
- Cash rule
- Do not plan on ATMs: bring the full trip budget in cash in small, clean notes and split it between two places on you.
Survive
Safety basics, the lines not to cross, and practical habits that save the day.
Safety
- Power cuts are frequent: carry a torch, a power bank and drinking water.
- Emergency: police 106, fire 105, ambulance 104 — confirm with your casa host.
- Keep cash split between several places; petty theft and hustlers exist in tourist areas.
Red lines
- Do not photograph police, military or government buildings.
- Ask before photographing people; some will expect a tip.
- Avoid political discussions with strangers.
Practical
- Toilets: hotels, cafés and museums; carry tissues, and coins for attendants.
- Do not drink tap water; use bottled or filtered water.
Deep dive
History, reading, photos and every source
Sources
- officialCuba Travel (official tourism information)
- secondaryWikivoyage — Havana