Design your tour

Our job is to make your trip exactly the way you want it to be. We can organise any or all aspects of your trip – flights, accommodation, car hire, local guides, reserve entrances, etc – any combination to suit you. 

 

How it works

• You take a look at our outline itineraries – the Basic 11 days and the Classic 15 days – both built around the four primary birding locations.

• You tell us exactly what you want from your stay and we adapt an itinerary to suit you.

• We get you a quote from Havanatour UK – a subsidiary of a Cuban tour operator – for whatever services you’ve requested: flights, tourist card, accommodation, self-drive car hire, local guides, reserve entrances, etc.

• Once you agree the quote, everything is booked for you by Havanatour UK who are fully ATOL bonded and have an IATA licence for your security.  

• We provide all information on finding birds, driving in Cuba – including comprehensive directions using Google Earth – and any other information you might need. 

 

Visas

You will need a tourist card – equivalent to a visa – to enter and leave Cuba. We can provide these via Havanatour.

 

Accommodation

Styles and levels of accommodation vary with each location – standard hotels, all-inclusive resort, individual cabins, private guest houses or ‘casas particulares’. Please note, casas particulares are booked direct with the owners and are not ATOL protected. Reservations can be made through Cuba Birding Tours at a cost of £5 per room per night.

 

Flights and driving

We can arrange your self-drive car hire to connect with international flights.

Itineraries are planned around Virgin Atantic flight schedules, who fly direct from London Gatwick. We can also advise on alternative flight options. 

 

Local guides

We can put you in touch with bird guides at all the key locations. Local guides are reliable and knowledgeable, always having up-to-date information on the whereabouts of particular species. 

 

At La Güira, Viñales, Cayo Coco and Zapata you pay locally, direct to your guide. At La Belen reserve in Camagüey, your guide is included in the price of your accommodation. In Zapata it is obligatory to have a local guide with you when birdwatching away from the road and tourist facilities.

If you choose to go to any other birdwatching areas, we can advise on the availability/necessity of guides nearer the time.

 

Paying for your trip

You pay Havanatour UK direct for all services, except bookings for casas particulares and/or local bird guides. 

All of our Cuba Birding Tour services are free of charge as we receive commission from Havantour, except for reserving casas particulares (see above).