Join David Brancaccio and a lively group of fellow public radio enthusiasts on a diverse and culturally rich adventure to Havana, Cuba in 2026. You'll experience vibrant performances in venues throughout Havana and meet the talented musicians behind the music. Our itinerary includes visits to inspiring social projects that uplift disadvantaged youth, salsa dance lessons with private instructors and dining in the best private paladar restaurants that directly support local families. You’ll have the chance to stroll along the famous Malecón, explore Havana’s picturesque historic center, visit Hemingway’s home and soak in the city’s energy while riding in a classic convertible. This trip explores the music, art, culture and of course the economics of Cuba while supporting its incredible people. Cuba trips always sell out, so sign up today for this extraordinary experience!
Marketplace's David Brancaccio
David Brancaccio
David Brancaccio is the host and senior editor of “Marketplace Morning Report.” There is a money story under nearly everything, but David focuses on regulation of financial markets, the role of technology in labor markets, the history of innovation, digital privacy, sustainability, social enterprises, and financial vulnerability in older adults.
David freelanced for Marketplace in 1989 before becoming the program’s European correspondent based in London in 1990. David hosted the evening program from 1993-2003, then anchored the award-winning public television news program “Now” on PBS after a period co-hosting with journalist Bill Moyers.
David has co-produced and appeared in several documentaries, including “Fixing the Future,” about alternative approaches to the economy, and “On Thin Ice,” about climate change and water security, with mountaineer Conrad Anker.
David is the author of “Squandering Aimlessly,” a book about personal values and money. He enjoys moderating public policy discussions, including at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Chicago Ideas Week, and the Camden Conference.
David is from Waterville, Maine, and has degrees from Wesleyan and Stanford universities. Honors include the Peabody, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University, Emmy, and Walter Cronkite awards.
He is married to Mary Brancaccio, a poet and educator. They have three offspring, all adults. He likes making beer and building (and launching) pretty big rockets in Maine. Among his heroes are Edward R. Murrow and Wolfman Jack.
Itinerary
Day 1: January 11 - Arrive in Historic Havana
After clearing Cuban immigrations and customs, you are welcomed by your Cuban National guide
outside the terminal, who will assist with a private transfer to your hotel. Enjoy a stroll on the waterfront
or relax by the pool with a mojito before meeting your guide and host at 6:00 pm for a welcome dinner at one of
Havana’s best known, privately owned paladars. Sleep in Havana (D)
Day 2: January 12- Discover Historic Old Havana and Hemingway
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel (served daily from 7:00am to 10:30am)
This morning we set out to explore and discover the oldest neighborhood in Havana. The old Spanish quarter which is now a UNESCO site. Our in-depth walking tour will include a visit to a pharmacy and
the historic Ambros Mundos hotel where Hemingway stayed while in Havana from 1928 - 39. It was here that Hemingway wrote and finished, The Green Hills of Africa, Death in the Afternoon, and To Have and Have Not.
Enjoy lunch in a private restaurant in the old town before setting off to explore the architecture of this great city. In the late afternoon we’ll stop by the celebrated Nacional Hotel, built in 1930 and designed by the famed New York architecture firm of McKim, Mead and White.
In its 90+ years of existence, the American designed Hotel Nacional has had many important guests, including artists, actors, athletes and writers such as Winston Churchill, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Jimmy Carter, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Mickey Mantle, Johnny Weissmuller, Buster Keaton, Jorge Negrete and many, many others.
This evening we will dine in another one of Havana’s great private restaurants. Sleep in Havana (B, L, D)
Day 3: January 13 - The Conservatorio Guillermo Tomas, Hemingway and old classic cars
This morning we’ll visit the Conservatorio Guillermo Tomas. This music school has 500 students ranging in age from 8 to 19. The 40 annual graduates go on to join the best symphony, chamber and popular orchestras, or become music professors for new students.
After, we're off to visit Hemingway’s Finca Vigía (Lookout Farm) where North America's literary giant, Ernest Hemingway, spent twenty-one of his most important and productive years penning building blocks of English literature. Claimed by both the United States and Cuba as their son, it was Hemingway himself who declared the island his true home.
Lunch is included in a fabulous private restaurant today.
In the afternoon, we head to visit the Nostalgic Car garage and club. This private enterprise specializes in restoring old classic 1950 American cars and the owner has one great story to share with you! After our visit, we will be treated to a ride and cruise Havana in a perfectly restored classic car.
Dinner is included this evening. For those wishing to hear some jazz, we’ll head out to a private club to check out the local nightlife. Sleep in Havana (B, L, D)
Day 4: January 14 - An excursion west to Las Terrazas & Vocal Clave de Sol
This morning we leave for Las Terrazas. En-route we’ll travel through the lush countryside planted with sugar cane, corn, rice, and taro. With few vestiges of modernization, the region seems set back in time with farming communities still harvesting by hand and using horse and carts to transport goods to free markets. Las Terrazas is located in the Pinar del Rio province and is now part of UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserve, much of it reforested coffee plantation.
Upon our return to Havana, we stop for performance by Vocal Clave de Sol, a local group of young guitarists. This non-profit group has an important role in helping children learn through art and music.
This evening is yours to relax and dine independently. Sleep in Havana (B, L)
Day 5: January 15 -In Support of Woman in Cuba and Music
This morning we’ll head off to visit the Beyond Roots project – a platform to promote Afro-Cuban culture. We’ll learn about a few amazing small businesses driven by Cuban women including: Ciclo Papel, an ecological project that transforms recycled paper; Zulu, and a leather bag line craft shop.
Enjoy a bit of time visiting private artists at the local market before making our way to lunch.
After lunch, visit a private Santeria house where we’ll converse with local believers about the religion, which is a system of beliefs that merges the Yoruba religion (brought to the New World by enslaved West Africans sent to the Caribbean to work on sugar plantations) with Roman Catholicism and Native American traditions.
This evening we visit famed F.A.C., Cuban Art Factory. This is the best night cultural venue in all of Havana. There is always something new to do here - theater, jazz, contemporary dance, concerts, DJs, exhibitions or intranet chatting. Sleep in Havana (B, L, D)
Day 6: January 16 - Rhythms of Cuba
We kick off today with a visit to Casa Miglis for salsa lessons with one or more of the dancers of Havana Queens, directed by Rosario García Rodríguez (graduated from Escuela Nacional Del Arte and Universidad de las Artes) and stage director Balbina Aspron Chávez (Cuban TV Ballet). Lunch is included today.
After lunch we’ll visit the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. This imposing building treasures the largest collection of paintings and other works of arts brought to Cuba from overseas. Dinner is included tonight followed by an evening out at a jazz club! Sleep in Havana (B, L, D)
Day 7: January 17 -Your tailor-made adventure concludes
Transfer to Havana’s Jose Marti Airport and check in for your return flight to the States. Buen Viaje! (B)
WHERE WILL YOU STAY
The NEW Hotel Grand Aston La Habana! Set one block from the
famous Malecón, this upscale, four-star hotel is in the Vedado district. The new modern rooms have
spectacular views of the ocean, the city and the majestic Malecón ocean drive. There are four restaurants
and several bars including a Cuban cigar and rum sampling bar for connoisseurs. Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool, as well as a fitness room, a sauna and a beauty salon. The Hotel Grand Aston La Habana is an OFAC - US Treasury Department Authorized hotel.
IT'S INCLUDED
- Hosted by Marketplace's David Brancaccio
- Dedicated expert bilingual Cuban guide
- Four-star hotel accommodations as listed in itinerary (approved by new OFAC regulations)
- Multi-course traditional meals highlighting Cuban cuisine in Havana’s hottest private paladars (All meals included except for 1 breakfast and 1 dinner)
- Music workshops with respected Cuban jazz artists
- Salsa dancing and drumming lessons
- Bottled water daily and national drinks (local beers and mojitos)
- All entrances as listed in your itinerary
- Airport transfers in Cuba
- Special insider “Support for the Cuban People” experiences
- Certification of travel to Cuba under the U.S. Department of the Treasury general license
- Transport by private motor coach while in Cuba
Pricing and Terms
$5,295 per person based on double occupancy; $995 single supplement (waived if you are willing to share and a roommate is found)
Ways to save $200 - MPR and Earthbound travel alumni save $100 * Pay your final balance by check and save $100
This legal Cuba tour is operated under the OFAC (The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control) general license, section 31 CFR § 515.572(a)(1) which allows us to provide travel services to U.S. travelers to Cuba, in the category of “Support for the Cuban People.” It requires that each traveler utilizing this authorization engage in a full-time schedule of activities that enhance contact with the Cuban people, support civil society in Cuba, or promote the Cuban people’s independence from Cuban authorities and that result in meaningful interactions with individuals in Cuba. The traveler’s schedule of activities must not include free time or recreation in excess of that consistent with a full-time schedule in Cuba. For a complete description of what this general license authorizes and the restrictions that apply, see 31 CFR § 515.574.
Cuba is a developing country and still lacks many modern conveniences. It’s not unusual to experience short power black-outs or to find that your hot water, internet, TV or phone in your hotel room does not work properly (or at all). Further, the Cuban government and incoming Havana agency has the right to change the itinerary without notice (and often does). We’ll be travelling under a “Support of the Cuban People” license, which means that our days will be filled with independent activities intended to strengthen civil society in Cuba. Your day will begin around 8:30am and end around 5:00pm. This is not a trip for those looking for a leisurely, five-star beach holiday or a deluxe resort experience. Travelers who arrive in Havana with a sense of humor, an open mind, and are ready to be flexible, will absolutely fall in love with the people and culture of Cuba.
Reservations and Deposits: A $1,000 per person deposit is needed to confirm your space on this journey. You can make a credit card deposit online or by phone. Deposits are refundable, minus a $250 per person cancellation fee, for 60 days from the processing date or 90 days prior to departure, whichever comes first. Deposits made 90 days prior to a trip departing are not refundable. Final payment is also non-refundable which is why we strongly urge guests to purchase travel insurance.
Not Included: Cuban Tourist Card (aka visa) fee of $100 * Travel Insurance (in addition to included $1,000 mandatory medical coverage which is offered through Delta and American Airlines when purchasing your ticket) *International Airline tickets and luggage fees *Specialty beverages with meals (other than those mentioned in itinerary) *Meals not mentioned*Laundry/room/mini-bar service * Gratuities for housekeeping staff *Items of a personal nature and anything not listed in the “It’s Included” section.
Physical Requirements: It is the responsibility of each guest to be aware of their physical abilities or limitations and to be in sufficient good health to undertake the trip. Click here to read “Is an Earthbound trip right for you?” or call the Earthbound office for more details.
Travel Insurance: Earthbound Expeditions strongly encourages the purchase of travel insurance coverage. We include information on trip insurance in your deposit information.
Events and Hosted Journeys: If a planned event is cancelled for any reason, another event will be included in its place. This is not cause for refund. Events are subject to change. Also, if a host or special guest is unable to attend as planned, Earthbound Expeditions will do its utmost to find another host who has similar interests, talents, and expertise. The inability of a host to participate in a tour is not grounds for a full or partial refund.
Terms & Conditions: Visit earthboundexpeditions.com for full terms and conditions
Need more information?
Call us: (1) 206-842-9775 Earthbound Expeditions is open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Contact us! Complete our contact form and one of our travel consultants will contact you to answer your questions and help you complete your reservation.