Havana 3-day Itinerary
Cuba
Where to go and what to see in Havana to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Claire Boobbyer.
Best things to do & places to stay:
Havana, Cuba
Credit Shutterstock.com/Maurizio De Mattei
Sensual and sultry Havana is the coolest city in the Caribbean. Her salty Spanish colonial streets fizz with music, her art shines a light on revolutions, and her architecture – a handsome jumble of Spanish villas, churches, art deco towers, and baroque mansions line promenades, tight historic streets, and her famous winding ocean-facing road, the Malecón.
Go for the live music, dance, art, the new bars and restaurants, and the Cuban wit, and to witness the last bastion of communism in the western hemisphere. Havana is enigmatic, energetic, maddening, and safe, and is perfect for couples, families and history-curious folk.
UNESCO-listed ‘Old Havana’, next to the bay, is home to the majority of Havana’s restored Spanish colonial churches, plazas, mansions and hotels. Further west is faded, mostly residential Centro Habana.
Beyond Centro is artsy, leafy el Vedado, with its mix of wedding-cake mansions, private restaurants and bars, upmarket B&B stays, while further west, along 5th Avenue, is the larger, smarter suburb of Miramar with embassies, restaurants and clubs. The city is hemmed in by the Atlantic Ocean, flanked by the serpentine 8km-long corniche, the ‘Malecón.
Our writer’s recommended itineraries for this destination
Cuba
Where to go and what to see in Havana to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Claire Boobbyer.
Cuba
Where to go and what to see in Havana to get the most from your trip – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Claire Boobbyer.
The bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination
Havana, Cuba
The longest fort in the New World, dating from 1763, with panoramic views of Old Havana. Go at 9pm each night for the cannon guard of honour ceremony.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Havana, Cuba
An impressive fort, which took 50 years to construct, that has become the iconic symbol of Havana. Climb the 19th-century lighthouse for a view of the entire city and Malecón.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Havana, Cuba
Appreciate the tropical beauty of Havana from the comfort of an iconic, convertible classic car.
Best for ages: 18+ | £560 | 1+ hours
Havana, Cuba
Explore the history of Havana through its extraordinary architecture, from Spanish colonial piazzas and churches to crumbling art deco, modernist and art nouveau mansions.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest
Havana, Cuba
Fun souvenir art for tourists is available at this one-stop art and crafts market, housed in a converted warehouse on the edge of Old Havana.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Havana, Cuba
Dating from the 19th century, Havana’s remarkable cemetery is an architectural gem, home to marble mausoleums, winged angels, sparkling mosaics, wrought-iron motifs, Art Deco sculptures, vast government monuments and 1959 Revolution memorials.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Havana, Cuba
This funky, Cuban-run cafe and coffee roastery in Old Havana is a popular stop. It sells arguably Havana’s best coffee, great breakfast and exceptional sourdough sandwiches including ample vegan and vegetarian options.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Havana, Cuba
Legendary American writer Ernest Hemingway downed a record 16 daiquiris in one sitting at this, his favourite Havana bar. The bartender mixed him a sugarless and double rum tipple and named it the Papa Doble. Come early to bag a barstool at the glamorous scarlet bar.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay in this destination
Havana, Cuba
Design-led, family-run boutique stay right on Havana’s Malecon in Central Havana. A lively vibe and a fabulous rooftop terrace and bar.
Official star rating:
Havana, Cuba
A Cuban-owned boutique B&B in trendy northern Old Havana, with a roof terrace offering fantastic views across the city.
Official star rating:
Havana, Cuba
An Italian-Cuban-owned villa with exceptional service in the heart of Havana’s artsy, leafy suburb, el Vedado.
Official star rating:
Havana, Cuba
A historic and iconic Art Deco, oceanfront property facing the Atlantic on Havana’s seaside road. A Havana institution, rich in history.
Official star rating:
The best time to travel to Cuba is from November to April, when the weather is less humid and cooler, and the risk of hurricanes has passed; hurricane season runs from June until November. Peak season is July and August, coinciding with European summer holidays, but if possible avoid this period; the heat and humidity are insufferable, and the best hotels and B&Bs, and rental cars get booked up.
The rainy season begins in May – tropical downpours are fast and heavy but are not a reason to avoid a holiday; the water evaporates immediately, cooling the air.
The best and only way from the airport to the city centre is by taxi (fixed fare of 625 CUP, 30 minutes). Car rental is also available at the airport. Cuba’s only public coach service – Víazul – travels from José Martí International Airport’s Terminal 3 to Havana’s bus station (in El Vedado) a couple of times a day.
Modern, yellow Cubataxis are expensive. They will run anywhere but are scarce on weekend nights and when it rains. Cheaper, basic Lada Cubataxis are better value but come without air con. Classic American car collective taxis – almendrones – cross the city on fixed routes. You’ll need to ask locals how to use them, as well as the collective Taxi Ruteros (Fixed-route state-run transport). Yellow coconut-shaped ‘Coco’ taxis are expensive and not entirely safe, but are a fun option.
Bicitaxis (bicycle carriages/pedicabs) are a useful way of crossing longer distances in the Old Town, but they cannot access the very heart of the old town. A hop-on hop-off double-decker HabanaBusTour circulates around the city.
Most of the time, you’ll be moving around in organised tours. Note that Cubanacán, Cubatur and Gaviota are three state-run companies that offer most of the standard, reliable, tours and excursions across Cuba. Private ventures are however now emerging offering everything from taxi transfers to cooking and photography classes.
First-time visitors usually stay in the Old Town in hotels in restored historic buildings or in Cuban B&Bs. Those hotels, boutique stays, and B&Bs in el Vedado and Miramar are surrounded by a wider range of dining, drinking and entertainment options. Cuba’s main attractions are in the Old Town or el Vedado neighbourhoods.
Cuba’s main attractions are in the Old Town or el Vedado neighbourhoods, so first-time visitors usually stay in the Old Town in hotels in restored historic buildings or in Cuban B&Bs. Those hotels, boutique stays, and B&Bs in el Vedado and Miramar are surrounded by a wider range of dining, drinking and entertainment options.
In general, the best restaurants, including a handful of fine dining options, are found in the more upmarket el Vedado and Miramar neighbourhoods. Old Havana is home to a cluster of great new bars and some outstanding new restaurants.
In late 2011, Cuba boosted its private sector allowing hundreds of Cubans to open new restaurants, bars and cafés. This revolutionised the eating and drinking landscape in Havana. As a result, there are now fewer old-style paladars – mom-and-pop restaurants inside Cuban homes limited to 12 chairs.
Government-run restaurants are not recommended, and strong stomachs may be needed for street snacks as most are poor quality but don’t pass on fruit juices (without ice), guarapo (sugarcane juice), pure coffee or anything made with rum!
Drinking is a national sport and across the city, hip haunts and state-run watering holes pull in punters for cocktails and beers. Bars, theatres, courtyards and dance halls may erupt into partying spots at any time.
Alongside Cuba’s dining revolution, Habaneros have found ways to open stores selling designer wares, vintage finds, hand-made clothing and crafts. Many of these are in Old Havana. For one-stop shopping for souvenirs, head to the converted warehouse on the harbour, Almacenes San José.
Official Cuban cigars (buy from the government-sanctioned La Casa del Habano stores), aged Santiago rum, beautiful screen-printed Cuban film posters, Cuban art, and the new Cuban-made designer buys (Eg Clandestina, Dador).
Havana is a safe city with a low crime rate; walking everywhere is possible. It is safe for women to go out at night and to walk on main streets on their own, although taxis are always available. Don’t wear ostentatious jewellery or flash cameras as opportunistic theft is occasionally a problem. Dengue fever can be a problem in the summer months.
Helpful service depends on the time of day, the individual staff member, and numerous intangible factors that Cuba presents. Be patient, it’s part of the experience.
Cuba eliminated its dual currency in 2021. The Cuban convertible peso (CUC) is no longer legal tender. The Cuban peso (CUP), moneda nacional, remains in circulation and officially runs at CUP$24 to the USD.
Take plenty of Sterling, Euro or Canadian dollars in cash. Very few places are able to accept credit cards for payment due to the US embargo on Cuba. For cash withdrawals, charges are high. For your bank card to work in Cuba it must not have any connection to a US bank; check this before you travel.