Bucket list experience:
Havana, Cuba
Havana’s rich, eclectic architectural fabric spans 500 years of Spanish Colonial, American and Independence buildings.
The Old City, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, offers up a feast of eye-catching Spanish colonial buildings – plazas, churches, mansions and civic buildings – all hallmarked with Andalucian decorative flourishes. The rest of the city, much of it neglected and crumbling, boasts an equally fascinating mix of art deco, art nouveau, modernist and colonial wonders.
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Destination Guide >Havana, Cuba
Built in 1930, this 12-storey art deco masterpiece, topped by a ziggurat and the iconic bat motif, was the former headquarters of the rum giant. The preserved art deco-styled interior is equally dazzling.
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
The neo-Moorish facade of the Hotel Sevilla is a Havana architectural highlight. The hotel was one of the city’s best in its early 20th-century heyday, accommodating mobsters, movie stars, and Graham Greene.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Havana, Cuba
This imposing wedding-cake mansion is the seat of the Cuban government. Stop by to see the marble 400ft Hall of the Lost Steps, the gigantic Statue of the Republic, the bronze bas-relief front doors, and the statue of the devil in a patio devoid of shade.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
It’s easy to stroll the Old City’s winding streets; if you want to explore independently, download the Guru Maps app to your smartphone.
Guided tours, however, are very insightful; Locally Sourced Havana Tours have several different options. Cubyke offer electric bike tours of the city, which cover greater ground and are a lot of fun.
Tours are available all year round, seven days a week, on request. The Old Town is less busy in the morning before the city wakes, so that’s the best time to go.
Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
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.
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Havana, Cuba[2.3 miles]
Havana’s best 5-star hotel, located on the edge of Old Havana, with a wonderful rooftop pool and the best breakfast in town.
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Havana, Cuba[2.7 miles]
Design-led, family-run boutique stay right on Havana’s Malecon in Central Havana. A lively vibe and a fabulous rooftop terrace and bar.
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Havana, Cuba[2.8 miles]
A Cuban-owned boutique B&B in trendy northern Old Havana, with a roof terrace offering fantastic views across the city.
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Havana, Cuba[3.1 miles]
Only five-star hotel in Havana right on the ocean road. It’s convenient for all the top attractions in the Old Town and beyond.
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Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Cuba
Sensual and sultry communist Caribbean capital, home to captivating, crumbling architecture, and enlivened by dance, music, avant-garde art and cocktails.
Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Havana, Cuba[0 miles]
Experience Cuba’s culinary heart with dinner at a paladar – authentic, family-owned restaurants, often in private homes, serving everything from traditional Cuban dishes to elaborate seafood dishes.
Best for ages: 13+ | £15
Havana, Cuba[0 miles]
Outstanding Cuban art can be found in Havana’s museums and galleries, and colourful art to buy and take home. Creatives, art lovers and collectors shouldn’t miss the Havana Biennial art fair.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Havana, Cuba[1.4 miles]
Watch the ancient artisanal craft of rolling Cuba’s world-famous cigars at one of the very few working factories in Havana that opens to the public.
Best for ages: 13+ | £8 | 1+ hours
Havana, Cuba[2.2 miles]
Havana’s magical, neo-baroque Grand Theatre stages ballet and modern dance, including performances by Carlos Acosta’s troupe.
Best for ages: 15+ | £20 | 2 hours
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Havana, Cuba[0 miles]
A lively month-long celebration of Cuban and Latin American art that takes over Havana’s streets, drawing in art lovers and artists from around the world.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 1 month
Havana, Cuba[1.9 miles]
An emerging district of street art, galleries and festivals in Southern Old Havana. Look out for cool street art, Galería Taller Gorría, and new bars and cafés.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Havana, Cuba[2 miles]
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[2.2 miles]
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
