• Breakfast at hotel
• 9:30am Walking tour of Old Havana with an architect and urban planner.
• The group will explore the four main plazas of the 18th-century colony:  Plaza de Armas, which originally housed the main administrative buildings of the colony; Plaza Vieja, the oldest of the plazas; and Plaza de la Cathedral, site of the baroque cathedral of Havana.  This  visit will include other important places such as Plaza de San Francisco, site of the basilica of San Francisco and the old Havana stock exchange.
• 12:30pm Lunch TBA
• 2:00pm Visit the Church of the Virgin of Regla, the Black Madonna, who is syncretized with the deity of Yemaya. Here will will also learn a bit more about AfroCuban religions
• Dinner on your own
• Visit to a Jazz Club to enjoy some Cuban jazz (included)

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 9:00 am Visit to the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) an NGO responsible for fostering people to people diplomacy through solidarity with groups worldwide.  They are your host institution while in Cuba.  Here we will discuss US and Cuba relations, politics, etc.
• 11:00am Have an exchange with UNEAC to learn about their work with artists, writers and musicians in Cuba.
• 12:30 pm Lunch (location tba)
• 2:30 pm Visit with a Musicologist to learn about the history and evolution of Cuban Music.
• 4:30 pm After our meeting we’ll enjoy a beginner level dance class to learn some basic Cuban dance steps incorporating music we learned about in the discussion.
• Return to the hotel making a stop at the historic Plaza de la Revolución where leader Fidel Castro addressed millions of Cubans on special occasions.
• Return to the hotel.
• Dinner and evening on your own.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 9:30am  Visit to the Colon Cemetery.  Named for Christopher Columbus, the cemetery is noted for its many elaborate marble  memorials. The  opening was in the  XIX century.  The architect was Calixto de Loira, and his was one of the first bodies buried in the  cemetery on September 29, 1872
• 12:00pm  Lunch at La Torre Restaurant with an incredible view of the city.
• 1:30pm   City tour by bus of modern Havana including the historic and picturesque Jose Marti Revolution Square and Playa municipality
• 2:30pm  Visit to Callejon de Hamel, an artistic Afro Cuban project in the Cayo Hueso neighborhood. Here you will have the opportunity to dance and enjoy performances of various artistic groups dedicated to Afro-rooted music and traditions.
• Return to the hotel
• 7:00pm  Travel across the bay of Havana to enjoy dinner (not included and location tba) with a great view of the Bay of Havana followed by the historic “Cañonazo”; a cannon firing ceremony dating back to colonial times, held at the Morro Castle.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 9:00am tour of the newly renovated Capitol building housing one of the largest indoor statues in the world.
• 10:30am  Visit to the San Jose Artisan Market, also a good example of small enterprise in Cuba.
• 11:30am Enjoy lunch and a visit to Corral Falso 259 Community Art Project to learn about this thriving community space.  We’ll enjoy a lovely lunch prepared by members of the community.
• 2:30pm Visit Casa de la Cultura to exchange about the work done with young people in the communities
• Return to the hotel
• Dinner and evening on your own

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 9:30am Meet with renowned Architect and Urban Planner Miguel Coyula to learn about urban planning, development and restoration in Havana.
• 11:00am  Visit to Kcho Community Art program in the Romerillo neighborhood, to learn about this artist’s commitment to his neighborhood and the programs the project has developed there.
• 12:30pm Lunch at San Cristobal Paladar
• 2:30pm Visit to the Fine Arts Museum, located near Paseo del Prado, considered one of the most important museums in Latin America and the Caribbean. Together with the largest collection of Cuban art in the world, it preserves pieces from the most important European schools.  Here we will enjoy a guided tour with a specialist of the Cuba collection of art
• Dinner and evening on your own

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 8:30am Leave for Trinidad making a stop off in the city of Cienfuegos.
• City tour of Cienfuegos known as the Pearl of the South.  The group will learn how the local architecture reflected the prosperity of sugar, tobacco and fruit trading, as well as about the 19th-century European influence.
• Lunch on your own while en-route
• Continue on to Trinidad, A UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Cuba´s south central region.  The group will learn how in this town, the local architecture also reflected the prosperity of sugar, tobacco and fruit trading, as well as about the 19th-century European influence.
• Check in Hotel Melia Peninsula Trinidad
• Dinner included (tbd)

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 9:30am Tour of the Colonial City
• Visit the Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of the Sugar Mills)
• Lunch included (location tbd)
• Afternoon:        Meet with representative of the Restoration Office.
• Visit a local ceramist and artisan fair and  see the work of local artists.
• Dinner on your own
• After dinner we will reconvene to participate in a CDR Visit.  The CDR’s or Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, are essentially a block organization that can be found in every Cuban neighborhood since the time of the revolution.  During this visit you will learn how the committees serve the community now.  This is also the best time to bring donations to the community as well as enjoy snacks and beverages together and more importantly to exchange with Cuban’s in their neighborhood and learn about the realities of their day to day life.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 8:00am Return to Havana by way of Matanzas where we will visit the historical Castle San Severino to learn a bit about the important history there.
• Lunch on your own at el Chiquirrin in Matanzas
• Back on the road to Havana, check back in to the Hotel Gran Aston
• 8:00pm Farewell dinner location TBD
• Visit the fabulous Fabrica de Arte Cubano, a former cooking oil factory turned into a giant, multilevel cultural institute featuring live music, dance, art exhibits, drama productions, films and more.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Depart for airport and return to the US.

END OF PROGRAM

*Draft itineraries are subject to change