Private Journeys

Self-drive Cuba: Explore the east

13 days from £2,370pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Cuba

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Overview & Highlights

Relish the flexibility and decide how quickly you travel in a self-drive hire car, visiting less-visited but historically significant eastern side of Cuba. Hotels and some city tours are pre-booked.

This holiday takes you not only to Cuba’s highlights but also to areas less visited by tourists in the eastern half of the country. If you are adventurous in spirit, the most rewarding way to travel around Cuba is to drive your own hire-car. You will relish the flexibility, and the ability to choose how fast and how far you travel before stopping to enjoy a sight or chat to the locals. Your hotels are all pre-booked for you.

Cuba is unique and inspiring; a socialist stronghold, with a rebellious history, colonial splendour in many of the towns, spectacular countryside and a Caribbean heart. Its vibrancy and friendly people will make a lasting impression. Walk round Havana’s historic centre; then drive on to eastern region of the country and back, visiting Cuba’s other historic cities: Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Sancti Spíritus, Camagüey, Santiago and Santa Clara. Drive through the wild mountains of Sierra Maestra, Castro’s pre-revolution hiding place, and continue to the Caribbean coast, basing yourself at the unassuming little fishing port Gibara to explore the attractive wooded bays and glittering beaches of the unspoilt northeastern littoral.

Read More
  • Guided walking tour of Old Havana
  • Guided walking tour of colonial Trinidad
  • Guided walking tour of Camaguey
  • Guided panoramic tour of Santiago
  • 11 days of self-drive around Cuba

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Paul Winrow Giffin

Paul Winrow-Giffin

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What our clients say

  • Overall an absolutely fantastic holiday. Arranged at last minute, there is no way that we would have been able to organise something like this on our own. Everything ran smoothly,…

    RB, Kettering
  • Every day was memorable for some reason - the reason for being there was to see Aisen - so the cities perhaps less memorable - but our tour leader made…

    CR, Isle of Mull
  • "Getting to Machu Picchu after a 50 year  dream was amazing. Although the whole of Bolivia was magical stunning scenery excellent guides and a surrealistic landscape."

    MF, Warwick
  • This tour brings Mexico's cultural and historical diversity vividly to life, and is an excellent introduction to this important Latin American country.

    JF, Cambridge
  • How, if at all, could your holiday have been improved? "I could not imagine that my holiday could have been better." "Cuba is changing, so go now before it's too…

    CA, London
  • Most memorable experience? - Seeing the eruption of volcano El Fuego at Antigua - though from a distance - but we still saw the red lava. The unspoilt Pacific Coast near…

    CB, Beckenham
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Our Expert's Opinion

This driving holiday explores the lesser-visited eastern part of the island, making it a great choice for anyone seeking a unique and adventurous trip. I personally love driving in Cuba because there are very few cars on the road, allowing you to truly venture off the beaten track and explore parts of the country that many visitors never get to see.

Paul Winrow Giffin
Paul Winrow-Giffin Travel Expert After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

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Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

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Bartolome, Galápagos

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Real Latin american experts

  • Millie
    Millie Davies - Travel Expert

    Having caught the travel bug as a child, Millie has travelled all over Latin America before making her home in Buenos Aires for 3 years.

  • Kathryn
    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Donaldson - Travel Expert

    Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

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    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

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