Our trip to Cuba 10 years ago was one of our best ever and we have great memories. Unfortunately I can’t recommend a company as we went with Cosmos and it looks like they no longer do Cuba tours.
We had a local guide who was brilliant, was with us throughout the tour and gave us so many insights into local life. It’s a fascinating country with so much to learn. Our guide’s father was a GP so told us a lot about the healthcare system, eg every GP lives (or did at that time) in accommodation attached to their surgery and is responsible for 100 families, who can call on them day or night. He told us not to tip in hotels or restaurants, as those like him, working in the tourist industry and with access to foreign currency, were amongst the wealthiest in Cuba - he earned a lot more than his father. From memory we went to Santa Clara, Cienfuegos and the Vinales valley, as well as having a few days in Havana, which is fabulous, music on every corner, so much history, and all the connections to Hemingway. Of course we went round a cigar factory and rum distillery, local markets and bars, and the chocolate museum, one of my favourite places.
Be warned that the food is pretty basic, or was when we went. On the first night we got chicken, potatoes, “a little salad” and ice cream. It was better than we had been led to expect, but we soon realised that this was the standard meal most days after that. Some of our party seemed oblivious to the fact that they were in a poor country and did a lot of grumbling about the menu, which was embarrassing.
We were the only couple on the tour who didn’t choose to have the extra week at an all inclusive complex, so had a long drive back to the airport by taxi. Our driver spent much of the time cursing those “monster hotels”, and how they were taking from the economy and lining the pockets of the rich. And he also swore long and loud about “the bearded one”, whenever we hit a pothole, which was every couple of minutes!
Things must have changed if you need a visa to go to the US after visiting Cuba - we’ve been there twice since just on an ESTA.