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School Trips to Cuba: Havana, Trinidad & Viñales

Students ride in a pink 1959 convertible along Havana's coast road, with palm trees and the sea behind them.

School trips to Cuba are educational group tours that introduce students to the country's conservation work, colonial history, and Afro-Cuban culture.

In 2026, Rustic Pathways programs to Cuba priced between $3,315 and $3,755 per student, excluding international airfare, on itineraries of 8 to 9 days.

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$3,315–$3,755per student across the three sample itineraries8–9 daysthree sample itinerariesCustom school tripsbuilt around your dates, curriculum and budget1 free teacher spotfor every 8 paying studentsSince 1983Rustic Pathways has operated student travel programs
Rustic Pathways · 6082 Pinecone Drive, Mentor, OH 44060 · +1 (440) 975-9691 · groups@rusticpathways.com · rusticpathways.com Student travel programs since 1983.

Cuba School Travel Itineraries

The three Cuba school travel itineraries are Conservation and Community, Documentary Photography, and Spanish Language Immersion. Conservation and Community starts at $3,650 for 9 days, Documentary Photography starts at $3,315 for 8 days, and Spanish Language Immersion starts at $3,755 for 8 days.

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Compare the three itineraries side by side
ItineraryHavana to the Lomas de Banao: Conservation and CommunityHavana, Trinidad and Viñales: Documentary PhotographyHavana and Las Terrazas: Spanish Language Immersion
Length9 days8 days8 days
Starting priceFrom $3,650From $3,315From $3,755
Learning focusEnvironmental Science · Biology · Service Learning · HistoryVisual Arts · Photography · History · GeographyWorld Languages · Spanish · History · Service Learning
RouteHavana · Charco Azul · Las Terrazas · Lomas de Banao · Tunas de Zaza · TrinidadHavana · Habana Vieja · Trinidad · Cienfuegos · Bay of Pigs · Valle de ViñalesHavana · University of Havana · Habana Vieja · Vedado · Las Terrazas
Overnight basesHavana (1) · Charco Azul ecolodge (1) · Las Terrazas eco-lodge (1) · Lomas de Banao ranger station (2) · Tunas de Zaza ranger station (1) · Havana (2)Havana (2) · Trinidad (2) · Havana (1) · Viñales (1) · Havana (1)Havana homestay (7)
Physical profile4 low · 4 moderate · 1 high2 low · 6 moderate2 low · 6 moderate
On-program flightsNoneNoneNone
Nights outside HavanaFive nights outside Havana, working with two conservation sitesThree nights outside Havana, in Trinidad and ViñalesNo nights outside Havana; every night is a homestay
Best forBest for departments that want a hands-on conservation and community program, most nights spent outside Havana at working reforestation and mangrove sites.Best for departments that want a documentary photography program built around daily instruction, from Havana's Malecón to the Trinidad coast and the Viñales valley.Best for Spanish departments that want twenty hours of university-level language instruction built into a Havana homestay week.
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  1. Havana · Arrive and depart; the guesthouse base on the first and last three program nights
  2. Charco Azul and Las Terrazas · Two conservation and eco-village sites west of Havana
  3. Lomas de Banao, Tunas de Zaza and Trinidad · The reforestation preserve, the coastal mangrove site, and the UNESCO town of Trinidad, on the drive back to Havana
The nine-day route: west from Havana to Charco Azul and Las Terrazas, southeast to the Lomas de Banao Preserve and the coast at Tunas de Zaza, back through Trinidad, and returning to Havana to depart.
  1. Havana · Arrive and depart; the guesthouse base on days 1, 2, 5 and 7
  2. Cienfuegos · A stop on the drive south to Trinidad
  3. Trinidad · Two nights; the walking-tour and Playa Ancón base
  4. Bay of Pigs · A snorkel stop at Punta Perdiz on the drive back to Havana
  5. Valle de Viñales · A separate leg west of Havana; the sunrise shoot over the mogotes
The eight-day route: south to Cienfuegos and Trinidad, west along the Bay of Pigs back to Havana, then a separate leg west to the Valle de Viñales.
  1. Havana · The University of Havana and the host-family homestays; every night of the program
  2. Las Terrazas · A single day trip for the zip line canopy tour
The eight-day route: a Havana homestay for every night of the program, with one day trip west to Las Terrazas.
Students plant tree seedlings at a reforestation nursery, working row by row. Cuba · Havana, Lomas de Banao & Trinidad 9 days · From $3,650

Havana to the Lomas de Banao: Conservation and Community

Explore Cuba's conservation efforts during nine days of field study, service learning, and travel across western and central Cuba. Students work alongside local conservation specialists on reforestation and mangrove restoration while visiting Havana, Las Terrazas, Lomas de Banao, and Trinidad.

Choose this program
10+ studentsEnvironmental Science · Biology · Service Learning · History

The route connects Havana, Charco Azul, Las Terrazas, Lomas de Banao, Tunas de Zaza, and Trinidad.

  1. Havana1 night
  2. Charco Azul ecolodge1 night
  3. Las Terrazas eco-lodge1 night
  4. Lomas de Banao ranger station2 nights
  5. Tunas de Zaza ranger station1 night
  6. Havana2 nights

Your nine-day itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Arrive in Havana

    The group lands in Havana, meets the Program Leaders who stay for the whole program, and settles into the guesthouse before a welcome dinner.

    MorningInternational flight into Havana.
    AfternoonAirport transfer and check-in at the guesthouse, then a group orientation.
    EveningDinner at a paladar, one of Havana's privately owned restaurants.
    Route
    José Martí International Airport to the guesthouse in Havana.
    Travel
    International flight, then a private airport transfer.
    Overnight
    Program-approved guesthouse in Havana, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Dinner included; earlier meals depend on arrival time.
    Physical demand
    Low effort; an arrival day with a short orientation walk.
    Learning outcome
    Students set out what they expect from Cuba before Havana answers.
    Customization
    A group landing late moves the welcome dinner to the guesthouse.
    DocumentsEvery traveler completes Cuba's digital pre-arrival form and its QR code before the flight departs. Program Leaders confirm it for the whole group.
  2. Day 2

    West to Charco Azul

    A short drive west brings the group to Charco Azul, an ecolodge where conservation specialists from Flora y Fauna work alongside local farmers to reforest the surrounding hills.

    MorningDepart Havana for the drive west to Charco Azul.
    AfternoonMeet conservation specialists from Flora y Fauna at the ecolodge.
    EveningA first look at the reforestation work ahead, and dinner at the lodge.
    Route
    Havana to Charco Azul, an ecolodge in the hills west of the capital.
    Travel
    About one hour by coach.
    Overnight
    Charco Azul ecolodge, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Low effort; a short orientation walk around the lodge grounds.
    Learning outcome
    Students ask Flora y Fauna's specialists why these hillsides were chosen for reforestation, and what changes when local farmers help set the plan.
  3. Day 3

    Las Terrazas and the Lagoon

    Las Terrazas is Cuba's first ecologically sustainable community and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and the group sees what that designation means on the ground before a horseback ride to Charco Azul Lagoon.

    MorningA tour of Las Terrazas, Cuba's first ecologically sustainable community.
    AfternoonTime in the UNESCO biosphere reserve, reading what ecotourism looks like on the ground.
    EveningA horseback ride to Charco Azul Lagoon closes the day. The community never said whether living inside a biosphere reserve is a trade worth making. That question rides along too.
    Route
    Charco Azul to Las Terrazas and the Sierra del Rosario biosphere reserve.
    Travel
    Short coach transfer within the reserve.
    Overnight
    Las Terrazas eco-lodge, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; a walking tour and a horseback ride.
    Learning outcome
    Students name one thing a Las Terrazas resident said about living inside the reserve that changed where they thought the line between protection and daily life sits.
  4. Day 4

    South to Lomas de Banao

    A long drive across the Cuban countryside brings the group to the Lomas de Banao Preserve, where park rangers introduce the conservation work ahead.

    MorningThe long drive southeast to the Lomas de Banao Preserve.
    AfternoonArrival and a briefing from park rangers on the preserve's conservation work.
    EveningAn introduction to the reforestation projects the group joins the next day.
    Route
    Las Terrazas to the Lomas de Banao Preserve, through the Cuban countryside.
    Travel
    About five hours by coach.
    Overnight
    Ranger-station lodging at Lomas de Banao, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Low effort; most of the day spent riding in the coach.
    Learning outcome
    Students hear from park rangers what the preserve protects and ask what a group of students can actually add in two days.
  5. Day 5

    Reforestation and Bella Waterfall

    The group builds erosion-control barriers alongside Lomas de Banao's rangers, then hikes to Bella Waterfall for a swim and the trip's mid-point discussion.

    MorningReforestation work at the Lomas de Banao Reserve, building erosion-control barriers.
    AfternoonA short hike to Bella Waterfall and a swim underneath it.
    EveningA mid-trip evening at the ranger station. The barriers went up today. Whose soil they protect is a question the rangers carry, and the group sits with it beside them tonight.
    Route
    The reserve's work sites and the trail to Bella Waterfall.
    Travel
    On foot from the ranger station.
    Overnight
    Ranger-station lodging at Lomas de Banao, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    High effort; a work morning building barriers, then a hike to the waterfall.
    Learning outcome
    Students point to a moment when a ranger's account of the barriers shifted their sense of whose land the work actually protects.
    Customization
    Groups with a strong environmental-science focus can extend the work session.
  6. Day 6

    Mangrove Restoration at Tunas de Zaza

    At the coastal town of Tunas de Zaza, the group tours the Zaza River by boat and gathers red mangrove seeds to replant, work that sustains the local marine ecosystem.

    MorningThe drive to the coastal town of Tunas de Zaza.
    AfternoonA boat tour up the Zaza River, gathering red mangrove seeds to replant.
    EveningThe catch of the day at the park ranger station, with pink flamingos on the water.
    Route
    Lomas de Banao to Tunas de Zaza, on the coast.
    Travel
    Coach, then a boat on the Zaza River.
    Overnight
    Ranger-station lodging at Tunas de Zaza, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included; dinner is the catch of the day.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; a boat tour and mangrove-seed collection.
    Learning outcome
    Students ask why a mangrove estuary needs replanting at all, and what the flamingos on the water tell them about whether it is working.
  7. Day 7

    Trinidad, Then Back to Havana

    The drive back toward Havana stops in Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a walking tour and an afternoon at the beach.

    MorningThe drive back toward Havana, with a stop in Trinidad.
    AfternoonA cultural exploration of Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, then an afternoon at the beach.
    EveningDinner back in Havana.
    Route
    Tunas de Zaza to Trinidad, then on to Havana.
    Travel
    Coach, several hours.
    Overnight
    Program-approved guesthouse in Havana, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; a walking tour and time in the water.
    Learning outcome
    Students ask a Trinidad guide what UNESCO status changed in the town, and what it did not.
  8. Day 8

    Havana Vieja and the Malécon

    A walking tour of Havana Vieja and a classic-car ride to Plaza de la Revolución and the Malécon lead into the group's closing reflection.

    MorningA walking tour of Havana Vieja, the old town.
    AfternoonA ride in a 1950s American classic car to Plaza de la Revolución and the Malécon.
    EveningMusic and dancing, then the group's closing reflection.
    Route
    Havana Vieja, Plaza de la Revolución and the Malécon.
    Travel
    On foot and by classic car.
    Overnight
    Program-approved guesthouse in Havana, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; a full day on foot and in a car.
    Learning outcome
    Students read Havana Vieja with a local guide and then reflect together on what they engaged with all week, and what they will take home.
    ReflectionThe group closes with Rustic Ties, an activity that helps students capture the week's memories and learning to share with their communities back home.
  9. Day 9

    Fly Home from Havana

    A last morning at the guesthouse, then the transfer to José Martí International Airport for the flight home.

    MorningFinal goodbyes at the guesthouse.
    AfternoonThe transfer to José Martí International Airport.
    EveningThe flight home.
    Route
    Havana guesthouse to José Martí International Airport.
    Travel
    Private transfer, then the international flight.
    Overnight
    In flight or home.
    Meals
    Breakfast included; other meals depend on flight time.
    Physical demand
    Low effort; a departure day.
Five students lean against a red classic car on a cobbled street outside La Bodeguita del Medio in Trinidad, Cuba. Cuba · Havana, Trinidad & Viñales 8 days · From $3,315

Havana, Trinidad and Viñales: Documentary Photography

Cuba becomes the setting for an eight-day documentary photography program spanning historic cities, coastal landscapes, and rural communities. Daily photography instruction guides students as they document Havana, Trinidad, the Bay of Pigs, and the Viñales Valley while examining Cuba's history and geography.

Choose this program
10+ studentsVisual Arts · Photography · History · Geography

The route connects Havana, Habana Vieja, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Bay of Pigs, and Valle de Viñales.

  1. Havana2 nights
  2. Trinidad2 nights
  3. Havana1 night
  4. Viñales1 night
  5. Havana1 night

Your eight-day itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Arrive and Shoot the Malécon

    The group lands in Havana, meets its photography guides, and heads straight to the Malécon for a first shoot of the seawall at sunset.

    MorningInternational flight into Havana.
    AfternoonAirport transfer, a gear check with the Rustic Pathways photo guides, and a group orientation.
    EveningA shoot along the Malécon near Habana Vieja as the sun sets, then dinner at a Havana paladar.
    Route
    José Martí International Airport to the guesthouse, then the Malécon near Habana Vieja.
    Travel
    International flight, then a private airport transfer.
    Overnight
    Program-approved guesthouse in Havana, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Dinner included; earlier meals depend on arrival time.
    Physical demand
    Low effort; an arrival day with an evening shoot along the seawall.
    Learning outcome
    Students frame their first Havana photographs before a guide has said a word about how to see the city.
    Customization
    A group landing late moves the Malécon shoot to the following evening.
  2. Day 2

    Workshop in Habana Vieja

    A morning workshop and photo critique opens the day, then the group works Habana Vieja's plazas, colonial facades and back alleys with its photo guides.

    MorningA workshop and critique of the previous day's photographs.
    AfternoonShooting Habana Vieja's plazas, colonial architecture and back alleyways with the photo guides.
    EveningFree time to edit and review the day's frames.
    Route
    The guesthouse to Habana Vieja's plazas and alleyways, on foot.
    Travel
    On foot.
    Overnight
    Program-approved guesthouse in Havana, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; a full day on foot on cobblestones.
    Learning outcome
    Students ask a guide why a certain doorway or facade keeps appearing in Cuban photography, and try to shoot it differently.
  3. Day 3

    Trinidad and Cienfuegos

    The group travels to Trinidad, one of Cuba's most picturesque colonial towns, stopping in Cienfuegos for its bay and French-inspired architecture.

    MorningThe drive to Cienfuegos, the "Pearl of the South."
    AfternoonCienfuegos's bay, plazas and French-inspired architecture, then on to Trinidad's cobblestone streets.
    EveningA live music performance at the Casa de la Música.
    Route
    Havana to Cienfuegos and on to Trinidad.
    Travel
    Coach, most of the day.
    Overnight
    Program-approved guesthouse in Trinidad, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; a travel day with two walking stops.
    Learning outcome
    Students compare Cienfuegos's planned layout with Trinidad's colonial street plan and ask a guide what each town was built to do.
  4. Day 4

    Trinidad Workshop and Playa Ancón

    A walking photo tour and a workshop with a local photo guide lead to a hike to Javira Waterfall and a sunset shoot at Playa Ancón.

    MorningA walking photo tour of Trinidad, then a workshop and exchange with a local photography guide.
    AfternoonA hike to Javira Waterfall in Parque El Cubano.
    EveningSunset at Playa Ancón, one of Cuba's best southern beaches, then the trip's mid-point discussion.
    Route
    Trinidad, Parque El Cubano and Playa Ancón.
    Travel
    On foot and by coach, short legs.
    Overnight
    Program-approved guesthouse in Trinidad, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; a hike to the waterfall and time on the beach.
    Learning outcome
    Students ask a local photo guide what changes about a photograph when the person you're shooting is also teaching you.
  5. Day 5

    Bay of Pigs to Fábrica de Arte

    The drive back to Havana follows the Bay of Pigs, with a snorkel stop at Punta Perdiz before an evening at Havana's Fábrica de Arte Cubano.

    MorningThe drive back toward Havana along the Bay of Pigs.
    AfternoonLunch and snorkeling at Punta Perdiz, one of the area's premier diving sites.
    EveningFábrica de Arte Cubano, Havana's arts and entertainment venue.
    Route
    Trinidad to Havana, along the Bay of Pigs, with a stop at Punta Perdiz.
    Travel
    Coach, most of the day.
    Overnight
    Program-approved guesthouse in Havana, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; a travel day with a snorkel stop.
    Learning outcome
    Students ask what the Bay of Pigs is a memorial to today, apart from what a guidebook says happened there in 1961.
    Customization
    Students who prefer not to snorkel can shoot from the shore instead.
  6. Day 6

    The Valle de Viñales

    The group ventures into the Valle de Viñales, one of Cuba's most photographed landscapes, and learns the traditional farming techniques still used among its mogotes.

    MorningThe drive west to the Valle de Viñales.
    AfternoonExploring the valley and its mogotes, and learning traditional agricultural techniques.
    EveningA shoot as the light drops over the valley.
    Route
    Havana to the Valle de Viñales.
    Travel
    Coach, about three hours.
    Overnight
    Program-approved guesthouse in Viñales, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; walking on valley trails.
    Learning outcome
    Students ask a local farmer what a mogote does for the soil around it, and shoot the answer instead of just the view.
  7. Day 7

    Sunrise in Viñales, Then Havana

    A dawn shoot over the mogotes leads into the drive back to Havana for the Museo de la Revolución, a classic-car city tour and the group's closing photo presentation.

    MorningSunrise over the mogotes in the Valle de Viñales.
    AfternoonThe drive back to Havana, the Museo de la Revolución, and a city tour in an antique American classic.
    EveningBartering in the local market, a visit to the Hotel Nacional, and each student's closing photo presentation.
    Route
    Valle de Viñales to Havana, then the Museo de la Revolución and the Hotel Nacional.
    Travel
    Coach, about three hours, then classic car in the city.
    Overnight
    Program-approved guesthouse in Havana, shared rooms.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; an early start and a full day of travel and touring.
    Learning outcome
    Students present their strongest frame from the week to the group and say what they were trying to prove with it.
    ReflectionThe group closes with Rustic Ties, an activity that helps students capture the week's memories and learning to share with their communities back home.
  8. Day 8

    Final Frames, Then the Flight Home

    A last morning in Havana, then the transfer to José Martí International Airport for the flight home.

    MorningA last morning in Havana.
    AfternoonThe transfer to José Martí International Airport.
    EveningThe flight home.
    Route
    Havana guesthouse to José Martí International Airport.
    Travel
    Private transfer, then the international flight.
    Overnight
    In flight or home.
    Meals
    Breakfast included; other meals depend on flight time.
    Physical demand
    Low effort; a departure day.
A student plays conga drums alongside Cuban musicians on a colorful shuttered street. Cuba · Havana & Las Terrazas 8 days · From $3,755

Havana and Las Terrazas: Spanish Language Immersion

Build Spanish language skills through 20 hours of instruction at the University of Havana and a week of immersion with local host families. Cultural and historical experiences throughout Havana, plus a day trip to Las Terrazas, give students opportunities to use Spanish beyond the classroom.

Choose this program
10+ studentsWorld Languages · Spanish · History · Service Learning

The route connects Havana, University of Havana, Habana Vieja, Vedado, and Las Terrazas.

Your eight-day itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Arrive and Meet Your Homestay

    The group lands in Havana, meets the Program Leaders, and settles into host families before a welcome dinner.

    MorningInternational flight into Havana.
    AfternoonAirport transfer and introductions with host families, then a group orientation.
    EveningDinner at a Havana paladar.
    Route
    José Martí International Airport to host-family homes in Havana.
    Travel
    International flight, then a private airport transfer.
    Overnight
    Havana host family homestay.
    Meals
    Dinner included; earlier meals depend on arrival time.
    Physical demand
    Low effort; an arrival day.
    Learning outcome
    Students meet the family they will speak Spanish with all week before a single class has happened.
    Customization
    A group landing late moves the welcome dinner to the following evening.
  2. Day 2

    Placement Test and the Revolution Museum

    Classes begin at the University of Havana with a placement test, and the first afternoon visits the former Presidential Palace, now the Museum of the Revolution.

    MorningEnrollment and a Spanish placement test at the University of Havana.
    AfternoonThe Museum of the Revolution, in Cuba's former Presidential Palace.
    EveningTime along the Malécon, then the Cañonazo ceremony at the Fortaleza San Carlos de la Cabaña.
    Route
    The homestays to the University of Havana, then the Malécon and the Cabaña fortress across the bay.
    Travel
    On foot and by coach.
    Overnight
    Havana host family homestay.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; a full day of class and a walking evening.
    Learning outcome
    Students place into a Spanish level, then hear the same nine o'clock cannon that has marked Havana's evenings since the 18th century.
  3. Day 3

    Class, Habana Vieja and Salsa

    Language class continues in the morning, then the group walks Habana Vieja's four main plazas before an evening salsa class.

    MorningSpanish class, then lunch on Vedado's Calle 23.
    AfternoonA walking tour of Habana Vieja, starting at Plaza de las Armas.
    EveningA salsa dancing class with local instructors after dinner at a paladar.
    Route
    The university, Vedado's Calle 23, and Habana Vieja's four main plazas.
    Travel
    On foot.
    Overnight
    Havana host family homestay.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; a full day on foot plus an evening dance class.
    Learning outcome
    Students read Habana Vieja's four plazas as a sequence and ask what each one was for.
  4. Day 4

    Class and a School Exchange

    After class, the group exchanges with a local Cuban school before an evening cabaret show at the Hotel Nacional.

    MorningSpanish class at the University of Havana.
    AfternoonAn exchange with a local primary or secondary school in Centro Habana or Habana Vieja.
    EveningEarlier, an exchange partner described a school day that looked nothing like the one the group had pictured. The Parisién cabaret show at the Hotel Nacional fills the evening, but that gap between the two descriptions is still open when the lights go down.
    Route
    The University of Havana, a school in Habana Vieja, and the Hotel Nacional.
    Travel
    On foot and by coach.
    Overnight
    Havana host family homestay.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; a full day of class and an evening out.
    Learning outcome
    Students recall a detail from their exchange partner's account, given in Spanish, of a school day that did not match what they expected, and say what that gap taught them.
  5. Day 5

    Class and Las Terrazas Zip Line

    The afternoon trades the classroom for Las Terrazas, Cuba's only eco-village, for a canopy zip line and a first look at the island's conservation work.

    MorningSpanish class at the University of Havana.
    AfternoonA zip line canopy tour at Las Terrazas, hiking among waterfalls and spotting endemic bird species.
    EveningA mid-trip discussion on what the group has learned so far, in and out of the classroom.
    Route
    The University of Havana to Las Terrazas and back.
    Travel
    Coach, about one hour each way.
    Overnight
    Havana host family homestay.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; a zip line and a hike.
    Learning outcome
    Students ask a Las Terrazas guide what conservation work has changed since the Revolution, and check the answer against what they read in the museum on day 2.
  6. Day 6

    Class and the Organopico Garden

    The last day of language class ends with an afternoon working alongside local farmers at an organopico, a Havana urban garden.

    MorningThe last Spanish class of the week.
    AfternoonPlanting, weeding and sorting produce at an organopico alongside local farmers.
    EveningA group dinner, then live music at the Casa de la Música. A farmer's reason for keeping this garden running stayed with the group through dinner, unresolved and worth carrying home.
    Route
    The university to a Havana organopico.
    Travel
    On foot and by coach.
    Overnight
    Havana host family homestay.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; an afternoon of garden work.
    Learning outcome
    Students carry home one line, spoken in Spanish, from a farmer explaining why the garden matters, and name how it changed their sense of where food comes from.
  7. Day 7

    Classic Car Tour and Closing Dinner

    A classic-car tour of Havana takes in Plaza de la Revolución and the José Martí Memorial before a closing dinner and Rustic Ties.

    MorningA tour of Havana in a classic American car from the 1950s.
    AfternoonPlaza de la Revolución, the José Martí Memorial, and the view from one of Havana's tallest buildings.
    EveningBartering at the Mercado de San José, then a closing dinner and salsa dancing in Habana Vieja.
    Route
    Plaza de la Revolución, the José Martí Memorial, and Habana Vieja.
    Travel
    Classic car, then on foot.
    Overnight
    Havana host family homestay.
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
    Physical demand
    Moderate effort; touring, market time and an evening out.
    Learning outcome
    Students explain the significance of Plaza de la Revolución's monuments to a partner, in Spanish, before a guide explains it to them.
    ReflectionThe group closes with Rustic Ties, an activity that helps students capture the week's memories and learning to share with their communities back home.
  8. Day 8

    Homestay Farewell and the Flight Home

    Final goodbyes with host families, then the transfer to José Martí International Airport for the flight home.

    MorningFinal goodbyes with host families.
    AfternoonThe transfer to José Martí International Airport.
    EveningThe flight home.
    Route
    Homestay to José Martí International Airport.
    Travel
    Private transfer, then the international flight.
    Overnight
    In flight or home.
    Meals
    Breakfast included; other meals depend on flight time.
    Physical demand
    Low effort; a departure day.
What applies across every itinerary
Groups and teachers
Groups start at ten students; smaller groups are considered on a case-by-case basis. One teacher's Program Tuition is free for every eight paying students.
Rooming
Students share gender-separated rooms, each with their own bed. Teachers get private rooms.
Price
Program Tuition doesn't cover flights to and from the program, travel insurance, medical insurance, or personal spending money.
Flights and documents
Book international flights independently or have Rustic Pathways arrange them. Families are responsible for passports, Cuban tourist cards, and travel license requirements, with guidance from Rustic Pathways throughout the process.
Supervision
Program Leaders lead scheduled activities, stay on site and are available overnight. The approved itinerary specifies any free time, and Program Leaders are present during it.
Effort
Low means limited walking. Moderate is a full day on foot in a city, in a classroom, or on an easy trail.
Flexibility
Conservation work days belong to the park rangers and the local nonprofit and move with what the site needs that week. University class hours are fixed by the term.
Decision documents

What does a family need to arrange before a Cuba departure, and who handles it?

Every traveler must complete Cuba's D'Viajeros digital pre-arrival form and receive a QR code before departure. Program Leaders confirm that each student and chaperone has completed the form before the group travels.

Travel from the United States to Cuba also requires an authorized travel license category and a Cuban tourist card. Rustic Pathways guides families through these requirements, while the school confirms the appropriate travel category before the proposal is finalized.

A smiling Cuban woman sits in a doorway beside stacks of handwoven straw hats.

How much does a school trip to Cuba cost?

A school trip to Cuba costs $3,315 to $3,755 per student for program tuition, or approximately $406 to $469 per day. Tuition covers lodging, meals, airport transfers, in-country transport, scheduled activities, guides, and entrance fees.

Schools receive one complimentary program tuition place for every eight paying students. Airfare is not included.

The price covers accommodation, meals, in-country transport, activities, guides, and entrance fees, with one complimentary Program Tuition place per eight paying students. Every itinerary here is priced for your group rather than sold as a public departure.

$3,315 to $3,755

per student across the sample itineraries, excluding international airfare.

8 to 9 days

program length across the three itineraries on this page.

Group quote

every school receives its own, built on dates, group size and route.

What the price includes
IncludedWhat it covers
TravelAccommodation for every program night, all meals and drinking water, airport transfers, in-country coach transport, scheduled activities, guides, and entrance fees.
Staff and supportAt least two trained Program Leaders, including both a male and a female leader, pre-departure planning, and school documentation. Enrolled families receive a 24/7 emergency number for use during programs and travel days.
Community donationsRequired by a service project, paid by Rustic Pathways and never collected from students.
ChaperonesOne complimentary Program Tuition place per eight paying students. Chaperone airfare and insurance are separate.

Not included: International airfare, travel insurance, medical insurance, personal spending, and passport, visa or Cuban tourist-card fees.

What changes the price?
EffectFactor
raisesPeak and holiday weeks
raisesUpgraded lodging
raisesExtra chaperones beyond the complimentary place
lowersLarger groups spread fixed costs across more students.
raisesA shorter trip does not lower fixed costs. Spreading them over fewer days raises the cost per day.

Payment and cancellation

Installment plans are available. Review the current enrollment terms.

Families can enroll directly and use monthly installments, or the school can pay as a group.
Request Cuba pricing

What do students learn on a Cuba school trip?

Students on Cuba school trips learn about environmental conservation, visual storytelling and Cuban history, or Spanish language and culture. Each program connects classroom subjects to fieldwork, communities and daily life in Cuba.

  • Environmental Science and Service Learning

    Students study conservation through fieldwork with local specialists and park rangers. They work on reforestation and mangrove restoration, then compare those approaches with community-based conservation at Las Terrazas.

    How do communities decide what to conserve and how to protect it?

    Havana to the Lomas de Banao: Conservation and Community

  • Visual Arts and History

    Students explore Cuban history and culture through documentary photography. They photograph Havana, Trinidad, Cienfuegos and the Viñales Valley, using workshops and critique to develop a documentary photo essay.

    How does a photographer decide which stories to preserve—and how to tell them?

    Havana, Trinidad and Viñales: Documentary Photography

  • World Languages and Service Learning

    Students develop practical Spanish through classes and daily immersion. They complete 20 hours of university Spanish classes, live with a host family in Havana and use Spanish while engaging with local communities.

    What can students learn through Spanish that a classroom alone cannot teach?

    Havana and Las Terrazas: Spanish Language Immersion

Students and a Cuban farmer feed pigs at a rural farm pen, with green hills behind them.

What makes Rustic Pathways educational trips different?

A Rustic Pathways school trip is one private group on your school's own dates, one bed per student, and an itinerary built to your curriculum.

  • 01No mixed groups. Just your school
  • 02One student, one bed
  • 03Your school picks the dates
  • 04Monthly payment plans available
  • 05No tipping; Rustic Pathways Program Tuition includes community donations
  • 06Aligned to your curriculum

Who supervises and manages the trip to Cuba?

School chaperones and Rustic Pathways Program Leaders supervise and manage the school trip to Cuba together.

Rustic Pathways manages the itinerary, accommodation, ground transport, activities and emergency procedures; your school manages its own student conduct and communication policies.

Your school can book international flights directly or ask Rustic Pathways to arrange them. Families receive trip logistics and itinerary information through the MyRustic web app.

How safety is managed on a school trip to Cuba?

Program Leaders manage local operations and safety procedures alongside school chaperones. Across 13 years of published incident data from every Rustic Pathways program worldwide, 87% of reports were GREEN, the minor tier where the group stays intact.

What the team plans for

  • Havana and Habana Vieja

    City traffic, crowded Old Town streets and alleyways, and rides in vintage cars on public roads

  • The conservation route west and southeast of Havana

    Reforestation work sites, a river-mangrove boat tour, and the hike to Bella Waterfall

  • Trinidad, the coast and Viñales

    A snorkel stop near the Bay of Pigs, beach time at Playa Ancón, and rural mountain roads to the Valle de Viñales

Level 2  Exercise increased caution. The May 7, 2025 U.S. advisory rates Cuba at Level 2, citing crime and unreliable infrastructure.

Controls built into every trip

  • Written risk plan. A score above 5 requires new controls, reassessment or cancellation.

  • Two-Deep Leadership. A single staff member is never alone with students, and at least two trained Program Leaders, including both a male and a female leader, support each School Group Travel trip.

  • Assessed activity vendors. Conservation-site, boat and university-course partners are reviewed before use, every one to two years, and on site when high risk.

  • Medical readiness. WFR coverage for remote programs and Dr. William R. Smith, dedicated Medical Director since 2015.

Is Rustic Pathways the right partner for your school trip to Cuba?

Yes, Rustic Pathways is the right partner for private, curriculum-focused school trips to Cuba. Your school chooses the travel dates, and Rustic Pathways builds the itinerary around your curriculum.

Students travel only with their teachers and classmates and never join another school's group. Individual students can join open enrollment teen travel programs to Cuba instead.

A strong fit
  • You want one private group with your dates and your teachers.
  • Your group can travel for 8 or 9 days.
  • You have 10 or more students.
  • You want a conservation, photography or language-immersion focus.
Talk with us first
  • A student has significant mobility, medical, sensory, mental-health, dietary, or religious support needs.
  • You have fewer than 10 students.
  • You want the Spanish-immersion itinerary. Students live with a Havana host family for the week rather than in a group guesthouse.
  • Your school needs to plan cash carefully. Cards issued in the United States do not work in Cuba, so the group carries or exchanges cash for the week.
Probably not a fit
  • You want open-enrollment teen travel, a group shared with another school, or a trip that qualifies as general tourism.

Support planning starts early

Raise individual needs before booking so Rustic Pathways can assess them and adapt the route and support plan where feasible.

Questions about school trips to Cuba

The questions schools ask most before requesting a Cuba proposal, answered from the itineraries and prices on this page.

How much does a school trip to Cuba cost?

A school trip to Cuba costs $3,315 to $3,755 per student for an 8- to 9-day program, excluding international airfare.

Final pricing depends on season, trip length and group size. Groups start at 10 students, with one complimentary teacher place for every eight paying students.

When is the best time to take a school trip to Cuba?

The best time for a school trip to Cuba depends on the program. Conservation activities such as reforestation and mangrove restoration follow local project schedules, which Rustic Pathways confirms with your proposal.

Photography and Spanish immersion programs can run during any school term. Rustic Pathways builds the trip around your school calendar.

Patrick Ziemnik, Leader of Global Operations at Rustic Pathways.
Patrick Ziemnik has been with Rustic Pathways since 2012 and leads global operations. He directed teen travel programs as Country Director in Mongolia, Tanzania and Costa Rica.

Have a question before you ask for a proposal?

Patrick Ziemnik answers Cuba school-trip questions with the school travel team.

In fall 2017 a gap-year alum stayed in a casa particular, ate at family-run paladares, spent a day planting mangroves, toured Old Havana and rode in the classic cars Cubans call almendrones. Read the full account on the Rustic Pathways blog.

Send your group size, dates, trip length, and what you want students to learn. I’ll reply within 1 business day and send you options within 48 hours, and no sales call unless you ask for one.

Start with your travel window

Start your Cuba trip proposal with your travel dates, group size, and learning goals. Receive a reply within 1 business day and customized trip options within 48 hours.

Or reach a person directly: +1 440-975-9691 or groups@rusticpathways.com

Need approval or funding first?

Certificate of insurance, risk management plans, and fundraising templates for families, on request.

Step 1 of 2 · Your contact details

We reply within 1 business day and send options within 48 hours.

Submitting this form starts a conversation with the Rustic Pathways school travel team. Read the Rustic Pathways privacy policy.

A pink 1950s American car parked outside a yellow colonial building on a cobblestone Trinidad street.A group in life jackets rides a small boat past a mangrove shoreline on Cuba's south coast.A crowded narrow street in Havana Vieja lined with colonial balconies and Cuban flags.Students swim in a green pool beneath a multi-tiered waterfall in a forested gorge.