Cuban Adventures

A Cuba specialist with its own local tour leaders

Cuban Adventures is a tour company that runs small-group tours, private tours, short stays and day experiences in Cuba, and nowhere else. The homepage says it "specialises in tour packages in Cuba", is based in Sydney and operates from registered offices in Havana and the USA. The footer names the business behind it as Big Planet Adventures Pty Ltd, with a head office in Newtown, Sydney, and further entities in the UK, the USA and Brazil, and a copyright line running from 2005. Its tours are run in Cuba with Cuban tour leaders, family-run guesthouses and local experience providers, which the site presents as the core of the offer: "Our tour leaders live in Cuba and take you where the locals go". Multi-day group tours depart weekly from Havana and travel across the island; the destinations the homepage highlights are Havana, Viñales, the Bay of Pigs, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Trinidad, Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba and Baracoa. Day tours run from Havana, Santiago and Trinidad.

The homepage sums up the aim of the tours as "understanding Cuba, connecting with the locals, discovering Cuba's stunning natural attractions, learning about Cuban culture and having fun".

Tour styles and the range

Multi-day tours run from four to 20 days, and the site says small groups are limited to 12-16 people. They come in three styles. Ultimate Cuba Tours are the all-in version, aimed at travelers who want no planning and no surprise costs; the site says they "include our best accommodation, expert tour leaders, and all activities, including most meals and gratuities", with daily activities such as traditional food, dance, visits to artists and time in nature, and they include a free eVisa. Classic Cuba Tours are pitched at budget travelers and independent explorers: standard accommodation, a tour leader and transport, with a few meals and activities, and free time after a guided orientation in each place. Active Adventure Cuba Tours are for nature lovers, with birding trips, bike rides and camping in UNESCO biosphere reserves.

Beyond the group tours, the site sells private and custom tours built for one party's schedule, and short stays in Havana and Viñales that work alone or as extensions. New for 2026 is the Havana Short Stay, a 3 to 5 day package with a local guide, airport transfers, guesthouse accommodation and set activities. Day tours and experiences include classic car rides, including a tour in a vintage American convertible with a local driver, bike tours, cooking classes and Afro-Cuban tours. Spanish lessons with a private tutor and daily salsa classes are offered separately or together as a Havana Combo Package.

The destination notes give a feel for the routes: tobacco farms in the Viñales valley, the 1961 invasion museum and reef snorkeling at the Bay of Pigs, the Che Guevara mausoleum and Tren Blindado monument in Santa Clara, Trinidad's sugar-era UNESCO old town, Camagüey's maze of streets, Son music and Carnival in Santiago, and Baracoa's coconut and cacao cooking under El Yunque.

How the trip works on the ground

Accommodation is in casas particulares, family-run guesthouses that the company says it vets and hand-selects, and it frames this as keeping travelers' money in Cuba. Tour leaders are Cuban residents. For meals not included on an Ultimate tour, the site says guests pick local restaurants at their own price point. Flights are not included; the site points to affiliated agents, airlines or a traveler's own agent. Extra nights in a Havana guesthouse before or after a tour can be requested on the booking form.

The company also handles paperwork. It sells the Cuban tourist card and says the eVisa arrives by email within 3 business days. It notes that all travelers to Cuba must have travel medical insurance and offers cover from the Cuban insurer Asistur S.A. at extra cost. For US citizens, the FAQ lists the D'Viajeros form (completed no more than 7 days before departure), the eVisa, a passport valid for six months after entry, proof of medical insurance and a general licence; the company says it provides a general licence affidavit and that Americans can join regular tours under the general licence category or choose SCP-ready tours. It also offers destination management services under a Cuba DMC page. The FAQ answers the safety question in the company's own words, saying Cuba has one of the lowest violent crime rates in the Americas and that petty theft occurs but is not widespread, and it advises checking a government travel advice site. The footer links to a responsible tourism policy and a page on the local projects the company supports.

Booking and support

Tours are booked online through the Book Now and tour search pages, and the deposit and cancellation rules are not set out on the homepage; the footer links to separate Booking and Payments pages and a Not 100% Sure? page. Travel agents have their own section. The homepage shows an "Excellent" rating based on 1,812 reviews, with recent guest comments that mention local knowledge, value for money, guesthouse stays and support for Cuban people; these are the reviews the company displays.

What the pages leave open, and who it suits

The homepage gives no tour prices, so costs have to be read on each tour page. The deposit, payment schedule and cancellation terms are not in the tour overviews, so they need checking on the Booking and Payments pages before paying. The Active Adventure style lists biking and camping but the homepage does not grade its difficulty or set age limits, so travelers should check each itinerary. The site calls the company "an award-winning tour operator" without naming the awards on these pages.

Cuban Adventures suits travelers who want to see Cuba in a small group with a Cuban leader and stay with local families rather than in resort hotels, and who like having visas, insurance and US paperwork handled by the same company. The choice between an all-inclusive Ultimate tour, a looser Classic tour and an outdoor-focused Active trip makes it easy to match budget and pace. Travelers who want international-chain hotels or a beach-resort holiday will find the model different, but for a guided, locally rooted trip around Cuba it is a focused specialist.