How to get to Cuba from Moscow
No direct flights. Most convenient — with a connection via Havana or Madrid. Cubana de Aviación, Iberia, Air France. Tour operator charters — 20–30% cheaper.
This exists nowhere else in the world
Best fares
Hotels Cuba, from Havana to Varadero
In Havana — colonial boutiques and restored palaces. In Varadero — large all-inclusives. On the atolls — quiet resorts with living reef.
Regions, each with character
When to go to Cuba
December–April — dry season, best time. May–November — rainy season and hurricanes.
Curated tours to Cuba
What you need to know before you go
Visa & tourist card
Cuban tourist card — $25, purchased at departure airport or from tour operator. Russians do not apply for a visa separately. Card valid 30 days, extendable on arrival.
Money in Cuba
Cards do not work (due to sanctions). Cash only — dollars or euros. Credit cards Visa/Mastercard — no, UnionPay — no. Bring sufficient cash for entire trip.
Transport
Taxis — negotiated only (no meter). Vintage taxis — for photos and tourist routes. Viazul buses — between cities. Car rental available but expensive and challenging.
Connectivity & internet
Internet in Cuba — limited and slow. Wi-Fi only in hotels and ETECSA points. Sales.Travel eSIM with Cuban plan — 2 GB from 990 ₽. Calls via messengers.
Must-try experiences
Vintage 1950s convertibles (Chevrolet Bel Air, Ford Fairlane, Plymouth) with driver — one of Havana's signature tourist experiences. Rental 30–60 USD/hour, 2-hour route: Malecón → Plaza de la Revolución (where Castro spoke) → Capitol → Old Town → Vedado. Book at Hotel Inglaterra or directly at Capitol — where the colourful 'yank tanks' park.
Malecón — 8 km seafront promenade from Old Havana to Vedado, built in 1901. After 6 pm — the gathering place for all of Havana: fishermen, lovers, musicians, children, mopeds. Havana Club rum straight from the bottle (5 USD at the shop across), cigars, conversations. Sitting on the seawall facing sunset over the Gulf of Mexico — a must.
Varadero — 20-kilometre spit of white quartz sand on the Hicacos peninsula. One of the world's top 10 beaches per TripAdvisor 5 years running. Water +27°C year-round, visibility 10–15 m. Coral reefs 50 m offshore — excellent snorkelling right from the beach. 130 km from Havana (2 hours on Viazul bus, 10 USD).
Trinidad (founded 1514) — UNESCO, the Caribbean's best-preserved colonial town. Cobblestone streets (foot and horse traffic only), pastel houses with carved ironwork, ceramics and lace workshops. Casa de la Música at Plaza Mayor on Fridays — the island's finest open-air Son dancing. 4 hours from Havana via Cienfuegos on Viazul.
Cayo Coco — atoll in the Jardines del Rey archipelago, 115 km from Varadero. Connected to the mainland by a 27 km causeway (pedraplén). Wild flamingos right by the road, pristine coral reefs 50 m from the beach, all-inclusive hotels Sol Meliá and Iberostar. Cayo Coco airport (CCC) accepts charter flights. Cuban Robinson with civilisation.
Casa de la Música in Centro Habana and Miramar — the city's premier dance clubs with live Buena Vista Social Club-style orchestras nightly from 10 pm. Entry 10–15 USD. Salsa lesson 1.5 hours with Cuban instructor — 20 USD (Habana Casa del Son, La Casa del Habano). Casa de la Trova in Santiago — the island's oldest music club.
Museo del Ron Havana Club on Avenida del Puerto 262 in Old Havana. 45-min tour (10 USD): production process, brand history, tasting of 3 rums of different ages. Exit shop — Havana Club Selección de Maestros (15-year blend) cheaper than anywhere. For the essential cocktail — Mojito at El Bodeguita del Medio (Hemingway drank here) or Daiquiri at El Floridita.
Viñales valley in Pinar del Río province, 2.5 hours from Havana. Unique limestone mogote cliffs, tobacco plantations, tobacco houses (casas del tabaco). Master roller will hand-roll a cigar before you in 15 minutes from leaves from his own plantation (5 USD per piece). 3-hour horseback ride among mogotes — 25 USD. Overnight in casa particular at a farmer's.
Cienfuegos — 'Pearl of the South', founded in 1819 by settlers from Bordeaux and Louisiana. Architecture with French character distinct from the Spanish across Cuba. UNESCO historic centre. Teatro Tomás Terry (1890), Palacio de Valle, stroll along Punta Gorda (headland with early XX-century villas). 250 km from Havana, 4 hours on Viazul (20 USD).