Cuba still remains close to my heart as a trip that became very meaningful to me. While Cuba is absolutely beautiful, it’s also a country that is struggling with hardship. If you’re willing to pull back the curtain and go beyond the beauty, a trip to Cuba can be very eye opening in understanding Cuba’s complex reality. Is Cuba worth visiting? Read on to get my take.

Is Cuba Worth Visiting?

Absolutely. If you’re willing to go beyond the beauty and learn, Cuba will be a trip that will both be amazing and break your heart simultaneously. The best way I can describe Cuba is that it’s a beautiful country in a very unfortunate situation.

I decided to go to Cuba with a girlfriend of mine who also shares a love for travel and photography, and our initial intent was to visit Cuba and create together. While we did a lot of research heading into our trip to Cuba, nothing really prepared us for the authentic experience we had in Cuba.

The preparation for this trip was different than most of my trips. From understanding entry requirements, to researching options for internet connectivity, to bringing in enough cash to cover the entire trip (as Americans can’t take out currency in Cuba), to buying and bringing in medical supplies, to bringing my own toilet paper to Cuba, and the list goes on and on.

When we were landing in Cuba, I felt like the whole plane was excited to be there. There was this energy in the plane that I’ve never experienced before on any other flight. A flight attendant was also informally talking to passengers, giving them information about Cuba, what to expect, and what they could/couldn’t bring back to the US. The energy and landing in this mysterious place made the trip even more exciting. It was in that moment that I couldn’t really believe I was in Cuba.

This guide will cover topics traveling to Cuba, safety, accommodations, WiFi, transportation, sample itinerary, and more.

Can Americans travel to Cuba in 2024?

The simple answer is yes. Americans cannot currently travel to Cuba for tourism/personal travel reasons but 12 categories are permitted to travel to Cuba. The most common category used to travel to Cuba is the category of “support for the Cuban people”.

Cuba Entry Requirements

If traveling under the category of “support for the Cuban people”, you will need a tourist visa that you can usually buy either directly from your airline or at the airport (note, you can only purchase this visa from certain US airports). You can also buy the tourist visa through your airline ahead of your trip, and they will mail it back to you. It’s best for you to contact the airline directly to find out your options. The cost is around $85 USD for the tourist visa. You will also need to complete a traveler information form before traveling to Cuba as you will be asked for this when entering Cuba. See my post for more details on travel requirements here.

Money

Currency in Cuba is the Cuban peso (CUP). Normally when you travel internationally, you can order currency at your local bank to have local currency when you arrive to the country you’re visiting. Unfortunately with Cuba, we cannot exchange dollars for Cuban pesos anywhere in the US, or anywhere in the world for that matter, except for Cuba. This means you can only do this in Cuba if you want to exchange your dollars for Cuban pesos.

One thing to note is that Cuba accepts the US dollar as a form of payment in most establishments (i.e., restaurants, casa particulares, stores, taxis, etc.). This means that you really don’t need to exchange to Cuban pesos, but I would suggest exchanging and having some pesos on you in the event you might need it. You can do this through your casa particular or Airbnb, or restaurants will even do an exchange for you.

The most important thing to know about money for your trip to Cuba is that you will need to bring enough dollars to cover you for your entire trip. The reason for this is because Cuba does not accept any American credit card or debit card when paying, and you cannot take out cash in Cuba as an American. If you run out of cash, you would not be in a good situation because there would be no other way to buy things since you can’t use your credit card or take out cash while you’re there. So you will have to estimate how much cash you might need for the whole duration of your trip (and even overestimate just to be on the safe side).

Accommodations

The US prohibits Americans traveling to Cuba to stay in most chain hotels in Cuba. The US Department of State published an online list found here outlining the prohibited hotels/hostels/casas since the Cuban government owns them. The best option for accommodation in Cuba is to stay in casa particulares which are basically houses where you rent a room (similar to an Airbnb). You can find these rooms on Airbnb, hostal websites, or on certain casa particulares websites. Most of these casas also offer breakfast as part of your stay so it’s similar to a bed and breakfast type of accommodation.

Casa particulares will also give you more insight into the daily life and struggles of the Cuban people. You will have the opportunity to talk to a Cuban family, making it a unique experience over staying in a hotel. You will also be supporting the Cuban people by staying in a casa, particularly over government owned hotels.

The one thing to note about casa particulares is that normally you are staying in someone’s home, and the hosts often live there. The room itself could be an extension of their home, but it’s their home. You could also look for casa particulares where the host does not live there so you can have more privacy. I say that because if you’re looking to go out at night, keep in mind whether your hosts are in the house with you as you’ll need to be respectful with noise level or coming back late.

WiFi

Does Cuba have internet? That is the big question. Yes, there is internet in Cuba but it is constrained. Expect to be off the grid for the most part while you’re traveling. If you’re wondering how you will get around, I also wondered the same thing. When I’m traveling, I usually use my phone for maps/navigation.

Options for internet in Cuba:

1. You can purchase a SIM card ahead of your trip and pick up in Cuba, Havana airport at the CubaTur counter. Only physical SIM cards are used in Cuba so if your phone only takes eSIMs then this option wouldn’t work for you. This is a 30 day SIM card and typically costs around $30 dollars. This is the most ideal option you can get if physical SIM cards work with your phone.
2. You can purchase internet cards (usually $1 dollar for 1 hour). These can generally be purchased through your casa particular or in stores. Remember that you need a WiFi network to connect to if you’re using these internet cards. Your casa particular might have a network you can connect to, or you can use public WiFi spots. There are many public WiFi spots, especially in Havana.
3. Casa particulares usually offer some WiFi to guests. When I say some, I mean that it’s usually limited. In our casa in Havana, we were given 12 hours total (between 2 people) of WiFi for the duration of our stay. This was enough for us since we planned to spend most of our days outside of the house anyway. In Vinales, we were only given 1 hour of Wifi for the duration of our stay. The rest of the time, we had to purchase internet cards, and we could connect to the network at the house.
4. Lastly and the most costly, you can try to activate your cell phone plan in Cuba. You can get service while you’re there, but it will likely be limited.

We decided to just connect to WiFi in our casa and in certain restaurants. Not all restaurants have WiFi, but some do, and you don’t need an internet card to get on. For the times that we were out of the house, we downloaded Maps.Me to help with navigation. If you decide to go this route, keep in mind small things that you will not be able to do without internet, like when you’re arriving in Cuba and need to contact your Airbnb host to let them know you’ve arrived (many times hosts will meet you when you arrive to the house). It’s these times where you will need to be more creative and ask your taxi driver to make a call to your host. Make sure you have the host contact information handy because you may not be able to retrieve the information on your phone without internet.

Language

In Cuba, Spanish is the official language. I bring up the topic of language here because, depending on where you go in Cuba, it’s best that you know how to speak Spanish, even at a basic level. If you’re staying in Havana, for the most part you shouldn’t have any issue with speaking English in most restaurants or with your casa particular host for example. However, once you venture out of Havana, most people speak very little English. This includes casa hosts. When we arrived in Vinales, our hosts were telling us about a woman that had just left, and they had a really hard time communicating with her because she didn’t know any Spanish. The hosts didn’t speak English, so they had a hard time.

The other reason to know Spanish is to get the experience of learning about the country and its current economic situation. Knowing the language to communicate with locals and casa hosts is best. If you only have a basic level of Spanish, it will be easier to communicate. My advice here is to travel with someone who speaks Spanish so that they can help interpret. If you’re planning on traveling solo or with someone who doesn’t speak Spanish, then make sure your hosts can speak English so that you can communicate with each other.

Food/Restaurants

I want to preface this section by saying that my thoughts on the food in Cuba is based on my own personal experience. I’ve heard of travelers who have had great experience with the food in Cuba, while others not so much.

Meals in Cuba

Prior to going to Cuba, people warned me that the food in Cuba wasn’t as good as in other places. They said it lacked taste, and for that reason, they brought condiments (like hot sauce) to season their food. I couldn’t understand how that could be true since all of the Cuban food I’ve tasted in the States has always been amazing.

Whether or not you enjoy the food in Cuba comes down to your personal preference and taste buds. For me personally, I had a few good dishes in Cuba, but otherwise the food overall could have been better. I also had to remind myself that Cuba lacks most resources as compared to other countries so this is also a big factor in the food as well.

In my personal experience it wasn’t so much that the food lacked taste. It’s hard to explain but the dishes could have been better overall. For example, if a menu states “grilled chicken” on the menu, the chicken would come out as more of a boiled/sautéed type of chicken and didn’t taste that great. I ended up ordering spaghetti more than once, a plate I usually don’t order at restaurants, but I couldn’t eat the meat dishes there because I wasn’t enjoying them.

I did, however, enjoy my meals when we ate in our casa, where our host cooked the meals. The food tastes much better, and I highly recommend eating at your casa (if your hosts offers this as an option) instead of going to restaurants. In Viñales, we did this for breakfast and dinner.

Eating out/Restaurant Prices

When we went to Cuba, we thought things, including eating out, would be cheap. The reality was that it didn’t necessarily turn out that way. We spoke to other travelers who also felt the same way and described Cuba as generally ‘more expensive’ than they thought it would be.

The thing to know about eating out in Cuba is that there are two types of restaurants, government owned and paladares (private, family-owned restaurants). In our research, many people said to go with paladares to support the Cuban people.

We also heard that paladares have better food than government owned restaurants. In my personal experience, it didn’t matter whether it was a paladar or a government owned restaurant, the food tasted the same and could have been better. Before my trip, I also heard that paladares were less expensive than government owned restaurants. We actually found the opposite to be true – paladares actually were more than government owned restaurants. Locals also confirmed this and told us that paladares many times end up being more because they have to buy the meat and food on their own versus government owned buying in bulk and can get better prices. The priciest restaurant we ate at was actually a paladar and was $67 USD for two people. On average, for two people we were paying around $30 USD for two people.

In our casa, prices were less than what you would find in a restaurant. Breakfast was an additional $5 dollars per person and dinner was $10 dollars per person.

Last, you will always want to ask what they have on the menu at the restaurant. Since Cuba only has a few resources, including food, they will often only have a few things on the menu. Start by asking your waiter what is available on the menu and decide from there.

To sum up, for food in Cuba, expect fewer excellent meals. You will have a couple of good meals here and there but overall the food will not taste so great. Try restaurants, but if you can, I would suggest eating at your casa, if possible.

Transportation

There are different ways to get around in Cuba. If you’re only staying in Havana, you can get around on foot, taxis, or bicitaxis (bicycle taxis). I loved the bicitaxis because it lets you see the city on a bicycle and just makes for a more fun experience.

If you’re moving around to different areas of Cuba, the main options to get around is bus or taxis. Buses are going to be the least expensive option but usually will take you longer to get to your destination. I’m usually not a fan of buses because of that reason so I opted out of that option. Initially we thought about renting a car so that we can have the flexibility to drive whenever we wanted to but after doing more research, renting cars in Cuba is not recommended. Mainly because cars are very old and you can run into issues on the road during your drive. In the end, we opted for colectivo taxis (shared taxis) and there were times where there were only two other people in the car with us and other times where the whole car was full of passengers. Depending on how long the drive is, the colectivo taxi will usually stop once at a rest stop for a break. From Vinales to Trindad, we had to make a change in Havana (to switch taxis – this is standard when traveling from Vinales to Trinidad). From Havana to Trinidad, we also made one rest stop.

Medicine

Bring different types of medicine with you when you travel to Cuba, in the event you might need it. This is very important as you will see medicine is very hard to come by in Cuba. There are barely any pharmacies and if you find one, the shelves are all bare. While we were in Cuba, my friend’s feet became very red and swollen. We were concerned because we didn’t know what was causing it and we also didn’t have any medicine to treat it. Around the same time, I was bit by noseeum bugs all over my body. I had never experienced that type of intense itching from other mosquito bites. Unfortunately I didn’t have bug spray or anti-itch cream.

In Trinidad, we were told there was a clinic specifically for travelers. It’s also known that Cuba has some of the best doctors in the world. Know that if you need to be seen by a doctor in Cuba, that is always an option.

In sum, bring medicine and supplies with you to Cuba as you will not be able to get these things in a pharmacy. Along with any prescriptions you might have, remember to bring things like antihistamine, pain medication, stomach medicine, anti-itch cream, insect repellent, bandages, etc.

Safety
Cuba is a safe country to visit. There was no point in Cuba where I felt unsafe. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. As with many capital cities, in Havana, you must be more cautious of your surroundings and belongings. For example, you’ll want to be careful if you’re using your cell phone and have it out as it could be taken. Nothing like this happened to us, but locals did warn us of this when we were out in Havana.

What you can/cannot bring back to the US from Cuba

The rules of what you can and can’t bring continues to change over the years. Before my trip, I was told you can bring back four bottles of rum and two boxes of cigars. Not knowing, I brought back a box of cigars in my carry-on luggage and was never stopped or questioned. However, when reading further into it, it looks like in September 2020, the rules changed again and travelers are prohibited from returning to the US with any Cuban alcohol or tobacco products. You can read more about this regulation here.

Other things to know

Here are some other quick things to know for your trip to Cuba:

1. Bring toilet paper with you from the US to Cuba. Most restaurants do not have toilet paper in restrooms. Toilet paper is one of those items that are hard to come by and will be expensive if you buy it in Cuba. You don’t have to carry the whole roll with you if you’re out but bring enough sheets in your bag or purse so you can use them when using the restrooms.
2. While Cubans are very warm and friendly, remember that because of their economic situation, you might run into someone that is looking to make some money off of you. A traveler in Havana airport was approached by a man who told her he could sell her a SIM card and then disappeared with her money. Another example is if you ask a local for a restaurant recommendation, you might run into someone who will recommend a restaurant and take you there personally. The restaurant could end up being a pricey restaurant to eat. If they bring tourists to the restaurant, they will get a commission. Be careful of these situations. For the most part, we didn’t run into these situations, but it can happen.
3. Make sure all of your US dollars are in good condition and are not ripped when you bring it into Cuba. If you give a restaurant or store a ripped US dollar (even the slightest rip), they will not take it since the Cuban banks will not accept a ripped dollar bill.
4. Bring bug spray! I completely forgot about this and desperately needed it. You might not need it in Havana but if you’re planning on visiting the countryside, Viñales, make sure you bring bug spray with you. I was pretty much eaten alive by noseeum bugs and I’m pretty sure it was on the beach so make sure you cover youself in bug spray to protect yourself and bring long pants/long sleeves to protect against bug bites at night too.
5. Carry your passport when traveling to different areas. Before going to Cuba, I was told by a friend that the police can stop you at any time to ask you for paperwork. This never happened to us, but we carried our passports in our backpack while traveling in taxis to make sure.
6. Do not just go to Havana! So many people will stay in Havana and do a day trip to Varadero beach. Varadero beach is mainly for tourists (Cubans need a visa just to enter the beach – I say that as I literally roll my eyes). Plan your trip to include other areas of Cuba. A popular area is the countryside of Viñales, but there are also so many other places to visit depending on what you’d like to see.

Sample 9 day itinerary

Day 1 – land in Havana, settle in, walk around Old Havana

Day 2 – explore Old Havana and the surrounding streets (the more you venture out of Old Havana, the more authentic Havana you will see).

Day 3 – travel to Viñales, settle in and walk around Viñales town

Day 4 – explore Viñales (horseback riding, tobacco farm, rum farm, etc.)

Day 5 – beach day from Viñales – Cayo Jutias

Day 6 – travel to Trinidad, settle in, walk around Trinidad town

Day 7 – beach day from Trinidad, Playa Ancon

Day 8 – travel back to Havana from Trinidad

Day 9 – travel back home from Havana

So if you’re asking yourself if Cuba is worth visiting, then I encourage you to take the leap and see it for yourself. It’s a trip you will not forget. It will be a different type of trip, as long as you allow it to be and go beyond the surface of the beauty. Enjoy Cuba!