Dreaming Of A Trip To Cuba? Now You Can Go

Alexandra E. Petri|Sept. 25, 2014 7:54 am EST

Latour, a member of The IsramWorld Portfolio of Brands and an expert Latin American travel, is offering globetrotters a rich taste of Cuba through a new series of legal people-to-people tours. Latour's hand-crafted programs, starting with its "Hello Cuba" departures in November, offer Americans the opportunity to journey to Cuba's once forbidden shores to explore and get to know the country's people, landscapes and culture.

"There has long been a fascination with Cuba, from the old Rat Pack days through the missile crisis and since the embargo over 50 years ago," said Arthur Berman, executive vice president of Latour. "Given client demand to see the island nation now before it changes, we decided to add Cuba to our portfolio, and came up with a program that is incredibly comprehensive with a price that even includes cell phones on the ground."

The nine-day, eight-night tour kicks off in Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage city and Cuba's most widely known city, before continuing on to Cienfuegos and a day trip to Trinidad, one of Cuba's best-preserved colonial towns and the heart of Cuba's cigar industry. The tour ends back in Havana.

The final evening is spent in nearby Jaimanitas visiting the home, studio, and community art projects of renowned Cuban artist José Rodríguez Fuster.

Departure dates for "Hello Cuba" include:

2014: November 1, 15, 29; December 13, 27 (New Year's in Cuba)
2015: January 10, 24; February 7, 21; March 7, 21; April 11, 25; May 9, 23; June 6, 20; October 17 31; November 14;December 5, 19 (Christmas in Cuba)
2016: January 9, 23; February 6, 20; March 5, 19; April 9, 23; May 7, 21; June 4, 18

"Hello Cuba" rates start at $4,499 per person double occupancy and include roundtrip air between Miami and Cuba; all meals as outlined in the itinerary; eight nights at hotels (including one at Miami International Airport hotel); all ground transportation and airport transfers; full people-to-people cultural exchange program; professional bilingual Cuban guide; a Latour tour manager; Cuban Visa; Cuban health insurance; tips at restaurants and organizations, porterage at hotels; hotel service charges and taxes; and one checked suitcase. The company also provides guests with on-the-ground cell phone rental so that Americans can call and text with their family and friends back home.