Experiences

Education, Music, Connection, Comfort - When we stepped out of the Havana airport we easily found our tour guide, Ismelys. She and our driver, Alberto, took care of us throughout the week. Our... read more hotel was a beautiful place. very comfortable with daily breakfast included. Our schedule was a great balance of historical city tours and music and art and dancing; even some down time for us to catch out breath. Our guide was familiar with many of the hosts at the restaurants and music venues. She introduced us to her contacts there. The service and food was top notch from friendly staff. even some meals made at the homes of some of the musicians. We are thankful that all of our venues were privately owned. This is a fairly new feature of tourism in Cuba. I would highly recommend this tour.

Best music and dance tour of Havana, Cuba  - My adult daughter and I just completed an absolutely wonderful 9 days in Havana, Cuba with Havana Music Tours. I highly recommend them!

Our local guide, Ismelys, was... read more exceptional. She was very knowledgeable about the music, dance and food scene in Havana. She arranged lodging for us a really good casa particular within easy walking distance of delicious restaurants and the Malecón waterfront. She took us to a number of nightly music venues including a fabulous live jazz rooftop performance by Ernán López-Nussa with his combo and another live performance by Los Van Van, a super dance band. Ismelys arranged multiple walking tours for us in Havana plus a day in Matanzas (rumba capital of Cuba) and Varandero (beautiful white sand beaches). Ismelys also arranged multiple private dance lessons covering timba, casino, Afro Cuban, and rumba styles.

Our driver for the week was Alberto who was excellent. Alberto was always attentive and flexible with respect to our schedule as well as being very resourceful, which was super important during the fuel shortage.

I look forward to my next trip with them.

Love Thy Neighbor, go to Cuba!  - My best friend and I recently had a truly mind-blowing adventure in Cuba. We had a splendid week and felt very well taken care of throughout the entire experience.... read more />
The team of Isme and our driver, Alberto, was top-notch. Together, they provided a meaningful, multi-textured tour filled with incredible music, culture, and human connections. While we returned home with some minor intestinal woes, our hearts are full. We wish for a positive future for Cuba and hope to remain friends.

The Trip of a Lifetime  - Last year, I saw something on social media that said you could take tours conducted by a local expert, of the Havana music scene. I've always loved Salsa and after... read more doing a little digging, found Havana Music Tours. I requested information and got a quick response from Chaz Chambers, the director. We exchanged a few emails and I decided to go ahead and book the 2026 Havana Salsa Fest tour.

Sending the nonrefundable deposit felt like a leap of faith, but everything I'd read about the company was encouraging, so six months prior to the tour, I wired the funds. I got regular updates from Chaz, and as the date drew nearer, the updates became more detailed with certain tasks that needed to be completed and the timeframe for each. None of these tasks was particularly difficult (eVisa, OFAC, etc), but knowing what had to be done and where onlne to do it was invaluable.

When the date finally arrived, I knew I had all my ducks were in a row and departed for sunny Havana from ice-gray Maine USA. (There's nothing like stepping onto a plane in freezing rain and stepping of it in 75 degree warmth 🙂 The Havana airport was small and well organized and, as soon as I got through customs, the lovely Isemlys (@ismeq.74 insta) was there to greet me. She ushered me to the waiting car, described the itinerary and set me completely at-ease. All in perfect English, which was important for me since I was, in this case, the typical ugly American who travels someplace without knowing the language.

Throughout the visit, Ismelys was absolutely invaluable. She handled everything from arranging our lodging, rides, meals, reservations, tickets and the million details required to carry off a smooth trip in a rather complicated environment. (Cuba is a country of contrasts and subtleties on many levels. Navigating those waters requires a knowledgeable, tactful and diligent person, all of which Ismelys did with grace and poise.)

One particular area where she shined was in getting us into and around the Salsa Festival. She seemed to know every official, impressario and musician amongst the thousands there. As a result we were made to feel very welcome, had great seats, terrific service and we felt like we were part of the inner circle rather than some group of tourists to be tolerated.

I also want to give a shout out to our driver, Alberto. He was there for us LITERALLY 24 hours a day. For example, after the last night of the festival, he dropped me off at my casa particular at 4:08 AM. Then he returned at 6AM to take me to the airport for my plane home. He was very accommodating, friendly and punctual. All especially impressive in this time of gas shortage all over Cuba.

I'm writing this review the morning after I returned home from the trip. I feel like I've left some very good friends behind - friends I didn't have a week ago. And when I go back, which I am already beginning to plan for, it will be with this group of people. I could not have wanted anything more.