Reviews and Testimonials

  I ran into Chaz by pure chance and thank god I did - he invited my friend and I on one of his tours and it was our most magical... read more and rich and educational day in Havana. I can’t recommend these tours enough. You’re gonna get an incredibly authentic and rich experience - unforgettable. NOT TO MISS. Def coming back and doing more!!!

  Chaz & Yami Chambers were our guides on the most wonderful tour of Cuba! Our itinerary had to be modified with Hurricane Ian traveling through, but we were not... read more disappointed in any way. The time spent with these musically brilliant people and the musicians they introduced us to made this the best vacation we had ever been on. We made lifetime friends and will definitely go back to Cuba with Havana Music Tours!

  Our 19 year old son went solo for a week with Havana Music Tours. It was an amazing experience for him. First, Chaz connected our son with drum lessons- and... read more he and the teacher really bonded. As well, Chaz's wife, Yami provided lot of musical and historical information that has brought on some great new thinking. Cuba is not an easy place to travel within, and this tour made it possible. They arranged events specifically for our sons interest, and also created a scenario where he could roam a bit on his own. He now wants to travel more, and return to Cuba. A rare and wonderful time was had.

  Im a holistic wellness chef, musician, agroecology farmer, and Cuban American. I partnered up with Havana Music Tours this past summer to lead a cultural tour and mindfulness retreat experience... read more in Havana. Chaz the director, is as friendly as can be, professional, knowledgeable, a pleasure...More

  I took the music tour from December 15-22 and must say every day every minute of the day was filled with totally unique and mind blowing experiences. Chaz has... read more his finger on the pulse of any type of music that’s happening in Havana. Things came up spontaneously and he make sure we took advantage of those. He and his tour guides are so attentive and knowledgeable and caring! I’ve traveled all around the world, and this is the most memorable experience I’ve had.

  My husband and I spent 5 nights in Havana on the VIP music tour with Chaz. It was incredible! Everything was scheduled and taken care of for us- our meals,... read more our transportation, tour guides, and best of all- tickets every night to amazing live music. We know that Chaz and his

  If you want a 5 star music and life changing experience, you’ll get it, including the unexpected as happens in Cuba plus the 5 star improvisations. I have done lots... read more of music travels round the world, and this is right up there. Go for it!

  My wife and I attended the 2020 Havana Jazz Festival with Chaz Chambers, who operates Havana Music Tours. It was a wonderful experience in every respect. Chaz made arrangements for... read more accommodations and meals, as well as a few touristic activities (walking tour of old Havana, visit to the music conservatory, etc). There were activities from midday until late at night, but tour participants could choose to come along, retreat to their hotel or pension, or set out on adventures of our own choosing. Chaz had anticipated just about every eventuality and all arrangements went off very smoothly. The tour included passes to hear music afternoons and evenings at a variety of venues in central Havana. Chaz, who himself is a professional drummer, curated the selection of concerts and provided transportation for our group of 7 to and from all the events. The performances, which included both Cuban and foreign musicians were all good and most were excellent. The musical level in Cuba is extraordinarily high. We hear some of these performers on tour in the US and on recordings. But to hear so many of them playing together in a single place in a single week is a privilege. At present it's much easier than most people imagine for Americans to visit Cuba. You can fly from several US cities to Havana, and you buy a visa at the airport. The US government places restrictions on where you can stay and what you can buy, but these restrictions are easy to work with. Best of all Havana Music Tours looked after all the paperwork, so we never had to give the matter a second thought. What are you waiting for . . . ?

  We recently visited Cuba via cruise ship. Havana Music Tours helped up plan our tour in Havana. Chaz served as our personal tour guide for the two days that we... read more were in port. In our party of ten, he made sure that everyone got to...More

  Our visit to the 2022 Havana Jazz Festival with Havana Music Tours was a wonderful experience. Tour director Chaz Chambers and his Cuban wife, Yamilka, looked after all arrangements in... read more a professional and proactive way. They curated an outstanding selection of concerts, informal performances, and visits to musical institutions. Before and after the festival, when no performances were scheduled, they arranged private performances by musicians of their acquaintance, for example an afternoon tour of the "Afro-Cuban Religious Experience" through shrines scattered around Central Havana and a visit to a recording studio to hear a local band rehearse. Because US government rules do not allow Americans to stay in Cuban hotels, Chaz found housing for us in a series private homes, essentially BnBs, all of them clean and comfortable with ample breakfasts. Most of our other meals were included in the tour: they turned into festive occasions at some of Havana's best restaurants. We traveled around Havana and the nearby countryside in comfortable buses with tourism guides provided by a Cuban government agency. Chaz and Yami also looked after airport arrivals and departures, Covid testing, money exchange, and record keeping for the US government. Almost everything went smoothly, and when inevitable problems arose (e.g. a delay in Covid testing at the airport), Chaz and Yamilka dealt with them quickly and successfully. The best thing about Havana Music Tours was the people. Chaz, Yamilka, their assistants Zack and Miguel, tour guides Alejandro and Ernesto, even the bus drivers -- everyone was friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and really, really nice. As well, our fellow tourists turned out to be excellent company, with a variety of ages, backgrounds and musical interests. We look forward to the next Havana Jazz Festival.

  I recently arrived home from the Havana Jazz Plaza Festival Tour with Havana Musical Tours. It was an uplifting, music and art-filled, educational, delicious, and deeply insightful immersion into... read more the musical culture of Cuba and its' historical roots. The experiential quality of the tour.... being led by wonderful local musicians and brought into their creative environments and processes, as well as the plentiful, authentic, high quality and diverse musical offerings, made this experience especially unique and valuable. Leveraging their own rich musical backgrounds, Chaz and Yami brought us inside the world of Cuban musicians, including young people crafting their individual paths.

We added on their extension to Trinidad and a day trip to the tobacco farms of Vinales, both worthwhile and enjoyable.

We had an interesting international group of travelers, which added to the richness of the experience. Chaz and Yami paid attention to our individual needs and preferences at the same time as organizing the many group activities. The non-compulsory nature of all activities allowed each person to pace the tour in an optimal way for them.

The one caveat I would share with prospective participants relates to choosing the accommodations. I would suggest future participants inquire of Chaz about the particular casas before finalizing their accommodation choice between a casa and a hotel.

Cuba is going through some very difficult economic times now. It is not over-run by tourists and has the feel of an undiscovered gem, full of unique surprises. The people are warm and hospitable, and it is a safe country in which to walk around. There is lots of beautiful art to take home, as well as a deep and wide well of fabulous music to enjoy. This tour is a great way to get to know Cuba, and we added on a few days on both ends so we could pursue additional individual interests.

I highly recommend tours with Havana Music Tours and I will be exploring their Musical Getaway Experiences to other countries in the future.

  My husband and I just returned from an absolutely amazing 4-day custom tour with Havana Music Tours. Chaz and his fiancée were the epitome of professionalism and warmth. They paid... read more attention to every detail and introduced us to local partners who equaled them in every way. Though HMT we were offered unparalleled glimpses into Cuban life, history, music, and culture. We are very well traveled and generally do everything on our own. While choosing Cuba as a destination, however, and not speaking Spanish, we felt it would be best if we had a tour. We couldn’t be happier with our decision as it surpassed our expectations. We experienced the hippest restaurants and concerts, mingled with musicians, and took salsa lessons with a pro. In all, it was an experience we could never have had without Havana Music Tours. We hope to book again with a group of friends! …

  We booked a 5-night tour with Chaz and Havana Music Tours this past summer – and it was amazing. Among the many reasons to visit Cuba, and Havana in particular,... read more is the music. I’m no musician, but I know what I like, and I love...More

  Still floating!! All musician led Havana Music Tours pulls out all the stops. They know the musicians and curated a fantastic week at the annual Jazz Plaza Jan 21-29, 2023.... read more /> Our small group (10) ranged from all over the world - and included a singer, a drummer, a saxophonist, a violin player, a guitarist and a ukulele playing clown!!
It was my third - and best! - trip to Havana.
Chaz and Yami (and Zach, Gelen, Miguel and Jorge) took great care that we were safe, well-fed, and learned the clave!

  We booked a 6-day tour with Havana Music Tours to attend the Havana Jazz Festival in January 2020. The group went out to listen to music every evening and... read more sometimes pretty late into the night for the festival. Chaz's arrangements for transportation, seating, accommodations and meals were excellent. During the day we did several walking tours, went to a music conservatory where the students played for us, took a salsa ("casino") dance lesson and went to an organic farm where we had a delicious lunch. As a musician himself, Chaz was great in helping us understand more about the music and the Havana music scene, about which he is very knowledgeable. There were only 7 people and it was great to have a small flexible group. And Cuba is a fascinating place for many reasons. I didn't know what to expect, but this was a wonderful experience even more than I had anticipated and I recommend it highly.

  After researching several music tours in Cuba, we signed up with Havana Music Tours because we could tell right away the tour would be personal and flexible. We didn't want... read more to be with a large group, and stuck in a very touristy schedule. Chaz, the...More