Reviews and Testimonials

  I went to Cuba with Chaz Chambers and his company Havana Music Tours, from the beginning I was immersed in the Cuban culture it was wonderful! We stayed at a... read more lovely casa with breakfast made every morning, we got to explore old Havana, it was filled with the most delicious food! Everyday was filled with afrocuban and jazz music, the Cuban people are some of the realest and nicest people I have met, I never felt unsafe and Chaz was a great tour guide throughout our trip, he took to the beautiful beaches and the grand music venues all around Havana. Chaz is definitely the way to go when booking your music tour he knows how to get around, and takes you to the best places to experience all the culture and music, I recommend his company if you are looking for an authentic experience! More

  Had the best time with Havana music tour! Chaz and Miguel arranged me and my wife a fantastic day tour in havana. We explored the city and its culture and... read more then went to two amazing music concerts. Miguel know so much about Havana and Cuba and our trip wasn't the same if we wouldn't have met him. Thank you so much!

  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!!!

  Two things: 1) Go to Cuba while you can and 2) Go with Havana Music Tours. You'll have a wonderful time with Chaz (and Cuban crew) who is hooked into... read more the best of Havana--the best accommodations, music, food and affinity for this fascinating place.

  Well organized visit for Jazz Plaza festival. Many other types of music as well. Learned a lot about Cuba. Stayed in great non-government owned casas (so legal per USA)... read more Side trip to Trinidad was beautiful. Excellent gourmet meals. Highly recommend.

  Not just hype, this is truly a transcendant experience. Havana is a city like no other, and this will give you a glimpse of it’s inner soul beneath the weathered... read more beauty. The local musical culture is, in its own unique way, as incredible and high level as New York City, but there is no way anyone would find half of this on their own without the expert guidance of Chaz Chambers, an accomplished professional drummer, who is an insider in this vibrant thriving scene, and friends with a number of the world class musicians who live and work there. I went to Havana with very high expectations, and these were totally exceeded.
And you will experience this in total comfort - even by American tourist standards— enjoying excellent accommodations and meals, while seeing many of the historical sites, the arts, attending a cuban style rooftop party, with Chaz and some of the very informative local guides he works with. A downside of being an American visiting Cuba is that you are pretty much required to sign up with some licensed sanctioned tour— something i was quite reluctant to do—but in this instance, it becomes an advantage— there is no tour like this one. Highly recommended.

  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....More

  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.

  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

  Read all the reviews on this Tripadvisor site, then add our names to the list of enthusiasts! The praise for Chaz and his Havana Music Tours is well deserved. Chaz... read more knows his music, he knows Cuba and he knows how to put travelers at ease. For us, it began ahead of the trip as Chaz worked with us to tailor it to our needs. With his good suggestions, it included fabulous late-night jazz fusion, personal salsa instruction, sitting in on a rehearsal of a world-famous Rumba group, beach time and -- bonus-- a Cuban wedding. In addition we visited all the colorful, iconic Havana sites -- in vintage cars, of course. We saw the old city, the Cuban Art Museum, El Morro fortress, the markets, the residential neighborhoods and more. We enjoyed experiences with Chaz we might never have found on our own. After 5 days, we felt like Chaz and his crew -- special shout out to Rocia and Miguel -- were family. They proved that in Cuba, warmth is more than the weather. Read no further -- just sign up for a tour with Havana Music Tours now.

  Traveling during a pandemic is not for the faint of heart, but Chaz and crew made us feel totally safe and cared for throughout our trip for the Havana JazzPlaza.... read more Our family of four, including 2 young adults, all enjoyed it very much. We had a real opportunity to not only listen to but also interact with Cuban jazz musicians as well as to learn about Cuban Art and Culture. Favorite experiences included a walking tour focused on Afro-Cuban religions with outstanding local guide Elias, trip to a local musical conservatory to see and hear the talented next-generation, and the fabulous paladars and local restaurants. The Cuban People are currently undergoing severe economic hardship, and it is always important to be flexible as a traveler to minor inconveniences (occasional power outages, unavailable menu items). Chaz and the other guides Yami, Zach, Miguel, Ernesto and Alejandro, always made sure we were well taken care of, including arranging car pick-up when we wanted to eat out or visit a place independently. Their intimate knowledge of the Cuban people and the logistics of how to negotiate the trip in the midst of a pandemic were very appreciated. If you want to experience Cuban music, culture, art, and food, we highly recommend Havana Music Tours

  I felt taken care of, totally, in all aspects of this tour (Jazz Plaza 2022). Chaz and Yami are wonderful "hosts". The evening jazz performances, incredible restaurants, salsa lessons, visit... read more to a music school, really nice accommodations and fantastic transportation. A big shout out to the local tour guides. Would love to go again.!

  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!

  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 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 the Cuban sounds, from son to salsa to Rumba, afro-jazz and more. Chaz, who is a professional musician besides a tour operator, knows all these and more. Finding the great music spots in Havana on your own is challenging. If you don’t know the music scene its likely that you’ll miss the best choices and wind up in a few overpriced tourist shows – not bad, but not the real thing. Going music-bar hopping with Chaz and Yamilka was like hanging out with knowledgeable friends for a few nights of music and great fun. Chaz took care of all the details – hotels, restaurants, classic cars – and all on our schedule. We had a really wonderful, hassle-free, music-rich and thoroughly delightful time, and made new friends of Chaz and Yamilka in the bargain. Grab the opportunity. Call Chaz and go

  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.