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!!!

  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!

  I had just returned from Cuba and the Havana Jazz Festival when the snows began. What better opportunity to reflect on a truly fabulous trip. Not only did Chaz and... read more Jami select an intriguing and diverse range of performances for us to attend, but we luxuriated in our classy casa particular and indulged in excellent meals in unique paladars, rooftops and restaurants. In between we were treated to numerous instances of Cuban positivity, resilience and creativity. Consider the mosaic wonder that is Fusterlandia; an exposition of Afro Cuban religions at the Callejón de Hamel; agriturismo at an ecological farm; and of course, wandering Vieja Habana and ducking waves on the Malecón. Perhaps, the highest peaks of these mountain top experiences, though, were the amazing, private concert by the HS jazz band of Conservatorio Amedeo Roldan and the morning spent in a recording studio with another group of musicians. Wow! No detail was left to chance, not transportation, umbrellas, nor even the red tape of travel in time of Covid. I cannot imagine a better way to travel. Pack now.

  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.

  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.

  Chaz was fantastic to work with! Since we only had a short time in Havana during our cruise, we asked if Chaz could create something for us based upon our... read more interest in Cuban music (my husband is a drummer). The itinerary included addresses, maps, cab...More

  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

  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 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. …

  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 . . . ?

  Thanks to Chaz and his terrific team, the Havana Jazz Festival was a wonderful experience. The music happens in theaters and clubs all over the city, and... read more having attended 5 years ago on our own, we know how hard it is to navigate the experience. Havana Music Tours makes it easy. They know the music and the musicians, and we enjoyed great music everyday without any hassle. The accommodations were 1st class and the food was amazing. My wife and I could not have been happier with every aspect of the trip.

  We are so very glad we decided to go with Chaz on such an amazing adventure! My husband had been wanting to go to Cuba for as long as I... read more can remember. I was a bit nervous at first but Chaz made me feel very...More

  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

  This tour started out with a bang when we were greeted at the airport by the tour leader, Cuban interpreter and our own private taxi in his 1955 Chevy, turquoise... read more and white with red leather interior. We had asked for a vintage car ride thinking...More

  A delightful, well paced trip. Lots of music at varying levels and venues, but well balanced with delicious meals and diverse cultural experiences. We were cared for by thoughtful... read more leadership and guides, all immersed in music themselves. I continue to learn more and more about the rich tapestry that is Cuba. GO!

  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