Reviews and Testimonials

  I've spoken to several travelers that did not have the same great time in Cuba as I did and I think its because I had Chaz, and they didn't. Through... read more his tour I was able to experience several off the beaten path shows that really...More

  We normally don't take tours... as we prefer to explore places on our own. However in the case of Cuba and the Havana music scene in particular, if you want... read more to visit for a relatively short time (i.e. can't stay for a month+) and be able to pack in a whole lot of unique experiences without being frustrated by the complexity of dealing with "word-of-mouth" music venue details, then we highly recommend Havana Music Tours run by Chaz Chambers. We went as a family with a teenager who plays saxophone in a couple of high school jazz bands. We wanted our son to be able to experience the music and be inspired by the Cuban musicians. Chaz was able to customize our tour and set up private saxophone lessons for our son with some great local musicians and arrange for him to sit in with them for a couple of performances. This was a great experience and it was wonderful to feel the sense of joy and local community among the musicians... meeting them and their families offered a much more personal experience than you would be able to get by just showing up at a jazz club. Chaz and his local Cuban contacts do a ton of work behind the scenes to make sure everything is customizable, flexible and runs smoothly. Going on the tour was like spending time with a group of friends who just happen to have inside connections in the local community to avoid tourist traps and make it pain free to maximize the musical and cultural experience. In addition to the personalized music lessons, we toured the city, took a day trip to the Vinales agricultural region, went to the beach for a refreshing swim, and had free time to explore on our own.
Writing this review because we had a great time and wish Chaz the best of luck ... but please stay small and keep it personalized. We'd like to come back when next we get the chance.
Things you should know:
* Plan to spend late nights out listening to great music (Some performances don't really get going till around midnight)
* Some clubs have age restrictions so aren't available for < 18 yr old
* In addition to music, plan to see Havana, take a day trip, and just wander around (Cuba is very safe ... a little Spanish speaking ability is really helpful but not required)
* No issues with US customs/immigration at all (we flew JetBlue through JFK... really easy)
* You can get cell service and internet, but try to disconnect for a while if possible.

  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!!!

  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 . . . ?

  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

  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!

  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 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.!

  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.

  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

  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

  Best Tour Team - What a full and fulfilling trip! Chaz, his wife, Yami, and their team provided a most excellent Cuba experience! We went to Cuba with Havana Music Tours for the... read more January Jazz Festival. This small-group tour was packed full of music – as much as anyone on the tour could ever want. And, in addition, we dove into the culture, food, and history. Chaz, Yami and all the tour guides are musicians, which made the Jazz Festival experience that much more fun and educational. You can clearly see the entire team is passionate about the music, culture, and Cuba. Besides the music, we toured and learned about the history of Cuba, Havana in particular, farms and farming, music education in Cuba, and Cubans' daily lives and various religions. Cuba has been on my husband’s and my bucket list for years – we could not have asked for a better trip experience for this bucket-list item! And, I cannot say enough about how attentive the entire team was. From Chaz answering all my pre-trip questions about traveling to Cuba (from a novice traveler) to Chaz’s head-counts every time our group got back on the bus. For all of our experiences, I felt safe and attended to. The casa particular we stayed in was clean and relaxing with very friendly staff. The restaurants and food we were introduced to were delicious. The 1950s car pick-up when we arrived at the airport – everything was perfect! For anyone considering a visit to Cuba, Havana Music Tours offers several tour types, and a person could not ask for a better team to tour with.

  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 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.

  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.

  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!