Reviews and Testimonials

  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

  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

  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 . . . ? …

  My wife and I just returned from a trip to Havana with Havana Music Tours. We have never traveled to Cuba, most of our Caribbean trips have been to Aruba,... read more which is like traveling to Florida...no worries. Any anxiety we had about doing this trip...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 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.

  Havana Jazz Festival! - My wife and 26 year old son spent 9 days of amazing immersion in the jazz music scene in Havana hosted by Havana Music Tours. We had been to the... read more jazz festival in 2015 with Blue Note and had a great time, but Havana Music Tours blew that experience out of the water! Led by the founders Chaz Chambers and his Cuban wife Yami - he is a professional drummer and she is musicologist - we not only saw an extraordinary array of world class performances - including an incredible performance by Los Van Van in an out door square - but also met a wide variety of musicians, all of whom were friends with Chaz and Yami. The customisation of our tour was also incredible and impressive - including a Cuban drum lesson for our son, a hip hop rooftop party and a private performance in a private residence/restaurant, and watching the students of the performing arts HS rehearse for the performance at the Teatro Nacionale.

I am also really interested in the dance world in Havana and they were able to arrange visits to 4 companies to observe class and talk with the artistic directors.

Havana can also be a little tricky to navigate, both from a language and transportation perspective and nothing was too much (or too late at night) for the Havana Music team.

I would strongly recommend them if you are considering a trip to Cuba and love Cuban music and culture!

  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

  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!

  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

  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.

  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.!

  Best Tour Ever! - My wife and I recently spent 7 days in Havana Cuba with the Havana Music Tours. This tour has more than exceeded any and all of my expectations. From the... read more moment we first arrived, and each day following, we were treated to great food at some of Havana’s top restaurants. We toured some of of Cuba’s historical sites, and we were treated to some of the best live concerts from some of Cuba’s top Afro Cuban Jazz musicians. But, what made this trip very special for us was being immersed in the lives of the local people of Cuba. We arrived as strangers to this amazing island and left with new friends from the tour group and from the local people of Cuba. Thank you Havana Music Tours for an amazing experience. I look forward to other awesome adventures with this team.

  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

  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.

  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. …