Cuba I Cigar Tour Cigar Aficionado - Cohiba, Partagas, Montecristo & Co.

Day 1 - Havana
Arrival at the Int. Airport of Havana. Transfer to a nice Private stay in the Havana's Old Town. Check-in and Welcome Cocktail. Your guide will explain the course of events of the following days and be at your disposal if you have questions or need help (money exchange etc.).

Day 2 - Havana
During the morning, guided tour through the Old Town where you can admire 400 years of architecture and which was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 1982 because of its unique ensembles.
At the Plaza Vieja we invite you to a coffee at Cafe Escorial - Cuban coffee at its best! Entry to the former governor's palace "Palacio de los Capitanes Generales". Furthermore, we'll visit one of Hemingway's favourite bars, the Bodeguita del Medio, where we invite you to a typical Cuban cocktail. Lunch break in the Old Town (not included).
Afterwards, a Classic Car of the 50s will be waiting for you: during the ride, you will get to see many highlights of the city, e.g. you will enjoy a panoramic view over Havana from the high-lying Statue of Christ, drive through the diplomat quarter Miramar, visit "Fusterlandia", the estate of the painter and sculptor José Fuster, which is decorated opulently and colourfully with surrealistic motives. We continue the tour through the district of Vedado, passing by the Cemetary "Necropolis Colon", where many great personalities found their final resting place, and on to the famous "Plaza de la Revolución" with the huge images of the national heroes Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos.
During the afternoon, an expert on tobacco will give a lecture on the history and production of the Havana cigar in a classy lounge. There, you will also have the first oportunity to taste selected Habanos and an assortment of old Cuban rum. Return to the accommodation. The evening is free and at your disposal.

Chevrolet BelAir 1956

Day 4 - Pinar del Rio
You will visit one of the most famous tobacco plantations (Vega) in San Juan y Martinez where you will get an introduction into the cultivation and storage of the precious tobacco leaves. Visit to the "Casa de Selección" with competent explanations of the further processing of the harvested and dried tobacco leaves. You will have the chance to try yourself to roll a cigar. Also, you will receive a cigar for tasting which was rolled here by a professional. Lunch will be served at the Vega's in-house rural restaurant. Return to Viñales and visit to a small private botanical garden in the village. The evening is at your own disposal.

Cigar Province of Pinar del Rio
Province of Pinar del Rio

Day 6 - Havana
During the morning, visit to one of Havana’s cigar factories, either the "Real Fabrica de Tabacos Partagás” or the “H. Upmann” factory (according to availability). Afterwards, visit to the impressive Havana Club Rum Museum in a colonial ambience where you will, after vivid explanations of the rum production, enjoy a tasting of an old vintage of the Havana Club Rum. In the evening, a farewell dinner will round off this journey beautifully and will give you the opportunity to look back on the experience and knowledge that you have gained about the magic of the “Habano” cigar.

Havana Club Rum Museum

Day 7 - Havana
After breakfast, there might still be some time to stroll through the town or to buy some souvenirs. Check-out of the accommodation will be in the late morning. According to prior agreement, luggage can be stored at the accommodation until departure.

"CIGAR AFICIONADO"
Schedule 2020	Price in EUR
27.01. - 02.02.	1235
17.02. - 23.02.	1235
03.03. - 09.03.	1235
17.03. - 23.03.	1235
01.04. - 07.04.	1140

Number of participants: 2
Per person in double room, single room suppl.: 125 EUR

Price offer when additonal participants:
3-4 participants: 10% discount
5-7 participants: 15% discount
8-10 participants: 20% discount

Prices in EUR > Currency converter

Accomodation including hotel on request, please contact us.
Also available at your requested date, please contact us.
> Included: > Transfer on arrival Airport - Havana > Transfer and travel in air-conditioned vehicles > English, German or french speaking, qualified guide of Cuban tobacco > 4 nights in premium Private stay in Havana > 2 nights in attractive Private stay in Viñales > Meals as per itinerary > Visits, excursions and entrance fees as per itinerary > Tasting of cigars and and rum, as indicated > Tour guide will provide a free selection of cigars during days of travel > Farewell dinner > Maps of Havana and Pinar del Rio > Travel information > Not included: > Visa (Tourist Card) > Flight ticket: Feel free to contact us for your flight booking > Optional: > In Havana and in the Valley of Viñales, we will gladly recommend hotels if desired. > In Havana hotels of the 3, 4 or 5 star-category, in Viñales hotel of 3 star-category > If you prefer vegetarin meals, please let us know > On request we can organize for you a visit to events like music concerts, cabaret, dance or the ballet. > RESERVATION REQUEST "CIGAR AFICIONADO"

THE MYTH AND CULT ABOUT THE HAVANA CIGAR

The myth and cult about the "Habano" is a worldwide phenomenon that traces back to the exceptional quality of the Cuban tobacco and which draws many fans from abroad. The enjoyment of a "Habano" is something quite special, embodying that feeling of pure harmony in the shape of a cigar.

This journey to the source of this phenomenon examines the process of a tobacco farm, the manufacturing and quality control of the product through to the final retail product. We have the opportunity to get to know some of the famous brands and to taste Cuba's other specialty, excellent brands of rum. This tour goes to the Mecca of tobacco farms, the province Pinar del Rio, with its idyllic Vinales village and on to the fields of Vuelta Abajo - the very heart and soul of the biggest Cuban cigar brands. Also you will enjoy lively Havana, brimming with charm, nostalgia and full of exotica.

This tour will give in-depth knowledge about the culture and production of the Habano cigar. A 7-day / 6 nights program including first day of arrival.

Photo Gallery: Cigar Aficionado

Deceased tobacco genie Don Alejandro Robaina

Day 3 - Pinar del Rio
In the morning, departure to the province of Pinar del Rio, where you can find the most famous tobacco plantations of the country. First, you will visit a small and private tobacco plantation and gain insight into the life of the farming family; a home-made, typically Cuban coffee will await you after a short viewing of the farm. The impressive Valley of Viñales, one of the most beautiful landscapes of Cuba, charms with the lush vegetation of the "Mogotes" (Cone rocks) and the red clay of the earth. Arrival for lunch at a restaurant with delicious cuisine of the Pinareños. The panoramic view over the valley is breathtaking because the restaurant is situated at the slope of a hill.
During the afternoon, you will visit the "Cueva del Indio", an extensive cave system where indigenious people of the island used to live. You will leave the cave in boats on an underground stream. Arrival at a nice Casa Particular in the village of Viñales. The evening is at your own disposal and will you the opportunity to explore on your own the contemplative village with the "Casa de la Cultura", a classic cultural centre, live music and dance at the open air location next door as well as restaurants and bars which invite to dine, to drink a Cuban cocktail or to enjoy a cigar.

Vinales Valley
Valley of Vinales

Day 5 Pinar del Rio - Havana
Return to Havana with a stop in the capital of the province, Pinar del Rio. You will visit a privately owned production company for Humidors, the storage cabinets for cigars and will experience firsthand the ongoing production. From the selection of the wood, the cut of the pieces and possible carving or inlaid work to the varnishing and drying all the handcraft is being shown. Exceptional exhibits regarding craftsmanship, design and size are on display in a separate room and demonstrate the highclass craftsmanship. Proceeding to Havana.
The "Casa del Habano" located at the Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue) in the Embassy district is the selected place for a lunch at the on-site restaurant. A stylish, and above all, a well-stocked tobacco shop offers a great opportunity to purchase the, in some cases, hard to find brands and their respective formats. A lounge and bar as store rooms with cigars and humidors allow for a rest and dwell on the subject at hand. In the afternoon, arrival at a nice Casa Particular in or close to the Old Town.

In the early evening, transfer to the fortress "La Cabaña", situated on a hill opposite the Old Town. You will attend the traditional ceremony of the "Cañonazo", led by a march of the guards in historic costumes and followed by a cannon shot, fired every night at 9pm, which in the 18th century announced the closing of the city gates. After the ceremony, return to the Casa Particular. For the more adventurous, there is still enough time to explore the nightlife of Havana. We will gladly give you suggestions and recommendations.

Cigar Habano
Original box with cigars of the 50s, the brand "Don Joaquín"

The program is recommended for lovers of Cuban “Habanos”, for true aficionados as well as for ambitious beginners. It reflects, besides the impressive architecture of Havana’s Old Town and the stunning views over the valleys and tobacco plantations in the province of Pinar del Rio, an in-depth knowledge and insight, from the plantation to the harvest until the final product, the hand-rolled “Habano”. Tastings of cigars and rum do not come short and will pamper your palate and senses. During the roundtrip, the guide will have a selection of cigars, recommended for free use of our clients. May there will be small changes in the schedule but should not affect parts of the program.

Havana Club Rum Museum

The tour can take place throughout the whole year, but the recommended travel period is during planting and harvesting season between November until the end of March.