Visas & entry
Most visitors need a Cuban eVisa/tourist visa arranged through their airline, travel provider or a Cuban consulate, plus the mandatory D’Viajeros online arrival form; passport, onward-travel and health-insurance requirements apply. U.S. passport holders can enter only under an authorized U.S. travel category rather than straightforward tourism, and should check both U.S. sanctions rules and airline documentation rules before booking. Verify current entry rules close to departure: Cuba’s procedures change and airlines enforce them strictly.
Getting in
- José Martí International Airport, Havana: This is the airport that matters: it is about 15–25 km southwest of central Havana and is the practical arrival point for Habana Vieja, Centro Habana, Vedado and the eastern beaches. Arrange an official taxi, hotel transfer or pre-booked driver; public transport is not a sensible airport-arrival plan, especially after dark or during shortages.
- Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport, Varadero: A fallback for travelers arriving on package or charter-heavy routes when Havana flights are poor or expensive. It is roughly 2.5–3.5 hours from Havana by private transfer in normal conditions, so use it only if the airfare saving outweighs losing most of a day to the road.
Getting around
Base yourself in Habana Vieja or Vedado and do the core city mostly on foot, using taxis for the hot, spread-out or late-night links between Old Havana, Centro Habana and Vedado. Private taxis are the dependable option; agree the fare and currency before getting in, and keep a driver’s number for return journeys. Buses are cheap but too erratic for a short visit, while fuel shortages and outages can disrupt every form of transport. For Finca Vigía/Cojímar, the harbor forts and Playas del Este, hire a taxi or driver and arrange the return before you leave the city; do not gamble on finding transport back from Guanabo late in the day.
Money
Cuba’s official currency is the Cuban peso (CUP), but Havana’s visitor economy is heavily cash-based and many prices are effectively quoted in USD or EUR. Bring enough EUR or USD cash for the whole stay plus a serious emergency reserve; international Visa and Mastercard cards are reported as no longer accepted in Cuba from 6 June 2026, and U.S.-issued cards were already unusable. Ask the price and currency before ordering or entering a taxi, and carry small notes for taxis, tips and minor purchases.
Daily budget · CUP officially; in practice, visitor prices are often quoted in USD or EUR equivalents and Cuba is cash-heavy. Bring enough cash for the trip plus a serious emergency reserve: foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are no longer accepted, and U.S.-issued cards were already unusable.
- Value
- US$70–120 per day, excluding international transport, assuming two people share a room.
- Mid-range
- US$150–275 per day for reliable air-conditioned accommodation, sit-down meals, several taxis and occasional paid culture or a shared private outing.
- High-end
- US$400–700+ per day for a top hotel or boutique stay, private driver-guide, premium meals, shows and maximum backup-power/water/location flexibility.
- Value travel means a private-room casa particular, house breakfast, informal lunches, one modest paladar meal, mostly walking/shared taxis and museums. Expect roughly US$30–50 per room for a basic casa; solo travelers pay materially more.
- The expensive part of Havana is not museums: it is dependable accommodation and transport. In heat or blackout-prone periods, working AC, water storage and backup power are worth paying for.
- Private taxis, imported alcohol, major shows, festival dates, Christmas/New Year and poor cash-exchange rates move the daily number fastest.
- Do not choose the cheapest room blindly. A lower rate without reliable water, air-conditioning or electricity backup is false economy, especially from May through October.
Eating well
- Treat menus as provisional: shortages and power disruption can remove dishes without warning.
- Build in flexibility rather than chasing one specific dish or restaurant across town.
- For a summer lunch or dinner, prioritize air-conditioning, water and backup power over a photogenic setting.
- Carry cash: the visitor economy frequently prices meals and drinks in USD or EUR equivalents.
Book before you land
Tropicana Cabaret, especially Friday/Saturday shows and peak-season dates · Jazz Plaza headline concerts and other major festival performances when visiting during the January festival
- Choose accommodation for functioning air-conditioning, water storage and backup power, not just a beautiful Old Havana address; summer blackouts make weak infrastructure miserable.
- Keep one central base—Vedado or Habana Vieja—for a first visit. Changing hotels to save a short map distance usually costs more time than it saves.
- Carry drinking water, toilet paper, sunscreen, a power bank and small cash daily. Shops, ATMs, restaurants and mobile data can be affected by outages or shortages.
- Confirm taxi fares, the payment currency and the return plan before departure. This matters most for Playas del Este, Finca Vigía/Cojímar and the forts across the bay.
- Walk the central districts by day, but use a taxi after dark for longer stretches, isolated waterfront sections and the return from the eastern harbor or beach strip.
- Menus are often aspirational rather than guaranteed: shortages mean substitutions are normal. Order what is available, rather than building a meal around one promised dish.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this region.
Season by season
December–February
Havana is relatively dry and breezy, with warm days, occasional cool fronts and the year’s most comfortable walking weather.
first visitswalking Old Havana and Vedadomusic and cultural travelescaping northern winter
This is peak demand: Christmas/New Year especially pushes up flights and rooms, and restaurants, concerts and taxis are busier.
March–April
Bright, mostly dry days continue, though April brings noticeably stronger heat and walking is best done early and late.
first-time city breaksarchitecture and photographymuseum-heavy itinerariesneighborhood walking
Easter can tighten flights and accommodation; midday heat increasingly makes a long lunch or indoor break essential.
May–June
Humidity, rain and afternoon thunderstorms rise, and heat makes the dense historic core tiring by midday.
value-minded travelersbeach add-ons at Playas del Estetravelers with flexible schedules
Service disruptions feel more consequential in the heat; prioritize accommodation with reliable AC, water storage and backup power.
July–August
This is Havana’s hottest, stickiest stretch, with stormy afternoons and oppressive conditions during power cuts.
beach timetravelers who prefer a livelier local summer rhythmlower international-tourist crowds
It is poor weather for all-day urban sightseeing, and unreliable electricity can make upper-floor rooms, elevators and nightlife distinctly unpleasant.
September–October
The rainiest, most tropical-weather-prone period brings heavy downpours, high humidity and the greatest hurricane-disruption risk.
only highly flexible bargain seekerstravelers already comfortable adapting plans in Cuba
Not recommended for a tightly timed first trip: use flexible flights, strong insurance and avoid important onward connections.
November
Rains and humidity begin to ease while the city is generally less crowded than in the December–February high season.
comfort-and-value tripswalking and cultural traveltravelers avoiding peak-season prices
Weather is improving rather than guaranteed, and the best-located reliable rooms begin to book up as high season approaches.
Events worth planning around
Jazz Plaza · Usually January · Havana, across multiple music venues
The city’s consequential music week: book reliable accommodation, desired concerts and evening transport early.
Havana International Book Fair · Usually February · La Cabaña fortress and Havana cultural venues
La Cabaña and surrounding transport become much busier; reserve any structured fortress visit or evening plan around fair dates.
International Festival of New Latin American Cinema · Usually December · Central Havana cinemas and cultural venues
Screenings animate central Havana and can affect evening availability; book accommodation early if the festival is the reason for the trip.
What to eat
Havana is Cuba’s urban restaurant capital rather than a region with one sharply defined local cuisine: expect Cuban home cooking, Spanish influences, seafood, bar food, coffee and Chinese-Cuban cooking. Eat flexibly—short menus, substitutions and sudden shortages are normal, so order what is available and choose places with reliable power and water over a fashionable address.
Ropa viejaCuban home-style cookingSeafoodChinese-Cuban foodCuban coffeeRum-based bar drinks
La Habana: The country’s broadest mix of Cuban, Spanish-influenced and Chinese-Cuban cooking · Coffee and bar culture · Restaurant and paladar dining