Private Cuba tours

[onthebalcony]

We just returned from Cuba and used Fertours2@gmail.com. Fernando is very good at getting back to you and suggestions/sites to visit .  Website is www.fertours2havana.com.  We had an excellent two day tour with David.  

 

It took some time to get off the ship due to customs and immigration.

 

There is a hop on/off bus that stops right in front of the cruise terminal!!  Was pretty full every time we saw it.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Anne

[Wateron]

Just back from cruise with over night in Havana.  Had a great tour with Fertours. Tour guide was Pepe, excellent English & great tour. Fernando was excellent in the planning & making changes was no problem. On the day of the tour we showed up with a additional couple & it wasn't a problem. Fernando arranged for a 3rd car with driver & guide ( we had 3 couples & each couple has a car with driver & guide). Excellent company & excellent tour. Go with Fertours & you won't be sorry.

[quickster]

Superb One-Day Tour: Not to Be Missed; FerTours

We were on a cruise to Cuba so had one day and evening to tour Havana. We had many questions to resolve via e-mail with Fernando. Could not be happier with his prompt, clear and concise answers to each and every question. He took any anxiety we had about booking through him out of any issue. The pricing is significantly lower than the ship's tours and we had a private driver, tour guide and 1952 Chevy to ourselves for the day and into the evening. We customized the tour and Fernando made it happen with ease.
Yosvan was the guide. He met us on time and bonded instantly with us within the first 10 minutes. He spoke great English, was a perfect gentleman, told us that he was at our service to see and do whatever we wished and we could deviate from the tour we had established if we so desired. I had a thousand questions about culture, history, arts, life, costs, etc. He answered with details and with honesty about the situation in Cuba and the hope for the future. He even took us to an out of the way restaurant for lunch that was great. We changed what we wanted to see and there was no issue...we went right there without problems. . 
Overall there could not be a better decision than to work with Fernando to set up your tour. You may not get Yosvan for a guide, but Fernando only hires the best so you are sure to have a meaningful experience at your one day in Havana.

[Geppetto59]

We booked through Havanacar.net 

Our tour guide Hugo was great. He was extremely knowledgable about the history of Cuba. The car ride was also great.  Omar, the driver was careful and courteous. The car was air conditioned as we chose a closed top version. I would highly recommend Hugo and Omar!!!

[aloveforwander]

All great suggestions here and very busy thread. I just spent 3 days this past weekend - land based - and learned so much more than on our cruise last May! I am so much more in love with Cuba, and made many more friends and connections - if it helps any, I have written a FULL review with my 3 days itinerary, prices, recommendations, over 100 pictures and more! Check it out, and if any specific questions I can answer, please feel free to reach out!

https://escapadeschica.com/2018/11/15/cuba-where-time-stood-still/

 

[cruisersgl]

We would highly recommend Fertours for anyone wanting to experience Havana with a great local guide. We had an amazing day and a wonderful evening, beyond our expectations. Fernando and his company had excellent and prompt email communication, including follow up. They answered our many questions and tailored the tour to our interests. We couldn't have asked for a better guide than Jimmy. He was personable and extremely knowledgeable. We had a walking tour first, then lunch at a paladar (best meal ever!!), then saw many sights outside the old town in a vintage convertible. In the evening we visited the fort for the cannon shot ceremony and a cabaret show. The only regret was getting back on that cruise ship and saying goodbye to Havana! We'd love to return and if we do, booking Fertours will be our priority.

[Tom47]

We booked a Pearl Seas cruise. It is all inclusive, with daily shore excursions.

 

[drbillmc]

We took an eleven day cruise with Holland America beginning on October 29th and booked a classic car tour with Havana Cars. We did it online and were able to charge the deposit with no problem.  We checked "For the benefit of the Cuban people" on the required form.  We had no problem and it was one of the best tours that we have had. Stefano responded very quickly to my emails and was able to customize a tour to meet my health needs.  We had Beatrice as our guide and a driver as well.  Beatrice was very friendly and was always looking out for my well being.  It was a wonderful tour in a classic car.  Many we talked to were not nearly as happy with the ship tours. I have already recommended Havanacars to a friend who has booked for a future tour.

[drbillmc]

We took an eleven day cruise with Holland America beginning on October 29th and also booked a classic car tour with Caribbean Pearl Tours in Cienfuegos.  We did it online and were able to charge the entire fee with no problem.  We checked "For the benefit of the Cuban people" on the required form.  We had no problem and it was a great tour. Fernando responded very quickly to my emails and was able to customize a tour to meet my health needs.  We had Leana as our guide and a driver as well. Leana was very friendly and was always looking out for my well being.  It was a wonderful tour in a classic car.  Many we talked to were not nearly as happy with the ship tours. I would highly recommend Caribbean Pearl Tours.  I found out later that they also offer tours in Havana.  The two private tours that we booked in Cuba were two of the best that we have had.  We were concerned about my walking limitation and need to limit sun exposure, but both Caribbean Pearl Tours and Havanacars provided classic cars and caring guides for five hours who made our visits to Cienfuegos and Havana the highlight of our cruise.

[wendyp247]

I’m going to Cuba on NCL . Can you buy the visa from the ship and take an independent tour. Wanted to take tour in vintage cruise convertible but too expensive from ship. TIA

Edited November 25, 2018 by wendyp247
Duplicate

[wendyp247]

I’m going to Cuba on NCL . Can you buy the visa from the ship and take an independent tour. Wanted to take tour in vintage cruise convertible but too expensive from ship. TIA

[IsaSweden69]

17 minutes ago, wendyp247 said:

I’m going to Cuba on NCL . Can you buy the visa from the ship and take an independent tour. Wanted to take tour in vintage cruise convertible but too expensive from ship. TIA

You can definitely get a Visa from the ship if you wanna have a tour with a local company.

It should be Ofac compliant. We have used havanacar and I highly recommend them.

You can visit their website www.havanacar.net or contact their manager Stefano by email at Havanacarcuba@gmail.com.

Of course the cruise ship will warn you doing that as they try push you to buy their tours but you can be 100% sure that you can get a Visa from them and take a private tour.

 

 

 

[rsdmom]

How did you obtain your visa if not doing tours through the cruise line

 

[Holly2]

Two separate things.  

[rajacks]

For those who used FerTours, how long did it take to get a response from them to your initial inquiry?  I sent one through the website link yesterday morning and have not heard back yet.  (I know it may seem like I'm not really giving them much time, but we booked a cruise very last minute, and will be there next week!)

 

Thanks

Ruth

[Holly2]

We used Blexie and were very pleased.  Sometimes he had trouble getting internet connection and it would take a couple days. Wouldn’t worry yet.

[RJB]

On 12/11/2018 at 5:30 PM, rajacks said:

For those who used FerTours, how long did it take to get a response from them to your initial inquiry?  I sent one through the website link yesterday morning and have not heard back yet.  (I know it may seem like I'm not really giving them much time, but we booked a cruise very last minute, and will be there next week!)

 

Thanks

Ruth

Did not take long.   We used Fertours in Oct and they were great.   Two days in Havana and they were teriffic in all ways.  Went to all the places we wanted to see including the evening of the first day. 

[aloveforwander]

On 12/6/2018 at 9:46 AM, rsdmom said:

How did you obtain your visa if not doing tours through the cruise line

 

 

The visa is handled separately upon boarding, regardless of have a tour booked or not. 

 

You may read on my recommendations here:

https://escapadeschica.com/2018/11/15/cuba-where-time-stood-still/

[cruisingschool]

We are leaving on our Royal Caribbean cruise in a week. We are in Havana for two days. We booked a ship excursion for the first day. We have nothing arranged for day 2 in Havana. Can we just walk around on our own?

[wwinfl91]

Long review of our tour with Fer Tours

We arranged for 2 days of tours with Fer 2 Havana tours originally and then had to alter our arrangements because Azamara changed their schedule and Fernando was very good at changing our 2 days to 3 days at the same price. We did an evening when the ship arrived and met our guide, Javier (Pepe), met us in the square directly across from the ship at 7 PM. He then changed plans as we had already eaten on the ship and we went to the Hotel National for a drink which has been in Havana forever and has been where all the famous and infamous people stayed. We had very good rum drinks there and enjoyed the ambiance before going on the cannon firing at the fort in a vintage 53 Pontiac hardtop with A/C and then to the Buena Vista Social Club.where we stayed for drinks and listening to the Cuban music. For the cover charge which I think was 30 CUC each we got 3 drinks each. I got Cuba Libre and Darlene had a beer and 2 bottled waters. The music was loud and we left after about an hour and 45 minutes. Our driver had waited for us and drove us back to the ship.
The next morning at 10 AM we met Javier again in the square and we did a walking tour of the four main squares of old Havana for about 2 1/2 hours, Then we had lunch at a really private restaurant that was a little expensive 80 CUC for the 2 of us with one glass of wine each. We both got a seafood dish with lobster, shrimp, fish and rice and veggies. We also each got a desert. The restaurant was totally full but many of the people there were from either other Fer Tours or other guides. Javier then met us outside and we walked to where we met our driver for the rest of the day in his 1956 red Chevy convertible. The car wasn't his but the owner had gotten too old to drive so he hired him to take care of the car and drive it. We had the car for 3 hours and saw a lot of Havana with an informative driver. He left us off at the ship at 4:30. Finally the next morning, our ship was in Havana for 3 days, Javier again met us in the square at 9 AM and we got in another old Chevy hardtop with A/C and went to Hemmingway's house, followed by a visit to the town where he kept the Pilar and his favorite bar there. Then we came back to Havana and went to Fusterland. This is an area of Havana an artist began decorating with mosaics and painting and included a visit to his house. If you have been to Barcelona and see Guidi's village there this is similar but maybe more colorful and tropical. Our ship was sailing at 3 PM so Javier and the driver dropped us off at 2 PM by the ship. These were great tours with a great guide, Javier, who is a psychologist in real life. The cost for the 3 days was $480 US which was a fraction of what similar tours thru the ship would have cost. If you are going to Havana give Fer Tours a chance to give you a great time in Havana.

[SteveGT3]

My wife and I are taking a cruise to Cuba in early Jan on Azamara Journey. Looking for guides and suggested tours for our stops in Cienfuegos (Jan 9 & 10) and Santiago de Cuba (Jan 11 & 12). Since this is our first trip to Cuba, and we were uncertain about what we can/cannot do as US citizens, we booked a Havana tour through Azamara, but as seasoned cruisers, we prefer to book independently and want to do that for our other two stops. 

[lizinvan]

Might try Fer tours for other areas of Cuba also. Know they cover Varadero to Gavana and possibly other areas. Many of us have had great service from them.

[powell]

Just back and for Santiago de Cuba, would highly recommend Out of the Box tours.  We had Tania as our guide and she was excellent.

[SteveGT3]

Thanks Powell, I spent some time online yesterday trying to find another option beside Out of Box Tours and couldn't find a better choice. I confirmed a date with Jenny for my Jan cruise. Thanks for confirming that I made a good choice!

[Ofmyheart]

I used Fertours in Nov 2018. I emailed Fernando, the owner and he was quick to respond, especially since some people in Cuba do not have reliable internet in Cuba.

 

We used them for a tour in Ceinfuegos and again in Havana. We had the same car, driver and guide in both cities. Yosvan was our guide and Avril was our driver. Yosvan spoke excellent English, Avril and I communicated with my limited Spanish and through Yosvan.

 

We had private tours both days in our classic 1958 Chevy Bel Aire. We spent two perfect days with them and we learned a lot our Cuba and the Cuban people. 

 

At the end our our two days I felt that I had not been a tourist with a guide but that I had made new friends. I miss them both and truly hope to get back to see them again.

 

I HIGHLY recommend Fertours and my friend Yosvan.