Private tour recommendations for Havana & Santiago

[hmcdowell31]

My mom and I will be cruising on RCL's Empress of the Seas in May 2019.  I'm looking for recommendations for private tours of Havana and Santiago.  My mom and I want to see the authentic side of Cuba and not the tourist traps.  Thanks for any help!

[Anyislandwilldo]

Book with Fertours and you will not be disappointed.  My sister and I used them last month on our Paradise cruise.  Our tour guide Angel was fantastic!!  He English we very good.  He offered to take pictures with his camera using our SD card for $20.  So worth the money!!  After I came home and loaded the pictures I was so pleased.  He not only snapped a picture, he captured the moment.  We went to Fustalandia, Revolutionary Square, cigar and liquor store, a small mom and pop type restaurant, the back streets to a church and then over the El Christ statue.  It was hot but we came back with great memories.  You can google Fertours to hook up with them,  They will take you to where ever else you want to go.  Tell Fernando you want Angel as your tour guide.

 

This is my sister and I at the cigar store.

[hmcdowell31]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[aloveforwander]

Blexie! Full review and contact here

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

 

$130 full 6 hours for up to 3 people including both driver and tour guide in Classic Car. 

[o-state girl]

Our Blexie Tour was great.  We had Lauren as our tour guide and she spoke awesome English.  Most cars can fit 4 participants plus the driver and the guide for $130 CUCs.

[aloveforwander]

1 hour ago, o-state girl said:

Our Blexie Tour was great.  We had Lauren as our tour guide and she spoke awesome English.  Most cars can fit 4 participants plus the driver and the guide for $130 CUCs.

 

Yes. That is correct. They do advertise up to 3 people for comfort, however will take 4. Keep in mind, this 4th person will be squeezed between driver and guide in front seat. 

Edited November 18, 2018 by LovECruiseS
Spelling

[cruisinlibrarian]

 

12 hours ago, LovECruiseS said:

Blexie! Full review and contact here

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

 

$130 full 6 hours for up to 3 people including both driver and tour guide in Classic Car. 

Just returned from cruise on NCL Sky and used Blexie-Havana Tours.  Both my adult daughter and I thought this was the best tour we ever were on.  Kudos to Rollie, our tour guide, for introducing us to the history, culture, and charm of Havana.  Price was 130 CUC's for 6 hours, walking and driving, with private guide and driver.  Highly recommend!

[ebslcc]

On 11/11/2018 at 4:54 PM, hmcdowell31 said:

My mom and I will be cruising on RCL's Empress of the Seas in May 2019.  I'm looking for recommendations for private tours of Havana and Santiago.  My mom and I want to see the authentic side of Cuba and not the tourist traps.  Thanks for any help!

For authentic side of Cuba, it is definitely not with cruise excursions!  Go with a local private tour guide!!!  The nice thing with Cuba is the private tours are usually smaller e.g. 3 people comfortably in a private car.  You will be interacting more with your guide vs. on larger tours.  For Havana it is very competitive there are PLENTY of excellent guides.  My suggestion is to read up on the tour operators here on Cruise Critic and TripAdvisor.  Take note of the best tour guide's names and ask for them specifically when you contact Tour operators which often are just go betweens.  Also figure out exactly what you want to see in Havana and exactly the number of hours you want.  The "standard" quote is 6 hours walking + driving tours.  However some operators will charge you a lot extra if you go outside of what they consider standard route or the standard amount of time.  For example Havana Journey is the low price leader 100 CUC for 2 people, 115 CUC for 3 people however they asked for 25 CUC more if we want to go to Fusterlandia which doesn't really make sense since it is only a few more miles outside of the Malecón.  

 

For Santiago see the thread I started here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2597300-private-excursion-findings-santiago-de-cuba/  I have just added extensive list of ideas on what to see and do around the port on your own which can supplement or replace private or cruise excursions.  In the thread is a list of private guides you can contact for quotes.  Unfortunately the list of guides is very slim compared to Havana.  Get quotes and compare.  Be patient since internet service is BAD and expensive in Cuba (imagine paying 1/20 of your monthly salary just to be online for an hour!).  You will find that some guides charges as much as cruise excursions which does not make sense!!!  Also be sure that you are getting a private tour and not a caravan with others from your ship! 

 

Depending on your ship's arrival time the free walking tours e.g. Strawberry tours in Havana are also good to consider.

 

Laurence

 

[hmcdowell31]

Wow! Thanks Laurence!

 

[Almondtree]

On 11/18/2018 at 6:19 AM, o-state girl said:

Our Blexie Tour was great.  We had Lauren as our tour guide and she spoke awesome English.  Most cars can fit 4 participants plus the driver and the guide for $130 CUCs.

Can you tell me how to get in touch with Blexie?  We are going in April and don't want to do a ship's tour.

My email is pcohen48@gmail.com

[o-state girl]

blexie100588@gmail.com is his email address. 

[wwinfl91]

On 11/18/2018 at 6:39 PM, hmcdowell31 said:

 

We used Fer Tours for 3 days and they did a great job.

 

 

Edited November 28, 2018 by wwinfl91

[OC SeaPA]

On 11/28/2018 at 12:22 PM, wwinfl91 said:

 

Just back from a B2b on Empress.  We did 3 private excursions- 2 with FerTours and 1 with CubaConnections.  I would definitely recommend Cuba Connections over FerTours.  I'll try to keep it brief why-

 

Tour 1- FerTours- Cienfuegos to Trinidad- tour time was cut short by RCI- tendering took longer, and left at 4pm rather than 5.  Asked if we would have enough time to go to Trinidad, so should we just stay local?  Guide said Trinidad ok, so we went.  After a boring 1.5 hr ride there, in which he spent the entire time on politics (interesting at first, but enough) walked around.  He was frustrated because we were not interested in the architecture, and did not want to spend our precious time visiting his friends museum.  Lunch on the way back was fantastic, but no time in Cienfuegos.  Wanted to get rum & cigars- he just dropped us off at the corner (wrong corner) then disappeared!  SKIP TRINIDAD- stay in Cienfuegos. 

 

Tour 2- Cuba Connections- faster in responding (always within 24 hrs, FerTours sometimes took 4 days to get back to me).  Listened to what I had to say, but really was a "guide".  Had a full itinerary of what to see & when, couldn't get that from FerTours.  Asked to see the Jewish Synagogue in Havana- want a great experience.  Wanted a show- went with Cabaret Parisienne rather than Tropicana- again great advice!  Took us to Hotel Nacionale earlier in the day to get tickets ($35cuc vs $120 on ship!), and got great tour of grand hotel.  Went to Fusterlan, and felt we saw everything we wanted. 

 

Tour 3- FerTours- Vinales- tobacco plantation.  Great tour, but not so much the guide.  After e-mailing FerTours about lack of time management on Cienfuegoes promised us a great guide- Gabriel.  Instead got Amanda & a driver, so with 4 of us there were now 6 in the car for a long drive (2.5 hrs).  We asked for some rest stops along the way, as 2 had blood sugar issues and needed snacks, etc.  Had a great experience at the plantation, and lunch at a paladar was out of this world!  Was supposed to be 6 hr tour (back at r) but as staying overnight asked Amanda if we could see everything and she said back at 6pm.  Got back closer to 9am, starving!  On 3 hr drive back (bad roads, so they had to go slower) both Amanada and driver were constantly on cell phones or texting- never talking to us..  

 

Don't mean to sound critical- it really was a fantastic trip!  If I hadn't done Cuba Connections would not have anything to compare with. 

 

 

[ebslcc]

6 hours ago, OC SeaPA said:

Just back from a B2b on Empress.  We did 3 private excursions- 2 with FerTours and 1 with CubaConnections.  I would definitely recommend Cuba Connections over FerTours.  I'll try to keep it brief why-

 

Tour 1- FerTours- Cienfuegos to Trinidad- tour time was cut short by RCI- tendering took longer, and left at 4pm rather than 5.  Asked if we would have enough time to go to Trinidad, so should we just stay local?  Guide said Trinidad ok, so we went.  After a boring 1.5 hr ride there, in which he spent the entire time on politics (interesting at first, but enough) walked around.  He was frustrated because we were not interested in the architecture, and did not want to spend our precious time visiting his friends museum.  Lunch on the way back was fantastic, but no time in Cienfuegos.  Wanted to get rum & cigars- he just dropped us off at the corner (wrong corner) then disappeared!  SKIP TRINIDAD- stay in Cienfuegos. 

 

Tour 2- Cuba Connections- faster in responding (always within 24 hrs, FerTours sometimes took 4 days to get back to me).  Listened to what I had to say, but really was a "guide".  Had a full itinerary of what to see & when, couldn't get that from FerTours.  Asked to see the Jewish Synagogue in Havana- want a great experience.  Wanted a show- went with Cabaret Parisienne rather than Tropicana- again great advice!  Took us to Hotel Nacionale earlier in the day to get tickets ($35cuc vs $120 on ship!), and got great tour of grand hotel.  Went to Fusterlan, and felt we saw everything we wanted. 

 

Tour 3- FerTours- Vinales- tobacco plantation.  Great tour, but not so much the guide.  After e-mailing FerTours about lack of time management on Cienfuegoes promised us a great guide- Gabriel.  Instead got Amanda & a driver, so with 4 of us there were now 6 in the car for a long drive (2.5 hrs).  We asked for some rest stops along the way, as 2 had blood sugar issues and needed snacks, etc.  Had a great experience at the plantation, and lunch at a paladar was out of this world!  Was supposed to be 6 hr tour (back at r) but as staying overnight asked Amanda if we could see everything and she said back at 6pm.  Got back closer to 9am, starving!  On 3 hr drive back (bad roads, so they had to go slower) both Amanada and driver were constantly on cell phones or texting- never talking to us..  

 

Don't mean to sound critical- it really was a fantastic trip!  If I hadn't done Cuba Connections would not have anything to compare with. 

 

 

 

Thanks for your excellent reviews.  I know there are a LOT of fans of FerTours and Blexie on Cruise Critic.  Since FerTours is a big outfit and more like a booking agent I think it is important to know who the guide is and try hard to book specific guides when booking with a big company like FerTours.  For Cienfuegos I will definitely not go with FerTours since he is new to Cienfuegos.  Yours is the first detail review I have seen for FerTours in Cienfuegos!!!   

 

You started at 4 PM to Trinidad?  Wasn't it dark coming back = more dangerous due to animals on the road? 

 

Who was your guide for Cuba Connections?  

 

Laurence