Home Tours Pat Metheny VIP Fiesta Del Tambor Festival Experience
TRIP OVERVIEW

Travel to Cuba Legally with Cultural Island Travel

Join Blue Note and Cultural Island Travel in celebrating Fiesta Del Tambor Festival with Pat Metheny!

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS: 

20X Grammy Award Winner Pat Metheny’s Cuba Debut!

*Experience an Exclusive and  Special Performance by Pat Metheny

*Opportunity to Meet Pat Metheny

Exclusive Access at Fiesta del Tambor – Havana’s Iconic Rhythm & Dance Festival
Experience the best of Havana – classic cars, Hemingway house, gourmet food, Old Havana walking tour, nightlife

**Visit the Cuban countryside

*Included in the VIP package 
**Included in the Pinar del Rio package

TOUR LENGTH

5 days/4 nights

For more information please call us at 1-800-747-6042 or email us at cuba@bluenotetravel.com

A rare tour to experience Cuba with 20x Grammy Winner and music legend, Pat Metheny as part of the Fiesta del Tambor Rhythm and Dance Festival in Havana!

Pat will debut in Cuba for the first time in his 40 year career!

Experience Pat in public and intimate settings in Havana, meet Pat and enjoy exclusive access to Fiesta del Tambor.

In addition to this special music moment in Cuba, enjoy the old-world charm of Havana and rural scenery of Vinales, experience delicious food at Havana’s top restaurants, and be totally immersed in the rich history and culture of Cuba. 

At night you can go to any number of shows going on at venues all over Havana for Fiesta del Tambor. 

Our mission is to immerse you in this passionate culture to truly have you experience Cuba just like a local. Support for the Cuba people travel allows even the most seasoned travelers to view Cuba through the lens of the musicians, dancers, artists and locals— an experience that is difficult to find anywhere else in the world. 

*This trip to Cuba is legally compliant with current legal OFAC regulations*



Itinerary

Sample Itinerary

DAY 1 Thursday, March 26, 2020 Havana

  • Check in for your flight to Havana
  • Arrive at the Jose Marti International Airport (HAV) and look for your Blue Note representative holding a sign with your name
  • Visit Finca Vigia, Ernest Hemingway’s former residence in Havana for over 20 years
  • Head to your lodging for check-in and orientation
  • Visit the historic Hotel Nacional and enjoy stunning views

The upscale Hotel Nacional is one of the country’s most famous landmarks, with a fascinating and storied history, ranging from a major mafia meeting in the ’40s that took place on-site to tunnels in the gardens used during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The common spaces, including the lobby and the ocean-view gardens, are gorgeous, casting light on Havana’s golden age of Cuban hospitality, nightlife and entertainment. Some past famous guests include Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Winston Churchill, Mickey Mantle, and Marlon Brando!

  • Experience a ride in a classic convertible car around Havana City

Havana is beloved by American visitors with its collection of thousands of vintage American cars, manufactured before the Revolution and subsequent US embargo. In the absence of automobile imports, these living relics are preserved by Cuban mechanics or improvised fixes by the owners themselves. Experience an hour in a classic convertible Chevy, Ford or Oldsmobile!

  • Welcome dinner at an upscale restaurant

DAY 2 Friday, March 27, 2020 Havana

  • Visit Old Havana and learn about Havana’s world-renowned UNESCO heritage designated architecture on an expertly guided walking tour (2 hrs)

There is no better introduction to Havana than a walk through Old Havana, where the streets are full of life – vendors, musicians, performance artists are everywhere. On this walk you will explore Old Havana’s five major plazas and see the interiors of cathedrals and other important buildings. UNESCO designated Old Havana as a world heritage site in 1982. Although today Havana is a sprawling metropolis of more than two million people, the old center retains an interesting mix of Baroque and neoclassical monuments, beautiful balconies and courtyards.

  • Visit the Taller de La Gráfica lithograph collective

Located in the heart of the old city, Taller de La Gráfica de la Habana is one of Havana’s most revered artistic attractions, featuring lithograph artists who create and sell their own experimental work on site. Visitors learn about the collective’s equipment and techniques from the artists themselves and can purchase art directly from the Taller.

  • Lunch at El del Frente paladar (a staff and client favorite, try the daiquiris!)
  • Visit the newly renovated Grand Theater of Havana for a tour of one of Havana’s most beautiful architectural treasures. It is currently home to the Cuban ballet
  • Experience a Cuban a cappella performance
  • Nighttime suggestion: Enjoy the various shows at the main theater or other indoor and outdoor venues throughout Havana (transportation to the main theater included)

DAY 3 Saturday, March 28, 2020 Havana 

  • Experience a private jazz performance in a renowned musician’s home
  • Lunch at La Guarida paladar (a celebrity favorite!)
  • Visit the community project Clave Del Sol
  • Watch and enjoy Pat Metheny’s Cuba Debut at Karl Marx Theater as part of the Fiesta Del Tambor! Exclusive access and preferred seating included

DAY 4 Sunday, March 29, 2020 – Choose from 2 options

VIP Package: Exclusive Pat Metheny Experience

  • Visit Fabrica de Arte Cubano – Havana’s premier art, culture and club – for a special, intimate and exclusive Pat Metheny performance!
  • Meet Pat Metheny
  • Lunch
  • Exclusive VIP Blue Note event
  • Nighttime suggestion: Enjoy the various shows at the main theater or other indoor and outdoor venues throughout Havana (transportation to the main theater included)

Tobacco Farm Experience

  • Travel to the countryside (around 2 hours
  • Visit the community project “Raices”, located in the Vally of Vinales, and discover their incredible wood artworks while enjoying the view to the valley on walking trails
  • Farm to table lunch at Finca Paraiso
  • Meet a farmer in Cuba’s famed tobacco fields, learn on-site about cigar production, and make your own cigar!
  • Return to Havana
  • Exclusive VIP Blue Note event
  • Nighttime suggestion: Enjoy the various shows at the main theater or other indoor and outdoor venues throughout Havana (transportation to the main theater included)

DAY 5 Monday, March 30, 2020 Havana-United States 

  • Head to Jose Marti Airport for your return flight (airport transfer included)
  • Adios Cuba!
Note

A Paladar is a privately owned restaurant, as opposed to regular restaurants that are owned and operated by the Cuban government. Paladares compete with each other and most of them are quite beautiful and creative with great food and flare. Eating at paladares also helps encourage private enterprise in Cuba. We include only paladares in our program to help local business and to provide you with the best Cuban culinary experience.

What’s Included

Included items in the price of your tour:
  • Exclusive access to Pat Metheny’s debut performance at the Karl Marx Theater (preferred seating included)
  • All Access Pass to festival events (preferred seating included at main events)
  • Exclusive VIP Blue Note gala
  • Additional Blue Note approved concerts, dance, and art activities
  • Cuban Visa (shipping included)
  • Roundtrip airport transfers
  • Daily breakfast at your hotel
  • All lunches during the tour at Cuba’s top paladares or privately run restaurants
  • One upscale welcome dinner
  • All local air conditioned ground transportation during the tour
  • Pre-trip departure information on Cuba travel
  • Compliance with U.S. Treasure Department regulations
  • Lodging at Melia Cohiba in Havana (other lodging options available upon request)
  • Expert Blue Note tour leader and additional expert guides
  • Guaranteed small group size (no more than 10 people max)

Additional inclusion for the VIP Package – Exclusive Pat Metheny Experience

  • Meet and Greet with Pat Metheny
  • Special private performance with Pat Metheny

Additional inclusion for the Festival and Tobacco Farm Experience Package

  • Day tour to Pinar del Rio

Not Included:

  • Airfare
  • Tips for tour leaders, local guides, wait staff, and cleaning personnel
  • Most dinners

Tour Dates & Prices

March 26-30, 2020

Melia Cohiba
Pat Metheny VIP Package $8,199.00
$300 off when you book by Jan. 31!
Festival & Tobacco Experience Package $5,999.00
Rates are based on double occupancy and per person. For single occupancy, group rates and more information, contact us and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Call us today at 1-800-747-6042 or email at cuba@bluenotetravel.com

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Brochure & Top Cuba Tips

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