A Viñales Day Trip Tour from Havana was the perfect solution to a problem I commonly have when planning trips – never enough time! Originally, we wanted to stay in a Casa Particular in Viñales for a few days, but we just didn’t have the time in our limited seven days in Cuba. We were so happy we found this Airbnb experience that offered a day trip.

Where is Viñales?
Viñales is a town in Western Cuba home to lush fields, tobacco farms, rock climbing, and so much more. Just a couple hours away from bustling Havana, Viñales makes for a perfect day trip to enjoy life at a slower pace!

Why book an Airbnb Experience?
Without going into too much politics and details, Cuba is a communist government. This means the government dictates all citizen’s wages and food rations. Most Cubans must work government jobs that only pay a monthly average wage of $20-40 USD (a month!) To make ends meet, many Cubans work on the side in the tourism industry.
By booking an Airbnb or Airbnb Experience, your money will go to supporting the Cuban people directly, rather than to a hotel or tourist agency. This rule doesn’t just apply to Cuba, it’s just like shopping local. Your money goes to the people, rather than larger corporations. Also, it is way more of an authentic experience!
Now that I’ve briefed you on Cuban geography and politics, let’s get to it!
– Viñales Day Trip Tour from Havana –
Depart from Havana around 8am.
We were picked up in this sweet looking car from Havana around 8-9am. Honestly, nobody is on time in Cuba, so if you have a tour booked and they are running behind – that is totally normal! Patience is key, as keep in mind internet is not always readily available here.
The 2.5 hour drive to Viñales was really enjoyable. Make sure to bring your passport everywhere with you in Cuba, as cops will often flag you down when you are leaving city limits.

Horseback Riding through Mogotes Valley.
The first stop on our tour was riding beautiful horses through the lush valley. Anytime I think of engaging in tourism with animals, I always do some research into the specifics of how the animals are treated. We almost booked a different tour in Viñales before coming across this one, however, there were a number of reviews of how badly the horses were treated. Luckily on this tour, the horses seemed to be very well taken care of.
This photo doesn’t do the views of the valley justice, it was so stunning!

The Art of Cuban Cigars
This was unexpectedly one of my favorite parts of the tour! I don’t typically smoke anything, but I loved the taste of these cigars. Smoking a Cuban cigar in Cuba is definitely a bucketlist moment worth all the hype. You learn where the tobacco grows, how to roll it, and of course how to smoke it 🙂
Bring cash with you so you can buy cigars and other souveniers! If you personally don’t want them, they make excellent gifts to give away back home.


Say hello to the little farm animals
After the horseback riding and cigar demonstration, you just get to chill and hang out with the farmers while smoking cigars. It honestly feels like your visiting your family’s farm! It was so nice, and all the animals were so adorable.


– Are you loving these colors? Check out The Colorful Country of Cuba. –
Explore the Caves of Viñales
Horseback, cigars, and now caves – oh my! This tour has quite the variety, which always kept things interesting. We enjoyed a nice boat ride through the beautiful caves of Viñales.

Enjoy a late lunch with a view.
On your way back to Havana, you will stop at a delicious restaurant with an incredible view. I ordered the Cuban Ropa Vieja, which is the National Dish of Cuba. It was incredibly delicious!


That concludes a full Day Trip Tour to Viñales.
While Havana is a great place to base yourself during your time in Cuba, I highly recommend venturing out beyond!
You can book this Viñales Day Trip Tour on Airbnb here.

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How amazing! We were supposed to be in Cuba last week so it was a nice treat for me to travel vicariously though you! Sounds like an amazing time. Thanks for sharing your journey!
Oh no, I am so sorry you had to cancel your trip. You will have a fabulous time once you are able to make it there!
Wow Natalie, I love the car, the locals and the horseback riding! Will definitely come back to this blog when I go to Cuba! Thank you for the fun ideas!
Aw man, I wish there was a chance to hold ducks when I visited Vinales!!! I wish Airbnb Experiences were more of a thing when I visited, it’s a great way to give money back to citizens (though I’m sure they still get taxed a ton)
What a truly amazing place! Anywhere you stay that has animals is a big plus from me haha. I would definitely consider an Airbnb Experience when I got to Cuba.
Vinales looks like an excellent day trip and experience! I would really enjoy riding in one of those old cars, try an authentic cigar and explore the caves!
This looks like the perfect day trip!! I love all of the little farm animals. I think I could stay there the whole day and play with them haha!
I loved Cuba! I also was short on time and didn’t have a chance to visit Viñales. I’m glad I got to see it through your eyes. When I return, I will definitely visit!
I’m so glad you’ve been to Cuba! Next time you’ll definitely have to check out Viñales
I’ve never been to Cuba but would definitely be down to go horseback riding + hang out with cute farm animals! :] That looks like a fun day trip!