10-DAY CUBA MOTORCYCLE TOUR

Cuba is an island where history, culture and natural beauty come together in a way no other destination in our catalog can match. Our 10-day route strings together the vibrant streets of Havana, the tobacco fields and mogotes — limestone hills — of Viñales, the ecological community of Las Terrazas, the colonial gem of Trinidad, the revolutionary history of Santa Clara, and the pristine beaches of Varadero, before rolling back into Havana along the Caribbean coast. Along the way you collect two UNESCO World Heritage sites — Old Havana and Trinidad — plus the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Las Terrazas, with classic American cars, street salsa music and the Cayos islands woven through the whole trip. Ten days, one island, and almost every register Cuba has: capital-city energy, tobacco-country calm, colonial cobblestones, revolutionary history and Caribbean beaches, all connected by your own handlebars.

What makes Cuba different is that none of this feels staged. The classic cars are daily transport, the salsa spills out of ordinary bars, and the colonial squares are still lived-in neighborhoods. Samuel Idarraga, who rode the tour with us, put it on camera better than we could: "being in Cuba is just another planet." He also called the experience "truly transformative" — and that is the word we hear most about this island.

And yes — US citizens can participate in this tour. There are direct flights from the US to Cuba, and you can join under the "Support to the Cuban People" program. We have designed the tour to be as authentic as possible on purpose: every night is spent in the best private B&Bs and homestays, which keeps you out of the banned state-owned hotels and puts your money directly into Cuban households. What US regulations frame as a requirement, we treat as the whole point — you sleep, eat breakfast and swap stories with the Cuban people themselves, not behind a resort wall.

We publish a terrain profile for every tour so you can match the route to your skills before you book. Cuba rates 5% off-road, 55% comfort and 100% fun — in plain words, this is a road tour that stays around 95% on pavement, well within reach of any confident street rider; tours like Namibia are the ones we build for experienced dirt riders, not Cuba. The 55% comfort score is honesty, not modesty: you are riding a Caribbean island under a decades-long embargo, sleeping in private homestays rather than chain hotels, and that authenticity — the thing Samuel called "another planet" — is exactly what you come for.

Comfort on the road, though, is never compromised: everything we do is based on safety first — destinations, routes, bikes and partners — and every group is led by a certified, multilingual tour leader with expert local knowledge and training.

The riding itself unfolds in unhurried, scenic legs. Day three takes you from Havana through the Cuban countryside to Viñales, passing tobacco fields and mogotes. Day four continues through lush green landscapes to Las Terrazas, and day five carries you through beautiful countryside and charming villages to Trinidad — the stretch where you experience the authentic Cuban way of life at riding pace. After a rest day, day seven crosses rolling hills and rural communities to Santa Clara, day eight follows the scenic coastal route to Varadero with glimpses of turquoise waters and swaying palm trees, and day nine brings you back to Havana with the sparkling Caribbean Sea by your side, finishing at the iconic Malecón promenade.

The tour is deliberately paced for the island. Two full days bookend the riding in Havana, and day six is a complete rest day in Trinidad — beach, waterfalls or markets, your call. A local guide and support vehicle travel with the group the entire way, a professional multilingual tour leader rides with you, and fuel and road tolls are covered. That is how 5% off-road and an island with this much to see still add up to a 100% fun score.

Cuba rewards riders who get off the bike, and the itinerary builds that in. These are the cultural anchors of the tour, day by day:

• Havana (days 1–2). The tour opens with an evening among the lively music, colonial architecture and classic cars of the capital, followed by a full guided city tour of Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage site — the historic squares of Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza de Armas and Plaza Vieja, narrow streets lined with colorful buildings, traditional Cuban cuisine and live music. A ride down the historic Malecón boardwalk in a classic American car is part of the Havana experience.
• Viñales (day 3). The heart of Cuban tobacco country. After the ride in through the mogotes, you can visit a working tobacco farm or simply soak up the peaceful ambiance of the town.
• Las Terrazas (day 4). A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and ecological community with organic farming and reforestation projects, a refreshing dip in the San Juan River, and the ruins of an old coffee plantation.
• Trinidad (days 5–6). A UNESCO World Heritage site of cobblestone streets, colorful houses and a vibrant music scene — dance the night away at a local salsa club. The rest day adds Playa Ancón beach, nearby waterfalls, and the local markets and art galleries.
• Santa Clara (day 7). The Che Guevara Mausoleum and Museum, the Central Park, and the story of the city's pivotal role in the Cuban Revolution.
• Varadero (day 8). Beachfront accommodation on some of the island's most pristine sand — sun, a swim in the turquoise Caribbean, and palm trees after five riding days.
• Havana again (days 9–10). A final evening of live music and dancing, then a last walk along the Malecón or a visit to the iconic Hotel Nacional before the airport transfer.

Group activities and entry fees for these stops are included in the tour price, so there is no ticket-counter arithmetic along the way. And if you want to see the island before you book it, watch the Cuba series on our YouTube channel — Bruce and Jana Hale's Cuban motorcycle adventure with MotoDreamer, filmed on this route.

The motorcycle. The tour price is quoted for a rider on the BMW F700GS, a professionally maintained mid-weight GS that suits Cuba's road-focused profile, and base model motorcycle rental is included in the price. Mandatory third-party liability insurance is included. A refundable security deposit on your credit card is required to take the bike out, sized according to the rental bike chosen. Across our fleet we run latest-model machines from BMW, Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Triumph, KTM and CFMoto — quality motorcycles are one of the pillars the whole operation stands on.

The group. We keep Cuba deliberately small: minimum 5 riders, maximum 10, led by a certified multilingual tour leader with a local guide and support vehicle alongside. Riding two-up? The Add Pillion/Passenger option (+$2,999) covers your co-rider. Accommodation is in shared rooms by default, with a single-room upgrade available for +$799.

What the price covers. The tour starts at $5,499 per rider on the BMW F700GS in a shared room. That includes 9 nights of accommodation in the best private B&Bs and homestays, all breakfasts, fuel and road tolls, group activities and entry fees, airport transfers from and to La Havana International Airport (HAV) on official arrival and departure days, a pre-tour preparation guide and briefing, up to 25% discount on riding gear from our partners Klim, Giant Loop and Mosko Moto, a MotoDreamer apparel gift, and all taxes. Airfare, lunches, dinners and drinks, personal paperwork and visas, tips, and travel insurance are not included — for travel and evacuation cover with cancellation coverage we point riders to Global Rescue.

Booking and payment. Hit Book Now, pick your date and pay the deposit; we accept bank transfer, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal and Bitcoin, and you can split the balance into monthly payments with no interest. Booking as a group is rewarded: when 5 riders pay, rider number 6 travels free (valid on the base tour price). Every booking is backed by our price match and departure guarantees. One honest note on dates: scheduled group departures for Cuba are currently on pause due to the US economic embargo, but private or customized group tours can be arranged — choose your own date on the booking form and we will build the departure around your group.

Who can join. You need to be 20 or older with at least one year of experience on a 500cc-or-bigger motorcycle, hold a valid driver's license with motorcycle endorsement, and carry a passport with at least six months' validity at tour start. That is the whole bar — if you ride confidently at home, Cuba's 95%-paved route is for you.

Seventeen-plus years of operating tours and over 5,000 riders have shaped how we run Cuba. Or, in Samuel's closing words from his testimonial: "I'm so glad that I could come now and get here before it opens up."