Please note the tour price reflected on the brochure is subject to change. Due to seasonality, and taxes prices of the tour are subject to change without due notice. Please consult with the operator directly for the recent price.
Cuba and Its People: A Photographic Exploration
Preferred
Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- Visit a historical home with its owner and focus on its stunning architectural details.
- Attend a practice session of a ballet company and photograph graceful dancers.
- Step into Cuba’s oldest boxing club to meet and photograph with coaches and boxers.
- Tour a leading photography guild with the director and see the work of renowned Cuban photographers.
Short Description
Experience the evolution of Cuba through its people on a cultural program that uses photography as a means of getting to know Cubans from all walks of life. Join a National Geographic photographer and two Cuban photographers for an intimate look at Havana and the surrounding countryside. Rise with the sun to capture the old city’s early morning rhythms, and photograph the people you engage with on visits to schools, dance studios, art cooperatives, and more. Each departure is limited to 16 travelers.
Itinerary
Day 1 — Miami, Florida/Havana, Cuba
Depart Miami for Havana, Cuba. Upon arrival, have lunch at a traditional Cuban restaurant. Get oriented on a city tour as you drive toward Habana Vieja, or historic Old Havana. Check in to our hotel and then set out to explore the Paseo Prado, a pedestrian promenade where you begin to see Cuban daily life and engage with the locals. Gather tonight for a welcome orientation and reception at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts). Your welcome dinner together will be the following evening, after our first full day in the city.
Hotel Mercure Sevilla (L)
Day 2 — Havana
For those interested, rise early for an optional sunrise photo walk around Old Havana with expedition staff as the city is coming to life. After breakfast, focus on the restoration of Old Havana during a guided walk around the historic squares and a meeting with a representative from the city historian’s office. Then head to Plaza Vieja to hear from Nelson Ramírez de Arellano, the director of Fototeca de Cuba. Founded in 1986 to preserve and promote Cuba’s photographic heritage, Fototeca de Cuba is home to the nation’s largest collection of Cuban photography. Learn about the organization’s role in nurturing young talent, explore current exhibitions, and enjoy an interactive presentation on renowned Cuban photographers. Following lunch, delve into the origins of Cuban folkloric dance at a local dance company and learn about the history of dance in Cuba as well as the life of dancers in Havana today. Converse with students and musicians, and shoot portraits of dancers in motion. Gather for a welcome dinner tonight at a local paladar (privately owned restaurant).
Hotel Mercure Sevilla (B,L,D)
Day 3 — Havana/Countryside
Rise early for an optional sunrise photo walk followed by breakfast, then travel to the outskirts of Havana to Cojímar, a small fishing village where Ernest Hemingway once docked his boat, El Pilar. Explore the fishing community and speak with local fishermen about how they make their living. After a group lunch, spend the afternoon exploring the quiet town of Campo Florido, where you will have the opportunity to visit nearby horse farms and learn about how horses play a valuable role to Cubans in terms of working farms and day-to-day transportation. Meet and photograph local residents, and discuss their hopes and thoughts for the future. Back in Havana this evening, take part in a specially arranged session with a group of leading Cuban photographers who will share their portfolios and discuss their careers.
Hotel Mercure Sevilla (B,L)
Day 4 — Havana
Cuba has a long and storied tradition of dance, and today you explore this important cultural aspect of life in present-day Cuba. This morning, visit an Afro-Cuban dance group, and after lunch, meet with dancers and instructors at a ballet company. Engage with the company directors to learn about the history of dance in Cuba, discussing a wide range of topics including support of the independent arts organizations in Cuba, arts education, and the various health and fitness approaches of the dancers. During our visits capture the dramatic action of Afro-Cuban dance and the graceful choreography of the ballet rehearsal. Later this afternoon return to the hotel for a talk by the National Geographic photographer before dinner at a local paladar in Old Havana.
Hotel Mercure Sevilla (B,L,D)
Day 5 — Havana
Rise early for an optional sunrise photo walk followed by breakfast, then step back in time in a lovely old home in the neighborhood of Vedado, feeling the elegance that was once Havana. You will have a chance to get better acquainted with Cubans through interactions and portraiture in this setting frozen in time. Additionally, you visit and learn about the importance of the famous Cementerio de Colón, where Cararra marble tombs celebrate the lives of scores of generations. After a group lunch, cross Havana’s harbor this afternoon to reach Casablanca, where fishermen repair the boats and nets, and explore the village that lies in the shadow of “El Cristo” (the Christ statue that sits on the hilltop overlooking Havana Bay). Then learn about the importance of the 18th-century San Carlos de la Cabaña fortress. Steeped in history past and present, this was once under the command of Che Guevara.
Hotel Mercure Sevilla (B,L)
Day 6 — Havana
Explore the neighborhood known as Barrio Belen this morning. Then go behind the scenes at Gimnasio de Boxeo Rafael Trejo, the oldest boxing club in Cuba. Cuba has a long tradition of amateur boxing, which has thrived in large part due to a 50-year ban on professional boxing. The director will introduce us to the illustrious history of this popular sport in Cuba, which includes 32 Olympic boxing gold medals since 1972. Talk with coaches and their boxing students, and then take a position ringside to photograph a lively training session. After a group lunch, visit Old Havana’s Mercado Agropecuario Egido, where you have an opportunity to meet independent farmers and produce vendors at the market and photograph their vibrant displays of fruit, vegetables, meat, and flowers. You also meet with Cuban artist and gallery owners in Old Havana, including a visit to a graphic arts workshop. Talk with Cuban printmakers about artistic expression, and learn about etching, lithograph, woodcut, and the collagraph engraving processes.
Hotel Mercure Sevilla (B,L)
Day 7 — Havana
Early this morning, those interested in sunrise photographs overlooking the city can head out to El Morro castle, part of the Spanish colonial fortress at the entrance of Havana’s bay. On Sunday, a day of leisure for many Cubans, Havana’s streets come alive with vibrant markets, music and dance performances, pickup sports games, and community events. Photographic opportunities abound as you explore the city and interact with its gracious people. Talk with a classic car owner about the challenges of their upkeep; meet with a former baseball coach and trainer to learn about the Cuban baseball scene; step inside local shops to engage cuentapropistas (self-employed workers), who are part of an expanding private sector; and more. Our Cuban photographers will join small groups to help facilitate these or other people-to-people activities. Tonight, celebrate our Cuban experience at a farewell dinner.
Hotel Mercure Sevilla (B,D)
Day 8 — Havana/Miami
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight back to Miami.
(B)
Availability
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30 National Geographic Expeditions Travel Reviews & Ratings
Cuba and Its People: A Photographic Exploration
Company Reviews
Inconsistent information, No Refund
How to Ruin a Trip to Norway
TOO MUCH TOO FAST
We arrived in Luxor, were taken to the hotel, deposited our luggage (the room wasn’t ready), had breakfast, and then met our tour guide at 10:00 AM for our first tour. We were exhausted, but mustered our energy for the occasion.
Is there a good reason why Cairo wasn’t the first city on our tour? In retrospect, it should have been for many reasons, not the least of which was the logistics described above.
All right, so now we’re in Luxor, and by afternoon we’re ensconced in a luxurious hotel with a magnificent view of the Nile River. There’s a swimming pool that we’re looking forward to relaxing by the next day during some much needed down time during the free time described in the itinerary; exactly what we expected from National Geographic. But instead, that evening we were told by our guide that we needed to have our luggage ready to check out of the hotel the next morning to relocate to the Nile River ship Minerva (coincidentally, owned by the same company as the hotel). We obliged, and in the morning we were taken on a tour with the luggage in the car, and then brought to the ship in the early afternoon. Our four suitcases were put in a room that was barely large enough to contain the bed, but the view of the river from our room was good enough to overlook this inconvenience, at least for the moment. I looked forward to resting in our cabin in the afternoon because I was exhausted. In fact, I was so tired that I have little recollection of that morning’s tour until I look at the photos to affirm that I was actually where the itinerary said I would be.
We went to lunch in the ship’s dining room and returned to our cabin to find that our view of the Nile was obliterated by a ship that had tied up alongside our own. This is now our view (see photo) and the blackout drapes that were drawn to hide it made the small cabin a crowded, dark dungeon.
Furthermore, that ship’s bunker oil fumes were now in the air conditioning system of our ship and flowing freely into our cabin making me nauseous and giving me a headache. I complained but there was nothing to do about it.
And if this wasn’t bad enough, the sound of the neighboring ship that accompanied the smell was intolerable.
Other issues I had with our cabin on the ship included;
- The bypass closet door wouldn’t stay shut
- There was a leak under the bathroom sink
- The carpet in the area near the bathroom was wet
- The toilet seat lid came off repeatedly
- Wifi on board the ship was only in the main lobby area, and was poor at best
I talked to the ship’s desk clerk, and he assured me that things would be taken care of shortly. They never were.
This doesn’t take into consideration that the buffet style food served on board was repetitive if you didn’t take the offered main course, which was usually meat (I don’t eat meat).
Oh, and I didn’t yet mention that our ship wouldn’t be leaving its mooring until the next day! We had traded a luxurious hotel for this!
With that said, it begs the question of why we were taken out of a luxurious hotel 24 hours in advance of the ship sailing away from Luxor? No pool to sit by, no view of the sunset over the banks of the Nile, no quiet room in which to sleep, and no dinner of delicious food. Certainly not what we expected from a Nat Geo Private Tour for which we had paid a premium price!
Unrelated to these issues, NatGeo’s survey asked if we felt that our health was well-protected. “No” is the short answer. A fuller reply is that we both got Covid on this trip; my husband first, then inevitably, myself three days later. We had avoided catching it for more than 2.6 years, and now we had it. I realize that one takes risks when going out in the world, and I certainly don’t blame NatGeo for our getting sick. But their people weren’t wearing masks until I asked them to, mostly to protect themselves from us. One agent who met us at the airport when we arrived back in Cairo from Aswan, now openly sick with Covid, disappeared for 10 minutes to purchase a mask when I told him in no uncertain terms that he needed to wear one around us.
Overall, NatGeo profited from our illness as we were too unwell to utilize the dining allowance at the Cairo Ritz Carlton or to go to out for most meals offered with our guide. The one restaurant I was taken to for dinner without my husband was a touristy place with fake grapes leaves hanging from fake arbors. When a 35 person tour group trouped in past us it told me all I needed to know. My bowl of pasta with a tomato sauce not much thicker than tomato juice certainly couldn’t have cost more than $10, if that much. Then, the next day I was too sick to go out at all, my husband, who was feeling better by then, went out alone with the tour guide for the day, but it’s my understanding that they skipped all meals.
All in all, there were many aspects of the trip that were memorable for all the right reasons, but also memorable for the above mentioned wrong reasons. For us to have paid as much as we did begs the question, “Was it worth the expense for this private tour experience?” As seasoned world travelers, I’m hard pressed to reply in the affirmative.
Best Part of Trip was Cancelled
Cancel my trip but no refund
DO NOT BOOK WITH NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - LOST MY TRIP MONEY
They have not refunded any portion of my money. They said the airfare was non-refundable and that I couldn't even have a flight credit. But they are the ones that canceled the trip. However Delta told me that a refund check was sent to the agency. Then they said they would refund the other portion of the trip expense, but it may take 6 months. It is completely unacceptable. The entire 100% of the trip should be refunded and should have been refunded the day they canceled the trip.
The business is not responsive to this. I filed a complaint with the BBB and they did not respond. I sent a 30 day demand letter in preparation of filing in court against them. So far no resolution.
I expect a 100% refund AND I share this story to strongly advise against anyone ever booking a national geographic trip of any kind.
I will be posting this review online in every spot I can find.
Details
Flight & Transport Inclusions
All internal ground transport
Group Size
Small Group - 24 max
Maximum Number of People in Group: 16
Cancellation policy
All cancellation notices must be received in writing and will become effective as of the date of the postmark. If a participant cancels 120 days or more prior to departure, a refund less an administrative fee of 50% of the deposit will be made. Per-person charges for cancellations that occur less than 120 days prior to departure (“Cancellation Penalty Period”) are as follows: 91-119 days prior to departure: 100% of the deposit amount; 45-90 days prior to departure: 50% of the Expedition cost; 44 or fewer days prior to departure: 100% of the Expedition cost. This policy also applies to pre- and post-Expedition extensions. Any revisions made within the Cancellation Penalty Period, such as a change in departure date or choice of Expedition, are subject to this cancellation policy. Any airline tickets issued are subject to the carrier’s refund policy. Arriving late or leaving an Expedition in progress, for any reason whatsoever, will not result in a refund, and no refunds will be made for any unused portions of an Expedition. National Geographic Expeditions reserves the right to cancel any Expedition because of inadequate enrollment that makes the Expedition economically infeasible to operate or because of good-faith concerns with respect to the safety, health, or welfare of the participants. If an Expedition is canceled prior to departure, the tour operator will provide the participants with a full refund of monies paid to the tour operator; except in the event that the cancellation is due to a significant event that makes it infeasible to operate the Expedition as planned, in which case the tour operator will provide the participants with a refund and/or credit toward a future Expedition equivalent to the amount paid to the tour operator. If National Geographic Expeditions cancels the Expedition in progress, the participants will receive a prorated refund based on the number of days not completed on the Expedition. Except as outlined above when National Geographic Expeditions cancels an Expedition, National Geographic and the tour operator have no responsibility for any expenses, including any non-refundable expenses, incurred by the participants in preparing for a cancelled Expedition or for any additional arrangements should the participants embark prior to the scheduled group departure date.
Trip-cancellation insurance is available at an additional cost and is strongly recommended. For more information about and to enroll in an option available through Travel Insurance Services, visit the “Travel Insurance” section of our website at natgeoexpeditions.com.
Trip ID#:
cubphoexpnatgeo
What's excluded
Airfare is not included in the expedition cost; activities noted as optional in the itinerary; gratuities for train or ship’s crew, unless otherwise noted on the itinerary page; passport, visa, and permit expenses; medical expenses and immunizations; baggage/accident/cancellation insurance; personal expenses, such as laundry, telephone calls, and alcoholic beverages; and any other items not specifically noted as included.
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