Itinerary

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS • What requirements are there for US Citizens and US residents to visit Cuba legally with Intrepid? 1. Have a valid passport that expires no sooner than 6 months after your travel dates. 2. You must travel under one of the 12 authorized Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) licenses. This trip, Hola Cuba, meets the 'Support for the Cuban People' general license. When asked which category you will be traveling on by airline staff or border agents, you should state that your category is ‘Support for the Cuban People’. 3. Obtain a Cuba visa either online or at your gate if traveling from one of the airports offering this service. Please see the 'Passports, visas and entry requirements' section of your Essential Trip Information below for more details. 4. Have a signed and countersigned travel affidavit for this trip, provided upon confirming your booking with Intrepid.  Please see the 'Passports, visas and entry requirements' section of your Essential Trip Information below for more details. 5. Have travel medical insurance that covers you while in Cuba. Proof of insurance may be requested at Havana Airport by immigration officials. US airlines that fly directly to Cuba from the US include travel medical insurance in the cost of the airline ticket. Your boarding pass serves as proof of insurance.  6. Document your activities and transactions and maintain these records for 10 years according to US law. Upon arrival back in the US and for 10 years thereafter, the US government reserves the right to request your journal. You should maintain a paper journal while traveling and keep all paper receipts with it. You should print out your daily itinerary before traveling and document your activities on the back of the itinerary. Your leader will be on hand to assist with filling in your journal as needed. What is the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and what does it do? According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s website, OFAC “administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on U.S. foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign policies and regimes … and other threats to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States.” As of June 6, 2019, Intrepid US is authorized to provide ‘Support for the Cuban People’ trips pursuant to a general license under 31 C.F.R. § 515.574 rather than needing a specific license. • What does ‘Support for the Cuban People’ mean? ‘Support for the Cuban People’ general license aims to encourage Individuals and non-governmental organizations to promote independent activity intended to strengthen civil society in Cuba. This license requires travelers to maintain a full schedule (considered 6-8 hour daily) of meaningful interactions, use privately-owned businesses, and stay in privately-owned accommodations. Intrepid US's itinerary has been carefully planned to provide engaging, intimate experiences with Cuba’s dynamic residents, immersing you in everyday life, and allowing you to interact with locals and foster a better understanding of what makes Cuba such a fascinating place. ‘Hola Cuba – for US citizens’ allows for very little, if any, free time, as your time will be spent experiencing Cuba at its most authentic by interacting with the community directly; staying in rented accommodation in private Cuban guesthouses (casa particular), eat at privately-owned Cuban restaurants (paladares), and shop at privately-owned stores run by self-employed Cubans (cuentapropista). • Do I have to participate in all the scheduled activities? Under the requirements set forth by OFAC, you must participate in all scheduled activities on your itinerary. You are travelling to Cuba under OFAC’s ‘Support for the Cuban People’ general license, and the U.S. government requires you to engaged in a full-time schedule of activities resulting in meaningful interaction with individuals in Cuba. Hence, unlike other Intrepid US trips, you cannot opt out of activities. By not participating in any scheduled activities, you may be individually liable for criminal or civil penalties. • Am I allowed to explore my surroundings before or after the day’s itinerary? While full participation in our scheduled program is required during the day, you are able to explore on your own before or after your scheduled itinerary is complete. • What restrictions do I need to be aware of while visiting Cuba? Avoid transactions with Cuban Government entities on the US State Department's Prohibited List. Our tours are carefully designed to avoid these businesses. During your free time you should avoid the hotels and shops listed. Your leader will be able to advise you on which businsses to avoid locally. https://www.state.gov/division-for-counter-threat-finance-and-sanctions/cuba-restricted-list  • May I purchase items in Cuba and bring them back with me to the U.S.? You may acquire in Cuba and import as accompanied baggage into the United States merchandise with a value not to exceed $400 per person, provided that the merchandise is imported for personal use only. Currently, there are no monetary limits on acquisition in Cuba and import into the U.S. of informational materials, such as books, paintings, posters, photographs, films and music CDs. You may no longer return to the United States with alcohol and/or tobacco products acquired in Cuba as accompanied baggage for personal use. More information can be found here: https://www.helpspanish.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1389?language=en_US • Are there any limitations with respect to personal consumption spending while in Cuba? There is no limit on personal consumption spending (e.g., food, beverage, etc.) while in Cuba. • Will my phone work in Cuba? Probably not; generally, your U.S. cell phone, texting and smart phone-based Internet will not work in Cuba. Satellite phones are not allowed in Cuba. We recommend you download for offline use some Google maps of the areas you will visit, especially Havana. You can also download Spanish for offline use in Google Translate. For more information, we strongly encourage you to visit OFAC's website at: http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_faqs_new.pdf ITINERARY CHANGES Our itineraries are updated regularly throughout the year based on customer feedback and to reflect the current situation in each destination. The information included in this Essential Trip Information may therefore differ from when you first booked your trip. It's important that you review this information prior to travel so that you have the latest updates. Due to weather, local conditions, transport schedules, public holidays, political unrest or other factors, further changes may be necessary to your itinerary once in-country. Your group leader or local representative will keep you up to date with any such changes once your trip is underway and has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if deemed necessary due to safety concerns. OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES A selection of optional activities that have been popular with past travellers are listed in the day-to-day itinerary. This isn't an exhaustive list and should be used as a guide only for some of what might be available. Prices are approximate, are for entrance fees only, and don’t include transport to and from the sites or local guides unless indicated. All activities are subject to availability, and maybe on a join-in basis. It may not be possible to do all the activities listed in the time available at each destination, so some pre-planning for what you are most interested in is advised. When it's recommended that travellers pre-book these activities, look for a note in the Special Information section of the day-to-day itinerary. For most, they can either be organised independently on the day, or let your group leader or local representative know you are interested at the Welcome Meeting and they can assist. Where activities are considered medium or high risk, we work with operators whose safety and credentials we have sighted and assessed. Although it is possible that you may find the same activity cheaper with another operator on the ground, we cannot vouch for the safety or quality of that operator. Medium and high-risk activities not listed above have not been assessed by us and as such our staff and group leader or local representative are unable to assist you with organising these activities. Activities that contravene our Responsible Travel policies are also not listed. Please remember that the decision to partake in any activity not listed is at your own discretion and risk.