• Walk along the Malecón, the sea wall that runs along the Havana coastline. On weekends this is where the locals come to party, so bring a bottle and join in.

• Latin American New Cinema Festival, [8] is a popular event held every December, screening international films and drawing around 500,000 people.

• Tropicana Show — A cabaret show that costs 90CUC. It is a must see show while you are in Havana.

• Take a tour in an old car — For around 20-30CUC an hour for up to four people, be driven around Havana in style. Choose a car you like near the Hotel Inglaterra or outside the Museum of the Revolution.

Live Music

Nearly every restaurant and hotel in town has a decent house band playing old favorites.

• Hotel Nacional often hosts big name talent such as Omara Portuondo.

• La Zorra y el Cuervo, La Rampa, (near the Hotel Habana Libre). A tiny little club below street level, they often host funky and amazing jazz musicians. Go there for something a little different.

• La Tropical is a venue designed to hold several thousand people. It only opens for live music. Look around for signs in the streets publicising the next event.

• Casa de la Musica de Centro Habana is the place to be if you like to dance Salsa. Check the program before you buy tickets, there are different top-rated salsa bands playing every night.

• Museum of the Revolution and the Capital building.

• Visit a cigar factory which Cuba is renowned for, there is one just behind the Capital Building (cost 10CUC for a half hour guided tour). Please note that there is no photography allowed.

• Havana Club Rum Factory — Go on a guided tour of Havana Club, one of Cuba's most famous rums. Most of the exhibits are subtitled in English and are fairly self explanatory.

• Walk along the Prado street in the evening. Great public space that is illuminated in the night time and humming with street life, cafes and charm.

• Walk along El Malecon — A favorite stroll for tourists and locals, a walk along the El Malecon runs along the main streets of Havana and provides stunning views of the Bay.

• Enjoy the faded glory of La Habana Vieja (The Old Town).

• Plaza de la Revolucion — The huge square dominated by a statue and monument of Jose Marti and the iconic image of Che Guevara adorning the Ministry of the Interior. Arrive either early or late as it is often swamped by tourists and gets very hot during the day.

• John Lennon Park in Vedado. Features the only statue of a western musician in Havana. Notable for the regularly stolen (and replaced) eyeglasses.

• The US Special Interests building in Vedado, just off the Malecon. In the absence of a United States embassy in Cuba this heavily fortified and guarded building is where Cuban citizens go to apply for US Visas. It is notable for displaying news which is unfiltered and not censored by the Cuban government on electronic billboards situated behind the windows of one of the floors. It is also the focus for regularly staged protests and is famous for the anti-American propaganda billboards displayed opposite.

• Hotel Habana Libre in Vedado. The hotel housed Castro's soldiers for several days after they took Havana. It has an excellent selection of photos in the lobby along with one of the only 24 hour fast food restaurants in the city.

• Enjoy extraordinary 360-degree views of the city using the large Camara Oscura in the old town.

• The Catedral de San Cristobal in old Havana. Said to be the only example of a baroque construction that possesses asymmetrical features, one of the towers is wider than the other.

By plane

Jose Marti International Airport (IATA: HAV) has three separate terminals. Terminal 1 is for internal (domestic) flights, Terminal 2 is mainly for charter flights from the USA and Terminal 3 is used for all other international flights.

Customs officials can be very strict, and will probably snoop out any suspicious electronics or other items. Customs officials and immigration officials also work slowly and baggage reclaim is very slow, so expect a very long wait when entering the country.

The local airline, Cubana de Aviación offers a good service, and if you want to travel from the Caribbean region, you can use CaribbeanJet [4] or CubaJet [5] (information and bookings available online).

By train

Most trains in eastern Cuba have been suspended due to poor track conditions. Only the following trains were operating to Havana in September 2007. All services run on alternate days only.

• The express Tren Frances, overnight from Santiago de Cuba via Matanzas, Santa Clara and Camagüey every other day (note that several hours have recently been added to the schedule due to the poor track conditions).

• An overnight local train from Santiago de Cuba, operating on alternate nights when the Tren Frances does not run.

• An overnight train from Moron with stops in Matanzas and Santa Clara.

• An overnight train from Sancti Spiritus with stops in Matanzas and Santa Clara.

• A daytime train from Camagüey with stops in Matanzas and Santa Clara (this is the only daytime service to Havana on the main line).

• A very slow daytime train from Cienfuegos.

• A slightly faster evening train to Matanzas and Cienfuegoes, returns to Havana overnight.

• An overnight local train to Pinar del Rio that returns to Havana during the day.

Since these trains run every other day (when they are operating at all), you will need to confirm in advance that they are running on the day you wish to travel.

There is also the Hershey electric train running several times a day between Havana and Matanzas. The Hershey train cars are very dilapidated and will only appeal to the most die-hard train enthusiasts. The trip takes a minimum of four hours regardless of what the schedule says, and you will be standing since most of the seats are broken.

By car

Hiring a car in Cuba will cost you from 33 to 106CUC per day. The car will have a special tourist plate, which means you will be required to give generous tips every time you park your car in a crowded place. Taking into account the all-around unreliability of Cuban transport, hiring a car can be the right choice for those who don't want any hassle whatsoever. Please keep in mind that picking up hitchhikers is almost a moral obligation for the "aware" tourist, especially when travelling between cities. Picking up a hitchhiker can be the best way to arrive to your destination without getting lost. CarrentaCuba.com [6] is a useful resource, you can select your car, check availability, and book online.

By bus

Viazul [7] operates an inter-city coach service to/from most major destinations including Camagüey, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba, Trinidad, Varadero and Viñales. The main Viazul bus terminal is 3 kilometres southwest of central Havana. Departing buses also stop at the central (Astro) bus terminal, but arriving buses do not. If you are using the central bus terminal, you buy tickets and wait for the bus in a separate air-conditioned office near the west entrance of the terminal. Schedules are posted on the Viazul website.

Astro can get you from Havana to almost anywhere in Cuba.

By boat

Due to political circumstances, it is difficult to enter Cuba by sea. Visiting mariners need to make arrangements in advance of entering port to avoid difficulties. Also, most ports are closed to unauthorised visitors.

By taxi

As a tourist, the most convenient way of getting around Havana is by taxi. Some of the taxis are old American Chevys from the 1950's, others are (somewhat) newer Russian Ladas, whilst most tourist taxis are modern Peugeots, Skodas and even Mercedes.

It is illegal for tourists to ride in anything other than the official government taxis. However, its is often easier to wave down one of the old Chevys or Ladas. When riding in an illegal taxi, negotiate the fare ahead of time. The fare in illegal taxis will be no cheaper than the official taxi fare. Around the city, taking illegal taxis should be no problem. However, taking an illegal taxi to or from the airport may attract the attention of the police.

Taxi collectivos are the old, beaten-up yank-tanks with a taxi sign on the roof or in the front window. Tourists are not supposed to take them, but you will rarely run into problems and they are a fun and cheap alternative to the state-run taxis. They have set fares and run set routes, so you may need some assistance when taking them the first few times. Fares vary from 10 CUP for a short (5 km) run during the day to 20 CUP for a longer run or at night. The drivers are generally honest regarding the fares, but it is best not to appear oblivious by asking how much at the end of the trip. Always watch what the other passengers give and if in doubt give 10 CUP, and if he asks for another 10 then hand it over. There can be a long wait trying to get a taxi collectivo as they are very popular with Cubans and often full, but the experience and savings make it worthwhile.

The cheapest taxi company in Havana by far is Panataxi. These are usually yellow or white Ladas with a red sign (recently they have also added yellow Peugeots) and are worth waiting for to save a few dollars. Panataxi will take you to the airport on the meter, if you ask, for around 12 CUC from Central Havana.

Coco Taxis and yellow three wheel motorbikes, are a cheap way of getting around central Havana.

By bus

In the past Havana had a public transportation service called the El Camello, a split-level bus pulled by a semi-truck, and resembling a 2 humped camel (thus the name). Camellos finished operation in April 2008 and were replaced by modern city buses imported from China.

Other local buses can also get crowded, but in the suburbs they are a practical means of transport for visitors.

By Car

Hiring a car can be an interesting experieince as the road signs are not particularly good. Some travelers suggest picking up hitchhikers and utilizing their local expertise to get you where you want to go.

By foot

Walking around Havana is by far the best way to see and experience the city, get a decent map of the city and discover new sights on foot.

Havana is a surprisingly expensive city to stay in; if you stay in hotels and eat in restaurants it can work out to be nearly as expensive as other popular international destinations. The problem is that Cuba has a dual economy, if you could live on pesos it would be incredibly cheap. Sadly, as a tourist this is virtually impossible. Most peso hotels won't take foreigners or, if they do you have to pay in CUC. If you are on any kind of a budget it is advised to stay in casas particulares; it is much cheaper, often more comfortable and the food (a recurring theme in Cuba) is almost invariably better.

ATMs are not too hard to find in downtown Havana, but bear in mind that American credit- and debit-cards can not be used in Havana. Note that even credit cards issued in countries other than the USA may be issued by a bank whose parent company is a U.S. corporation. In this case, the card will not work as the parent company is bound by U.S. law. Even banks wholly owned by non-American companies may have a policy on blocking Cuban transactions in order not to compromise their US business. Always check with your bank or credit card company before leaving home to see if your card will work in Havana. Also, the ATMs do not accept MasterCard/Maestro but are marked to accept Visa.

You can withdraw money from your MasterCard in a couple of exchange offices. There is one in the basement of the Hotel Nacional, but expect quite steep service fees.

Exchanging US dollars in a CADECA (Casa de cambio) will incur a 10% penality.

Whilst Convertible Peso restaurants can be quite expensive at the top end for rather mediocre food some such as the Café de Oriente have splendid ambiance. The average government run restaurants are about US$20 for two.

Budget

Peso stalls are all over the city, particulary on Prado Marti.

Some restaurants like Hanoi, in Calle Brasil, offer generous meals for 5CUC.

With Cuban national pesos, you can get ice cream for only 1 peso (US$0.04) in small street booths scattered around the city. You can also get a filling bocadito (small ham sandwiches) or a cajita (small meal in a cardboard box) for less than 20 pesos (US$0.80), or a "pizza" for 7-10 pesos (US$0.40).

Particularly, the Terminal de Omnibus, by the Plaza de la Revolucion, has a very good peso cafe with offerings as fried chicken for only 25 pesos ($1.00 USD).

• Coppelia Ice Cream parlour, opposite the Habana Libre. Practically a Cuban institution with people waiting up to an hour to get a seat. Prices are in Peso's and CUC (obviously the queues being for the peso area!).

Mid-range

Keeping your eyes open you can find complete menus (starter or salad, soup, main dish, dessert and a national beverage) for 6-10CUC. In the Vieja there are such restaurants in the smaller, not very crowded streets.

• El Aljibe. In the Havana suburb of Miramar, El Aljibe is the definitive proof that food in Cuba needn't be bland. Try the house specialty, chicken in sour orange sauce. El Aljibe also boasts a remarkably well-stocked wine cellar. edit

There are many good, mid-priced restaurants in Chinatown. "Bavaria" is one of the best, if you can picture a restaurant named after a German province, pronounced like "barbaria," with Chinese decor, serving pizzas and spaghetti!

Splurge

The restaurants inside 5 star hotels tend to charge excessive amounts of money for mediocre food and service. Other places such as the Floridita do live up to the customer's expectations considering the price.

Probably the most interesting restaurant in the country is La Guarida. It occupies a flat in what was once an elegant private city mansion and what is today a decaying set of communal apartments. To get the restaurant you must walk thru the stunning yet decaying mansion and past people’s flats. The food is probably the best in Havana, the setting is great and surreal. This flat was also the setting for Cuba’s internationally acclaimed movie Fresa y chocolate. About $20 per person. Reservations essential and should be made two to three days in advance. +53 7 866 9047

Breakfast

All the tourist hotels serve breakfast, typically a buffet with a wide variety of good food, although overpriced (15 CUC at the Hotel Nacional!). If you stay in a casa particular ask whether you'll be served breakfast. If not, ask the landlord/lady to take you shopping. Otherwise there's almost no hope of finding a restaurant open for breakfast. One exception is the Chan Li Po Bar-Cafeteria, open at 9 am, in Centro Habana, near Chinatown, at Perseverancia #453 (between Zanja and San Martin).

• La Bodeguita del Medio is the bar in which to sample a Mojito. The former hang-out of Ernest Hemingway, it is best sampled in the evening once the tourist crowds from Varadero have headed back out of the city.

• El Floridita, Obispo St. A nice restaurant-bar, you should try a daiquirí or the ‘Hemingway Special’.

You can have a great time just outside of the Hotel Inglaterra near the Capitólio Building, drinking good daiquiri's and mojito's at an affordable price (2CUC in September 2005).