• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Shop
  • Blog Coaching
  • Disclosures
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Amazon
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
3 places to see Mt. Fuji (save + share this post): 3 places to see Mt. Fuji (save + share this post):

If you don’t have enough time to spend days in Hakone visiting Mt. Fuji it’s easy to take a day trip here from Tokyo. It’s only about 90 minutes by car and we spent the day exploring the area. There is a swing at the top for an additional fee where you literally swing into Mt. Fuji and they have a souvenir shop and small food vendor to purchase snacks.

Location 1: Mt. Fuji Panorama Ropeway which cost ¥900 for adults and ¥450 for children for a roundtrip ride on the cable car. They do sell one way cable car tickets if you want to hike down the mountain.

Location 2: Kawaguchi Asama Shrine, there is a small fee of ¥100 per person but children are free. This place is really only for pictures besides the view there isn’t anything else to do. They have it set up with a line to capture photos in front of the tori gate and each group has 3 minutes to take pictures, yes they actually time you, to make sure the line keeps moving.

Location 3: Arakurayama Sengen Park where you’ll need to climb 398 stairs or take the curved paved path to the top for views of the mountain and Chuerito Pagoda. The stairs are a straight shot but the path makes it accessible for strollers and wheelchairs.

We were truly blessed to be able to see Mt. Fuji as it’s often not visible. When I visited in 2015 we made the trip here and it was gloomy and cloudy and we couldn’t see anything. We did go to the base of the mountain on that trip and do the ice cave exploration so all wasn’t lost but I am so happy Jordyn and I got to see the full mountain with our own two eyes on this trip!

There are lots of other places you can view Mt. Fuji but with only one day we couldn’t visit them all. The other 7 best places to see Mt. Fuji are on a boat tour on any of the 5 lakes that surround the mountain (Kawaguchi, Yamanakako, Saiko, Shojiko, or Motosuko), Koyo-Dai Lookout Platform, Sanko-Dai Lookout Platform, Oshino Hakkai Springs, Fuji Q Highland Amusement Park, Rooftop of Fujisan Station, Shin-Fuji Station Platform and in Hakone.

Have you ever seen Mt. Fuji’s beauty? Would you add this to your Japan itinerary if you haven’t?

#mtfuji #lakekawaguchiko
How we spent 48 hours in Kyoto (save + share this How we spent 48 hours in Kyoto (save + share this post):

1. Start your day at Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. We arrived here at 7:30am and there were quite a few people here already. We didn’t visit but in Arshiyama you can also visit the Monkey Park to see the Japanese Macaques (snow monkeys).

2. Head to Kinkaku-ji to see this stunning Temple of the Golden Pavilion. They open at 9am and we arrived at 8:45am and by time the opened the door at 9am the line was extremely long.

3. Walk through the gorgeous Tori Gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha. Before or after your visit be sure to walk through the street vendors for some amazing food. We tried noodles, mochi and just enjoyed learning more about the local foods. We visited here around 11am and even though it was so crowded if you want photos without people wait until you’re walking through the gates to exit and there are often moments where the area is empty, just be a little patient. 

4. Book a session at @kyoto_samurai_experience to learn about the history of the Samurai, watch a demonstration and get to try your hand at using the samurai sword yourself.

5. Eat your way through Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka. You will be able to walk through these narrow streets (with some hills) and try ice cream flavors such a matcha, green tea, white peach, Sakura (if in season), Black sesame, caramel and more and yes, we tried them all! There’s also tons of mochi and other treats. You’ll find the Starbucks with a traditional Japanese home interior here as well as Yasaka Pagoda and Kiyomizu-dera Temple, be sure to visit.

6. Walk around Gion and catch a Kabuki show at Minamiza Theatre.

7. Visit Daigo-ji temple, it’s not frequented by a lot of tourists so it’s rarely crowded and you can have a moment on zen here!

While we didn’t have time this visit as the weather altered some of our plans on my last visit to Kyoto in 2015 I also visited Ginkaku-ji (the Silver Pavilion), Nijo Castle which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ryoanji Temple and highly recommend going. 

Some other things we were interested in but just didn’t have time for were a calligraphy class and if you are into manga you can visit the Kyoto International Manga Museum.
This is your sign to rent a kimono in Kyoto! It wa This is your sign to rent a kimono in Kyoto! It was an honor to be dressed by Japanese women & taught about the Kimono. Here’s everything you need to know about renting a kimono & a tiny history lesson on them(save + share this post):

1. Originally kimono was the Japanese word for clothing but is now used to refer specifically to traditional Japanese clothing. Kimono’s date back to the Heian period of 794-1185 and were every day wear until western culture was brought to Japan.

2. There are 8 layers in a kimono in addition to the Tabi (white socks) which are specifically made to wear with Jori (traditional Japanese shoes). Even though there are 8 layers it doesn’t take long to be dressed.

3. Today kimonos are mostly worn for special occasions such as NYE, weddings, gradations, tea ceremonies & summer festivals. But geishas, maikos, kabuki actors and a few traditional professions wear them every day.

4. We rented our Kimono’s from this shop https://kyoto-kimonorental.com/kimono/. It’s less than a 5 minute walk from Hokan-ji. We made a reservation in advance but you will find kimono rental shops all over Kyoto. They open at 9 and you have to return the Kimono’s by 5.

5. They offer multiple packages which vary in the type of material the kimono is. The package I got was the ¥4,900 ($37.50) one and Jordyn’s child price was ¥3,900 ($29.87). You can get your hair and makeup done for an additional ¥1,200. The value of the yen is down now so be sure to check exchange rates whenever you make it to Japan for accuracy.

6. This shop offers photo packages directly through them or you can take your own or hire a separate photographer.

7. If you’re worried about renting a kimono and wearing it in Japan being seen as cultural appropriation, don’t be. I obviously can’t speak for every Japanese person but from hearing it first hand from Japanese people in Japan and the large amount of Kimono rental shops all over Japan encouraging visitors to try kimonos, the Japanese are so excited to see foreigners embracing their culture and wearing kimonos respectfully! We received so many compliments from the local community as we explored Kyoto this day.

📍Daigo-ji temple & Hokan-ji
After spending 48 hours in Osaka we went to Kyoto. After spending 48 hours in Osaka we went to Kyoto. Here’s how to get here and where we stayed (save + share this post):

1. You can take the Shinkansen (bullet) train from Shin-Osaka Station to Kyoto Station if you have the JR Pass and it will only take you 15 minutes. If you don’t have a JR Pass the Shinkansen ticket costs about 1,420 yen (right now that’s about $11). 

2. If you don’t have the JR Pass you can take the Hankyu Kyoto Line or Keihan Main Line. These are regular non express trains and will increase your travel time to from 15 minutes to 45-55 minutes but they only cost 400 yen (about $3) so you can save money, especially for a large group.

3. There is also a bus that leaves picks up at Hotel Keihan Universal Tower, Universal Studios Japan and Namba and goes to Kyoto Station. I’m not sure of the costs.

4. If you flew into Osaka you can also take the Haruka Express train from the airport to Kyoto Station. 

In Kyoto we stayed at The Chaper Kyoto which is a Marriott property. The rooms are on the small side but the hotel is clean and modern. There is a bus stop down the block which we could take to get to Gion in 9 minutes. The room was about $240/night since it’s busy season.

The weather this time of year is pretty sporadic. Some days it was hot and sunny and some days cool and gloomy so definitely pack a variety of attire and bring some layers and the weather changes throughout the day. Will be sharing our itinerary soon.

Have you been to Kyoto? If you have other accommodation recommendations please share them below to help others!

📍Fushimi Inari Taisha
Want to visit Super Nintendo World at Universal St Want to visit Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan? You need to know this (save + share this post):

1. Just because you have tickets to the park doesn’t mean you’ll get into Super Nintendo World, it requires a timed entry ticket. These do run out so it’s not a guarantee you’ll be able to enter! If you get your park tickets in advance you might be able to grab an advanced booking in the app but if these are all gone by time you get your tickets you’ll need an area timed entry ticket. These are only available the day you’re visiting & you can only attempt to get it once you’re actually in the park! We got to the park when they opened at 8am & there were only two entry times left so arrive early! You can get them on the app (you must grant the app permission to see your location so they know you’re inside) or you can go to one of the ticket kiosks.

2. To really enjoy you’ll need a power band which are sold for about $35. If you don’t have one you can walk around & go on the 2 rides but you can’t play the games & collect coins.

3. The wait times for both rides are usually 1-3 hours! To avoid this you can purchase an Express Pass (most people said this reduces wait times to a mere 15 minutes). Express Passes were sold out the day we went so we only got to ride Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge but not Yoshi’s Adventure. To avoid the 2 hour wait for Mario Kart we actually went through the singles line. We did end up in two different karts but we only waited 20 minutes to ride instead of 2 hours. Yo Shi’a Adventure doesn’t have a singles line or we would have done that too!

4. If you want to eat at Kinopio’s Cafe you also need a timed entry ticket so be sure to grab this as soon as you get inside Super Nintendo World. It’s usually a 1-2 hour wait once you get your timed entry ticket.

5. Once you leave you cannot reenter (if timed entry tickets are required at the time) so be sure to do everything you want before leaving.

Universal Studio Japan is extremely popular & tickets do sell out often so buy in advance. The most popular sites to buy them are Klook (where we bought ours) & KKDay.

Hope this helps! Who has Super Nintendo World on their list?
How We Spent 48 Hours in Osaka (save + share this How We Spent 48 Hours in Osaka (save + share this post):

1. Kicked off the day trying soufflé pancakes, you’ll find restaurants all over the city that sell these. We personally had them at Belle-ville Pancakes.

2. Visit the Cup of Noodles Museum where you can make your own Cup of Noodles logo and then customize the flavor and toppings for your noodles. They also offer a ramen making class here in addition to the museum where you can learn the history of the company.

3. If you’re visiting in March check to see if the March Sumo Wrestling Tournament is taking place at Edion Arena Osaka. If so def try to get tickets in advance (they go on sale a month prior) or arrive early to get same day tickets. It’s a fun afternoon.

4. We also did a Tea Ceremony class but photos/videos weren’t allowed.

5. End the first day getting cheesecake at the infamous Rikuro’s for their jiggly Cheesecake.

6. The other day spend at Universal Studios Japan for thrilling rides, shows and to relive your childhood at Super Nintendo World.

Where to stay in Osaka? The W Osaka is gorgeous but a little pricey and the Fairfield by Marriott is more budget friendly with nice, modern clean rooms just less amenities and smaller rooms (will post stories of both so you can see).

How to get to Osaka from Tokyo: We took the Shinkansen bullet train which takes 3 hours but is such an experience as it goes up to 199mph. Be sure to sit of the right side of the train for views of Mt. Fuji. You can also take a quick flight!

Other things to do in Osaka we didn’t travel time for:

1. Visit the Osaka Castle

2. Go to the top of the Umeda Sky Building

3. Go out in the Dotonbori

4. Walk around Kuromon Market

5. Watch a show at the National Bunraku Theater

6. Explore the Sumiyoshi Shrine

Which activity would you most want to do? If you’ve been to Osaka before what other recommendations do you have?

#osakajapan #travellingwithkids #cupofnoodles #universalstudiosjapan
6 Ways to Earn Delta Skymiles without flying! (SAV 6 Ways to Earn Delta Skymiles without flying! (SAVE + SHARE this post):

1. Link your Lyft and Skymiles accounts to earn 1 mile per $1 on US rides and 2miles per $1 on airport rides.

2. When booking Airbnb stays go to delta.com/Airbnb instead and you’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent on airbnbs.

3. Order groceries online with instacart? Go to instacart.com/delta to link your accounts and earn 1.5 miles per $1 spent. If you’re new to instacart you can also get 3 months free.

4. Link your Starbucks account with your Skymiles account at delta Starbucks.com and you’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent at Starbucks. Plus on days your flying with Delta, you’ll earn DOUBLE stars at Starbucks.

5. Sign up for SkyMiles dining at  Skymilesdining.com and is link your credit or debit card. Every time you use your card at a participating bar or restaurant, you’ll earn between 1-5 miles per $1 spent.

6. And nope you don’t have to use a Delta credit card to get miles for any of the above, no matter how you pay you’ll earn BUT is you do pay for them with a Delta co-branded credit card (there are several and depending on which one you have) you can earn anywhere from a additional 1-5 miles per dollar spent on purchases, even if they aren’t Delta airline tickets.

The cash price for the flight we took to Tokyo was $2,600pp so it would have cost me over $5,000 for this since it’s peak travel to Japan (never in my life would I pay that, we would have went somewhere else). Instead I only paid $118 total by using all of these ways to earn Delta miles over the past few years which gave me enough miles to redeem even though we don’t get to fly Delta on a regular since they don’t have the strongest presence at MIA airport as it’s American’s hub.

Do you use travel credit cards and/or points and miles from loyalty programs to offset the cost of travel? If so what are your favorite ones? Let’s all travel for less!

The Traveling Child

If kids live there, kids can visit!

  • Affording Travel
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Kenya
      • Morocco
    • Asia
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
    • Australia
    • Caribbean
      • Aruba
      • The Bahamas
      • Barbados
      • Cuba
      • Grand Cayman
      • Jamaica
      • Puerto Rico
      • Trinidad
    • Central America
      • Costa Rica
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Denmark
      • France
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • The Netherlands
    • North America
      • Alaska
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Illinois
      • Kansas
      • Louisiana
      • Mexico
      • Nevada
      • New York
      • South Carolina
      • South Dakota
      • Tennessee
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • West Virginia
      • Wisconsin
    • South America
      • Brazil
      • Colombia
  • Travel Tips
    • Tips on Traveling with Kids
    • Trip Planning Tips
  • Reviews
    • Airline Reviews
    • Hotel Reviews
    • Product Reviews
  • Lifestyle
  • Buy Our Book
  • Blog Coaching

4 Days in Havana, Cuba with Kids

September 16, 2017      Caribbean, Cuba, Destinations

This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Please see our disclosure policy for more information. All opinions are my own.

Visiting Cuba has been a dream for us. So when the Obama administration opened visits up to US citizens we had to take advantage. We spent 4 days in Havana eating, taking in the culture, and having the time of our lives. We’ve laid out some things to do in Havana, Cuba with kids to help you plan your own trip. Even with only 3 days in Havana you’ll thoroughly enjoy your time, but don’t be surprised if you want to come back for more!

Getting From Ft. Lauderdale to Havana

With only a handful of Airlines to choose from with flights to Havana we were excited our favorite, JetBlue, was an option. We flew direct from Fort Lauderdale to Havana with a flight time of 45 minutes.  The process with JetBlue was so smooth! We arrived at the airport at 6AM for our 8:15AM flight. They had an entire counter of 6 agents who were only checking in guests going to Cuba. We pre-selected our Visa category, Educational Activities including People to People when booking our flight. On arrival to the airport we paid the $50 per person with the agent who checked us in. It is $50 even for lap infants and you can pay with a credit card. By 7AM we were already through security and at the gate. Update: In 2019 President Trump took away the People to People visa category and now you should select Support of the Cuban people as your visa option.

Arrival at Havana’s Airport

We were the only flight that arrived to our terminal at that specific time and they had a ton of lines open. We got through in 10 minutes. If there are two parents with two kids you will each have to go up separately, one parent with one child. They were very amendment about this and would not allow our entire family at the immigration counter at once.

Currency Exchange at Havana Airport

Like many suggested we exchanged our US dollars to Euros before departing the states. To be honest I don’t know that it saved us any money. We exchanged $1,200, which only got us 960 Euros. At the airport our 960 Euros got us $1016 CUC. The currency exchange is right outside of the terminal to the right. Whether you’re traveling with Cuba with kids or without them it is very important to have more than enough cash. There are no ATMs in Cuba and credit/debit cards are not accepted. If you run out of cash you will have to find a Cuban willing to allow you to have a family member back home wire them money which they have to go and get. With the minimal cell service and WiFi even getting in touch with someone back home can prove difficult.

On our return home the JetBlue agent at check in exchanged our CUC back to USD for us at an exchange rate for 1CUC to $1, a much better exchange rate than we got upon arrival and that the currency exchange was offering. We had no idea exchanging it through JetBlue was even an option but when the agent saw our funds she offered. There were 4 of us and she exchanged all of our money back, a total of $590 so it didn’t seem as if there was a limit.

Thinking of Visiting Other Islands: See Our Itineraries for Aruba, Barbados, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Bimini Bahamas, and Jamaica

Where to Stay in Havana, Cuba with Kids

US citizens cannot stay in government owned hotels. For the best experience most people recommend booking a Casa Particular and for good reason. A Casa Particular is owned by Cuban residents and is in their home. Some are shared where you will only have a private room but there are many options to rent an entire home.

We booked this Casa Particular through Airbnb. After much research we decided on staying in the Vedado neighborhood of Havana. Our home was in the perfect location. It was right next to the US Embassy, two blocks from the Malecon and a 15 minute walk to Hotel National.

Just note the 4th bedroom of this Airbnb is on the balcony, which is huge by the way. It’s a large nice room with A/C but it caught us off guard that it wasn’t accessible without going through the french doors leading to the balcony. For $40 off your first Airbnb stay click here. Nervous about Airbnb? Check out my 8 tips to guarantee a great Airbnb experience!

bedroom in apartment
Staying in an Airbnb in Cuba with kids will give your family much needed space.

Things to Do in Havana, Cuba with Kids

There is something for everyone to do in Havana. Whether you enjoy live music, dancing the day or night away, beaches, history, or strolling through a city Havana has it. Here’s how we spent our 4 days in Havana, Cuba with kids.

Day One: Museum of the Revolution, Museo de Ron Havana Club, El Capitolio, and Morro Castle

After checking into our Airbnb we grabbed lunch and started our day. Our first stop was to the Museum of the Revolution. I had a lot of misconceptions about the Revolution in Cuba and I was so happy we made this visit. We were able to learn a lot and see the timeline of what happened when Fidel Castro came into power.

​Next we visited the Museo de Ron at the Havana Club. The tour is 7 CUC and lasts about 30mins. At the end you get a shot of their seven year rum. If you’ve done the Appleton Tour in Jamaica or some other distillery tour elsewhere it’s basically that but a shorter one as it’s just a replica of the real factory which is non-accessible to the general population.

After tasting some Cuba rum we went to see El Capitolio, which looks nearly identical to the Capital in D.C. Unfortunately as it’s under construction entrance to the building is not possible and you can only admire the building from the outside. There was lots of scaffolding around the building and the stairs were also blocked off. It’s a shame as apparently the inside is breathtaking.

Capital Building in Havan

If you’re traveling with Cuba with kids you will want to visit the Morro Castle at night. Here your family can watch the Cannon Shooting, which occurs each night at 9PM. We read there was a market and restaurants in the area and planned to eat dinner and walk around but didn’t find any markets. That’s because they are actually inside of the castle.

The reenactment show starts a 8:45PM it gets very crowded. I’d recommend arriving by 7:30 so you can shop and go into the art galleries and still get a good spot to watch the show. We paid an additional CUC for the balcony view, which includes a drink. It’s basically just standing on a nearby roof. Our plan was to visit the Fabrica de Arts at night but we were all exhausted from our early flight, we opted to sleep. However, three of our friends who arrived the night before went and they said it was really good. It’s an art gallery that turns into a club and stays open until at least 3AM. It was 2 CUC to get in and they said it was well worth the line they stood on.​

Day Two: Finca Vigia, Fusterlandia, and Salsa Lessons

We booked a convertible old car to take us to Finca Vigia, Ernest Hemingways Compound, about 30 minutes outside of Havana. Unfortunately it was raining in the morning so our tour guide had to cancel on us. We ended up negotiating a taxi for our adventure. For 60 CUC he took us from Vedado to Finca Vigia, then to Fusterlandia, and back to Havana. At both stops he waited for us while we explored the sites and the entire adventure took us about 3.5hrs.

​Fusterlandia is in the Jimenica’s neighborhood where the homes have mosaic art.

tile home

​Before our trip we all read and heard from friends who had gone that food in Havana was a hit or miss. Lunch and dinner our first night was horrible, so bad we were only able to eat the rice and beans from our meal. We told our taxi driver we were hungry and he took is to De Castropol a la Habana and thank God he did. The food was so good! The restaurant has an upstairs and downstairs but they have two different menus. We ate upstairs, which has A/C and we were very thankful for it as it was about 95 degrees with 100% humidity.

From the restaurant we were able to walk to our salsa lessons from the restaurant, it was about 10 minutes away. We signed up for a 2 hour lesson at Salsabor a Cuba. Since we were in Cuba with kids we opted for a private lesson for our group. The class was 12 CUC per person. The 1st hour we were by ourselves learning the different salsa moves and the 2nd hour all the various groups who were taking lessons separately joined together for us to do partner dancing. We had so much for and they were very accommodating of the kids, who they did not charge for. There is no A/C but they have lots of fans and the balcony is wide open. This is a work out, we left drenched!

Since we heard the food was very hit or miss I tried looking up recommended restaurants prior to our visit. I saw on another blog that dinner at Los Naranjos was excellent so I made a reservation via email losnaranjoscu@gmail.com before we left. The food and drinks did not disappoint! They didn’t have hi-chairs but we sat a table where half of it was  bench against the wall and the kids sat there. It was so good we went back the next night.

We refused to miss another night out and heard good things about the Salsa Club, 1830. It’s an outdoor club with live music and we saw quite a few people eating so they may serve food as well. The cover was 5 CUC per person and even if you don’t dance yourself you will get your money’s worth watching the professional salsa dancers doing all the tricks on the dance floor. No, the kids didn’t come with us. My dad ended up coming on the trip last minute since two of our friends had an emergency so he babysat for us.

You May Be Interested in Reading: Travel Safety Tips You Don’t Want to Skip

Day Three: Santa Maria del Mar beach, Old Havana, and Plaza de la Revolucion

Sunday we hit the beach first thing in the morning. I read it gets really crowded so our Airbnb host ordered a taxi for us from the night before to pick us up at 9AM. While we heard amazing things about Varadero, I couldn’t rationalize driving 2.5-3hrs each way just for a beach. Instead we went to Santa Maria del Mar, 30 minutes outside the center of Havana. We were able to can rent two chairs and an umbrella for 6 CUC.

toddler on the beach drinking from a coconut          You May Be Interested in Reading: Tips for Taking Vacation Photos

​Back in Havana it was time for lunch. Another recommendation we received was for Calle 25 MN. Most of us ordered the lobster with pineapples and we weren’t disappointed.

plate of lobster tail 

It was one of the best restaurants for those traveling to Cuba with kids. They had a few bounce houses and a trampoline for the kids out back to pass the time until the food was ready. The area covered with fans to keep it cool. The restaurant also has A/C inside which we were thankful for on this 100 degree day.

bounce house with kids playing

Afterwards we took a taxi to Old Havana and walked around enjoying the live music and shops throughout. We made a stop to see Catedral de San Cristobal but unfortunately it was closed and we could only admire it from the outside.

mom and daughter in front of a church in Havana

Next we took a taxi to Plaza de la Revolucion. You pass it coming from the airport to the city or when you’re going back to the airport. The taxis all wait for you there while you explore so if you can arrange to stop on your way into the city when you arrive or on your way to the airport when you leave it will save you some taxi fare as it’s kind of out of the way. ​On Sunday’s from 12PM-12AM they have live Afro Cuban dancing at Callejon de Hamel, check it out if you can.

Little girl standing in front of the chez sign

Day Four: Vinales and Classic Car Tour

On our last day we took a day trip to Vinales. We booked through Discover Vinales and they only recommend doing the tour during the week as on the weekends the tobacco farm workers have off and you won’t be able to see as much. We booked the private Tour Habana Vinales 2.

young family posing in front of field 

On the tour we learned the entire process of how cigars are made. It was very interesting to see how they flavor the cigars and how they can make them “organic” by removing 90% of the nicotine. These are considered cigars for pleasure as they are non-addictive.

I’ve always been a fan of private tours because it gives me the flexibility to change something if I want to. We did that for the horseback ride, which was supposed to last one hour. It was so hot outside we asked to only do a 20 minute walk and they said of course, whatever we want. We had an absolutely amazing time in Vinales our tour guide and overall tour through Discover Vinales was great and I highly recommend them.

​When we got back to Havana we hired an Old Classic Car and my daughter picked out a pink one. We just drove down the Malecon and had a mini photo shoot before getting dropped off to dinner.

toddler sitting on the back of an open top classic car in cuba

Credit Cards in Cuba and Cuban Currency

Cuba does not accept US credit cards and we only saw one place that listed prices in USD. You must bring cash and you must have enough to last your entire stay as you also won’t find an ATM that accepts your US Debit Card. We exchanged $1200 for our stay and spent $1000 of it. Nothing except the Airbnb was paid for so this included what we spent on taxis, food, tours, entrance fees, drinks, etc. We traveled with 3 other adults so keep in mind we were splitting our taxis 5 ways. It’s better to bring more than you think you will need rather than be stuck with no cash.

How to Get Around Havana

Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate! You pretty much will be limited to taking taxis while in Havana. Classic cars are expensive so to save money besides the day we knew we wanted to do a Classic Car photo shoot we took regular car taxis.  To give you an example we were leaving Museo de Ron and heading to El Capitolio and a classic car was charging 15 CUC while a regular car charged us 5 CUC only.

Another tip is once you negotiate a price pay as soon as you get in the taxi. If you wait until you get to your destination they may tell you a different price. This happened to us once, the driver told us 5CUC but when we got to our destination he said 10 CUC, “I said 5 CUC for you 2 and 5 for you 2.”  My husband told him if he wouldn’t give us back the correct change that he wanted all his money back, he reluctantly gave us 15 CUC back from the 20 we gave him.

Download the Maps.me app, an offline map before getting to Cuba. The likelihood of you never being able to connect to the internet is quite high and the app allows you to see your location without wifi. You can also use it to  get directions whether you’re walking or getting a taxi.

Cuba with Kids, What to Bring

There was only 1 vehicle, the one we took to Vinales that had seat belts so I honestly believe bringing a car seat in a waste unless you were renting a car and knew your rental would have seat belts to install it. We brought the stroller with us for our two year old and a carrier for our one year old.

On the first day we brought the stroller but were mainly getting in and out of taxis from place to place that we never used it. You also aren’t allowed to use strollers in the Revolution Museum or on the tour at Museo de Ron. We left it at our Airbnb the next few days and only brought it back out for the day we walked around Old Havana. It definitely came in handy that day as she napped most of the time we were walking around.

We used the carrier for our one year old extensively. This included when she was tired of walking, during the day when she napped, at our salsa lesson when she was tired of dancing and on our horseback walk in Vinales. Luckily we have the Ergobaby 360 Cool Air Mesh which is breathable because I couldn’t even imagine how hot we’d both be if not. The humidity in Cuba in September was crazy so we tried to keep her out of the carrier as much as possible.

What to Expect When Arriving Back in the US from Cuba

Getting through customs and immigration when we got back to Ft. Lauderdale was a breeze. We have the Passport Mobile app and headed straight to that line. Neither of the two officers we encountered asked us where we came from. We brought back cigars, rum, and coffee beans.

Our trip to Havana, Cuba with kids was amazing. Hopefully one day we to return to see other parts of the island. Did you find this post helpful? Please share it!

The Traveling Child is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Share4
Tweet
Pin65
Email
Share
69 Shares

Newsletter Subscribtion

 
Join Our Mailing List
You'll get tips on affordable travel, flight deals and detailed itineraries for every trip we've been on (family, girlfriends getaway, baecations and solo) to make your planning process easier.
Thank you for subscribing!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carla says

    January 6, 2018 at 11:06 am

    Love your blog! Hubby and I are going to Havana this year with 3 children (5y, 3y and 6 months)….Did u book your tours prior to your trip or after you got to Cuba? (I’ve heard different things abt this)

    • Monet says

      January 6, 2018 at 11:40 am

      Thank you so much Carla! We booked our tour with Discover Vinales prior to arriving to Cuba as well as our Salsa Class. We did prebook a car to take us to Finca Vieja but they cancelled on us. We just showed up to the Rum Distillery. I always prebook tours to prevent wasting time once we arrive with looking for something, I also really like to read reviews and make sure they have great feedback. You guys are going to LOVE Cuba, enjoy your trip!!

  2. Christine Mapondera-Talley says

    January 9, 2018 at 7:07 pm

    Monet this is so helpful, thank you! I’m planning a trip to Cuba for May with my 18 month old and 5 year old. Your blog and IG are both amazing :-)!

Primary Sidebar

  • Amazon
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • YouTube

Hi! We’re The Hambricks

Hi! We’re The Hambricks

If kids live there, kids can visit! That's our motto and you'll often find us exploring destinations most don't find "kid friendly". We've traveled to 35 countries on 6 continents with our children since they were 10 weeks old and share tips to make it easier and affordable. But mom and dad are people too so we also write about solo travel, baecations and girlfriend getaways.

Newsletter

Subscribe to Our Newsletter
You'll get tips on affordable travel, flight deals and detailed itineraries for every trip we've been on (family, girlfriends getaway, baecations and solo) to make your planning process easier.
Thank you for subscribing!

Recent Posts

  • The Best Christmas Markets in Europe
  • The Best Christmas Markets in the USA
  • The 11 Best Eiffel Tower Photo Spots
  • The Best Places to Go for Halloween
  • Things to Do in Southern Idaho

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

Facebook

FOLLOW US ON PINTEREST

Copyright © 2023 The Traveling Child, LLC.