Havana in 48 hours

Day one: Habana Vieja

Start early in the old town, before the day groups arrive. The four main squares, Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza de San Francisco de Asís and Plaza Vieja, sit within a few minutes’ walk of each other, and the streets between them are often more interesting than the squares themselves. Give it three hours and do not plan the route too tightly.

Calle Obispo, the pedestrian street that runs from Plaza de Armas towards Parque Central, is the busiest line through the district; the streets either side of it are quieter and better for looking up at balconies and into courtyards. At the western edge, the Capitolio and the Paseo del Prado mark the start of Centro Habana.

Break in the middle of the day. The heat between one and three is not something to push through, and the city knows it.

Day outHavana Local Culture & Classic Cars ExperienceUp to 3 hours · HavanaFrom $65 per personSee the day

Late afternoon: the Malecón

Late afternoon belongs to the Malecón, the seawall that runs west from the harbour mouth. Start near the sea end of the Prado and walk west as the light drops. It is around three kilometres to the Hotel Nacional, where Centro Habana gives way to Vedado: a good place to stop, take a drink in the garden above the sea, and watch the spray come over the wall.

On rough days the waves break right over the road, and the pavement is wet for a reason. Keep to the inland side when the sea is up.

Day two: Vedado

Vedado is the twentieth-century city: wider streets, trees, mid-century towers and the University of Havana at the top of its broad stone steps. It is less photographed than the old town and easier to spend a day in. La Rampa, the stretch of Calle 23 that runs down to the sea, is the spine of it, with the Coppelia ice cream park at its upper end.

The Necrópolis de Colón is worth an hour even if cemeteries are not usually your thing: it is enormous, and it explains a great deal about the city that built it. The Plaza de la Revolución is close by and takes about fifteen minutes, which is the right amount of time for it.

If music is the reason you came, this is where to spend the evening. Vedado has many of the city’s live music venues, and things start later than visitors expect: the best sets often begin well after ten.

Where to stay

Staying in Habana Vieja puts you inside the postcard and inside the crowds. Staying in Vedado gives you a quieter base with a wider choice of restaurants and a short taxi ride into the old town. For two nights either works; for longer, Vedado tends to wear better.

We sell hotels on both sides of the city. Hotel Plaza stands on the edge of Parque Central in Habana Vieja and the Deauville faces the Malecón in Centro Habana; in Vedado there are the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, the Capri, the Vedado, Saint John’s and Vedado 500. Decide which half of the city you want to wake up in before you choose the hotel.

Hotel · HavanaHotel Nacional de Cuba5-star, breakfast includedFrom $60 per person per nightSee the hotel

If you have a third day

Use it to leave the city. The tobacco valleys of Viñales are a full day to the west, and Las Terrazas, a community in the wooded hills of the Sierra del Rosario, is closer. Both run as guided day trips from Havana with transport included.

Day outPinar del Río & Viñales Valley ExperienceFull day · From HavanaFrom $155 per personSee the day