Havana rewards two to three days. Walk the four squares of Old Havana early, catch the Malecon at sunset, ride a vintage convertible, and end with live jazz in Vedado. Go to Callejon de Hamel on Sunday for the rumba. Skip the overpriced Bodeguita del Medio and eat one street over.
Havana is not a museum-city. It is a living, slightly peeling set, where 1950s Chevrolets sit beside colonial columns and music spills from windows at any hour. You come for the atmosphere as much as the monuments.
Here are the real highlights, a two-day itinerary that holds together, and the moments not to miss depending on the day and the hour.
The neighbourhoods to explore in Havana
The city makes sense by neighbourhood, each with its own character. Here is how I rank them for a first visit.
- Habana Vieja: the UNESCO-listed historic centre, its squares and colonial architecture. The core of the visit.
- Centro Habana: working-class, raw, colourful. This is the city’s true daily face, between washing on the lines and games of dominoes.
- Vedado: the Havana of the 1950s, its legendary hotels, its cinemas and above all its musical nightlife.
- Miramar: to the west, leafy and residential, less touristy, for a quiet dinner.
For a first stay, aim for Habana Vieja or the edge of Vedado: central, lively, within walking distance of the essentials.
Habana Vieja, the colonial heart
The old centre is organised around four squares you can link on foot in a morning. The Plaza de la Catedral with its baroque San Cristobal cathedral, the Plaza Vieja and its restored facades, the Plaza de Armas with the Palace of the Captains General and El Templete, and the Plaza de San Francisco facing the port.
My tip: start early, before the groups arrive, and let yourself get lost in the lanes between squares, which is where the city feels truest. Have a coffee at the Bodeguita del Medio if you like, but know it has become a tourist trap, with an overpriced mojito for what it is. The best addresses are on the streets nearby.
The Capitol, modelled on Washington’s, marks the line between the old town and Centro Habana. Its dome is visible from afar and works as a landmark.
The Malecon and the seafront
The Malecon is eight kilometres of sea wall along the ocean, and the city’s true open-air living room. In the late afternoon, fishermen, couples, musicians and families gather as the waves splash the parapet.
Walk it at sunset, the best moment of the day in Havana, and it is free. At the far end, the Castillo del Morro fortress guards the mouth of the bay. In the evening, the cannon ceremony (el canonazo) takes place there at 9 pm, a tradition inherited from colonial times.
Vedado and Centro Habana
Vedado is the neighbourhood of modern Havana and of the night. The Colon cemetery, huge and sculpted, is worth a quiet visit. But it is in the evening that the area comes alive.
For live music, Vedado has the best venues: La Zorra y el Cuervo for jazz, El Gato Tuerto for boleros, and the Submarino Amarillo for Beatles fans. Book ahead or arrive early, the good nights fill up fast.
Experiences to have
What people remember of Havana is often these moments.
- A ride in a vintage American convertible along the Malecon: a cliche, yes, but one of the city’s great pleasures. Reckon on 30 to 50 euros an hour, agreed before you get in.
- The Callejon de Hamel on Sunday around midday, when the Afro-Cuban alley ignites to the sound of rumba and drums. On weekdays it shrinks to its murals.
- A cabaret show at the Tropicana or the Cabaret Parisien, for the retro atmosphere.
- A son or salsa concert in a casa de la musica: music is everywhere, so make the most of it.
Where to eat well in Havana
Private dining, the paladares, has transformed the Cuban table. You eat far better than in the state canteens. In Habana Vieja, step away from the terraces facing the tourist squares and look for addresses on the side streets or upper floors.
Two concrete markers. A menu priced in dollars, laminated and in English, signals the tourist rate. A chalkboard with handwritten prices, often in pesos, leads you to good and affordable. Reckon on 10 to 15 euros for a full dinner in a decent paladar, less in a neighbourhood cafeteria. Book in the evening at the well-known addresses in Vedado, they fill up fast.
- Hemingway lived in Cuba for nearly twenty years. You cross his trail at the El Floridita bar, where he drank his daiquiris, and at the Finca Vigia, his house turned into a museum on the edge of the city.
Things to do in Havana in 2 days
Short on time? Here is an itinerary to see Havana in two days without missing the essentials.
| When | Day 1: Old town | Day 2: Sea & music |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | The four squares of Habana Vieja | Vedado & Colon cemetery |
| Midday | Lunch in a paladar | Callejon de Hamel (Sunday) |
| Afternoon | Capitol & Museum of the Revolution | Vintage car ride on the Malecon |
| Evening | El Floridita & dinner | Canonazo at the Morro then jazz in Vedado |
Practical info and staying connected in Havana
Two reflexes make the visit far smoother. The first: pay in cash. Casas, paladares and taxis often take euros or dollars directly, so keep a few pesos for small buys. The second: plan your connection.
Getting online in Havana is not automatic. The network belongs to the state operator, public Wi-Fi runs on prepaid ETECSA cards, and finding your way through the old town’s maze without live GPS soon has you going in circles.
To skip the queue at an ETECSA office on arrival, set up an eSIM for Cuba before departure. It connects by roaming to the mobile network over 3G/4G, which is well covered in the capital. Thanks to its roaming agreements, Orange connects you to the right network with no paperwork, with 24/7 support and an eSIM that is fully refunded if you do not use it. Still, download your offline maps for the moments with no signal.
Ready to explore Havana without ever losing the thread?
