Budgeting for Cuba - Gardner Tours

PERSONAL BUDGET

Although most everything will be included, depending on your booked tour, we recommend mapping out a personal budget for your lunches, alcoholic drinks, and souvenirs before going to Cuba. Even if you are not from the United States, don’t plan on credit cards being accepted in many locations. Cuba is mainly a cash country and if you plan for that, spending money will be a breeze for you. For citizens of the USA, know that your credit or debit cards do not yet work on the island, so please budget according to your spending habits. You are free to bring as much cash money as you please. Know that American citizens need to exchange USD to CUP at the Havana airport upon arrival, yet persons of other nationalities may do so in their home country.

The best currencies to exchange upon arrival are Euro, Canadian Dollars, or USD.

Remember, you will not need to budget for anything in the “Included” section of your booked tour description, nor the transportation to any of those experiences/excursions. You will only need to budget for the items found below that are not included in your tour.

Note: Each price quoted below is an approximate, based on the average value of USD in Cuba (24 CUP to 1 USD).

International Flight

$300-$675 from Canada & the USA
€300-€750 from Europe

Cuban Visa

$50-$100

Lunch & Drinks

Average Restaurants: $8-$25 per meal
- The nicest restaurants can cost about $35-$45 for a full meal including drinks, appetizer, main plate, and dessert.
Water: $2-$3 per 1 liter bottle
Alcoholic Drinks: $3-$10 per drink on average (most are on the cheaper side)

Extra Tours / Entertainment

Cave Tours in Viñales: $10 to $25 per person per tour, depending on the cave tour
Horseback Tour through Viñales Valley: $15 per person per hour
Viñales Bike Rentals / Tours: $35+
Entry to Museums, Castles & Galleries: FREE to $12 per person
Entertainment Venues / Nightclubs: $10-$125 per person

In-Country Transport

Airport Pickup / Drop-off: INCLUDED IN TOUR COST
In-Town Taxi: $10+ per trip depending on distance (if you desire to explore on your own)
Bicycle Taxi: $5+ per trip (if you desire to explore on your own)
Coco Taxi: $5+ per trip (if you desire to explore on your own)

Souvenirs

Bag of Coffee: $17 per kg
Cigars: plan on a minimum of $10 per cigar / $250 to $1000 per box (25)
Rum: $15 on average per bottle
Paintings: $3-$175 depending on size
Wood Carvings: $3-$20
Shirts: $8-$50
Leather Goods: $5-$30
Stained Glass: $3-$25
Stained Glass Lamps: $75-$150
Books: $2-$50
Artisan Soap: $3-$5
Postcards: $1

Tips

We always recommend, as an encouragement to those serving you, that if you believe that those persons went out of their way to make your experience over-the-top, feel free to tip them. It is not required, but it is a good encouragement for them to continue to give 110% for their travelers. The amount of your tips depend on the combination of your budget/generosity and how well you feel they served you. If you have any questions regarding tipping or anything else, feel free to reach out to us before your departure.

Gardner Tours Guide
BnB Host / Butler: $5-$10 per day
Restaurants: usually 10% of total cost
Drivers: $5-$10 for long journeys
Experience Guides (Cigar Factory Tour, Cuban Cocktail Lesson, etc): $5-$10
Boat Captains: $100-$200 per boat per day is customary