Calgary to Varadero, Holguin, or Cayo Coco with 4-5 star all-inclusive resort packages from $1,199/person for 7 nights. Cuban tourist card included in our booking — no separate visa application needed.
Cuba is consistently the best value all-inclusive destination for Canadians, and it comes with a set of practical realities that no other destination on this page shares. Understanding them in advance is the difference between a great-value week and a frustrating one, and almost every complaint we hear traces back to something in this section rather than to the resort itself.
The most important is money. Cuba operates substantially as a cash economy for visitors, and cards issued by banks with United States connections do not work there regardless of what is printed on them. You should plan to take enough cash for the entire trip, including tips, excursions, and anything outside the resort. Travellers who arrive assuming they can withdraw money as needed have a difficult week.
Set expectations correctly on two other points. Internet is limited, slower, and less reliable than you are used to, and is best treated as a genuine disconnection rather than a minor inconvenience. And while resort service is typically warm and the beaches at Varadero and the cayos are excellent, buffet variety is narrower than in Mexico or the Dominican Republic. You are trading some food variety for beaches and price, and that is usually a good trade if you know you are making it.
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Before you book
Cards issued by banks with US connections do not work in Cuba. Plan to carry enough for the full trip including tips and excursions. This is the single biggest practical difference from any other sun destination and the most common source of trouble.
Cuba requires a tourist card rather than a visa. We include it in the booking, so there is no separate application to make and nothing for you to chase.
Varadero has the largest resort area and the most convenient beach; Cayo Coco and Cayo Santa Maria are quieter island resorts on causeways; Holguin serves Guardalavaca. Varadero suits first-time visitors best, mainly because there is more to do beyond the resort.
Food variety is more limited than Mexico or the Dominican Republic, a function of supply rather than of any individual resort. The beaches and the price are the trade, and it is a good one when you go in expecting it.
FAQ
Assume not. Cards issued by banks with United States connections do not work in Cuba regardless of the logo on them, and the country operates substantially on cash for visitors. Take enough for the entire trip including tips and excursions.
You need a tourist card rather than a conventional visa, and we include it in the booking. There is no separate application for you to make.
Lower operating costs and less competition for the Canadian market. For an equivalent resort tier the saving is meaningful. What you give up is buffet variety and connectivity rather than beach quality — Varadero and the cayos are excellent.
Varadero for a first visit, because it has the largest resort area, a convenient beach, and more to do outside the property. Cayo Coco and Cayo Santa Maria are quieter island options. Holguin serves Guardalavaca and suits travellers wanting somewhere less developed.
Limited, slow, and unreliable by Canadian standards. Treat the trip as a genuine disconnection rather than expecting to work or stream from the resort. If you need dependable connectivity, this is the wrong destination on this page.
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Sumeet and our Calgary team handle every enquiry in under 45 minutes during business hours. Routed quotes before the day ends.