“Can Americans travel to Cuba?” is one of the most frequent questions we receive on this website. Take it from an American who travels to Cuba all the time – American travel to Cuba is easier than ever. Despite what many Americans believe to be a full Cuba travel ban, there are many ways to legal travel to Cuba for American citizens is quite easy.
While Americans traveling to Cuba need to be aware of the restrictions that the U.S. government imposes – like hotels they’re not allowed to stay at, and restrictions in using debit cards on the island – Cuba isn’t off-limits to Americans!
In this ultimate guide to Cuba travel for Americans, we’re including all the details you’ll need to know to plan your trip to Cuba, plus answering some of the most common questions about Cuba travel safety, Support for the Cuban people, and more.
American Travel to Cuba
For years, U.S.-Cuba travel by citizens of the United States has been restricted in many ways. There is almost nowhere on planet Earth that the United States restricted its own citizens from traveling to in this way, except Cuba.
In 2014, President Obama announced a new way forward in the relationship between the United States and Cuba. While he didn’t completely normalize relations between the two countries, he made a good start. Importantly he began lifting travel to Cuba restrictions.
Prior to these changes, Cuba travel for Americans was much more challenging, generally requiring Cuba education travel with a group trip or an approved company. Americans also frequently traveled to Cuba through Mexico or Canada to skirt U.S. regulations.
While the subsequent Trump and Biden administrations have made slight changes to Obama’s new policies, they mostly remain in tact. Americans can now travel to Cuba more easily than ever before.
Importantly, these changes created 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba for U.S. citizens to visit Cuba without applying for permission from the United States government first. When an American travels to Cuba, they must simply state the reasons for their trip (usually when purchasing an airline ticket) – by selecting one of these 12 categories.
Jump to our section below to keep reading more about the 12 categories of Authorized Travel to Cuba.
After this announcement, the majority of Americans were able to plan their own trips to the island for the first time. While travel for purely “tourism” purposes is not allowed, the Support for the Cuban People category of travel began allowing people to travel as they would to any other country.
By selecting Support for the Cuban People as a purpose of travel, travelers commit to spend money only with small businesses not connected to the Cuban government.
While many continue to ask “can Americans travel to Cuba?” – one of our most frequently asked questions! – the answer is yes, and with these new regulations, it’s easier than ever.
How Can Americans Travel to Cuba?
Americans can legally travel to Cuba by simply stating their reason for travel – usually when purchasing an airline ticket. By stating that your purpose of travel is to “Support the Cuban People,” you’re able to travel quite freely, just committing to spend money at small businesses rather than government-run ones.
Americans are allowed to travel to Cuba if the purpose of their trip falls within 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba – below we explain all the details!
The Trump administration chipped away at Obama-era changes to Cuba travel policy and attempted to dissuade Americans from traveling to Cuba. However, regulations about American travel to Cuba haven’t actually changed all that much, and it’s still quite easy to travel to Cuba – there are just a few more rules to follow when you do.
Some of these changes include:
American citizens are no longer able to bring rum or cigars back from Cuba;
Americans citizens are now prohibited (by the U.S. government – not the Cuban government) from staying at a variety of hotels in Cuba;
Some methods of traveling to Cuba, such as “people to people Cuba” travel organized tours, and the ability to travel to Cuba by cruise, have been scaled back or eliminated.
Best Hotels & Casas in Havana
($) Casa Giraldilla
($ – $$) Casa Flamboyan
($$ – $$$) El Candil Boutique Hotel
($$$) La Reserva Vedado
Can Americans Fly to Cuba?
Yes – Americans can fly to Cuba! American citizens can fly to Cuba either from the United States directly or from other countries.
Flights to Cuba leave regularly from many of America’s largest cities like Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta, and New York.
We frequently get the “can Americans fly to Cuba?” question because when travel to Cuba was more restricted, many Americans used to fly to Cuba through Canada or Mexico as a way to skirt travel restrictions. However, this is no longer necessary since travel restrictions have loosened in the past decade, this is no longer necessary.
For a period of time during the Trump and Biden administrations, flights to Cuba from the United States were only authorized to fly to Havana, and could not fly to any of Cuba’s other airports. However, the Biden administration has recently lifted this restriction – airlines are now scheduling new flights between the United States and other Cuban cities, allowing Americans to have more direct access to the rest of the island!
12 Categories of Authorized Travel to Cuba
The 12 categories of authorized travel to Cuba are the twelve types of trips that citizens of the U.S. are able to take to Cuba without otherwise requesting permission from the government of the United States.
Importantly, the category of authorized travel you select is the reason you’ll be giving to the United States government for your travel to Cuba. Cuba will simply consider you a tourist, and won’t limit what you can do in the country as the U.S. does.
These are the Twelve Authorized Categories:
Family visits
Official business of the U.S. government, foreign governments, and international organizations;
Journalistic activity;
Professional research and professional meetings;
Educational activities;
Religious activities;
Public performances, clinics, workshops, athletic and other competitions, and exhibitions;
Humanitarian projects;
Activities of private foundations or research or educational institutes;
Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials;
Certain export transactions.
When traveling under these categories of approved travel, you don’t need any sort of special visa or permission as long as what you plan to do during your trip follows the guidelines of the category you select.
When you book your flight and accommodation, you may be asked for your reason or purpose of travel to Cuba – you’d simply write “Support for the Cuban People” or whatever category you’re using to travel with. Whenever asked about why you’re traveling, this is the only answer you need to give.
Support for the Cuban People
The Support for the Cuban People category of travel is the easiest and the most general category of travel to select for your trip.
It allows for any United States citizen to travel to Cuba to do things that support everyday Cubans, rather than the Cuban government. This means simple things like staying in a rental property like an Airbnb or a boutique hotel owned by a Cuban, eating in restaurants owned by Cubans, and more.
This is stuff that you’d be doing on a trip to Cuba anyways – which is what makes it so easy to travel normally this way.
We wrote an entire guide to the Support for the Cuban People category of travel that dives into all the details about this category, and how to travel under it, so make sure to check it out for more details!
Group Travel to Cuba
Importantly, the current Cuba travel policy does not force American citizens travel to Cuba with a group at all. While there are groups that travel to Cuba and tout the ease of traveling to Cuba by purchasing a sport on a group trip doing so, it isn’t necessary to travel to Cuba with a group.
As I’ve stated before, it’s generally so easy for Americans to travel to Cuba even with current restrictions that I don’t really think that group travel makes US Cuba travel much easier than it is to go on your own.
Is Cuba Safe for Americans?
Many Americans, even once they realize that they can travel to Cuba, have an impression that it may be unsafe to do so – in my experience, this could not be further from the truth.
I remember during my own first trip to Cuba (prior to meeting my husband!) I wondered whether I should tell people that I was Canadian and whether people would react negatively knowing that I was from the United States. You know, the Cold War tensions, Bay of Pigs, a Cuba travel ban and blockade… tense stuff!
There is no need for any worry – seriously, I haven’t met a single Cuban, ever, who has reacted negatively to learning that I’m from the United States. It has only ever been met with interest in what brought me to Cuba, and curiosity about what I think of Cuba.
Cuba is really working and striving to improve tourism and attract more travelers to Cuba from ALL countries, and it really shows. Americans traveling to Cuba can be assured that they’ll be completely safe, I can promise you that.
What about the government? Will they be watching me and tracking me? Is it safe to travel to Cuba?
This is actually a concern I hear a lot from people thinking about traveling to Cuba – again, the answer is no! If you come to Cuba as a visitor, you won’t be watched or tracked or questioned with doubt about your motives for visiting Cuba.
I chalk up these concerns to how we learn about Cuba in most schools in the United States – mostly only about Fidel Castro and the Cuban Missile Crisis – that’s it! In reality, there is a lot more to Cuba than just that.
Internet Restrictions in Cuba
We get a lot of questions about whether there is internet access in Cuba, and if there is, if it’s safe to use or restricted by the government.
While the internet in Cuba is slower than you may be used to, it is now quite widespread and is pretty easy to use in most places in Cuba now.
While there are some websites blocked in Cuba, they’re mostly news websites like the Miami Herald that have been critical of the Cuban government. The US Cuba embargo and financial and economic blockade of Cuba means that some companies can’t offer their services to internet users in Cuba (notably, PayPal, but the list changes).
You can easily get around this if you want by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) in Cuba. But, even without a VPN, you can still use the internet in Cuba without too much of a hassle. Make sure to check out our complete guide to using the internet in Cuba for even more details.
Packing Restrictions in Cuba
There are some limitations worth noting about what you can bring into Cuba – for example, you can’t bring drones to Cuba.
Also be careful of devices like walkie-talkies, satellite phones, or GPS devices. Any personal computers, cell phones, cameras, or any other devices you normally travel with.
My brother actually got held up in customs because he had thrown an internet-enabled remote control he used in a university class in his duffel bag and forgot to take it out before heading to Cuba. They were very confused about it and asked him questions about its use as it isn’t something that you’d generally see a traveler bring to Cuba. In the end, there weren’t any issues.
American Embassy in Cuba
President Obama’s policy changes towards Cuba in 2014 also paved the way for reopening the United States Embassy in Cuba after nearly 60 years.
The American Embassy in Cuba offers emergency services to American citizens traveling in Cuba including assistance with lost passports, registering births abroad, and more.
Located prominently along the Malecón sea wall in central Havana, the American Embassy in Cuba is currently only providing services to American citizens – even United States permanent residents are currently unable to receive attention here due to reduced staffing.
Save the address and contact information for the embassy just in case you need it:
U.S. Embassy Havana
Calzada between L & M, Vedado
Havana, Cuba
Phone: (53)(7) 839-4100
Best Hotels & Casas in Havana
($) Casa Giraldilla
($ – $$) Casa Flamboyan
($$ – $$$) El Candil Boutique Hotel
($$$) La Reserva Vedado
Travel to Cuba Restrictions
The limitations that the United States places on Americans traveling to Cuba are something to be aware of – they require an extra level of planning before you head to Cuba – but if you know what to expect they’re nothing to worry about.
Money in Cuba
The primary travel to Cuba restriction for Americans is accessing money while traveling – because of America’s nearly 60-year-old US Cuba embargo, American debit cards and credit cards will not work on the island as they do for those traveling from any other country.
That means you need to plan ahead and bring the money you’ll need for your trip with you in cash.
You can bring American dollars and convert them into Cuban pesos once you arrive in Cuba. We wrote a price guide to help you plan how much money to much bring with you on your trip, so make sure to give it a look when you start planning.
Read More
Hotels in Cuba
The limitations placed on US Cuba travel by the Trump Administration also include a list of hotels that American travelers are not allowed to stay at during their trip to Cuba. You can check out the full list here.
Some newspapers and websites have been incorrectly reporting that Americans are not allowed to stay in any hotel in Cuba, but this is not actually the case. Americans are just prohibited from staying in certain hotels that are owned entirely or partially by the Cuban government.
There are many boutique hotels with private ownership where Americans are still able to stay, plus private rentals called “casas particulares” or private home rentals like Airbnbs. There are tons of options from staying in a spare room in someone’s apartment all the way to staying in a massive, private colonial mansion with a pool. There is a casa particular for every traveler.
If you’re looking for ideas of where to stay in Havana, check out our complete accommodation guide to Havana.
Things to Do in Cuba
There is so much to do in Cuba – much more than laying on the beach and riding in old, classic American cars. While Americans traveling to Cuba under the Support for the Cuban People category of travel need to make sure that they’re spending money with small businesses rather than government entities while in Cuba, there is plenty to do.
Anything from taking a guided tour of Havana to eating at a restaurant operated as a small business or taking salsa classes are ways to enjoy Cuba. A favorite recommendation is also taking a mixology class – you can learn how to make the classic mojito and daiquiri! For more travel ideas, we put together a guide to the top ten activities in Cuba for a Support for the Cuban People trip with our favorite ideas for a fantastic trip!
We made a super-detailed travel guide to Cuba with all of our favorite recommendations and highlights that goes much more in-depth about how to plan the BEST travel adventure in Cuba. Make sure to check it out for all the details you’ll need!
The Comments
Nichole the Nomad
This is a fantastic blog! I have always wanted to visit Cuba because it looks incredibly beautiful!
Andrea
I have wanted to visit Cuba but didn’t understand the nuances! Thank you for sharing!
Taylor
This is such a super helpful article! I really want to get to Cuba at some point, so I’m definitely keeping this handy. 🙂
Katie Diederichs
I’ve been wanting to visit Cuba for many years, and it has been interesting how the rules have changed over time. I lived in Miami for a couple of years and my roommate had studied abroad in Cuba (that was back when rules were much more stringent). Ever since hearing her stories (and living on the border of Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood), it has been a dream of mine to visit! Thanks for laying this all out very clearly.
Maria
What a comprehensive guide! I’m sure it’s helpful for many Americans who want to visit Cuba
kelly
Great post. So happy to read this because I would love to visit but still haven’t been. And as an American I find this super helpful!
Kirsten Wendlandt
It is so interesting that supporting the Cuban people is a category of approved travel. Sounds like a great loophole for Americans to visit Cuba!!
Linneaq
I love Cuba! I went in 2016, and it was a blast! Love this guide and totally recommend!
Helena
I loved Cuba, we traveled from the US even though I’m British and had to do the same. Such an incredible country
Olivia
I’ve always felt like Cuba is a country FROZEN in time, the last time I heard about it was on some Netflix series! i would love to visit it someday!
Divyakshi Gupta
AMAZING post and extremely helpful for Americans wishing to travel to Cuba, it certainly clears all the apprehensions one may have and offers useful tips like not carrying drones and picking the right reason to visit. Cuba is on my wish list and I really hope I can visit it someday for all those picture perfect pastel buildings! ::)
Jade
Amazing post! I am so interested in traveling to Cuba and know some friends who have done it but it always seemed harder than you’ve described here. Thanks for sharing!
Madeline Rae Away
I love Cuba! As Canadians, we have been travelling here since I was a kid. I haven’t been for years but would love to go back!
Roneth Politud
I want to visit Cuba one day too. This is such an insightful article! 🙂
Carrie
I’ve been dying to visit Cuba! Good to know about planning your money needs in advance — that’s always the most stressful part of visiting sanctioned countries.
Marjut | The Smooth Escape
WOW even though I’m not American there’s so much helpful information here! I planned to visit Cuba in summer 2020 (even got my visa) but then COVID hit and messed up all the plans. I’m still hoping to go in the future when they hopefully open the borders! Definitely saving this post for future reference 🙂
Kelly
This is super great to read that Americans now have a way of travelling to Cuba! As a Canadian, we have always been able to visit, but I have not been yet. I hope to one day 🙂
shalzmojo
I had no idea there was such discrimination against Cuba by the US govt. Your post highlights all the relevant points for traveling to Cuba and the tips to keep in mind like money, accommodation, what not to bring ,etc are very essential to know. Its a very informative and useful post!
Margarita Ibbott
This was very informative. As a Canadian, we don’t have restrictions going to Cuba. No need to pretend I am one. 🙂
Monica
I found this very interesting. I had not thought about traveling to Cuba before and was completely blind to restrictions and assumptions. Thank you for the information.
Hannah
Cuba looks like such a beautiful place! I’d love to visit and see the colourful buildings and vintage cars! I’m from the UK so wasn’t aware of the travel restrictions from the US previously. What an interesting post, thanks for sharing it!
Deb
That is interesting! We are from Canada but had heard bits and pieces of this. A great post of detailed info — would be so helpful!
Krista
I actually still thought that Americans weren’t able to travel to Cuba freely, so this was so interesting to read!
Jane-Ann Pineda
I going next month! I’m trying to see the list of hotels we are restricted from and it’s not available …
Ms Sugar
Jane-Ann PinedaProbably no longer restricted because Trump can no longer restrict them…he is not the President!
Marc
I’m Canadian my wife is American and we live in the US. Can we stay where we want so long as I put the room in my name?