Havana Software & ICT Scouting Week
A structured first week for a founder or investor evaluating a software/ICT play in Havana — either a private MIPYME or a Law 118 joint venture — covering the legal form, a notary, sector contacts and the day-to-day reality of building software teams in Cuba.
For: Founders and ICT investors
1 · Budget first
A transparent, itemised estimate for 1 traveller · 5 nights · business tier. Every line is a planner range in USD — an estimate to budget with, not a quote.
| International airfare | $300 – $950 |
| Entry documents (tourist card) | $30 – $75 |
| Travel insurance | $40 – $150 |
| Accommodation | $475 – $975 |
| Local transportation | $450 – $885 |
| Food | $450 – $825 |
| Guides & activities | $200 – $600 |
| Connectivity | $15 – $55 |
| Tips | $25 – $100 |
| Water, laundry & sundries | $15 – $60 |
| Emergency reserve | $170 – $559 |
| Total (1 traveller) | $2,170 – $5,234 |
- Per traveller
- $2,170 – $5,234
- Per day
- $434 – $1,047
- Ground only (no airfare)
- $1,700 – $3,725
- Airfare est. / traveller
- $300 – $950
Basis: business hotel · business food · private driver · 5 guided days.
Adjust every number in the planner →Estimates in USD to help you budget — not observed prices, quotes or guaranteed availability. Most US cards don’t work in Cuba; carry cash and keep the reserve.
2 · Fly in
Miami (MIA) → Havana (HAV) — José Martí International
Cuba's principal international gateway — the only truly diversified one, with links across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Example dates 2026-10-24 → 2026-10-29 (adjust on the live search). CubaAtlas books nothing — these open live results:
3 · Day by day
Where to sleep and dine each day is a real listing from the CubaAtlas provider dataset, nearest your base.
Morning
Land at José Martí; settle in Vedado.Afternoon
Ground orientation: currency reality (MLC/USD/CUP), connectivity, bandwidth and transport.Evening
Working dinner at a Vedado paladar with a private ICT operator — the sector in practice.Business step: Read the CubaAtlas 'starting a business' and ICT guides end-to-end before day 2.
StayHotel Nacional de Cuba5★ · Grupo Hotelero Gran Caribe S.A · La Habana(53 7) 836 3564- Ext:168Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerCantabria, Restaurante Hotel Armadores de SantanderCimex · Internacional · La Habana(537)8628000Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Havana on the map →Nearby: Viñales, Varadero, MatanzasMorning
Compare paths: private MIPYME under DL 88/2024 vs. a Law 118 foreign-investment vehicle.Afternoon
Sit with a Cuban notary to understand incorporation documents and timelines.Evening
Debrief dinner: which legal wrapper fits a software team.Business step: Notary consultation on MIPYME vs. Law 118 structuring.
Morning
Visit the university-linked software scene and talk to private dev studios in Miramar.Afternoon
Talent reality: UCI/CUJAE graduate pipeline, salaries in CUP/MLC, retention.Evening
Dinner with a founder who exports software services.Business step: Orientation with a private software MIPYME on hiring and export invoicing.
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StayHotel Meliá Habana5★ · Meliá Cuba · La Habana(53 7) 204 8500Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerLatinoGastronomía · La Habana(53) 78787763Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Miramar on the map →Nearby: Vedado, Playa, Marianao, CerroMorning
ONAT walkthrough: tax regime for a MIPYME, invoicing and the export-of-services question.Afternoon
Banking: opening an MLC/USD account and the reality of moving money.Evening
Working dinner on remittance/payment rails and their limits.Business step: Bank orientation on MLC/USD business accounts and cross-border settlement.
StayHotel Nacional de Cuba5★ · Grupo Hotelero Gran Caribe S.A · La Habana(53 7) 836 3564- Ext:168Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerCantabria, Restaurante Hotel Armadores de SantanderCimex · Internacional · La Habana(537)8628000Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Havana on the map →Nearby: Viñales, Varadero, MatanzasMorning
MINCEX/ProCuba orientation on the Cartera de Oportunidades and any ICT-relevant listings.Afternoon
Build a written go/no-go memo with your interpreter.Evening
Farewell dinner; confirm the follow-up checklist.Business step: ProCuba/MINCEX orientation on foreign-investment opportunities in ICT.
StayHotel Nacional de Cuba5★ · Grupo Hotelero Gran Caribe S.A · La Habana(53 7) 836 3564- Ext:168Website ↗Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)DinnerCantabria, Restaurante Hotel Armadores de SantanderCimex · Internacional · La Habana(537)8628000Map →Source: Cuba Travel (MINTUR official portal)Open Havana on the map →Nearby: Viñales, Varadero, Matanzas
4 · Visa, entry & customs
Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card, a passport valid for the stay, and proof of onward travel and insurance. Travelling under US jurisdiction, there is no general tourism licence — you travel under an OFAC category (commonly Support for the Cuban People), which carries record-keeping duties. The full requirements, the US-law detail and customs allowances are in the guides below.
5 · Shipping & commercial issues
Bringing goods or equipment is a commercial import (not baggage), typically through a state comercializadora, with a foreign business operating under a Law 118 form and real MLC/USD currency constraints. For US persons the embargo adds sanctions exposure on many dealings — orientation only; verify with counsel and the relevant ministry. The roadmaps and sector guides below have the detail.
Sectors in focus: ICT & software · Digital services
Orientation only. Every legal step (MIPYME incorporation under DL 88/2024 or a Law 118 joint venture, notary, ONAT registration) is detailed with primary sources in the CubaAtlas business guide; confirm current requirements with a Cuban notary and MINCEX/MEP before acting.
6 · Book direct, or compare an agency
This plan is costed to book direct — the $3,298 (expected) above is the itemised cost with no package margin. Prefer a bundle? Take an agency quote and compare it line-for-line against that breakdown.
Operating United States agencies serving Cuba, if you prefer a package:
- Cuba Travel Services (CTS) ↗
Long-running US seller of scheduled and charter air to Cuba plus packages.
Sells: flights, charters, packages, hotels
- ABC Charters ↗
Miami charter operator to Havana and other Cuban cities.
Sells: flights, charters · +1-305-263-6555
- Marazul Charters ↗
One of the oldest US–Cuba travel providers.
Sells: flights, charters, packages
- Xael Charter ↗
Direct flights Miami/Orlando/Tampa to Havana, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Camagüey, Holguín; since 1988.
Sells: flights, charters, hotels, cars, tours · (305) 643-2200
- insightCuba ↗
Non-profit people-to-people and custom group tours; since 2000.
Sells: tours, packages
- Cubamax Travel ↗
Flights, packages, shipping and remittances; 13 Florida branches.
Sells: flights, packages, hotels, cars · +1-305-512-0303
CubaAtlas is non-commercial and takes no commission. Agency links go straight to the operator; we don’t book, broker or earn from them.
Every Cuba agency, compiled — with the free equivalent for each →Questions
- How much does the "Havana Software & ICT Scouting Week" trip cost?
- An estimated $2,170–$5,234 all-in for 1 traveller(s) over 5 nights ($3,298 per traveller expected), including airfare, lodging, food, transport and a reserve. It is a planner estimate, not a quote — you book each part direct, with no agency margin.
- Do I need a visa to travel to Cuba?
- Every visitor needs a Cuban tourist card. Travellers under US jurisdiction have no general tourism licence and travel under an OFAC category such as Support for the Cuban People or family visits. See the CubaAtlas visa & entry guide.
- When is the best time to do the 5-night Havana Software & ICT Scouting Week trip?
- The best months for this 5-night business plan are Year-round; avoid August heat, and it is a popular route from United States. Cuba's dry high season runs roughly November to April; the June-to-November hurricane season is quieter and cheaper.
- What does the Havana Software & ICT Scouting Week itinerary include?
- A day-by-day route over 5 nights with a real hotel and restaurant chosen for each day, a live flight search from United States, and a full itemised budget of about $3,298 per traveller. It is free and self-booked — CubaAtlas gives you the plan and you arrange each part directly at the source, with no agency margin or commission.