How to Get to Trinidad, Cuba: Complete Guide to Transportation and Travel Options for Tourists

Wondering how to get to Trinidad, Cuba? This charming colonial town isn’t the easiest place to reach, but with the right planning, you’ll have a smooth journey. Whether you’re coming from Havana, Varadero, or elsewhere in Cuba, there are several transportation options to consider.

From long-distance buses to private taxis and even classic car rides, getting to Trinidad can be an adventure in itself. Each option varies in cost, comfort, and travel time, so it’s important to choose the one that best suits your budget and schedule.

No matter how you arrive, you’ll be rewarded with stunning architecture, rich history, and vibrant Cuban culture. Whether you're planning a road trip or looking for public transportation in Cuba, this guide will help you find the best way to reach Trinidad.

How to Get to Trinidad: The Nearest Airport

There are a variety of ways for how to get to Trinidad, Cuba. But first - let's check out where exactly you should be flying into to visit.

✈️ Does Trinidad, Cuba Have an Airport?

Trinidad, Cuba does not have its own airport, but you can fly into another airport a couple of hours away.

🚗 How Far is Trinidad, Cuba from the Airport?

The nearest airport to Trindad is Aeropuerto Internacional Jaime Gonzalez Crocier, which is Cienfuegos, and has flights from Miami. It is 80 km away from Trinidad, and takes about an hour and 20 minutes in a car.

Santa Clara Airport (SNU/MUSC) is the next closest airport, which is 106 km (~66 miles) away, and takes about 2 hours in a car. The airport is really small though, and the only cities that fly direct to Santa Clara Airport are Miami, Ottawa, Panama City, Toronto, and Quebec.

The easiest airport to fly into is Havana, which is the number one airport serving the island of Cuba. Cities that fly direct to Havana include Balboa, Bogota, Cancun, Caracas, Frankfurt, Georgetown, Guantanamo, Houston, Istanbul, Key West, Kingston, Lima, Madrid, Managua, Merida, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, Nueva Gerona, Paris, Providenciales, Santa Cruz, Santiago de Cuba, Santo Domingo, Tampa, and Zurich.

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How to Get from Havana to Trinidad

If you're looking for how to get to Trinidad, Cuba from Havana, there are a few options you can choose from:

• Take the Viazul tourist bus
• Rent a car and drive
• Get a colectivo or taxi
• Hire a classic car 

🚎 How Long is the Bus from Havana to Trinidad?

In a car, the ride from Havana to Trinidad is 4 1/2 hours. However, the buses from Havana to Trinidad take about 7 hours, as they have stops, and even will stop at a restaurant along the way.

Buses leave daily at 3:00 pm, and get into Trinidad at 10:00 pm. The bus company that runs this route is Viazul, and tickets are 26 euros.

🚗 Renting a Car in Havana

Havana is the most popular city to rent a car in Cuba, and can easily be done from the airport upon arrival.

Renting a car costs a pretty penny in Cuba though, and although Havana is one of the "more affordable" options, it still will run you around $150/day + the cost of gas.

If you're in a group of 4 or 5 and want a flexible schedule though, this can be a more ideal option for your party. The drive to Trinidad from Havana takes 4 1/2 hours, and the roads are pretty well paved.

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🚙 How to Get to Trinidad, Cuba in a Classic Car

Looking how to get to Trinidad, Cuba in the most unique way? Well, you can actually hire a classic car from the 50's to take you on a day trip from Havana to Trinidad.

We's personally spend a full day and night in Trinidad, but if you're limited on time and want to have a fun tour to Trinidad for the day, then this tour is a great option.

🚕 How Much is a Taxi from Havana to Trinidad?

We didn't get a chance to get exact prices for taxis from Havana to Trinidad while we were there, but we did hear they are at least $100 USD and can be as expensive as $200 USD.

How to Get to Trinidad, Cuba from Varadero

Varadero is another popular destination for tourists visiting Cuba, and is the city that we traveled to Trinidad from.

There are a few ways to get from Varadero to Trinidad:

• Rent a car and drive
• Get a colectivo or taxi

🚎 How to Get to Trinidad from Varadero with Viazul

The most common way to get from Varadero to Trinidad (and the most affordable) is to take the Viazul bus, which leaves daily at 2:25 pm. Tickets cost 22 euros, and the ride takes 7 hours.

You may be wondering why the hell it takes 7 hours when the drive is just 4 hours. Well, the bus goes super slow, and also makes a totally unnecessary stop at a restaurant half way through.

Whatever you do, do not order the ham and cheese sandwich. Bring your own toilet paper, and bring cash to use the bathroom. The atmosphere is kind of nice, but the entire thing is an absolute tourist trap that we much rather would have skipped.

🚗 Renting a Car in Varadero 

Renting a car in Varadero is probably the worst idea, but we're here to give you all of the options for how to get to Trinidad, Cuba - right?

Driving is easy. The roads are totally fine, and 4 hours isn't much. However, car rentals are extortionately expensive in Cuba, and the cars are total gas guzzlers.

We stopped in to the rental car offices (there are only two by the way), and we were quoted $250 a day! That's not including insurance or gas, so you'd be looking at paying a pretty penny to rent a car from there.

🚕 Taxis and Colectivos from Varadero to Trinidad

Right outside the bus station we had a bunch of random people offering to drive us to Trinidad for $30/person. Honestly, if we had known that the bus ride was going to be 7 hours instead of 4, we probably would have taken them up on the offer, being that it's not so much more expensive than the bus.

Don't be afraid to haggle though - these taxis (and buses too) are insanely overpriced for Cuban standards. For you to have an idea - teachers make $15 USD/month, so taking a couple for $60 in a taxi would essentially be a 4 month salary! 

How to Get to Trinidad, Cuba from Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos and Trinidad are two of the most popular cities to travel between one another, as they are relatively close, and typically both included in tourist itineraries.

If you're wondering how to get to Trinidad from Cienfuegos, then you're in for a treat, because there is a really cool spot right in between the two called El Nicho Waterfall.

Here are the different options for how to get to Trinidad, Cuba from Cienfuegos:

• Take the Viazul tourist bus
• Rent a scooter and drive
• Get a colectivo or taxi

🚎 The Bus from Cienfuegos to Trinidad

Buses from Cienfuegos to Trinidad go twice a day with Viazul, and are an hour and a half. You can choose taking the bus at 7:55 pm or 8:30 pm, and tickets cost 10 euros.

Tickets can be purchased online with a credit card (outside the US), or you can pay in cash at the bus station (in USD or euros).

🛵 Renting a Scooter in Cienfuegos

Renting a scooter is a super fun way to explore both Cienfuegos and Trinidad, and is also a great way to enjoy the beaches along the coast in between.

Scooters aren't always the most reliable though, so if you do choose to do this, just anticipate that you may have your scooter break down. We didn't rent a scooter from Cienfuegos, but we did rent scooters in Varadero and Trinidad, and both of them broke down on us.

If all goes well though, this is certainly one of the most fun options! Keep in mind though, that the scooter won't make it along the route to El Nicho due to the roads going up and down, so this is purely for going to Trinidad from Cienfuegos via the coastal road. 

🚕 Taking Private Transportation from Cienfuegos to Trinidad

The absolute best way to getting to Trinidad from Cienfuegos is by taking a colectivo or a private car. Colectivos are regular cars but shared with other people, so end up being a bit cheaper (unless you are 3-4 people).

Many colectivos stop at El Nicho Waterfall, which can be the perfect addition to your trip. Not only is it an incredible option that is affordable, but it allows you to see one of the most beautiful places in Cuba, without having to make a day trip out of it.

The route that goes to El Nicho goes through the mountains instead of the coastal route, and takes closer to 3 hours driving.

Colectivos can be hard to find, so we suggest reaching out to your accommodation. We ended up having to hire a driver for just us, but luckily he was willing to take us for a bit cheaper than the "going rate". To go from Cienfuegos to El Nicho and then Trinidad costs around $60-70 for a private car, but is a rate you'll have to negotiate.

The colectivos charge about $20/person for the trip, but you'll have a bit more limited time at El Nicho. If you don't care to go to El Nicho you can also get a colectivo straight from Cienfuegos to Trinidad, which is a shorter route along the coast (about an hour and a half), and costs a bit less.

Now that you know how to get to Trinidad, Cuba, it's time to explore all of the best things to do in Trinidad!

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