Four to five days in Havana works well, particularly given that travel logistics here move at a different pace than most destinations — building in slack rather than a tightly packed schedule will serve you better. Days 1 and 2 stay in Habana Vieja, the old town. A classic car tour in a 1950s Chevrolet or Buick convertible is worth doing on your first day, both as sightseeing and as a genuine Havana rite of passage — most operators combine a city loop with stops at key plazas. Spend the rest of day one and your second day exploring the four main plazas on foot, taking in colonial cathedrals and the live music that spills out of doorways throughout the old town. The Capitolio and a walk along the Malecón seafront round out these two days, ideally timed for late afternoon light along the water. Day 3 moves to Vedado, a district with a different character from the old town's density. Spend the day exploring at a slower pace, then commit to a proper night out for live son and salsa — small clubs and casa particulares often deliver better, more authentic music than anything staged specifically for tourists, so ask locally for current recommendations rather than relying solely on guidebook listings. Day 4 covers Fusterlandia, a neighbourhood almost entirely covered in vivid mosaic art by local artist José Fuster, and a markedly different visual experience from the rest of the city. Follow this with dinner at a paladar — a privately run, family-style restaurant — for a more genuine meal than most state-run alternatives offer. Day 5, if you have it, is best spent on a day trip to Viñales Valley, about two and a half hours from Havana. The valley's tobacco farms and dramatic limestone karst landscape (mogotes) are a complete change of scenery from the city, and most day trips include a tobacco farm visit explaining how Cuban cigars are actually made. A few practical notes: bring cash, ideally Euros or another widely exchanged currency, since foreign cards generally don't work in Cuba due to sanctions, and ATMs are unreliable. Internet access is limited to designated Wi-Fi parks via ETECSA cards rather than reliable in-room hotel internet. And check current entry and visa requirements closely before you travel, since Cuba's rules shift more frequently than most destinations.