Things to Do in Havana in February
February weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
February Weather in Havana
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
78°F (26°C)
High Temp
65°F (18°C)
Low Temp
2.7 inches (69 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is February Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + February is Havana's driest month, not a drop falls, so the Malecón wall stays bone-dry and ready for sunset walks every single day.
- + Evenings cool to 65°F (18°C), letting you nurse rooftop mojitos at Bar Dos Gardenias in comfort instead of as a sticky necessity.
- + Cuban families are back from summer holidays, packing Centro Habana cafés with locals locked in heated domino battles, the soundtrack no playlist can fake.
- + Hotel prices slide 25-30% below December highs while the sky keeps that Caribbean blue travel brochures promise yet rarely deliver.
Considerations
- − Trade winds batter the Malecón into a salt-spray car wash, bring a scarf or watch your hair stiffen into sea-salt sculpture.
- − February 24 is Carnival rehearsal day, fun until every percussion troupe in Havana decides your street is good for 4 AM drum practice.
- − Some casa particular owners leave for the countryside, so the choicest rooms in Vedado dry up around mid-month.
Best Activities in February
Top things to do during your visit
Havana Classic Car Sunset Tours
February's no-rain promise keeps those cherry-red '57 Chevros free of wet-upholstery stink. Light strikes the pastel facades of Habana Vieja at just the right slant around 5 PM, and the breeze through an open-top Bel Air feels cool, not sticky.
Booking Tip: Reserve 7-10 days early through licensed operators. Hunt for drivers who speak English and hold proper insurance, the booking widget below lists current Havana classic car choices.
Cuban Rum and Cigar Pairing Classes
Lower February humidity lets cigars burn clean instead of unravelling, good for discovering why a 7-year-old Havana Club marries a Partagás Serie D No. 4. Tobacco scent lingers longer in the cool evening air.
Booking Tip: Secure spots five days ahead. Classes run 3-4 PM, the hour when Habano factories release the day's rolls, you'll taste cigars straight off the rolling tables.
Malecón Evening Fishing Experiences
Local fishermen swear February brings the finest snapper runs, water so clear you can watch fish flash silver beneath the surface. You'll cast beside habaneros wielding handlines spun from telephone wire while reggaeton leaks from passing 1953 Chevys.
Booking Tip: No reservation required, show up at 5:30 PM beside Hotel Nacional. Bring a few small cigars to share. The fishermen will explain the gap between real and tourist prices at the nearby fish market.
Havana Food Walking Tours
February's dry sidewalks make strolling between paladares a pleasure, no puddle-dodging between La Guarida and O'Reilly 304. Garlic and oregano drift from private kitchens in Centro Habana instead of being rinsed away by rain.
Booking Tip: Morning tours (10 AM) dodge the lunch rush and finish in time for mojitos at El Floridita. Book 48 hours ahead through licensed guides, current Havana food tour listings sit in the booking section below.
Viñales Day Trips for Tobacco Harvest
February is prime tobacco-curing season, the red soil of Viñales Valley smells like sweet leaves drying on wooden racks. Farmers will hand you a cigar twisted from their private stash while explaining why Cuban soil tastes unlike Dominican.
Booking Tip: Depart Havana at 7 AM to outrun tour-bus traffic. Licensed operators bundle farm visits and lunch with families, check current Viñales day-trip seats in the booking widget.
Where to Stay in Havana in February
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for February travellers.
February Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Mid February
Havana International Book Fair
Held mid-February inside San Carlos de la Cabaña fortress, where new-book scent mingles with ocean breeze. Cuban authors read beneath 18th-century stone arches while university students argue politics over 25-cent espresso shots from rolling carts.
Weekends through late February
Carnival Rehearsals
Each weekend before Carnival, neighborhood comparsas rehearse steps along Centro Habana streets. Conga drums echo between crumbling facades as sequined dancers practice under streetlights.
Packing Checklist
Bookmark this page — your progress is saved between visits
Need the full list with shopping links?
Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Havana Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Havana's best coffee isn't in tourist cafés, it's poured from the thermos the old man sells outside Casa de la Música for 5 pesos a cup.
February 14 is Saint Valentine's Day, every restaurant in Havana floods with red roses and live bolero bands. Reserve tables early or dodge the tourist traps and hunt a paladar in Vedado.
Hotel Nacional's garden bar charges tourist prices. But walk 200 meters west along the Malecón and locals sip rum from plastic cups for one-tenth the cost.
Casa de la Música in Miramar fields better bands than the Centro Habana branch, and the February crowd is 70% Cubans versus 90% tourists.
Avoid These Mistakes
Expecting no rain to mean cool weather, you'll still soak your shirt walking from El Capitolio to Plaza de Armas.
Booking classic-car tours for noon, the sun bounces off chrome and leather seats turn into branding irons.
Trying to pay in US dollars at small cafés, February 2026 still runs on Cuban pesos and Euros in most spots.
Explore More Activities in Havana
Didn't see anything interesting yet?
Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Havana.
See All Havana Tours on Viator