Traveling from Havana to Santa Clara looks straightforward on a map, but in practice, it’s a route many travelers either struggle with or skip entirely. Santa Clara is often bypassed in favour of higher-profile stops like Trinidad, and while direct transport does exist, it isn’t always obvious which option actually makes sense. How people use Santa Clara on this route really depends on the type of trip. For shorter itineraries, it’s often a day visit focused on the city’s revolutionary history. For longer trips, it can work as a stopover in central Cuba. The good news is that there are several realistic ways to get from Havana to Santa Clara. Some are faster and far easier than others, some are cheaper but come with compromises, and one option stands out as the most reliable overall. In this guide, I’ll break down each choice so you can match the route to your time, budget, and travel style.
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Before leaving Havana, it’s worth making sure you’ve actually given the city enough time, because it truly is the one city that you should really explore in Cuba. If you’re still planning your stay, my guide to things to do in Havana will help you decide how long to spend and what not to miss.
Once you reach Santa Clara, it’s also best to arrive with a plan. The city is relatively compact, but knowing what you want to see in advance makes a big difference, especially if you’re short on time. This guide to things to do in Santa Clara covers the main historical sites and how to structure your visit.
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Where Is Santa Clara?
Santa Clara is located in central Cuba, in Villa Clara Province. Unlike many of Cuba’s most-visited cities, it’s inland, and it’s best known for its role in the Cuban Revolution, being closely associated with Che Guevara.
Geographically, Santa Clara sits at an important crossroads in central Cuba, which makes it a logical stop when traveling between the west and east of the island. However, that doesn’t mean that the Viazul Bus timetable makes it easy for you. The schedules rarely fit neatly into an itinerary.
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Easiest Way to go from Havana to Santa Clara
This pre-bookable transfer from Havana to Santa Clara is the easiest way to travel this route. It gets great reviews, you can prepay it, and relax. Make stops along the way and really make the most of your time in Cuba.
How to Go from Havana to Santa Clara – Transport Options
There are several ways to travel from Havana to Santa Clara, but not all of them are particularly practical. Some options are fast and straightforward, others are cheaper but come with longer travel times or awkward schedules, and a few look fine in theory but don’t work especially well once you’re on the ground.
In the sections below, I’ll go through each realistic option in turn — from private drivers and taxis to buses, colectivos, and driving yourself. For each one, I’ll explain how it actually works in practice, who it’s best suited to, and what the main trade-offs are, so you can choose the option that fits your itinerary rather than forcing your plans around transport.
1. Taxi from Havana to Santa Clara
Taking a taxi is one of the most straightforward ways to get from Havana to Santa Clara. There’s no timetable to work around, no early check-in, and no need to navigate bus stations at either end. You’ll be picked up directly from your accommodation in Havana and dropped exactly where you’re staying in Santa Clara.
The drive takes around four and a half hours if you go straight through without stops, depending on traffic as you leave Havana. For long-distance routes like this, taxis and private drivers often end up feeling very similar in practice, but taxis are usually arranged locally and involve more negotiation. A basic level of Spanish is helpful when agreeing on price and details. For a taxi, you’ll also be expected to pay cash – and please do confirm what currency and how much before you set off. As well as confirming that the price is for the full car and not per seat (see the details on colectivos for more on this). You’ll also want to understand more about Cuba’s currency in 2026, so read my guide here.
2. Take a Private Driver (with sightseeing en route)
Hiring a private driver is the fastest and easiest way to travel from Havana to Santa Clara. Like a taxi, you’ll be picked up from your accommodation and dropped exactly where you’re staying, but the experience is more flexible and far less rushed. I recommend reading my guide to private drivers here, and then costing it out.
It’s very flexible, allows you to make predefined stops along the way, which are costed in – so you get to choose exactly how long to stop for and where. Check out daytrip.com here.
If you go straight through, the drive takes around four and a half hours. The real advantage of a private driver, though, is the option to turn the journey into part of your trip. You can agree on stops in advance and decide how long you want to stay at each one, which makes a long travel day feel far more manageable.
Common sightseeing stops on this route include
- Cueva de Saturno
- Finca Vigía (Hemingway’s former home) – my guide to Hemingway and Cuba is here
- Matanzas
- Cienfuegos – read about what to see in Cienfuegos here
- Cueva de los Peces
You can choose one stop, several, or none at all if you just want to get there more quickly.
This option works particularly well if you value time, want a smoother travel day, or don’t want to deal with bus schedules or on-the-day negotiations. For most travelers, it’s the most reliable and least stressful way to get to Santa Clara.
3. Colectivo from Havana to Santa Clara
Colectivos, or shared taxis, are an option on this route, but they’re hit-and-miss rather than something you can rely on. They do exist between Havana and Santa Clara, but they don’t run on a fixed schedule, and availability varies day to day. You should read my guide to colectivos and Cuba here.
If you find one, it’s usually arranged through a casa particular, at the Viazul bus station, or by asking around locally the day before you want to travel. You’ll normally pay per seat, and the car won’t leave until it’s full unless you agree to cover the empty seats or negotiate a higher price. Read about how it worked for us when we traveled from Matanzas to Havana.
Colectivos can work out cheaper than a private taxi if you’re flexible with timing and not in a hurry. The comfort is sometimes an issue as well, with space being at a premium.
4. Bus from Havana to Santa Clara (Viazul)
Viazul buses run between Havana and Santa Clara, but this is a route where the timing really matters. There are three departures each day, leaving Havana at 00:35, 15:15, and 15:40, and all services run daily. Depending on which bus you take, the journey takes anywhere from around five to eight hours.
So you’ll either have a late start or a late finish.
On paper, this makes Viazul look like a reasonable budget option. In practice, the schedules aren’t especially friendly. The overnight departure is only useful if you’re comfortable traveling very late, while the afternoon buses make for a long travel day and require you to check in at least one hour before departure.
You’ll also need to factor in onward transport once you arrive. Santa Clara’s bus station isn’t right in the center of the city, so you’ll need a taxi or colectivo to reach your accommodation.
Read my guide to using the Viazul Bus service here.
Viazul can work if you’re traveling on a tight budget and your plans line up perfectly with the timetable, but it’s rarely the most convenient option on this route.
5. Train from Havana to Santa Clara
Trains do exist in Cuba, but they aren’t a practical option for most travelers, although you’ll be pleased to know there is a train (or two) that runs from Havana to Santa Clara. The main issue with Cuba’s trains is that tickets go on sale 30 days before departure, and they get snapped up quickly by locals, who can buy online (you can’t, it’s tied to citizenship or residency).
The trains in Cuba are slow. Very, very, very prone to breaking down. They’re generally unreliable, but they are dirt cheap. Read my guide to Cuba’s trains here and do let me know if you manage to buy a ticket or ride on them!
For this journey, trains are best skipped in favor of road transport, which is faster, more predictable, and far easier to fit into your real-world itinerary.
6. Rent a Car and Drive from Havana to Santa Clara
Driving yourself from Havana to Santa Clara is possible, but it’s rarely the easiest way to do this route. Rental cars in Cuba are expensive, and while fuel is available at designated tourist gas stations, shortages and power outages can make refuelling unpredictable. The general rule is to fill up whenever you have the chance. I’ve got more advice in my guide to rental cars and Cuba here.
The drive itself takes around four and a half hours without stops and follows major roads for most of the journey. Road conditions are mixed, signage can be limited once you leave Havana, and having some confidence driving in Cuba definitely helps.
This option only really makes sense if you already have a rental car as part of a longer trip. For most travelers, a taxi or private driver offers the same door-to-door convenience with far less stress. You can check out your options and prices here.
Popular Routes Around Cuba
Getting around Cuba is some of our most popular content here at Cuba’s Best, so here are some of the most traveled routes and your options for getting around.
- Cuban Transport – and overview
- How to go from Havana Airport to Havana
- How to go from Havana Airport to Varadero
- Varadero Airport to Varadero
- How to go from Havana to Varadero
- How to go from Havana to Vinales
- How to go from Matanzas to Havana
- How to go from Varadero to Trinidad
- How to go from Havana to Cayo Santa Maria
- How to go from Havana to Trinidad
- Going from Trinidad to Santa Clara
- How to go from Havana to Santa Clara
- Going from Havana to Cienfuegos
Going from Havana to Santa Clara – Options at a Glance
I’ve covered the different transport options for this route in detail above (and you can read more about general transportation in Cuba in my guide here), but if you just want the quick answer, here’s how the options compare.
The quickest way to get from Havana to Santa Clara
The fastest way to travel from Havana to Santa Clara is with a private driver. Going straight through, the drive takes around four and a half hours, and you’ll be picked up from your accommodation in Havana and dropped exactly where you’re staying in Santa Clara. Get a price and your options here.
The easiest way to go from Havana to Santa Clara
The easiest option for traveling to Santa Clara from Havana is also a private driver. There’s no timetable to work around, no early check-in, and no need to navigate bus stations or arrange onward transport once you arrive. Check the sightseeing stops en route here.
The cheapest way to go from Havana to Santa Clara
The cheapest way to travel from Havana to Santa Clara is by Viazul bus. There are several departures each day and the route runs daily, but journey times vary from around five to eight hours depending on the service you choose. You’ll also need to factor in early check-in and onward transport from the bus station in Santa Clara.
The best way to go from Havana to Santa Clara
For most travelers, the best overall option is a private driver. It offers the right balance of speed, comfort, and reliability, and avoids the long travel times and painful schedules that come with the bus.
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Final Thoughts: What’s the Best Way to Go from Havana to Santa Clara?
If you want the simplest and most reliable way to travel from Havana to Santa Clara, a private driver is the clear winner. It’s faster than the bus, far easier to organise, and avoids the long journey times and awkward schedules that come with public transport. Viazul can work if you’re traveling on a tight budget and your plans line up perfectly with the timetable, but it does make for a long travel day and still requires onward transport once you arrive. Colectivos sit somewhere in between, but availability isn’t guaranteed, so they’re best treated as a flexible option rather than something to plan around.
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