Havana events & things to do in November 2026
Expect 28°C/83°F days and about 15 rainy ones in November. Start with these:
- El CapitolioThe 1929 neoclassical capitol — taller than its Washington lookalike — restored as the seat of the National Assembly, with guided visits of the gilded…
- Museo de la RevoluciónThe former presidential palace, Tiffany-decorated interiors included, telling the official story of the Revolution — with the Granma yacht enshrined…
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By TripSapien Research · Updated June 3, 2026
Havana in November 2026
Weather
TempTemperature
83°F / 70°F
28.1°C / 21.2°C
RainPrecipitation
15d
1.4in · 34.7mm
LightDaylight
11.3h
Sea
82°F
27.8°C
The rains taper and the dry season settles in — an underrated shoulder month before December crowds.
Events & festivals
Event calendar- Nov 1 – Nov 30
Havana Biennial 2026 - Contemporary Art Exhibition
The 14th Havana Biennial showcasing contemporary art from Latin America, the Caribbean, and beyond, held in galleries and public spaces throughout Havana.
Planning lead · verify independently · Source: festival research
- Nov 5 – Nov 15
Havana International Book Fair 2026
Annual book fair featuring Cuban and international authors, book launches, readings, and cultural activities.
Planning lead · verify independently · Source: festival research
- Nov 12 – Nov 16
Havana International Jazz Festival 2026
Annual jazz festival featuring Cuban and international jazz artists performing across multiple venues in Havana.
Planning lead · verify independently · Source: festival research
Show all 4 events for November
- Nov 20 – Nov 28
Festival Internacional de Cine Pobre (International Festival of Low-Budget Films)
A film festival dedicated to low-budget and independent films, with screenings, workshops, and discussions in Havana.
Planning lead · verify independently · Source: festival research
About Havana
City overview
Havana is the largest and most architecturally intact colonial city in the Americas — founded in 1519 as the staging harbour for Spain's treasure fleets, its old town a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. The clichés are all real and all worth it: 1950s American cars working as taxis, rum and son spilling out of Obispo Street bars, waves breaking over the Malecón seawall at sunset — layered over a city where supply shortages shape daily life and cash is king.
Food & drink
Eat in paladares — the private restaurants that outcook state venues on every axis — and expect menus to flex with what the market had that morning; supply shortages are real. The canon: ropa vieja (shredded beef), moros y cristianos (black beans and rice), lechón, tostones, and flan. Havana is also the spiritual home of the daiquiri (El Floridita, Hemingway's stool still there) and the mojito (La Bodeguita del Medio), and Coppelia in Vedado is the state ice-cream cathedral where habaneros queue for hours. Carry cash — pesos and small-denomination hard currency; foreign cards, especially US-issued, are unreliable to useless.
Top sights
- 1
Catedral de San Cristóbal
indoorThe 18th-century baroque cathedral whose asymmetric towers close the most theatrical square in the old town — Carpentier called its facade "music turned to stone."
- 2
Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC)
indoorA cooking-oil factory in Vedado turned the best contemporary art-and-music space in the Caribbean — galleries, concerts, and DJs layered across catwalks, Thursday–Sunday nights.
Doors around 20:00; the queue builds fast after 21:00. Entry is cheap, drinks tallied on a card you settle on exit — don't lose it.
- 3
Castillo de la Real Fuerza
mixedCompleted in 1577, the oldest bastioned stone fortress in the Americas, moat and all — now the maritime museum, with the original La Giraldilla weathervane that became the emblem of the city.
Wikipedia
Show 3 more sights
- 4Habana Vieja & the four plazas
- 5Castillo del Morro & La Cabaña — the 9pm cañonazo
- 6El Malecón
Neighborhoods
1Habana Vieja
The restored-and-crumbling colonial quarter — the four plazas, Obispo Street's bars, and most casas particulares. Touristed but never fake; step two streets off the circuit and it's laundry lines and dominoes.
2Centro Habana
The dense, unrestored belt between Old Havana and Vedado — crumbling porticoes, the Callejón de Hamel, Barrio Chino, and everyday Havana at full volume. Walk it in daylight for the real city.
3Vedado
The leafy 20th-century grid — mid-century hotels (the Nacional above the Malecón), the FAC, Coppelia ice-cream park, and most of the music venues. Calmer nights, easier taxis.
Day trips
Pinar del Río province, west — Viazul coach or shared colectivo taxi (~US$20/person)
Viñales Valley
The UNESCO-listed tobacco valley of sheer-sided mogote hills — cave systems, red-earth farms rolling the "best cigars in the world," and horseback valley rides. A long day trip; better with a casa overnight.
~30 min east by bus from Hotel Inglaterra (~US$5 round trip)
Playas del Este
Havana's own white-sand strip — Santa María del Mar is the broadest, most serviced beach. The bus runs every 30 minutes in season; go midweek to share it with habaneros, not tour groups.
~3h east by Viazul coach
Varadero
The 20km resort peninsula — the Caribbean-postcard beach day when you want loungers, snorkelling, and all-inclusive ease. Feasible as a very long day; most make it an overnight.
Getting around
Habana Vieja and Centro walk best; for everything else use the classic-car colectivos running fixed routes along the main avenues (agree the fare before you get in), Coco taxis for short hops, or official yellow taxis for the airport (~US$25-30 to the centre). The harbour ferries to Regla and Casablanca cost pennies. Carry small cash for all of it — meters are rare, cards useless — and let the Viazul terminal handle intercity coaches.
Planning a Havana trip?
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Common questions about Havana in November
- Best rainy-day things to do in Havana in November
November averages 15 rainy days in Havana, so keep these indoor stops as realistic backups.
- El Capitolio — The 1929 neoclassical capitol — taller than its Washington lookalike — restored as the seat of the National Assembly, with guided visits of the gilded halls beneath the dome.
- Museo de la Revolución — The former presidential palace, Tiffany-decorated interiors included, telling the official story of the Revolution — with the Granma yacht enshrined in glass behind it.
- Catedral de San Cristóbal — The 18th-century baroque cathedral whose asymmetric towers close the most theatrical square in the old town — Carpentier called its facade "music turned to stone."
- Fábrica de Arte Cubano (FAC) — A cooking-oil factory in Vedado turned the best contemporary art-and-music space in the Caribbean — galleries, concerts, and DJs layered across catwalks, Thursday–Sunday nights.
- What to pack for Havana in November
Pack for November's weather, not a generic Havana checklist.
- Layerable daytime clothes for average highs around 28°C / 83°F.
- A light evening layer because nights average 21°C / 70°F.
- Compact rain gear and shoes that handle wet pavement across about 15 rainy days.
- How many days do you need in Havana
- 4 days covers the main Havana highlights at a realistic pace. Add 3 extra days if you want the listed day trips.
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