Transport

Travel will be by private bus and scheduled boat services. The journey times vary and there are some longer distances to cover (up to 211mi/340km), which will mean several hours on the bus. However, we feel this is essential to cover the highlights of the three countries.

Guide

Normally four to 20, plus local leader and driver.

Accommodation

On this trip, we stay in three-star hotels, ideally located for access to the key sites. Below are the properties we typically use. Tallinn: Go Shnelli Hotel (nights 1-2) We begin our adventure by staying near to the medieval old town of Tallinn and Balti Jaam Market. When you’re not out exploring, the first-floor hotel restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows with views over both and serves breakfast plus an à la carte dinner menu. Tartu: Hotel Tartu (night 3) In the city centre, Hotel Tartu is within walking distance of the old town and the Vanemuine Theatre (the oldest theatre in Estonia). It also has a 70-seat cafe on the ground floor plus a sauna centre (additional cost) with Finnish and steam saunas. If you plan on using the sauna centre, you need to bring flip flops (or purchase them from the hotel for €3). Riga: Rixwell Old Riga Palace Hotel (nights 4-6) Occupying an art nouveau building in Riga Old Town, this 116-room hotel is our home for three nights in the capital of Latvia. When you want to relax, there’s a bar plus a small gym with fitness machines. Klaipeda: Green Park Hotel (nights 7-8) In the port city of Klaipeda, we stay at the Green Park Hotel, which is ideally located for our ferry ride to the Unesco-listed Curonian Spit. The rooms have all the basic necessities and there’s a bar for post-exploration drinks. Kaunas: Best Western Santaka Hotel (night 9) Our night in Kaunas is spent in the 92-room Santaka Hotel. It’s located between the city centre and old town and, if you have time, there’s a sauna to enjoy. Vilnius: Comfort Hotel LT – Rock’n’Roll Vilnius (nights 10-11) With an industrial style and music theme, our Vilnius hotel has plenty of personality. The 80 rooms are all air conditioned with underfloor heating in the bathroom, plus the Mellow restaurant serves a menu packed with local produce. Other nice additions are a free-to-use gym and a lobby shop selling beers, snacks, sandwiches and more.

Others

All transport and listed activities

Meals

There will be buffet breakfasts in the hotels offering plenty of choice including cold meats, cheese, eggs, bread, jams, juice and coffee. Lunches will be a mixture of picnics bought from local shops and cafe stops. Dinners will be taken in the hotel restaurants or in local restaurants and will be hearty meals. Cuisine in this area is often centred around pork, veal, fish, potatoes, sauerkraut, and soups such as borsch (beetroot soup – in Lithuania this is also served cold). Dumplings are also popular and in Trakai, large and delicious baked dumplings called kibinai are traditionally served.

Not included:

Flights

International flights are not included

Insurance

Insurance is not included

Others

— Travel insurance — Single accommodation (available from on request) — Visas or vaccinations

Optional

Other activities and services not included

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Start Tallinn
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Start Tallinn

The tour starts at our hotel in the capital of Estonia, Tallinn. There’s a welcome briefing with our leader in the evening and free time to explore the city after. There will also be an optional welcome group meal; a good chance to get to know the group. Accommodation: Go Shnelli Hotel (or similar)
Day 2 Day 2: Tallinn Guided Tour And Free Time To Explore This Fascinating City At Your Own Pace (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Tallinn Guided Tour And Free Time To Explore This Fascinating City At Your Own Pace (Breakfast)

Today we explore vibrant Tallinn, the largest city in Estonia. The Old Town, framed by ancient city walls, is full of architectural wonders. In the morning, we have a guided tour of the city taking in some of the main attractions, including the Toompea palace and castle, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Dome Church and St Nicholas church. We then have a free afternoon to explore the picturesque Old Town, which happily lacks an invasion of modern architecture. Dive into the past as you explore cobblestone alleys with spluttering torches and secret stairways; the old town holds new surprises around every corner, even for residents. We overnight in Tallinn old town. Accommodation: Go Shnelli Hotel (or similar)
Day 3 Day 3: Explore The Pine Forests And Sandy Beaches Of Lahemaa National Park Before A Guided Tour Around Tartu (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Explore The Pine Forests And Sandy Beaches Of Lahemaa National Park Before A Guided Tour Around Tartu (Breakfast)

In the morning, we leave Tallinn and journey to Tartu, stopping at Lahemaa, the largest national park in Estonia. It’s a popular tourist destination with sandy beaches, waterfalls and mossy pine forests; it also has a variety of cultural sites, including Palmse Manor and the 400-year-old fisherman’s village of Altja. After lunch, we transfer to Tartu for a guided tour. Tartu, the capital of southern Estonia, is the second-largest town in the country, with lots of local culture, including festivals, concerts and theatre exhibitions. We spend the night in a hotel in the centre of Tartu. Accommodation: Hotel Tartu (or similar)
Day 4 Day 4: Tour Of Cesis And Gauja National Park; Transfer To Riga (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Tour Of Cesis And Gauja National Park; Transfer To Riga (Breakfast)

Historic Cesis, on the Gauja River valley, is now a celebrated art-and-culture hub. However, it’s also home to one of the finest old towns in Latvia, where red-roofed buildings with restored facades line cobbled streets. The star attraction here is undoubtedly the Medieval castle, a partly preserved fortification knocked down and rebuilt in various forms. There will be option to visit the museum in the morning. We then transfer to Gauja National Park, a region known as Latvian Switzerland. After, we transfer to Riga. Accommodation: Rixwell Old Riga Palace Hotel (or similar)
Day 5 Day 5: Guided Tour Of Riga Old Town; Free Afternoon To Explore At Your Own Pace (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Guided Tour Of Riga Old Town; Free Afternoon To Explore At Your Own Pace (Breakfast)

This morning, the magnificent old town of Riga awaits. We will have a guided city tour taking in winding alleys, elegant boulevards and 800 renovated art nouveau buildings. We then have a free afternoon to soak up the romantic atmosphere of the city and enjoy a relaxing lunch before exploring some of the great shops. Accommodation: Rixwell Old Riga Palace Hotel (or similar)
Day 6 Day 6: Explore The Seaside Town Of Jurmala (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Explore The Seaside Town Of Jurmala (Breakfast)

In the morning, we transfer to Jurmala, the largest seaside and spa resort in the Baltic states and known for its unique natural resources, including healing mineral waters, pine forests and dunes. The town is also home to unique wooden art nouveau architecture. After exploring the town, we will transfer back to Riga for the night. If you wish to stay a little longer, a train back to Riga costs €2-€4 per person. Accommodation: Rixwell Old Riga Palace Hotel (or similar)
Day 7 Day 7: Explore Rundale Palace, The Hill Of Crosses And The Port Of Klaipeda (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Explore Rundale Palace, The Hill Of Crosses And The Port Of Klaipeda (Breakfast)

Firstly, we visit the 18th-century Rundale Palace, which was designed for the Duke of Courland by Italian architect Rastrelli, who also designed the winter palace in St Petersburg. Today, the palace is the most magnificent piece of architecture in the Baltic states, surrounded by impressive gardens. We then cross the border to Lithuania and have time to explore the Hill of Crosses before transferring to Klaipeda Port for a short tour around the small old town taking in reconstructed merchant houses and the remains of Klaipeda Castle. Accommodation: Green Park Hotel (or similar)
Day 8 Day 8: Transfer To The Curonian Spit And Explore The Dunes (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Transfer To The Curonian Spit And Explore The Dunes (Breakfast)

We start the day with a short ferry ride across the lagoon to the Curonian Spit, a Unesco World Heritage site between the Curonian Lagoon and Baltic Sea. Here, we have the day to explore the largest drifting dunes in Europe. We will also visit the Hill of Witches and the Lithuanian sea resort of Nida to climb the Great Dune for the views. We transfer back to Klaipeda where we spend the night. Accommodation: Green Park Hotel (or similar)
Day 9 Day 9: Visit The Plokstine Cold War Museum; City Tour Around Kaunas (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Visit The Plokstine Cold War Museum; City Tour Around Kaunas (Breakfast)

We transfer to the Plokstine forest and visit the Cold War Museum, which is housed in a once-secret Soviet Union missile base. We can view the internal control facility, see decommissioned missiles, and learn more about the five-decade-long period. We then travel to the town of Kaunas, and take a walking tour of the beautiful old town, which includes the 13th-century castle, old town hall, Cathedral Basilica and Church of St Francis Xavier. We stay overnight in Kaunas. Accommodation: Best Western Santaka Hotel (or similar)
Day 10 Day 10: Visit Trakai Castle And Transfer To Vilnius (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Visit Trakai Castle And Transfer To Vilnius (Breakfast)

We stop in Trakai, the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Here we will go on a tour around the incredible 14th-century castle, which occupies a small island in the middle of the lake. We then transfer to Vilnius where we stay the night. Accommodation: Comfort Hotel LT - Rock’n’Roll Vilnius (or similar)
Day 11 Day 11: Guided Tour Of Vilnius; Free Time To Explore (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 11: Guided Tour Of Vilnius; Free Time To Explore (Breakfast)

We have the whole day to explore Vilnius. There is a guided city tour in the morning and then plenty of time to explore at your own pace. The city was developed around its Town Hall and there is a great deal of diverse architecture to see. There are many narrow streets that lead to intimate courtyards, plus the larger landmarks of the castle complex, cathedral square and Royal Palace. There are also plenty of museums to dip into. We overnight in Vilnius. Accommodation: Comfort Hotel LT - Rock’n’Roll Vilnius (or similar)
Day 12 Day 12: End Vilnius (Breakfast)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 12: End Vilnius (Breakfast)

The tour ends after breakfast in Vilnius. Begin your return trip home or, if you’d like a bit more time to explore this fascinating city, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.

12 days tour

Discover The Baltics

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Discover The Baltics

Day 1: Start Tallinn

Day 2: Tallinn Guided Tour And Free Time To Explore This Fascinating City At Your Own Pace (Breakfast)

Day 3: Explore The Pine Forests And Sandy Beaches Of Lahemaa National Park Before A Guided Tour Around Tartu (Breakfast)

Day 4: Tour Of Cesis And Gauja National Park; Transfer To Riga (Breakfast)

Day 5: Guided Tour Of Riga Old Town; Free Afternoon To Explore At Your Own Pace (Breakfast)

Day 6: Explore The Seaside Town Of Jurmala (Breakfast)

Day 7: Explore Rundale Palace, The Hill Of Crosses And The Port Of Klaipeda (Breakfast)

Day 8: Transfer To The Curonian Spit And Explore The Dunes (Breakfast)

Day 9: Visit The Plokstine Cold War Museum; City Tour Around Kaunas (Breakfast)

Day 10: Visit Trakai Castle And Transfer To Vilnius (Breakfast)

Day 11: Guided Tour Of Vilnius; Free Time To Explore (Breakfast)

Day 12: End Vilnius (Breakfast)

Experience Style

Accomodation level

Experience Type

Physical Rating

Age range

Who talk about us:

Best cities to travel to

America

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania