Highlights of the Baltic States in 8 Days

Arrival in Vilnius, optional transfer to your hotel, check-in, welcome meeting with a guide and complimentary drink.

After breakfast, a morning sightseeing tour will introduce you to Vilnius. Vilnius is known for its more than 1200 medieval buildings and 48 churches. This walking tour includes visiting the Old Town with Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas Tower, St. Anne’s Church, Old University, the Gates of Dawn and the Uzupis district, which is known as the independent republic of Vilnius city.

After sightseeing, the guide will lead you to the famous and oldest Vilnius food market – Hales market where you will have an opportunity to meet local food producers and sellers, ask them questions, and bring home the real flavors of Lithuania. You will visit 4 or 5 different places and try the best of Lithuanian handcrafted cheese, rustic meat products, bagels, and juice. Keep in mind, all products are created according to authentic recipes and tastes cherished by Lithuanian farmers. This experience takes around 1-1.5 hours.

In the evening you will have an option to try our best local beers during a beer tasting (OPTIONAL) or have a fine dining experience at the local Historic Lithuanian cuisine restaurant.

After breakfast, we will drive to Trakai town, a historic, picturesque place with a castle in the middle of the lake. Locals take a day trip there and we invite you for one as well. See Trakai Castle, with lakes and beautiful views around. For lunch (optional) try out a special Karaim dish ‘kibinai’ which is only typical for Trakai town because it is home to the oldest ethnic group of Karaims living to this day in Lithuania. The Trakai trip takes around 3.5-4 hours including the lunch break.

After visiting Trakai we will go to the countryside lodge for the rest of the evening. The evening is free for you to decide whether to stay cozy inside the house or take a walk in the surroundings, exploring the nature around you. Most of our cabins and b&bs are located in picturesque locations near forests, lakes, or other fascinating sceneries. A warm local dinner will be waiting for you.

Overnight in a countryside lodge. Please note that in some lodges bathroom may be shared between a few rooms.

After breakfast at the lodge, we will drive to Riga. On our way, we will stop at the Hill of Crosses, one of the holiest sites of Catholic Lithuania. The exact number of crosses is unknown, but estimates put it at about 100.000.

After crossing into Latvia we soon reach the magnificent Rundale Palace, our second stop. The former summer residence of the Duke of Courland. Following a guided tour of the palace, we travel through the rolling hills of Southern Latvia to reach Riga late afternoon. Evening at your leisure in the capital of Latvia.

Breakfast at the hotel before heading out for a tour of Riga. Founded in 1201 by the German bishop Albert, Riga is the largest of the three Baltic capitals and boasts a true kaleidoscope of various architectural styles. This walking tour (2 hours) of the Old Town includes Riga Castle, Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, Swedish Gates, Three Brothers, Large and Small Guild House and the Freedom Monument.

The afternoon is reserved for an optional visit to Jurmala and a picturesque Kemeri bog (4-5 hours), Jurmala is the vibrant Latvian sea resort, famous for its wooden architecture and sandy beaches, while Kemeri bog is a real gem for nature lovers with it’s undersized pine trees, deep pools, tiny dark lakes and the flavour of wild rosemary.

Optional dinner in Riga Restaurant Forest.

Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we will go to Tallinn with a stop in Gauja National Park, the largest national park in Latvia.

The guide takes you to the stunning scenery of the Gauja river valley around the town of Sigulda. You will visit Gutman’s Ala, the largest sandstone cave in the Baltic states where you will hear the medieval Latvian legend of the Rose of Turaida which will lead you to explore the ruins of the Turaida Castle and the Museum Reserve. We will have a guided walking tour in the park and the castle.

After the stop we will continue our trip to Tallinn, where we reach in the late afternoon.

Breakfast at the hotel, then a sightseeing tour of Tallinn. Tallinn is a charming blend of medieval tranquility and modern urban life. The medieval Old Town is a busy place in the summer with its many shops, galleries, souvenir markets, outdoor cafés and restaurants. The sightseeing tour (2-2.5 hours) takes us around the old medieval city walls and into the Old Town where we see Toompea Castle, Dome Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, medieval Old Town Hall and Great Guild Hall. Afternoon free at leisure.

In the afternoon an optional excursion (3 hours) is offered to Kadriorg Park and visit to KUMU, the award-winning new Estonian Art museum, with its collections of classic and contemporary fine art.

Breakfast at the hotel. Goodbye and hope to see you in future!

Optional transfer to the airport.