Historic Baltic Republics

The tour leader was very knowledgable and we learned a great deal about the Baltic states culture and history. The day we spent exploring the Curonian Spit National Park in Lithuania was especially interesting. Witches hill with the wonderful wood carvings was amazing.

The Baltics have a rich and complicated history and the area is well worth visiting. Our guide Leva whose home is in Latvia, knows the area extremely well and often took her private time to suggest and lead activities that were not on the official tour itinerary. Three beautiful countries, three languages, and three main religions all combined in a whirlwind tour.

The trip was excellent. I’ve not travelled with such a large group before so found that tricky at times but our leader Margareta managed the different elements in our Group expertly. Always ensuring everyone was included and informed of what we were doing.

I did really enjoy the Historic Baltic Republics trip. It was a more relaxed trip than I usually do and was nice to have 2 nights in most places. I did think there was a bit too much free time but this was mentioned in the trip notes. The first bus we used on the trip was very good and had plenty of room but the 2nd bus we had was quite cramped. Margarita was an excellent guide. I did have a problem with my luggage getting delayed on the 1st night but luckily it did arrive the next day.

The itinerary allowed for a comprehensive look at a variety of sites across the three countries, not just the capital cities. In the cities, the balance between time spent with the group (city walking tour with local guide) and free time to pursue your own interests was just right. The forward arranging of group meals for the evenings in the bigger places by the tour leader was appreciated as a way of sampling local cuisine - you could opt out if you wanted. The hotels were all of a good or excellent quality, often totally refurbished within an older building, and centrally located. The coaches used were very comfortable for a group of 15, though the tinted glass on the Riga-Vilnius coach made for so-so photography of the outside and made the interior a bit dark. For early morning flights from Vilnius on the last day (taxi to airport at 3:20am) it was 'no breakfast!', even though stated on itinerary, not even a mini box thing (as provided on a previous Explore trip. with similar early departure.. on "Silk Road" in Tashkent). The tour leader Margarita was excellent - knowledgeable, enthusiastic, personable - 10/10!

A near perfect trip. The accommodation was good with an excellent hotel (Konventa Seta) in Riga. The itinerary was well balanced with some free time to cover a personal interest not included in the itinerary: don't miss the KGB museum in Vilnius. Our Guide 'Ona' was superb, full of knowledge and able to answer every question we asked. Transport was very comfortable and we had plenty of room on the coach. There are a couple of long days but nothing to worry about as you'll have lots of stops. Lovely people, great monuments and lots of civic pride represented by the beautiful parks and flowers planted throughout these countries. Go while you can, the Baltics is a beautiful part of Europe.

This trip was excellent. It was really interesting to learn about the history of an area I knew very little about. There was more free time on this trip than normal which I found to be good. Much of accomodation was really well located, in or very close to the heart of the action. The buffet breakfasts were plentiful everywhere. I would recommend this trip to anyone.

An excellent introduction to the Baltic countries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Combining time to explore on your own along with guided tours of the major cities and important sites. Good hotels throughout, a knowledgeable guide and a very enjoyable 2 weeks.

Historic Baltic Republics - August 2025 very good, well located hotels. Small group of 10 like minded people. Good transportation in small bus. No extra long days driving. Guide who explained history and present status well. Went to places we never would have found. A busy trip covering 3 countries.

Varied program with opportunity for independent wandering. Nice hotels some with fitness centre and pool. great guide.

This tour of the three Baltic republics exceeded our expections and was a fabulous trip. Simona, our tour leader, contributed hugely to our enjoyment of the countries. She went above and beyond e.g. providing additional walking tours of specialist interest areas in many of our stopovers. She enthusiastically engaged us in the history and culture of each country and liaised clearly with all of the drivers and local guides, who were excellent throughout. The timing and pace of the tour, including the amount of free time, worked for us. We would highly recommend this tour.

The Baltics Tour was really enjoyable and educational. Our guide, Simona, was excellent and her in depth knowledge of all three countries really made the tour. She was very approachable, extremely well organised and was great fun. The itinerary was very interesting and Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius all had beautiful architecture. The people were very welcoming. In Kaunus we even had a chance to join in with Lithuanian dancing. The accommodation was mostly excellent. I would thoroughly recommend this tour.

A well balanced trip taking in nature, history, architecture, cuisine etc... in this fascinating part of the world; a mixture of several long days on the bus with a few free afternoons allowing us to follow our own interests. Simona was the perfect tour leader! She kept us entertained throughout with her amazing knowledge of everything to do with the region. Passionate about the history and nature of each of the countries we visited, she always pointed out the differences between the 3 (i.e. linguistic and religious), but also stressed the unity born from the common experience of fighting for independence. She gave cohesion to our group of 15 with the dedicated WhatApp group she created and kept us well organised, but also took a personal interest in each of us. It was a joy to witness these 3 countries progressing so quickly and flourishing since independence.