Upgraded - The Baltic States and Poland

The tour on the whole was enjoyable and very interesting. We had a very good Tour Leader who taught us a lot. I believe this was the second time this particular holiday had run and I do think there were a few issues that need addressing. On our way to Vilnius we stopped at Pakruojis Manor for lunch and a walk around the beautifully kept but rather strange gardens and the manor house. The manor house had no real notable features and indeed the contents were not original to the house. My view was that it would have been better to continue our journey on to Vilnius straight after lunch to give us longer to look around that lovely city. My personal opinion was that two nights in Mikolajki was also unnecessary. Very little to do unless you are into swimming, hiking or walking especially if the weather is not good. Very sadly I think our group was in complete agreement when we heard we would be passing quite close to Wolf's Lair, one of Hitler's bunkers where an attempted assassination was carried out. We couldn't understand why it wasn't on the itinerary and I do believe it had been suggested by our Tour Leader. One night's stop over would have been enough in my view and then we could have spent more time in Warsaw where we only spent one night. However, one big issue that Explore needs to address was when we arrived in Krakow on the fast train (it actually wasn't a fast train as it stopped en route. The fast train left 20 minutes beforehand. Why didn't we take that one?). On arrival there are escalators going up but none going down to street level and we had to carry our cases down about 50 steps which were thronged with people all in a hurry. Most of us were of a certain age and it was a very unpleasant experience and a minor miracle that no one got hurt. Also a mini bus had been sent to collect us but it was a restricted area where buses aren't allowed so we had to then walk with our cases to catch the bus. The driver apparently wasn't even allowed to leave his bus to come and help us. The situation was completely unacceptable and needs addressing before the next tour. Our last couple of days in Krakow were great and we had the best local guide on our tour - a lovely lady who spoke good English, was clear and concise and was able to tell us some stories of her Grandmother surviving Auschwitz. The local guide in Riga, another lady, was also very good.

The itinerary was not accurate so more time travelling on the bus than,expected but the cities were well worth visiting. Would have appreciated more time in Warsaw and Krakow. Hotels were generally good although the older ones in city centres had small rooms. Overall we enjoyed the trip but felt it could have been better.

I recently returned from the Upgraded The Baltic States and Poland trip with Explore, and overall, it was a fantastic experience. The itinerary is very well-organised, and you certainly pack a lot in - there’s never a dull moment! Some of the standout highlights for me included the cookery class in Riga, which was both fun and a great way to connect with local culture, and the peaceful boat trip in Trakai, which offered beautiful views and a welcome moment to relax. We should have taken beers though! Our tour leader, Signe, was outstanding - very knowledgeable, approachable, and always on top of the logistics. Everything ran smoothly, which made the journey feel effortless for the group. One of the key differences with this upgraded tour is the standard of accommodation, which was noticeably higher than on Explore’s standard trips. The hotels were comfortable, well-located, and a welcome retreat after busy days of sightseeing. If I were to offer any constructive feedback, it would be that in some locations - particularly Riga, Vilnius, and Warsaw - it would have been nice to have a bit more time to explore at a more relaxed pace. In Warsaw especially, we found ourselves quite tired during a four-hour walking tour in the afternoon, and the local guide used there wasn’t quite as engaging as some of the others we encountered. That said, the trip delivers a lot of cultural insight, history, and scenic beauty across multiple countries in a relatively short time. If you're looking to get a taste of the Baltic region and Poland with everything taken care of, this upgraded tour is a great choice.

Lovely trip. Covered a lot of ground but there was still time for relaxing. Our group gelled well and our tour leader Signe was great. Some of the City tours (especially Warsaw) were quite gruelling, there was a lot of pavement pounding! The scheduling could be improved. It would be good to spend midsummers eve in one of the Baltic states, and spending Saturday of the long Corpus Christi weekend in Krakow was frankly bonkers. The place was heaving.