Small Group Baltic Highlights and Sea Visit in 10 Days

Arrival in Vilnius, optional transfer to Hotel Neringa**** or similar, check-in, welcome meeting.

Vilnius is known for its more than 1.200 medieval buildings and 48 churches. The morning walking tour takes us to the Old Town with Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas Tower, St. Anna’s Church, Old University and the Gates of Dawn. The afternoon offers an optional excursion to Trakai, the medieval capital of Lithuania, with the well preserved Trakai Castle, beautifully located on an island in Lake Galve. In the evening an optional traditional Lithuanian dinner at Restaurant Senoji Trobele is on our program.

Departing from Vilnius we head to Western part of Lithuania. En route we do a stop in Kaunas, the former capital of Lithuania, to admire the beautiful Old Town and the elegant white Baroque Town Hall. After short afternoon walking tour in Klaipeda, we take ferry to reach Curonian Spit before reaching Nida resort town. Check in at Hotel Nerija****. The evening offers optional authentic fisherman dinner at “Tik Pas Jona”.

The morning is reserved for a half-day optional tour of the Curonian Spit, a thin, 100 km stretch of land between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon with small fishing villages, pine forests and endless sand dunes. Tour takes us to the spectacular Parnidis Dune and Naglis Dune, the Hill of Witches in Juodkrante and Thomas Mann’s summerhouse. In early afternoon we head towards Liepaja where we arrive in early afternoon and check in at Hotel Art Roma****. The evening offers optional casual dinner at a beach café Red Sun Buffet, right on the wide sandy beach.

Liepaja takes its name from the numerous linden trees in the city. We start the day with a short stroll in the Old Town with the Trinity Church and we visit Jurmala Park and the former Naval Port area with its famous Orthodox Cathedral. We now continue through Southern Latvia to the magnificent Rundale Palace, the former summer residence of the Duke of Courland. Following a guided tour of the palace we travel through Latvia to reach Riga at late afternoon. Check in at Hotel Monika Centrum**** or similar.

Founded in 1201 by the German bishop Albert, Riga is the largest of the three Baltic capitals and boasts a real kaleidoscope of architectural styles. The walking tour of the morning takes to Art Nouveaux district and Old Town including Riga Castle, the Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, the Swedish Gate, the Three Brothers, the Large and Small Guilds and the Freedom Monument. The afternoon is reserved for an optional visit to Jurmala, the vibrant Latvian sea resort, famous for its wooden architecture and sandy beaches. The evening offers an optional organ concert at the Dome Cathedral.

After we got acquainted with Riga, we have the possibility of discovering medieval Latvia. The optional tour for this morning takes us to the stunning scenery of the Gauja National Park and the town of Sigulda. We listen to the medieval Latvian legend of the Rose of Turaida and see the ruins of the Episcopal Castle and of the Castle of the Knights of the Sword before we return to Riga. The afternoon offers an optional visit to the Ethnographical Open Air Museum, a spacious exposition of 18th century country life.

The tour continues along the coastal highway to the Estonian summer resort of Parnu. We do a short tour of the resort before we continue through the North Estonian land of forests and arrive in Tallinn early afternoon, check-in at the Hotel Radisson Blu Olympia**** or similar.

Tallinn is a charming blend of medieval tranquillity 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 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. In the afternoon an optional excursion 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. The evening offers an optional medieval dinner at Restaurant Maikrahv.

Optional transfer to the airport.