Day 1: Arrival

 

Arrival in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.  Reception of the group by the experienced English-speaking tour guide. First acquaintance with Vilnius during a guided walk. Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight stay in the hotel.

 

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Check out and drive to Kaunas, Lithuania's second largest city and former capital, known for its vibrant arts scene and unique blend of Gothic, Renaissance architecture. You will take a walk through the old town with its more than 500 old monuments. Onward journey to Klaipeda. Check in at the hotel. Dinner in the hotel restaurant. Overnight stay in the hotel.

 
Breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Guided tour of the beautiful Curonian Spit, known for its untouched nature with huge shifting sand dunes, thatched fishermen's houses and endless sandy beaches. In the fishing village of Juodkrante, you will explore the cormorant colony, the old villa district of the former spa town and much more. In the fishing village of Nida, visit the High Dune with its sundial, the Protestant church with its ethnographic cemetery and the Thomas Mann House. Return to Klaipeda. Free time at your leisure. Overnight stay in the hotel.

 

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Check out and luggage loading. Drive to Siauliai to the Hill of Crosses, a symbolic place with thousands of crosses that stand for faith, hope and resistance. Continuation of the journey to Riga. Check in at the hotel. Dinner at the local restaurant. Overnight stay in the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Today you will begin your acquaintance with the ancient Hanseatic city of Riga. You will take a guided tour of the old town, visit the cathedral, the Great and Small Guild, the Swedish Gate in the old fortress wall and admire the many Art Nouveau houses. Afterwards, the free time is at your leisure. Overnight stay in a hotel in Riga.

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Check out and luggage loading. Drive to Pärnu, the Estonian summer capital, where you can admire long sandy beaches, charming parks and historic buildings. Guided tour of the most important sights. Onward journey to Tallinn. Check in at the hotel. Dinner in the hotel restaurant. Overnight stay in the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Extensive city tour in the still medieval-looking city of Tallinn. On the tour through the historic old town you will see the magnificent town hall, the cathedral, a well-preserved city wall with towers, the guild houses from the Hanseatic period, St. Nicholas and Holy Spirit churches, the cathedral hill with the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and much more. Drive to the baroque Kadriorg Palace, which Peter the Great had built as a summer residence in 1718. Here you will take a walk through the castle park before continuing to the famous Singing Meadow. The tradition of Estonian song festivals has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2001. Afterwards, the free time is at your leisure. Overnight stay in a hotel in Tallinn.

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Check out and load luggage. Drive to Tartu, the second largest city in Estonia. Tartu is known for its historic university, the magnificent St. John's Church with its impressive terracotta sculptures and the ruins of the old cathedral church on the picturesque Toomeberg Hill. Then continue the journey to Cesis. Check in at the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Check out and enjoy a guided tour of the Gauja National Park. Drive to Turaida and explore the medieval castle. Photo stop at Gutmann's Cave. Opportunity for a lunch break in a traditional tavern. Hike in the paper village of Līgatne with its cellar caves. Continuation of the journey to Riga. Check in at the hotel. Final dinner in a local restaurant in Riga. Overnight stay in the hotel.

Breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Check out and load your suitcases; the time until departure is at your disposal. Transfer to Riga airport and journey home.