Itinerary
- Day 1
Vilnius
Start the day at Gediminas Castle Hill to see what remains of the upper castle, then walk over to Cathedral Square where you'll find the Neo-Classical Cathedral of Saints Stanislaus and Ladislaus. From there, wander through the narrow medieval streets toward the Presidential Palace and Old Vilnius University, which dates back to 1579. You'll spend time walking along medieval Castle Street in the Old City and checking out the 'gothic triangle' area with St. Anne's Church sitting prominently there.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Rich buffet breakfast at the hotel), Dinner (Tour opening dinner)
Included Activities
- Walking tour of Gediminas Castle Hill and upper castle remnants
- Visit Cathedral Square and Neo-Classical Cathedral of Saints Stanislaus and Ladislaus
- Walking tour of Presidential Palace area
- Walking tour of Old Vilnius University
- Walking tour of medieval Castle Street
- Visit St. Anne's Church in the 'gothic triangle'
Optional Activities
- Entrance to Old Vilnius University
Landmarks/POIs Gediminas Castle Hill Cathedral of Saints Stanislaus and Ladislaus Presidential Palace Old Vilnius University Castle Street St. Anne's Church - Day 2
Vilnius
This morning head to St. Peter and Paul's Church to see its baroque design and over 2000 interior statues and bas-reliefs. After that, check out the Vilnius Synagogue from 1903 and walk through the medieval Jewish Quarter, sometimes called Lithuanian Jerusalem. Learn about the Benedictine Convent and the story of Lithuanian Righteous Among the Nations. Grab lunch at City Hall Square, then visit the Gate of Dawn chapel with its icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Later, take a bus tour past Parliament, Gediminas Avenue, the former KGB building, and Constitution Street to see modern Vilnius.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Rich buffet breakfast at the hotel), Lunch (Lunch time on City Hall Square)
Included Activities
- Visit St. Peter and Paul's Church
- Visit Vilnius Synagogue
- Walking tour of medieval Jewish Quarter
- Visit Benedictine Convent
- Visit Gate of Dawn Chapel
- Bus tour including Parliament building, Gediminas Avenue, former KGB building, Constitution Street, and new Vilnius
Optional Activities
- Entrance to KGB building
Landmarks/POIs St. Peter and Paul's Church Vilnius Synagogue Gate of Dawn Benedictine Convent City Hall Square Parliament Building Gediminas Avenue KGB Building - Day 3
Trakai to Kaunas
Travel to Trakai, the ancient capital surrounded by lakes and forests. Spend time at the 14th-century island castle museum exploring Lithuanian history. Then visit the Karaite Museum to learn about this ethnic group who came from Crimea 600 years ago, and see their unique cemetery. After that, continue to Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city. Walk through the Old Town with its Catholic churches, narrow streets, and cobbled squares. Head down Laisves Aleja, the main pedestrian street with pre-war buildings, and visit the Art Gallery of M. K. Ciurlionis to see work by this Lithuanian painter and composer.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Rich buffet breakfast at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Trakai Island Castle museum
- Visit Karaite Museum
- Visit Karaite cemetery
- Walking tour of Kaunas Old Town
- Walking tour of Laisves Aleja
- Visit Art Gallery of M. K. Ciurlionis
Optional Activities
- Entrance to Trakai Castle museum
- Entrance to Art Gallery of M. K. Ciurlionis
Landmarks/POIs Trakai Island Castle Karaite Museum Karaite Cemetery Kaunas Old Town Laisves Aleja Art Gallery of M. K. Ciurlionis - Day 4
Kaunas to Klaipeda
Head toward Klaipeda with a stop in Kedainiai, a citadel built by the powerful Radzivil family from the late middle ages and birthplace of Lithuanian rabbi Vilna Gaon. See three surviving synagogues there. Continue on to Klaipeda, the former German city of Memel, which has medieval German-influenced architecture throughout. Walk around Theatre Square, see the statue of Annke von Thorau, and visit the Stone Sculpture Park before settling in.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Rich buffet breakfast at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Stop in Kedainiai to explore citadel and town
- Walking tour of Klaipeda Old Town
- Visit Theatre Square
- Visit Stone Sculpture Park
Landmarks/POIs Kedainiai Klaipeda Old Town Theatre Square Statue of Annke von Thorau Stone Sculpture Park - Day 5
Klaipeda to Nida
Drive to Nida on the Curonian Spit with a couple stops along the way. Walk the Hill of Witches in Juodkrante, a natural forest park with Lithuanian folk wooden sculptures and local stories. Stop to watch one of the largest cormorant populations in the region. Arrive in Nida, a charming artist colony with 60-meter-high sand dunes. Visit the cottage where Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann wrote his books during his time there.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Rich buffet breakfast at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Walk on the Hill of Witches
- Stop to observe cormorant population
- Visit Nida artist colony
- Visit Thomas Mann cottage
Optional Activities
- Ferry to Nida
Landmarks/POIs Hill of Witches Juodkrante Nida Thomas Mann Cottage - Day 6
Nida to Palanga to Riga
Travel to Palanga, a popular Baltic resort with long beaches that stretch for kilometers. Stop at the Hill of Crosses near Siauliai, which has over 100,000 crosses and represents Lithuanian resistance against foreign rule. Check out Palanga's Botanic Park and the Baltic States' largest Amber Museum. Then cross into Latvia and tour the magnificent Baroque Rundale Palace, built by Italian architect B. Rastrelli for the Duke of Kurland. Arrive in Riga by evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Rich buffet breakfast at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Hill of Crosses
- Visit Palanga Botanic Park
- Visit Amber Museum
- Visit Rundale Palace
Optional Activities
- Rundale Palace tour with garden
Landmarks/POIs Hill of Crosses Palanga Palanga Botanic Park Amber Museum Rundale Palace - Day 7
Riga
Start by exploring Riga's historic Old Town and the architectural treasures scattered throughout. Visit the Dome Cathedral, built in 1211, which has an organ with 6,781 pipes inside. See the Great and Small Guilds' houses that show the city's economic history, the Swedish Gate, and Beer-Brewers Street. Walk by Cats' House with its superstitious legend and the 'Three Brothers' architectural complex showing three houses built in different centuries. Visit the House of the Blackheads and St. Peter Church with its notable tower. Spend time admiring Riga's Art Nouveau architecture from the early 20th century. Later, head to the Baltic States' largest Central Market, located in 5 huge hangars that once stored airships.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Rich buffet breakfast at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Walking tour of Old Town
- Visit Dome Cathedral
- Visit Great and Small Guilds' houses
- Visit Swedish Gate
- Visit Beer-Brewers Street
- Visit Cats' House
- Visit Three Brothers architectural complex
- Visit House of the Blackheads
- Visit St. Peter Church
- Art Nouveau architecture tour
- Visit Central Market
Optional Activities
- Entrance to Riga Dome Cathedral
- Organ concerto piccolo at Dome Cathedral
Landmarks/POIs Riga Old Town Dome Cathedral Great Guild Small Guild Swedish Gate Three Brothers House of the Blackheads St. Peter Church Central Market - Day 8
Riga to Saaremaa
Visit Sigulda, known as the 'Switzerland of Latvia' along the Gauja River. Explore the romantic ruins of Sigulda Castle and Gutmana Caves, which have spring water and old legends attached to them. Tour the Turaida Castle museum and its beautiful stone art park. Continue along the Baltic Sea coast toward Tallinn and Estonia. Stop in Parnu, a resort area and the cradle of Estonian independence. Take a short ferry from Virtsu to Muhu and Saaremaa islands to see untouched Estonian nature. Arrive in Kuressaare for the night with sea views.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Rich buffet breakfast at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Sigulda Castle ruins
- Visit Gutmana Caves
- Visit Turaida Castle museum
- Visit stone art park
- Stop in Parnu
- Ferry from Virtsu to Muhu and Saaremaa islands
- Arrive in Kuressaare
Optional Activities
- Saaremaa - Virtsu/Virtsu - Kuivastu ferry (passenger and car ticket)
Landmarks/POIs Sigulda Sigulda Castle Gutmana Caves Turaida Castle Parnu Kuressaare - Day 9
Saaremaa to Tallinn
Visit Kuressaare Bishop's Castle, a main medieval attraction built in the 14th century and kept in its original form. It's now a museum showing both knight's life and Estonian history. Drive to Kaali meteorite craters on Saaremaa, where the largest crater measures 110 meters across and holds a small lake. At an altitude of 5 to 10 kilometers, the meteor broke apart, with the biggest piece creating the main crater at 22 meters deep. Stop to see and photograph Angla Windmills, 5 windmills in a row that show how flour was historically made. Travel to Tallinn afterward.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Rich buffet breakfast at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Kuressaare Bishop's Castle museum
- Visit Kaali meteorite craters
- Stop at Angla Windmills
- Travel to Tallinn
Landmarks/POIs Kuressaare Bishop's Castle Kaali Meteorite Craters Angla Windmills - Day 10
Tallinn
Explore Tallinn's historic attractions and cultural sites. Tour the Old Town with its Town Hall from 1402 and 27-tower fortifications with many sections still standing. Visit Toompea Castle, the government seat, and Tallinn's Protestant Cathedral to enjoy the panoramic views of the old city. Check out the Dominican Monastery, Alexander Nevski Russian Orthodox Cathedral, and Kiek in de Kok defensive tower. Walk through Kadriorg Park and Palace, see the Rusalka Monument, and visit Pirita Olympic Village. End at Rocca al Mare, an open-air ethnographic museum showing Estonian heritage and traditions.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Rich buffet breakfast at the hotel)
Included Activities
- Walking tour of Old Town
- Visit Town Hall
- Explore town fortifications with 27 towers
- Visit Toompea Castle
- Visit Tallinn Protestant Cathedral
- Visit Dominican Monastery
- Visit Alexander Nevski Cathedral
- Visit Kiek in de Kok defensive tower
- Tour Kadriorg Park and Palace
- Visit Rusalka Monument
- Visit Pirita Olympic Village
- Visit Rocca al Mare open-air ethnographic museum
Optional Activities
- Entrance to Tallinn Kumu Art Museum
Landmarks/POIs Tallinn Old Town Town Hall Toompea Castle Tallinn Protestant Cathedral Dominican Monastery Alexander Nevski Cathedral Kiek in de Kok Kadriorg Park Kadriorg Palace Rusalka Monument Pirita Olympic Village Rocca al Mare - Day 11
Tallinn Departure
Morning transfer to the airport for your return flight. You also have the option to add an extension to St. Petersburg, or take a ferry to Helsinki or Stockholm if you'd like to continue your travels.
Optional Activities
- Extension to St. Petersburg
- Ferry to Helsinki
- Ferry to Stockholm
