Baltic Metropoles
Tour Itinerary
Arrival in Vilnius, optional transfer to Hotel Radisson Blu Lietuva 4**** or similar, check-in, welcome meeting.
Hotel Radisson Blu Lietuva 4*
Optional Transfer
Vilnius is known for its more than 1.200 medieval buildings and 48 churches. The morning sightseeing tour includes a panoramic tour of the city and a walking tour of the Old Town with Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas Tower, Peter and Paul Church, St. Anne’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 enjoy an optional Lithuanian dinner at a local restaurnt.
Breakfast
Hotel Radisson Blu Lietuva 4*
Heading for Riga, the first stop is the Hills of Crosses, one of the most holy sites of Catholic Lithuania. After crossing into Latvia we soon reach the magnificent Rundale Palace, the former summer residence of the Duke of Courland. Following a guided tour of the palace we travel through the rolling hills of Southern Latvia to reach Riga late afternoon, check-in at Hotel Radisson Blu Latvija**** or similar.
- Breakfast
- Hotel Radisson Blu Latvija 4*
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 Old Town includes 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.
- Breakfast
- Hotel Radisson Blu Latvija 4*
Explore on your own or optional tours
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 Ethnography Open Air Museum, a spacious exposition of 18th century country life.
In the evening enjoy an optional Latvian dinner at the stylish local restaurant.
- Breakfast
- Hotel Radisson Blu Latvija 4*
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.
- Breakfast
- Hotel Radisson Blu Olumpia 4*
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 we offer an optional excursion 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 a local restaurant.
- Breakfast
- Hotel Radisson Blu Olumpia 4*
Baltic Sea Ferry
In the morning we offer an optional day excursion to Lahemaa National Park, where we visit Palmse Manor, a memorial to the von Pahlen family, and Sagadi Manor. The tour ends with a visit to the charming 16th century Vihula Manor and the Vodka Museum.
After lunch break, we head back to Tallinn to take the ferry to Helsinki and enjoy a refreshing tour through the Finnish archipelago before arriving in Helsinki. Upon arrival we are transferred to our hotel and check-in at Glo Art Hotel**** or similar.
- Breakfast
- Glo Art Hotel 4*
Helsinki is truly located at the crossroads of Western and Eastern culture and this is reflected everywhere in the green and lively Finnish capital. The sightseeing tour takes us around the harbours and the Senate Square with the Lutheran Cathedral, up central Mannerheim Street and by the Parliament Building, the Finlandia Hall, and the Sibelius Monument and for a visit at the famous Church-in-the-Rock.
The afternoon offers an optional excursion to Suomenlinna Fortress, a cultural treasure which construction was started in the 18th century as a sea fortress. Located on an island, fortress is a unique attraction for visitors.
- Breakfast
- Hotel Glo Art 4*
Optional transfer to the airport.
Breakfast- Optional Transfer
Customer reviews
All in all, a very good trip to be recommended to all who want to visit Baltics.
Peter H Petersson
We like the trip very much and cannot complain about anything except probably for the weather which was not very kind to us . We were unlucky to get too much rain than expected. Anyway, all the sightseeing trips were very interesting with lots of history and architecture details. I liked the old Latvian castles the most. They are so authentic and natural.
The hotels were very well chosen. Food was very good with some unusual flavours sometimes but this was a part of exploration as well. The beer is very good everywere! I would go to these countries again to see other places we had no time to visit this time. There are still many other places worth seeing and food ( and beer) worth trying.
James Robinson
It has been a couple of weeks since our return from the Baltic tour and I have been away again for a week. However, I did want to thank you for arranging our delightful trip. My sister and I were happy that our friend, Stavrula, was able to share our adventures. We were all very pleased with our accommodations in each city and found the food everywhere was delicious and the people very friendly. Nearly everyone we met spoke English and we learned that they had learned it in school. It seems that English is one of the compulsory subjects in all the schools. I wish we had to learn more languages in our schools!
Vilnius was particularly memorable (I said "hello" for you) as I met a very nice young man who was originally from there and was just home for his father's 75th birthday celebration and a nephew's wedding. He and his family are now Americans living in North Carolina. Since one of his children is now in college they could not afford for the whole family to be away for four weeks, so he was representing his family. He gave us some very good advice of places to see on our own as well as what foods to eat if we wanted a sample of the native dishes. As a result we found a lovely restaurant on University street where we had beer soup and some tasty cepolinas. At the Lokys Restaurant we had a drink of starka after our dinner and we enjoyed the local beer everywhere.
All of the city guides were excellent and were very knowledgeable about the history, architecture and folklore, but Ona, our guide from Vilnius to Tallinn went out of her way to help make our trip more memorable. Even when she was "off duty" she volunteered to show us places that we had not seen on the regular guided tours.
Again, thanks for arranging such a nice tour (how did you arrange for the good weather???).
All the best wishes,
Jo Humphrey and Shirley Miller
