Lithuania Tours - Travel Packages 2026

Most Popular Tours to Lithuania

Our most-booked packages start and end in Vilnius, with all accommodation, transfers, and guided excursions pre-arranged. The itineraries below account for the majority of what we book each year.

Most popular options by traveler type:

• First-time visitors: 4-5 day Vilnius city break with a Trakai day trip and optional Hill of Crosses excursion,
• Culture and history seekers: 8-day itinerary covering Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, and the Curonian Spit,
• Jewish heritage travelers: 7-8 day itinerary focused on Vilnius, Kaunas, and Paneriai with dedicated historical commentary,
• Nature and active travelers: 7-day self-guided itinerary combining the Curonian Spit, Aukstaitija National Park, and the coast,
• Add-on: 3-4 day Lithuania extension at the start or end of a broader Baltic itinerary.

Not sure which format suits your trip? For full itineraries, see our Baltic tours page guide above breaks down what fits into each timeframe - from a long weekend in Vilnius to a two-week Baltic circuit - to help you choose before booking.

All packages are available as guided group departures or fully private trips. For multi-country options that include Lithuania alongside Latvia and Estonia, see our tours overview.

What Places to Visit in Lithuania

The country covers 65,300 square kilometers - large enough to feel varied, small enough to see thoroughly in one trip. The destinations below appear across all our packages.

Vilnius

Vilnius is where nearly every visit begins and, for most travelers, where the most time is spent. Its Old Town is the largest Baroque historic center in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - a fact that surprises many visitors who expected something smaller.

What a guided walking tour covers:

• Gediminas’ Tower - the upper castle on the hill above the Old Town, with panoramic views of the city; the only remaining section of the Upper Castle complex.
• Vilnius Cathedral and the Royal Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania - the cathedral square anchors the lower Old Town and has been the ceremonial center of the country for centuries.
• St. Anne’s Church - a late Gothic red brick facade that Napoleon reportedly wanted to carry back to Paris in the palm of his hand.
• Gates of Dawn (Ausros Vartai) - the only surviving city gate, housing a revered icon of the Madonna; an active Catholic pilgrimage site.
• Uzupis - a self-declared bohemian republic within the city, with its own 41-article constitution and a passport stamp available at the border. Often compared in atmosphere to Montmartre in Paris.
• Vilnius University - one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe, founded in 1579; the courtyard ensemble alone is worth an hour.

Most packages include two full days in Vilnius. That covers the Old Town without rushing, leaves time for one or two museum visits, and allows an evening to explore the restaurant scene in the Uzupis or Uzupio neighborhoods.

Trakai, Kaunas, and the Coast

Once you leave Vilnius, the country opens into a different register - lake landscapes, a second city with its own distinct character, and a coast that most visitors don’t expect.

Trakai - 30 km from Vilnius

• A medieval red-brick castle set on an island in Lake Galve, connected to the shore by a wooden bridge,
• The castle functions as a museum with well-preserved interiors; the lake setting makes it one of the most photographed sites in the country,
• The local Karaite community - descendants of Crimean Jews brought to Lithuania in the 14th century by Grand Duke Vytautas - sells kibinai, small savory pastries filled with lamb and onion, from bakeries along the main street,
• Best visited as a half-day trip from Vilnius; can be combined with a Paneriai Forest memorial stop en route.

Kaunas - second city, 100 km west of Vilnius

• Art deco architecture throughout the interwar New Town - Kaunas served as the temporary capital from 1920 to 1939 while Vilnius was under Polish administration, and the building program from that period shows,
• Laisves Aleja (Freedom Avenue) - the longest pedestrian street in Eastern Europe; lined with cafes, galleries, and the city’s main cultural institutions,
• Devil’s Museum - a collection of several thousand depictions of the devil in folk art, painting, and sculpture from across the world; more entertaining than unsettling,
• Ninth Fort - a former czarist fortification repurposed as a Nazi execution site during the war; the memorial and museum are among the most important Holocaust sites in the country,
• Pazaislis Monastery - a 17th-century Baroque monastery on the shore of Kaunas Reservoir, one of the finest Baroque ensembles in the region.

The Curonian Spit and Klaipeda - western Lithuania

• Klaipeda is Lithuania’s main port and the gateway to the Curonian Spit - a 98 km long sand bar separating the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea, shared with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad,
• The Curonian Spit is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: sand dunes up to 60 meters high, pine forests, fishing villages, and some of the quietest stretches of Baltic beach anywhere in the region,
• Nida - the main town on the Lithuanian section of the spit, with the Parnidis Dune (one of the tallest in Europe), a small harbor, and a Thomas Mann summer house turned museum,
• Hill of Witches (Raganu kalnas) near Juodkrante - an outdoor sculpture trail of more than 70 carved wooden figures depicting characters from Lithuanian folk tales.

The coast is best included on 7-day and longer itineraries; shorter trips can add it as an overnight extension from Kaunas.

Lithuania Jewish History

Before the Second World War, Lithuania - and Vilnius in particular - was one of the most significant centers of Jewish life and scholarship in the world. Vilnius was known across Europe as the “Jerusalem of Lithuania”, home to one of the most influential yeshivas in Jewish history and a community of over 100,000 people. By 1945, nearly 95% of Lithuanian Jews had been killed, making this one of the most complete destructions of a Jewish community anywhere in Europe.

What a dedicated heritage program covers in Vilnius:

• The former Jewish quarter in the Old Town - including the site of the Great Synagogue of Vilna, demolished by the Soviets in 1955, with foundations now partially visible in a school courtyard,
• Choral Synagogue - the one pre-war synagogue that survived; an active congregation,
• Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum - two locations covering the history of Lithuanian Jewry, the Holocaust in Lithuania, and post-war memory,
• Paneriai Forest (Ponary) - a forest site 10 km southwest of Vilnius where approximately 70,000 to 100,000 people were killed between 1941 and 1944, the majority Jewish; a sobering and important memorial site,
• Jewish Vilnius walking tour - covers the former ghetto boundaries, surviving buildings, memorial plaques, and the social history of the community,

Kaunas context:

• Ninth Fort Museum - also significant as a Holocaust execution site; approximately 30,000 Jews from Kaunas and across Europe were killed here,
• Kaunas Choral Synagogue - one of the few surviving pre-war synagogues in the country,
• Sugihara House - the former Japanese consulate where diplomat Chiune Sugihara issued transit visas to thousands of Jewish refugees in 1940, saving an estimated 6,000 lives.

We build Jewish heritage itineraries as a dedicated theme rather than a footnote. Full program details are on our Baltic Jewish heritage tours page.

Christmas Markets & Seasonal Events

Vilnius runs one of the most atmospheric Christmas markets in the region, centered on Cathedral Square from late November through early January. The combination of Baroque architecture, illuminated Old Town lanes, and genuinely cold weather makes it a strong option for a December city break.

What winter packages typically include:

• Guided Christmas market walk through Cathedral Square and the Old Town,
• Visit to Trakai Castle in winter - the frozen lake setting is different from the summer version and often less crowded,
• Uzupis in winter - the neighborhood has a quieter, more local character once summer tourists are gone,
• Optional Gruto Parkas (Soviet sculpture park near Druskininkai) - an outdoor, museum of relocated Soviet-era statues in a forest setting, open year-round
• New Year’s package option with Old Town dinner.

Midsummer (June 23-24) is the other major seasonal event - the country’s biggest national celebration, with bonfires, folk music, and outdoor gatherings across the country. If the travel dates align, it is worth building into a June itinerary.

Types of Lithuania Guided Tours

We offer three formats for traveling in the country. The right choice depends on how you prefer to travel and how much flexibility you want in the daily schedule.

Small Group Guided Tours (8-16 people)

The most popular format for US travelers. A professional guide travels with the group for the full duration, with all accommodation, transport, and daily excursions included.

What is included:

• English-speaking escort for the full trip;
• Daily guided excursions at key sites with local expert commentary;
• Hotel accommodations with breakfast;
• Private coach between destinations;
• Airport transfers and all in-country logistics.

Groups are capped at 16. This format works well for solo travelers who want structure without managing logistics independently, and for travelers who prefer meeting others on the road.

Private & Tailor-Made Tours

Private trips are built from a blank itinerary around your specific interests, pace, and group composition. There is no shared schedule and no fixed group.

How private trips work:

• Starts with a consultation on your interests, travel dates, and group size;
• We build a custom day-by-day itinerary; private trips typically go through two or three rounds of revisions;
• Dedicated English-speaking local guide at each destination;
• Private vehicle and driver for all transfers;
• Accommodation matched to preference: Old Town hotels in Vilnius, boutique properties in Kaunas, or guesthouses on the Curonian Spit.

Optional add-ons: Jewish heritage specialist guide in Vilnius, Sugihara House private tour, amber workshop in Palanga, traditional Lithuanian dinner with a local family, cycling on the Curonian Spit.

Private trips are the right format for couples, families with children, travelers with a specific historical or cultural focus, and anyone who wants a schedule that can shift day to day.

Self-Guided Packages

Lithuania is safe, compact, and navigable. Self-guided packages pre-arrange accommodation, internal transport, and a day-by-day itinerary - without an accompanying guide.

What self-guided packages include:

• Pre-booked hotels at each destination;
• Day-by-day itinerary with directions, opening hours, and local notes;
• Internal transport - intercity trains between Vilnius and Kaunas are modern and reliable; buses connect to the coast and rural sites; private transfers available for the Hill of Crosses (not accessible by public transport);
• 24/7 support line throughout the trip.

Active add-ons: cycling the Curonian Spit, kayaking on the lakes of Aukstaitija National Park, hiking trails in Samogitia (Zemaitija) National Park. Self-guided itineraries work particularly well for independent travelers who want the Baltic coast and national parks as their primary focus.

Multi-Country Vacations

Lithuania sits at the southern end of the Baltic corridor, which makes it a natural starting point for multi-country itineraries traveling north, or a final stop for those traveling south from Estonia and Latvia.

1. The three capitals - Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn - are connected by a well-maintained road network and modern intercity buses. We structure these as either a Lithuania-centered trip with extensions north, or as a fully balanced three-country circuit. For a small group guided departure format, the Baltic group tour highlights are a good entry point.
2. For travelers who want to combine trips with Scandinavia, we connect Lithuania into a broader Nordic itinerary. A common routing runs Vilnius - Riga - Tallinn and then crosses to Helsinki by fast ferry, with the option to continue into Finland. See our Baltic capitals and Finland itinerary for a worked example.
3. Vilnius and Krakow or Warsaw pair well for travelers interested in Central European history - particularly Jewish heritage, wartime history, and the medieval towns of this part of the continent. The drive or bus connection between Vilnius and Warsaw runs about 9 hours, or the route can be done by overnight train. We build these as private itineraries or can incorporate Lithuania as the northern chapter of a Poland-first trip traveling toward the Baltics.

Lithuania Travel - What to Know Before You Go

Key facts and practical information for US travelers planning a first visit.

Country facts

Best time to visit

Culture & etiquette

Local cuisine to try

Practical tips

Lithuania is a Schengen member, accepts euros, has functioning English in the cities, and is priced well below Western Europe. The combination of a UNESCO Old Town, a UNESCO coastline, and one of the most historically significant Jewish heritage landscapes in Europe makes it a more layered destination than its size suggests.

How to Choose the Right Type of Lithuania Travel Packages

Three variables determine the right package: travel style, available time, and primary interest. The combinations below map directly to the formats we offer.

• Travel style: guided group (8-16 people, sociable, structured) / private (your own guide and vehicle, flexible daily pace) / self-guided (pre-booked logistics, no accompanying guide)
• Time: 3-5 days (Vilnius + Trakai) / 7-8 days (full country: Vilnius, Kaunas, Curonian Spit) / 10-14 days (Lithuania + Latvia or Poland)
• Focus: Old Town history and Jewish heritage (Vilnius, Kaunas, Paneriai) / coast and nature (Curonian Spit, Aukstaitija, Samogitia) / active outdoor (cycling the spit, kayaking the lakes) / cultural depth (Kaunas art deco, Klaipeda port history, folk traditions)
• Group: solo or joining others → small group / couple or friends → private / family with children → private with custom schedule / group of friends → private group itinerary

If the right combination isn’t obvious, call us - a short conversation is usually enough to narrow it down, and there’s no obligation to book.

To get started, call us toll-free at 1-800-848-6449, or browse our escorted Baltic tours for full itinerary options.

Why to Book Your Lithuania Trip with NordicSaga

NordicSaga has specialized in the Baltic and Nordic region for years. Lithuania is a regular destination in our portfolio, not a one-off addition.

• Local guide network - we work with English-speaking guides in Vilnius, Kaunas, and the Curonian Spit who know the sites well and can handle specialist requests, including Jewish heritage and wartime history.
• Honest itinerary design - we don’t include sites for length; every day has a clear logic, and we tell you when something is overrated.
• Pre-arranged logistics - hotels, excursion bookings, internal transfers, and airport pickups are handled in advance; you arrive with a document pack and a working support line.
• Flexible formats - the same destination can be booked as a small group tour, a private trip, or a self-guided package; same destinations, different structure.
• Multi-country expertise - if your trip extends into Latvia, Estonia, Poland, or Scandinavia, all of those logistics are handled through the same booking.

To request a quote or ask about availability submit a request through nordicsaga.com. Our specialists can answer questions about specific destinations, build a quote, and outline itinerary options - no obligation to book.