Baltics Encompassed

Welcome to Estonia and the capital Tallinn. Upon arrival at Tallinn airport you'll be met and transferred to your hotel in the heart of the city. The rest of the day is at leisure. A welcome meeting will be held this evening, in the hotel lobby, at around 7pm.

With its exciting blend of medieval tranquility and modern urban life, Tallinn is a fantastically interesting capital city. The medieval Old Town is unsurprisingly a bustling place during the summer months with people going in and out of the various shops, galleries and cafes. Our sightseeing tour today starts by exploring the old city walls before we head into the heart of the Old Town, visiting the Toompea Castle, now home to the Estonian Parliament, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the Great Guild Hall.

This afternoon is free for you to further explore Tallinn independently or to join an optional visit to Kadriorg Park and the newly built KUMU. This evening there will be the opportunity to join an optional medieval dinner at the 'Maikrahv' restaurant.

Enjoy a free day in Tallinn or take an optional excursion to Lahemaa National Park. Located just 70km from the Estonia capital this national park encompasses 475 sq km of stunning pine forest, lakes and cultural attractions. On the excursion visit Palmse Manor, a beautiful baroque mansion which dates back over 300 years with a fascinating history, 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.

Tallinn - Tartu. Bidding farwell to Tallinn we travel on to Tartu this morning, a university town which holds great significance in Estonian history. Here we see the charming Old Town as well as the university which was founded in 1632. This afternoon there's an optional tour of the Estonia National Museum, which is dedicated to Estonian cultural history and everyday life, from the Ice Age to present day.

Tartu - Grasi (Latvia). Departing from Tartu, we head south and in Latvia our first stop is in Aluksne. From there soon we reach Stameriena - the pearl of European romanticism having close links with Italian writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. After the visit, we continue to Cesvaine where we visit the small, private Cesvaine beer brewery and are invited to test the produce. Then we travel on to Grasi Manor, a picturesque classicism style estate where we spend the night, with dinner included at Grasi Manor.

Grasi - Daugavpils. Departing Grasi we travel on to Aglona this morning to visit the baroque Aglona Basilica and a ceramics workshop. Then we continue our journey to Latvia's second largest city, Daugavpils. Here we enjoy a tour of the historical city centre, visit the 19th century Daugavpils Fortress and the Mark Rothko Art Centre where we can see original masterpieces of the famous founder of abstract expressionism. This evening we stay at the lovely Sventes Manor just outside the city.

Daugavpils - Vilnius (Lithuania). We travel south across the border into Lithuania, our second Baltic country today. Around midday we arrive at picturesque Aukstatija National Park with its many lakes, rivulets and streams scattered between forests and hills. Here we enjoy a leisurely walk and visit the pretty lakeside town of Paluse, famous for its wooden church. Late afternoon we continue our journey to Vilnius, Lithuania's capital.

Known for its medieval architecture and home to over 1,200 buildings and 48 churches that date back to this period, Vilnius is a beautiful capital and one that's bursting with fascinating history. This morning we'll enjoy a sightseeing tour of the highlights, visiting the old town we'll explore Vilnius Cathedral, Gediminas Tower, the Peter and Paul Church, St Anne's Church, the Old University and the Gates of Dawn.

This afternoon there's a optional tour of The Palace of Grand Dukes of Lithuania where you will learn about the fortifications and the collection of armaments of the castle and palace.

Spend the day at leisure in Vilnius today or join our optional excursions. This morning there's an optional visit to the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights. The former office of the KGB Deputy Chief of Internal Prison on the museum’s first floor includes an exhibition of documents, photographs, maps and other items depicting the Sovietisation of the region in 1940-1941.

This afternoon there's an optional excursion to Trakai, the medieval capital of Lithuania, with its well preserved Trakai Castle, scenically set on an island in Lake Galve. In the evening there's an optional traditional Lithuanian dinner.

Vilnius - Kaunas - Nida. Bidding farewell to Vilnius we travel west to Kaunas, the former capital of Lithuania, where we visit the beautiful Old Town and elegant white Baroque Town Hall. Travelling on to coastal Klaipeda we have a short walking tour of the town before taking the ferry to the Curonian Spit where we stay in the pretty resort town of Nida. This evening there's an optional authentic fisherman dinner.

Nida - Liepaja (Latvia). This morning there's an optional half-day tour of the beautiful 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. On the tour we'll see the spectacular Parnidis Dune and Naglis Dune, the Hill of Witches in Juodkrante and Thomas Mann’s summerhouse.

After the optional tour we head across the border to Liepaja in Latvia, where we arrive in the early afternoon. The evening there's the option of a casual dinner at a beach café Red Sun Buffet, right on the wide sandy beach.

Liepaja - Riga. Liepaja takes its name from the numerous lime trees in the city. We start the day with a short stroll through the Old Town with its Trinity Church. We visit Jurmala Park and the former Naval Port area with its famous Orthodox Cathedral. Then we continue through Southern Latvia to the magnificent Rundale Palace, the former summer residence of the Duke of Courland. After a guided tour of the palace we travel on to Latvia's charming capital Riga, arriving late afternoon.

Today we explore Riga, the largest of the Baltic capitals it boasts a fantastic array of architectural styles and practices. Riga's foundation dates back to 1201 when the German bishop Albert arrived. On our walking tour of the Old Town this morning we'll see Riga Castle, the Dome Cathedral, St. Peter's Church and the Swedish Gates along with other fascinating parts of the city which demonstrate its rich history.

This afternoon is free for you to further explore Riga independently or to join an optional visit to Jurmala, the vibrant Latvian seaside resort. The evening offers an optional organ concert at the Dome Cathedral.

Our tour ends today with a transfer to Riga airport.