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The tour starts at our hotel in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital. Those travelling on the group flights will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel (approx. 25-30 mins). This evening we will have a welcome briefing with our leader. The evening is free to explore Tallinn, an optional welcome group meal will be organised. *Go Shnelli Hotel or Similar*
Today we will explore the vibrant city of Tallinn, Estonia's capital, and largest city. The Old Town, framed by old city walls, is full of architectural gems. In the morning we will have a guided tour of the city taking in some of the main attractions like the Toompea palace and castle, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Dome Church and the St. Nicholas church. We then have a free afternoon to explore the picturesque old town. Unlike most European cities, Tallinn's old town is completely free from modern buildings. You can leave modern life behind as you explore the cobblestone alleys with spluttering torches and secret stairways; the old town holds new surprises around every corner, even for its old residents. We overnight in Tallinn’s old town.* * *Go Shnelli Hotel or Similar*
In the morning, we leave Tallinn and start the journey to Tartu stopping off at the Lahemaa National Park, the largest in Estonia. The park is a popular tourist destination due to its untouched sandy beaches, waterfalls, cascades, and mossy pine forests, and it offers a variety of cultural sights like Palmse Manor and the 400-year-old fisherman’s village of Altja. After lunch, we transfer to Tartu for a guided tour. Tartu is Estonia’s second-largest town and the capital of Southern Estonia and is rich with Estonian culture offering festivals, concerts, and theatre exhibitions. We spend the night in a hotel in the centre of Tartu.* * *Hotell Tartu or Similar*
Cesis is an old town with a long history and is now known as a centre of art and culture. Situated on the Gauja River valley, its old town is one of the finest in Latvia. Its cobbled streets have retained a timeless appearance since the Middle Ages as the fine buildings have kept their red-tiled roofs and the façades have been restored, making this a charming place to while away some time. The city is famed for its Medieval castle, a partly preserved fortification that has been knocked down and rebuilt in various forms. We will visit the castle and the museum in the morning and take a guided tour of the buildings. We then transfer to Gauja National Park, the region known as Latvian Switzerland. Take a leisurely walk through the adjoining sculpture park featuring works of notable Latvian sculptor, Indulis Ranka. Visit Ligatne Paper Mill village, a unique settlement built in the early 20th century by the paper mill’s management, which sought to make the workers' life as comfortable as possible. Afterward, transfer to Riga. *Rixwell Old Riga Palace Hotel or Similar*
This morning the magnificent old town of Riga awaits! We will have a guided tour of the city to discover its winding alleys, elegant boulevards and 800 renovated art nouveau buildings. We then have a free afternoon to soak up the charming and romantic atmosphere of the city and enjoy a relaxing lunch before exploring some of the town’s great shops. *Rixwell Old Riga Palace Hotel or Similar*
In the morning we transfer from Riga to Jurmala. Jurmala is the largest seaside and spa resort in the Baltic States and is known for its unique natural resources such as its healing mineral waters, pine forests and sand dunes. The town is also famous for its unique wooden Art Nouveau architecture. After exploring the town we will transfer back to Riga for the night. Those who wish to stay a little longer in Jurmala can do, a local train back to Riga costs between 2-4EUR per person. *Rixwell Old Riga Palace Hotel or Similar*
Firstly we visit Rundale palace which was designed for the Duke of Courland in the 18th century by Italian architect Rastrelli, who also designed the winter palace in St. Petersburg. Today, the palace is the most magnificent piece of architecture in the Baltic States, surrounded by impressive gardens. We then cross the border to Lithuania and have some time to explore the famous Hill of Crosses before transferring to Klaipeda Port for a short tour around the small old town. The tour is a perfect chance to explore the old town with its reconstructed merchant houses and the remains of Klaipeda Castle. We spend the night in the centre of Klaipeda.* * *Dange Hotel or Similar*
We start the day with a short ferry ride across the lagoon to the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO world heritage site situated between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. Here we have the day to explore the largest drifting sand dunes in Europe. There will also be a visit to the Hill of Witches and an excursion to the Lithuanian sea resort of Nida to climb the Great Dune for the views. We transfer back to Klaipeda where we spend the night.* * *Dange Hotel or Similar*
We transfer to the Plokstine forest and visit the Cold War Museum located in the former Soviet Union’s complex of ballistic missile launch. Today, this secret base is open to the public. We can view the internal control facility and see former missiles as well as listen to expositions about the five decades of the Cold war, one of the most famous and dangerous military conflicts in human history. We then travel to the town of Kaunas, and here we take a walking tour around the beautiful old town. The old town of Kaunas has a collection of important monuments like the 13th century castle, the old town hall, the Cathedral Basilica and the church of St. Francis Xavier. We stay overnight in Kaunas. *Best Western Santaka Hotel or Similar *
This morning there is the option to visit the Church and Monastery of Pazaislis to see one of the most wonderful Baroque architectural masterpieces in north-eastern Europe (entrance fee is 6 euros, payable locally). The monastery is located on the picturesque bank of the Kaunas lagoon. We then stop in Trakai, the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Here we will go on a tour around the incredible 14th century castle, which is situated on a small island in the middle of the lake. We then transfer to Vilnius where we stay the night. *Comfort Hotel LT - Rock'n'Roll Vilnius or Similar*
Today we have the whole day to explore Vilnius. There is a guided tour of the city in the morning and then plenty of time to explore the city at your own pace. The city was developed around its Town Hall and there is a great deal of diverse architecture to explore. There are many narrow streets that lead to intimate courtyards, in addition to the larger landmarks of the castle complex, Cathedral square, and the Royal Palace. There are also plenty of museums to while away some hours. We overnight in Vilnius.* * *Comfort Hotel LT - Rock'n'Roll Vilnius or Similar*
* Travel by bus and ferry
* Optional day walks and city walking tours
* Group normally 7 to 20 plus leader, Min. age 16 yrs
* 11 nights hotels
There will be buffet breakfasts in the hotels offering plenty of choice
including cold meats, cheese, eggs, bread, jams, juice, and coffee.
Lunches will be a mixture of picnics bought from local shops and cafe stops.
Dinners will be taken in the hotel restaurants or out in local restaurants
and will be hearty meals. Cuisine in this area is often centred around pork,
veal, fish, potatoes, sauerkraut, and soups such as borsch (beetroot soup –
in Lithuania this is also served cold). Dumplings are also very popular and
in Trakai, large baked dumplings called kibinai are traditionally served and
are very good.
* Travel by bus and ferry
* Optional day walks and city walking tours
* Group normally 7 to 20 plus leader, Min. age 16 yrs
* 11 nights hotels
This is quite a busy itinerary based around sightseeing and exploring the
Baltic States. There is a fair amount of walking around towns, cities, and
parks, but these are all on good paths – mainly wooden boarded and
sometimes cobbled streets in the old towns – so you will just need a pair
of good trainers to be comfortable. The walks are suitable for anyone with
reasonable fitness. In order to visit all the highlights of the countries,
there are some long bus journeys. The trip is graded leisurely.
Hotels
On this trip, you stay in 3-star hotels which are ideally located for access
to the key sights. A real highlight is the hotel in Kaunas where you have
access to the pool and sauna.
Normally 4 to 20, plus local leader and driver.
There will be buffet breakfasts in the hotels offering plenty of choice
including cold meats, cheese, eggs, bread, jams, juice, and coffee.
Lunches will be a mixture of picnics bought from local shops and cafe stops.
Dinners will be taken in the hotel restaurants or out in local restaurants
and will be hearty meals. Cuisine in this area is often centred around pork,
veal, fish, potatoes, sauerkraut, and soups such as borsch (beetroot soup –
in Lithuania this is also served cold). Dumplings are also very popular and
in Trakai, large baked dumplings called kibinai are traditionally served and
are very good.
Travel will be by private bus and scheduled boat services. The journey times
vary and there are some longer distances to cover (up to 340km) which will
mean several hours on the bus. However, we feel this is essential to cover
the highlights of the three countries.
*Travelling flight inclusive from London: 12 Days*
The group flight from London is a daytime flight departing on Day 1 of the
itinerary.
*Flights from London*
We normally use the scheduled services of Air Baltic (depending on
availability). As flight timings and schedules change regularly we recommend
you call one of our specialist sales staff or your agent to confirm
up‐to‐date timings. Please note timings may change at a later date and
cannot be confirmed until approximately two weeks before departure.
*Travelling land only: 12 days starting in Tallinn and ending in Vilnius*
Your trip normally starts at our accommodation in Tallinn in the afternoon
of Day 1 of the itinerary. Details of how to reach the start point are
provided in the Final Joining Instructions ‐ sent approximately two weeks
before departure.
Airport transfers are included for those on the group flights. Please note
that transfers are not included for clients arriving on any other flight,
even if Exodus has booked it.
If you require airport transfers, you may (by prior arrangement only) be able
to join the group transfer. Transfers are arranged to coincide with the
arrival time of the group flight - please check the group flight details 2
weeks before departure. If you do not take this transfer, or miss it, you
must make your own way to the joining point at your own expense.
If you would like us to organise a private transfer, the cost is
approximately £32 and is payable before departure. Please ensure that you
provide us with all relevant information at least 2 weeks before departure.
Additional transfer from/to airport: 1‐2 seats £32, 3-6 seats £45.
The climate is largely influenced by the Baltic Sea. The summers are warm
with temperatures from 20 to 30 degrees celsius. In the evenings the
temperatures will not drop too much. There is little rain in the summer but
of course, it is always a possibility so it is best to be prepared. The days
will be long, with 19 hours of daylight. In spring and autumn, there is the
possibility of light rain, temperatures can be cool. Estonia is the furthest
north and therefore the coldest, although the temperature range described
applies. Lithuania is the furthest south, which makes it the warmest country
of the three. Estonia is often described as the more Scandinavian country
than the other two.
Small day bag for water, camera, and guide book when walking or sightseeing
Water bottle to use when walking and sightseeing
Sun hat, sunglasses, and sun cream
A comfortable pair of trainers or walking shoes for the walks – the paths
are not difficult but can be slippery if wet.
Towel and swimming clothes
A warm jacket or fleece for cool evenings, some waterproofs, warm clothes,
and insect repellent
Lunch costs may vary depending on the venue, if you buy lunch en route at a
local shop €5-8 will be enough, but if we stop at a café you are likely
to spend closer to €12. Dinner will usually be about €15-20 (depending
on what you choose). If you wish to have alcohol with your meal, a beer will
cost around €3-4 and a bottle of wine €20-25. We suggest you budget
around €20-30 per day for meals.
Entrance fees to sites will be between €5 and €10.
Our local staff are paid well and fairly for their work with Exodus. Tipping
is at your discretion but many clients wish to tip their leaders and driver
at the end of the trip, we suggest €20 for the guide and €10 for the
driver. Most groups prefer to present the money to the leader at the end of
the week with two separate envelopes (one for the leader and one for the
driver). This is completely at your own discretion and to be used as a
guideline only.
* Travel insurance
* Single accommodation (available from on request)
* Visas or vaccinations
Ved skriftlig aksept av vårt tilbud bekrefter du/dere at våre betingelser er både lest og forstått og at evt kansellerings gebyrer kan tilkomme ved en evt. avbestilling av reisen.