Small Group 11 Days Baltic Highlights Loop (Guaranteed Departure)

Welcome to Riga, the largest of the three Baltic capitals. Upon arrival, you'll be transferred to the Hotel Radisson Blu Latvija or similar for check-in. A welcome meeting will be held to kickstart your exciting journey.

Start your day with a walking tour through Riga's Art Nouveaux district and Old Town, where you'll visit Riga Castle, the Dome Cathedral, St. Peter's Church, the Swedish Gate, the Three Brothers, the Large and Small Guilds, and the Freedom Monument. In the afternoon, you have the option to visit the Ethnographical Open Air Museum to experience 18th-century country life. End your day with an optional Latvian dinner at the stylish Restaurant Kalku Varti.

The tour continues along the coastal highway to the Estonian summer resort of Parnu. After a short tour of the resort, we journey through the North Estonian land of forests, arriving in Tallinn in the early afternoon. Check-in at the Hotel Radisson Blu Olympia or similar.

Experience the charm of Tallinn, a blend of medieval tranquillity and modern urban life. The sightseeing tour takes you around the old medieval city walls and into the Old Town, where you'll see Toompea Castle, Dome Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, medieval Old Town Hall, and Great Guild Hall. In the afternoon, you can opt for an excursion to Kadriorg Park and visit KUMU, the award-winning new Estonian Art museum. The evening offers an optional medieval dinner at Restaurant Maikrahv.

Today offers an optional day excursion to Lahemaa National Park. Here, you'll 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.

We continue to Tartu, the University Town where Estonia gained its statehood. You'll see the charming Old Town and the University founded in 1632. Check in at Hotel Dorpat or similar. In the afternoon, you can opt for a visit to the Estonia National Museum, dedicated to Estonian cultural history and everyday life.

Departing from Tartu, we head south to Stameriena, a pearl of European romanticism. After the visit, we continue to Gulbene where we visit the small, private Talava cider brewery and are invited to test the produce. Later in the afternoon, we arrive at Grasi Manor, a picturesque classicism style estate in the middle of Latvia. This evening offers a dinner at Grasi Manor.

Leaving Grasi, our first stop is in Aglona, where we visit the late baroque style Aglona Basilica and a ceramics workshop, a symbol of Latgalian culture. From here, our tour continues to Daugavpils, Latvia's 2nd largest city. We tour the historical centre of the city and visit the 19th century Daugavpils Fortress and the Mark Rothko Art Centre. Just outside the city, we find the lovely Sventes Manor and we check in at Hotel Svente Manor.

Today we continue southwards into Lithuania and arrive at Aukstatija National Park in the middle of the day. We explore the park on a light walk through the scenic landscapes and visit the pretty lakeside town of Paluse, famous for its wooden church. Late in the afternoon, we head towards Vilnius. Upon arrival, we check in at Hotel Artis or similar.

Vilnius is known for its more than 1,200 medieval buildings and 48 churches. The morning walking tour takes us to 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 tour to The Palace of Grand Dukes of Lithuania where you will learn about the fortifications and the collection of armaments of the castle and palace.

Your Baltic capitals tour concludes today. Optional transfers to the airport are available. We hope you enjoyed your journey and look forward to welcoming you back on another tour.