This is a well designed trip giving an excellent overview of all three Baltic states. This not... Andrew Goff, 2018 See more reviews
I enjoyed discovering an area of Europe I knew little about. Visiting many areas of all 3... Ross Pezzack, 2018 See more reviews
The Baltic countries are interesting and the old towns are charming. They have suffered a lot... Joyce Orchard, 2018 See more reviews
Really interesting trip made extra special by our guide Melia, whose knowledge was incredible. ... Gwendoline Aldred, 2018 See more reviews
A bit of a whirlwind tour although the three Baltic States relatively small, green and flat. I... Carolyn Baxter, 2018 See more reviews
Excellent Baltic tour covering three countries and popping over to Bosnia for lunch. anne higgins, 2017 See more reviews
The trip was very good. We had 11 in our group and were a mix of American, British, Australian... Linda Romalin, 2017 See more reviews
This tour covered a lot of ground in a short time. We learned so much of the history of this area... Jean Brouwer, 2017 See more reviews
Nearly two weeks travelling through the Baltic countries, this tour was a nice mix of historic... Susan Blake, 2016 See more reviews
We arrived at the airport and Jolita the rep met us, but then we had to wait for the transport to... Marion Strangways, 2016 See more reviews
Itinerary Include flights Expand all Day 1 Depart London. Arrival in Tallinn; transfer to hotel.Comfortable Hotel Day 2 Tallinn guided tour and free time to explore this fascinating city at your own pace. 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.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Explore the pine forests and sandy beaches of Lahemaa N.P. before a guided tour around Tartu City. 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.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 4 Tour of Cesis and the Gauja N.P. 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 restored their facades, making this a charming place to while away some time. The city is famed for its Medieval castle, a partly preserved fortification which 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 the Gauja National Park where we will enjoy a guided walk, and here we will visit the Turaida castle and its adjoining sculpture gardens before making our way to Riga, the Latvian capital. There will also be the option to take the cable car (7 euros paid locally) across the Gauja river so we can then walk down to the Gutmanis caves. Hotel PK Riga Meals included: Breakfast Day 5 Guided tour of Riga Old Town; free afternoon to explore at your own pace. 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. Hotel PK Riga Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 Explore the seaside town of Jurmala. 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. Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 Explore Rundale Palace, the Hill of Crosses and the port of Klaipeda. 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. 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 – the hotel is a ten minute walk from the Castle and other attractions.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 Transfer to the Curonian Spit and explore the sand dunes. 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 spectacular views. We transfer back to Klaipeda where we spend the night.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 9 Visit the Plokstine Cold War Museum; city tour around Kaunas. 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.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 10 Visit the Pazaislis monastery and Trakai Castle. The first stop is the Church and Monastery of Pazaislis to see one of the most wonderful Baroque architectural masterpieces in north-eastern Europe. The monastery is located on the picturesque bank of the Kaunas lagoon. We then stop in Trakai, the former capital of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Here we will go on a tour around the incredible 14th century castle. Situated on a small island in the middle of the lake, it is known as the town on the water. We then transfer to Vilnius where we stay the night.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 11 Guided tour of Vilnius; free time to explore. 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 which 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.Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 12 Fly to London. End Vilnius, fly to London. Meals included: Breakfast
Hotels There are some fantastic hotels on this trip. All are 3 or 4-star rated and 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.
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Reviewed September 2018 Andrew Goff Trip: Discover the Baltics Brilliant Trip This is a well designed trip giving an excellent overview of all three Baltic states. This not only included the capital cities but other towns and much countryside. We were given expert led tours of all the cities that we visited but time was then allowed for us to wander on our own to explore or revisit sites. But this is much more than just a city tour. We also visited numerous other sites, both natural and man made including museums that record the turbulent history of these countries. Highly recommended. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The way that these countries have come together and shaken off the horrors of the past. Only 30 years since they became independent of the Soviet Union yet they feel like fully developed European countries. The roads are excellent, the hotels comfortable and we ate some fabulous meals, both traditional and world wide. And so clean - barely any litter at all. Before the trip I imagined these countries might be a bit grim and Soviet-like still. Absolutely none of it. What did you think of your group leader? We had an excellent group leader. Vaida travelled with us the whole way, facilitating tours, hotels and meals. Occasionally she would conduct the tours herself, particularly when we got to her native Lithuania. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? This is a full on trip. There are some early starts in order to cover the miles. The tours involve quite a lot of walking (on some pretty bumpy cobbled streets in the old towns) and standing. Some of the older buildings involve climbing up steep, tight staircases though these are optional. The weather was exactly like the UK.
Reviewed August 2018 Ross Pezzack Trip: Discover the Baltics Explore and discover the Baltics I enjoyed discovering an area of Europe I knew little about. Visiting many areas of all 3 countries. Guide well organized and itinerary good. Only problems were Tallin hotel (hot weather but no AC and some rooms no windows to open) and lunch dinner stops sometimes very slow service. Hotels in good locations. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? History of all 3 countries. What did you think of your group leader? Organized, able to express local passion for small countries surrounded by larger powers. Very good. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? We flew into Helsinki and took ferry to Tallin so we got a quick Finland visit. Ferry docks within walking distance of hotel.
Reviewed July 2018 Joyce Orchard Trip: Discover the Baltics Three small countries with a lot of character The Baltic countries are interesting and the old towns are charming. They have suffered a lot under various foreign rulers and are proud of their independence. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The Cold War Museum was chilling and reminded us of how close we came to a nuclear war. We enjoyed the tour of Rundale Palace and the visit to the Sand Dunes of the Curonian Spit. What did you think of your group leader? We found him quite distant. He didn't encourage or welcome questions. He had his agenda and was sticking to it. He was not sensitive to the needs of some people in our group. He walked too quickly for some of us and at times he didn't wait for us to catch up. In Trakai Castle, he lost 1/4 of the group and never even apologized. to us. He said we were going to the great hall, and 5 of us were left behind. We missed a turn and went on up to the top level while he was still on the main level. I suggest that he should check to see if all have arrived before he starts talking.
Reviewed June 2018 Gwendoline Aldred Trip: Discover the Baltics Great holiday Really interesting trip made extra special by our guide Melia, whose knowledge was incredible. We were really lucky with the weather and had a really good group of people.The What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The city of Riga What did you think of your group leader? Amazing
Reviewed June 2018 Carolyn Baxter Trip: Discover the Baltics Travels in the Baltics A bit of a whirlwind tour although the three Baltic States relatively small, green and flat. I knew virtually nothing about them before I went but learned a lot out there. In particular their very complicated history - waves of invaders of whom the Soviet Union was the last one. There are ex-KGB premises which are now museums - very sobering to visit especially as people who were tortured there or sent to gulags still have family alive. Very sobering. The tour was a good mix of cultural and natural sights. So as well as cities and towns there were visits to the coast. Much of the scenery was very attractive with a lot of forested areas The number of places visited in a day and the amount of information imparted was sometimes a bit excessive. It was hard to absorb it all. There wasn't much free time in some venues except for Riga. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Highlights rather than inspirations: Art Nouveau architecture in Riga 'New Town' - stunning buildings Cold War missile base in Lithuania - recent history, very unusual The Coronian Spit kilometres of white sand and a cormorant colony Tart(Estonai) u and Vilnius(Lithuania) Universities campuses What did you think of your group leader? He (Simonas) was very sociable and approachable. He sang Lithuanian traditional songs on the minibus, in public places. Very unusual and a insight into the musical tradition of the country. Unfortunately there was no group introduction session which might have helped cohesion, as he was unable to arrive until the morning of the first day and we went straight into a tour of Tallinn. He had a slight tendency to shoot off ahead of the group - slower individuals found it hard to keep up sometimes. He should have checked everyone was there when crossing busy roads in cities. Though some of the group often wandered off so hard to keep tabs on them, Local guides were generally excellent though the one in Tallinn was less so. Drivers also good. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Maybe go a day early or stay a day later so that you can see a bit more of either Tallinn or Vilnius. Some days were quite long and tiring It was more expensive than I had imagined (but cheaper than the UK) On the whole this is a good introduction to the Baltic States Is there anything else you would like to add? Hotels in Klaipeda and Vilnius were very noisy and their black out curtains were ineffective Some of the venues for group evening meals were disappointing and the food was not very good. One or two places cloud be left out e.g. a cave in Lithuania, Amber workshop and wind vane workshop on Coronian Spit.
Reviewed September 2017 anne higgins Trip: Discover the Baltics Excellent Baltic Tour Excellent Baltic tour covering three countries and popping over to Bosnia for lunch. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Great culture tour, very varied with city tours and history together with village life. Completely different. What did you think of your group leader? Evelin Balta was an excellent tour guide and very attentive, going out of his way to make sure all the group enjoyed their holiday. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Weather was good and only needed rain mac for one day. Nice and warm for this time of year. There is a swimming pool in Hotel Park Lakeside, Ohrid but it is very cold and you have to pay extra for your sun bed, so make sure you swim and relax around the lake. Make sure you visit Bunk Art 2 in Tirana, an excellent museum, very interesting some of the group said. It was a shame i didnt have time to visit, so an extra day may be advisable at the end of your trip. Is there anything else you would like to add? Small group and lovely leisurely tour. Most of the group were retired, but you still need to be fit to walk on the city tours.
Reviewed June 2017 Linda Romalin Trip: Discover the Baltics Discover the Baltics The trip was very good. We had 11 in our group and were a mix of American, British, Australian and an Italian. Hotels were pleasant and transport was comfortable with pleasant bus drivers although some of the trips were long. There were enough stops along the way to keep things interesting. The major areas of the three countries were covered with a variety of cities, culture, nature and sea although the main focus was cultural even in the national parks. I would have preferred some walks on the many trails and boardwalks we were told about. The guided tours and time on our own was evenly divided. In Riga, there was plenty of time to see the Old Town, visit museums, relax in parks and cafes, and shop. In Tallinn and Vilnius, not so much. Overall, the trip was true to the itinerary. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Not sure if I would call these inspirational moments but the museums in Riga (Occupation, Jews in Latvia, and Barricades) were all extremely interesting as well as The Cold War and KGB Museums in Lithuania. The Hill of Crosses was pretty amazing and the Curonian Spit was a nice break from the cities. What did you think of your group leader? Our group leader, Jolita, was personable and knowledgeable; she did her very best to take care of each persons's needs and interests. She went out of her way (and above the itinerary) to take us out each evening when we arrived at a new city to give us an orientation and suggest places for dinner. We went to dinner (mostly) as a group 5 times. We didn't need a local guide in Lithuania as Jolita as a Lithuanian was the expert. I really enjoyed her upbeat personality and genuine excitement to teach us about the Baltic's turbulent history. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? If you are interested in visiting museums you will have a hard time except for in Riga as there is not enough time during the day and you arrive in the cities at the time when museums are closed or are closing. I would suggest an extra day in Tallinn and an extra day in Vilnius. Is there anything else you would like to add? Exodus changed the Tallinn hotel 3 times without telling anyone about the third hotel. This one was outside of the Old Town on the seaport which was not very well located. They also changed the group flight from Lufthansa to Air Baltic without telling us. This changed the departure time from afternoon to morning. The only reason I took the group flight was to have some additional time in Vilnius so I was disappointed about that change.
Reviewed June 2017 Shona Tudor Trip: Discover the Baltics Discover the Baltics We had 12 days touring through the baltics at the end if May. The hotels, coaches and food were similar standard to the UK. There is usually an English menu. The tour guide was mostly interested in history which was not my interest in so much detail. The three countries are really small so the sights are not as good as other countries but the flip side of that is that it isn't as busy. The weather was similar to the UK. Take warm clothes for the evenings. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Seeing all the storks and cormorants nesting. I went at the end of May so this would only apply to this time of year. I liked the hill of witches which shows the artistic spirit from the last few years. Also we happened on to a folk dancing festival and they are so much better than our folk dancing. What did you think of your group leader? Jolita was enthusiastic, especially about the history of the region. She was really scatty in terms of giving us information we NEEDED. I had to ask others when my flight was 30 mins late. She wittered on and on and although she thought she spoke English she didn't bother trying to get the words in the correct order. I understand it is difficult though as all three countries have different languages so she had to speak Russian as well. It made it really hard to get the crucial information when she was going on and on. She kept saying da da da. We went out as a group the first and last night. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Advice would be to take a travel kettle as only one hotel supplied one also decaf coffee wasn't available. The hotels had wi-fi without passwords so I would recommend installing hotspot vpn before you travel so no-one else can access you phone etc. I have damaged my ankles walking so much on cobbles so I would recommend hiking boots with ankle support. There are lots of opportunities to go to mini supermarkets so don't worry if you forget anything. I took binoculars as there are alot of birds esp storks nesting. The leader wasn't interested which was a shame. Is there anything else you would like to add? It would be nice to have a few more things that weren't just about history and churches.
Reviewed June 2017 Jean Brouwer Trip: Discover the Baltics Great tour with very interesting history This tour covered a lot of ground in a short time. We learned so much of the history of this area and its people. It was good to have mix of activities in the cities and country areas. We visited old castles and palaces, national parks, museums, cities and small towns. There was a very good balance of organized activities and time to explore on our own. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? There are so many churches still in existence and used for artistic activities such as music and art, as well as for worship. Many have been extensively renovated in a variety of styles. Despite difficult times, people retained their cultural background and creativity and are proud of their countries. Everywhere there are memorials to celebrate writers, poets, musicians. What did you think of your group leader? Migle was outstanding. She was totally involved with the countries we visited and her knowledge of the history and current events was conveyed in a way which kept our interest throughout the trip. Her personality and charm, and her professionalism shone through. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Be prepared for lots of walking over cobbled roads and pavements. You may have to haul your bags up a couple of flights of stairs in some hotels. Read the trip notes before you travel and as you go so that you spend your free time most efficiently and don't cover ground which you will be covering in the guided walks. Is there anything else you would like to add? We were fortunate to travel with a group of like-minded people who, while from different backgrounds, got on really well together. Thanks team!
Reviewed October 2016 Susan Blake Trip: Discover the Baltics Beautiful Baltics Nearly two weeks travelling through the Baltic countries, this tour was a nice mix of historic cities and national parks. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Should I ever be lucky enough to own a palace, I would like to decorate it like Rudland Palace, one of the many beautiful places we visited. I really like the rococo stucco decorations. I was also inspired by all the public art, especially the sculptures I saw in all sorts of random places. What did you think of your group leader? Jolita, our group leader was fantastic, Nothing was too much trouble for her and she did everything she could to make sure everyone had a good time and a hassle free trip. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? During our city stays, there was plenty of free time so read your guidebook in advance to come up with a plan of how to make the best use of your time, The food in all three countries was excellent and good value although vegetarians might struggle to find much variety. On the other hand, chocoholics will do well. Luckily, we did a lot of walking to make up for all the great food. Is there anything else you would like to add? I very much enjoyed this tour. As well as seeing some amazing sights and paddling in the Baltic sea (it was way to cold for swimming), I learnt a lot about the three countries, especially their turbulent history. I would definitely recommend this tour and would like to go back to and see more of Riga, Vilnius and Talinn.
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